At the heart of Hanover High School is a hub of hard-working students dedicated to serving the school community with warm baked goods and coffee: Cedar Street Café. This beloved café has a unique origin story: for many years, students in the RISE and POST programs have been making treats to sell to teachers at Cedar School. About three years ago, HHS Principal Mr. Mattos approved bringing the operation here, where its weekly shop has flourished.
The RISE and POST programs at HHS work with special needs students from ages 14-22 on academics, life skills and social/communication skills. The programs are run by Mr. O’Hare and Ms. Melone, assisted by a team of paraprofessionals who help tailor learning to each student’s needs. Ms. Mann and Ms. Drinkwater, the paras helping run the cafe on a recent visit, explained that the goal is to teach students about handling money and providing excellent customer service. They also shared that their favorite aspect of the café is the interaction between the students and their peers.
Students and teachers in the RISE and POST programs typically shop for the week on Mondays and bake the treats on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When Thursday comes around, three students manage the café out of room 111. One takes orders, another prepares the coffee and packs baked goods, and the third handles transactions. As a student myself, I can confidently say that Cedar Street Café brings joy to everyone’s day. The moment the announcement is made over the loudspeaker, half the class rushes to the café. When they return, they’re all smiles, carrying delicious treats.
Now, you’re probably wondering what’s on the menu. Ms. Mann says that the blueberry cake and coffee cake are not only her personal favorites but also a fan favorite among students. However, the café offers so much more: cookies, lemon cake, pumpkin bread, coffee, blondie brownies, regular brownies and sugar cookies have been up for sale. One thing everyone knows about Cedar Street Café is its love for seasonal treats! In the fall, they serve pumpkin-flavored goodies; in the winter, they offer holiday cookies and hot chocolate; and in the spring, lemon bread becomes the go-to treat.
The café is always looking for new ideas, and the teachers encourage students to share suggestions. If you have a specific treat in mind, submit your ideas using the Google Form linked below! Keep in mind, the café operates as cash-only to give students valuable hands-on experience in handling money and practicing essential math skills.
Cedar Street Café is more than just a place to grab a snack—it’s a bright spot in the day for students and staff alike, and a cornerstone of our school community.
Jack O’Callaghan preps batter for the week’s recipes.Jillian Richards and Ms. Mann ready ingredients.Supplies are purchased weekly by students.Jillian Richards measures ingredients.Room 111 is a busy place throughout the week.Shea Davenport serves Mr. Ciccolo his order.Ms. Drinkwater and Jillian Richards prepare coffee for a cafe customer.Liam O’Neill works the cash register as student customers place their orders.
The Powder Puff is a longstanding school tradition where Junior and Senior girls have the opportunity to face one another in a football game, coached by members of the varsity football team. This year’s contest between the “Spidey Seniors” and “Jackpot Juniors” took place near Thanksgiving and was very competitive. It’s become precedent that the Seniors dominate and win every year. However, the Juniors posed a potential threat to this legacy.
Tess Madden scores for the Juniors.
Tess Madden put the Juniors on the scoreboard first with a touchdown. The Seniors’ shocked expressions made it clear that they had expected the traditional easy victory and were caught off guard. But the Spidey Seniors quickly regained their composure, responding with two touchdowns of their own. The Class of 2025 gained the lead and shifted the momentum in their favor.
This intense rivalry between the teams was evident by the loud, energetic atmosphere. It was a tight game with lots of calls from the referees which the Seniors were able to capitalize on. Despite not having any formal practice or preparation leading up to the game, the Spidey Seniors were able to turn situations to their advantage. In contrast, the Juniors took a more strategic approach, holding a practice the night before the game. During this practice the Jackpot Juniors created their foundation of plays, lineups, and, most importantly, teamwork. However, the lack of preparation on the Seniors’ part didn’t seem to hinder their performance. When asked if the Juniors should have won, Finley Nadeau, a Class of 2026 running back, simply replied, “Yes,” highlighting the value of her class’s preparation and teamwork.
