The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
November 21, 2021 - Volume 4 - ISSUE 12
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
November 24-26 – NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Day
November 29 - Winter Sports Start
December 2 - Delayed Opening
December 8 - Career Fair in Library
December 16 - Delayed Opening
December 23-31 - No School - Holiday Break
January 3 - Return from Holiday Recess
January 6 - Delayed Opening
January 17 - No School – Martin Luther King Day
January 20 - Delayed Opening
January 21 - Early Release – Grading Day
January 24 - Quarter 2/Semester 1 Ends
January 25 - Quarter 3/Semester 2 Starts
January 26 - Parent Portal Opens – Quarter 2/Semester 1 Grades
February 2-3 - MCAS Biology Retest
February 3 - Delayed Opening
February 4 - Early Release – Professional Development
February 17 - Delayed Opening
February 21-25 - No School – Winter Break
HELLO CLASS OF 2022 - SENIORS!!!
Your time is now!
ALL SENIOR PORTRAIT IMAGES AND BIOS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 30TH.
The following information is intended to provide answers to any potential questions regarding yearbook. If any more information is necessary please feel free to email us anytime.
- First, if you had/have your portrait taken through Prestige you will need to select one image as your "yearbook pose" from the session as soon as you can access them. Information on how to do so has been included on the appointment cards sent home. Photo packages can be accessed via the Prestige website (https://shop.prestigeportraits.com/shop/home.html)
- Second, Images taken by private photographers should fit the following requirements. Vertical shot, preferably head and shoulders, ¾ view, inside or outside. The image must be at least 300PPI and a minimum of 2” by 3” to meet the resolution required for printing. Portraits should be submitted via the private upload link found on the information page of the yearbook website. (www.whpanthers.wix.com/yearbook) This is the preferred method as it filters directly into our editing software. If need be, there are alternative processes.
SENIOR BIO FORM - https://forms.gle/eRkW8wkFmoxCZvk79
Along with the links to the photo submission the yearbook website also has links to create personalized recognition ads for your parents. The sizes range from ¼ to full page ads, prices vary by size. They can be completed and paid for entirely online. It is also possible to have the ads put together offline, please contact us if that is the best option for you. All proceeds go towards keeping the cost of the book lower for our students and support for our yearbook staff.
If you have any questions or concerns, let contact Mr. Casey or Mrs. Maher.
Thank you for your contributions!
Gift Cards Are Here!
Whitman & Hanson Dollars for Scholars will be processing orders for gift cards this holiday season as part of its fall fundraising drive. Interested individuals will be able to order gift cards from over 300 nationwide merchants. DFS will receive a commission for selling the cards while the recipient will receive the full face value of the gift card.
A Dollars for Scholars representative will be in the Community Room of the Whitman Public Library on Saturday, December 4, from 10AM to 12 Noon and in Training Room of the Hanson Police Station on Sunday, December 5, from 10AM to 12 Noon to answer any questions. Orders may be placed at those times. All gift cards ordered are expected to be delivered by December 11. Payments should be in the form of a check or cash.
Currently, DFS places gift card orders every other month for its board members. Members use the gift cards as gifts for family or friends or toward everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, prescriptions, and restaurants.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit graduating high school seniors in the form of scholarships at the end of the school year. For more information on the gift card ordering program, please contact Mike Ganshirt at 781-252-9683 or visit www.WhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforScholars.org.
Dr. Christopher Jones
Pie Crust Character
Come to find out baking, promises, and building character have something in common.
Our word is the most important thing we have to give. Unfortunately we are sometimes a little quick to give it and not follow through. This is bad when we do it to other people, but even more damaging when we do it to ourselves.
Want to build your character? Don't make any pie crust promises. Have a listen and hear why. Special shout out to my wife for giving me the concept!
Our Story...
Not everyone outside the walls of our awesome school get to see the fantastic things going on each day. This short video is meant to showcase some of the great things occurring at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School during the week!
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
School Counseling - Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
AFL-CIO Scholarship - All graduating seniors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who are seeking a college degree or job training are eligible to compete for the annual Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship. To qualify, students must be a senior in high school, fill out the online application and then take the exam. The exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions and one written essay. Students can register for the exam by visiting www.massaflcio.org/scholarships by Friday, December 17, 2021. This deadline is firm and no late registrations will be accepted. Exams will be administered online during the first week of February.
Career Connections Fair - Our annual Career Connections Fair will be held on Wednesday, December 8th during the 3rd block of the day. We have a great line up of industry professionals representing careers with various degrees of post-secondary training and education. This program will be open to all students in all grades. Some of the professions expected to be represented include: Police, Fire, EMT, Special Agent, Graphic Designer, Auto Business, Vet Tech, Veterinarian, Court Reporter, Engineering, Accounting, Social Worker, Human Services, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, Electrician, Carpenter, Other Trades, Nursing, Entertainment, Sign Language Interpreter, Forensic Science. If you would like to sign up to attend, please follow this link: Career Connections Student Registration
Getting Ready for College - Early College Planning - Our annual Getting Ready for College - Early College Planning workshop will be held virtually from 6:30 - 8:00 PM on Thursday, December 9th. This program is geared toward grade 9 and 10 students and parents and will cover Mass State College/University Admissions Standards, making the most of the high school experience, choosing classes to enhance the college application, Naviance Family Connection for college and career planning, and college admissions and services for students with disabilities. To sign up, please follow this link.
