Friday Notes: From the Plymouth Public Schools

Manomet Elementary held its annual Wellness Fair recently. Many community members donated their time to teach students the importance of being healthy in every aspect of their lives. Some of the community members who were a part of the Wellness Fair were:

Julie Sears, an occupational therapist with Plymouth Public Schools, demonstrated backpack safety and body mechanics.

Seth Lawrence, owner of Serious Cycles, spoke about bicycle safety.

Harbormaster Chad Hunter talked about ice safety.

Laura Wilson, R.N., gave a lesson about germs and washing.

Many thanks to all of the community members for providing such an enriching experience for the students of Manomet Elementary!

(picture courtesy of the Old Colony Memorial)

Plymouth North High School News

Congratulations to our Student Athletes

The Following students have been selected for the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic Team

Nicole Holmes - Field Hockey
Jack McDonald - Boys Golf
Dan Gordon - Boys Cross Country
Nicole Borofski - Girls Cross Country
Cody Merritt - Football
Matt Walsh - Football

Matt Walsh has also been selected as linebacker for ESPN Boston's All-State Team.

Congratulations to all of our student athletes- we are so proud of your achievements!

Congratulations to the Anarchy Robotics Team on their great performance over the weekend and for receiving the Safety Award at the competition in Marlboro.

The North Hockey Team is running a Coat Drive for the homeless men and women at Saint Francis House in Boston. They are collecting gently-used coats, jackets, hats, gloves and scarves. Please leave your donation in the collection box in front of the café. The team is hoping that all faculty, staff and students will help by donating. The deadline is Friday, December 17th.

Winter Sports Team photos will be taken on Tuesday, December 14th beginning at 2:15 in the gym. Please see your coach for more information.

Plymouth children need your help this Holiday Season!!

Your donation of cash, new toys, or clothing will put a smile on a child's face. Help us bring the magic of the holidays to local children. Please bring an unwrapped gift to the library and see Mrs. Latosek, she will give you an ornament to write your name on to help decorate their bare tree. Show your kindness and compassion, and let's fill that tree Plymouth North!!!!

On Thursday, December 16th the combined Band and Chorus Concert will be held in the auditorium at North High School. The concert will start at 7:00 and will feature the Chorus from both schools, the Jazz band, Vocal Point, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Jazz Combo, and the Concert Band. It will be a fun night, and we hope to see many students and staff there to support our music department!

West Elementary School News

West Elementary has been participating in "The Great Pajama Drive" sponsored by the Scholastic Books company.

Students began donating pajamas for those in need last month. Scholastic Books will match each pair of pajamas collected with a brand new book. This event was kicked off with "Pajama Day" on Friday, November 12. Students and staff wore their pajamas to school and the excitement was palpable! The donation boxes are now overflowing with pajamas!

The culminating event was held on Thursday, December 9. Students and families were invited to come to school for "The Great Bedtime Story Hour" dressed in pajamas to listen to a story read by a West School staff member. Fourteen teachers volunteered their time to read. The celebration also included a snack of hot cocoa and fresh baked cookies.

The Pajama Committee (Lauri Reid, Maryann Rogers, Kristin Kasianowicz, Beth Haynes and Michelle Routhier) has worked extremely hard for this event and are proud of the successful collections and strong participation! As a result of everyone's efforts, pajamas will be put on the backs of people in need, as well as books in their hands!

Plymouth Students participate in Geography Fair at Bridgewater State University

The Southeastern Massachusetts Geography Network (SEMAGNET) hosted the 24^th Annual Geography Fair at Bridgewater State University on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Eighty five projects, from thirteen schools were on display. This represented two hundred and nine students who demonstrated their geographic expertise. The theme of this year's fair was Fresh Water, Clean Water. Khakatay (West African Drumming Ensemble) from BSU entertained students, parents and teachers. Mike Cambra from the Mission to Liberia spoke of the need for fresh water in many parts of Africa.

