September 25,  2009 Vol. 2 No. 4

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In This Issue:
School Committee on the Road
N.M.E.S. Open House
Senior Information Night at North High School
Cold Spring PTA Fundraiser
West School Anticipates a New HVAC System
PSHS News from the Athletic Department
Strategic Planning
Hedge Academy
New North High School Information
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
High Schools
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Greetings!
Friday notes is a weekly update from Superintendent Gary E. Maestas on the happenings within the Plymouth Public Schools.
Plymouth Public Schools School Committee Meetings:
The next Plymouth School Committee is scheduled for October 5th, 2009 at Plymouth Community Intermediate School. The meeting starts at 7:00 P.M.
N.M.E.S. Open House Nights Feature Parent Fair:
 
Like years past, parents of N.M.E.S. students were invited to meet their children's teachers and tour their classrooms, but this year there was a twist.  Local groups that serve N.M.E.S. families were invited to set up tables free of charge in the gymnasium and share information about their programs.  The Parent Fair was designed to strengthen Nathaniel Morton's connection with community groups, while at the same time providing parents with a wealth of information on programs that are available to their children.  Parents were also encouraged to get involved at school and sign up to volunteer.  Sign up sheets with descriptions of countless volunteer opportunities lined the gym walls.  Groups in attendance included:  The N.M.E.S. PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Plymouth Fire Department, Plymouth Police Department, Plymouth Public Schools District Math Coordinator, Plymouth Public Library, Plymouth Recreation Department, Old Colony YMCA Before/After School Program, and the Boys and Girls Club of Plymouth.

Senior Information Night at North High School:

On Wednesday, September 30 the Plymouth North High School Guidance Department will be hosting a Senior Information Night for all seniors and their parents. The program will be held in the PNHS auditorium from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Speakers from the guidance department will help to explain the college application process and other important information regarding post-secondary planning. In addition, the advisors for the Yearbook and the Senior Class will review important dates and information for the class of 2010."

Cold Spring PTA Fundraiser:

Cold Spring School's PTA has been working on some unique fund raisers this year. Fund raising and recycling make a perfect combination! By cleaning out closets, you can also provide clothes to be distributed to individuals who need them, and at the same time help to raise money for the PTA to be able to continue to provide programs for our students. It's a win-win situation! Notices went home early in the month, and bags were distributed at Open House. PTA members were on hand for two days when parents could drop off their used clothing items; 157 bags (1 1/2 tons worth of goods) were collected and shipped off.  This fundraiser will be repeated in the spring. It's a great way to help out our school, our community and the environment!

West School Eagerly Anticipates a New HVAC System:

This project will entail the replacement of the rooftop HVAC (Heating, Ventilation Air Conditioning) units, lighting improvements and sprinkler system updates.  Construction work is scheduled to for the beginning of October and be completed just in time for the start of the 2010- 2011 school year.  It is anticipated the final outcome will be a climate comfortable environment for all with improved efficiency.  West is very appreciative of the support of the local community and Plymouth Town meeting in voting to fund this project.
Pinwheels for Peace
 
In 1981 the United Nations declared September 21st as an International Day of Peace. During recent art classes, fourth graders from South Elementary School created pinwheels that included their personal thoughts about peace. This past Monday, September 21st, fourth graders displayed their pinwheels on the triangle at the entrance to the school. In doing so, they joined millions of people, including boys and girls from schools in countries throughout the world. Find South Elementary as well as other schools that participated in the "Pinwheels for Peace" effort by visiting www.pinwheelsforpeace.com

PSHS News from the Athletic Department:
 
It has been a busy and successful fall thus far for the Panthers.  We have been fortunate to have a few different athletic department beautification projects come to fruition.  The gym has been painted and refurbished, new mats have been added to the gym walls, we have newly surfaced tennis courts, and the scoreboard on the football field has an entirely new look.  In addition, the area below the scoreboard has been landscaped due to the hard work of teachers/coaches, Martha and Paul Osberg.
 
Our teams have started with a winning campaign - the football team is 2-0, field hockey is 3-2, Boys soccer 2-3-1, Girls soccer, 3-1-1, and volleyball 4-2.
 
The Panther Athletic Booster Club is also sponsoring the Harlem Rockets on Saturday, September 26th at 6:00 p.m. at the PSHS gym. 
 
Upcoming Events:
 
Homecoming Weekend - October 2nd-4th  
Homecoming Dance - October 3rd - 7:30 p.m. - Tickets purchased in advance.
Home Games during Homecoming Weekend - Football vs Sandwich (Fri), Field Hockey vs Mashpee (Fri), Girls Soccer vs Bridgewater Raynham (Sat)
Booster Club/Samuel J. Fry Memorial Road Race - October 4th
9:00 a.m. - Cabby Shack (8:00 a.m. registration - $20.00 donation/fee)
The PSHS golf team will be holding a car wash on Saturday, October 3rd from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Plymouth South.  Tickets can be purchases in advance from math teacher/golf coach Tom Hicks or from a golf team member.  Tickets are $4.00 and all proceeds will go the Plymouth Coalition for the Homeless
Strategic Planning Stakeholders Survey Made Available:
 
The Plymouth Public Schools is currently working with a large group of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members on a District Strategic Plan.  As part of the information-gathering process, we are asking parents and community members to complete a survey to help this group develop the Strategic Plan.  We are very interested in your opinion so that we may use this information to set the direction of and the future of the Plymouth Public Schools.
 
The Plymouth Public Schools Stakeholders Survey will take between 5-10 minutes and can be completed by clicking on the link below or you can complete a paper version of the survey that is available at several locations identified below.  The survey will be accepted until October 30th and your identity will be kept completely anonymous.  Once all the surveys are tabulated, the results will be shared on our school district website.
 
Paper copies are available at the Plymouth Public Libraries, Plymouth Town Hall and at all of Plymouth's school buildings.  Drop boxes are available at these locations for you to return your survey.
 
Thank you for your input.
Hedge Academy:
 
After-school programming is returning to Hedge Elementary School, thanks once again to a generous grant from Wal-Mart.
Hedge Academy, an eclectic mix of afternoon learning fun for students in all grade levels, will return later this semester. Click on the link below to access the OCM article.

Hedge Academy
New North High School Information:
 
We are making great progress in the development of the New Plymouth North High School. If you click on the link below, a series of videos are available for viewing  so you can gain a perspective on the developments to date.

New North Informational Videos
Gary E. Maestas, Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools
 
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