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District Events
| If you would like to see a calendar of all our district events, please click on the link below.
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Voyager Magazine
| If you would like to download the Voyager Magazine's Spring/ Summer 2013 edition,
click on the link below.
If you would like a hard copy of the magazine, please stop by my office at 253 South Meadow Road.
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| School Websites: | |
High Schools
Middle Schools
Elementary Schools
Pre-School
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Introducing Voyager Express
Over the past 5 years, the Plymouth Public Schools has sent out a weekly newsletter. We've also released the first edition (Spring/ Summer) of the Plymouth Voyager, a magazine intended to highlight in-depth news from around the district. I have decided to integrate the Friday newsletter, formerly known as Friday Notes, as a sister publication of the Plymouth Voyager and reintroduce it as the - Voyager Express. Please Enjoy.
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Weekly Quote
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"Love the giver more than the gift."
- Brigham Young
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News from the Elementary Library Media Specialists
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free video resources created to assist teachers in learning technology and/or dealing with many other classroom-related issues?
Take a look at the following helpful sites, and read their missions in their own words.
Learn it in 5 is a comprehensive how-to instructional video library for teachers using technology in the classroom. Learn classroom strategies for Web 2.0 teaching technology with powerful how-to videos on most Web 2.0 applications. Our video library is constantly growing, with new how-to videos added monthly. Our most recent Web 2.0 how-to videos are featured on the home page. Other Web 2.0 how-to videos can be located at our easy-to-use navigation tabs, on our archives page or by using our search tool.
Teaching Channel is a video showcase-on the Internet and TV-of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. We have a rapidly growing community of registered members who trade ideas and share inspiration from each other.
With the help of the Tch community, our mission is to revolutionize how teachers learn, connect, and inspire each other to improve the outcomes for all K-12 students across America.
In order to accomplish this mission, we have three simple goals, all of them reliant on input from teachers:
* Build professional learning resources that teachers want
* Deepen and improve opportunities for teacher learning
* Elevate and celebrate teachers in our society
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Visual and Performing Arts News | 
December is a busy month for the VPA Department! Congratulations to all the student musicians who have performed in their Winter Concerts. The performances by Indian Brook, Nathaniel Morton, Federal Furnace, South High School, South Elementary, PCIS Chorus, Plymouth South Middle, and North High School were wonderful! Save the date for the upcoming performances;
12/13 7pm- Manomet Winter Concert at MES
12/14 8pm and 12/15 3pm- Federal Furnace Treble Chorus performing with The Plymouth
Public Schools Philharmonic at Memorial Hall
12/16 7pm- West Winter Instrumental Concert at WES
12/17 7pm- Hedge Winter Concert at PNHS
12/17 7pm- West Winter Chorus Concert at WES
12/18 7pm- Cold Spring Winter Concert at PNHS
12/19 7pm- PCIS Winter Instrumental Concert at PCIS
Congratulations to the following PPS Students who were accepted into the Jr. District Music Festival. This festival is open to students in grades 7-9. The Festival will take place in March at Attleboro High School.
From PCIS:
Treble Chorus:
Amelia Browne Soprano Grade 8
Liliana Alvarez Alto Grade 8
Emily Alves Alto Grade 8
Michaela Coombs Alto Grade 8
Emilie Kelly Soprano Grade 7
Mariane Martins Alto Grade 7
Kathleen Rhodes Soprano Grade 7
Andrea Sweeney Soprano Grade 7
Orchestra:
Kylie Smith Viola Grade 8
From PNHS:
Lily Colbert Alto Mixed Chorus Grade 9
Vaughan Hovey Tuba Concert Band Grade 9
Anna Kiley Clarinet Concert Band Grade 9
Emily Mayer Euphonium Concert Band Grade 9
Chris Nolan Trombone Concert Band Grade 9
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Nathaniel Morton Elementary School News
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It has been a year of celebration for Nathaniel Morton Elementary. One hundred years of education where "generations have learned." Festivities came to a conclusion this November as the Plymouth Parade Committee created a replica of Nathaniel Morton School to be part of the parade festivities. Leading up to the parade events, students took a quick field trip to the float holding area in North Plymouth to see the float up close in person. For a pre-parade celebration, all of the students were treated to a special assembly that included visits from character impersonators such as Abraham Lincoln and Nathaniel Morton. Finally, the school was featured on The Boston Channel's Eyeopener for the morning wakeup call!
