Tomorrow marks the special statewide election for the late Senator Kennedy's senate seat. Mansfield High School's gymnasium will be the sole polling station for the town of Mansfield. To accommodate voters, we will be reserving a block of approximately 40 parking spots in the student parking lot adjacent to the gym. Thus, we are recommending that senior students who drive arrive to school tomorrow early, as spaces will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Students who do not find a space will have to park in Memorial Park.

The MHS Gulf Coast Relief Group is gearing up to return to Mississippi for a third year of relief work following the devastating 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Fifteen students led by Mrs. Fournier, Mrs. Gildersleeve and Mrs. Olson will be heading to the Gulf Coast just before the start of the April Vacation. They will spend a week at a relief camp in Bay St. Louis where they will be given meals and a bunk bed. Supervisors at the camp will direct the students to work sites where they will help with construction, painting, clean up, shoveling and organization.  The juniors and seniors will attend an instructional session at the Mansfield Home Depot where they will learn how to install dry wall and floor tile.  Students will also spend a day at the Pascagoula Audubon Center helping to assess the impact of the hurricane on the fragile estuarine ecosystem. A half-day side trip is planned for New Orleans so that students can experience the culture and foods of the region. Over the course of the next few months the group will be conducting various fundraisers to help pay for the lodging, meals, van rentals, gas and supplies. Donation boxes made from bird houses have been set out at area businesses. The group will be holding dine out nights at Papa Gino's on March 11th and at the Chateau in Norton on April 1st, a children's carnival in late winter and a raffle with a prom basket in early spring. We are currently holding a fundraiser at Dream Dinners in Plainville. More information, photos, and stories of past experiences can be found on the Mansfield High School Web site.

 

Pictured above are the students in this year's group: Back row: Nicole Porcello, Michelle Greene, Brittany Phillips, Nick Wilder, Emily Hart, Kevin Long, Haley Stansberry and Tate Shepard; Front row: Stephanie Caljouw, McKayla Jenks and Justin Dekert (Missing: Mariah McGrath, Brian Franklin, Jess Eason and Emalee Mahoney)

Congratulations to the MHS Math Team on their first place finish at the Southeastern Massachusetts Mathematics  League meet held on January 7th.  Mansfield dominated the academic field with outstanding performances by all team members. Special congratulations to Sangeetha Kavety and Zachary Banks for their perfect score totals in a very challenging league meet.  The next meet scheduled for February 4th will determine the Division II Champion with League Playoffs scheduled for March 4th. Currently, Mansfield is in third place in the SMML which consists of 32 schools.

Math team practices are held every Monday at 2:00pm in Room 173.  New members are always welcome. Please contact Mrs. Kalinowski or Mr. Mitchell for futher information.

Need help filling out the FAFSA? On Sunday, January 31st at a number of locations throughout the state, College Goal Sunday might be the answer to your questions. College Goal Sunday mobilizes financial aid professionals from Massachusetts colleges to help families of college-bound students complete the FAFSA. The events start at 2:00 PM. Locally, Brockton High School and Dean College in Franklin will be host sites.

Students and parents should bring their FAFSA PIN, completed 2009 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 statements and other 2009 income and benefits information. Current bank statements, untaxed income records for the previous year (Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare or veterans benefits records), driver's license,  and alien registration card ( if not a U.S. citizen ). This information is helpful but not necessary.

In order to best accommodate your needs, the sponsors ask that you register online at  www.masscollegegoalsunday.org. This website also lists all the other locations that will be hosting College Goal Sunday and can answer many of the questions you might have about the event.