Ponaganset High School Newsletter
January 2023
Principal's Message
Hello PHS families,
I hope you all had a restful holiday break with time to enjoy family and friends. As we return to school this week, I would like to welcome our students back as well as welcome in the new year of 2023! January starts the time when we see the most growth from our students because they know what to expect from their teachers, they are back in the habit of working at school and all the instructional pieces start to fit together. I am looking forward to how much our students will grow between now and spring. Parents can encourage students to stay academically strong by ensuring their child gets enough sleep, by promoting use of an agenda to assist with organization, and by engaging in discussions around school life and topics.
Sincerely,
Amanda Grundel, M. Ed., M.S.
Ponaganset High School
Principal
Upcoming Dates and Reminders
Jan 2, 2023 New Year's Day (Observed) (school closed)
Jan 9, 2023 Half-day for students
Jan 16, 2023 Martin Luther King Day (school closed)
January 18, 2023 Community Event: Overcoming Parental Burn-Out
Location: Ponaganset Middle School
Time: 6-7:30PM
Snow Date: January 19th
Jan 21, 2023 Winter Ball
Location: Convention Center.
Time: 6-10PM
Tickets will be $50.00 each. Tickets will be sold at lunch from Friday, Jan 6th through Friday, Jan 13th. Tickets will not be sold after Jan 13.
Jan 25,2023
Quarter 2 ends
General Reminder:
*Please be reminded that daily student drop off begins at 7:30AM. Students should not be dropped off to the school building prior to that time as there is no supervision.
Links to District Information
Important Links
School website:
https://fosterponaganseths.ss11.sharpschool.com/
Athletics Information and Team Sports Calendar:
https://www.fg.k12.ri.us/athletics
District Calendar:
Looking Back at December!
Class of 2025 Holiday Bazaar!
Wreaths Across America
Remember, Honor, Teach
The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember the fallen, Honor those that serve and their families, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Although the organization is best known for laying veterans' wreaths on headstones of our fallen each December, the WAA mission is year-round and supported by the efforts of thousands of dedicated local volunteers throughout the country. Mr. Michael Calenda, Dean of Students, organized the event for our community.
Band and Chorus Concert
PHS Students Intern for JDAPA Theater Company
Mr. Jonathan Medeiros, music teacher, and Mr. David Carnevale, technology director, oversaw this fantastic project!
Robotics: FLL Competition
Great job by Mr. Greg Gongoleski and all of the students involved!
ThinkFast
ThinkFast Interactive Description
ThinkFast Interactive will be coming to Ponaganset this Spring for our juniors and
seniors. ThinkFast is federally funded by the Department of Transportation and is an
evidence-informed prevention program that covers a multitude of topics, including teen
driver safety. The school’s auditorium will be transformed into an interactive game
show, equipped with a DJ, intelligent lighting, and a professional sound system. Student
participants will receive wireless keypads to answer various multiple choice and survey
questions related to teen driver safety as well as pop culture trivia. It is sure to be both
an engaging and educational program for our students.
Junior Achievement
The Memory Project
Message from Ms. Nicole Lloyd: Art Teacher
This year, the National Art Honor Society and members of the Art Club are participating in the Memory Project once again. The Memory Project is about spreading the power of art and art's ability to connect people from all around the world. The project takes photos of children living in countries with extremely difficult living conditions like war and extreme poverty and we turn them into painted or drawn portraits which then get sent back to the children for them to enjoy.
We have participated in this project in years past, drawing kids from Venezuela and Cameroon. This time around, we have chosen to draw children living in orphanages or in deep poverty in India. We have 9 NAHS and Art Club members committed to drawing 14 portraits. Those are 14 smiles that we hope to share with kids that we will never meet, struggling in conditions outside of their control. In addition, we will also be making 5 works of inspirational word art. That is 19 lives touched by art!
In order to make this project possible, we are asking for donations to help pay to ship the portraits across the world to the children in India. The support we received in previous years was enough to cover the entire cost! We continue to be grateful for your support.
The cost for each student's portrait is $15, but any amount of donation will help greatly.
To make a donation, please go to the My School Bucks link at the bottom of this email. Additionally, if you would like to look at the Memory Project and its impact around the world, you can find more information in the second provided link below.
My School Bucks Donation
Memory Project Cameroon Delivery Video
Memory Project India Delivery Video
Sincerely,
Holden Jennings
Chair of Public Relations
NAHS Ponaganset Chapter
Nicole Lloyd - Sponsor and Art Teacher at PHS
Athletics
Spring registration for athletics will be open at the beginning of February. Be on the look out for more information, which will be communicated out via email.
Athletics Information and Team Sports Calendar: