Survived Haunted Happenings and had a great time doing so !!

Alumni Notes:

• The Salem High School Class of 1991 will be having its 20th Reunion on November 26 at the Finz Restaurant. Email us for contact information.
• To all other prospective Reunion Groups: please let us know well in advance when you are planning your event. Later on send us your reunion pictures so that we can post them on the website. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In addition, please share our website with classmates so that they can sign on as members. Or if you have a committee, pass along classmates contact information to us and we will initiate contact.
• If you have announcements, events or news to get out to other Alumni, please pass it along and we will email it and post it on the website as we can.
• Class reunions for 1954, 1958 and 1966 were held previously this year. We’re sure a good time was had by all. In fact, check the website for the proof for Class of 1958!
• The Thanksgiving Day Classic Football game at Bertram Field, Salem this year will feature an Alumni Band along with the high school band at half time. This special event has been arranged by and will be under the direction of SHS Band Director Cynthia Napierkowski. Cynthia is celebrating her 25^th year (of dedication and excellence) in Salem. Let’s give her and all of the band performers a great ovation for all the hard work that it takes to put this show on.
• Melanie McKinnon’s (Class of 1994) website for her fundraising non-profit “It Starts with Me” is collecting turkey dinners for Thanksgiving for those that otherwise would be without. Contact information is at the website: http://iswmcharity.com/index.html
• The Salem Public Schools Alumni Association now has contact information for 950 members ranging from Class of 1948 to Class of 2011. Members include graduates, current and former faculty, and others involved in Salem Public Education. Interested in getting involved? Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

School News: (http://salem.k12.ma.us/Pages/index)

• Have the need to get your adrenaline going before the Salem-Beverly game? The spirit rally is 10:00 AM on Nov. 23^rd at Salem High.
• SHS also has an Open House and Showcase on Weds., Nov. 30^th at 6:30 PM
• SHS Music Boosters Bus Trip to NYC leaves on December 3^rd.
• Get the cameras ready! The SHS Junior/Senior Cotillion is Friday, December 9^th at 7:00 PM.
• The SHS Music Boosters Craft Fair Fundraiser is 10:00 AM on December 10^th.

Such a musical month.....Concerts of Note:

• The Bates 3^rd Grade Winter Concert is Dec. 8^th at 9:00 AM with encore performance at the 6:30 PM PTO Ice Cream Social.
• Community Band Winter Concert is December 12^th at 7:00 PM
• SHS Winter Concert December 13^th at 7:30 PM
• December 14^th at 7:00 PM is the all-City 5^th Grade Winter Concert.
• The Bates Grades 4/5 present the Chorus, Chimes & Recorder Concert at 7:00 PM on the 15th for the community and at 9:00 AM on Dec. 16^th for the school.
• The Collins Middle School Winter Concert is December 15^th at 7:00 PM.
• SHS Band & Strings Holiday Tour of Salem Schools is Dec. 19^th.
• The Bentley School presents the Winter Chorus Concert at 9:00 AM on the 19th for the school and at 7:00 PM for the community

Such as:

• Every Thursday, Salem Farmers Market- New Winter Version, Artists Row, 2:00 PM (Thanksgiving week it’s Tuesday)
• Holiday Tree Lighting and Santa Arrival, 6:30 PM on Nov 25^th.
• House of Seven Gables, Lantern Tours, Nov 6^th to Dec 31st at 4:00 PM
• 32^nd Annual Christmas in Salem Historic House Tours, Dec. 2^nd 5:30 PM, Dec.3^rd 10:00 AM & Dec.4^th 11:30 AM.
• Salem Arts Association Open Studios & Art Show, Dec. 10^th, all day.
• Wicked Frosty Four Mile New Years Day Road Race at 10:00 AM

Salem Recreation Calendar: (http://www.salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_RecCal/)

Just a few great ones (check the website)-t;o:p>

• November 24th- Wild Turkey 5 Miler, 8:00 AM
• November 26th- Cartoon League Basketball 9:00 AM
• Wednesdays- Authentic Italian Cooking at 8:00 PM  (wonder if they need additional Italian appetites to attend too ?)
• Tuesdays and Thursdays- Conversational Italian at 7:00 PM  (sandwiched around the cooking night. Or would that be panini 'd?)

Finally an Annual Event that is not to be missed !!

The Salem Children’s Charity this year is December 13^th, again at Victoria Station starting at 5:00 PM.

A great cause and wonderful night of food plus raffles and auctions to benefit the kids who are in need in our community.

And to all of you, friends and family, a Happy Thanksgiving and a Wonderful Holiday Season.

• We are back !!  Sorry for those of you trying to get us over the summer but we are looking to get back on schedule. We have a new group email function completed. Thanks to Joel McNamee, Class of 2000 as well as  chair of our Technology Committee and Cristina Woolhiser, Class of 1988 as well as Administrative Assistant of The Salem Education Foundation (SEF), we have been set up on Salem Education Foundation’s new database software. A great amount of work has been accomplished which will absolutely save us ( we now have over 900 in the database) and professionalize our mailings. Thanks to SEF also for all of the continued support to The Salem Public Schools Alumni Association.