Interested in a career in welding or manufacturing? MassHire Greater Brockton Workforce Investment Board is sponsoring a free training program for graduates and seniors who will be graduating in 2022. The one hundred hour training program starts on November 29, 2021. If you are interested, please contact Raymond Yancy at ryancey@masshiregbwb.org or check out this flyer.
Dual Enrollment at Massasoit Community College - Students interested in taking a Dual Enrollment class at Massasoit Community College in Spring 2022 should check their school email for detailed information. Massasoit Dual Enrollment is open to students age 16 and over. Dual Enrollment gives high school students an opportunity to take college classes and earn both college and high school credit. Information on Spring 2022 classes was shared to student emails on Friday, November 19th. If students have questions, they are welcome to reach out to their counselor.
If you have any questions, please reach out for assistance.
School Counselors:
Mr. Amado
Ms. Rivera (Administrative Assistant)
School Adjustment Counselors:
Mrs. Siden
Ms. Dalton
World Languages & Business - Mrs. Kristen Thomas
Flash Sale shows flashes of brilliance for the Visual Merchandising Class!
Brandweek Sports Marketing Summit
How you feel, tell me you will...
Math - Ms. Deborah Caruso
Calling all Mathletes!
This elite bunch of Mathematicians are well into their 2021-2022 season, but they are always looking for new members. Interested students can inquire about the Math Team by reaching out to Mr. McHugh in-person in room 229 or via email at steven.mchugh@whrsd.org or better yet, stop into a meeting! The Math Team meets every Thursday in room 229 until the end of their season in February.
They just placed 4th at their first meet on November 4 at Bridgewater-Raynham High School. Super mathlete, Celia Goyette earned the highest score for the team. There is still plenty of time to check it out and be part of the next meet on December 2. We hope to see you there!
Social Studies - Mr. Robert Davidson
Book Club!
Department members will meet regularly throughout the year to discuss the book and design lesson plans based on their work.
Fall 2021 – Nurse’s Corner
The indoor mask mandate remains in place for our district even if one is vaccinated. The Delta variant of Covid is active and so we must still take precautions. It is very important NOT to send your child to school sick! This is a good standard in general but especially living in the times of Covid! It remains more important than ever to adhere to the CDC guidelines of: wearing a mask, frequent handwashing, and maintaining social distancing in order to have success. Here is a useful tool that will help you in deciding whether to send your child to school: the Covid 19 Signs and Symptoms Check List.
Please keep your child home if he/she is exhibiting any of the symptoms on the list and if you have any questions -call the school nurse for further assistance. Please be advised that the school nurses must follow the Mass. Department of Public Health Mandates in deciding if your child must go home if he/she is ill during the school day. Please be advised that if it is necessary for your child to be quarantined as a close contact to a positive case that the school MUST adhere to the protocols as defined by the Mass. Department of Public Health. Also, if your child is an athlete and happens to test positive for Covid you must submit a written doctor’s note clearing your child to return to play sports. This is per the MIAA and there will not be any exceptions to this protocol. The school and the school nurses do not have any leeway in state Covid protocols and we are obligated to enforce them.
Please send in to the school nurse any documentation if your child has been vaccinated for Covid-19. There is further information available on Covid19 on our website.
Meningococcal Vaccine Requirement
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is requiring a second dose of the Meningococcal vaccination for all students in the 11th grade. Please send in your child’s documentation of the vaccine into the clinic as soon as possible.
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 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!
Ms. Margaret Baker RN, NCSN
Clinic phone: 781-618-7452
Clinic fax 781-618-7409
Athletics - Mr. Bob Rodgers
Post-Season News!
It was quite a weekend for Whitman Hanson Athletics as the girls soccer team won its first ever state championship by recording a come from behind 3-1 win over Silver Lake.
The Whitman Hanson community packed the Hingham High School stadium and watched our team never give up despite trailing most of the night. With just 11:31 left on the clock W-H senior Olivia Borgen collected the ball off sophomore Makenna Marshall’s corner kick and fired it home to tie the game. Just about 2 minutes later senior captain Ava Melia placed a perfect penalty kick to score what proved to be the game winner. It was fitting that fellow captain Nora Manning capped the night with an insurance goal with less than a minute to play. It was a total team effort with the defense playing sensational.
Head Coach David Floeck learned earlier in the week that he was elected into the Eastern Massachusetts coaches hall of fame.
At Saturday's All-State Cross Country Meet held at the Wrentham Developmental Center the Girls team of Myah Kamperides (20:03), Anna Flynn (20:46), McKenna McCarthy (20:58), Sarah Boulger (22:03), Anne Tilley (22:26), Caroline Poth (22:59) and Paige Reichert (24:51) combined to place 23rd overall in Division 1.
Nathan Tassey was the Panthers only entry in the Boys Division 1 Meet finishing in a time of 16:28 on the 5K course to take 52nd place overall.
Our cheerleading team made us all proud Sunday night claiming second place at the division 2 state championship held at Worcester State! Their mental toughness, athleticism, dedication and hard work is second to none. Thanks to our terrific coaches. Check out this amazing performance!
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCSJones
Twitter: @DrCSJones