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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, April 2, 2012. 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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Weekly Quote:
"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure."
-Emma Goldman
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Warning about the "Cinnamon Challenge"
Recently, WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston reported that the Bridgewater-Raynham school district warned parents of the potential dangers of a You Tube craze called the cinnamon challenge. We would like to make you aware of what this is so that our children will not be at risk.
In this challenge, people try to swallow a spoonful of the spice without drinking water. "Somebody offered me 100 bucks to do it," said Michael O'Connor, a junior at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.
This week, school officials in the Bridgewater Raynham Regional School District sent home a letter, saying nurses have become aware of a few students who have tried it and that parents should talk to their children because it's not harmless fun.
"Anybody who puts a tablespoon of cinnamon in their mouth will get burning of the mouth," said Dr. Fred Kern from Bridgewater Pediatrics. "They'll also potentially burn the throat, and most importantly, the small particles in cinnamon can get trapped in the lung and cause lung infections."
Cinnamon is naturally caustic, meaning it burns and even corrodes body tissue. Nationwide, there have even been several reports of children needing ventilators to breath after the challenge.
Kern said children with respiratory ailments, like asthma, are at the highest risk for having serious complications.
Please warn your children about this and keep them safe.
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District news and information for all k-12 teachers, administrators, and parents from the Elementary Library Media Specialists. Have you seen Mass School Library Association Bullying Prevention Resources Wikki ? See below: Welcome to the Massachusetts Bullying Prevention
Resource Wiki Developed and maintained by the
Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA)
MSLA created this space as a means to collaborate, network and share resources and best practices that support the implementation of anti-bullying plans in the school districts of the Commonwealth. MSLA convened an Anti-Bullying Summit on March 14, 2011 that included members of the Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA), the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MSCA), and the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE), along with representatives of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. Along with several MSLA members, participants from these organizations contributed to the resources listed on these pages.Feel free to share this wiki with your colleagues and to continue the conversation by adding your own best practices and resources. Presenter Handouts Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention Professional Development Student Engagement and Empowerment Social Media and Cyberbullying Gender LGBT Issues Other Resources See comments from Summit participants on Twitter under #mslasummit11 For additional information click here. |
Manomet Elementary News
The second graders at Manomet recently enjoyed a visit from K9 officer Joe Fisher and his dog Nitro. The children were able to view many of the items used by the officer with his dog such as a harness, different types of leashes, a bullet proof vest, a collar and a muzzle. Officer Fisher and Nitro showed us how they work together and have fun together after the hard work is done. The officer took time to answer many of the student's questions.
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West Elementary School News
Mrs. O'Brien's Fifth Grade Class Teams Up with the Kindergarten
Literacy begins at an early age. To help our kindergarteners experience the fun of reading, Mrs. O'Brien's fifth grade students hosted Mrs. Walsh's class. Together they worked on reading passages together and answered questions around the text. The fifth graders modeled and guided their little buddies. The Kindergarteners beamed when they entered the room. They were very excited to be working with the fifth graders. They couldn't wait to see and share the day's activities with their buddies.
Mrs. O' Brien with her students
Mr. Morse and his students
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Indian Brook Elementary News
Read Across America Day at Indian Brook
On Friday, March 2nd the students of Indian Brook celebrated Dr. Suess's birthday. As the students got off of the buses they were greeted by the Cat in the Hat. Students were wearing black, white, and red to help celebrate the beloved author's birthday.
To begin the day students from Mrs. Canducci's, Mrs. Nadlers, and Mrs. Hogan's third grade classroom read a piece from Dr. Suess's book "Happy Birthday To You." The fun continued with students in many grade levels making their own hats and proudly wearing them throughout the school day.
As part of the celebration the older students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 were able to visit the younger classrooms and spend time reading with one another. Mrs. Nadler's third graders visited a first grade classroom and had a wonderful time reading to one another! Miss Fromm's Grade 2 class visited with Mrs. Frank's Grade 4 classroom. Mrs. Frank's class recited The Cat in the Hat by memory to the delight of the second graders. Miss Fromm's class shared their How-To stories and the whole group paired up to read some Dr. Suess classics with one another. Mrs. McGinnis's Grade 2 class had a visit from Mr. Laraia's Grade 4 students. Mrs. McGinnis remarked on what great readers her former students have become and she was amazed by their leadership qualities!
