The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
April 21, 2019 - Volume 1 - ISSUE 28
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
April 25 - Delayed Opening
April 27 - WH Day of Service
May 6-17 - AP Exams
May 14-16 - Art in Bloom
May 20-23 - Senior Finals
May 21-23 - Early Release for Seniors Only
May 23 - Senior Prom at Venezia, Dorchester
May 27 - No School – Memorial Day
May 28 - Senior Banquet
May 29 - Scholarship Night
May 30 - Community Evening School Graduation 6:00PM in Performing Arts Center
May 31 - WHRHS Graduation 6:00PM in Gymnasium
Superintendent Szymaniak Addresses Questions and Clarifies the Regional Budget Process
Mr. Szymaniak takes this opportunity to mention and begin to explain some of these items in the video below. Take the time to view this video. It's important to understand how your students' education is funded.
Staff Still Ahead of the Students!
College competition may be over, but we enter school vacation with 17 March Madness Ducks still to be found! It appears as if the staff at WHRHS have found (and taken advantage of) some very good hiding spots!
Ms. Kelly Tanis
NHS Helps Local Family!
Upcoming Community Service!
The Whitman-Hanson Day of Service will be held Saturday, April 27. All students, staff, clubs and teams are invited to participate.
As of today, service projects include working with Annie’s Kindness Blankets, Camp Kiwanee, both the Whitman and Hanson food pantries, Green Hanson’s annual Clean Up-Green Up, Whitman Public Library and the Best Buddies 5K.
For more information, please see Kelly Tanis or Ellen Galambos.
The “Final 16” Has Been Announced!
Which book will win? You help decide!
We need you to defend a book at the Summer Reading Smack Down Thursday April 25, 2019
Defend and champion one of these books against its’ opponent!
Requirements:
Read the book
Attend the Summer Reading Smack Down Thursday April 25, 2019
Community Service points will be awarded!
If you would like to participate:
let the library or your ELA teacher know
or
French Honor Society - Ms. Tanis
Attention Parents of the Class of 2019 Graduates!
PET has partnered with Flowers Forever in Whitman to offer Graduation Flower Bouquets for only $20! CLICK HERE to order online at our website
Order online by May 18th and your bouquet will be ready for you to pick up at the door entering the Graduation Ceremony on May 31st. All proceeds go directly to Panther Ed Trust to fund future enrichment programs!
Be Part of the Solution!
If you would you like to get involved with PET, join us at an upcoming meeting:
May 6th and June 3rd at 7:00pm in the High School Library
Thank you for your support!
Follow us on Twitter @PantherEdTrust
Like us on Facebook Panther Ed Trust
Whitman-Hanson WILL
Whitman-Hanson WILL is the local substance use prevention coalition serving students, families and the community at-large. Check out the coalition's past and upcoming events, current substance use trends as well as local resources in the area by clicking on the above logo! Join us at the next community coalition meeting on Thursday, April 25th at 6:30PM at the Whitman Police Department. If you have any questions, please email Gabby Peruccio or call at 508-742-4410.
Dr. Christopher Jones
Just One Act
This week's message is about taking action in the form of helping or serving others and how you personally benefit from those actions.
Some examples offered in the message:
- The Starfish Story. A meaningful life comes from helping those you can when you are able. We are never able to make sure everyone gets our direct help, but it means the world to those who we are able to affect.
- Welcome Sign Wednesday. I was there to put smiles on peoples faces and found that a thoughtful act by a student actually increased how happy I already was that day.
- What is sometimes ordinary for you is often extraordinary for others. Do the things that seem small because they are often a high point in someone's day, week, or month. You never know the magnitude of a thoughtful gesture until you commit one.
These points are only meaningful if you act on them. That's the challenge of this week's message. Increase your positive attitude, gratitude, or expression of thankfulness by making some thoughtful gestures to individuals who may not otherwise expect it from you. Tell people you appreciate them and I guarantee you will elevate yourself.
I talk more about this in the video below. Check it out...
Our Story...
