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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, May 7, 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:
"We all have ability, the difference is how we use it."
-Stevie Wonder
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Women in the Know Event
WOMEN IN THE KNOW: Breast Health and Living Well
Saturday, May 12th from 8 am-12 pm
The Jordan Hospital Breast Center will host an educational symposium on women's breast health and living well on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at The Riverside, 58 East Grove Street, Middleboro, Mass. Mothers, daughters, sisters and their friends are invited to attend the "Women in the Know" event. Participants will learn about new advances in breast cancer screening and early detection, steps to increase breast health while reducing one's risk of breast cancer, genetics, and the important role of living a healthy lifestyle.
Speakers include specialists from Jordan Hospital's Cancer Center: Executive Director and Surgeon Marvin Lopez, MD; Breast Center Radiologist Joshua Stuhlfaut, MD; Medical Oncologist Debra White, MD: Radiation Oncologist Brigid O'Connor, MD; and Breast Center Medical Director and Surgeon Lisa Tito, MD. The program include a discussion on genetics by Tufts Medical Center genetic counselor Jaclyn Douyard, CGC.
The conference is free for all women in the community and takes place from 8 am-12 pm. To register or learn more about the Women in the Know Breast Health symposium, call Jordan Hospital Breast Center Nurse Navigator Cat Melendy, RN, OCN, at (508) 732-8770.
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District news and information for all k-12 teachers, administrators, and parents from the Elementary Library Media Specialists.
Have you visited these two information-rich sites? Annenberg Media Learner.Org
Videos, interactives, workshops, and distance learning are all available on this site. Need materials for your lessons? This is the place. Arts, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts are all represented. Browse by grade to find awesome classroom and lesson ideas. ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development)
ASCD is where the information is for supervision and curriculum. This association is one of the leading groups in the field of education, supervision, and curriculum. Offering conferences and up-to-date periodicals, ASCD also provides ongoing research for the improvement of our schools. Read sample articles based in your field under recent and past publications.
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Indian Brook Elementary News
After reading the story "A Curve in the River" by Ann Cameron the students in Mrs. McGinnis' class collaborated with Mrs. McKenna's class on a project. The project was found on Pinterest. They wrote letters to an imaginary person and hoped their letters would reach far off lands. Each student made a bottle filled with sand, glitter, sea glass, and shells. Letters were gently rolled and tucked into each plastic bottle. The classes met to exchange bottles. It was fun to see each child's smiling face as they read their new letter. Check out the video to see the whole project.
Fourth Grade Canal Field Trip
Indian Brook's fourth grade was fortunate to be the first student group to visit the US Army Corps of Engineers' newly opened Visitors Center located on the Cape Cod Canal. Although the weather was less than ideal with the first day rain-soaked and the second day windswept, students, teachers and parents had a wonderful time. Students explored the rich history of the Canal and learned about the vigilant operation of the Cape Cod Canal by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The trip included a scavenger hunt aboard a retired 41-foot patrol boat, real -time radar and camera images of the waterway, as well as other interactive exhibits and games. We Can Make the World a Whole Lot Brighter
The Kindergarten classes at Indian Brook celebrated Earth Day and Arbor Day last week with a performance that included songs reminding the audience that we can all make a difference in caring for Mother Earth. They presented the cycles of life: the water cycle, the butterfly life cycle and recycling.
The show ended with the students presenting funds to the Plymouth Garden Club that they had raised by collecting recyclable bottles and cans. Colletta Candini, president of the Plymouth Garden Club, applauded the Kindergarteners' efforts and thanked them for their donation. She even invited the kids to join the Garden Club when they will be planting the greenery purchased with the $124 raised by the students!
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Federal Furnace Elementary News
FFES Health Fair
by Emmie & Julie
Friday the thirteenth is usually an eerie day, but not for the students at FFES. The annual health fair was held on this day and everyone had a wonderful time. Students participated in a variety of health-related activities and lessons, such as learning important emergency skills from the Plymouth firefighters, participating in a yoga lesson, and dancing during a fantastic 'Rock UR Body' class led by an FFES parent, Karen Rich.
