PGHS Newsletter
3-7-17
PGHS Wins Academic Competition
Under the leadership of Mr. Christ, the Quiz Bowl team won our league title with a 12-3 record. We competed over a five week season and compiled a 4-1 record against each team. The final matches of the season were highlighted by a sudden death win over Spring Ford, and a come from behind ten point win against Pope John Paul. The team was led by seniors Nathan Smith, Michael Neeson, Brett Lockey and Nathaniel Yuchimiuk. Upcoming matches are March 1, 2017 against the Pottsgrove faculty, and Friday March 10, 2017 in the Montgomery County Academic Challenge Competition. Below are the members.
Seniors:
Liam Bradley
Garion Coddington
David Dzordzorme
Jasmine Hughes
Brett Lockey
Michael Neeson
Nathan Smith
Nathaniel Yuchimiuk
Juniors:
Cole Goldcamp
Lucas Stehle
Alex Ziemba
Sophomores:
Fox Coniglario
Ben McDonald
Molly Neeson
Josiah Thieme
Freshmen:
Trent Huber
Simon Lapic
David Rabinowitz
Congrats to Our Athletes - They Will Be Featured in an Upcoming Newsletter
Swimming - District Swim Meet:
Boys’ Medley Relay: 4th place –Mikey Prior, Dustin Schreiber, Patrick Agnew, Eli Eisenhower
200 IM: 1st place, Mikey Prior
50 Free: 1st place, Patrick Agnew
Boys’ 200 Free relay: 6th place—Mikey Prior, Dustin Schreiber, Eli Eisenhower, Patrick Agnew
PGHS Art Students Showcase Their Work
Putnam County Spelling Bee Poster and Cast Below
Counseling Corner - Failure, Disappointment, Setback, a Failing Grade
Failure, Disappointment, Setback, a Failing Grade
Failure, disappointment, setback, and failing grades are necessary for your child before they graduate high school. What? No, this will not work for my child.
Ok, let’s dial it back a little. Rather than failure, how about mistakes, slip-ups or letdowns? Shouldn’t all children understand how to grow from mistakes? How to change course based on a letdown? Or how to recover from a slip-up? If we, as parents, are always there to fight our children’s case when he/she works hard and still doesn’t start on the team or maybe studies all night and still fails. How will they learn? Whatever the term you are comfortable with, failure or slip-ups, teens need to experience failure to learn how to grow and gain valuable skills.
Here are 8 qualities your teen can learn from failure with your guidance as discussed in Dr. Ken Ginsburg’s book Raising Kids to Thrive Balancing Love with Expectations and Protection with Trust:
1. STRETCH – When teens set goals they are confident they can achieve, they never learn to stretch. When a teen fails, he or she is learning to STRETCH his/her own abilities to reach his/her full potential.
2. EXPERIENCE – “When we live within the confines of a box of our own making, we may never learn what exists just outside of its walls. When our fear of failure prevents us from testing our limits and therefore fully experiencing life, we are diminished.”
3. STICK TO IT – “Tenacity and grit are core character ingredients of a person destined for success. By its very definition, tenacity is about maintaining determination, even amidst disappointment, failure, recrimination.”
4. THINKING – “When we [parents] focus on their [teens] results or performance, they tend to fear not producing…On the other hand, when we focus on kids efforts’ and the process by which they learn, they are more likely to go to their limits and beyond.”
5. FEEL – “It is life’s up and downs that build our compassion, empathy and emotional resilience. Could you truly experience life’s joys to the fullest without also knowing some of its misfortunes?”
6. BOUNCE – “Resilience [or bounce] is about being able to recover from life’s adversity, bouncing back even when life brings you down…Resilience is not an inborn trait; it is developed in response to life’s circumstances.”
7. RELATE – “Childhood squabbles are about learning to negotiate and self-advocate… As much as it is painful to watch our children be unhappy, when we jump in to fix their social mishaps we deprive them of the opportunity to gain critical interpersonal knowledge.”
8. SUCCEED – “They [our teens] have to lead with their strengths not allow limitations to hold them back…Protecting them from the self-awareness of their very real strong points and weaknesses prevents them from achieving success.”