On the day of the parade, One hundred students marched behind the float that held both present and past educators of Nathaniel Morton School. There were a handful of teachers present on the float who were both a former student of the school and then an educator.
It has been a few exciting weeks as our 100 year celebration came to a conclusion!
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Federal Furnace Elementary News
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Headline: Federal Furnace Recognized Students that Demonstrate
Pride, Respect, and Responsibility!
On Monday, December 2nd, approximately 30 students were recognized for consistently demonstrating PRIDE, RESPECT, AND RESPONSIBILITY in all areas of school, including the bus. These students often fill other's "buckets" by helping others, including peers throughout the day, and following school and bus rules.
During the all school assembly, Mrs. Camarao welcomed staff and students and explained how students are nominated for this new award. Ms. McMinn lead the students in a rap that had was accompanied with a dance. Teachers were given the challenge of dancing along with the students. Second grade students presented what PRIDE meant to them and third grade students made an Animoto video that showed how they demonstrated pride, respect and responsibility at Federal Furnace.
The presentation ended with Mrs. Camarao and Ms. Perry personally congratulating the winners and presenting them with a certificate. Kindergarten- Evan Bacci, Evan Washburn, and Mia DeLappe; First Grade- Patrick Quill, Callie Flora, Sophie Lucas, Matthew Nardone, Sarah Godlewski, Michaela Hanlon & TJ Brown; Second Grade- Shane Stanghelliini, Michael Flaherty, Michael Riley, Ellie Snyder, & Nora Quill; Third Grade- Malachi Val, Enzo Brini, Grace Caseau, Olin Svensen, and Parker Maslowski; Fourth Grade- Kylie O'Neil, Niko Brini, Alli Brown, & Derek Dearing; Fifth Grade- Krystal Tyrie, Nick Zupperoli, Adam Capozzi, Jack Arnold & Amy O'Hanley. Congratulations to all of our winners!
Here's one way Mrs. Peterson's class showed their Pride, Respect & Responsibility!
This year, from the end of October till the end of November, our class picked up trash from the playground while we were out at recess. When we weighed it, the trash weighed nine pounds. We encourage all people to stop throwing trash outside and to clean up trash when they see it. Let's show FFES Pride!
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West Elementary School News
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The students in Miss Reid's Second Grade Class designed clothespin dolls in the style of an ancestor who came to America from another country. Students presented their dolls and described their family ancestry, including when their family members arrived in America and why they chose to come here. Children shared ancestral stories from Germany, Russia, Poland, Italy, Lebanon, Portugal, Ireland and one student included his Native American ancestry.
Students in Miss Grattan's fourth grade class studied the Northeast region of the United States in social studies. They wrapped up their unit of study by researching a particular state and making a State Fact Domino Book. Each student created a booklet containing a variety of interesting facts and pictures about their state, which they then shared with the class through an oral presentation.
Miss Grattan's fourth grade students created a bulletin board in the hallway of Pod 1 titled, "Give the Gift of Kindness". Students were reminded that not all gifts given during the holiday season need to be material things; that some of the most important gifts that we can give others are ones that we can't put into a box. Students brainstormed ways that they could show kindness to others and wrote their ideas down on gifts as a way to spread their message of compassion throughout the community.