Students learned ways to protect their skin from the sun as well as how to stay safe on bicycles from Serious Cycles' Seth Lawrence. The day ended with a fabulous presentation by life coach for kids, Brett "Ooch" Outchcunis, in the gymnasium about how to stand up to bullies. He taught the students how to have superpowers and earned lots of laughs by instructing everyone how to "OOOOOOOOOCH!" The 2012 health fair was a day to remember.
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South Elementary School News
Celebrating Life Cycles What would spring be without butterflies, chicks and seedlings? The life cycles of plants and animals are on the agenda for many South Elementary students. First grade teachers Mrs. Betsy Hoagland, Mrs. Nancy MacCune, and Ms. Debra Carter, for example, have developed integrated thematic units that bring learning to life. Chicken eggs are incubating as the children learn about the life cycles of birds. "Students take turns rolling the eggs, like a mother hen," Mrs. Hoagland says. "They will also help with the care and feeding of the chicks after they hatch." Painted lady butterfly caterpillars are growing in butterfly houses as students observe daily changes. Children are also trying out their green thumbs as they plant and care for seeds. The main goal of the projects, says Mrs. Hoagland, is for students to truly observe, "the way real scientists do." Down the hall, kindergarteners in Ms. Erin Shirley and Mrs. Rebecca Costa's classes are also observing painted lady butterfly caterpillars, recording information each day and creating a timeline with pictures and descriptions. Nonfiction books about butterflies are also part of the program, with author and photographer Nic Bishop as a class favorite.
Ms. Shirley notes that the observation directly relates to the science frameworks: recognize that plants and animals have life cycles, and that life cycles vary for different living things.
"They love it!" she says of the project. "They love to be scientists while they observe, record, and read more about the life cycle."
Once the caterpillars emerge from the pupa, students will have a special butterfly release.
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West Elementary School News
The Westie Awards Reach an all time high!
West Elementary hosted their Westie awards for the month of April on Friday, April 27th. This month the school set a record of 70 students receiving an award! During the awards ceremony, the whole school comes together in the gym to honor the winners each month. The winners of the Westie awards are nominated by adults in the school who want to recognize students' positive behaviors. At the awards ceremony, students are recognized by their peers as they walk the red carpet and receive a certificate. Congratulations to all of this month's winners!
 Mr. Young and Mrs. Learning host the event.
 Great job Mrs. Walsh's class!
 Looking good third grade winners!
 The Fourth Grade Winners!
Biography Celebration
In Mrs. Learning's class, students had to research and read biographies about famous people in history. Topics ranged from celebrities to sports heroes to members of government and royalty. To celebrate and culminate their research projects, parents were invited into West Elementary School to walk the avenue of famous people in history. Students, using special posters, played the role of their biography and spoke to the visitors as if he or she was that character. The students really knew their stuff. It was a fun filled event and the students did an excellent job!
 Ashlan as Jane Goodall
 Henry Ford
 The girls show off their stuff!
 What a great variety of famous people!
