The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
March 8, 2020 - Volume 2 - ISSUE 25
Welcome to the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Newsletter! It is designed to keep everyone (parents, students, staff, and community members) informed of the many events that are happening in and around the school. It contains links, pictures, and videos so that you have a more interactive experience and the ability to learn more about various topics.
Communication is incredibly important to understanding so we ask that you share our news as much as possible. We also welcome feedback! It is the only way to continuously improve. So, please interact, get involved, and let us know what you think by contacting us and sharing our news!
Important Dates to Plan
March 6 & 9 - MCAS Math Retest
March 13 – Alumni/Community Band Concert 7:00PM in Performing Arts Center
March 17 - Shakespeare & Company Grade 12 students
March 18 - Naviance Night 6:30PM in Room 159 & 161
March 19 - HS Delayed Opening
March 24-25 - MCAS ELA Grade 10 Students
March 26 - Spellman Contest 6:30PM in Performing Arts Center
March 27 - District Early Release – Professional Development
March 27 - Junior Prom – Canoe Club 7-10PM
April 1 – Quarter 3 Ends
April 2 – HS Delayed Opening
April 2 – Quarter 4 Starts
April 3 – Early Release – District Grading Day
April 8 – Quarter 3 Progress Reports available via Parent Portal
April 8 – “Meet the Teacher” available to book Parent-Teacher Conferences
April 10 – No School – Good Friday
April 14 – HS Early Release – Parent-Teacher Conferences by appointment only 12PM-2PM & 6PM-8PM
April 16 – HS Delayed Opening
April 20-24 – No School – Spring Break
Bowling for Dollars for Scholars
Dollars for Scholars announces their seventh annual “Bowling for Dollars for Scholars” will be held on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, from 12 Noon to 4 PM at the Hanson Bowladrome (adjacent to the Hanson AA) at 171 Reed Street in Hanson. For every string bowled during the event a donation will be made to benefit Whitman & Hanson Dollars for Scholars. The cost to bowl will be $5 per string with no charge for shoe rental. Door prizes and complementary food will be available throughout the two day event.
All funds raised during the event will benefit the Class of 2020 in the form of scholarships. The event is being hosted by Whitman & Hanson Dollars for Scholars. For more information, please contact Michael Ganshirt at 781-252-9683 or visit www.WhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforScholars.org.
2019-2020 SEPAC meetings
All meetings held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm
in the Whitman Hanson Regional High School library
Please check out our website for more information
March 10th – BCBA Presentation - (6-8pm Middle & High School)
April 14th – Occupational Therapy Presentation - 6-8pm
May 12th – Speech and Language Presentations on Language Pragmatics (meeting will be held in WHRHS Courtyard Café due to Arts in Bloom being held in the WHRHS library) (6-8pm Middle & High School)
June 9th – Planning 2020-2021 meetings, general discussion - 6-8pm
WH Student Council Wins Gold!
Mrs. Scott, Mr. Moriarty, and the rest of us at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School are incredibly proud of the work they do throughout the year!!!!
Dr. Christopher Jones
3 Ways to Keep Accountability Positive
"Managing the journey is not the same as announcing the destination" - John Maxwell
This quote made me think about the power of announcing our goals to others. While it adds a level of accountability that often pushes us to complete them, it also creates the possibility of reinforcing the negativity of failure if we fail to meet our destination. The video below discusses this concept and the following three steps that will help keep the increased accountability positive.
- Make a Plan - Backward map your destination.
- Execute Consistently - Small steps repeatedly completed lead to lager success.
- Keep Your Focus Where it Belongs - Focus on completing the planned steps, but switch to the larger goal to push past intermittent failures.
Here is a challenge. Apply this to a current goal you have and keep track of your success. Feedback is always welcome.
Our Story...
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
Course Selection
Course selection for the 2020/2021 school year is underway! All students currently in grades 9 – 11 should enter their course selections into Infinite Campus from March 6 - March 13. Recommendations for major academic classes will be made by current classroom teachers. Students are responsible for entering PE and all elective course requests. Students received course selection information and instructions on 3/6. Please contact your school counselors for help with any questions. Follow this link for the 2020/2021 Program of Studies.