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PCIS News
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The fifth annual PCIS "Turkey Bowl" took place on Tuesday, November 26. Teams comprised of seventh and eighth grade female students from each house were selected to participate in the yearly flag football tournament. Male students were selected to coach and referee the games. The eight team bracket guaranteed two games for each squad. The championship game featured an undefeated Ranger 8th grade team against an undefeated Mercury 8th grade team. A fantastic final game resulted in a victory for the Ranger 8th grade team of Ariana Bremis, Taylor Burns, Sophia Cantone, Abbey Chase, Kiera Foley, Madison Maurice, Teigen Utera, and Faith Whalen. Congratulations to all participants!
On Saturday December 7th many PCIS staff volunteered their time to help with Joyal Capital Management's $100 for 100 annual event at Dick's Sporting Goods. over 40 PCIS students were nominated by their teachers to participate in this event. Each student nominated was able to spend a $100 gift card on anything they wanted in the store. A special thanks goes out to Rosario Lovell for her work organizing this event at PCIS, and Joyal Capital Management for their generosity. Math and Literacy Project
The students in one of Mrs. Brine's Math classes recently finished a Math and Literacy project. They took part in a multi-faceted book project that brought together Math and literacy. Mrs. Brine and Mrs. Gervais, the Literacy Specialist, encouraged the students' understanding of Math concepts by having the students think critically about content specific terms.
Throughout the month long assignment, the students were able to read the The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine and deepen their connections with the terms by reflecting on the story and the chapters and finding the relationship between the chapter titles, which were Math concepts and the storyline. The students used the tool Edmodo to respond to prompts and questions related to the text. They were also able to generate and respond to questions posed to and from their peers. This interactive tool helped foster a deeper understanding of the text. Because the reading and Edmodo responses were completed at home, the classroom instruction was not interrupted. As a final project, the students were asked to rewrite a chapter or the ending of the book by creating a book jacket. Part of the rubric required them to title the chapter with a Math term they were studying and explain the term in their own words and relate the term to the events in the chapter. The students were excited for the opportunity to change the ending to fit their expectations. At the end of all their work, the students had the opportunity to share their projects and discuss the book in the class.
Mrs. Gervais was able to meet the author, Kathryn Erskine, and show the final projects along with the Edmodo work the students completed. Mrs. Erskine posed for pictures and signed a copy of the novel for the school. Mrs. Brine will continue the project with the rest of her classes as the year progresses, and she will continue her correspondence with the author throughout the year.
Toys for Tots at PCIS
PCIS grade 6 Ambassadors organized a Toys for Tots toy drive. Grade 6 Ambassadors collected unwrapped gifts through out the month of December. The ambassadors were able to donate over 500 toys to the Toys for Tots. The U.S. Marine Corp arrived to great the students and thank them for their support. Mr. Palladino also spoke to the students about the importance if giving and community service. He stated, "even if you don't have the resources to give back, you can always give back time." He hopes that the lesson of giving back stays with the students through adulthood. A special thanks to the PCIS counselors for their work with the Ambassadors. Great job Ambassadors!!
PCIS Chorus
The PCIS Chorus put on a spectacular Holiday concert on Wednesday night for a packed house. Mrs. Fuller and her students performed a variety of holiday songs to bring some holiday spirit. Congratulations to Mrs. Fuller and her chorus students. Can't wait for the spring.
Congratulations to the following PCIS Chorus and String students who were recently accepted into the Jr. DISTRICT MUSIC FESTIVAL:
TREBLE CHORUS
Amelia Browne, Grade 8 Soprano, Gemini
Liliana Alvarez, Grade 8 Alto, Apollo
Emily Alves, Grade 8 Alto, Gemini
Michaela Coombs, Grade 8 Alto, Apollo
Emilie Kelly, Grade 7 Soprano, Mercury
Mariane Martins, Grade 7 Alto, Ranger
Kathleen Rhodes, Grade 7 Soprano, Mercury
Andrea Sweeney, Grade 7 Soprano, Mercury
ORCHESTRA
Kylie Smith, Grade 8 Viola, Gemini
On Saturday, December 7th, these students traveled with Mrs. Fuller to Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield and performed a selected piece for a judge. The students were evaluated for melodic and rhythmic accuracy, tone, musicality, and many other things. These students will now get to work with a professional conductor and other talented students from around the South Shore who share in their advanced music skills. The culminating event is a wonderful gala performance on a Saturday afternoon in March. The concert will feature orchestra, concert band, as well as a treble and mixed chorus. We are so proud of our PCIS Chorus and Orchestra students!
