The Teacher Appreciation Lunch last Wednesday was a great success thanks to our amazing volunteers. The teachers enjoyed Taco Bus with dessert donated by Dough.Teachers received treats and other giveaways each day last week to celebrate their efforts throughout the year.

 

The senior class had their Senior Banquet in the gym and PTSA coordinated the decorations and donated money to the event. It was a huge success with over 200 students attending. I applaud the senior class for being forward thinking by having the event at school so that the price could be reduced and more students could attend. A special thank you goes out to all the parents and executive committee members who showed up to help decorate, serve the meals and clean up.

 

Senior Awards will be held on May 11th and the PTSA will be presenting the scholarship winners for 2014-15 at that time.  This is an event that the PTSA also supports.

 

Please start thinking about getting involved next year by chairing or serving on a committee. If you are interested, please contact Alysia Ekizian or visit our website and fill out a willingness to serve form.

The Academic Foundation's final meeting of the school year will be Tuesday, May 12th at 9:15 am in the Cafeteria. Our guest speakers, Ms. Dicus and Ms. Spinka, will talk about ways to keep our students engaged and on track over the summer. In addition, we are electing our new Board of Officers and recognizing our business partners. And as always, Mr. Nelson will give a school-wide report. Parents of rising freshmen are welcome!

 

Our Faculty Honor Roll campaign continues through the end of the school year. Details can be found later in this newsletter. Thanks to everyone who has participated so far! Your notes of recognition mean so much to the staff members who receive them, and your donation helps fund grants for classroom enhancements. It's a total win-win!

Remember to renew your Athletic Foundation membership early! Our Golden Panthers and MVP Members have the opportunity to keep their current premium seat location or select a different location for next year. Seats in the stadium will be selected on a first come basis so be sure to renew early. Click here to review membership levels and benefits and join the Athletic Foundation today. The Foundation is grateful for the generosity and support of our members!

On April 27th we hosted an inaugural event in the Plant gym - the Senior Banquet. With the help of over 20 parents, staff and students, the event was a great success. Students were able to relax and take pictures with friends in the photo booth, enjoy a sit down dinner, and watch the amazing senior video projected on an inflatable jumbo movie screen! 

 

We were also able to bring back a tradition long held at Plant, honoring Plant teachers chosen by the Class of 2015 as having the greatest impact on them throughout their four years at Plant. We would like to congratulate Mr. Tait (Science), Mr. Boza (Social Studies), Mrs. Phillips (Social Studies) and Ms. Renaud (English) on being honored this year. Thank you to everyone who made the event such a success!

AP testing began on May 4th. AP students have received information about the date, time and location of each AP test. This information is also posted on the guidance page of Plant's website.

 

All AP students will receive their AP Student Pack in the first exam they take. This packet is very important! It contains their individual AP number and other information from College Board. All students will keep their packet and must bring it to every exam they are taking. In addition to remembering to bring their AP packet to each exam, students will also need a pencil and pen with either black or blue ink to take the test.  These items will not be provided. Students may bring a snack and water bottle to have during the break. They are also recommended to bring a jacket in case the testing room is cold.

 

AP Exam Attendance Policy. Juniors and seniors who take AP exams automatically receive school business for the remainder of the day of each exam they take. Please note:  all students need to be aware that although this attendance policy excuses your absence, you will still be responsible for make-up work, and you may miss important instruction on those days. Use your best judgment when deciding not to attend classes before and/or after AP exams. Freshmen and sophomores who take AP Exams are required to attend all classes before and/or after their AP exams, unless an "AP Permission Form" was submitted by the deadline. Students who submitted the AP Permission Form will have school business before and/or after their AP exams.

 

See the guidance page of Plant's website for more detailed information about 2015 AP testing dates and procedures.

Hillsborough Virtual School is offering online support to help students prepare for their End of Course exams. The dates and times for each review session are listed below. Go to the guidance page of Plant's website for the links to login.

• 5/7             Algebra 1, 7 to 8 pm (log in by 6:45 pm)
• 5/13 & 14  US History, 7:15 to 8:15 pm (log in by 7 pm)

The last SAT and ACT tests of the year will be in early June. The deadline to register for these tests is May 8th. Any juniors who have not yet achieved their desired score for college admission should be taking one or both of these tests.

 

HCC Fall Dual Enrollment. Enrollment for fall classes began May 4th. Since students are required to obtain approval from their Plant counselor to register, your last day to complete registration paperwork will be June 5th. See the guidance page of Plant's website for complete information. Fall classes will begin August 17th and end on December 8th.

Bill Gates, Lebron James, Condoleezza Rice, J.K. Rowling.......What do these people have in common with our Plant High students? At one time, they were right where our kids are - in high school and on their way to figuring out what they want to do with their lives and who they want to be. All of these successful people credit teachers and coaches with having a meaningful impact on their lives.

 

As a student, Bill Gates discovered that his favorite teachers were the ones who challenged him the most. He said, "My success comes from how lucky I was to have some great teachers. There was a math teacher, Fred Wright, who asked me to push a little bit harder. And Ann Stephens, who taught English and also drama, and I got to be the star of the play.  There's no way there'd be a Microsoft without them doing what they did."

 

Teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, etc. do make a difference. So take a minute to say thank you to those faculty members who have been important in your child's life. Fill out a Faculty Honor Roll Form today, and we will get your special thank you message into the hands of your student's favorite teacher. Check out our website for details.

There are some great things happening in our PHS Media Center such as monthly contests, topical displays, book discussions, and support for classroom curriculum. Click here for more details about what's happening at the PHS Media Center and make sure to .

Playing the reigning state champ Robinson Knights, who are a favorite to win the crown again, the Lady Panthers flag football team pushed their opponent to the brink but came up short in the district championship game, losing to Robinson 20-6. The loss ended a dominating season for the Lady Panthers, as they finished 11-3, with an average margin of victory of 32 points, and all three losses coming against Robinson. The team wishes well its six very talented and dedicated senior players as they move on and look forward to coming back strong next year.

The Boys Varsity Lacrosse ended their season with a banquet honoring the team. Good-bye and good luck to our six graduating seniors! While they will be missed, the team is excited to be returning so many talented players next season. Thank you to the administration, parents and friends, and everyone who supported the team this year. Looking forward to 2016!