Naviance Night
The WHRHS School Counseling Office is pleased to invite grade 10 & 11 parents/guardians to Naviance Night for Parents on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. This program includes a hands-on workshop in WHRHS computer labs that will teach you how to do conduct a comprehensive on-line college search. You will get acquainted with Whitman-Hanson’s Naviance Family Connection program that offers:
- College Match – narrows down choices by location, size, surroundings, and more.
- College Look Up – read profiles of specific colleges
- Scattergrams – matches your student’s GPA and SAT scores with recent graduates to find great college choices for your child
Boston National College Fair
The Boston National College Fair will be held at the Boston Convention Center on April 30 and May 1. This is a great opportunity to speak to college admissions representatives from colleges all over the country. The School Counseling Office will sponsor a field trip to the Boston National College Fair for Juniors on Friday, May 1. The cost of the field trip will be $10 per student to cover transportation expenses. Permission forms for this field trip were given to juniors when school counselors visit their English classes for Junior College Planning in January.
Scholarships for Seniors
A scholarship assembly for seniors was held on February 26. Information was presented on both Dollars for Scholars and Local and Community Scholarships. Applications for Local and Community Scholarships are available on the WHRHS website and are due to the school counseling office on 4/8/20.
Dollars for Scholars
Applications are now available on the DFS website at www.whitmanandhanson.dollarsforscholars.org. Completed DFS applications must be completed and submitted online on or before March 15, 2020.
If you have any questions on any of these programs, please reach out to your school counselor.
Mrs. Carrigan - Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.org
Mrs. Selig - Courtney.Selig@whrsd.org
Mrs. Cunha - MaggieCate.Cunha@whrsd.org
Mr. Amado - Domingo.Amado@whrsd.org
Upcoming Dates
Friday, March 13, 2020 - “Alumni/Community Band” Concert 7:00 pm W-H PAC.
March 20-21, 2020 - Senior SEMSBA Festival
Saturday, March 21, 2020 - Show Choir Competition, Andover MA
Monday, March 23, 2020 - Show Choir Chipotle Fundraiser 5pm-8pm Derby Street Chipotle
Saturday, April 4, 2020 - Show Choir Competition, Waltham, MA
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 - Music Department Spring Concert 7:00 pm W-H PAC
May 1-2, 2020 Junior SEMBSA Festival at Silver Lake Regional High School
Show Choir/Pit Band
High Frequency is proud to announce that they took home a silver medal and third place overall at their first competition of the season! Featured soloists include: Lauren Bain (senior) Mikayla Horton (Sophomore) Grace Morgan (freshman) Kiley Concannon (senior) and Adam Wheeler (freshman). High Frequency is student choreographed by seniors Samantha Thomson and Julianne Wheeler, who are so proud of their teammates hardwork and dedication. We are also proud to announce that senior Lauren Bain received the “Outstanding Performer” award, which she also received her freshman year. Congratulations to all!
Raffle Ticket sales for the VIP parking spot will be on sale at lunch at the end of March to win this prime parking spot for the month of April.
Ticket Prices: $1 - 1 tickets $3 - 5 tickets $5 - 10 tickets $10 - 30 tickets
On March 23rd, show this flyer to your cashier at the Hingham Chipotle and help support High Frequency!
Chorus
The new semester has started and we are working hard and improving our talents for the 2020 spring concert. We have some beautiful arrangements for you to hear, including feature soloists, Dylan Reed (Tenor) Paul Shaugnessy (Bass) and Kiley Concannon (Soprano).
Three students will be attending the senior SEMSBA Festival on March 20-21 at Stoughton High! Good luck at SEMSBA Emma Rogers (Soprano, Junior), Julian Anderson (Tenor, Junior) and Lianne Leavitt (Soprano, Senior)
Band
The new semester has started and we are hard and improving our talents for the 2020 spring concert.