This day kicked off the start to a month long reading event. Students are encouraged to read, read, read all month long and participate in the Read Across the Brook read-a-thon.
 Mrs. McGinniss' class entered into a contest for artwork to be printed in the School Budget booklet that will be presented to Town Meeting. All of the students did a great job and created some real special artwork and Joshua Crosby had his work selected to be published in the Plymouth Public School Budget booklet. Joshua did a great job and we will be proud to see his work in print at Town Meeting.
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P.C.I.S. News
PCIS Students Celebrate Pi Day!
In an effort to help students visualize pi as an infinite number that never repeats, Mrs. Horwood's 8th grade Algebra and Pre-Algebra classes created a pi chain representing the first 10,260 digits of pi. Students had discussions about the use of pi and assembled and hung the chain which adorns most of Ranger House at PCIS. This 10,260 link chain was completed in one day. The idea behind the activity was to provide students with a tangible display of the complex irrational number in celebration of pi day on March 14th (3.14). Students worked with each other to create the chain and learned about the uses of pi in everyday mathematics.
Congratulations to PCIS 7th grader Sabrina Cruz Bianchi for being awarded Second Place for the Plymouth County in the nationwide 2012 Fire Safety Poster Contest! Sabrina, her family, Mrs. Rioux, school and fire officials are invited to attend the award luncheon being held on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel. At this luncheon, Sabrina will receive her awards and enjoy a festive and exciting afternoon.
Again, congratulations Sabrina and enjoy your day of recognition for your beautiful art work!
Rachel Ann Pereira and Emily Mae Whynott, PCIS Apollo House eighth grade students, were each honored with the prestigious JFK Make a Difference Award on March 15th at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston in recognition of their school service and their volunteer work in the community. Both girls are Falcon Pride officers who work tirelessly to achieve the club's goals of service and to embody PCIS's themes of Pride, Confidence, Integrity, and Spirit.
Rachel Pereira was nominated by Mr. Mark Kelleher who stated that "Rachel's accomplishments and demeanor stand out in a school of over 1,000 students; she truly is a shining light for our school." Rachel's many acts of service include her regular participation at a local soup kitchen on Saturdays. Rachel's current project is helping to organize a "gently-worn" clothing drive within PCIS.
Emily Whynott was nominated by Mrs. Judy Maccaferri who wrote that "Emily qualifies for this award because she uses her many talents to benefit PCIS and the greater Plymouth community." Emily is a gifted artist and uses her abilities to spearhead all of Falcon Pride's donation drives (ex. Thanksgiving baskets, Toys for Tots, Relay for Life) by making beautiful display signs or posters to encourage others to participate along with her. In addition, Emily is a team leader for Falcon News, an after-school media club, and she films many of PCIS's programs so others in the community can enjoy them as well.
"President Kennedy believed that every person can make a difference and each of us should try," said library director Tom Putnam. "These students are an inspiring example of JFK's timeless call to service."
Emily Whynott
Rachel Pereira
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Plymouth North High School News
The Plymouth North Junior Class hosted the annual Junior Prom Fashion/Comedy Show on Thursday evening, March 15th. Emcees were Frank Schulze and Owen Murphy. Junior Class Advisors Melanie Dolloff and Andy Dugan report that this year's show was an overwhelming success with over 200 people in attendance. 
Come see the Drama Club's Spring Play "Murder's in the Heir" Opening Friday, March 22nd. Shows are at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5.00 in advance at all lunches and $7.00 at the door. The girls Track Team won the Team Sportsmanship Award for the ACL this winter. Congratulations! North and South High School Winter Percussion, under the direction of Mr. Canzano from South, and the Winter Colorguard, under the direction of Mr. Maguire, both placed first in their divisions at the Somerset/Berkeley Percussion and Guard Show on Sunday afternoon. This is a great achievement for both of these performing ensembles which represent Plymouth High Schools. It is because of the hard work of these students and instructors! Click below for North in the News Plymouth South soccer players take their game to the next level! Good times ahead for Plymouth North girls' hoop! |
Plymouth South High School NewsLast year National Poetry Month was a huge success! During the month of April a poem will be read during the morning announcements. If you have any favorite poems you know your students would be able to identify, please submit them to the IMC. If you know of a student who would like to read a poem during the announcements, please let us know.
