BLACK KNIGHTS MONTHLY
Stoughton High School - January 2020
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Welcome 2020!!!
Dear SHS students, may the coming year bring along new hopes and new opportunities. May you learn from your past mistakes and accomplish your targets for the future with your strength and dedication. I am Wishing you all a very successful and Happy New Year 2020.
Below, you can read about the different things students have been doing in all of our departments at Stoughton High School throughout the month of December. We hope that you enjoy the rest of the article.
Alan Bontya
Assistant Principal
SHS English Department
The English department has been working diligently with a multitude of different texts, topics, and projects!
9th Grade:
Ms. Goldberg and Ms. Chapman’s 9th grade students have almost made it through the entirety of To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the unit, students have had the opportunity to practice their close reading, annotation, and synthesis skills. Students have been doing a wonderful job of arriving each day with engaging thoughts and completed homework trackers. In order to explore the themes of prejudice, justice, empathy, and identity, students have completed a variety of assignments this term. Recently, students composed a poem made up entirely of text taken from To Kill a Mockingbird. Another assignment asked students to take on the perspective of one of the characters and compose a letter or a diary entry.
In Mrs. Wasik and Ms. Kelly’s 9th grade classes, students are embarking on their journey through William Shakespeare’s famous tale, “Romeo and Juliet.” To introduce the language and rhythmic patterns, students explored modern song lyrics turned into sonnets and had fun guessing the titles. In Ms. Hastings’ class students are using the text to discuss the impact that maturity and rational decision making have on young adults and adults alike.
In 9 Honors, students just finished their Of Mice and Men unit strong with a photo project where they took original photos from their everyday lives that connect with the themes of Steinbeck’s novella. They also participated in their first Socratic Seminar where they were asked to analyze the novel through a formal and intellectual conversation with their peers.
Mrs. Furioso's and Mr. Norman's 9 College classes are bidding a sad farewell to Verona, Italy as we wrap up our "Romeo & Juliet" unit. Students are mourning the deaths of characters via a "Blame Game" essay in which they assign guilt to various characters and intangibles. Following this composition--and a well-deserved Winter Break--we will dive into the Great Depression with Of Mice and Men. Students will explore such themes as the burden of being a caretaker, the futility of hopes and dreams, and humankind's constant (and often unfulfilling) quest for companionship. A very uplifting unit of study!
10th Grade:
Ms. Brown and Ms. Ruschioni’s 10th graders are analyzing the theme of human nature and the dichotomy of good and evil within society through a synthesis between Lord of the Flies and secondary sources that evaluate the outcomes of different psychological studies.
Ms. Hastings’ 10th graders are unpacking the importance of slang and the power of language in today's society using Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.
11th Grade:
The American Studies Program traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to view The Art of Americas exhibit. Students participated in a scavenger hunt where they were able to see works created by Frieda Kahlo, Georgia O'Keefe, John Singer Sergent and more.
Ms. Ruschioni's AP Language and Composition class is reading, analyzing and discussing The Autobiography of Malcolm X as an iconic example of rhetoric dealing with the complex and controversial issues of race and class, while connecting it to today's world.
12 Honors:
Electives:
In Writing Seminar, students are in the middle of their rhetoric unit where they are using rhetorical appeals to create and pitch a marketing campaign. Students also practiced their argumentative skills through a Speed Debating exercise.
In Film as Lit. students are examining how different film techniques like mise en scene, sound, and camera movement (to name a few) contribute to the development of the overall theme of the importance of rebellion and resistance in Pan's Labyrinth.
The Sci-Fi and Horror elective finished up our haunted houses (in terms of the novel we read, haunted IKEA) unit and are moving into our final unit, "Cosmic Horror." Students will read about slimy, tentacled horrors seeping through thinning inter-dimensional barriers to prey upon unsuspecting humans. We will read, The Mist and then create their own terrifying monsters.
