The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
October 11, 2021 - Volume 4 - ISSUE 7
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
October 13 – Grade 12 Credit for Life Fair & Grades 10 & 11 PSAT
October 14 - Delayed Opening
October 19 - Picture Retakes
October 23 - Homecoming Dance
October 26 - Fall Concert
October 28 - Delayed Opening
November 4 - Quarter 1 Ends
November 5 - Early Release (Grading Day)
November 5 - Meet the Teacher Scheduling Opens for Parent-Teacher Conference Appointment Scheduling
November 9 – Parent Portal Opens for Quarter 1 Grades
November 9-10 – MCAS Math Retest
November 10 – Early Release – Parent-Teacher Conferences by appointment only 12-2PM & 6-8PM
November 11 – NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day
November 16-17 – MCAS ELA Retest
November 18 – Delayed Opening
November 24-26 – NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Day
November 29 - Winter Sports Start
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!
Taste Test!
On Monday October 25th, we will be hosting a taste test with COCOVIBE during all lunches!
COCOVIBE is an organic electrolyte drink. It comes in 5 flavors: Plain coconut water, or coconut water with either apple, passion fruit, pineapple, raspberry, and watermelon. We hope you stop by for some samples and let us know what you think.
To learn more about COCOVIBE, please visit their website!
Dr. Christopher Jones
The Magic of Do-Overs
Remember those days of calling a do-over when something didn't go your way? What about those trips to the beach where you spent time making a sand castle only to fight the incoming tide and watch it all wiped away? we returned to do the very same thing.
Why is it that as we grow older we grow increasingly defeated in the face of being told or exposed to the fact that we need to do something over? Instead of accepting the idea with the perspective that we now have a chance to do it better than before or realize that we should have been focusing on something else, we get angry and feel defeated.
Here's the challenge. Next time you need to start from the beginning because of a failure of an unfortunate incident; see it as a time to get better, realign your focus with your values, or discover you are able to persevere more than you originally thought. Embrace the magic and the promise of opportunity the way you did when you were younger instead of being jaded by focusing on the negative and what has been lost.
I explain more in the video below. I would love to hear your thoughts. If you found any value in this video share it and hit subscribe to get each one as they come out.
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
PSAT on Wednesday - The PSAT will be administered to students in grades 10 and 11 on Wednesday. Students are reminded to bring a calculator and a #2 pencil with them to testing. Students can find their PSAT room assignment on their schedule in the Infinite Campus App. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be powered off and stored away during testing.
Credit for Life Fair on Wednesday - The Credit for Life Fair will be held on Wednesday for members of the senior class. Thanks to the many community sponsors and parent volunteers who will be helping out at this program where students learn the real-life budgeting and money management skills they will use throughout their lifetime.
Important Info for Seniors Apply Early Action/Early Decision: : If you are planning on applying to college Early Decision (binding) or Early Action (not binding), your pink transcript request form plus $3 per school is due to School Counseling by Friday, October 15th. This allows time for your counselor to prepare all necessary materials to submit on your behalf (i.e. Secondary School Report, Transcript, Recommendation, etc.). This does NOT mean you have to submit your application or must have teacher recommendations by Oct. 15th, that should be completed by your official deadline (i.e. November 1st or 15th), it is ONLY the deadline to submit the pink sheet to your school counselor. You can find your pink sheet in the red folder given to you earlier in the year during counselor presentations in English class. We also have extra copies in the School Counseling Office.
Common App Wednesdays - Seniors, do you need help getting your Common App started or completed? “Common App Wednesdays” will run through the end of October. Come on down to the School Counseling Office during an academic seminar for assistance. If you need help at another time, please reach out to your school counselor to set up a Common App Help session.
Career Connections Fair - We are currently in the midst of planning our annual Career Connections Fair that is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, December 8, 2021 Do you have an interesting career that you would like to share? If yes, please reach out to our school counselor interns at Matthew.Weddleton@whrsd.org or Laura.Harvey@whrsd.org. This is always a great event, and we welcome community and parent support.
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.
It’s FAFSA Time! Senior parents, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened on October 1, 2021. if you need assistance completing the FAFSA, we encourage you to seek assistance from the following organizations:
MEFA - Go to MEFA.org and look under the events tab for College Financing Workshops and the FAFSA Festival. At the Virtual FAFSA Festival on Monday, October 18 from 4 - 8 PM financial aid experts will be available in breakout rooms to help families complete their FAFSA forms.
