Carver Chronicles
A weekly newsletter that celebrates CMHS students and staff
The Carver Chronicles is a newsletter designed to share and celebrate all of the great learning activities, extra-curricular events and awesome accomplishments that happen every day at Carver Middle High School!
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Carver Middle High School students, staff, clubs and events!
5 Things you may not know about...Mr. Knief
- He was born in New York City
- He coached basketball and tennis at CMHS
- He is 6’ 4’’ - my current height - when I entered 9th grade
- He has 4 kids ages 22, 20, 15 and 11
- He and his wife, Lisa started dating in their senior year of high school
High School Student Spotlight: Charlotte Gedraitis
Name: Charlotte Gedraitis
- Grade: 11
- Favorite subject: English
- Favorite color: Pink
- Favorite movie: The Princess Bride
- Favorite pastimes: Drama club, reading, singing, writing, seeing friends
- Achievements: Charlotte is a lead in the school Musical “Mamma Mia” this year, last year she won the Mary MacNeil writing award, Charlotte joined NHS this year
- Fun facts: Charlotte has had a pet frog since she was in third grade, She moved to Carver from Wareham when she was ten, she has twice donated her hair to “Locks of Love”
Middle School Student Spotlight - Marissa Gallego
- Name: Marissa Gallego
- Grade: 7
- Favorite Class: English
- Favorite Athlete: Misty Copeland
- Favorite Color: Yellow
- Favorite Movie: My Girl
- Hobbies: Competitive dance, drawing, roller-blading, and tumbling
- Career Goal: Broadway dancer or nurse
- Accomplishments: Dancing in Disney, 10 years of dancing so far, singing a solo at theater camp
- Pets: a dog named Sassy and a cat Simba
MAMMA MIA
The cast of Mamma Mia cannot wait to share the fun and happiness of this musical with all of you as soon as they are able! It will be a great way to celebrate all of us being back together! Thank you for the music!
CRUSADERS IN (AND OUT OF) THE CLASSROOM
Here are some of the spring decorations for the Council on Aging/Meals on Wheels project the students in GAP have completed just waiting to be delivered when everything is back to normal.
The Dragon Team 6th graders are learning about circles. We visited a virtual art museum to learn how circles are used in Islamic Art and then created our own versions.
Ms. V's students were challenged to apply the Pythagorean Theorem in real life. Students engaged in an extra credit assignment where they measured their backyard and calculated how long a fence would be if they built one diagonally across it.
April is Autism Awareness Month
Join the Student Outreach Group in making 2020 a year full of kindness. Together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world.
Take the #kindnesscounts challenge
Be an influencer of kindness by leading by example and spreading positivity to your followers. A poll on Autism Speaks social media pages showed that 90 percent of people on the spectrum and their loved ones said they experienced bullying or negativity.
How to take the challenge:
Write or film a kind and uplifting message to your followers on social media. There is no wrong way to be kind, make the challenge your own.
Post it and tag @autismspeaks and three of your friends and nominate them to post kind messages of their own.
Watch the kindness and positivity that you sparked, spread!
The goal of the #KindnessCounts challenge is to make our online and offline worlds kinder and more inclusive and to increase acceptance of autistic people and their families. Any acts of kindness, big or small, can make an impact in the lives of others.
With all of his new found time, John Dishaw has started drawing again!
Ms. Bishop and Ms. Wilson went on a beautiful walk!
Don’t worry, they are roommates that’s why they don’t have to social distance!
Adventures with Mr. Wechter
Taking care of his 2 chickens named Cora and Xander
Doing puzzles
Catching up on some reading
Organizing his clothes
Painting a tablPLaying with Legos
Happy National Assitant Principal's Week to Mrs. Cabral and Mr. Martin!
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Juniors: it's time to get creative with some...@-HOME COMMUNITY SERVICE IDEAS! bit.ly/2Jh10gm
LIBRARY UPDATES
CMHS Virtual Library is Open!
Mrs. Bertram has added a couple of new resources to the
Staff and students have access to new databases/video streaming from Infobase until May 24.