SHS Mathematics Department
In Sports in Math, students have been working on defining consistently through multiple variability measures. Students learned how to compute mean absolute deviations and standard deviations. They used these values to answer the question "has revenue sharing helped competitive balance in baseball?"Students completed a simulation to determine if there is less variability in winning percentages between 1997 and 2007 using an online applet. They worked on the project in groups and created posters to display their work.
We continue to enjoy our new space and ability to provide small group instruction more easily. The student collaboration space continues to be utilized throughout the day. The furniture in the classrooms make group work easy to do!
We have some staff changes within the math department. We wish Mr. Gabo Garcia well as he moves on to another endeavor. We appreciate all that he has offered to the students while he was here. He has been a great colleague and we will miss seeing him daily. We wish him all the best! Ms. Margo Jones is going out on maternity leave. We wish her all the best! We are happy to welcome Mr. Paul Meoni to fill in her absence. He will be a great addition to the department.
SHS Science Department
Happy Holidays from the Science Department! December is being cut short by winter vacation, but classes have made the most of their time. The Science of Energy classes are going to be taking part in ECYBER mission identifying alternative energy sources that could be used in Stoughton. The Biology students just finished discussing protein synthesis and are starting the human anatomy unit. Chemistry students are learning about polyatomic ions and beginning to build chemical formulas. Physics investigated the conservation of energy and how it relates to Newton’s laws of Motion. Pictures of a demo using a bowling ball to show momentum are shown below. Forensics science is in the middle of a fingerprint analysis unit. Students are determining fingerprint patterns and testing how different surfaces hold fingerprints. Engineering has been investigating green building designs. AP Sciences are starting to gear up for the Science Fair which will be held on March 11, 2020.
Semester courses will only have a few weeks left upon our return in January. Anatomy performed a dissection of a fetal pig to observe the internal organs. This rounded out the digestive system unit and helped to introduce the Urinary System. Oceanography has finished talking about ocean chemistry and its physical properties and has been investigating the marine biomes. Astronomy utilized the inflatable Planetarium to study the stars and planet placement.
In addition to our classes, the science department is supporting many student groups. Science Olympiad competed in Events at Bridgewater/Raynham High School. We would like to congratulate Charlie Morgan and Cara Perry for placing second in the Ornithology Event. HOSA (A Group for Students interested in Health Fields) hosted HOSA week December 2-6th. Students made cards for Pediatric hospital patients, created a HOSA wall poster, and wore colors to support the club. In addition, HOSA sponsored a Career Panel on December 19th. In addition, a student organized Environmental Club is being organized and starting to plan events.
SHS Social Studies Department
Following our December professional development day, Social Studies teachers have been creating inquiry-based learning opportunities for their students. This month, 10th graders used the inquiry-model to learn more about Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears. Using the inquiry-model and the resources provided through NewsELA students were able to pursue their interests and pose new questions to explore.
Students in AP Government were encouraged to register to vote. Registration forms were provided, the history of voter registration was explained, and students were given a chance to fill out forms. Congratulations to these civic-minded students for exercising one of their responsibilities as citizens!
Three SHS sophomores won awards for the Voice of Democracy contest sponsored by the VFW and judged by the Stoughton Historical Society. Samantha Tran won first place. Ella Anderson won second place and Anish Tran won third place.
Sociology classes completed their Culture unit by collaborating with Mr. Shuel's EL students to discuss their cultures and immigration experiences. Sociology students asked questions about holidays, high school, entertainment, and cultural traditions in their home countries. Sociology students were curious to know what their new friends thought America would be like before moving here and were highly entertained to learn many expected Stoughton High to be like "High School Musical." Some students shared personal stories about the challenges they have faced as immigrants. Students rotated in small groups to allow everyone the opportunity to participate in the dialogue. By the end of the experience, most students found they had a lot more in common than they anticipated and were eager to see each other again. Sociology classes are now studying "Identity" in their final unit of the semester. (Photos attached)
SHS World Languages Department
Latin I students have just completed studying positive and negative commands. Latin II is practicing with Passive Voice verbs and studying the Adventures of Hercules. Mr. Babb's Advanced Latin - Poetry classes are practicing with various tenses of Indirect Statements and are studying the Return of Odysseus. Mr. Gorman's class begun reading Vergil's Aeneid in Advanced Latin Poetry. Students will read the entire poem in English and selections from the text in Latin.
