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Friday notes is a weekly update from Superintendent Gary E. Maestas on the happenings within the Plymouth Public Schools.
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Plymouth Public Schools School Committee Meetings: The next regular meeting of the Plymouth School Committee will be Monday, November 7, 2011. School Committee meetings are held at
Plymouth Community Intermediate School in
the Little Theatre. Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.
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Re-Districting Information Night: During the next few months the redistricting subcommittee of the school committee will be diligently working to review our current school district boundaries for potential changes. Superintendent Maestas is providing a redistricting information night so parents can gain an insight into the process. The meeting will be at: Plymouth South Middle School on November 15th in the cafeteria at 6:30 PM. |
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Weekly Quote: "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut."
- Stephen King.
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Annual Test of the Prompt Alert and Notification System (Sirens!)
On Thursday, November 10th, 2011 Pilgrim Station will be conducting an annual test. The test will begin at 3:45 P.M. with a sounding of the sirens for approximately 3 minutes.
Please be advised that this is only an annual test.
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Manomet Elementary News
Manomet Elementary School in conjunction with the Home and School Association hosted a Halloween Fun Night last week, one of the Home and Schools biggest and most anticipated fundraisers for the year. The event was kicked off Friday morning when students brought in uniquely decorated pumpkins to be judged throughout the day by each student and teacher. This year's winners were: Nicholas Stec-1st place, Katherine Paglia-2nd place and Seth Shea-3rd place.
The fun continued on Saturday night as the kids enjoyed "spook"tacular crafts, trick or treating and fun dance games in the gym. Many thanks to the community: Plymouth Police, Plymouth Fire Dept. and Serious Cycles for their help to make it a safe and successful event. Numerous families donated time and/or resources. |
Cold Spring School News
Ms. Robbins, art teacher at Cold Spring School, elicited some amazing art from her fourth grade students. The students learned about a realist Swedish painter named Carl Larsson. Like Carl Larsson, the students painted their favorite everyday activities. These paintings demonstrate proportion, perspective, and color mixing. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful art filling our halls!
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Federal Furnace Elementary School News
National Day of Writing Celebrated at Federal Furnace School
On Thursday, October 20th, 2011, Federal Furnace joined those across the country celebrating the National Day of Writing. This was the Nation's third annual celebration, and Federal Furnace's second. We kicked off the morning with morning announcements. At that time some famous and interesting quotes about writing and the writing process were shared, and four students from Mrs. Romboldi's classroom read a poem they had jointly authored. Those students were Cydney Adams, Brian Kessel, Julianne Parma and Taybor Rich.
A Drop Everything and Write period was initiated at the close of morning announcements. Students wrote many topics within numerous genres. Fourth graders were seen writing longer narratives, kindergarten was observed to be using drawing to develop clear pictures of their thoughts and stories (an important pre-cursor to writing), and Mrs. McMinn had some of her students write thank you letters to the Philharmonic for the first installment of the Music Immersion Program they had experienced earlier in the week.
At the end of the day, two students read pieces they had authored over the loud speaker. Sean Novik, second grader, read a scary short story he had written during the day, and Eileen Soule-Freeman, third grader, read a journal-style piece about a favorite spooky holiday. It was a fun day had by all, and students have since been observed writing in their bus lines, at recess and in the lunch room-all fabulous ways to spend time and develop important skills!
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South Elementary School News
Mrs. DeSantis Challenges Students to Stay Healthy As cold and flu season approaches, Mrs. DeSantis is challenging her third grade class to stay healthy with her "Healthy Class" goal. During November, her students are participating in the LYSOL Blue Ribbon School Attendance Program. The program is two-fold. Classroom learning includes LYSOL's Healthy Habits Curriculum, developed in conjunction with pediatrician and mom, Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. It includes nine Healthy Habit Lessons to help reduce absenteeism and reinforce healthy habits at school and at home. Among the lessons: how germs spread and the importance of hand washing. To reward schools with the best attendance rate, LYSOL is hosting a Blue Ribbon Attendance Contest for $25,000 in total prizes throughout the month of November. Mrs. DeSantis will track classroom attendance during November and the class will create a poster that includes their ideas and illustrations of 24 ways to stay healthy. Her goal is to help students focus on healthy habits and the importance of striving for good attendance at school. Of course, if students are sick, they are encouraged to stay home until they are better to help prevent the spread of germs, as outlined by School Health Care Services. 3D Models Bring Teamwork to Life Mrs. Close's second grade class created rural, suburban, and urban communities in 3D. Students brought in different building materials for the project, including LEGOs, boxes, and matchbox cars. They put on their thinking caps and came together like a community to plan and construct models that are displayed in the school library. Students also created a rural community mural. "I was impressed by their creativeness and their cooperation," Mrs. Close says of students. 