New: American History, Science Online, World Geo & Culture, Health Reference Center, Bloom's Literature, The World Almanac, Classroom Video On Demand: Master Collection, Chelsea House Biographies: here is a link to all.
Username: Carver HS Password: facts
HELPFUL RESOURCES
The following link has useful information for a variety of distance learning platforms.
Read, walk outside, Facetime or chat with friends and family, catch up on some overdue school work, watch a good movie, binge your favorite Netflix show, play videos games with friends online, take virtual classes, board games, exercise.
Check out some of these resources:
https://www.netflixparty.com/ -- a group of people can watch a moving together from afar
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflNxNM0jzbZJjUqOcXkwhGTfii4CM_CA3kCxImbY8c3AABEA/formResponse -- Hogwarts Digital Escape room
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours - virtual museum tours
https://triblive.com/lifestyles/more-lifestyles/bored-kids-can-take-a-virtual-field-trip-via-zoo-websites/- virtual Zoo
One of many sample home-school schedules
Modify as appropriate for your needs BUT STICK TO A SCHEDULE!
As you are home and wondering what to do about this whole learning thing.
Here are some family games and the actual educational basis for them:
Blurt- Self- Control, metacognition, word recall
Scrabble- spelling, planning, organization
Monopoly- money management, life skills
Pictionary- flexibility, time-management, nonverbal communication, creativity
Distraction- working memory, attention, self-control
5 Second Rule- time management, word recall, task initiation, categorization
Freeze- Self-control, attention
Jenga (can be paired with many other tasks)- self- control, flexibility, planning
Cranium- teamwork, nonverbal communication, problem solving, creativity, flexibility, self-control, vocabulary, spelling, etc.
Chess- planning, flexibility, working memory
Uno- coordination, colors, sequencing, flexibility
Any Trivia (jeopardy, trivial pursuit, etc)- comprehension, recall, flexibility, etc.
Many games we have on our shelves promote social language and competencies as well as promoting many necessary skills.
EVEN VIDEO GAMES (YES I SAID IT!) however, there may be times that we as parents NEED to have some discussion about safety and specifically teach/enforce some of these skills for those who do not possess them innately.
Let me know if you have any questions!!
Mrs. Townsend Speech Language Pathologist
I wanted to reach out to all of you and offer some suggestions for the coming weeks. I know that this is a very uncertain time where changes are happening daily and that uncertainty can cause some of us to feel distressed. Couple that with the suggestion of social distancing and we may also end up feeling isolated and sad to be cut off from our friends and other outside supports. I wanted to offer a way to try to combat those feelings and keep you all in a positive place. Here are a few tips:
Keep to a routine. Especially try to keep to a school/work sleep schedule full of great sleep hygiene. Take a shower or wash up every day. Get dressed every day. I love an all day PJ day every once in a while but I think that the daily act of getting up and getting ready most days can go a long way in positively impacting your mental health. It is a very small basic form of self care that can make you feel better and more productive each day. I think those small things will really add up in the coming weeks.
Keep in contact with outside providers and try to keep appointments for mental health. If you aren't able to go to their office, ask if they can do a telehealth or zoom video conference with you. As I stated before, this feeling of uncertainty may cause some of you to feel anxious and that is perfectly normal! However, I want to make sure that you are talking through those thoughts with someone in a healthy way so that they aren’t taking over.
Be mindful of media intake; temporarily limit exposure to sources that increase anxiety, depression, loneliness, fear, and anger and stick to content that helps you feel hopeful, happy, calm, connected, inspired and uplifted.
Try to spend some time outdoors. Spending time outdoors has been proven to boost mental health and overall feelings of happiness. Going for a walk outdoors can further boost your mood by releasing endorphins and serotonin. And if it’s a sunny day the Vitamin D that you would get will reduce stress, help to regulate your internal clock, and increase your energy levels. Just getting outside can help to ward off the cabin fever that you may be experiencing during social distancing.
