Each month, I’ll share with you requests for materials that our educators, staff, and students are looking for. This is a great way to support learning at Holliston High School while also reducing, reusing, and recycling items you may already have at home.

For the month of October, we are collecting Graphing Calculators. These tools are a valuable resource for students in a variety of math and science courses, and your donation can make a direct impact in the classroom.

If you have a graphing calculator you’d like to donate, please drop it off in the main office of Holliston High School.

IMPORTANT DATES

Thursday, October 9th - Principal Chat (8:30 am Main Office)

Monday, October 13th - No School (Indigenous People's Day)

Wednesday, October 15th - PSAT Day

Friday, October 17th - Homecoming Dance

Monday, October 20th - Diwali

Thursday, October 30th - Term 1 Ends

Friday, October 31st - Senior Dress Up Day

ThankYoutothePTO'sOutdoorLearningAlliance

Thank you to the PTO's Outdoor Learning Alliance for their support in helping to revamp the courtyards at Holliston High School.

Here are the beautiful results courtesy of the PTO's Outdoor Learning Alliance (OLA) team with donations of materials and time from:

HHS Art Club

Holliston DPW

Holliston Hardware

Lowes

Stucchi Landscape & Design

Veteran Pressure Washing, MA

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OpenHousePresentation

Thank you to everyone who joined us for last night’s Open House. It was wonderful to see so many of our families in the building, connecting with teachers and learning more about your student’s experience at Holliston High School. Your involvement makes a tremendous difference, and we are grateful for such an engaged and supportive community.

If you’d like to revisit the opening presentation, please click here to view the slideshow that was shared during the initial session by Principal David List.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. For questions specific to classes, the first step should be contacting your student’s teacher directly. For broader questions, our administrative team is always happy to connect.

We are fortunate to have such dedicated families, students, and teachers at Holliston High School, and we look forward to continuing this partnership throughout the year.

October15th

We want to share some important information about what will be happening at Holliston High School on Tuesday, October 15th. This day is designed to support students in their academic growth and post-secondary planning.

• Grades 10 & 11: Students will take the PSAT in the morning. This assessment provides valuable practice for the SAT and helps us better understand areas of student strength and growth. They will then attend their 3rd and 4th block classes.

• Grade 9: Freshmen will attend a presentation by Holliston alumnus Jesse Green and then work with school counselors on the MYCAP and SCOIR post-secondary planning process. This work helps students begin thinking about their goals and future pathways. They will then attend their 3rd and 4th block classes.

• Grade 12: Seniors will not attend school that day. Instead, they are expected to use the time to explore post-secondary options. Examples include visiting a college campus, meeting with a military recruiter, connecting with professional training programs, or engaging in other activities that support their planning for life after Holliston High School. To receive credit for the day, seniors must submit evidence of their visit or work completed. Seniors who need help determining an option for the day should speak with their school counselor or Ms. Stone in the Counseling Office.

NotesfromtheNurses❤️‍🩹

HHS will begin our mandatory health screenings on November 6, 2025. We will be screening 9th and 10th graders. If you want to OPT OUT your student from any health screening, please submit this form HERE.

Any questions - please reach out!

With good health & gratitude,

Tereza & Kim

SchoolCounselingUpdateforSeniors

We hope all is well! It was wonderful to see so many students at our assembly on Monday morning. We apologize for the length of this email - we recommend bookmarking it for easy reference throughout the process - there is a lot of information to remember and cover! Some high level details include:

• Please review your senior year transcript for accuracy! If you notice anything that looks incorrect (including Incomplete courses or grades that seem off), please reach out to your counselor ASAP so we can look into the situation. If we do not hear from you by next Friday, September 19th, we are assuming that you are OK with your transcript as is and it will be sent as such to your colleges.
  • Your transcript is available in PowerSchool under Student Reports on the left side menu. For most of you, your most recent transcript is the at the top of the list (likely saved as “Class of 2026 Transcript - as of 9.8.2025”).
  • If you are new to HHS this year, please note that your transcript may not yet reflect your previous school records. We are working on this and will update it ASAP.
• College application resources are available on the School Counseling website. Noteworthy documents include:
  • Scoir & HHS Cheat Sheet - includes the steps that need to be taken in Scoir, including how to request a letter of recommendation from teacher(s) and notifying your counselor of your intent to apply to specific schools (move the school to the Applying column on the My Colleges tab in Scoir).
  • 2025-2026 Common App Education Section FAQs - please utilize this document when filling out the Education section of the Common App - most of your questions will be answered here. This also provides guidance on self-reporting grades on the Common App and STARS portal (they are slightly different!).
  • Please remember - HHS policy is that 15-school days advance notice of your first deadline is required (this doesn't include weekends or holidays). No email to your counselor is necessary - just move the school to the Applying column in Scoir. This document is a handy overview of your deadlines for notifying your counselor and/or teacher of your intent to apply.
• Please also remember to fill out the applicable student and /or parent/guardian questionnaire linked on the HHS SCO website; this is super helpful as your counselor prepares to write your letter of recommendation.

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An email was also sent out last week with upcoming events, reminders, and resources. Here is a quick overview of what is still coming up:

• • Counselor on call - drop-in sessions to get any college-related or post-secondary planning question answered!
    • Tuesday, October 7th - DSB - Library
    • Wednesday, October 8th - DSB - Library
    • Thursday, October 9th - DSB - Library

Please sign up for sessions (attend as many as you would like!) in the Adaptive Scheduler

• College Visits - began this week during DSB!
  • We are fortunate to welcome college representatives from across the U.S. (and internationally) to HHS each year. These visits are an excellent opportunity for students to:
    • Connect with admissions representatives (often the very people reviewing applications)
    • Ask questions and learn more about schools of interest

Students can view the visit calendar and sign up in the Adaptive Scheduler.

