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Academic Life
K-Block
Current
Clubs
Programs
Athletics
Freshman Curriculum Mr. Parcellin Visits
New Courses Senior Projects Haunted Hallways
Interact Club Movie Club Criminal Justice Club
Project Growth Allied Health
Football Unified Sports
MCAS Requirements Khan Academy SAT Prep
The Eagle Plymouth North High School
Nov. 2023
Stolen Booster Club Funds Reinstated Former PNABC treasurer accused of stealing from the athletic department - five years later, the money has been returned By Simon Paquette On the night of August 24th, 2023, members of Plymouth North High School’s athletics Booster Club gathered at Lucky Dawg Tavern to dine over one of the most expensive placemats known to man - a jumbo-sized check for $72,884. Though current and former members alike reveled in their victory, the money did not come as a surprise. In fact, Booster Club members have been anxiously waiting for this day to come, trying day-in and day-out to return what was unfairly ripped from our student athletes so many years ago. Since Stacia Leavitt, the club’s former treasurer, took over $25k from their primary finance account in the spring of 2019, President Julie Hoch had been painstakingly working to pay off both the Booster Club’s, and our sports teams’ debts. It took over three years. $25k in initial losses, $40k in missing team funds, and thousands more in legal fees make the Plymouth North Booster Club entitled to the largest check our school has ever seen to make up for missing funds. “Any fundraising we were able to do went directly to our debts, and the things we normally did as a club were put on hold,” said Hoch. However, despite such a major setback, the Boosters and our athletics department simply “had to keep going.” While working to correct the costly tragedy in the courts, members of the club simultaneously identified even more missing funds from the teams’ individual books. In total, the club is estimated to have discovered an additional $40k in stolen capital since Leavitt was first exposed. The 2023-2024 school year marks the first athletic season since the theft in which sports teams have had their funds completely restored.
Chris Whidden, North’s head football coach, is particularly pleased with the newly available funds, as the success of the Booster Club is “essential” to the success of our students. “The purpose of the funds raised by the Booster Club is to supplement the athletics budget in order to make the experience of each student athlete the best one possible,” Mr. Whidden said, referencing the privileges that North kids are able to take advantage of thanks to the club’s contributions. From team dinners to brand-new sweatshirts for every athlete, the Booster Club is responsible for creating and maintaining strong bonds within the athletic community. It isn’t all about the perks, though, as when the club stops, North stops, too. “Each team has their own funds that are raised by the individual team fundraisers,” said Whidden, clearly skeptical of his team’s ability to raise a significant amount of money. “We are all incredibly thankful for their commitment.” It's often said that nobody really appreciates something until they lose it, and while that may be true of most things in life, the Booster Club is not one of them. Students may not have noticed the severity of the club’s situation, however they are sure to take notice of its recovery. “The PNABC has reallocated lost funds to most teams,” said Director of Athletics Justin Domingos, clarifying that while not all of the teams' funds could be completely restored (in part due to the significant lapse of time), the Booster Club is now in a position to “give back to North’s athletic program'' to the fullest extent of their ability. Domingos said, “I - along with our coaching staff at North - are very fortunate to work with such a great group. I cannot thank them enough.”
New MCAS Score Requirements Threaten Student Success Insight into efforts taken to ensure that PNHS students receive the MCAS scores necessary to earn a high school diploma By Nicole Ryttel For the class of 2026 and beyond, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) has raised score requirements for its English and math exams. In the past, students had to earn a scaled score of at least 472 on English and 486 on math in order to receive a passing grade. However, now students are being asked to demonstrate an increased level of proficiency. For the graduating classes of 2026-2030, students will need to earn an English score of 486 or higher. And for the class of 2031 and beyond, students will need to earn a score of 500 or above in math and English. Currently, all students in Massachusetts are required to pass science, math, and English MCAS exams in order to graduate high school. Because this is now combined with increased score thresholds, staff members at Plymouth North High School (PNHS) are devoting class time to preparing students for the test. “Everything we are doing in English class…aligns with the exam,” Mrs. Michelle Terry, English Department Head, said. “It’s reading comprehension, it’s writing, it’s responding to a prompt…all worthwhile tasks.” Ms. Angela Velino, math teacher, said, “I incorporate a lot of MCAS practice questions just organically, like in my lessons…But other than that…we will do a full week of just MCAS preparation.” Despite these provisions, rising MCAS score requirements have the potential to elicit a higher fail rate than in years past. When a student fails an MCAS exam, Plymouth Public Schools (PPS) educators must take additional steps to ensure that said student is eligible to graduate high school. “Typically we get test results fairly quickly and we get that information out to teachers and families so that the students have ample opportunity to retake [the MCAS exam],” Mrs. Kelly Bitinas, K-12 Mathematics Coordinator, said.
Once this communication has been established, families and staff members decide on the best way to ensure success for each student. The majority of students simply receive additional attention in their junior and senior year classes for the exam they failed. However, students who require more assistance have the opportunity to be put on an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP), which decreases the score they need to receive on MCAS exams in order to pass. Despite all measures implemented at PNHS and beyond, some students continue to struggle in meeting new MCAS score thresholds. the standards that they need to in order to graduate high school,” Mrs. Terry said. “Sometimes, I don’t think that [MCAS] carefully accounts for that, especially for some of our struggling populations.” “Ideally, we make sure that our kids are meeting “I wish that there was more done to accommodate people learning English, other than the dictionary provided on the math exam,” Ms. Velino said.
