Mr. Devine's Comments on the First Day of School

Good morning please welcome Class of 2018 President Christian Oliveri to the stage to lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

 and to the republic for which it stands

 one nation under God indivisible

 with liberty and justice for all.

Thanks, Christian.

Now, please welcome Class of 2016 President Ricky Barone to the stage to officially start off the 2016 2017 school year.

Thanks, Ricky.

It is so great to have you all back this year.  This school is very quiet and very lonely during the summer without you here.  We accomplished so much last year and I am really looking forward to working with you and your teachers to achieve even more this year.

We have several new teachers joining us this year and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce them to you.

·       Teaching English Mr. Marshall.

·       Teaching mathematics Mrs. McNamara.

·       Teaching mathematics Mrs. Stallbaum.

·       Our new Guidance counselor working with those of you whose last names are in the second half of the alphabet -  Mrs. Burke.

·       As a paraprofessional please welcome back to high school Mrs. Meager.

·       Although he was with us as a substitute last year he is officially on the payroll this year. Mr. Mackenzie that younger.

·       Also joining us as a paraprofessional this year Hull High School alumna -  Miss Vierra.

Due to some late job switches, please join me in welcoming back Mr. Lloyd who will be serving as the TBL teacher until we hire a replacement for Miss McCusker and Mr. Scott will be our wellness/physical education teacher until a replacement for Mrs. Torres is hired.

I am sure that you have I'm sure noticed our school is looking great to start the school year. The floors are shining, the windows are clean and everything is set and ready to go thanks for the hard work of our custodial staff. Mr. Sailor and Mr. Mu+rphy won't be here until later this afternoon but let's give a big round of applause for Mr. MacGonable for all of his hard work this summer in a very very hot building.

I also need to recognize two women who have worked all summer to get ready to make sure school opens today. Let's give a huge round of applause to Mrs. Troy and Mrs. Condon.

It has become a tradition here at whole high school that at our opening assembly we recognize the athletic team that had the greatest percentage of students earn a spot on the on the honor roll during their season.  Please join me in congratulating the 2015-2016 Scholar-Athletes – the Lady Pirates Basketball team.

To our freshman - the members of the class of 2020 -  welcome to Hull High School. You have now entered a new chapter of your life. You get to decide who you will be and what you will accomplish. Middle school doesn't matter anymore. You are now a Hull High School Pirate and you, only you, will determine what your choices will be when you graduate from our school in four very quick years. Make the most of every experience.  Ask questions of your teachers and upperclassman and know that if you give it your all you will do great things while you are here.  And when you get lost today, as you surely will, just remember that our building is just one big square.

To our sophomores - welcome back for your second year as a part of our community.  You are no longer the youngest in our school and so this year you will be given more responsibility.   This is a very important year as you prepare to take the ELA and mathematics MCAS this spring.  Your class had a great year last year.  Work together to make this year even better.

Juniors -  the Class of 2018 -  welcome back.  You have now entered the 2^nd half of your high school career.  Though your class is small – you have made our school a better place over the past two years.  Awesome involvement – great MCAS scores – so much kindness to others - winning the Class Cup two years in a row.  You have shown that you are a fantastic class.  This is a huge year for you with PSATs that count, SATs in the spring, the last full-year grades that colleges will see.  You have done great work already.  Keep it up.

And for the first time to the members of the class of 2017 I say hello seniors.  To be very honest with you I am really having a hard time excepting the fact that you were seniors. It really seems like just yesterday you were walking through our doors lost and nervous. But over the past three years you have shown us all time and time again that you have amazing talents, skills and gifts. You have already been leaders in so many ways and our school is a better place because you are here.  I know that you will continue to be the leaders that you have already been and that you will have an incredibly successful senior year and will set a great tone for our community. 

Now let's hear from Miss Nosik about what the rest of today will look like.

It has been quite a summer here in our country.  We have heard that black lives matter, that blue lives matter and that all lives matter. We have seen unarmed African-Americans killed by police officers and we have seen police officers – black and white - protecting others, including protesters – being murdered simply because they wore the uniform.   We have seen dozens of Americans killed just because they chose to go to a gay nightclub.  We have seen a woman for the first time be nominated as the presidential candidate from a major political party and we are now watching the most divisive president campaign in modern times.   As a learning community – it is our obligation to talk about the state of affairs in our country and to help you decide where you stand on the issues of the day.  But – I have faith that here at Hull High School we will do a much better job than many in our country at doing this in a respectful way that does not vilify someone just because their beliefs are different than yours.

