Excellence Award Bestowed Upon Newfound High School in Bristol, New Hampshire

Newfound Regional High School Honored with Excellence Award

Bristol, New Hampshire

by Victoria Guay
vguay@citizen.com

(This article appeared originally at Citizen.com, a service of The Citizen of Lanconia newspaper, on Thursday, May 6, 2010.)

The secret is out. 

With Newfound Regional High School being named the 2010 High School of Excellence, the rest of the state is now privy to what the students, teachers, administrators and the community have known for long time, said more than one person during an assembly Thursday at the school, celebrating the surprise announcement. 

"Be loud, be proud, because this is just the start of something big," said Michael O'Malley (at right), principal of Newfound Regional High School. 

He also said that the Newfound High School is a diverse, vibrant supportive community. 

"We have tremendous learning going here," O'Malley said. 

After the assembly, Marie Ross, superintendent of the Newfound Regional School District, praised the students, faculty and staff of the school. 

"They have worked so hard and put in so many hours to get where they are," Ross said. "I'm just so excited for them."

Monica Jackson, guidance director at the school, agreed with Ross. 

"They school is doing amazing things with few resources but great community support," Jackson said. 

Mary Campbell of Hebron, vice chair of the Newfound Regional School Board, said that over the 21 years she has served on the board, she has watched the school grow. 

"I have seen this school evolve into what it is being recognized for today," Campbell said. "It's due to our students and all the adults in the building as well as the support of the community."

The assembly also marked the school becoming part of the New Hampshire Scholars Program, a program which recognizes students who have taken a more rigorous course of study in high school, which will better prepare them for a four-year college or vocational or technical training after graduation.

During the assembly, 21 students in the senior class who have fulfilled the requirements of the program and will be named New Hampshire Scholars this year.

When the announcement of the award was made, Michael Jette, principal of Merrimack Valley Regional High School and the chairman of the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Program, congratulated the school and said that, as part of the award selection committee, he saw first hand why students at the school are so successful.

Jette said the school met and surpassed every criteria for the award, including taking a personal approach to education; fostering a sense of school pride and community culture; being results oriented; having empowered teachers who help their students succeed; and offering extended learning opportunities. 

"This is really a student body that has passion for what they do," Jette said.