The High School Concert Band is preparing for the “Alumni/Community Band Concert on Friday, March 13, 2020 at 7:00 pm in the W-H PAC.
GOOD LUCK! to violinist Nora Rooney who will attend the Senior SEMSBA Festival at Stoughton High on March 20-21 and to clarinetist Rachael Conca who will attend the Junior SEMBSA Festival at Silver Lake on May 1- 2
“Something Natural” A Capella Group
We are so excited to be working on new, fun songs for the spring concert!
New members always welcome!
Drama Club
Meetings are Mondays & Fridays 2:00-3:00
We have been having so much fun already in rehearsals with this talented cast!
If you have any interest in getting involved, please email Brookescriven@gmail.com
Mrs. Catherine Brunelle
What will we read this summer?
What will we read this summer?
YOU HELP CHOOSE!
- Read as many books on the list as you want giving them a 1-5 star rating
- Join the Selection Committee! (let your ELA teacher know if you would like to be on the committee)
Books will get into the Final 16 by the student and staff’s positive reviews!
SMACKDOWN 2020 April 30, 2020
Ms. Margaret Baker & Ms. Lisa Tobin
Nurse’s Corner - Winter 2019
The Mass. DPH requires the school to do the following health screenings each year:
- Height and Weight, including BMI –grade 10
- Scoliosis Screenings- grade 9
- Vision and Hearing –grade 10
- SBIRT Screenings- grades 9 and 10
Please contact the school RN if you DO NOT wish your child to participate in any of the health screenings in writing. Scoliosis screenings will begin in the spring.
Vaping
We have all heard about the increase in vaping in recent years- especially in children. There have been at least 34 reported deaths due to vaping in 2019 in the US. Vaping remains under investigation by the Mass. DPH and the CDC.
Attached are 2 pertinent articles from the Surgeon General of the U.S.:
- a fact sheet about vaping in youth
- a parent tip sheet for talking to your child about e-cigarettes. that offers further resources.
Medication during the School Day
Please refer to the student handbook or the Health Services website regarding medication to be administered by the school RN during the school day. All prescription medications must be in the original prescription bottle with a written MD order and signed parental consent form. These forms may be downloaded from the website. Students are NOT allowed to carry medication with them during the school day. Please call Ms. Baker at 781-618-7452 or Mrs. Tobin at 781-618-7430 for any questions regarding medication.
Please do not hesitate to call the clinic at any time with any questions/concerns concerning your child’s health- we are here to keep your child healthy!
Athletics - Coach Bob Rodgers
This was a terrific winter for our athletic program as so many of our teams qualified for the tournament and competed at a high level. The boys hockey team, who only four years ago had a one win season, advanced all the way to the sectional semifinals where they lost to one of the best teams in the state on Tuesday night. Despite the loss, we couldn’t be more proud of the way the student athletes and coaches represented Panther nation.
The boys basketball team added more hardware to the trophy case on Saturday night by winning their third south sectional title in the last 5 years. Despite losing on opening night of the season back in early December, the team stayed united and reeled off 22 straight wins to with the Patriot league title and now the sectional championship. Their 24 wins this season ties a school record for wins in a single season by any sports team (the 2016 boys basketball team also won 24). The season continues on Wednesday night at the Boston Garden as the Panthers take on Beverly High School in the Eastern Massachusetts state championship at 7:15pm.
There are fan busses for those who would like to attend. You can click on this link to purchase your tickets. The $25 fee includes the bus and ticket to the game. If you would like to ride the fan bus, please purchase your tickets online at the link below before 10am on Tuesday.
Sports Short Wrap Up 3/2/20 - 3/9/20
There is so much going on with all our athletic teams, but you can catch up on all of it by reading Athletic Director Bob Rodgers' update and watching this weekly round up of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Panthers' athletic teams in action!
Hit subscribe and follow to catch them all!
Contact Us
Email: christopher.jones@whrsd.org
Website: https://www.whrsd.org/our-schools/whrhs
Location: 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 618-7020
Twitter: @DrCSJones