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PSMS News
Tsongas Industrial History Center The 7th grade 2nd floor team visited the Tsongas Industrial History Center at the Lowell National Historical Park. Students explored the history of the Industrial Revolution via hands-on activities simulating factory worker jobs and designing inventions for transporting goods. The park contains historic cotton mills, canals, gatehouses, and worker housing of the period. The experience gave students insight into the impacts of industrialization and the importance of proximity to water as a power source for the mills.      7th Grade Students Skype with Author As part of their Africa unit of study, Mr. Murphy's classes have read "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park. Ms. Park is a Newbury Award-Winning author and has published many books. The story follows the life of Salva, a "Lost Boy of Sudan". Along the way, the story vividly describes the physical and political geography of East Africa. The story highlights the importance of water and its value as a resource. The students created picture books to visualize and synthesize the content. After the story and picture books were completed, the students participated in a Skype session with the author, Linda Sue Park. The Skype session took place in the PSMS lecture hall and was attended by 40 PCIS students as well (who also read the story). Ms. Park shared a bit about her culture, personal life and her experiences as an author. Later on, the students had the opportunity to ask Ms. Park questions that ranged from, "How did you decide to write "A Long Walk to Water"", to how she "ended up finding an interest in writing" to "what genre of books are her favorite to read"? The day was considered a big success by the students, teachers and support staff. Although Ms. Park is used to presenting to students and schools she commented that she was "a bit surprised at the size of the audience" as she had "never presented to such a large audience before using Skype". The 7th grade students are planning a fundraising activity to raise money to help drill a well in South Sudan to provide those in need with clean drinking water.    
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Plymouth North High School News
Girls Track and Field CONGRATULATIONS!
Results from The Division 3 State Relays on Sunday: Every girl that ran is an underclassman!
4 x 100 Relay: Finished 7th- New School Record with a time of 52.89 and qualified for division 3 state meet. Chelsea Willis, Micaela Fracallossi, Caroline Sheehan, Claire O'Donnell
Sprint Medley: Medaled in 3rd place and got the Emerging Elite standard for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals held in North Carolina this June. Time was 4:25.
Nicole Borofski- 800 leg, Jessica Gordon - 200 leg, Micaela Fracallossi- 200 leg, Claire O'Donnell- 400 leg
Distance Medley: Medaled in fourth place. 13:29, Sophie Gorton - 1200 M, Jessica Gordon- 400 M, Allison Gordon- 800 M, Nicole Borofski- 1 Mile
Art All State
Congratulations to Trudy Bryant on her acceptance to the 2012 Art All State which will take place on June 1st and 2nd at the Worcester Art Museum. The Art All State application process is rigorous, requiring students to prepare a written application, several pieces of artwork and attend a personal interview. Trudy was among 240 state wide applicants competing for 140 available positions. Congratulations again to Trudy Bryant's significant achievement!
Trudy Bryant's artwork
CLASS OF 2013 - BOOK AWARDS
Each year, a small group of select colleges participate in the Book Award Program. These colleges recognize students who best display outstanding academic promise, exceptional leadership, high character and significant contributions to the school and/or community.
The following students earned Book Awards:
Brown University Book Award Brandon Ferrell
Dartmouth University Book Award Katrina Borofski
Harvard University Book Award
Anna Colbert
Regis College Book Award Adam Chapman
Rensselaer Polytechnic Medal Award
Derek Salvucci
Saint Michael's College Book Award
Jessica Robidoux
Saint Michael's College Book Award
Francis Schulze
Smith College Book Award Jessica Morgan
Wellesley College Book Award Hannah Cole
Book Award Recipients
Book Award Recipients and their administrators
 Book Award Recipients and their parents
Announcements
Massachusetts Boys' and Girls' State will be held in June. This is a week-long model state government. Boys and girls from all over the state will participate in an outstanding program of events. Any junior boy or girl interested in attending Boys State or Girls State, please see Mrs. Scanlon in Guidance.
Junior Prom tickets will be on sale before and after school in room 207 through Tuesday, May 8th. Checks should be made payable to PNHS-SAF in the amount of $80.
Mr. PNHS - May 10th - Come and see who will be crowned Mr. PNHS 2012, Thursday, May 10 at 7:00. Tickets are $10.00, which includes admission, a free drink, a free snack, and a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
The Plymouth County BWA Dollars for Scholars Program announces the Brittany Allsopp Memorial Scholarship, $2,000, for 1 student from PSHS and 1 from PNHS; preferably for students pursuing college degree in art, music, graphic design, theatre; application deadline May 14, 2012. See Mrs. Flanagan in guidance for application information (personal letter, resume, and essay required).
