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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 19th, 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:
"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."
-W.T. Purkiser
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News from the Visual and Performing Arts Department
November 16, 2012
The first VPA Coffee House held at Kendall Hall in Plymouth, November 10, 2012 was a great success.
Save the Date! The remaining two VPA Coffee Houses for the 2012-2013 year will be held:
Friday, February 1, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
 
Middle School Band Night was held on Friday November 9, 2012. Middle School band students were invited to attend the South High football game to get a closer look at what the high school Marching Band does during a Friday night game and to play with the band during pregame ceremonies.
On Sunday November 11, 2012 the Plymouth High School Marching Band played in the Plymouth Veteran's Day Parade.
The VPA Departments is now on Facebook and Twitter. Keep up to date with all VPA events and news. Follow us on Facebook at PPS Presents and on Twitter @PPS_Presents.
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District news and information for all k-12 teachers, administrators, and parents from the Elementary Library Media Specialists.
Are your students asking for more graphic novels? As digital natives, today's students are asking for more visually oriented materials. Digital storytelling programs such as Comicmaster that allow students to create graphic novels draw on many critical thinking skills while combining print and non-print means of communication. These Programs are becoming increasingly popular to satisfy the need/assessment for this type of learning experience.
Comicmaster is a free, easy to use tool for creating short graphic novels. While the backgrounds and characters are somewhat limited, it's possible to make and print comics at this site without creating an account. The site also has an educational resources page with lesson plans and ideas for using comics in the classroom.
For more information take a look at Comicmaster at:
http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/
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Guidance Department News
Guidance Announcement:
College Financing Seminar
Thursday, December 6 from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Plymouth SOUTH High School Cafetorium (Please be aware that this event has been re-scheduled and will no longer be held on November 13)
Parents and guardians of all college-bound seniors (from both of our high schools) are invited 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.
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Indian Brook Elementary News
We Can Measure!
Mrs. Canducci's thrid grade class just completed their measuring projects inspired by Loreen Leedy's book "Measuring Penny". The class did a terrific job on their projects, measuring many aspects of subjects as diverse as siblings, parents, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, neighbors, Sponge Bob, a horse, milk, and even a water bottle.
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Manomet Elementary School News
Manomet School was excited to host its 3rd Annual Wellness Fair this week. Throughout the afternoon on Wednesday, students in all grade levels had the opportunity to rotate through a series of 15 minute presentations designed to promote health awareness and general wellness. We were fortunate to have presenters join us from throughout our community and beyond.
Students had the chance to hear from representatives from the Plymouth Police Department, Plymouth Fire Department, and Plymouth Harbor Patrol. Several parents who are health care providers also shared information on a range of important topics. Also a hit was when students were called to get up and move at the Zumba, Yoga, and Karate stations. Valuable lessons were learned, and we thank all those who were able to volunteer their time to be with us for this special event.
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South Elementary School NewsTurkey Trot Food Drive to Benefit Local Food Bank Physical Education Teachers Mr. Chad Jordan and Mr. Jeffrey Powers held the annual Turkey Trot to collect non-perishable food for the food pantry at Christ Church Parish in Plymouth. Students in grades 1-4 got moving as they jogged or walked around the field in front of the school for a 20-minute period and recorded the number of laps to determine the number of non-perishable food items to be donated by their sponsors. "Each year, students get very excited about this program," says Mr. Jordan. "For every lap they complete, they bring in one can of food to be donated to those who are less fortunate. Sponsors who support the cause are often parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors." This year, students collected nearly 50 cases of food to help stock the food pantry.  