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Indian Brook Elementary News
Third Grade News:
Thanks to our Veterans
Third graders in Ms. McKeon's class have been writing to veterans who are relatives and/or friends of their families. Students asked questions and thanked their veteran for their service to our country, and told them that they would be thinking of them on Veterans' Day, November 11th. The veterans who have written back served in the military during World War II, the Korean War, the "Cold War", Vietnam, Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and are deployed today.
When responding to Braley's letter, her Papa wrote, "It really touched me deeply because no one has ever thanked me for serving in the military." A popular question asked by the students was "How was the food?" and the responses were all positive. Emily's Opa wrote that when he was stationed in Maine, about once a month he would have a boiled lobster for just $0.25! We will all be thinking of and thanking our veterans on 11-11-11.
Fourth Grade News:
Mrs. Riordan, Mrs. Baldwin, and Mrs. Frank guided a group of almost forty 4th grades during an afterschool program for Ski New Hampshire Earn Your Turns Program/Passbook. Ski NH offers this incredible program to encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle and enjoy winters in New Hampshire. The fourth grades earned the passbooks by researching aspects of the history of skiing in New Hampshire and creating posters which summarized the facts. The passbook includes free or discounted lift tickets and trail pass to every SKI NH resort as well as savings for siblings and parents. Learn more about this great program by visiting the Ski NH website.
Fifth Grade News:
Campfire Stories
The fifth graders in Mrs. Corbin's and Ms. Savery's class had a traditional Campfire Storytelling journey. Students wrote legends that explained something in nature and created props to go along with their stories. Some of the stories were about how rainbows are formed, why there is salt in the ocean, how tigers got their stripes and many more. They shared their stories around a campfire, under the stars, using hand made props. After they told their stories they enjoyed some hot chocolate and s'mores. "I really liked the campfire. I loved how the teachers set it up and made it feel like we were actually sitting around the campfire," said Emma. Another student Dylan said, "It was fun! There were some really good stories." Mr. Sylvester, Assistant Principal, stopped by to hear some of the stories. He recounted, "I felt like I was at a real camp hearing some of the greatest legends that explained some of the most complex ideas." Fun was had by all with hot cocoa, treats, and great legends.
IBES coming events
The 1st Annual Casino Night will be held at the Raddison Hotel in Plymouth on Friday, November 11th. Tickets are $25 each and will include food, raffle tickets, and 1000 "play" chips to start the night. All are welcome to join in on the fun parents' night out and have the chance to bid on awesome auction items and win fantastic raffle prizes.
Contact Jayce Hall at jaycehallpta@gmail.com for tickets.
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Plymouth South Middle School News
HALLOWEEN AT PSMS On Monday, October 31st, students and staff got into the Halloween spirit and participated in the Student Council Halloween Costume Contest. The cost to participate was either $1.00 or a donated canned food item for the local food bank. The Student Council generated over $200.00 and donated 5 large boxes of food. The winners of the 2011 Halloween Costume Contest are pictured below. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated. 