April 14th is National Poem in your pocket day. The idea is simple: select a poem you love, and then carry it with you to share with friends, teachers and family. Come to the IMC and check out our "Poem in Your Pocket" display.
The IMC will be selling T-shirts for National Poetry Month for $10.00. I hope the faculty will support us in this effort to have students become more aware of the beauty of poetry.
 On March 29th at 11:08 -12:30 Marketing Education Students grades 9-12 will be participating in a Google+ hang out with Daymond John from Shark Tank. Business and Marketing Students throughout the country will be participating at the same time. Classrooms are encouraged to open the chat room and ask questions about entrepreneurship and marketing during the live presentation.
The following students will be joining us for this very special event. Freshmen: Leanne Anderson, Hailee Clines, Leah Cummins, Ryan Dillan, tyler Glennon, Drew Guadagno, Shanlea Kernen, Samantha Marino, Chris McDonnell, Shawn Peckham, Emily Schlecht, Tyler Stasiowski, Kailee Taylor, Ryan Harty, Kaleigh Redington, James Reed and Alyssa Richard. Sophomores: Mercedes Anderson, Shannon Anzuoni, Nate Benjamin, Dan Broderick, Ashley Cesero, Celio DaSilva, Kristen Eckman, Steven Kennedy, Alex Krastanov, Sara Mahan, Brendan McGowan, Gregory O'Brien, Jesse Parks, Paige Rossi, Michael Schmidt, Amanda Ward. Juniors: Andrew Creed, Brent Eaton, Carley Fernandes, Michael Flohr, Rachel LaFountain, Brendan McDonnell, Devin Messenger, Daniel Riley, Max Stephens, Shelby Arnold, Katharine Buker, Haley Cannucci, Zachary Darsch, Nicole Dzengeleski, Jameson Giamo, Alexander Hunt, Daniel Johnson, Elsa McGilvray, Liam McKee, Kyle Nickerson and Sara Schlect. Seniors: Amy Drazek, Aydan Carver, Nicole Chandler, Brianna Corsini, Bryanna Diamond, Tim Grandy, Halie Grobleski, Jazz Hicks, Jon Jaros and Alex Josephson.
The Doodle Project
During Youth Arts Month, all of Ms. Quinn's art students engaged in a collaborative art project titled The Doodle Project. Using a heavy bond paper, Ultra-Fine Sharpie permanent markers and drawing for a period of five school days, the project culminated in a large doodle drawing measuring 6' x 14.5' in size. The doodle mural demonstrates many of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design learned by students in their first year of art class, which they will continue to build upon as they proceed to create art.
During the creation of the mural, Mr. Kulowiec documented the students as they worked, filming from the first pen lines to the completion of the project. The process of this work of art can be seen in the film, The Doodle Project, Ms. Quinn's Class, on the Plymouth South Home page and on Vimeo at http://tinyurl.com/pshsdoodle.
This mural was well received at the YAM Exhibit (Youth Arts Month) at Plymouth Center for the Arts along with its video documentation. It is presently exhibited on the Wall Gallery in the Plymouth South High School Main Lobby.
The Sharpie company is aware of our student's work and has made an offer to purchase the Doodle Project mural in exchange for Sharpie pens...we are in negotiations! Please stop by and experience viewing the Doodle Project and to check out more information regarding the process of doodling.... Everyone Doodles!
Plymouth South High School Spring Band/Chorus Concert - At Plymouth South High School - Tuesday, March 27th at 7:00 PM.