The Junior O-Line prepares at practice.
The Juniors wide receiver line poses at practice.
Ultimately, the Seniors won the game but the Juniors put up a strong fight. Powder Puff’s meaning extends beyond the final score—it’s an opportunity to strengthen the sense of community within each class. For many, like Hope Miller, a Junior wide receiver, the experience was just as much about the friendships as the competition. She shared that she was “looking forward to playing with her friends,” highlighting the spirit of unity. Powderpuff is a unique experience to branch outside of your circle and make friends within your class.
Spidey Seniors – Class of 2025
Jackpot Juniors – Class of 2026
Check out a photo album and video taken for HPS by Mrs. Monahan:
On the morning of September 3rd, the sun rose to greet the residents in the town of Hanover. Autumn signaled its approach, as leaves danced in the air, swishing and sliding as they fell to the ground. The turning of the leaf, the changing of the season, symbolized a new beginning for everyone, but especially for those who attend Hanover High School. With the failure of a funding initiative in May, students woke to the blaring of their alarm clocks and the bright light of a new day, along with the realization that their lives have changed for the rest of their high school careers.
Flashback to early May, when there’s a high chance you heard about a potential vote that would determine the “fate of Hanover.” Rumor of the vote spread like wildfire throughout the town, and some students were confused by or unaware of the reason for the vote. On the evenings of May 5 and 6, hundreds of citizens of Hanover gathered in the high school auditorium to voice their opinions about the town budget proposed for the subsequent year. The town was asking for about $6 million in additional funding for multiple departments, according to the town website. If approved, taxes would be raised, costing the average homeowner about $1400 a year.
Residents had to decide whether they would put this proposal to a town-wide vote in a special election. Those in attendance voted in favor of a special election May 18. But on that day, residents worried about higher taxes and rising costs voted by a large margin to reject the tax increase. Town departments were forced to reduce their budgets, cutting down on many programs and job positions.
This would be felt most harshly in the schools, which had asked for about $2.7 million of the additional funds. The school department is responsible for helping students become the future leaders of society. A comfortable and safe atmosphere for students is important for the schools of Hanover to uphold the motto of giving all students the chance “to soar and succeed without limits.” But according to information on the Town of Hanover website, the override failure would lead to more than 25 teachers being laid off, classroom sizes increasing by 20 percent, and electives for students being reduced. Opportunities for teaching and career exploration would decrease, supporters of the override feared, while behavior issues would increase.
Now that we are a few months into the school year, the wounds inflicted by the override failure have become more evident at HHS. The void left by the budget cuts looms in the empty classrooms that once were used to teach Hanover students, or classrooms bursting at the seams. According to Steve Henderson, President of the Hanover Teachers Union, there are fewer courses being offered at the high school, and the ones being offered are overcrowded. There is also aging technology that cannot be replaced and field trips and extracurriculars that have been canceled. Seniors, in their last year, no longer have the same class choices and opportunities they have grown to expect, he said, and freshmen coming into school have “an uncertain horizon ahead of them.”
Teachers are unable to spend as much time with students because of larger class sizes and caseloads, and their relationships with students are suffering, Mr. Henderson said. “Teachers are in a very trying position, and will continue to advocate for students.”
The opportunity to collaborate with other students and to create the arts that represent HHS is a gift to many. HHS strives in the arts and thrives when it comes to amazing performances by the chorus, band and drama programs. However, the Fine Arts department has changed because of the override failure. Matt Harden, music teacher and band director, said major impacts from the override include the loss of supplies and programs and the shifting of teachers to courses they have never taught before. The high school also lost its drama teacher, which has greatly impacted the face of the popular Drama program, he said.
“There will be a ripple effect for a long time,” he said. “My goal every day is to limit how much of an impact there is.”
