The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
November 17, 2019 - Volume 2 - ISSUE 12
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
November 21 – Delayed Opening
November 26 – Rally
November 27-29 – Thanksgiving Break
December 2 – Winter Sports Start
December 6 – Early Release – District Professional Development
December 12 – Delayed Opening
December 23 – Alumni Day
December 23-January 1 – Holiday Recess
January 2 – Students Return from Holiday Recess
2019-2020 SEPAC meetings
All meetings held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-8pm
in the Whitman Hanson Regional High School library
Please check out our website for more information
January 14th –Anxiety Presentation Part 1 - Students (7-8pm Middle & High School)
February 11th – Anxiety Presentation Part 2 - Parents (7-8pm Middle & High School)
March 10th – BCBA Presentation (focus topic TBD) (7-8pm Middle & High School)
April 14th – Occupational Therapy Presentation
May 12th – Speech and Language Presentations on Language Pragmatics (meeting will be held in WHRHS Courtyard Café due to Arts in Bloom being held in the WHRHS library) (7-8pm Middle & High School)
Student Selected Teacher of the Month Announced!
Mr. William Glynn
Comments from students indicate his classes are engaging and challenging because he's authentic and builds relationships even in the most difficult situations. Mr. Glynn is also the director of our Community Evening School (C.E.S.) where he assists students who struggle with the traditional high school setting get their diploma!
Be sure to congratulate Mr. Glynn when you see him!
Whitman-Hanson Post Graduate Program!
Massachusetts Senate Recognizes Program!
The Whitman-Hanson Post-Grad Vocation Program was honored with a Citation from the Massachusetts Senate last Friday November 8th! Recognizing the effort put into this program by staff and students alike, the Senate put forth an official citation proclaiming (and wishing for the continuation of) the success this program has had with its students.
Adams Scholarship Recipients Announced!
2019 Award Recipients Recognized!
Students who received the Adams Scholarship were recognized at a breakfast this past Friday. We all offer a sincere congratulations to all Adams Scholarships recipients! These students have qualified to receive a 4 year tuition credit for an in state college or university.
We should all be proud of these students and the hard work they have put in to receive this award! Make sure you congratulate them on their success when you see them!
Dr. Christopher Jones
Three Ways to Leave Them Better
How many times do we participate in a conversation where we aren’t really present? As the person speaks to us we are waiting to talk or drifting off to our to-do list all the while trying to appear as if we are paying close attention. Not only is this disrespectful, but often leaves the person feeling less valuable for having interacted with us.
We must strive to be respectful and always leave people feeling more valuable after speaking with us. Three ways to do this are:
Be present in the moment.
Don’t wait to speak or use the time as an opportunity to be the only one to gain from the interaction. Recognize the moment for what it is; no more and no less. Doing so will enable you to see the bigger picture.
Understand that everyone has value to add.
Whether we agree with, idolize, or look down on the person we are talking to; it is important to realize that there is something we can learn if we keep an open mind. I know I have often learned just as much from a person by seeing what I didn’t want to do, be, or how I wanted to act. No matter the dynamic, there is value to be had.
Be grateful for the interaction.
Our time is valuable. We should be grateful when someone believes we are valuable enough to spend their time on us. Do not squander it because of a disagreement or by letting your mind wander. Instead, focus, be present, and be grateful for the opportunity. After all, isn’t that what you would want from a person you decided to spend your time with?
I explain this more in the video below. It's a little long (6 minutes), but I believe worth your time. Let me know!
Our Story...
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
Mr. David Floeck
Attendance is Key to Success!
On November 22nd we will have reached the 60th school day of the year.
We still have a long way to go and I wanted to remind everyone of the importance of solid and consistent school attendance. Frequent absences can negatively impact a student’s learning opportunities as they miss valuable instruction, skill building, class participation, and study. Please be reminded of our attendance policy, which can be found on page 9 of the student handbook. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if I can be of any assistance to you or your student.
Together we can make a difference!
Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
Attention Grade 10 Students - Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Foundation (MAHOBY) – Deadline - November 30, 2019
The Massachusetts Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Foundation (MAHOBY) is once again sponsoring a leadership conference the weekend of June 12 – June 14th at Bentley University in Waltham, MA. Participating in this program is a great opportunity for grade 10 students to grow as leaders and bring those skills back to Whitman-Hanson. Sophomores interested in representing WHRHS as our candidate at this state-wide leadership program, should submit a brief written statement (no more than 200 words) to their counselor by November 30, 2019. The statement should include the student’s reasons for hoping to participate in the MA HOBY leadership program. If you'd like more information about the MAHOBY program, please visit the website at https://www.hoby.org/programs/state-leadership-seminars/ or contact your counselor.
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Exam
All graduating seniors are eligible to compete for the ALF-CIO scholarship. To qualify, students must register on-line by December 20, 2019 at: www.massaflcio.org/scholarships . The exam will be administered at Whitman-Hanson on Wednesday, February 10, 2020. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must take the Labor History Exam. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO publishes a Labor History Study Guide, which covers a broad range of the history of working people organizing for justice in the United States. New for 2020, an interactive study website will be available, featuring supplemental materials and quizzes to test your knowledge.
Dual Enrollment - Bridgewater State University– Spring 2020
Information is now available for Spring 2020 Dual Enrollment classes at Bridgewater State University. At BSU Dual Enrollment gives high school students (grades 11 and 12) an opportunity to take college classes and receive both high school and college credit. This program is open to qualified students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with a GPA of 2.50 – 2.99 will be considered on a case by case basis. Instructions and application materials were sent to grade 11 and 12 student email accounts this week. After reading these documents, interested students should contact their counselors with any questions. The deadline to apply for the Bridgewater State Dual Enrollment Program is December 2, 2019.