Mass Edco - Mass Edco in Brockton is hosting virtual FAFSA Completion Sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings in October and several dates in November. Follow this link to sign up and to check availability..
Attention AP Students/Parents - AP Exam Registration/Payment forms have been shared with students taking AP classes . Forms and payment (either full payment or minimum $40 deposit per exam) are due on October 29, 2021. All checks should be made payable to WHRHS. If you need a copy of the form, follow this link . Students may also pick up a copy of the form in the school counseling office.
Panther Pathways Visits - WHRHS is hosting a series of in-person visits this fall to help students with post-secondary planning. All visits will be held in the School Counseling Office at 1:45 pm on the days indicated. If your student would like to sign up, please follow the links below:
10/12/2021 at 1:45 PM Salve Regina University
10/13/2021 at 1:45 PM Regis College
10/14/2021 at 1:45 PM UMass Lowell
10/18/2021 at 1:45 PM St. Anselm College
10/19/2021 at 1:45 PM Bryant University
10/20/2021 at 1:45 PM Merrimack College
10/25/2021 at 1:45 PM Western New England University
10/26/2021 at 1:45 PM Suffolk University
10/27/2021 at 1:45 PM Bentley University
10/28/2021 at 1:45 PM Wheaton College
11/02/2021 at 1:45 PM University of Maine
11/03/2021 at 1:45pm Plymouth State University
11/04/2021 at 1:45 PM Curry College
11/17/2021 at 1:45pm Massachusetts Maritime Academy
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
Math - Ms. Deborah Caruso
Coding with Khan!
Mr. Fondoulis’ AP Computer Science students are applying different coding techniques learned in class to create detailed animated scenes for their most recent project. Students use a free online platform called Khan Academy to practice coding and create all kinds of programs. If you have ever wanted to learn to code, these Khan Academy activities are the perfect place for beginners, too! Here's a quick run-down of how you can learn coding using Khan Academy:
- Learn new concepts using a talk-through, which is like a video but more interactive.
- Do step-by-step challenges to practice newly learned concepts.
- Finally, work on a project where you can get more practice and be more creative with the skills you've learned.
You don't need to download anything because the coding editor is embedded right in the website. You'll see it used in the talk-through and use it yourself in the challenges.
Check out the class here: https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming
World language & Business - Mrs. Kristen Thomas
Characters with Character
DO I HAVE THE RIGHT: Business Law explores Bill of Rights
In Mr. DeSantes’ Business Law course, to enhance their understanding of civil law, students were introduced to a supporting curricular platform called iCivics. iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to “ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government.” Through the support of national sponsorships, we have access to the lessons and technology at no charge! Recently, the students competed in an online competition called DO I HAVE THE RIGHT in which each member of the class tested their knowledge on the Bill of Rights - and how civil court cases are impacted by these first ten amendments to the US Constitution.
Congratulations to our winner, senior Jack Carron, for accumulating the highest score based on the number of court cases in which he prevailed!!!
We will continue to engage in iCivics this month as we study the structure of our federal, state, and local court systems. Stay tuned!
Social Studies - Mr. Bob Davidson
Debate, Mapwork, and Investigations Rule the Day
Whitman-Hanson students have been active in the History Department
Mr. Dunn’s AP European History class recently had a debate on whether or not the Renaissance was truly a dramatic break from the Middle Ages.
As part of a study on the Reformation, Modern World History students had to find and map local Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican churches in order to see how common they still are.
Fall 2021 – Nurse’s Corner
Welcome back to school! We are excited to be back to full in-person learning and happy to see all our students back in the building every day.
However, there is still an indoor mask mandate 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
For our fall athletes, this season the MIAA is introducing a statewide playoff format which will seed teams with a new power rating. If you follow us on Twitter @whathletics you will not be surprised to know that I do not support this change. There are many reasons for my objections but the biggest of which is the sole reliance on margin of victory as its rating tool. This why you may see some strange substitute patterns and play calling at the end of games. You can see the rankings at www.MIAA.net . There is a link at the top of the screen. Please be reminded though that the schedules are no longer found on that site. Instead you can find those at www.arbiterlive.com .
Finally, I want to say thank you to parents and students who have listened to our pleas for better sportsmanship in the stands. With only a couple of exceptions, this fall has been quite encouraging. There are many reasons to show restraint when our teams face adversity or a bad call. People who yell at the officials usually embarrass their children, create an uncomfortable environment for others in the stands and give the game officials reason to find something better to do with their time. It is becoming increasingly difficult to retain and attract officials which has literally led to game cancellations. So again, we thank those of you who have embraced our sportsmanship initiative.
