The Plymouth Family Network hosted the 17th annual Early Childhood Fair at Plymouth North High School last Saturday, 1/25. The "Brain

from 32 community programs. The Visual and Performing arts provided an instrument petting zoo to familiarize the children with musical instruments, which was a big hit!

 

Just recently, West Elementary School was able to purchase a wonderful variety of reading materials!  These beautiful books will  be used during the literacy block and will allow teachers to differentiate instruction and motivate readers! 

Focus Moves posters are great for:

• transitions throughout the day
• literacy center warm-ups
• free choice activities
• push-in therapy sessions

Poster activities may help with:

• postural stability
• sensory processing
• visual processing
• auditory-visual integration
• bilateral integration

Chloe Baker questions the effects of various sweeteners on plant life. 

Dylan Zemotel showcases his hypothesis which claims that cleats help you run faster.

 

 

Sofia De`Nobrega created a striking display for her "oral" presentation. 

Note from the Nurse  

School Health Services at PSMS will be conducting Postural Screenings on Wednesday, February 12^th.  The purpose of this screening is to detect early signs of possible spinal problems. This is not a diagnostic service but a screening to identify students who should have further medical evaluation.

The screening will be conducted during the student's scheduled Physical Education class.  We ask that female students wear either a swimsuit top or sports bra under their school clothes on the day of the screening. This type of clothing permits a more accurate observation of your child's spine.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and if you have any questions please feel free to call the PSMS Health Office at 508 224-2725.

Plymouth South Middle School students from the Lybarger/McCartin team were honored at a ceremony held at the Plymouth VFW on Monday evening, January 27th.   Megan Broderick placed 2nd and Hannah Masterson placed 3rd in the VFW Patriot Pen contest.  They were awarded a plaque and a check for their essays about what patriotism means to them.

Junior Police Academy (JPA)

In cooperation with the Plymouth Police Department, PSMS is sponsoring a Junior Police Academy.  Under the guidance of Officer Kurt Saunders, participants will get an inside look into the law enforcement profession and learn more about the relationship between the Plymouth Police Department (PPD) and the community.  In the first meeting of the JPA, students had the chance to explore some of the equipment used by the PPD and discuss all the things that an officer must consider when making an arrest. 

Chorus Performs at Providence Bruins Game

On Sunday, January 26th, the 50 members of the Grade 6 Chorus from PSMS entertained thousands of people during the Providence Bruins game held at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, RI.  In all, 193 members of the Plymouth South community attended the game.

Math Clinic

The Plymouth South Middle School Math Clinic is designed as an individualized intensive support resource to help our students overcome the challenges of pre-Algebra and Algebra I.  The clinic is designed to help children who have a demonstrated additional need in mastering fractions, integers, as well as the rules and applications required to excel in algebra. 

The program runs every Tuesday and Thursday and is staffed by our seventh and eighth grade math teachers. The program employs the workshop model where small groups work together with our math experts, gaining the skills and confidence needed to succeed in Mathematics.  The program is custom-tailored to the students' specific needs.  

"We are extremely happy to offer this program to our students.  We know how hard algebra is.  The students are seeing the results from the Clinic every day in their Math classes and are pushing themselves to be successful." ~ Patrick Higgins, AP

No Name-Calling Week at PCIS

Plymouth Community Intermediate School participated in the nation-wide No Name-Calling Week between January 21^st and 24^th which was started in 2004 by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children's publishing. No Name-Calling Week was inspired by the popular young adult novel entitled The Misfits by author James Howe.

During No Name-Calling Week, each grade level at PCIS attended assemblies about name-calling and bullying which addressed the pain that can be caused by bullying, as well as the positive ways in which lives can be changed, and even saved, when students choose to be allies rather than bystanders. Mr. Palladino spoke with sixth graders about his experiences throughout his schooling, as well as his interactions as a principal. Seventh and eighth graders listened to guest speakers from PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) share their stories about growing up gay.

Students in all grades were provided with strategies to stay safe while combating name-calling and were invited to take a pledge to help end name-calling. Individual teachers led activities such as reading aloud and discussing The Misfits by James Howe; learning more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and how the civil rights movement relates to no name-calling; signing a commitment to stand up against prejudice and stringing these commitments together with paperclips, each representing the people who died in the Holocaust; reading aloud and discussing how various Dr. Seuss books relate to prejudice, no-name calling, anti-bullying and civil rights; watching and discussing short, inspirational videos made by students who won the 2013 Stop Bullying Video Challenge (stopbullying.gov); writing compliments on student-made band-aids and posting them on one another's lockers; tracing student bodies and writing anti-bullying quotes and strategies on the limbs and adding name tags saying, "A 6^th Grader Who Won't Stand for Bullying" to hang in the hallways; making "I am...We are PCIS" signs; and creating anti-bullying campaigns using iMovie. To learn more about these activities, watch for upcoming broadcasts on PCIS News and Ed TV.

The activities that the students at PCIS participated in during No Name-Calling Week are one of the many things done at PCIS to carry out the first goal of our School Improvement Plan which is to "provide a climate that is safe and enhances the development of students' social and emotional growth, health and welfare." This is in alignment with goal one of our District Strategic Plan to, "Enhance student social and emotional growth, health and welfare and demonstration of civic responsibility," as well as our district-wide vision and mission.