Plymouth Public Schools

PYDC at the State House

We had an AMAZING day hanging up two Plymouth PhotoVoice projects at the Massachusetts State House in Boston this week! Thank you to Representative Matthew Muratore & Legislative Director and Chief of Staff Betty DeBenedictis for making this happen! Best quote of the day: “I won a game of chess in Governer Baker’s Office!” ♟

Camp Invention Returns

Camp Invention returns to Plymouth in summer 2020 with the program Elevate. Elevate includes Flight Lab, Design Thinking Project, Rescue Squad, and Camp Invention Champions. The program will run from July 6-10 so mark your calendars now. For a preview of Elevate, check out the video below and for more information about Camp Invention, go to campinvention.org. We look forward to another great week of STEM summer fun!

ParentChild+ Openings

ParentChild+ has limited openings for children ages 15 months - 4 years of age. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity. Call Plymouth Family Network today!

Federal Furnace Students are "Rocking" the New Phonics Program

Ms. Donovan's second grade classroom has been so busy working with the new phonics program. They have been enjoying all of the activities and I hear they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Gus" who will be a new student in their class. Gus wanted to come to Ms. Donovan's class because they are doing so well with their phonics lessons.

Fun in our Learning Commons!

This week's focus in the Learning Commons has been A.R. or augment reality with the LITS (Literacy and Information Tech Specialists). Students created and manipulated A.R. spheres in conjunction with the popular children's book, "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. Students also brainstormed ways this technology could take the world by storm.

Rock the Day

Our 4th graders spent the day "Rocking out at School" as part of Get Your Teach On's "Rock Your School Day". This initiative is meant to encourage creativity, engagement and excitement for learning. Rock concert themed activities filled the day culminating with a STEM activity in which students designed and built their own model rock concert stage. This reinforced the motto "Set the Stage to Engage".

Movement Breaks in the Hallway

Students at South Elementary have been having a fantastic time using their new interactive hallway. Students take a much needed movement break while transitioning through the hallway. They hopscotch, jump, and even crabwalk to help get the wiggles out. Students return to the classroom with their focus on ready to learn because an active body creates an active brain.

Meet the Illustrator

Second graders in Ms. Keegan's class are super excited to be partnering with #kidsneedmentors illustrator Lorain Tu (illustrator of Stay Through the Storm and Dress Like A Girl)! They are meeting her for the first time to introduce themselves, say hello and hear some inspiration related to writing and creating art to match to stories. They will be doing an appear.in video chat and Lorain will be partnering with the class for the entire year to support them in writing and illustrating. Ms. Keegan and her students are hoping Lorain will be able to come visit Room 18 in the spring. #Kidsneedmentors is an incredible opportunity for classrooms to be linked with an illustrator or author each year and we are so excited to be participating this year and hopefully continuing in the future.

Walk to School Wednesdays

An ambitious and dedicated group of sixth to eighth graders woke up early again to meet Mr. Powers at Panera Bread and walk up to school! It has been proven consistently that morning physical activity increases brain function and this group takes advantage of that! They leave Panera Bread at 7:30 and walk sidewalks for the mile stroll to school! Mr. Powers couldn't be prouder of this group!

Principal's Council Visits the State House

The PCIS Principal’s Leadership Council and the Boys and Girls Club Photo Voice Project were invited by Representative Matt Muratore to the State House to display their Photo Voice projects. After displaying their photos, the students ate pizza and toured the State House. Thank you to Matt Muratore for hosting this great event.

Whose Line Is It , Anyway?

Mr. Loretz's Performing Arts class had an opportunity to try their hand at improvisation. Choosing props which had to be used in a unique way, students created short scenes with dialog. Two students used bandanas as hair, aprons, and parachutes. A duo used a basket as an umbrella, and another pair used a basket as a steering wheel. According to Addie, coming up with an idea for a skit and performing in front of classmates was hard, but watching others perform was fun.

Within Reach

8th-grade gym students performed the back saver sit and reach test in classes this week. As part of the Fitnessgram program, the sit and reach is done three times a year, along with the 20-meter pacer test, the curl-up test, and the 90 degree push up test. The Physical Education department offers a variety of activities that increase flexibility, including yoga, pilates, dance, gymnastics, and walking. After the first test session, students took advantage of the nice weather and continued stretching by playing football and basketball.

Banned Books Week

Staff at Plymouth North High School are celebrating Banned Books Week by posing for “Caught Reading a Banned Book” mugshot photos. Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2019) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

Professional Development for Staff

Andy Dizel, Assistant Principal from Middleborough High School, presented to our staff ALICE… Alert - lockdown - inform - counter - evacuate. His presentation focused on preparation and tips for teachers on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder. A lot of great discussions evolved from this excellent professional development on Wednesday.