Governmental Gurus Second graders in Mrs. Nancy Godfrey's class have been busy learning all about the government, including the U.S. Constitution; how government works; the three branches of government; and elections. "We also learned all about our country's capital, Washington D.C., the Capitol Building, the monuments, and the White House," Mrs. Godfrey notes. The book "House Mouse, Senate Mouse" taught the children about the Senate and the House of Representatives, and reading material also focused on the president and his job, and interesting facts about former presidents. "The Lady Bug Story" - a true story about a second grade class that went through the process of passing a new state law in Massachusetts to make the lady bug the official state bug - shared ways that children can take part in government. Technology took a front seat as students used the BrainPOP, Jr. educational website, where Moby taught about various aspects of the government. During computer lab, the class read Arthur Meets the President, by Marc Brown. "We had quite a learning adventure as we visited many landmarks in Washington, D.C., right from our computers using Google Maps," says Mrs. Godfrey. "Students learned to zoom in, change the type of map, and even took the Google Maps guide "Pegman" into our location to get close-up views of the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol Building, and the National Museum of Natural History." A highlight, she says, was when they virtually visited the White House and got to see inside rooms that are featured on the public tours. As Election Day approached, the class created and held an election. They decided on three favorites to place on the ballot: favorite lunch, favorite specialist, and favorite ice cream flavor. After voting and tallying the results, the winners were pizza, gym, and vanilla ice cream.
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PCIS News
The Geo Fair at Bridgewater State College
The regional Geography Fair was held last Saturday at Bridgewater State College. Several students were chosen from PCIS to be representatives. Congratulations to those students who were chosen to attend!
Monty Gray with his project on Global Interdependence
Piper O'Brien and Alex Coffins with their project on the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest
Brock Mento and Kyle McCormack with their project on the International Space Station
"Recycle Summer Reading"
At PCIS to support the district-wide summer reading program, we decided to invite students to "recycle" their summer reading choices. For each book brought in, students received a chance to win an Amazon gift cards from the Literacy Support Team purchased with funds generously donated by the PTA. Students are able to borrow or exchange books from the shelves at any time throughout the school year and share what others have read!
Literacy Support Communications
At PCIS the Literacy Support Team has created a new way of communicating with the staff through Literacy Communication Walls. Each house has a spot where staff can check in to see what is new in the world of literacy. So far we have had trivia posted where a lucky staff member from each house has won a new flash drive as well information regarding our Celebrate Literacy Week at the end of October.
Cross Country Fall 2012 Season Summary Although Hurricane Sandy cut this year's season short, the boys and girls Cross Country teams were incredibly successful, both ending the season with a record of 5-0. The teams ran primarily against Cape Cod schools including Riverview, Mashpee, Old Rochester Regional, and finally Plymouth South. Many of our eighth graders have run on the team for all three years of middle school! The girls team completely dominated other teams, typically shutting out other runners completely with many low scores of '15'; the consistent leaders were Leanne Galanek and Kate Fisher followed by several other teammates including Elizabeth Marshall, Morgan McPherson and Samantha Curtain. After this season, the girls record stands at an impressive 39-1 for the last five years. The boys team did meet more competitive runners, but in all, consistently won with a solid pack of runners following their leaders, Dave Menonna, Nathan Schneider and John High. After this season, the boys record goes to 36-4 for the last five years.  Ayva Enos running
Boys at Riverview Finish 
start starting line vs. Mashpee 
PCIS Athletics The PCIS Boy's Soccer team is having a phenomenal year. Our current record is 6 wins to 1 loss. The goals for the team are to be safe, develop as soccer players and team members, and most importantly to have fun. We have a great team of guys that have come a long way in a short time. The key to our success has been working as a team. For the first time ever, the girl's soccer team has players from grade six to eight competing together. Although there is a pretty big age difference, the team bonded quickly. The girl's team is off to an excellent start. They are currently undefeated with a record of 7-0. PCIS is proud of how they are working together as a team. The Field Hockey team is having a great season this year. Our record is currently 2-4-1, and our team has made vast improvements each game. We have 36 players on our roster. Key impact players include our goalie, Emma Collins, and playmakers Sophia Cotone, Haley Robertson, Isabella Balboni, Madison Crowley, and Lilly Backlund. Strong defensive players and an eager group of 6th grades compliment these ladies to make up a successful unit. The Lady Falcons hope to improve the team record with a win in an upcoming game against Mashpee.  The PCIS Girls and Boys Cross Country teams are having a great year. Over 90 students are participating in practices and competitions. The team has started off with a perfect 4 and 0 record and has a number of students who are exhibiting great skills on the cross-country course. Science On Wheels Comes to PCIS: On Friday October 12th and Monday October 15th, The Mobile Discovery Center, sponsored by the National Science Center and the U. S. Army, visited PCIS where 6th, 7th and 8th graders were engaged in activities covering topics such as Light and Vision, Sound, and Electricity and Magnetism. Students participated in demonstrations involving Van De Graff generators where students' hair literally stood up, the plasma ball, and Tesla coils. Frequency, sound and resonance were also covered when students witnessed first hand the bending and breaking of glass using the Acoustic Glass Breaker. Feedback from the students was exciting and enthusiastic! Some favorite comments were: "I had a shocking time!", "My favorite time was when my classmate went and touched the ball and their hair flew up!", "I learned so much about electricity today!" and "This was awesome! I am so glad I got to participate!" 