North in the News
BOYS TENNIS: Volleying closer to the playoffs
GIRLS TENNIS: North, South face half-season incline
Plymouth North girls lacrosse speeds by Plymouth South
Plymouth North boys lacrosse gets back to winning ways
Plymouth North baseball preps for big tests
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Plymouth South High School NewsJennifer Forsberg
Plymouth South has been taking photos of Seniors with the logo of the college they are attending this fall and posting on the TV cams throughout the school. In the photo above is a picture of Jennifer Forsberg looking at her photo showing she will attend Plymouth State University this fall. Jennifer is excited to be spending the 1st semester at the University of Limerick in Dublin, Ireland.
Casey Senechal
Senior Casey Senechal has been awarded the 2012 Manomet Mystery Riders College Scholarship. The committee was very impressed with her written statement and positive attitude regarding the financial burden that a college education can put on a family. They also appreciated her enthusiasm for the field of neuroscience. Casey and her family were invited to a meeting on May 2nd to share pizza and soda in celebration.
16,000 marketing students attended the International Marketing Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah from April 27th- May 3rd. Nineteen students from Plymouth South Marketing competed and seventeen received certificates of excellence in their area. Jameson Giamo was a finalist in the area of Professional Sales Presentation. Nicole Chandler and Alex Josephson received medals for placing top 10 in for their presentation of unique operations of a school based enterprise. They competed against 155 other school stores from across the country. Aydan Carver received a gold medal for testing in the area of professional sales presentation.
EDUCATORS ATTEND NEASC SELF-STUDY SEMINAR - Patty Fry, Principal of PSHS; Elizabeth Bettencourt, English Department Head, and Matt Carpenito, Foreign Language Department Head recently attended a Self-Study Seminar on May 2, 2012 at Hopedale High School. Sponsored by the Committee on Public Secondary Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Self-Study Seminar is designed to orient principals and steering committee members of schools scheduled for evaluation in 2014 about the evaluation process and the critical components of the Standards for Accreditation.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, founded in 1885, is the oldest accrediting agency in the country and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable agency to award accreditation to New England schools. The Association is a voluntary accrediting agency of nearly 2,000 public and independent schools, colleges and universities, and vocational, technical and career institutions. Of these, approximately 650 middle-high schools, k-12, and high schools have been accredited through the Association's Committee on Public Secondary Schools.
SENIOR ART EXHIBIT
Please join us in celebrating our Senior Art Students in the PLYMOUTH SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL FIFTH ANNUAL SENIOR ART EXHIBIT. It will be held May 10th, 2012 from 7 - 9 PM at Plymouth South High School. There will be art to enjoy, recognitions and refreshments. We welcome family and friends to help us honor our many talented artists of PSHS.
Three Plymouth South High School Graphic Design and Visual Communication students, Travis Lovell, Alex Swiniarski, and Kyle Richard and three Print Making students, Maureen Riordan, Emily Okraska and Tyler Scagliarini have won awards at Congressman Bill Keating's 2012 Congressional Art Competition. They will each receive a citation honoring their accomplishment during The Congressional Art Competition Reception and their artwork will be on display at the Art Complex Museum, 189 Alden Street in Duxbury through Sunday, May 6th from 6-8 PM.
Ann Wolf - Excellence in Teaching Award
PSHS Chemistry Instructor Ann Wolf has been awarded the T.W. Richards Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society. Ms. Wolf will be honored at their Annual Education Award Night on Thursday, May 10th at Tufts University. Some of her nominators wrote the following comments: "She is a challenging, knowledgeable teacher with expectations of excellence and she imparts a strong work ethic to every one of her students. She is a dedicated chemistry instructor who works tirelessly to improve classroom instruction and the performance of her students with enthusiasm that will continue to spark interest in chemistry for all".
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Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools
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