About

Pinkerton Families and Friends,

As we approach the Memorial Day holiday, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of this day and share some important information with our school community.  Memorial Day is a time for us to honor and remember the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage and dedication have ensured the freedoms we enjoy today. I encourage all of us to take a moment over the weekend to reflect on their contributions.

This week I would like to profile our Special Education department, led by the Director of Special Education, Rick Sharp.  Our Special Education program offers tailored educational experiences that cater to the individual needs of students with disabilities. By implementing personalized learning plans and employing specialized instructional strategies, we aim to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education that addresses their unique strengths and challenges.

Within the Special Education department, Pinkerton Academy is home to 4 special educational programs to ensure proper education and services are provided to our students.  The following programs are offered here on campus:

ACADEMIC SKILLS RESOURCE PROGRAM
This program services the majority of special education students currently enrolled at the Academy. It's specifically designed to support students with mild to moderate educational disabilities. Additionally, students may utilize the Resource Room for test-taking and project work. Daily interaction between the student and their case coordinator is facilitated within the Resource Room. It's important to note that time spent in the Resource Room does not replace classroom instruction time. Instead, students are scheduled into assisted study hall sessions during non-classroom hours, and no academic credit is associated with participation in the program.

ALTERNATIVE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION PROGRAM (ACT)
This program is tailored for students needing functional life skills classes, recommended by the Special Education team. It emphasizes independent living skills and the competencies necessary for gainful employment. Course selections for credit or skill units, along with diploma options, are customized to individual needs. Our Work to Learn program may offer supervised work experience during the school day. Additionally, some students receive related services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy. Courses such as Daily Living Skills and Work to Learn often include community trips to enhance learning.

PINKERTON ACADEMY'S SPECIAL SERVICES FOR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS (PASSES)
The PASSES program offers a range of specialized services for students requiring extra support to manage their social and emotional needs. This includes academic classes, a resource room, and counseling services. IEP teams can create individualized student programs by combining various PASSES options with mainstream offerings. Students can earn up to 11 of the 22 credits required for graduation within this specialized setting.

PARTNER PROGRAM AT PINKERTON ACADEMY NECC
The NECC (New England Center for Children) Partner Program allows Pinkerton Academy to offer services comparable to out-of-district placements, enabling students with Autism to be included in their community school. Through this model, NECC provides:

• Full-time certified special educator
• Weekly consultation with a BCBA®
• Initial and ongoing professional development for school paraprofessionals affiliated with the classroom
• Full complement of educational programming through the Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia® (ACE®) including assessments, curriculum, and progress monitoring tools

This group of about 85 special educators, paraeducators, office staff and roughly 20 or so outside specialized contractors devote their energy to assisting students with gaining the skills and the abilities to be successful here on campus.  They also work to create partnerships with parents and community members to bring a diverse set of educational opportunities to so many of our students.  

Weekly Highlights: 

Senior End of Year/Graduation Information – Seniors and their families have been receiving emails with important end of the year information. All of this can be found on our website in the Senior Info section of the Student Portal: /portals/students/senior-info

Fall Sports Information  - Fall sports organizational meetings for any CURRENT Pinkerton students interested in trying out for a fall sport will be held according to the schedule linked.  Registration for Fall Sports is open and can be found on our website.  Reach out to the Athletic Office with any questions.

Mental Health Awareness Month - This month on campus we continue to focus on Mental Health Awareness. Be sure to check out social media and our website to see what’s planned. 

Pinkerton Academy Access Control Update:  Along with the  Ek Science Building, the Hackler Gym’s Access Control system will be going online on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.  This is our second large academic building going online.  Students will need to use the camera / intercom box at the front doors of both buildings to gain access during non-passing times.  

For the rest of this academic year, all students are highly encouraged to have their physical ID badges on their person.  Starting next school year the students will be required to have their school-issued ID Badge.  

Exam Schedule: The exam schedules for seniors and underclassmen can be found on the website. Please be sure to review the guidelines and expectations. 

End of the Year Calendar:  The Red/White Monthly Calendar has been updated on the website with the underclass exam days noted. 

Weekly Shout Outs:

SHOUT OUTS TO…
Patrick O’Reilly and James McCormack - For assisting with a successful event in the Senior Cafe last week.  Intelitek held their annual CoderZ League Competition in the Sr Cafe last Friday, and the company could not say enough great things about these two and the assistance they received.

Kaelyn Hawekotte and Christina Maloney - these two Junior Class Advisors spent countless hours in the gym all last week (some nights until dusk)  to work with the Junior Prom committee to get the gym ready for Prom.  Thank you for your help and dedication.

STUDENT SHOUT OUTS:
Just Like Us Group - Car Wash:  Great job to the JLU group for their work with the car wash.  The kids were able to fundraise close to 400 dollars for Make a Wish NH. You can still donate here: JLU Carwash.

US Military Honors - Wednesday night I had the honor to witness several students receive full scholarships through the ROTC program and also Appointments to a Military Academy.

Trey Baker - Air Force Academy Appointment
Thomas Lacroix- US Military Academy Appointment (West Point)
Dominica Lai - AFROTC Scholarship
Calvin Plante - AFROTC Scholarship and the Daedalians Flight Program
Kaiden Audy - AROTC Scholarship
Matthew Snodgrass - AROTC Scholarship

Underclass Awards Recipients - Congratulations to all the students who received an award this past Tuesday night at the Pinkerton Academy Underclass Awards Night.

Honor Society Inductees - Congratulations to all of the students who have been inducted into our numerous Honor Societies this year.  Your hard work and dedication for academics does not go unnoticed.

Regards,

Mr. Michael Perez
Associate Head of School