Dual Enrollment at Massasoit Community College – Spring and Summer 2020
There are two programs available to students through the Office of Early College Access—the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership program (CDEP) and the Massasoit Dual Enrollment Program (MDEP). Spring semester classes begin on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Massasoit Dual Enrollment is open to students age 16 and over. Massasoit will be accepting applications for Spring 2020 through Monday, December 23, 2019. Any student interested in Dual Enrollment studies at Massasoit for Spring 2020 must complete Accuplacer testing by December 16, 2020. Students interested in Summer 2020 Dual Enrollment at Massasoit should start the application process in March. Interested students should check their school emails for dual enrollment applications and info that was sent last week.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your school counselor.
Student Body!
"I would like to give a shout out but I’m not totally sure how to go about this one. A father passing through our hall last night at parent conferences commented about his amazement at how we were keeping up all the beautiful decorations in the hallway. He said at his high school, students would have torn them down immediately. He asked if we had to keep hanging them back up every day after students tore them down. I told him while it’s not completely easy (I have had to alert some students new to the hallway that even their finger taps can easily ruin the fragile tissue paper), it has been a success. It made me really proud of every student who walked down this hallway and assisted in maintaining its beauty for so long. I hope they enjoyed it! I had also asked my own students to assist in keeping it beautiful by requesting anyone they see trying to destroy it to please stop them and/or alert me. After all, students put in a lot of work to make it look this way. Students I did not know but requested they not reach for the paper were all responsive to my requests, which is great. My proudest moment was when one of my own students was walking down the hall one day, her friend reached up and tapped the paper and she lightly elbowed him and told him to stop. Our students did an EXCELLENT job not only decorating but also maintaining its beauty to be enjoyed for as long as possible. Shout out as well to the taller students who either had to duck or limbo down the hallway all this time." -Mrs. Amanda Ferrarra
"The First Day" Screening!
Let’s build a community of support and encouragement for one another!!
Come join Panther P.A.A.L.S. (Peers Against Addictions w/Loyal Support) Thursday, November 21st right after school in RM 168 (right next to the Panthers Den). We’ll be screening the Chris Herren Documentary “The First Day” and of course snacks will be are provided!!
See Ms. Martin or Mrs. Selig for more information.
Ms. Tanis
MERCI BEAUCOUP!
The French Honor Society would like to thank everyone for their contributions to our Veteran's Day collection. We'd like to give a huge shout out to Best Buddies for providing several boxes of donations with a handmade card to go along with it! In total we collected six boxes full of toiletries, socks, puzzles and activity books, which were delivered to the Brockton VA Hospital Thursday afternoon. Your generosity is very much appreciated!
Mr. Steven Botelho
Student Voices Take to the Airwaves!
The APGOPOCAST is here! The students in Advanced Placement Government have created their own podcast. They have done a really good job discussing the stories they researched and will have a new episode up every few weeks. We all (Mr. Botelho, myself, and the students) hope you’ll check it out!
It is available on the Apple podcast app and directly through the hosting site Podbean at https://apgopocast.podbean.com/.
Key Club Donations!
Key Club & Food for Thought Drive!
Mrs. Cathy Brunelle
Mrs. Margaret Baker & Mrs. Kathleen Joyce
~Panther Health Clinic~
Absences:
Please call the sick line when your child is going to be absent. Send in any physician notes when your child is seen by his/her MD. If your child is out for 5 consecutive days, they must return with a physician note clearing them to return to school.
Assistive Devices:
In the school setting assistive devices are casts, crutches, orthopedic related boot and braces, wheelchairs, etc. Any student needing to utilize an assistive devise must have supporting physician documentation for such.
Dental:
Any student returning to school after a dentist or orthodontic appointment where a local anesthesia, numbing medication is used must have physician documentation to return to school.
Medication Administration:
Any student requiring medication to be administered at school by the school nurse must have written physician documentation and signed parent consent. Please note that students are not permitted to transport medication to/from school per the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District Policy, therefore an adult must deliver the medication to the school nurse. Please deliver the medication to the school nurse in a pharmacy or manufacturer labeled container, bottle or box. Please ask your pharmacy to provide a separate container/bottle/inhaler/epi-pen/diastat for school and home. No more than a thirty day supply of the medication should be delivered to the school.
If you are called to pick up your child because of illness, he/she must be picked up swiftly. Please be sure that Infinite Campus has the most recent up-to-date emergency contact information, so that we have someone who can act on your behalf, if we are unable to reach you. This person should live locally.
Thank you in advance for helping us ALL stay healthy!
WHRHS School Nurses:
Margaret and Kathy
Athletics - Coach Bob Rodgers
Most of our Fall sports have concluded but a few remain competing. Here is the update:
Our cheerleaders qualified for states by finishing second at regionals today. The girls earned the right to defend their state title next Sunday at Worcester State.
Junior Theo Kamperides finished 66th (out of 181) At the All-State Cross Country Championship in Gardner with a time of 17:17.
We are excited we have the Patriot League MVP back for another year.
The football team lost its final regular season game on Friday at Bridgewater Raynham, 35-12. Andrew Cloutman entered the game in the first quarter and rushed 14 times for 57 yards and 10-17 passing for 92 yards. Jason Murphy and Andrew Cloutman scored for WH. Next up is Abington on Thanksgiving
Finally, a reminder that we have many choices for winter sports. If you want to play please be sure to signup today at www.whathletics.com . Also, students are reminded that they must be making acceptable progress in their classes in order to be eligible to play. Please use the time in the next week and a half to makeup work and get extra help.
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