Yard Sale
The PCIS staff put on a yard sale for students to buy gifts for loved ones during the holiday season. Every year PCIS staff donate gifts for the students to purchase at a VERY REDUCED price. The money donated is used to provide gifts for PCIS families in need during the holiday season. This years yard sale brought back some retired PCIS teachers to help work the table. Ms. Maccaferri, Ms. Weiler and Ms. Bernstein came back to help out with this great event. A special thanks you Ms. Nickerson for organizing this great event.
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PSMS News
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Fire Safety Presentation
The Grade Five students at PSMS participated in a fire safety unit. The students prepared home safety plans and parents were asked to complete a home safety checklist. Lt. Mark Helminiak from the Plymouth Fire Department spoke to fire safety. His presentation included fire extinguisher use, class of fires, space heater and wood stove safety, kitchen safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke detectors, proper use of extension cords, safe distance from heat sources, and the heat triangle (heat + fuel + oxygen = chemical reaction). Also PSMS school nurse, Mrs. Denietolis spoke with the classes about burns. She spoke to first, second and third degree burns, prevention and care. 
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PNHS News
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Plymouth North had five students audition for the Jr District Music Festival on Saturday. This festival is open to students in grades 7-9. All five were accepted for the Festival which will take place in March at Attleboro High School.
Congratulations to the following students:
Lily Colbert Alto Mixed Chorus grade 9
Vaughan Hovey Tuba Concert Band grade 9
Anna Kiley Clarinet Concert Band grade 9
Emily Mayer Euphonium Concert Band grade 9
Chris Nolan Trombone Concert Band grade 9
PNHS Winter Concert
The Plymouth North High School music department held its annual Winter Concert last Thursday evening in the Performing Arts Center. The free concert included performances from Chorus, Concert Band, Northern Lights, Jazz Band, Girl Treble, and Menergy. Students performed for an audience of over 600 guests. Guests were entertained with a variation of songs from Irving Berlin to Mumford and Sons and everything in between. Music and Band Directors Bonnie Holmes and David Grossman worked together to make the evening a great success.
 
MIAA
Plymouth North High School received the MIAA Sportsmanship Honor Roll patch to add to the banner that already hangs in the gymnasium. This award is given in recognition of schools that did not have any coaches and/or student-athletes disqualified from a contest for an entire academic year.
Digital Photography Class
The following are photos from Sherie Harkins Digital Photography class.
 
Plymouth North Physical Education
Here at Plymouth North we are well underway in our second year in our new facility. With the cold weather finally upon us, we are constantly trying to think of new and innovative activities to keep the students busy indoors during PE class. When we return from vacation we plan to begin an indoor racquet sport unit in which we are looking to add table tennis to our curriculum! A barrier we are facing is a lack of equipment and money in our budget to purchase adequate amounts of equipment. We are reaching out to the community to see if anyone has used ping pong tables and/or equipment that they would be willing to donate to Plymouth North High School in order to assist us in moving forward with this exciting new unit. Not only is Table Tennis a fun and exciting game for our students, it is a great lifelong activity that we are excited to introduce. If you are interested in donating gently used equipment, please contact John Tocci at jtocci@plymouth.k12.ma.us. Thank you in advance!
Plymouth North High School Best Buddies Ornament Sale
The Best Buddies Plymouth North Chapter assembled and sold holiday ornaments as a fundraiser. The sold out ornaments adorn offices and classrooms around the building. The event was a great way to raise money for the program.
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PSHS News
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(Photo is courtesy of OCM)
We all want to congratulate the Plymouth South High School Football team for making school history by playing in the MIAA Superbowl at Gillette Stadium last Saturday. The cheerleaders and band put on an unbelievable show. It was amazing to see our students up on the giant screens. We'd also like to thank the parents, staff, students and fans who went to Gillette to support their home town team!!!
