NORTON HIGH SCHOOL --  Have you been thinking about what classes you want to take next year? You should consider taking a Virtual High School (VHS) or Dual Enrollment course here at NHS. If you've already decided you want to take a course, you should sign up for it on SchoolBrains and talk to our librarian who runs it, Mrs. Young. NHS offers a variety of countless courses for both VHS and Dual Enrollment classes. They have half-year courses, full-year courses, regular level courses, honors courses, and AP courses. Both options are a great way for students to earn high school or college credit in classes that interest them. 

We asked a few of our peers what their thoughts on VHS/DE classes are and if they would share any personal experiences with it. Just about everyone we asked had the same answer for what their favorite part of it was: getting to leave the school campus during their block. Having the freedom to choose where you get your work done for the class, whether it’s in the library or at home, is a very nice privilege that most students cherish. The school week starts on Wednesdays, meaning you get all of your assignments for that week on Wednesday and you have until the next Wednesday to finish them. If you finish your work before the start of the next week, you have a free block to work on anything else, which can be very convenient for busy students. Therefore, it can be utilized as a nice break from school or extra valuable time to get work done for other classes once your work is finished for the VHS or Dual Enrollment class. Some students who have taken both VHS classes as well as DE classes said that the VHS class was more work than the DE class. However, it is all up to your own interpretation and everyone is different. It also depends on what course you decide to take. 

With anything there comes pros and cons. Some pros to taking these online classes are that they give you the opportunity to take a class that might not be offered as an in-person class at NHS. So, even though you might not be able to take a traditional class in a classroom with an in-person teacher, you can take it online. The majority of the classes, meaning not including AP level courses or college classes, are very reasonable for the workload. The work is fairly easy and not super time consuming for most of the courses. On the other hand, some students feel that not having an in-person teacher or the structure of a classroom makes it difficult to learn and hard to complete assignments. The VHS and Dual Enrollment teachers and professors are usually nice and helpful, but you have to put the effort in yourself as well. We can't speak for all, but some courses don’t contain any tests or quizzes besides a midterm and a final, and if they do, it is a minimal amount. Due to the flexibility of the class itself and the online classroom, they can also be easier to fit into your schedule, especially if you're a busy student with a full schedule. These classes are perfect for students who enjoy working independently and working at their own pace. 

Some advice our upperclassmen who have taken VHS and DE courses wanted to share was to definitely stay on top of your workload, don’t let it pile up, and use your class time wisely because you have plenty of it. You also want to take this class for the right reasons. Don’t just take a random course with the interest of a free block, because there is plenty of work you will have to do for the class. Take a course you are actually interested in. It will make it easier to get the work done and actually enjoy what you're learning. Taking an online class that you are passionate about can be really fun, especially if you take it with some of your friends, and it is an incredible opportunity to discover topics or subjects you would have never known about if they’re not already offered in person at NHS. 

Taking a VHS or Dual Enrollment course here at NHS is a perfect opportunity to take a class that you’re interested in, even if it’s not in person, because you’ll have a reasonable workload with flexible learning time. These classes require a lot of independence, so think it over and see if they might be right for you. 

NORTON HIGH SCHOOL – Everyone at Norton High School is a student; some are also athletes. But there is one student in particular who is not only a student and athlete, but also a successful business owner: our very own eager and ambitious Connor Heagney.

Heagney started his business, Heagney Auto Detailing, just over a year ago in March of 2023 because he wanted the freedom of being his own boss. “I always wanted to run my own business,” he said, “so I researched good businesses to start as a teenager. I saw car detailing, so I learned the aspects of it.” He started with very minimal equipment and started to purchase more and more over time as his business took off. 

According to Heagney, the best part of running his own business is picking his own schedule and listening to music while he works to make the time more enjoyable. “The customers are always very nice and even offer me food and drinks at times,” he says.

Just like with any job, however, there are always challenges: Heagney says the most difficult part has been gaining clientele. Because he does not earn an hourly wage, he only makes money based on how many clients he books so it is extremely important that he stays busy. He invests a great deal of time in making his business even bigger than it already is: “Sometimes I have to go door-to-door if I have a slow week just to find more clients.” It is also challenging because there is no time off – Heagney needs to be ready at any time because a customer can call at any second, asking for a detail that same day.

Heagney says he balances being a student, athlete, and business owner by planning his schedule and keeping it consistent. When he is playing hockey, he details cars after school and before practice. Year-round, he schedules the bulk of his clients on the weekends, sometimes working from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. “Over the summer was what really tested me if I had what it takes to be a business owner,” Heagney says. “I woke up at 5:20 a.m. every morning and went to the gym before my first detail at 9 a.m., then I had hockey from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and if I was busy enough, I would have another detail around 4:45 p.m.” It is no secret that most high school teenagers are not willing to work all summer, let alone wake up that early. “But if you want to be in 1%,” Heagney says, “then there are things you need to do. I want to be very successful when I am older, so I raised my standards and made it work.”

As for Heagney’s future, he hopes to have an enterprise: “I want to offer various services such as home window cleaning, gutter cleaning, and Holiday light installation. My goal is to have a fleet of vehicles along with a shop. I want to hire more employees so they can do the field work for me, and I can be more on the management side of business. There is no finish line in my eyes. We can always add a new service to our enterprise. I have so many ideas on how to improve this business and make it nationwide.”

Heagney’s advice to others is to start now and stop with the excuses. “Anyone can be successful… make 2024 your year. I started my business with no experience. Learn and grow. Let ‘em know.”

More information about Heagney Auto Detailing can be found on their website here.

C: Hi, Mrs. Tonelli!

T: Hello!

C: So first, tell me about yourself and Global Citizenship Club (GCC).