Students from Plymouth who won awards are as follows:

From PCIS: Rachel Pereria, Haley Bernier, Emily Whynott, Reilly Whitehouse, Sean Sweeney, Brett Cabral, Sariad O'Brien, Rachel Borghesani, Jenna Shea, Emma Cobak, Kerri McGovern, Jacklyn Sullivan, Emma Voelker, John Owens, Victoria Gray, Diana Riordan, Erin McCosh, Samanatha Belanger, Jordan Vrocklesby and Shannon Larson

From: PSMS: Madison Cyr, Veronica Holmes, Devant Ramos, Danny Ferguson, Nicole Neuman, Colleen Hall, Alexandria DiBella, Vanessa Kantor, Patience Machaby, Andrew Shortall, Tom Gallerini, and Richard Gast,

From Indian Brook Elementary, Ms. Silva's Class: Peyton Beane, Dylan Bridgewater, Emily Cappucci, Chloe Chiruna, Michael Dooley, Joseph Flynn, Sienna Giannelli, Kayla Glynn,Paul Goldring, Emily Halpin, Claire Lovelace, Maxwell MacPhail, Allie Mason, Joseph McGonagle, Evan Megna, Jordyn Melchionda, Will Moody, Andrew Morritt, Heather Oxsen, Dante Pina, Maxwell Silva,Olivia Stayton, Jahred Sullivan, Trevor Sullivan, Catherine Toland, Dante Viscarillo and Nicholas Webber

Plymouth Schools Plan to Go Green!

School officials are pursuing a plan that would lease space atop 11 of the school district's buildings for use as solar energy fields.

Private developers would install solar panels on the roofs at their own cost and sell a portion of the energy they generate back to the schools at drastically reduced cost.

The first phase would put photovoltaic arrays atop Plymouth South Middle School, South Elementary School, West Elementary School and Plymouth Community Intermediate School.

The second phase would add arrays to Federal Furnace, Cold Spring, Indian Brook, Nathaniel Morton, Manomet and Hedge elementary schools, as well as the central office administration building in West Plymouth.

The project does not anticipate using either high school or Oak Street or Mount Pleasant schools.

The new Plymouth North High School is being built with its own energy-saving photovoltaic arrays.

The project is offered through the state's 2008 Green Communities Act under the direction of Mark Sylvia, Plymouth's former town manager and the current director of the state Department of Energy Resources' Green Communities Division.

For more on this story click on the following link to the Old Colony Memorial:

Click here!

Jordan Hospital Sponsors Important Talk at Plymouth South Middle School and PCIS

The founder of the Foundation for a Smokefree America, Patrick Reynolds, spent two days in Plymouth last week, giving presentations to students at both middle schools during the day and a seminar for adults at Plimoth Plantation at night.

Patrick Reynolds is the grandson of R. J. Reynolds, who was the founder of the world's largest tobacco company. Reynolds, a former pack-a-day smoker, saw his father and oldest brother die from cigarette-induced illnesses. He divested his tobacco company stock, quit smoking and starting setting the record straight in the 1980s.

Reynolds was able to quickly establish a bond with the middle schoolers, explaining how he became estranged from his father after his mother and father divorced. When he reconnected with his father his father was dying of smoke-related disease. Patrick Reynolds urged students to understand the truth about tobacco, not to start using it, and to get help if they were already addicted.

Jordan Hospital sponsored the talks as an extension of the Cancer Center's community outreach programming.

"Lung cancer related to smoking and tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer death on the South Shore. As part of Jordan Hospital's mission to provide high-quality health and wellness lectures for the community, we hosted Mr. Reynolds to help raise community awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and lung cancer," Christopher Smalley, marketing director of Jordan Hospital, said.

Many thanks to Patrick Reynolds and Jordan Hospital for this eye-opening discussion!

(picture courtesy of the Old Colony Memorial)

Plymouth South High School News:

Each year the Old Colony Memorial selects a male and female Athlete of the Year. The selection is based on the winter and spring season from last year as well as the fall 2010 season. As you are aware, our female athletic teams have had a great deal of success lately. Therefore, the OCM has decided to select the PSHS Girls Athletic Teams as the Athlete of the Year. This is a great honor. The students are: Soccer: Cayla Thomas, Kayla Earp, Anastasia Kopp, Allessandra Kopp. Volleyball: Audrey Medeiros, Jessica Baird, Lacey Donahue. Softball: Noel Christmas. Basketball: Tracey Ivan, Melissa Rodden. Cross Country: Ashley Eccleston. Track: Lauren Richard.