PSHS Technology in the Classroom
by Jacqui Frongello, Technology Integration Specialist, PSHS
Using technology to bring out their creative skills, Mr. Lippa's Speech and Debate class created a one minute radio commercials using the ipads. The students chose a product that they are interested in to use in their radio commercial. The students had to create a catchy commercial using sound effects, music, and voice recordings. In pairs, students used the Garageband app to conduct all of their voice recordings and create the sound to be used in their commercial. Students were given the flexibility to create their own sound effects and music with the Garageband app. Students could also use the sound effects in the iMovie app or the musical/sound pieces from the Soundzabound site. Soundzabound provides royalty free music that teachers and students can use in videos or podcasts.
Here are a couple of samples of the finished product:
Check out the Cyclone App - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr91uIIXTsU
The new XBOX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeKtfhzl-GY
Great job to all students!
The PSHS Junior Class Officers are happy to report they have raised $1,947.22 for this year's Sponsor-A-Child program. They wish to thank all that donated so they can go out and purchase gifts for the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless. Your generosity in this Holiday Season is greatly appreciated by all.
The Plymouth South Computer Science Program led by Tom Heslin and Joe Westfield had a successful Skype session with the Computing At School in Plymouth England Thursdaymorning. The students asked each other questions about the programs and did a show and tell on projects they had been working on. This was initiated by the Computer Science Education Week Hour of Code. A celebration geared to encourage interest in the field and show that anyone can learn the basics. We will continue to exchange programming and technical knowledge with our sister city in England.
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Guidance Announcements
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Sophomore Planning Night: Know Your Pathway to Success!
Tuesday, January 21 from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Plymouth NORTH High School Performing Arts Center
The Guidance Department at Plymouth North and South High Schools welcomes all parents and guardians to attend our Sophomore Planning Night (students are also invited). The topics for the evening will be:
The High School Transcript
Graduation Requirements
Career & College Planning
PSATs & SATs
College Requirements
Early Financial Planning for College
This panel presentation will include college admissions counselors from Bridgewater State University and Brown University, a former college financial aid director and members of the school counseling department from both Plymouth North and South High Schools.
We look forward to your participation in this important information session!
Would you like your child to engage in an intellectually enriching, socially stimulating, affordable six week residential summer program at the campus of Stonehill College this summer? The Project Contemporary Competitiveness (PCC) Advanced Studies Program, in partnership with Stonehill College, will do just that. The Mission Statement of PCC is: "
To provide a learning environment in conjunction with a balance of freedom and responsibility for mature incoming ninth and tenth grade high ability students who are open to the excitement of learning, meeting peers from surrounding communities, and are ready for a challenge."
Each student selects two one hour and forty minute classes which will take place each morning, Monday through Friday. In the afternoons students are actively engaged in the following activities:
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Formal productions by Music and Movement, I'm with the Band, Improve with Improv, Theatre, and exhibits by Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, and Digital Photography the final week of the program
Students get dropped on Monday mornings and stay on campus Monday night through Thursday night and return home on Friday afternoons. In addition to a Program Director, there is a Resident Director, Male and Female Resident Directors, Floor Leaders and Intern/Proctors, and an Instructional Staff of thirty-six from the ranks of college professors, public, and private school teachers. College students serve as interns in the classrooms and proctors in the residence hall.
There will be informational meetings with current eighth grade students on Tuesday, December 10th. Ninth grade students are being presented with this information during their Advisory session. We will also conduct an informational night for parents and students on:
Wednesday, December 18th at 6:30 PM at PCIS
If you are interested in hearing about this program, please plan to attend.
To earn more about the program, please visit their website at: http://pccasp.org/. To see a video created by the PCC staff please visit: https://vimeo.com/79823928.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Gary E. Maestas, Superintendent
Plymouth Public Schools |
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