Grade 5: Winner: Julia Quindley "Strawberry Shortcake" Winner: Sean Sanguinet, "Tooth Fairy" Winner: Abigeal Moran, "Monster bride" Winner: Cameron Foley, "Sid Vicious" 
Grade 6: Winner: Ashley Nagle, "Scarecrow" Winner: Vanessa Townsend, "Peacock" Winner: Kyle Mazzola, "Chipmonk" Winner: Njaga Mbuthia, "Ronald McDonald" 
Grade 7: Winner: Sam McKay "Big Money" Winner: Ben Zoebisch, "Monopoly Man" Winner: Emily Hoar, "Raggedy Ann" Winner: Kendra Crosby, "Clown" 
Grade 8: Winner: Alec Rosemy, "A Girl" Winner: Morgan Sacco, "Flo from Progressive" Winner: Allie DiBella, "Carmen Miranda" Winner: Veronica Holmes, "Xmas Tree" Staff Winners Group:  Winner: Adminstrative Team "Addams Family"
Winner: 2nd Floor Grade 7, "Snow Drift & the Seven Dwarfcicles "  Winner: 3rd Floor Grade 8, "Troop Learn A Lot"
Winner: Cafeteria Crew, "Disney Princesses" |
PCIS News
PCIS Athletes Finish a Successful Season of fall sports
Congratulations to all PCIS student-athletes, coaches, and athletic supporters on their successful fall seasons. During the months of September - November approximately 175 student-athletes participated in the school's offering of education-based athletics. Highlights of the fall season included the cross country team's undefeated record of 10-0. Coach Cassidy Conway and Coach Scott Smith continue to produce top-notch runners, and equally impressive is the allure to the sport the coaches have created. Coach Greg Barrett and the girls' soccer team finished their campaign with a 10-1 record. The PCIS girls' soccer team allowed just one goal all season! Coach Chad Wolf and the PCIS boys' soccer team recorded three wins on the year. The boys' soccer program increased its student-athlete participation numbers from 20 (2010) student-athletes to 26 (2011) student-athletes. Finally, Coach Kristin DiGravio and the field hockey team finished the season 10-1. Not only was this the program's first winning season, but it was the program's highest number of student-athletes participating. This winter, PCIS Interscholastic Athletics will offer boys' and girls' basketball and wrestling. Students should look for sign-up sheets on the "Athletic Board" located in the school's cafeteria. For more information regarding the PCIS interscholastic athletic program please contact Drew Sorensen at asorensen@plymouth.k12.ma.us. |
Plymouth North High School News
Thanks to all of you who supported our Adopt-A-Platoon goal of at least 50 letters for soldiers per term. We have exceeded our goal for Term 1 with 65 letters. Look for Thanksgiving and Holiday cards coming from our Advisories next term for you to distribute to your students if they should choose to write a note to a soldier. Letters will be accepted anytime during the second team and may be deposited in the envelope attached to the Bulletin Board by the Auditorium or can be brought to Room 208. Thank you again for supporting our goal.
"Imagine the smile on a soldier's face when they open a letter from a student from PNHS!"
The Pilgrim Station is conducting their annual test of the Prompt Alert and Notification System(sirens) on Thursday, November 10,2011. The tests will begin at 3:45p.m.with a sounding of the sirens for approximately 3 minutes. As in past years,a local media
campaign has been initiated to inform the public of the test. Congratulations to the Girl's and Boy's Varsity Soccer teams on making it to the big game. Good luck to both at their first games tournament this weekend. Boy's Soccer is playing Saturday, 2:30 p.m. at Sharon High School Girl's Soccer is playing Sunday, 6:00 p.m. at Whitman Hanson Regional High School ***POSTPONED*** Costumed Volleyball This is open to all students. Cost per player is $5. See Mrs. Humberd in room 214 or Ben Waltuch to sign up. *** NEW DATE*** Friday, 11/11/11 at 2:30 p.m. in the gym. Plymouth North Boy's Basketball Sign Up Meeting All Grade 9 -12 Candidates, Monday, November 7th 2:15 p.m.in the Boys Gym The Wrestling Team will hold Sign-Ups Monday, November 14th at 2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. room 204. The Powder Puff game is Tuesday, November 15th, at 6:00 p.m. at Plymouth South High School. Admission is $5. Senior portraits due to Mrs. Harkins by November 21, 2011. |
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Plymouth South High School News
PSHS PANTHER ATHLETIC UPDATE
It has been an exciting fall for the athletic teams at PSHS. All four teams eligible for post-season play have qualified for the state tournament. We are very proud of our coaches and student athletes. The schedule for the MIAA tournament is as follows:
Friday, November 4th - Girls Field Hockey vs Canton High School at Canton - 3:00 PM
Friday, November 4th - Girls Volleyball vs Walpole High School at Walpole - 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 5th - Boys Soccer vs Marshfield High School at Marshfield - 3:00 PM
Saturday, November 5th - Girls Soccer vs Natick High School HOME at PSHS - 4:00 PM
In addition, congratulations to our cheerleading team who placed fourth in the recent ACL cheerleading competition. Due to this placement, the girls have moved onto the next round which will be in the next few weeks at Dartmouth High School - Great Job!!
We encourage parents and community members to come and support our student athletes!! Directions and more information are available at www.southpanthers.com
Great job to all the students involved in the drama club production of Barefoot in the Park and also thank you to teachers Ms. Bettencourt and Ms.Quinn for all of their hard work. It was a fantastic performance by all.
PSHS Homecoming Dance will be held Saturday night from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM in the Plymouth South Cafeteria. Just a reminder that breathalyzers will be used for all students entering the dance and they must have purchased a ticket in advance.
