Hi All;
We will welcome in the month of December this week, and with it there should be a corresponding decrease
to the average temperature and the amount of daylight available each day. Though it certainly has been a
temperate month of November I know the really bitter cold is just around the corner. I spent most of the
Thanksgiving weekend in Lake Placid, NY at a hockey tournament with my younger son David. We were
treated to a delicate snowfall for most of the afternoon and evening on Friday and it was just postcard perfect
for the rest of the weekend. The tranquility of upstate New York was only ruined by the enormous backup of
returning holiday traffic we encountered on the Mass Pike yesterday.

I am going to make one last plug for those of you in the middle of your holiday shopping. If you are interested
in finding some bargain gift ideas make sure to mark your calendar for the FHS Holiday Marketplace THIS
Saturday, Dec. 5 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the FHS gyms. There will be well over 100 booths of artisans
and craft makers who will be offering great gifts (many of them with an “FHS flair”), and you will appreciate
the convenience and uniqueness of their offerings. This is a fundraiser for the FHS Parent Athletic Council
and proceeds will be used to offset costs in athletics for all students. Thank you in advance for your
patronage! FHS will also be holding SAT testing on this same date, so do not be afraid if the parking lot is
somewhat crowded upon your arrival. This is to be expected and well anticipated.

Today (Monday, November 30) is the official start of the winter sports season at FHS. This means that
many sports will have try-outs beginning today or will have their first practice of the season. As always, there
is not enough space for all the sports teams to practice on campus, so some sports will be forced to use indoor
space at other venues. The winter sports practice/tryout schedule is a complicated matrix to complete, and I
am listing it in this flyer on the next page. For this week only there will be a shuttle bus leaving at 2:15 PM
from in front of the gym lobby to transport students to off-site practices at Loring Arena, Keefe Tech, and the
gymnastics training center in Holliston. After this week, this shuttle will not be available and students will
need to arrange for their own transportation to these off-site venues. While this service was available in past
years, the degree of use and cost have not justified continuing this year. In order to try out for a winter sport,
students need to have a physical examination on file with the athletic department that is valid within the last
13 months and must also be academically eligible (maintaining a minimum 70% cumulative average in all
FHS courses as of the fall 2009 first term report cards). Also, students should check with their coaches for
changes and updates to the practice schedules for their respective sports after this week. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact the athletic department via athletic director Gary Doherty or
administrative assistant Lindsay Monaco at x1051.

We have just a little more than three weeks until the December break, and it would be a good idea to plan
backwards from Wednesday, Dec. 23 now in order to have things appropriately paced for that time period.
There is also a brief check with progress reports being distributed one week from Friday, so it is a good time
to check in with all your students and let them know where they stand academically as we approach the midpoint
of the term. Remember that we will be having a faculty meeting this week on Tuesday, December 1.
This meeting will be held in the cafeteria beginning promptly at 2:15 PM and will likely run for all of one
hour, so please prepare to be there until 3:15 PM. Please let me know personally if you are unable to attend
this meeting. Thanks in advance.

Statistic Of Week
Number of FHS students who participated in a fall sport :
481
Total User Fees paid by FHS student-athletes in Fall, 2009 :
$72, 075