Falcon Pride - Bus Driver Appreciation On Wednesday, PCIS Falcon Pride group held their annual Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Twenty PCIS students arrived early to school to prepare coffee and a "goodie bag" for all our bus drivers. As drivers pulled into the school they were greeted by a cheerful group of students who offered them a hot cup of coffee and some breakfast snacks to go. This group works to create a strong sense of Pride and Community here at PCIS. 
PCIS Hat Day for a Good Cause PCIS students paid a dollar to wear their favorite hat. Students wore funny hats, winter hats, sports hats and even straw hats this Wednesday. The money collected will go towards providing PCIS families in need with Thanksgiving baskets. Each year students, staff and the community collect food to be delivered to the houses of PCIS families in need. The baskets are full with a turkey and all the fixings, as well as other many other non-perishables items. It is nice to see the school community support such a great cause. 
Ranger Ambassador Program Kickoff The Ranger House Ambassadors recently held their annual kickoff meeting. 25 sixth grade students from Ranger House met with Guidance Counselor Ms. Morrison in the Little Theater for the event. Students shared their reasons for wanting to be an Ambassador. The group agreed that the main reason they wanted to be Ambassadors was to help others. This is very much in line with our PCIS motto of "do the right thing". Ms. Morrison shared with the students the history of the Ambassadors program, which began in Mercury House almost a decade ago. The program was created by late Mercury House Guidance Counselor Courtney Greene. At that time, Mr. Palladino was the Mercury Housemaster. He truly appreciated what the Ambassador program did to improve the climate in Mercury, and he was instrumental in making the Ambassadors a building wide program when he became principal of PCIS. We are proud to support Mrs. Greene's legacy and do the right thing by making PCIS a great place to be for all students and staff. Our first project stemmed from a letter we received from Mrs. Madden requesting our help in promoting the use of our Info Box and the electronic Info Box. These are two tools for students to provide information to administrators, counselors or our school resource officer in an anonymous manner. The enthusiastic group of Ranger Ambassadors immediately got to work and created an amazing banner encouraging students to use the info box. They also emphasized the difference between tattling and reporting and the need for PCIS to be a safe place for all. Please visit the hallway outside of Ranger House and check out the awesome work of the Ranger Ambassadors! Falcon Pride PCIS's 2012-2013 eighth grade Falcon Pride Club is off and running with a full slate of projects and great ideas for the current school year. The first term's activities include hosting Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Wednesday, October 24th, and co-sponsoring the 7th and 8th grade October Costume Ball on Friday, October 26th, with the PCIS Athletic Department. November will bring back PCIS's second very competitive Penny Wars which is the club's chief fundraiser for the year as well as PCIS's annual Thanksgiving Baskets Food Drive. Under the guidance of advisors Mrs. Joanne Keizer, Mr. Mark Kelleher, Mrs. Judy Maccaferri, Mrs. Kim Sims, and Mr. Shane Stande, this year promises to be full of many service learning activities as well as new friendships and just plain old fun! Teacher Self Care at PCIS Teaching middle school aged children is a very demanding profession and can wear you down both physically and emotionally. For the past year and a half, PCIS has been concentrating on being a trauma-sensitive school. Part of this initiative focuses on keeping the mind, body, and spirit healthy. To help accomplish this amongst our staff, PCIS held a teacher self-care program after school on November 14th. Teachers were given a selection of activities to choose from. The choices were Zumba with an instructor from Shakin-n-Groovin Studios, located in the Independence Mall, boot camp with personal trainer Seto Berry, yoga, biking, meditation, walking, running, tennis, indoor soccer at the Jungle Plex, and Zen creative art. Teachers really enjoyed these activities and the afternoon as a whole.  The runners
 The walkers
 The tennis players Some quotes from the afternoon included:
"It was an amazing afternoon, not only for me, but for all." "The comments and energy I encountered leaving the building were nothing but positive!" "Everyone's question is when do we get to do this again?" "I feel more energized because of yesterday." "The wellness meeting was a great idea! I'm hearing lots of positive feedback." Turkey Trot PCIS held it's 31st annual Turkey Trot. This event has been a yearly Thanksgiving tradition at PCIS. Both students and staff ran the one-mile course after school on Thursday, November 15th. This year the turkeys that were presented to winners were donated to families in need, along with baskets of food donated by the students, staff, and community. Thank you to all who donated and participated. Additionally, donations for the Thanksgiving baskets will be collected until Monday, November 19th. 