It is necessary to understand the central causes that brought the town to this financial position. According to the town of Hanover website, “similar to many Massachusetts communities, the cost of providing services to the community has outpaced the revenue growth allowed under Proposition 2½ .” This means that the town’s tax revenue – its profits – aren’t keeping up with its expenses. The money in the town’s coffers also has been impacted by the expiration of federal Covid-19 grants and general inflation.
Rising expenses have not only impacted our town, but other comparable towns such as Sandwich, Rockland, Norwell and Westwood. Based upon a Municipal Data Bank, created by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, towns like ours have asked for an average of 5.1 overrides since 1990 and more requests have failed than succeeded. Sandwich alone has asked for an override 11 times. Hanover has sought two tax overrides since 1990, both of which passed.
Hoping to heal from the wounds being nursed this year, school and town officials are already deep into planning the budget for next year. They are preparing three different budget proposals and pursuing another override vote. The “level funding” school budget would maintain the current level of reduced funding, resulting in more cuts due to rising expenses, according to school officials’ budget presentations. The “level services” budget would include funding to cover those rising expenses to maintain what we have this year. The “restore 24” budget would restore the funding cut last spring, returning many positions and programs that have been reduced.
If only the “level funding” is approved, officials say, bussing, sports, clubs and course offerings at HHS could be even further impacted. The school we know and love, that the community cheers for on the playing field and on stage, could become unrecognizable. “Our identity is defined by the schools,” said Mr. Henderson.
It is a gift that HHS still maintains its core factors, its students and staff. The relationships that students and teachers have built over the years make HHS a welcoming place. It is hard to imagine what will happen if another override fails.
Hanover High students went all in for Spirit Week and Homecoming, held Oct. 28-Nov. 1. The costumes for the four themed days included red, white and blue; jammies and jerseys; ‘On Wednesdays, we wear pink’ from the movie Clueless; and Halloween costumes. The Junior Class won the pod decorating contest with Jungle Juniors, and students wearing their class colors crowded into the gym for a pep rally that featured riotous games and friendly trash talk.
The football team crushed North Quincy High School 42-7 in the Friday night Homecoming game, cheered on by a crowd of costumed fans in the endzone. Seniors Connor McCue and Ava Good were voted Homecoming king and queen at the Saturday night dance, which attendees said was the best in several years.
Click on the pictures to scroll through a larger gallery.
The Hanover High School Cabaret concert, held October 15, transformed the cafeteria into a musical showcase. About 20 participants performed. The Pride of Hanover marching band played its current field show “Chicago,” and Vox displayed its choral talents. Other performances included “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift, sung by Avery Porro and Sophie Frattasio, and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappel Roan, performed by Henry Graham and Daniel Freedman. I joined Anna Dillon, Aevlyn Brangan, Ben Smith, Maria-Rita Silva and Luca Ciccolo for “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. All of the performances were exceptional.
It is a great accomplishment to go in front of an audience and perform. Even after playing for many years on stage, it can still be nerve racking, but everyone did a great job. Some were even brave enough to play a solo. I talked to several of the performers to learn more about the atmosphere for the musical arts at HHS. I love performing in front of a crowd, whether it’s at a football game or a concert. It is fun and exhilarating, even though it can fill me with worries. But it’s all worth it when you see everyone supporting you and cheering you on.
“Before my first game, I was nervous but then I realized that I did good,” said Tory Jara, a freshman. “I feel very proud of myself after my performances due to all of the hard work that I put in everytime.”
Many band students believe, and I agree, that one of the best parts about being in band is showing what we can accomplish together. We all have to come together to make the band what it is and it takes teamwork. Another great thing about band is all of the friends you make. Going to class first period every morning with all the people I love is a great feeling, and everyone there shares a common passion, music! As a freshman, I wasn’t sure what to expect from high school band, but I very quickly realized that while I liked being in band before, I now love it. I am starting a new chapter that helped make the overall move to high school a little easier.