• The Salem High School Class of 1961 will be having its 50th Reunion on November 5 at the Danversport Yacht Club. Email us for contact information.

• We are getting requests for information on reunions for 1971and 1996. Any news ? We hear it’s October for 1971. Any details ? How about plans for other classes ?

• To all other prospective Reunion Groups: please let us know when you are planning your event. Later on send us your reunion pictures so that we can post them on the website. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In addition, please share our website with classmates so that they can sign on as members. Or if you have a committee, pass along classmates contact information to us and we will initiate contact. We will also share our contact information with you.  Note, we get questions from reunion planning committees regularly about what other classes have done for their reunions. Some locations, formats, timing, activities, etc. work well, some do not. If you have advice (where, when, budgets, etc.) for other committees that are just doing the groundwork, please pass it along and we will publish it.

• If you have announcements, events or news to get out to other Alumni. Please pass it along and we will email it and post it on the website.

• Class reunions for 1954, 1958 and 1966 were held previously this year. We’re sure a good time was had by all. In fact, check the website "Alumni Events" Section for the proof for Class of 1958 !

• And this from SHS Band Director Cynthia Napierkowski:

Dear Salem High School Band and Colorguard Alumni,

I hope this letter finds you all doing well!  I am writing with some exciting information about the upcoming school year.  Believe it or not, the 2011-2012 school year will be my 25^th year in Salem!  It seems like just yesterday, I was finding my way around Salem and the band only had 32 kids in it who were the start of something absolutely incredible: the creation  of “The Pride of the North Shore.”  Much has happened in twenty-five years, many wonderful memories, some incredible music and the building of friendships that still continue to this  day.

To celebrate this milestone, we will be having an alumni band perform with the “baby” band as part of the half time show at Thanksgiving this year (which will be a home game at Bertram Field.)  Never fear, it will be a stand still performance and you will only have to get yourself onto the field.  If you haven’t played lately, or since high school, don’t worry and please join us anyway.  It would be wonderful to see everyone, catch up and have a huge alumni band!  Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 24^th this year and we are hoping  to include a dinner the night before with a brief rehearsal with the current band.  If you need an instrument, please let me know, we can probably arrange to get one for you (including  percussion, tubas etc…)  We will also have flags for our returning colorguard members.

If you are able to join us, please email me or call me at the address or phone number below and let me know.  I will also need to know your t-shirt size for the official 25^th anniversary  alumni band t-shirt!  Either way, I’d love to hear from you and see what you’ve been up to!  I’m very excited about my 25^th year and the alumni band!

Very sincerely yours,

Cynthia Napierkowski

Director of Bands

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

978-744-9690 home

978-740-1136 school

978-790-1511 cell

• Melanie McKinnon (Class of 1994) has launched a website for her fundraising non-profit “It Starts with Me”. Upcoming events are planned to fund an annual scholarship for SHS seniors.   http://iswmcharity.com/index.html

School News: (http://salem.k12.ma.us/Pages/index )

• Haunted Happenings Grand Parade with Salem students from Kindergarten to University. Kick off to the season is October 6^th. 6:30 to 8:00 PM (http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/) HAVE YOU MARCHED IN THE PARADE BEFORE ? Come out and lead the parade with the Salem Education Foundation along with fellow alumni, parents, students and other Salem-ites and WALK FOR EDUCATION. Costumes very welcome !! Interested ? Contact Janine Matho with SEF at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• The SHS Homecoming is October 21^st. 6:00 PM.
• Concert: SHS Band, Chorus, Strings & Northshoremen Barbershop Chorus & Sweet Adelines is October 26^th. 7:00 PM

City Events of Note:

(http://salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_EventsCal/)

Such as:

• Every Thursday, Salem Farmers Market, Town House Square 3:00 PM
• Trails & Sails, September 23 to 25^th, 8:00 AM
• Salem Village Renaissance Days, all day, September 30^th to October 2^nd.

Salem Recreation Calendar: (http://www.salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_RecCal/)

Just a few intriguing ones-

• October 13th- Wild Turkey Running Clinic, 6:30 PM
• October 22^nd- Eerie Evening Tales at Witch House 6:00 PM
• October 29^th- Devils Chase 6.6 miler (in costume), 8:00 AM. This one is great fun just to go and watch !

Finally some follow-up

As mentioned, the City of Salem has enjoyed a 20 year long Sister-City relationship with Ota City in Japan. For those that wanted to do something to help but didn’t know how or had concerns about their donations making it to Japan in full, The Salem-Ota Cultural Exchange (a qualified 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization established to support the Sister-City relationship) collected donations totaling $ 13,650 to support Japan that is struggling so much from earthquake, tsunami and nuclear emergencies. 100% of all donations were sent to Ota to meet their needs and those of surrounding areas. Many of you contributed. On their behalf thanks so much.