T: So, in 2017, a colleague of mine who’s not here anymore had the idea for GCC and the travel because of our passions in how important it is to have students learn about things outside of their own bubble. Norton’s diversity has been growing and it wasn’t nearly as diverse 7 or 8 years ago as it is now – though it’s still not that diverse – so we started GCC and the Global Certificate Program (GCP) to help students speak about things they are passionate about. Now, that person left Norton for another school, so now I’m kind of running it myself.

C: What’s the relation between GCC and GCP?

T: Originally, students had to be in the GCC to do the GCP as a one-credit study. However, so many students have other things going on (clubs, sports, etc.), so we decided students would be able to do the project outside of the club. 

C: Is it too late to participate in the project at this point?

T: The project for this year will be due around April vacation, so if students want to join or have interest in joining, they can come see me or join the Google Classroom (code 36etyyl).

C: Why are you so passionate about this project?

T: When I first came to Norton, it was a culture shock because I grew up in Brockton. I had learned about so many different ethnicities, cultures, and religions, which I feel is missing in Norton.

C: Have there been any difficulties so far during the process of organizing the GCP event?

T: It’s difficult to find a time that doesn’t interfere with senior events or sports. We need to find a time for parents and students to be able to participate. I’ve been planning to do it during the school day like the civics project sophomores would do.

C: So, outside of college credits and culture exposure, what would the project do to help students?

T: I think it lets students gain critical thinking and be able to put to practice skills they learned during History or English. It would be the research project of something you’re passionate about without the supervision of teachers. Sometimes students do projects with too much hovering from teachers, so this would be a good opportunity to give them that freedom.

C: What would you have liked to do more of last year?

T: I think last year was a really good year. We had about nine projects; this year we have about four. I did think we should have students go more in depth in their projects. I hope we can do the showcase during the school day and after, so more students can look at the projects and hopefully parents can come in.

C: What’s a recent accomplishment that was due to the GCP in general?

T: I feel like I’ve talked to students that have completed the project in the past and… just students being excited about doing and sharing research while looking into things that could make a positive impact on the world is very affirming to me.

(The interview has been paraphrased and shortened for clarity.)

On March 13th, led by hosts Mr. Shaughnessy and Mr. Greene, Mr. NHS 2024 showcased 11 contestants competing for a free tux from Tux Towne and bragging rights. The show began with an impeccably choreographed High School Musical/Barbie themed group dance followed by a humorous introduction of the five judges before starting with the individual talents portion. 

First up was Josh Laliberte singing “Before he Cheats”; we were absolutely shocked with his talent of singing.

Michael Katsikis started with a Rubik’s Cube comedy that turned into him just making fun of Mr. Greene’s bald head. 

The first duo of the night was Nate Sherman and Nick Yazwinski who sang “Need You Now” in matching Mario Kart character costumes.

Juju Melendez shocked the whole crowd by doing a whole Just Dance dance routine to “Rasputin” without looking and performing it with amazing dance skills.

Matt Cropley did an Elvis impersonation singing, dancing, and impressing the judges with crazy backflips.  

Paulo Andrade started his dance with a slow ballet style, but then shocked the audience when he switched to a jazz-style Gru dance from Despicable Me.

The second duo was performed by Charlie Artesani and Aidan Gilbert who sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Calvin Borgida impressed the judges by performing a juggling act that showcased some crazy juggling moves. 

The last act of the night was performed by Matt Williams, who sang “I’m Still Standing” dressed as a gorilla.

Contestants were then brought up on the stage by their escorts and asked a random question to prove to the judges that they can think quickly on their feet and they should be the winner.  While the hosts stalled by asking questions to people in the audience, the escorts went around collecting money because only the top four contestants with the most money raised went up for judging to be the winner.  

The final four were Matt Cropley, Aiden Gilbert, Josh Laliberte, and Matt Williams. They all had to answer the question: Why should you be Mr. NHS? To say any last words on why the judges should vote for them to win. 

The decision was in and the winner of Mr. NHS 2024 was MATT WILLIAMS!

  Prom is coming up for us Norton High School upperclassmen. On May 31, 2024, Norton is having their annual junior/senior prom at Lake Pearl in Wrentham. Students can buy tickets on 4/4, 4/9 and 4/11 during LLB and after school. 

This year there are many different trends in dresses that we are seeing in our school, but also across many areas around us. This year tighter, more fitted dresses are much more popular compared to the more traditional ball gown. One of the colors that we are seeing a lot of this year is blue – specifically the shade of royal blue. On top of this, the v-neck line is extremely popular, especially with a spaghetti strap. The corset top is an emerging trend that we have been seeing a lot of in the past couple of years that looks stunning on everyone.

One of the most popular dresses we are seeing this year is the Sherri Hill No. 56161. This dress is a silk, fitted, strapless, corset dress with a keyhole cutout in the middle. Not many people at Norton are wearing this dress, but we are seeing a lot of it at surrounding schools. Another common dress that we are seeing this year is No. 55500 by Sherri Hill. This is another corset dress, but instead of being fitted, the skirt includes ruffles; there are also sequins and off the shoulder straps. One of the most popular dresses we are seeing at our school is No. 24097 by Jovani. This dress is a fitted dress with a deep v-neck. There is a geometric pattern that makes it stand out compared to other dresses we have seen before. The dresses from our school can be seen on our Norton High School Prom Instagram account: @nhsprom2024.

A huge controversy that we are seeing this year (not at our school) is the “Easter dress” vs. traditional prom dress debate. These Easter prom dresses are more casual than the typical glamorous prom dresses. Usually these dresses include a floral pattern with ruffles. Many people have strong opinions on these dresses. These dresses are really pretty, but many argue that they aren’t appropriate for such a formal occasion, as they look like sundresses. People say we should keep the traditional prom dress with sequins, lace, and sparkles.