Last year my message to you was be kind.  This year – my message to you is persevere.  No matter who wins this upcoming election – the United States of America will continue to be great because for 240 years the American people have shown perseverance and a willingness to listen to others – even those with whom they disagree.  We are great because we have worked together – even with those with whom we disagree – to make our country stronger.  We are a great nation because when the going gets tough – we put aside our differences and see that we have a lot more in common then we have differences. 

The same can be said for our school.  We will disagree – we will discuss – we will listen – and we will come together to make our school even greater than it already is.   I am so proud to be the leader of this educational community because each and every day all of us persevere to do the best that we can.  We work together to help those who are in need.  We come together to celebrate the accomplishments of all of the members of our community.  We celebrate differences and work together to make our community where all feel valued and welcome.  This isn’t always easy but we persevere and do it.

Let’s work together to make this year the best that our school has ever seen.

Solar Hull Workshop

Hull High Rowing Open House

How to Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch

HOW TO APPLY FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS

Please use these instructions to help you fill out the application for free or reduced price school meals. You only need to submit one application per household, even if your children attend more than one school in the Hull Public Schools. The application must be filled out completely to certify your children for free or reduced price school meals. Please follow these instructions in order! Each step of the instructions is the same as the steps on your application. If at any time you are not sure what to do next, please contact the main office of the school where your child attends (HHS 781-925-3000, MMS 781-925-2040 or JES 781-925-4400).

STEP 1: LIST ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO ARE INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND STUDENTS UP TO AND INCLUDING GRADE 12
Tell us how many infants, children, and school students live in your household. They do NOT have to be related to you to be a part of your household. Who should I list here? When filling out this section, please include ALL members in your household who are: ·         Children age 18 or under AND are supported with the household’s income; ·         In your care under a foster arrangement, or qualify as homeless, migrant, or runaway youth; ·         Students attending the Hull Public Schools, regardless of age.
A) List each child’s name. Print each child’s name. Use one line of the application for each child. When printing names, write one letter in each box. Stop if you run out of space. If there are more children present than lines on the application, attach a second piece of paper with all required information for the additional children.	B) Is the child a student in the Hull Public Schools? Mark ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ under the column titled “Student” to tell us which children attend the Hull Public Schools. If you marked ‘Yes,’ write the grade level of the student in the ‘Grade’ column to the right.	C) Do you have any foster children? If any children listed are foster children, mark the “Foster Child” box next to the child’s name.  If you are ONLY applying for foster children, after finishing STEP 1, go to STEP 4. Foster children who live with you may count as members of your household and should be listed on your application. If you are applying for both foster and non-foster children, go to step 3.	D) Are any children homeless, migrant, or runaway? If you believe any child listed in this section meets this description, mark the “Homeless, Migrant, Runaway” box next to the child’s name and complete all steps of the application.

PLEASE USE A PEN (NOT A PENCIL) WHEN FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION AND DO YOUR BEST TO PRINT CLEARLY.