Now let’s, check in on all of our teams -
The Whitman-Hanson Field Hockey Panthers beat the Hanover Hawks for the first time ever recording a 1-0 win. The game was a defensive contest. Both clubs were tilting the field in their respective offensive directions throughout the first three quarters, but neither team was able to come up with a goal. The Panthers were able to break the tie midway through the fourth. Senior Captain forward Olivia Phelps carried the ball deep into the offensive zone having deked several Hanover players to find Senior Lauren Dunn who provided the finisher. Panther goal tender Ryan LaBonte records his first win and shutout of the season with an outstanding effort in net. The Panthers will travel next to Plymouth North to face the Eagles on Wednesday (this game time has changed to 5pm due to the lack of bus drivers after school).
The WH Golf Squad recorded two wins this week to improve to 4-10 on the season, defeating the Plymouth North Blue Eagles 211-213 and the Silver Lake Lakers, 266-275. In Friday’s win the captains helped to dig this one out, with Pat McBroom shooting the low round of the day with a 1 over 31, Chris Ross turning in a 4 over par, 34, and Matt Casarano carding a 6 over par, 36. Senior Cam Murray and freshman Cooper Britton both both shot 7 over on the day to help earn the close win. This was a big revenge match for the Panthers, as they previously lost at their home course a couple weeks back. The team is excited to enter the long weekend with only two matches left, beginning on Tuesday against Duxbury at the Yacht Club.
The boys soccer team picked a fine time for their first win of the season winning on senior night Friday, 4-2 over Plymouth South. Seniors Jack Allen and Jayden Stafford both scored a pair of goals while fellow seniors Adam Sousa and Sean McAlpine picked up assists. Seniors Ethan Smith and Jacob Donovan anchored a strong defensive effort. To see the entire tribute to our senior soccer players, click here https://youtu.be/_uXD1KRrRjI
The girls soccer team had an explosive win on Friday recording a 6-1 road victory at Plymouth South improving to 9-2-1. Liv Borgen paced the Panthers with 3 goals while Madeline Fitzgerald, Nora Manning and Kayla Cassidy each had solo tallies. Ava Melia, Makenna Marshall and Lauryn Fostello all turned in strong performances. Ava Patete picked up the win in net for the Panthers.
The volleyball team lost 2 of 3 this week but in their loss at Duxbury the Panthers became the first team this year to take a set from the Dragons. Earlier in the week, the Panthers beat Pembroke 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-6, 28-26). Senior Captain Abby Martin led the team in kills with 12 and total blocks with 8. Fellow Senior Captain Lily Welch led the team in digs with 20 and aces, 6. Freshman Caroline Gray tallied 38 assists, a season high. Other top performers were Senior Captain Meg Stone with 7 kills and 5 total blocks and Senior Anna Stone with 5 kills. The Panthers are now 6-5 in the league and 7-5 overall.
Whitman-Hanson Boys Cross Country (3-2) dropped its meet at Hingham Tuesday afternoon 20-36. The Panthers Senior Captain Nathan Tassey covered the 2.98 Mile course in 15:49, but Hingham placed the next five runners for the win. Sophomore Logan Bourgelas (7th, 16:55), Senior Gordon Johnson (8th, 17:10), Sophomore Alex Keheyias (9th, 17:37) and Sophomore Ryan Crowley (11th, 17:40) closed out the scoring for Whitman-Hanson.
Whitman-Hanson Girls Cross Country (2-3) fell to Hingham 23-38 Tuesday in Hingham. Senior Captain Myah Kamperides finished 2nd overall for the Panthers in 19:54, with Freshman Adriana Kelly placing 3rd in 20:21. Seniors Sarah Boulger, Erin Kelly and Anna Flynn ran well for the Panthers in the loss.
The football team battled to the final play of the game Friday at Silver Lake before being stopped on the goal line with 6 seconds left resulting in a 13-6 loss. Offensively the Panthers were led by senior Jake Guiliani who rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown, senior Collin Briggs who caught 4 passes for 60 yards, and junior quarterback Cam Burrows who was 10/16 passing for 115 yards. Defensively, the linebacker combination of Guiliani and junior Evan Casey combined for 15 tackles and senior Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder finished with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Junior Sam Pace had an interception.
Our cheerleading team has been hard at work preparing for the competition season which is just around the corner. The team will open at Duxbury on October 23rd and then compete every week the rest of the fall.
Here is a look at what is ahead this week:
Sports Short Round Up 10/4/21 - 10/10/21
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