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
Counseling - Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
ASVAB- ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) testing will be offered at Whitman-Hanson on Tuesday, May 14th from 1:45 – 4:30 PM. Students in grades 10 - 12 interested in exploring opportunities in the military are encouraged to check in with Mr. Amado to find out more and to sign up for the test. He can be reached at Domingo.Amado@whrsd.org.
Service Academy Night – Any students interested in attending one of our nation’s service academies are invited to a Service Academy Night on May 3rd at Mass Maritime Academy from 6 – 8 PM. The program will be held in the dining hall. Attendees will learn about the Congressional nomination process, gain insights into the type of candidates sought by the academies, and have a chance to ask questions of service academy graduates. Representatives from all of the major service academies, Mass Maritime Academy, and Norwich University will be in attendance. If you plan on attending the information session, please register by calling Congressman Keating’s Plymouth District Office at 508-746-9000 or email Michael.Jackman@mail.house.gov
If you have questions regarding any of the programs mentioned, please feel free to check in with your child’s school counselor. They are assigned by student's last names:
A-B Mrs. Carrigan
C-F Mrs. Garrett
G-L Mrs. Selig
M-P Mrs. Cunha (Covering for Mrs. Bianco)
Q-Z Mr. Amado
Administrative Assistant Mrs. Getchell
#WHPantherPride
The #WHPantherPride section is filled with shout outs to staff and students here at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. They are our way of recognizing hard work, creative thinking, and characteristics that make us proud to be part of this community. Please contact Dr. Jones if you wish to give a "#WHPantherPride" award to someone!
Therapy Dogs Visit Whitman-Hanson
On April 10th the Therapy Dogs from the Dog B.O.N.E.S. organization visited two of our Special Education Programs. The students enjoyed this experience; they were excited before the visit, asking thoughtful questions about the dogs, the program, and the trainers. After the visit, many students asked when the dogs could return.
Prior to the visit the students learned about one of the first therapy dogs from World War II. A soldier named William Wynne found a Yorkshire Terrier dog abandoned on the battlefield. Doctors ended up using Smoky to help cheer up injured soldiers in the hospital, and Smoky continued to work as a therapy dog in the United States after the war.
Our students appreciated their time with the dogs, and the following are some of their reflections:
“I had so much fun with the dogs! I had a friend go with me because I was scared at first, but I was fine after because I had a good friend with me and the dogs were so nice. I just had so much fun with the dogs!”
“The therapy dogs were awesome and one of the dogs was so hyper. He was funny.”
“I saw three dogs today. Maisie reminded me of my dog Air bud, and he passed away last year, so I liked seeing her. Out of all the dogs Maisie was my favorite and she came up to me and hugged me.”
The therapy dogs visited from the Dog Bones organization. From their website:
Dog B.O.N.E.S.s is an acronym for Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support. Established in June 2002, our primary purpose is to provide well trained, affectionate, obedient, registered and insured therapy dog teams for visitation to nursing facilities, hospitals, rehab centers, schools, libraries, and any other Massachusetts location where they may provide therapeutic contact.
Marine Biology Club - Ms. Courtney Jones
Spring Whale Watch Trip!
The Marine Biology Club is hosting a whale watch on Sunday May 5th, from Plymouth Harbor (Captain John’s). Attendance at this event is not mandated by Whitman Hanson Regional High School and Whitman- Hanson will not be providing transportation or chaperones. Students wishing to attend should sign up with Ms. Jones in room 300. Final payment is due 5/3 so we can provide a head count to the boat operators. Tickets are $21 per person (children under 3 are free) and students are encouraged to bring friends and family members.
Students are required to organize their own transportation to and from the Captain John’s dock in Plymouth (near the rotary by East Bay Grille). The trip runs from approximately 12-4PM, so students should plan to arrive by 11:30AM to obtain their tickets and find a seat on the boat. If you are planning to park, please arrive by 11-11:15 as long term, public parking (over 2 hours) is about a 5-10 minute walk away from the dock.
Please note: this event is not school sponsored; however Ms. Courtney Jones from the science department will be in attendance. Please follow Ms. Jones on Instagram @cvj75 or on Twitter @marinebiorules for updates the day of the trip. If the trip is cancelled due to bad weather, please check those pages for updated information.