“The people you meet are amazing and they make you feel like you are part of the team,” said freshman Layla Ali. Music makes you come out of your shell and learn to communicate without words, she added.
By: Michael Sawaya, Jack Nadeau, Malakai Beliveau, Daniel Sierra and Cam Melone, ’26
Guest Writers
“If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie,” wrote Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried, his National Book-award winning novel based on his experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War.
Our reading of this book in class motivated us to reflect on the horrors of war and what a soldier would carry on his body and in his heart in order to survive such a traumatic experience. We invited Robert (Bob) Melone, a U.S. military veteran who served in Afghanistan, and father of junior Cam Melone, to join our class and candidly discuss his experience.
“Everyone is human and deserves dignity.”
Robert (Bob) Melone, with his son, Cam, now a junior at HHS.
Mr. Melone always felt the obligation to join the military because his father and grandfather had served. In 1996, he graduated Silver Lake High School and was working at Papa Gino’s in Pembroke. He knew he wanted to go to college and the only way he could afford this was by joining the military. So he joined the National Guard in 1997 and began basic training in Missouri. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda, two terrorist organizations.
He recalls landing his military plane at Bagram Air Force Base with no lights on, in total darkness, in order to evade the enemy. For the first three months of service, he and his platoon did not have the means to take a shower. Mr. Melone then embarked on a covert operation to locate a shower; he ended up finding one on another Air Force base.
Mr. Melone’s platoon was responsible for blowing up a cache of ammunition and bombs from al-Qaeda and the Taliban. His platoon detonated the enemy’s weaponry high up in the mountains of Afghanistan. The elevation was higher than Denver, Colorado, causing him to suffer from elevation fatigue for the first few days he was there. Mr. Melone found it difficult to breathe in the extreme altitudes of these high mountain ranges as he embarked on these dangerous missions.
Mr. Melone visits schoolchildren in Afghanistan.
As a combat medic, he made sure his platoon was taken care of properly. Not only this, but Mr. Melone also took good care of prisoners of war (POWs) who were on the side of America’s enemies. He cared for the very people who may have killed him if given the chance. He never lost sight of the humanity in people on the other “side.” For him, it wasn’t about how many people he hurt, it was about how many people he helped. “Everyone is human and deserves dignity,” he said
Overall, Mr. Melone reports that he and his American platoon colleagues were treated well by the Afghans, but he noted that he “wasn’t sure if some were bringing information back to the enemy.” Similar to Vietnam, there were times he did not know who the enemy was.
The women in Afghanistan wore burqas and were not allowed to speak to American servicemen, Mr. Melone recounted. The Afghan women were only allowed to speak amongst themselves or possibly to female soldiers. The young girls in Afghanistan attended school at the time; however, that is no longer the case. Mr. Melone reflected with regret on how women’s rights deteriorated over time. Since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the role of women has declined even further.
Mr. Melone and fellow soldiers enjoy the Italian platoon’s espresso bar.
Despite being in combat overseas, there were some moments of levity that Mr. Melone looks back on fondly. He remembers that the European troops were better equipped and had more luxuries than their American counterparts. He recalls visiting an Italian military platoon that had set up a full espresso bar. Mr. Melone and his fellow American servicemen indulged in the Italian hospitality and truly enjoyed the excellent quality coffee, espresso and cappuccino.
Mr. Melone’s platoon with their MaryLou’s delivery.
As a lover of coffee, this was one of the comforts that Mr. Melone missed most. He recalls writing a letter to the popular coffee chain Mary Lou’s asking them to send his platoon some coffee. Soon, he and his fellow servicemen received a massive supply of Mary Lou’s coffee direct from the South Shore.
Much like O’Brien recounts in The Things They Carried, Melone met his best friends in the military. They gave each other nicknames and used their sense of humor to deal with the stress and agony of war.