Take the time to get caught up. If you're behind, chip away at some outstanding assignments. It will help you keep from getting bored, can serve as a distraction, and will reduce long term stress. If you have a question about make-up work, let us know. Also, if you have online courses you may use this time to get caught up on those as well.
Stay connected. Genuinely connected. Have real phone conversations, write letters/cards, play board games with your family, spend time physically near other humans (if safe to do so) and animals and reach out to friends and loved ones via facetime or other video platforms that feature more authentic 1-1 connection.
Mrs. Charbonneau
EXTRA-CURRICULAR CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
This week Best Buddies members had their first virtual meeting. It was great to see everyone and check in. We even played virtual Charades. Members be sure to check our new google classroom for activities and details for our next virtual meeting!!
STUDENT COUNCIL
CARING CRUSADERS
Congratulations to Siobhan Mulready for desiging the concept for the new Sticker Shock 2020 Campaign. Siobhan's design has been made into a window cling that will be placed in all liquor stores in Carver as a reminder of the dangers and consequences of buying alcohol for minors and underage drinking.
ATHLETICS
While we are all disappointed at not being able to cheer on the Carver Unified Track and Field this year, we are happy to share memories from the last few years. We especially want to thank our seniors, Captain Jake Cotter, Hayden Roche and Andrew Walker for their years of great sportsmanship, athleticism and leadership! We hope to have a wonderful celebration this summer for all our Unified athletes... but for now, we hope you enjoy these memories:
NURSE'S OFFICE
10 TIPS TO SURVIVE SOCIAL DISTANCING
1. Establish a Routine – Set regular times for schoolwork, sleep, meals, etc. Routines establish healthy habits, boost our focus & self-discipline, and help us feel more in control.
2. Exercise - Regular exercise relieves stress, improves mood, and promotes overall better health.
3. Get Outdoors – So the weather isn’t great, but get outside even if for only a short time each day. Fresh air helps clear the mind, clear the lungs, and can strengthen the immune system.
4. Set a Small Goal Each Day - Focus on what you can do today. Achieving small goals helps build confidence, gain momentum, and increases motivation for what comes next.
5. Socialize (from a distance) - Reaching out to friends and family regularly on the phone and online will help prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation - for you and those you reach out to.
6. Find a New Hobby (or Revive an Old One) - Now is your chance to try some new recipes, create or build something, start that scrapbook, practice or learn a new instrument, tackle that 1000 piece
.puzzle, etc. Spending time on an activity you enjoy clears your mind, lowers stress, and improves overall mental health.
7. Enjoy Time with Your Family - Have family dinners, watch movies and play games together, use this forced slowdown as an opportunity to reconnect.
For Parents:
8. Take a Break from the News - especially when the kids are watching. Get current information from reliable sources and help interpret this information for your kids, at age-appropriate levels.
9. Be Flexible - Rules and guidelines that were in place before, such as restrictions on screen time, may need to be changed. Talk to your kids and work together to establish rules that work during this increased time at home.
10. Take Time for Yourself - Kids will struggle if they see their adults struggle; they feel our stress. Use the above suggestions to find a healthy outlet to relieve your own stress or anxiety. Before trying to help everyone else, please take time to be kind to yourself.
COUNSELING CORNER
Attention SENIORS!
This time at home is a great opportunity to continue to fill out scholarship applications. College is expensive so take advantage of FREE money! Check Jupiter Ed email for instructions from Mrs. McKenna and Mrs. Nolan to navigate Naviance for Scholarships.
Attention JUNIORS!
Take this time to continue searching for the perfect college and/or career! Check Jupiter Ed email for college search links and resources!
ALL STUDENTS!
Take advantage of any online learning opportunities from teachers. This is a great time for educational enrichment in all subject areas. Check Jupiter Ed, check Google Classroom, read books, write in a journal, practice your skills!
Carver Middle High School
Email: martinm@carver.org
Website: www.carver.org
Location: 60 South Meadow Road, Carver, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 866-6130
Twitter: @CarverMHSPrinc