STEP 2: DO ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN SNAP, TANF, OR FDPIR?
If anyone in your household (including you) currently participates in one or more of the assistance programs listed below, your children are eligible for free school meals: ·         The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ·         Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ·         The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
A)  If no one in your household participates in any of the above listed programs: ·         Leave STEP 2 blank and go to STEP 3.		B)  If anyone in your household participates in any of the above listed programs: ·         Write a case number for SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR. You only need to provide one case number. If you participate in one of these programs and do not know your case number, contact: the MA SNAP Hotline at 1-866-950-3663. ·         Go to STEP 4.
STEP 3: REPORT INCOME FOR ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS
How do I report my income? ·         Use the charts titled “Sources of Income for Adults” and “Sources of Income for Children,”  printed on the back side of the application form to determine if your household has income to report. ·         Report all amounts in GROSS INCOME ONLY. Report all income in whole dollars. Do not include cents. o    Gross income is the total income received before taxes o    Many people think of income as the amount they “take home” and not the total, “gross” amount. Make sure that the income you report on this application has NOT been reduced to pay for taxes, insurance premiums, or any other amounts taken from your pay. ·         Write a “0” in any fields where there is no income to report. Any income fields left empty or blank will also be counted as a zero. If you write ‘0’ or leave any fields blank, you are certifying (promising) that there is no income to report. If local officials suspect that your household income was reported incorrectly, your application will be investigated. ·         Mark how often each type of income is received using the check boxes to the right of each field.
3.A. REPORT INCOME EARNED BY CHILDREN
A)  Report all income earned or received by children. Report the combined gross income for ALL children listed in STEP 1 in your household in the box marked “Child Income.” Only count foster children’s income if you are applying for them together with the rest of your household. What is Child Income? Child income is money received from outside your household that is paid DIRECTLY to your children. Many households do not have any child income.
3.B  REPORT INCOME EARNED BY ADULTS
Who should I list here? ·         When filling out this section, please include ALL adult members in your household who are living with you and share income and expenses, even if they are not related and even if they do not receive income of their own. ·         Do NOT include: o    People who live with you but are not supported by your household’s income AND do not contribute income to your household. o    Infants, Children and students already listed in STEP 1.
B) List adult household members’ names. Print the name of each household member in the boxes marked “Names of Adult Household Members (First and Last).” Do not list any household members you listed in STEP 1. If a child listed in STEP 1 has income, follow the instructions in STEP 3, part A.	C) Report earnings from work. Report all income from work in the “Earnings from Work” field on the application. This is usually the money received from working at jobs. If you are a self-employed business or farm owner, you will report your net income. What if I am self-employed? Report income from that work as a net amount. This is calculated by subtracting the total operating expenses of your business from its gross receipts or revenue.		D) Report income from public assistance/child support/alimony. Report all income that applies in the “Public Assistance/Child Support/Alimony” field on the application. Do not report the cash value of any public assistance benefits NOT listed on the chart. If income is received from child support or alimony, only report court-ordered payments. Informal but regular payments should be reported as “other” income in the next part.
E) Report income from pensions/retirement/all other income. Report all income that applies in the “Pensions/Retirement/ All Other Income” field on the application.	F) Report total household size. Enter the total number of household members in the field “Total Household Members (Children and Adults).” This number MUST be equal to the number of household members listed in STEP 1 and STEP 3. If there are any members of your household that you have not listed on the application, go back and add them. It is very important to list all household members, as the size of your household affects your eligibility for free and reduced price meals.		G) Provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number. An adult household member must enter the last four digits of their Social Security Number in the space provided. You are eligible to apply for benefits even if you do not have a Social Security Number. If no adult household members have a Social Security Number, leave this space blank and mark the box to the right labeled “Check if no SSN.”
STEP 4: CONTACT INFORMATION AND ADULT SIGNATURE
All applications must be signed by an adult member of the household. By signing the application, that household member is promising that all information has been truthfully and completely reported. Before completing this section, please also make sure you have read the privacy and civil rights statements on the back of the application.
A) Provide your contact information. Write your current address in the fields provided if this information is available. If you have no permanent address, this does not make your children ineligible for free or reduced price school meals. Sharing a phone number, email address, or both is optional, but helps us reach you quickly if we need to contact you.	B) Print and sign your name. Print the name of the adult signing the application and that person signs in the box “Signature of adult.”	C) Write today’s date. In the space provided, write today’s date in the box.	D) Share children’s racial and ethnic identities (optional). On the back of the application, we ask you to share information about your children’s race and ethnicity. This field is optional and does not affect your children’s eligibility for free or reduced price school meals.

News From Hull Theatre Arts

There will be a pre-audition workshop for all students entering grades 7-12 for our fall production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. New students and students new to theatre especially welcome! Come meet the members of HHSTA, do some fun theatre games and get a preview of the scenes for auditions. Tuesday, August 22nd from 5-8pm Hull High School auditorium. 

Another workshop will be held on September 1st and auditions are September 6th for speaking roles and September 7th for ensemble. Looking for students who have gymnastic, dance and tumbling experience. Everyone who auditions will be cast.  

Show dates are Nov. 18 & 19. Stage Crew positions also available. 

We will be producing "The Drowsy Chaperone" as our spring musical, and students will also be bringing a student produced show to the METG theatre festival for competition in March.  There are lots of ways to be involved.