• Parent/Guardian Brag Sheets & Student Questionnaires
  • Your input is invaluable in helping counselors write strong, personalized letters of recommendation. Please complete the counselor-specific questionnaire or brag sheet by clicking here.
• Individual Counselor/Student-Family Meetings
  • We are always happy to meet one-on-one with students and families to provide individualized guidance. Appointments can be scheduled online through the School Counseling website under the Contact Us section.
• ***NEW*** - College Planning Day - October 15th
  • This message was included in the most recent edition of the HHS newsletter, the Panther Pulse: Seniors will not attend school that day (October 15th). Instead, they are expected to use the time to explore post-secondary options. To receive attendance credit for the day, seniors must submit evidence of their visit or work completed.
• Stay Connected
  • Follow us on Instagram or Facebook: @hollistonsco
  • Visit the School Counseling website for resources, timelines, and updates - bookmark it for easy access!

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor with any questions. We are excited to work with you and your families as you begin this important chapter of your journey.

YearbookInformation

As the school year is underway, so is the 2025-2026 Yearbook! As we know, many parents like to purchase a yearbook, we wanted to make you aware that sales for the 2025-2026 yearbook are now live. As of now, yearbooks are $70.00, and prices will increase on 10/1/2025 and again on 2/28/2026. We wanted to make sure seniors/parents/guardians know and get their books purchased early at the discounted price. Last year, the books sold out, and some people were not able to purchase a book, so the earlier you buy, the better!

You can purchase the yearbook at www.yearbookforever.com (search for Holliston High School). If you need financial assistance, please contact the administration, and they will contact the yearbook advisor (Joel Stembridge).

Business Ads → We also offer space in the yearbook for local businesses to advertise! If you would like to purchase an ad for the yearbook, please see the pricing below. All ads can be created at www.yearbookforever.com

Business Ad:

Full page: $250

1/2 page: $185

1/4 page: $60

1/8 page: $40

Additionally, here is the important information sent over the summer for Seniors!:

• Senior pictures are due Friday, 10/24/2025, NO EXCEPTIONS
  • Take your pictures over the summer!
  • If you take pictures with Henry Studios, they will send us your photo
  • Otherwise, please email your senior photo to yearbook@holliston.k12.ma.us
  • Photos should be 4” by 5” @ 300dpi jpg format
• Senior Baby photos due by Friday, 11/7/2025
  • Please email to yearbook@holliston.k12.ma.us with the subject “STUDENT NAME- baby picture”

Family Ads → If you would like to purchase an ad for the yearbook please see the pricing below. All ads can be created at www.yearbookforever.com

Personal/Family Ad (for seniors)

Full page: $230

1/2 page: $165

1/4 page: $80

1/8 page: $40

Please reach out with any questions. We are looking forward to creating a great yearbook!

AnnualStudentVerificationForms

You should have received an email regarding "Annual Student Verification Forms. This quick update ensures we have:

• Your current contact information for important school updates and documents

• Required information for state reporting for Holliston residents

• Accurate details for communication

The form will come from the following email address: noreply@noreply.powerschool.com. This must be completed at the start of the school year. If you have any questions or need support, please contact:

Jodi Harrington / harringtonj@holliston.k12.ma.us / (508) 429-0693

SchoolCounseling

The vision and the commitment of the HHS School Counseling Office is to empower students to embrace their potential by understanding and managing their emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, feeling and showing empathy for others, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making informed decisions and healthy choices. Information regarding counselor caseloads, scheduling, and post-secondary planning can be found on the School Counseling website: School Counseling Office.

Athletics

Click the links below for the most up to date athletic information

HHS Athletics Webpage

Games Schedules, Rosters & Results

Please follow @HollistonAD on X and @HollistonAthletics on Instagram

PrincipalChat

Each month I invite parents and caregivers to join me at Holliston High School to learn more about the experience of our students and to answer questions. In order to accommodate schedules, I hold these coffee hours both in the morning and the early evening. Below are the dates of coffee hour meetings for the year.

Thursday, October 9th at 8:30am in the main office

Thursday, November 6th at 5:00pm in the main office

Thursday, December 4th at 8:30am in the main office

Thursday, January 8th at 5:00pm in the main office

Thursday, February 5th at 8:30am in the main office

Thursday, March 5th at 5:00pm in the main office

Thursday, April 2nd at 8:30am in the main office

Thursday, May 7th at 5:00pm in the main office

HollistonPTOSki&SnowboardClubRegistration

Registration Opens October 28th, 2025

Does your high schooler have free time on Sunday evenings this Winter? Get them out on the Wachusett slopes for some fresh air and sweet turns! The PTO offers a ride to and from the mountain and Wachusett offers discounted passes, rentals, and lessons. All information and the registration can be found here.

HollistonPTO

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HOLLISTON PTO & SEPAC SPIRIT SHOP — Now Open All Year! Click Here to Shop Now!
Shop your favorite Holliston gear anytime through our year-round online store:

• Free shipping on orders $100+ OR Local pickup in Holliston at Fitted Laundry (84 October Hill Rd)
• Try before you buy — visit the facility to check sizing
• On-demand production — items are made in-house. Please allow up to 30 days before shipment
• Seasonal refreshes — new looks throughout the year will be announced

Best part: 10% of every purchase goes straight back to Holliston PTO or SEPAC. Shop local. Give back. Wear it with pride!

HOLLISTONHMAPA(MusicandArtsParentAssoc.)

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