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Plymouth South Middle School News
Geography Fair Winners
Congratulations to the following students for their award-winning projects at last Saturday's Regional Geography Fair at Bridgewater State University. The fair is coordinated through the Bridgewater State University Geography Department and
the Southeastern Massachusetts Geographic Network.
"Best Use of Theme" - 2012 Summer Olympics - Meghan Gallerani, Jessica Holland, Kelsey Green
"Most Creative Topic" - McDonald's - Michelle Sylvestre, Megan Trombly, Miranda Murphy
"Best Oral Presentation" - Wrigley's Gum - Stephanie Morrow, Kaylee O'Connell, Melissa McCarthy
Congratulations to all of the participants for a job well done!
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Kick-Off at PSMS
On Wednesday, the PSMS library welcomed Plymouth public librarian Jennifer Jones to help kick off the 2012-2013 MA Children's Book Awards. This annual program is organized by Salem State University to promote reading in grades four through six. Each year twenty-five books are chosen as awards finalists, and students who read a certain number of these titles are eligible to vote for their favorite. In the spring when the winner is announced, our library holds a celebration for participating students. Ms. Jones hooked students in with intriguing descriptions of each book, as well as provided information about children and tween programing at the public library. The event was organized by PSMS librarian Alexandra Grundt.
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Plymouth North High School News
Channel 5 WCVB News Good Morning Shoutout
Follow this link to see PNHS band members and PNN perform their own version of the Wake Up Shout Out on the Eyeopener.
Click here!
Meet the Coaches Night - Winter Sports
PNHS will hold the "Meet the Coaches" night on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 in the auditorium. All paperwork for winter sports should be turned in at the event. This is a great opportunity for parents/guardians and athletes to meet the coaches and receive updates on athletic policies. All winter sports start on Monday, November 26, 2012.
Powder Puff
The annual Powder Puff game was rescheduled due to inclement weather and field conditions. The game is now scheduled at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at Plymouth South.
THANKSGIVING DAY TICKETS
On Sale at PNHS and PSHS at all lunches
Friday, Monday and Tuesday
Nov. 16th, 19th & 20th
Main Office
8:00-11:00AM
ADVANCE TICKET PRICE $5.00
TICKETS ON GAME DAY A
RE $8.00
SOLD IN THE MAIN OFFICE AT BOTH SCHOOLS FRIDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY
NOV. 16th, 19th, and 20th from 8:00 - 2:00 and WEDNESDAY, NOV 21st FROM 8:00-11:00AM
OAK ST. SCHOOL FROM 8:00 - 3:00 FRIDAY, MONDAY & TUESDAY
NOV. 16th, 20th & 21st AND ON WEDNESDAY NOV. 2nd UNTIL 11:00AM
Due to seating capacity, ongoing construction of the athletic complex and the Council on Aging, as well as the safety and security of those in attendance, and fire regulations: event capacity will be limited to 2,500 guests.