The Plymouth High School Lacrosse Program held its Monster Dash road race this past Sunday at Manomet Elementary School. It had a great turnout considering the weather with almost 200 runners/walkers. Thank you to everyone who showed their support.
National Honor Society students are providing tutoring for PSHS students every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:00 PM in Biology, Chemistry, Latin, Spanish and all Math areas. All students are welcome!
The National Honor Society sponsored a Blood Drive today, Friday, in the PSHS gymnasium.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November 15th - Annual Powder Puff Game
November 16th - Plymouth High Schools Financial Aid Night 7-9 PM at PNHS Auditorium
November 17th - Fashion Talent Show
November 29th - "Planning for Success Night" for Parents/Guardians of Sophomores (students also welcome) 6-7:30 PM at PSHS cafetorium
December 3rd - Seniors SAT registration deadline
February 1st - Hood Sportsmanship $5,000.00 Scholarship
MRS. FRY'S CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT: Allison Shaver - Social Studies Teacher/Senior Class Advisor..... In trying to connect with other teachers who teach sociology for her unit on culture, Ms. Shaver was directed to a school in Illinois via Twitter. Both classrooms are doing the same assignment. They are each creating videos on the culture of our high schools - the students came up with their ideas, edited and put together the final product. The projects are going online to be shared with the other school and then our students will blog about the different aspects they noticed.
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Pictures, Words and Sorts-Oh My! Words Their Way Begins in Elementary Schools Over the past month, teachers in grades K-5 participated in half-day professional development sessions with their literacy coach to learn about Words Their Way, a new word study program for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Words Their Way uses a developmental approach to spelling. Instruction is differentiated according to student assessment and is based on the development of concepts rather than on simple memorization. Students learn phonics, spelling, and vocabulary through engaging hands-on activities. How is word study different from the traditional spelling program? Traditional spelling programs provide a single list of spelling words for the class to memorize, with a weekly spelling test given at the end of the week. Word study, instead, is taught in small groups where students compare and contrast features of words often through sorting activities that help children internalize new patterns. In many cases students also look for "oddballs"-words that do not fit into categories as expected. For example, take a look at the word sort below:
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a-e
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ai
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oddball
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game
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rain
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said
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lake
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main
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have
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pave
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pail
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In this case, children sort in two different ways to make the long a vowel sound. They also discover words that are spelled with the same pattern but are pronounced differently (the "oddballs"). Research shows that this process of sorting and discovery helps students learn words for the long term. Remember, anything new takes time. . . Words Their Way helps teachers target instruction so that all children receive just the right level of challenge and support. This level of differentiation also requires a new level of planning and management in the classroom, so expect there to be a learning curve for everyone. As needed, routines in the classroom and at home may be modified or clarified as all of us become more experienced with this exciting new program. 
Keeley Collins, Keira Flynn, Alexander Vickery practice a "Blind Writing Sort"
Snapshot of a Word Study Notebook page
Sydney Cummings and Grace Connolly practice a "Blind Writing Sort." |
On Friday, November 11, 2011 students, staff and community members are invited to participate in the
Second Annual
Step Up for Veterans
Dedicated in honor of Spc.
Steven Gutowski
Sponsored by the Plymouth Public Schools
Show your support for local veterans by raising donations for every lap walked around the gym or track.Funds raised will aid local veterans in need, with help for things such as fuel assistance, food, etc. Come walk with us, or drop in and make a donation. Cash or checks made out to Town of Plymouth/Veterans Services will be collected at the walk.
Where: Plymouth South High School
490 Long Pond Road
Time: 10:30 AM - 1 PM
For more information: Contact the Academic Coordinators' Office
Plymouth Public Schools ~ 508-830-4476
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Guidance Department News
College Financing Seminar
Wednesday, November 16 from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Plymouth NORTH High School Auditorium
Parents and guardians of all college-bound seniors (from both of our high schools) are welcomed to attend this timely informational presentation which will cover all of the important aspects of college financing including different types of financial aid and how to apply.
Sophomore Planning Night: Know Your Pathway to Success!
Tuesday, November 29 from 6:00-7:30 PM in the Plymouth SOUTH High School Cafetorium
The Guidance Department at Plymouth North and South High Schools welcomes all parents and guardians to attend our Sophomore Planning Night (students also invited). The topics for the evening will be:
The High School Transcript
Graduation Requirements
Career & College Planning
College Requirements
Early Financial Planning for College
We look forward to your participation in this important information session!
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Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools
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