Also similar to O’Brien’s observations, Melone considered the overall sense of purpose in America’s presence in Afghanistan. At the time, Melone felt that Americans had a strong reason to be in Afghanistan: to free the Afghans from the oppression of the Taliban. Yet looking back, he feels doubt about what the purpose was. He reflected that, when it comes to war, “getting out is way harder than going in.”
An Afghan child walks his bull on a leash.
In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien writes about the tangible and intangible things he and his fellow troops carried with them while at war in Vietnam. Mr. Melone said during his year of service and to this day, he carries the Afghan children. He felt a deep connection to the innocent young lives that were trying to survive in very difficult conditions. He showed a photo of a very young boy walking a bull around on a leash, similar to the way Americans walk their dogs. He cherishes photos of the children of Afghanistan and has several photos framed around his house.
Physically, he carried a St. Jude prayer card from his cousin Patty that was originally their grandmother’s. This prayer asks God for help during difficult times. He carried this prayer card with him everywhere and it reminded him of his loved ones back home.
To this day. Mr. Melone carries the powerful emotion and experience with him, and is not afraid to show his vulnerability and how it deeply affected him. We witnessed this when he shared his family legacy of service, his love for the children of Afghanistan, and his love for his own children.
Ultimately, Mr. Melone is grateful for the opportunities the military gave him and is proud of his service. However, his overall message about war resonated with us all: “Anything that glorifies war is a lie. War is inhumane.” We are sure Tim O’Brien would agree.
According to a recent survey by CBS News, 25 percent of people say that Halloween is their favorite holiday. Despite this, many give up on the tradition of trick or treating at some point during their teenage years. This tends to happen for a few reasons, including embarrassment over participating in a ‘childish’ activity, social pressure to stop, and interest in other activities such as parties or hanging out with friends. As a high schooler myself, I too have elected to stop trick or treating. Instead I will be handing out candy at my door, which still allows me to dress up and enjoy the festivities. The motivations for children to stop trick or treating are fairly straightforward, but their parents’ views on that decision are a bit more varied.
The two graphs below show information taken from an informal survey of eight Hanover High School parents comparing the ages their children stopped trick or treating to the age they believe it is best to stop trick or treating.
While many parents seemed to agree that sometime in high school is, in fact, the right age to stop participating in the tradition, most also expressed sadness that their children had given up trick or treating.
“Like a part of their childhood was lost forever,” said the mother of junior Sienna Lamond.
Adam Oliver, another parent in the Hanover community, said he was perfectly fine with older kids trick or treating around the neighborhood. “As long as they’re not interfering with the younger kids having fun,” he said.
The rest of the parents surveyed echoed this statement, agreeing that older groups of teenagers trick or treating is only a problem when they decide to cause mischief or be disrespectful.
While parents and their kids seem to agree on the general age that it is appropriate to stop trick or treating, that decision has as much of an impact on the adults who are watching their children grow up, as on the kids themselves. As grandmother Kathy Kacergis put it, “you have to keep the spirit of fun things alive,” which sums up the bittersweet sentiment of the parents on this topic.
With the Class of 2024 focusing on their plans ahead, some can’t help but look back on their time shared during high school. Seniors who responded to The Hawk survey said they will miss most the friendships and community they formed at Hanover High. After going to school together for so long and building so many close relationships, it will be hard for many students to be away from them.
“I will mostly miss my friends and all the memories we have made here,” said Kaleigh Carthas. Paige Canny agreed, saying “I’ll miss living amongst such a tight knit community.” Mary Waters will miss being part of the band. Devin Goslin said he’ll miss “being able to say hi to at least four people every time I’m in the hallway.”
Eddie Yoo will miss John McDonald and Billy Radzik will miss Ryan Murphy.
For several seniors, the thing they’ll miss most is what happened on the fields and courts. “Being involved in sports teams and attending the sports events,” said Emma Dolan. Dylan Howard added: “seeing my friends everyday and all the sports.”