Ms. Turnbull and Mr. Silva's Spanish 1 classes celebrated the holiday season by creating poinsettias out of felt. Poinsettias flower during the winter in southern Mexico and have been a part of hispanic culture dating back to the Aztecs.
AP students have been watching a documentary on Guatemala and the masacre of indigenous Mayans in the 1980s. The information they are learning ties into other groups of peoples throughout Latin America who have struggled and continue to struggle due to the choices of the rich elite. They continue writing essays and recording cultural discourses in preparation for the AP exam in May.
French 1 students pitched their ideas for French restaurants in the town of Stoughton. In French II, we have been learning how to express what we are going to do (le Futur proche) and what we just did (le Passé récent), as well
as how long we have been doing things (depuis). In French IV, we are reading short stories from the "Petit Nicolas" collection, and students are writing scripts for movie versions of their favorite four stories. In French V, students are presenting individual holidays from the francophone world and leading their classmates in games for vocabulary acquisition for each holiday's specific traditions.In Chinese 1 students are learning restaurant vocabulary and studying different Chinese foods. Chinese two students are learning how to tell directions in Chinese. Ms. Turnbull and Ms. Sun are excited to plan a field trip for our Chinese students this spring.
ASL recently finished learning about signs used to identify common locations around the town. In conclusion of this unit students had to reiterate in ASL a story that was signed by the teacher. The goal was not to sign it back sign for sign but to see how much of the story students were able to understand and reiterate back to the teacher through sign. For future news... ASL is looking forward to Def Familia a Deaf motivational speaker coming in January.
SHS Business Department
SHS Fine Arts Department
The day after our Winter Instrumental Concert, we were pleased to welcome the Saxyderms to share the stage with our Tuesday Jazz Band. The Saxyderms, a professional 14-piece saxophone and percussion ensemble, played an eclectic program of classical and pop music, including a performance of Frank Ticheli’s Cajun Folk Songs which included several Stoughton student musicians.
We were pleased to have several SHS students be accepted into honor ensembles for 2020: Sandra Awad (Soprano), Nicolle Santos (Alto), Alexia Thomas (Soprano), Aiden Dion (Tenor), Zachary Mandosa (Trumpet), Emily Riker (French Horn), and Terann Selman (Clarinet). Congrats to all of these students!!
Visual art students have had a busy December. The Portfolio class is currently working on hand-drawn animation projects, and several students have already been accepted to college art programs at Endicott, MassArt, Lesley, Wentworth, and UMass Dartmouth. Students submitted entries for the 2020 Scholastic Art Awards show and we are excited to find out the adjudication results early in 2020! Face painting on Spirit Day was a huge success for National Art Honor Society and we want to thank everyone who reached out to help us on that day. NAHS students are in the planning stages for their induction projects, which must be completed by April (shortly before the induction ceremony). Art Club had their annual holiday party at their after-school meeting last Wednesday, and a festive time was had by all.
Four Photo II and III students were selected to take part in the 2nd Annual Griffin Museum of Photography Secondary School Photography Exhibit at Regis College’s Carney Gallery. Nick Totino, Corey Baptista, Bithialine Gustin, and Morgan Lessa will all show their work. The exhibit will run from January 5th through January 12th 2020. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, January 5th from 1:00-3:00pm.
SHS Special Education Department
SHS Physical Education and Health Department
The Phys. Ed. class to highlight this month is our freshman class!!
In many of our 9th grade PE classes, students worked on creating their own PE games. They worked in small groups and together, using the equipment that we have available, created a game that could be played in a Phys. Ed. setting. Over the next few classes, once the games were reviewed by one of the teachers, many of the groups had the opportunity to teach the class how to play their creation! We had a wide variety of games that included: Human Fuse Ball, VolleyBasketball, Scooter Hockey, and Scooter Football.