Boston Globe All-Scholastic - Congratulations to seniors Cayla Thomas and Noel Christmas for being selected as Boston Globe All-Scholastic All Stars for their respective sports of soccer and softball.

On November 21-23, 2010 twelve SkillsUSA officers and members from Plymouth South and North High School attended the SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference in Marlborough, MA. Participants at the conference undergo intensive leadership training in areas such as communication skills, group dynamics and employability skills. The following students received medals at the conference:
-Overall Team Competitors: Gold Medal to Angela Hanley and Bronze Medal to Amanda Bogart and Kristin Moses
-Recycle, Reuse and Reduce: Gold Medal to Robert Brienzi and Kaila O'Farrell and Silver Medal to Nicole Villano
-Membership Promotion: Bronze Medal to Erin Luongo
-Community Service: Gold Medal to Miranda Payne and Bronze Medal Heliana Alvarez
-Community Service Infomercial: Gold Medal to Brandon Ferrell
-Time Quality Management: Gold Medal to Noelle Labrecque

Sophomores: Brit Shields, Kaleigh Haynes and Mishelle Santana painted children's faces under the direction of Artist Terry Kole during the Plymouth Center for the Arts Holiday Boutique. The event took place Friday December 4th and was a huge success.

Sophomore: Alyssa Gates designed a new seal for The Plymouth Garden Club

The National Honor Society Induction is Monday, December 13th at 7:00 PM - Invited students will be notified shortly and we encourage parents to attend this wonderful night!

The Junior and Senior class of Cosmetology attended the 3RD annual CB Sullivan Company "Holiday Hair Competition". The competition was held in Hooksett, New Hampshire. 100 manikins were entered from all over Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Cosmo held an in house competition where 3 Juniors were chosen to be entered: Nicole Reske, Nicole Pelzer and Valerie Sgarzi. When the winners were announched, Nicole Reske was awarded second place!! Congratulations to all!

Festival of Trees To Benefit the Friends of Cranberry Hospice This past week the students of the Electrical Department have been donating their time and skills to help provide funding for the Cranberry Hospice Childrens Bereavement Program and other family needs. The Festival of Trees represents the values of family; love and sharing that are the heart of Hospice. Along with raising much-needed funds to support vital services, the Festival brings a gift of celebration and joy to the residents of the communities served by Hospice who have been so supportive over the years.

We have donated our time and talents for the last 21 years, to light over 50 trees and surrounding areas. To brighten, if only for a brief time the lives of the less fortunate. All of the beautiful trees have been sponsored and decorated by community-minded businesses, organizations and individuals who understand the importance of supporting the life-affirming services of Cranberry Hospice. The decorators such as the SkillsUSA Plymouth Chapter Officers and friends donate the extraordinary ornaments that make each tree unique. The work of the students entails over 30 hours of community service to help fulfill a much needed responsibility to the local community and this organization.

Overall Team Competitors: Gold Medal to Angela Hanley and Bronze Medal to Amanda Bogart and Kristin Moses

Recycle, Reuse and Reduce: Gold Medal to Robert Brienzi and Kaila O'Farrell and Silver Medal to Nicole Villano

Membership Promotion: Bronze Medal to Erin Luongo

Community Service: Gold Medal to Miranda Payneand Bronze Medal to Heliana Alvarez

Community Service Infomercial: Gold Medal to Brandon Ferrell

Time Quality Management: Gold Medal to Noelle Labrecque

PCIS News

During the past 2 weeks, the PCIS 6th Grade Student Ambassadors sponsored a "Toys for Tots" toy drive and what a success it was! Over 600 new toys were collected and donated. Members of Falcon Pride, the 8th grade community service learning group, held a holiday party after school to collect toys. For each person's toy donation, they received a ticket to attend the party.

The PCIS staff members also held a "Toys for Tots" breakfast for faculty on Friday morning as part of the effort. Staff members who attended the breakfast also brought unwrapped items for the toy drive and enjoyed a lovely breakfast, prepared by faculty members.

Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools

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