Plymouth Public Schools

Plymouth Education Foundation’s 10th Annual Valentine Gala

Administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and members of the community are cordially invited to attend the Plymouth Education Foundation’s 10th Annual Valentine Gala on Saturday, February 8, 2020. This black-tie optional event will take place at Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth, from 6:00 – 11:00 PM. Individual tickets are $100. A table of eight may be purchased for $725.

Highlights of the evening will include dinner, a cash bar, live music, dancing, and raffles. Former Superintendent Of Schools, Barry Haskell will receive the Adele Manfredi Excellence In Education Award, in honor of his exemplary commitment to education and the community. Indian Brook Elementary School Principal, Erica Manfredi, will present the award in memory of her late mother.

Visit http://www.plymoutheducationfoundation.org/news/gala to purchase your tickets.

Hello I am: Not My Addiction

It's rare nowadays to meet someone who hasn't been directly or indirectly impacted by addiction. To the friends and families of those who struggle, they are so much more than their substance use disorders. They are fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends. They are athletes, lawyers, trades workers, doctors, designers, artists. They are compassionate, skilled, caring, friendly, kind, giving, intelligent, empathetic. While the symptoms of addiction often overshadow these qualities, occupations, and roles, we must remember that there is always hope for recovery.

Poetry Pride

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study and recitation of great poetry in high schools across the country. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and local arts councils, the program “helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.”

After a pilot program, Poetry Out Loud is now in its second year of full implementation at both high schools. All students learn and recite poems in their English classes and class winners are given the opportunity to compete in the schoolwide semi-finals. Top-scoring students then compete in an evening event where they are scored on accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance.

We are so proud of all of the student finalists who did an amazing job! Special congratulations go to Megan Johnson (runner-up) and Olivia Free (winner) from Plymouth North and to Madison McWhirk (runner-up) and Elisabeth Carlin (winner) from Plymouth South. Olivia and Elisabeth are on to the regional competition in a few weeks, and we wish them the best of luck!

Thank you to the teacher coordinators and judges who gave their time and efforts to make this program such a success. We look forward to many more years of inspiring poetry performances to come!

Biomedical Applications Now Available

The Biomedical Program is an outstanding opportunity for high school students in Plymouth. It is a 4-year pathway that includes one course each year for four years. Students in this pathway take the following courses: Grade 9 - Principles of Biomedical Science, Grade 10 - Human Body Systems, Grade 11 - Medical Interventions, and Grade 12 - Biomedical Innovations.

The program connects students to courses and experiences that promote career exploration and readiness. Biomedical Science Staff work collaboratively to create an instructional program that is rooted in project based learning and that which fosters partnerships with professionals that expand on the opportunities for Plymouth students.

In order to be considered for acceptance into this program, interested students must complete an online application (bit.ly/biomedapp). Applications are due on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. For more information, check out these links (bit.ly/biomedinfo and bit.ly/pltwbiomed). Note that only current 8th grade students are eligible to apply.

The Aristocats!

Students in grades 3-5 performed Disney Jr's Aristocats musical for their families and school community. The cast has been meeting twice a week after school since the fall to prepare for their amazing performances. Their voices were strong, choreograph on target and they had a lot of fun working together.Thank you Ms. Macissio and Mrs. Van Winkle for your dedication to the group!

Different is awesome!

Ryan Haack draws from his life story to write the book, Different is awesome.

The story- A little boy brings his older brother, born with one hand, for show-and-tell. The students ask him all sorts of questions about how he does things with one hand and realize that he can do anything they can do, he just does it differently. Along the way, they notice that we're all different in one way or another, leading to the realization that not only are differences a similarity we all share, but, they are what make us unique - AND AWESOME!

This is in sync with the IBES motto-We may all be different fish but in this school we all swim together. This presentation reminds us that starts with appreciating our differences because they serve to connect us rather than divide us.

Everyone has a talent!

“Everyone Has a talent” is a unique presentation geared to elementary age children. Several Time Guinness Record holder Mark Kenny presents a fun, interactive show for students aimed at encouraging each child to identify and develop their own unique talents.

Mark Kenny inspires children by recalling his love of the Guinness book of world records and setting a goal as a child to get into the book by achieving a world record of some kind.

He demonstrates juggling, marshmallow toss, egg toss and finally how step by step he mastered hand walking.

Officer Miranda Making Connections with Students

Officer Miranda, the Plymouth North HS School Resource Officer and PPS Alum, came to PCIS to talk to our English Language Learning students and share her story. Officer Miranda delivered a great message on persevering and accomplishing goals. The students truly enjoyed the presentation and the message asking a ton of thoughtful questions.

Hallway Displays

Strolling through the hallways at PSMS and studying the displayed work gives a glimpse into what is being learned in the classrooms. 6th-graders have been reflecting on their holiday breaks and the new year; they illustrated both what they did and what they would like to accomplish. A different group was learning about the main Hebrew leaders, namely Moses, David, Abraham, and Solomon. 7th-graders studied how art helped Islam spread; in the process, they created examples of Islamic-inspired art, with its geometric patterns and tesselations. Other 7th-graders designed covers for companion books.

Poetry Out Loud Competition

The 4th annual Poetry Out Loud competition took place on January 28th after school-wide classroom competitions. Sixteen finalists competed for a chance to represent North at the regional competition in March. Olivia Free won the competition and Megan Johnson was the runner-up. We wish Olivia luck as she competes against other finalists in the region. Congratulations to all participants - it truly was an amazing showcase of talent.

Empty Bowls Workshop and Emerging Young Artists

The VPA department held its final Empty Bowls workshop at North. It was open to the public and free for anyone interested in making pottery by hand or on the pottery wheel. Visitors came dressed for mess and helped make art for a good cause! Mark your calendar, the Empty Bowls Dinner will be held May 7th at Plymouth South High School from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The bowls are a take home gift at the event. Pay $10 and get a meal, entertainment, and a bowl to take home as a reminder of hunger in our town. All proceeds from the event go to the South Shore Community Action Councils Food Pantry (specifically their backpack program).

During the Emerging Young Artists show at Umass Dartmouth. 2 AP students from North got their work into the show (they are circled on the attached poster)- Kady Whynott did the self-portrait with hands and Jillian Webster did the gorilla/skull study. It's a highly competitive show with 276 entries from across the area, and only 79 pieces selected! It's a great honor and we are so proud of them.

Great Kindness Challenge

The Great Kindness Challenge is an annual, international event designed to reinforce positivity, caring, and connectedness as the central focus of school culture. Students and staff are challenged to complete a kindness checklist and collect spare change for charity. PSHS is proud to be the first school in the district to celebrate the Great Kindness Challenge and are hoping to take it district-wide next year.

Poetry Out Loud Competition

Plymouth South High School is proud to announce that the winner of this year's Poetry Out Loud Competition is Junior Elisabeth Carlin. Senior Madison McWhirk finished in second place in the poetry recitation competition that took place on Wednesday, January 29th. The competitions began in English classrooms in December, with school-wide semi-finals held in early January. Wednesday night's finals featured the top 12 students in the school. Each student performed two poetry recitations for the judges. As the winner, Elisabeth Carlin will now move onto the regional Poetry Out Loud competition.