“So when do you step in?…If it involves safety, you do not allow a mistake. If it treads on immorality, you do not allow a misadventure. If it could cause irreparable harm, you work to prevent permanent damage.”
As painful as it is to see our children struggle, we must let them learn to test their strengths and weaknesses, to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and to ascertain how to deal with the pain and failure and how to bounce back to become thoughtful, caring and resilient adults.
Important Updates
Course Selection - This month is Course Selection month. Please talk with your son/daughter about their courses for next school year. If we can help or support you and your son/daughter in any way, please contact us. Our School Counselors and Principal Team is ready and willing to support you.
Falcon Feedback -03/10/17 - Friday - Student Forum (Falcon Feedback) with Dr. Ziegler - 16 Students are selected randomly (4 from each grade) to provide feedback to the Principal Team.
Parking - Please park in a parking space when coming to the HS. Please do not park along the curb at the entrance of the building and gymnasium.
Senior Class - Time to purchase your cap/gowns - Please go to this link to purchase your cap/gown: http://www.studentservicesco.com/store.php?crn=121
Principal/Student Advisory Council - The Principal Team is looking for 10-20 students who are interested in serving on a Principal/Student Advisory Council - Please email Dr. Ziegler at wziegler@pgsd.org or message him on Twitter at @pghsnews if you are interested. This council is designed to hear from the students on how we can make Pottsgrove High School the best it can be.
Student Directed Play Application
Student Directed Play 2017
The Student Directed Play has become a positive tradition at PGHS which aligns with our No Place for Hate Certification. The goal of this play is to provide students an opportunity to write a play that is performed in front of the student body and community which aligns to the principles of No Place for Hate at Pottsgrove High School. You can learn more about No Place for Hate at http://philadelphia.adl.org/noplaceforhate/?_ga=1.227854105.568963848.1467914800
2017 Topic or Area of Focus for the Play - Race
Students must complete the application by April 1, 2017. All applications must include a link to the full transcript of the play. This should be done by writing or uploading the transcript into Google Docs. At least two teachers must preview your work before submitting it and you must share the names of the teachers who reviewed the play at the top of the script.
Once submitted, a panel of educators will review your work, select the play, and notify applicants.
Application: CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION
Play Performance will be in April or May 2017
MCCC Placement Testing Held at PGHS
MCCC Placement Testing
Placement Testing will be offered for seniors who plan to attend MCCC after high school (or for underclassmen taking Dual Enrollment at MCCC Campus in the fall).
Testing will be held in the Library Classroom on Monday, March 20th, 2017 at either 8am or 10:45am (choose time at sign-up).
You must sign up in the School Counseling Office by Friday, March 10th. When you sign up, pick up directions for MCCC application, Test Prep, and Test Exemptions.
See Mr. Petrella in Guidance, or email with questions to dpetrella@pgsd.org.
PGHS Athletes Participate in Read Across America - See pictures below
ACE Mentoring
Are you interested in Engineering, Architecture, or Construction?
ACE Mentoring is an opportunity for students to learn from professional engineers and architects about these in-demand fields.
Meet with Engineering Mentors on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month 4-6 PM in PGHS Engineering Area (Room 420) from November 1st through early May.
Work with Engineering Mentors on actual construction projects!
Scholarship money for college may be available.
See Mr. Petrella in Navigation Center to sign up or ask questions.
Athletic Falcon Happenings
For the week of March 6 - 11, 2017
- Monday - First day of Spring Season
- Tuesday- Practices for Spring Sports
- Wednesday - Practices for Spring Sports
- Thursday - Practices for Spring Sports
- Friday - Practices for Spring Sports
- Saturday - Practices for Spring Sports
MCCC Dual Enrollment
What is MCCC Dual Enrollment Program?
The MCCC Dual Enrollment Program is the opportunity for a high school student to take a college course and earn credit for both high school and college.
Who is eligible?
Students must be at least 15 years old and in good academic standing.
What kinds of courses can a student take?