Many students said they’ll be sad to say goodbye to HHS teachers and staff. For Ashley Stracco, that includes “amazing teachers like Mr. Henderson and my favorite librarian!” For Kaelyn Chase, it’s the “nurses and Guidance department.” For Ed Vedeikis, it’s Mr. Sprague and for Nikki Bliss, it’s Mrs. Curley. Morgan Sullivan named “the Turocys, my favorite couple.” Kyle McCarthy said it’s “the teachers and counselors that I have created a close bond with the last four years.”
“I have gotten to build relationships with teachers from all departments,” said Aidan O’Connor. “Getting to talk and learn from them was something I had not gotten to do at this level before, and I will miss all the faculty that got not just me, but all students, to where we are now.”
Jazzy Clark said she will most miss the lunch ladies. “All of the lunch staff are so kind and accommodating, always making sure our needs are met and that we are never left hungry.” This leads to another thing students said they’ll be sad to say goodbye to, some of the lunch items. Both Gaby McAllister and Maeve O’Connell said they’ll miss the cafeteria nachos.
Aiden Moody said he’ll miss “that atmosphere.” Michael Haleem will miss “the fun times.” Michael Costello said he’ll be sad when he can no longer be “in the library every period sitting in the comfy orange chairs. All my friends were in the study and I mostly just talked instead of doing my VHS.”
One thing that won’t be missed, according to Kyle Gonsalves, is “waking up at 5 in the morning.”
As a member of the Class of 2024, I am happy to say that I have made life-lasting memories at Hanover High School. If I were to choose my favorite moments from my four years at HHS, it would be an even split between performing as Donna in our school’s production of Mamma Mia!, making puzzles with my best friend every day in the library, and participating in Senior Assassin.
Classmates shared their highlights of HHS in response to The Hawk senior survey, ranging from once in a lifetime experiences to everyday, ordinary interactions.
“Everyone going to each others’ ‘senior night’ equivalent event. Whether it was a sports game, art showcase, or concert, seeing what my classmates are capable of doing is an amazing thing. I wish I had done it my whole high school career.” – Devin Goslin
“Vox, playing tennis, and going to Italy and Spain” – Samantha Curtis
“Playing sports with my friends” – Tia MacVarish
“Expanding my friend group in senior year” – Alex Fredette
“The history classes and the marine bio field trip this year” – Maeve O’Connell
“Being with my friends during the late quarantine” – Alex Wing
“Being a part of the wrestling team” – Anthony Mann
“Rocket Golf in Engineering 3” – Cameron Dillis
“Getting the chance to play at Gillette Stadium and TD Garden” – John McDonald
“Talking to Mrs. McHugh” – Ryan Murphy
“Watching Mr. Henderson play tug of war on Spirit Day 2024” – Bodie Poirier
“My freshman year lacrosse season” – Isabelle MacLellan
“Classes where we get to watch movies” – Payson Fowler
“Talking, learning, and getting to know people” – Nick DeMarco
“Getting to play with all the talented people on the tennis team” – Jacob DeMong
“Senior sunrise and championship games” – Adrianna Bates
“Going to senior prom as a junior” – Nicole Bliss
“The first day back this year was a ton of fun. I got to have only classes I was truly passionate about for my future studies in my schedule, and getting to realize what a fun year it will be made be super excited.” – Aidan O’Connor
“Vox trip to Disney” – Hannah Bush
“Prom” – Tyler Fassel
“Mask breaks” – Claire Kenney
“My first soccer season when I first got to high school” – Liam DeMong
“Goofing off with friends” – Matt Wildman
“My library study senior year” – Caroline Drummy
“The Peru, Italy and France trips” – Landon McLaughlin
“Every year was full of hanging out with friends in my classes. I loved just being able to make more friendships and being with friends constantly.” – Michael Costello
“Going to the Hockey and Football championship games.” – Sophia Leary
“Senior corner.” – Drew Dyer
“So far, all of the senior events have been pretty memorable from senior assassin to powderpuff.” – Bella Almieda
Give your best effort from day one, but don’t take things too seriously. Have fun with friends, but don’t neglect your schoolwork. Join clubs, play sports, get out of your comfort zone. These are some of the words of advice from seniors who responded to The Hawk survey.