There are amenities available on the whale watch boat including: restrooms, a snack bar and a small shop to purchase souvenirs. Those in attendance should plan to bring food/beverages or cash for food and/or souvenirs, hat and sunglasses, warm clothes (it can be 10-15 degrees cooler on the water than on land), sunblock and a camera with extra batteries.
Show Choir - Mr. Donald Legge
Show Choir Earns Silver!
The Whitman-Hanson Show Choir, High Frequency, took home silver at their final competition of the year at Waltham High School! Mr. Legge expressed how "proud of all the accomplishments and improvements these students have made since August when we had our opening Show Choir Camp."
English - Ms. Diogenes
Mrs. Diogenes’ English classes finalized their study of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible with a trip to Salem MA. They visited the Salem Witch Museum as well as the Witch Dungeon. To document their trip they took selfies with a series of scavenger hunt items connected to the text they had read in school. It was a fascinating way to connect the classroom and literature to local history.
Nurse - Mrs. Margaret Baker
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. Vision and hearing screenings are currently in progress!
Flu Information
Flu season is waning but still active! Please Note: There were approximately 80,000 deaths during the 2017-2018 flu season- it is not too late to receive your flu shot for yourself and /or your family! The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. Please contact your child’s physician to schedule a flu shot. Many pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, and Duval’s offer flu shots. The vaccine is free with a copy of your child’s insurance card. Remember- the flu can be deadly!
We all love the coming of spring! However, spring allergies soon appear with increased pollen counts and the blooming of leaves and plants. How can you tell the difference between a common cold and seasonal allergies? Here is a very helpful article to reference which will help you decide: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/10/cold-flu-or-allergy
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 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
The spring season is well underway and all of our teams are showing incredible progress and improvement daily. As a reminder we recommend everyone download the MIAA app for free on your smartphone. We post results, schedule changes and recaps for all varsity events.
The baseball team is living up to all of the preseason expectations. With a veteran pitching staff led by Rian Schwede and Ethan Phelps the Panthers are off to a 4-0 start. Schwede won his second game on the mound in as many tries as he hurled a 1-hitter, and the Panthers beat Scituate on the road, 2-1 over vacation. Phelps went 4 1/3 shutout innings while sophomore Tommy Marshall struck out the final 6 batters as the Panthers beat Cardinal Spellman, 8-0.
The softball team is a great example of a team that plays present and continues to work hard despite a slow start in terms of winning games. The lady Panthers suffered a heartbreaking walk off 8-7 loss at Oliver Ames over vacation. Victoria Ryan led a late game offensive explosion with a 2 run homer. Robin Goyette, Abby Cleary, Annie Cook and Reese Codero all had big rbi hits.
One of the most exciting games of the spring season was turned in by boys lacrosse just before vacation as they slipped past Rockland 8-7 in overtime. Mason Gorman scored the game tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation and then Sean Joanis netted the game winner just seconds into the extra session. Also during vacation, Shane Ross and Ryan Downing paced the offense with 4 goals each as the Panthers took down Cardinal Spellman on the road 12-4. Sean Joanis chimed in with 2 goals and Mason Gorman chipped in with 2 goals as well to the help lead the charge. The Panther defense and goal tending was stellar all afternoon.
Girls lacrosse evened its record at 3-3 with two straight wins. The girls posted an 11-5 road win at Cardinal Spellman in part because WH was strong on ground balls which made a big difference in the game. On offense, there were 8 different scorers, the most in one game this season. Zoe Lydon lead the way with 2G 1A, followed by Brooke Connors 2G, Riley Bina 2G, Katie Mulligan 1G 1A, Emily Berthiaume 1G, Taylor Ross 1G, Sami Whitman 1G, and Emily Phelps 1G.
The track teams competed in the Foxboro Warrior Invitational over vacation. Here are the results:
Pentathlon: 8th place Dyllan Burns
400 Hurdles Shane Schraut 5th
Mile Brandon Hager 6th
110 High Hurdles 14th Vin Mascio
100m Jake Caterer 17th
2 mile Theo Kamperides 5th
4 x 100 4th place
4 x 400 1st place
Long Jump Nic Fernandes 7th
Sports Short Wrap Up!
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