There are two methods that students can use for Dual Enrollment:
1. Take a college course on MCCC campus or on line.
a. Students can take partial or full-time course load at MCCC Pottstown campus and work with their school counselor to create a high school schedule that fits their needs.
b. PGHS will provide transportation for an 8AM class on MWF and return students to PGHS for 3rd period.
i. Courses offered in 2017-18:
1. Intro to Psychology (Fall)
2. Personality (Spring)
3. Intro to Criminal Justice (Fall)
4. Criminal Investigation (Spring)
5. Working with Special Needs Students (Fall – Education]
6. Educational Psychology [Spring]
7. Any other 8AM course approved by PGHS admin
2. Earn college credit by taking certain PGHS courses taught by certified
High School faculty.
a. AP English Literature (seniors) awards 6 MCCC credits English Comp 101 Comp 102 with “C” or better.
b. History of Western Civilization awards 6 MCCC credits History of Western Civ 101 and 102 with “C” or better.
c. Spanish 3 and 4 awards 6 MCCC credits each of Spanish 101 and 102 (Spanish 3) and Spanish 201 and 202 (Spanish 4) with “C” or better
d. AP Environmental Science awards 3 MCCC credits of Environmental Science with “C” or better
e. Forensic Science awards 4 MCCC credits of Criminal Forensics with a “C” or better
f. AP Spanish awards 6 MCCC credits of Spanish 215 and 216 with a “C” or better
g. Many Western Center technical areas offer Dual Credit.
Montgomery County Community College Dual Enrollment
How much does this cost?
Tuition, books, and fees are the responsibility of the student and family, and are paid to MCCC directly. Money does not go through PGHS.
· Costs for courses taught by MCCC faculty are currently $187 per credit, so a three-credit course is $561. Textbooks may cost additional money.
· Costs for courses taught by PGHS faculty are $62 per credit in 2015-16, so a three-credit course is $187 (Four-credit courses like Criminal Forensics are still $187).
How about transportation to MCCC campus?
Transportation to MCCC campus is usually the responsibility of the student and family. However, PGHS provides transportation for the MWF 8AM courses when PGHS is in session.
Do MCCC credits transfer to 4-year colleges and universities?
Often times they do, but it depends on the university policy. The best bet is to check with the admissions office of a prospective college or the mc3.edu website. Many colleges do accept MCCC credit, which can save a student a lot of money and time later.
How does a student sign up?
1. Talk with parents and school counselor to make sure MCCC Dual Enrollment is a good choice for the student.
2. Complete MCCC Dual Enrollment Application found at www.mc3.edu/deap.
3. Take MCCC Placement Testing if necessary.
4. Complete MCCC course registration form found in guidance or on Family Connection (needs School Counselor approval and signature).
5. Pay MCCC directly upon receipt of bill.
**If Placement Test results indicate that a student must take MCCC Developmental courses, the student may not be granted college credit for those courses, but upon completion of the remedial courses, may receive high school credit if approved by Pottsgrove HS administration.
**MCCC faculty members are supervised and evaluated by the college. Pottsgrove School District is not a direct supervisor of MCCC faculty. PGSD will communicate with MCCC and advocate for each Pottsgrove dual-enrollment student.
If you have questions about MCCC Dual Enrollment, you may contact your PGHS School Counselor or:
Sheri Taylor-Mearhoff, MCCC Dual Enrollment Coordinator
610-718-1953 or cmearhof@mc3.edu
Mark Your Calendars
03/08/17 - Booster Club Meeting - Library - 7pm
03/09/17 - Recreation Board - Library - 7pm
03/10/17 - Coffee House - Cafeteria -7pm
03/14/17 - Operations/Facilities Committee Meeting - LGI - 6:30pm
03/14/17 - Board Meeting - LGI - 7:30pm
03/20/17 - PTSA Meeting - Library - 7:30pm
03/28/17 - Policy Committee Meeting - LGI - 6:30pm
03/28/17 - Board Meeting - LGI - 7:30pm
3/30/17 -HS Musical - Auditorium - 7pm
03/31/17 - HS Musical - Auditorium - 7pm
04/01/17 - HS Musical - Auditorium - 7pm