10th Grade Phys Ed
Sophomores, this month, were involved in multiple Badminton and / or Pickleball Tournaments. We were able to play multiple team Round Robin tournaments in class and each class ended with a final champion. Great job to all that played!!
Upper-Classmen:
The junior classes continued to work on fitness, much of which is geared towards core strengthening. While the senior classes have been involved in basketball games, aerobic football, and floor hockey.
Grade 9 Health:
Goal setting has been a major focus this month in our freshman health classes. Students were asked to reflect on previous goals that they had set for themselves and determine if those goals were reached. Then they were asked to think of their future and what goals they can set for the present that will help them reach a long term goal 5-10-15 years from now. Part of goal setting is learning how to form and action plan, identify support around them, and also recognizing obstacles that may come up and how to get around them, in order to achieve any goal they set for themselves.
Grade 10 Health:
Sophomore classes were learning all about substance abuse in some classes, and then talking in depth about Nutrition in others. This is a great time of year to discuss how increased stress can lead to harmful substance abuse, and unhealthy eating habits.
School Counseling Department
PSAT RESULTS IN
In October, Stoughton High School administered the PSAT to all ninth, tenth and eleventh graders during the school day. PSAT results help educators and students predict performance on the SAT, commonly required for college acceptance. In addition, students can use their PSAT results to obtain free personalized practice for the SAT. Educators can also use PSAT scores to help them make decisions about recommending students for future Advanced Placement courses.
PSAT results are now available for all students grades 9-11. To access their scores, a student needs to log onto their collegeboard account at www.collegeboard.org. If a student does not yet have a collegeboard account, they can create one. Once logged in, click "PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 Scores” to get the PSAT scores. Then they will be taken to a page that shows their results.
Free personalized practice for the SAT is offered through Khan Academy, also on the Collegeboard website. Juniors planning to apply to four-year colleges can register now to take their first SAT test in March or May of 2020.
Submitted by Barbara W. Meyer, School Counselor
JUNIOR COLLEGE AND CAREER NIGHT
Juniors and Parent/Guardians of juniors, mark your calendars! Junior College and Career Night will be held Wednesday, February 5th at 6:30-8:00PM in the SHS Auditorium. A panel of college, military and technical school representatives will provide information on: Points to consider in exploring colleges and careers; Return on Investment (ROI); And important planning tips, tools and steps to take now to optimize opportunities, whether pursuing college or a career right after high school. SHS School Counseling will provide information about parent, student and counselor roles the college application process. Don’t miss this opportunity to understand timelines, procedures and resources.
YOUR INVITATION - SHS CAREER CENTER ADVISORY BOARD
Stoughton High School is seeking community members interested in supporting college and career planning. Specifically, we are looking for parents and community members in STEM or Humanities fields as well as those in licensed trades who are willing to collaborate with Stoughton counselors and students in the development of authentic career learning experiences.
The Board will meet for the first time on Thursday, January 23rd from 6:30 to 7:30PM and again on April 7th in the Stoughton High School College and Career Center. Please consider participating in whatever capacity your schedule allows. Sign up here.
A Message from SPS Health Services
Please join us for an informative free session on anxiety and its impact on our youth. Jane Hardin, M.Ed. of Ribas Associates will be presenting this meaningful event.
The Impact of Anxiety on Learning A Presentation for SPS Parents/Guardians of Children in Grades PreK-12
Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 6:30-7:30pm
O’Donnell Middle School Learning Commons
211 Cushing Street, Stoughton
Upcoming Events
January 2 - School Reopens
January 17-24 - Midyear Exams
January 21 - The Impact of Anxiety on Learning Presentation - OMS Learning Commons 6:30pm
January 27 - SHS Showcase Night 6:30pm
January 27 - End of Term 2
January 28 - Start of Term 3 and Semester 2
Stoughton High School - Contact Information
Email: a_bontya@stoughtonschools.org
Website: shs.stoughtonschools.org
Location: 232 Pearl Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 344-7001
Facebook: facebook.com/stoughtonpublicschools
Twitter: @BlackKnightsAP