The following students and staff members at Plymouth South High School were treated to an Ice Cream Social last Friday for receiving a "Random Act of Kindness" award for the first semester. It is nice to see so many students and staff doing nice things for others:
Adriana Alvarez, Alexander Amat, Emma Andrews, Zachary Arnold, Olivia Ayre, Matthew Balboni, Rachel Baldrate, Alana Barnes, Jacqueline Benotti, Kelsey Bernard, Emily Besegai, Jessica Blakeman, Haley Blasser, John Blegan, Jesse Boncek, Richard Brennan, Austin Buckley, AJ Butters, William Callahan, Haley Cannucci, Sam Cheung, Katherine Cicchetti, Dylan Close, Chelsea Cohen, Melissa Connolly, Samuel Cook, Gregory Costello, Jordan Coulstring, Melissa Coulstring, Barry Dargie, Pia DiFrancesco, Charles Delisle, Julia Delisle, Helsom Dias, Amanda Dinger, Kara Doherty, Amber Donnell, Madisyn Doonan, Theresa Dorr, Amy Drazek, Nicole Dzengeleski8, Kenny Fantasia, Adam Ferguson, Emaleigh Ferguson, Brendan Flattery, Meredith Flynn, Mackenzie Fogarty, Mark Fornaciari, Amanda Fragata, Taylor Francis, Austin Freeman, Christian Fusco, Brianna Gallagher, Maxwell Gay, Michael George, Ashley Glennan, Peter Gomes, Christen Gorman, Debra Greene, Gabriel Gunning, Brandon Hagan, Dillon Halpin, Ryan Hanley, Bridget Harrington, Diane Hartley, Brittany Healey, David Hiltz, Samantha James, Jonathan Jaros, Timothy Jennings, Gregory Kulowiec, Jason Lamb, Adam Lambert, Danielle Landquist, Eric Lee, Matthew Lima, Christopher Lizotte, Christine Lopes, Alyssa Lutz, Nicholas Lydon, Joseph MacEachern, Amy Maurice, Jacob Mazzilli, Joshua McCassie, Tracy McCormack, Jamie McLaren, Seth McNicholas, Colleen Mersereau, Michael Metz, Desiree Mollica, Liz Mollo-Christensen, Michael Morris, Tyler Murphy, Shannon Murphy, Mackenzie Murray, Mikayla Murren, Bob North, Ashley O'Rourke, Samantha Ottino, Meg Pare, Marissa Persichini, Paige Peterson, Zachary Peterson, Sebastian Pina, Miranda Pizzi, James Pravati, Erica Randall, Scott Rapose, Joshua Raymond, Brittany Reed, Nick Romanovicz, Paige Rosse, Patrick Roy, Alexandra Rusconi, Xavier Santiago, Paul Schaller, Salvatore Sciascia, Joseph Shaw, Thomas Slayter, Ryan Small, Jacob Smith (Gr. 10), Jacob Smith (Gr. 12), Elizabeth Smithers, Joshua Snell, Gregory Sorensen, Kristen Starr, Dakota Stockell, Roberta Sullivan, Madison Teets, Dustin Thomas, Nathaniel Thompson, Jeffrey Tocco, Eli Travers, Matthew Travis, Madison Utz, Victoria Vento, Alec Vozzella, Lauren Washburn, Morgan Wentzell, Tyler Wheeler, Tiara Willis, Michael Winterson, Ann Wolf and Hannah Zion.
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Unified Arts News
YAMYAMYAM
YOUTH ARTS MONTH
IN
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Unified Arts Department would like to thank the United States Air Force Band of Liberty for a most spectacular concert last Friday evening at Plymouth North. It was a great night of All American Jazz and Big band music. The audience loved it! We hope to do it again!
Be sure to visit The Plymouth Center for the Arts on North St. for the last few days of Plymouth Public Schools Youth Arts Month Exhibit where you can see over 500 pieces of art from students in all grades and schools. The Center is open until 6:00pm tonight and continues throughout the weekend.
Tuesday, March 27th is Plymouth South High School's Spring Band and Choral Concert at 7:00pm at PSHS. We hope to see you there!
Friday, March 30th is Opening Night at North High School for PCIS's Musical Guys & Dolls jr. You may purchase tickets through PCIS's Main Office.
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Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools
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