Field Trip
Mrs. Harkins and her students traveled to Boston
Mass Art for a field trip on Tuesday. While there students were given the opportunity to compare and contrast their own artistic expression with that of peers slightly older than themselves from multiple other schools, analyzing effective modes of communication, reception and creativity. Students considered how artists think, how they communicate, how they gain knowledge and how they may apply that to their own lives.
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Plymouth South High School NewsTHANKSGIVING DAY TICKETS ADVANCE TICKET PRICE $5.00 ON SALE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: PLYMOUTH NORTH & PLYMOUTH SOUTH DURING ALL LUNCHES FRIDAY, MONDAY & TUESDAY NOV. 16, 19,and 20. IN THE MAIN OFFICE AT BOTH SCHOOLS FRIDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY NOV. 16, 19, and 20 8:00 - 2:00 and WEDNESDAY NOV 21 FROM 8:00-11:00AM OAK ST. SCHOOL FROM 8:00 - 3:00 FRIDAY, MONDAY & TUESDAY NOV. 16, 20 & 21 AND ON WEDNESDAY NOV. 22 UNTIL 11:00AM TICKETS ON GAME DAY ARE $8.00 Due to seating capacity, ongoing construction of the athletic complex and the Council on Aging, as well as the safety and security of those in attendance, and fire regulations: event capacity will be limited to 2,500 guests.  L-R Football Captains: Connor Rossi, Dillan Halpin, Former Patriot: Andre Tippett, Coach Scott Fry, Derek Anderson and Jason Lamb   It was an exciting weekend for the PSHS football team. We were playing for the league title on Friday night. We won for the first time in school history in exciting fashion 13-12 in the last seconds of the night....the team did an amazing job! Due to the exciting finish we have received a great deal of attention....ESPN and others have picked up the story. We learned on Sunday that the New England Patriots have named Scott Fry coach of the week.... they will also be donating $1,000.00 to the football team in Scott's name. Former Patriot Andre Tippett will be presenting the award to Coach Fry and the team at 11:30 am on Tuesday, Nov. 13th in our gym. We will also be featured on the WBZ Patriots all access show on Friday night at 7:00 PM. However, the best part of the weekend was watching over 80 of our athletes and coaches (football, tennis, wrestlers, hockey players, field hockey) rake leaves for the elderly in 3 different mobile parks in town on Sunday morning...  The girls volleyball team members in the photo above wore pink shoe laces the month of October to support Breast Cancer Awareness month.   The girls volleyball team on the ferry going to Martha's Vineyard to the MIAA Tournament game on November 1st.  The students in our ASD program have put together a coffee cart that we will be utilizing every Friday during period B. We will be traveling through the school during this block. We will be selling coffee and breakfast treats for 50 cents each. There are many social and academic goals for our students that go along with this activity. It helps with social interaction (eye contact, greetings, manners), money exchange and making change, pre-vocational skills (baking, organization and labeling). The money that we collect will go towards different community based projects or charities and/or field trips in the future that will also enhance their social skills. We look forward to meeting and interacting with the staff at PSHS!
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Student Flu Vaccine Clinics Extended to Elementary Students and Families
School Health Services administered approximately 200 flu vaccines to our middle and high school students during the month of October at our school based flu vaccine clinics. This marks the 4th year we have run flu vaccine clinics in our schools. Because we have extra doses of flu vaccine, we will hold a flu vaccine clinic on Monday, November 19, 2012 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gym at Hedge School for elementary students. We will be administering the nasal FluMist vaccine only, which can only be given to healthy children who have no health issues such as asthma. Any child who has a chronic medical condition cannot receive the FluMist vaccine, and should get the injectable flu vaccine (shot) from their health care provider.
If you have any question about whether your child can get the FluMist vaccine, please contact your health care provider. The flu vaccine will be given on a first come first serve basis; we have about 100 doses to give out. Elementary students must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The vaccine is given free of charge; however, we are able to bill some health insurance companies for the flu vaccine administration this year, so please bring your insurance card with you to the clinic. The flu vaccine, along with healthy lifestyle habits is the best way to prevent flu and stay healthy this winter season! Don't miss this opportunity!
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Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools
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