November 2021

Anybody out there feeling stressed?  Bogged down with school assignments, jobs, sports, parents, friends, all the woe out there in the world, the decreasing light as we plod toward the Winter Solstice?

You are not alone.

So many of us--here at KRHS, here in NH, here in the world--are struggling.  And, to many, it does seem like it’s more than ever.  Yes, people always struggle, but this is a time like no other.  Give yourself a bit of grace.

Here are some collected tips and ideas, from me to you:

1. Make time for something you enjoy every single day.  Yes, this is easier said than done, but I have faith in you.  You can do it.  Maybe it means cutting 15 minutes out of your Snapchatting or skipping Hay Day in the afternoon, but it will be worth it.

2. That brings me to my second suggestion: take some time away from your devices.  I know it’s something so many of us enjoy, but there are other worthwhile ways to spend your time (and there’s a lot of evidence out there suggesting that too much time on our devices is hurting us).  Leave it in another room and watch a show with your sister or take a turn as the sous chef for your dad.

3. Building off of that last idea, engage with your family in a low-key, positive way.  Vacations and family dinners out are great, but you can enjoy each other without a special occasion or event.

4.  Get outside.  Yes, it’s getting cold out there.  And, yes, the light is limited, but being outside is so beneficial.  There are whole books written on the subject.  Go for a quick walk, have a campfire (In the snow?  Yes, in the snow!), or find a spot to sit and soak up the last of the afternoon sun.  We all need that Vitamin D.

5. Move your body.  Participating in a winter sport through school?  Awesome, you’ve already got this covered.  If not, I know many of you are involved in active endeavors of your own, whether it’s horseback riding, dancing, or skiing.  Those are all fabulous.  If you don’t have any organized physical activity you regularly participate in, that's okay.  Maybe you can get into the woods (It’s hunting season, so wear orange!), or onto the track; into the pool, or onto a dance floor.  Maybe you want to find an exercise video on YouTube.  (I start almost every day with Yoga with Adriene; check her free videos out, if you have any interest in yoga.)

6. Dial back your procrastinating.  Maybe I just riled you up, because you avoid procrastination conscientiously.  If so, more power to you!  Kudos to you.  However, I know many of us struggle with procrastination, which adds to our stress.  See if you can organize your To Do list, use your Flex sessions efficiently, and reclaim some of the time you are currently losing. 

I could probably continue ad infinitum, but I’ll leave it there for now.  If you’re not sure where to start with these ideas, but you do want to start, feel free to join me for one of my Walking for Wellness flex sessions, generally offered during a second flex at the end of the week.

It is no secret that it has been much rarer these past two and a half years for students to have a designated time to grow and create connections with other students; Student Council (StuCo) knew this and decided that it was necessary that Kearsarge students got a dance. But this promise seemed in danger of breaking in the early stages of dance planning. With the first planned dance in October cancelled, StuCo worked hard to find another date for the event. Eventually they settled on November 13. Tickets were sold in the weeks leading up to the dance while Student Council members hyped up the students in anticipation of the first dance in what seemed like forever. The night of the dance arrived, bringing with it nearly three-hundred student attendees! Student Council raised around three thousand dollars, money that will go towards future dances, events, and various philanthropic endeavors. The dance itself, nicknamed the “Fall Fling”, was a huge success. Students flocked to the dance floor, took hundreds of pictures at the photo station, and hung out on the sidelines chatting with friends. While many students agreed that the DJ was not their favorite, a good time was had by all as students jumped around for three hours straight. Senior Estelle Chmura said that it was “amazing to have the entire school together again in one space. You could feel how happy everyone was to be with one another and just have a good time”. Overall, people were excited by the opportunity to dress up, dance, and hang out with their friends, making this dance a rousing success.  

The first student of the month for this year was chosen for November: Freshman class president, Sophie Lick. Coming from the class of 2025, we kick off the year with a young star student. Being chosen as student of the month is an honor our school has given nearly every month of the school year in the past years; together, faculty decide on who the student will be.

When asking Sophie what she wanted to say in regard to being chosen, she reflected back on who helped her become who she is today, and why she thinks she got chosen at all. “I would like to thank all my friends for helping me through tough times and for motivating me to be a better person.” and “I think hard work and applying myself is what got me student of the month. I try my best to be the best person I can be and to create the best work I can and I hope that it’s enough.”

Our school is full of many bright minds and souls, and more students of the month are sure to come.

Kearsarge Actor’s Guild has been keeping busy in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Break. They partnered with the KRMS drama program to put on a show called All Together Now. All Together Now is a musical revue, which is very similar to a concert. The cast performed numbers from many different musicals, and a few speeches reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 on theater were given throughout the night. About thirty students from the high school and middle school came together to sing songs such as We’re All In This Together from High School Musical and Seasons of Love from Rent. The cast only rehearsed for four weeks before opening night, which is an impressive feat considering eight weeks is the normal minimum amount of rehearsal time for a show. The link to watch a recording of All Together Now is listed below.

If you missed All Together Now, or are still craving more musical fun, you won’t have to wait too long. KAG have already chosen their next show: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. If you’re interested in participating in this nostalgic, humorous production featuring the classic Peanuts characters, auditions will be held soon. Keep an eye on your email for the exact dates!

All Together Now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RcD8rC3w56g

At the November math meet, the Kearsarge Math Team once again succeeded in impressive scoring. Kearsarge Blue placed first overall, and Kearsarge Gold placed 6th. The team's overall ranking is still first, ahead of Plymouth's Varsity team by 31 points. Not only did the teams do well, individual mathletes did as well. Ty Bears, Evan Menard, Thomas Shepherd, Devin Phyllides, and Sam Boulton all scored 14 points, which was the highest points achieved during the day. After two exceedingly successful meets, Kearsarge’s Math Team looks forward to the December meet as well (taking place on December 1st).

The 2022 Grammy Nominations are up! Many of these are controversial as they have only gotten popular on TikTok. Others have broken records and some were nominated for social influence. The nominations for Record of The Year (which award everyone who worked on the song, including producers) are “I Still Have Faith in You” by ABBA who made their first return in 40 Years. “Freedom” by John Batiste was also nominated. “I Get a Kick Out of You” by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet was also nominated. “Peaches'' by Justin Beiber, “Right on Time” by Brandi Carlille, “Kiss me More” by Doja Cat and SZA, “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo, and “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic. These are all Nominations for Record of The Year. Now, some of these have been popularized by TikTok, others are just good songs. “Drivers License'', an example of a song which got popular from TikTok, was Olivia Rodrigo's breakout song. The song broke records as Spotify’s most streamed song in a single week. 

The category for Album of The Year holds many nominations including; SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo, Back Of My Mind by H.E.R, Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish, Montero by Lil Nas X, Evermore by Taylor Swift, and Donda by Kanye West. These are all great albums but the album I predict to win is SOUR or Planet Her or Montero or Evermore. These are the ones who  have broken the most records this year.

Next category is Best New Artist. The nominees are  Arooj Aftab, Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, FINNEAS, Glass Animals, Japanese Breakfast, Olivia Rodrigo, and Saweetie. These are all artists who have had major breakthroughs in the past year. Some have been around longer like Saweetie and FINNEAS (who helps Billie Eilish produce and write music). Others have just popped up like Glass Animals with their hit “Heatwaves”.