Hope you are staying warm. As for us, we are sending psychic energy to Punxsutawney Phil to ask him to predict an early spring.

Events

But there is nothing more warming than gathering with former school classmates and faculty to catch up and swap stories. That opportunity presents itself on Friday night, February 5^th at Salem High. Come at 6:00PM for our second annual Winter Alumni Social. Just follow the signs on the way inside from either the front or side entrances. Then, stay for either the Boys Varsity Basketball game at 7:00PM against next-door neighbor, Peabody or attend the acclaimed performance of “Sweeney Todd” by the Salem High Drama Club at 7:30PM. What a night! Some classes are making plans to meet later at local establishments.

The Alumni Association is also working on other events over the next several months. Stayed tuned to the website.

In November/December, the Alumni Association had a presence at the Thanksgiving Day Football game making website information and Alumni car window decals available. We also distributed hot chocolate, cider and candy canes to the great crowd awaiting Santa’s arrival from the roof of the Hawthorne Hotel. See Pictures below.

Alumni Committees

Of course, Alumni Events happen only through the planning and effort of our Events Planning Committee (Kristin Mielcarz, Melanie McKinnon, Melissa Perroni & Jessica Manning) in coordination with the school administration support of Dave Angeramo and Andy Wulf.

Our Membership Committee (Mike Cahill and Brian Taubeneck) is just starting up and has begun to contact Class Agents with the intention of gathering contact information for as many Alumni as we can. Currently we have well over 700 names and addresses, spanning classes 1948 through 2009, and the list grows by the day. You can help by forwarding the website address to classmates http://www.salemmassalumni.org/ishs/ with a request to sign on as members.

Speaking of the website, Joel McNamee and Ben Arlander of the Technology Committee are doing a great job of building it and a database. This is such a great means of communication and collection of member information, which will be hugely useful in the future to reunion committees. Finally, Payal (Patel) Cudia is getting our Communication Committee up and running.

All committees would welcome participation large or small.

Alumni News

You never know where Alumni lives will intersect like this report in the local press:

“Former Salem resident (and Alumnus and former SHS teacher) Scott Strainge - now the Humanities Curriculum Coordinator at Timberlane Regional High School located in Plaistow, NH - and his class are filming a documentary regarding the politics and people involved in the same-sex marriage debate in Massachusetts and around the nation. Rep. John Keenan D-Salem, Mass (and Alumnus) met recently with the class and was interviewed by students. Rep. Keenan will appear in the documentary, which is due to be finished some time later this year.”

School News

Also in the Press:

Collins Middle School students have been working on the Mass Audubon Society’s acclaimed Salt Marsh Science Project since 2003. This report on their activities was included in an article on the Project Leader, Liz Duff being the recipient of a “Visionary Award” from the Gulf of Maine Institute.

Fifteen Salem High students were competitively selected to participate in the Mass. Music Educators Association Northeastern District Senior Festival.

Congratulations to all.

School Calendar

Just as a heads-up, the next month brings such events as:

The All City 4^th Grade Winter Concert is on February 10^th at Salem High.

“Bye Bye Birdie” is performed by the Collins Middle School Drama Club on March 3^rd to 5^th in the CMS Auditorium.

See the full school calendar at:

http://www.trumba.com/calendars/salem_public_schools_calendar

We are hoping to see you all on the 5^th for the Winter Social. Think Spring !

Alumni at Santa's Arrival on the Common

• Classes of 1994 and 2001 will be heading to Strega for drinks and dancing

• Come cheer on your fellow alumni at the “The 6th Annual Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run”.  The race starts at the Boys & Girls Club of Salem at 8:00 am.
• Salem High vs. Beverly High Football Game at 10:00 am at Bertram Field
  • Members of the Salem Alumni Association will have a table at the Football Game signing up alumni and selling car window decals of the Salem Alumni Association logo for $1.00.

• Santa’s Arrival = Salem Alumni are invited to meet at the common at 4:30 pm, there will be a designated table where we will be serving cider and handing out candy canes.  At 5:30 pm Music will start and then Santa will arrive at 6:00 pm.  A procession of attendees will walk down Essex Street into the East India Mall where kids can meet Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas.  Salem Alumni are also invited to head to Rockafella’s after the event.

• Class of 1994’s 15 year Reunion is on Saturday, November 28th at Rockafellas in Salem starting at 8:00pm.  There is no cover, if you get there before 9:00pm.
• Class of 1999’s 10 year Reunion is on Saturday, November 28th at Murphy’s in Salem starting at 6:00pm.  Tickets are $15/person.  If you have any questions please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Class of 2004’s 5 year Reunion is on Saturday, November 28th at Fresh Taste of Asia in Salem starting at 9:00pm.  Tickets are $20/person.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

If you have any questions/comments please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it