High school is, first and foremost, about learning, many students advised. “Work as hard as you can freshman year,” said Katelyn Carney. Shannon Barrett agreed. “Actually try your hardest in classes,” she said. “Get things done on time.” Kyle Gonsalves echoed that: “Just do your work as much as you don’t want to.”
“Pick classes that further your goals in life,” said Payson Fowler, “and don’t be obsessed about getting perfect grades.” But do try to keep your grades up, said Mikey McLoone. “It makes the college application process so much easier,” he said.
Kenny Southwick encouraged underclassmen to “make good relationships with your teachers.” Ian Darcy advised students to “focus on yourself and learn from your mistakes, this will improve you academically and as a person in general.”
Exploring your world socially is as important as academics, seniors advised. “I would tell (students) to try and branch out and join a bunch of different clubs and sports,” said Kaelyn Chase. Paige Canny agreed, saying, “I have made amazing friends that I may have never met had I not joined extracurriculars or spoken up when I was sitting with new people in class. You will never regret forming connections.”
“Don’t let fear stop you from doing something or else you will regret it,” advised Clyde Thibeault. “Play sports,” said Vinny Mancini. “Get involved in as many clubs and extracurriculars as you can,” added Connor Hutchison.
When it comes to navigating through life, there’s one essential piece of advice, according to Addy Potter: “Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.” Anthony Mann echoed that sentiment. “Just be yourself and follow what you want to do, try new things and figure out what you like,” he said. “Be unapologetically yourself,” said Kate Baldinelli, “and do not do anything you don’t want to do.”
Keeping perspective, and not stressing about the small stuff, was a common theme. “I would tell younger students to not stress over their classes too much and to just enjoy high school,” said Bella Almeida. “It goes by quicker than you can imagine so don’t beat yourself up over a ‘bad grade,’ especially since the switch from middle school to high school is very different.”
Sam Curtis expressed a similar sentiment. “I would tell younger students not to stress too much about the smaller things,” she said. “I wish I knew that not everything was a huge deal and I wish I gave myself more grace to enjoy my time in high school.”
“Have fun,” said Alex Fredette. “Not everything needs to be taken so seriously.” Added Christina Meehan, “Nothing matters as much as you think it does.”
High school is a time of growth and change, especially when it comes to friendships. As one senior said anonymously, “Friends will change a lot throughout high school, so my advice is to not be afraid to reach out to new people.” Nick DeMarco added, “I wish I talked to more people earlier, to get to know as many people as I could.”
“High School is not scary,” said Joe Picard. “It will be one of the best four years of your life. Make sure you have a very good friend who will always be reliable whenever you need it.”
Each stage of high school offers its own unique set of experiences, so don’t be in such a rush to grow up. “Enjoy your time as an underclassmen,” said Thomas McNamara. “Don’t wish that you can be a senior ASAP. Live in the moment.” When you do get to senior year, though, Morgan Sullivan encourages students to “bring lunch and give yourself an easier schedule. I wish I knew that senioritis is inevitable.”
Sophia “Jazzy” Clark covered many bases with her response to The Hawk survey. “Some advice I’d give to younger students is 1.) Stop waiting for Friday, the weekend, school vacations, and the summer to be happy. 2.) It doesn’t matter if you have a bad hair day or wear the same clothes twice in one week, no one cares. 3.) You can’t work towards your goals if you are wallowing in your past. Just like you can’t ride a bike while staring behind you. 4.) Spend less energy on what’s out of your control and more on how you react/handle it. 5.) No one is born a professional athlete, a doctor, or a businessman. If successful people can do it, so can you. 6.) In 20 years you will regret more of what you didn’t do than what you did.”
The Hawk 