Even with these setbacks, the majority of educators in Plymouth’s school system recognize the value in standardized testing as a graduation requirement. “I believe in standardized education, I believe in high expectations…and I understand the purposes that [MCAS] serves and how it’s meant to provide equity,” Mrs. Bitinas said. “Every school in Massachusetts is different, so I understand the state wanting to have a benchmark to make sure that students are at the levels they need to be,” Mrs. Terry said. Currently, action to remove MCAS as a graduation requirement or lower score requirements has yet to be taken by Massachusetts lawmakers. As a result, PPS educators will have to continue to devise and enforce procedures that guarantee adequate student performance on the exam.
Khan Academy Personalized SAT Prep The college application process is very stressful for a lot of students. While many schools are now test-optional, providing exceptional test scores can add a lot to an application. However, students usually don’t know where to go when looking for ways to prepare for the test. The Official SAT Practice from Khan Academy is a great way to prepare for your upcoming test. Khan Academy was given special access by the creators of the SAT to build a personalized practice regimen to help students optimize their score. According to their data, students who use it for six or more hours and take at least one practice test score about 39 points higher than those who did not. In addition, it’s free of charge. You can link your PSAT scores from the College Board to Khan Academy, allowing the program to work with personal test scores in order to improve areas specific to the student. It provides users with constant feedback to show how much progress has been made, making it engaging and giving students insight.
Khan Academy gives students a chance to improve SAT scores with a ersonalized study program based on their Pre-SAT. Khan Academy offers eight full-length practice tests By Riley Dever
created in partnership with the College Board. Additionally, there are thousands of practice questions, videos, and lessons. If students are stuck, it offers hints to help them through the problem. It will also give you additional studying and test taking tips. Plymouth North students who have taken the SATs agree that it is a useful study resource. “It’s an easy and available resource to study for the SATs. It’s free and you can access it through your Google account. I found it very beneficial. It’s easy and accessible,” said Victoria Parent, a senior who took the SATs last year. Parent also thought that Khan Academy's format was useful when studying. “It was nice because you had practice problems and examples to go off of. There are also videos that explain to you how to do it.” Sammi Cheung, a senior who recently took the SATs, believes that Khan Academy was a very helpful study tool. “It did improve my score. I would recommend it so you are exposed to the kind of questions that are asked on the SAT,” said Cheung. By using Khan Academy, students can get a feel for what the test will actually be like. It provides practice problems that are formatted similarly to the questions on the actual SAT test.
There are a variety of different resources available to help you study. One of which is YouTube, which provides videos explaining step-by-step approaches to problems. Although YouTube provides assistance, many students agree that it is not as interactive and personalized as the interactive problems provided through Khan Academy. “Khan Academy gives you the real thing, while watching YouTube videos just gives you tips,” said Cheung. Another option is the Princeton Review Book that students can purchase from the College Board when signing up for the SATs. “The explanations in Khan Academy are more helpful than [the book], which just tells you the answer,” said Helena Dhillon, a senior who recently took the SATs. Overall, the Khan Academy Personalized SAT prep is a resource widely recommended by PNHS students. It is free and accessible through your Khan Academy account, and by linking it to your PSAT scores, you can personalize the program to fit your specific needs. There is constant feedback and the program is made to help you understand concepts that you’re struggling with. Khan Academy one of the best ways to help prepare you for your next SAT.
Revised Freshman Advisory Curriculum Freshman Advisories gain a set curriculum to form structure and connections in the new year By Bella Tassinari In the time before the 2022 school year at Plymouth North, the advisory classes curriculum was made by teachers themselves, allowing them to determine the responsibilities and workload given to their students. Starting this year, Mrs. Furtado, the 9th grade assistant principal, has created a curriculum for freshman advisories, giving each teacher a set curriculum for all to follow. Mrs. Furtado said she took the initiative to create a community-building curriculum with the hopes to allow the students that are new to Plymouth North “opportunities to connect with staff in the building and also the other students.” She said she has made an “easily accessible and all-inclusive database” for teachers and students to work with. The work Mrs. Furtado put in has paid off, as she saves teachers time and planning with their advisories. Many teachers have seen a turnaround in student learning and connections since they've all been on the same curriculum. Freshman advisory teacher Mrs. Figlioli has been making her own curriculum in the past and feels much better having a set curriculum to share with other teachers. Mrs. Figlioli is also a marketing teacher at North and feels grateful that the curriculum has worked with the school store, as many freshmen weren't aware of it being a source to students, and has seen many more underclassmen visiting during K-Block since.
Teaching for Mrs. Figlioli consists of team-building activities and creative brain-building workshops that allow students to learn more about their peers while also learning social and academic skills.
Freshman Advisory participating in current curriculum Photographed by Colleen Johnson
While teaching this year's freshmen, Mrs. Figlioli said, “Students that buy into the curriculum are benefiting from it.” As a result, a majority of students do seem to have become more aware of the clubs and activities going on at Plymouth North. As the year progresses teachers hope to see more students learning from their advisory class and being able to build friendships with this opportunity. One student from Mrs. Figlioli’s Freshman advisory, Sadie Kusmin, feels advisory is a brightening experience brought to her schedule at North. Starting this year with many new peers, getting to know the people around you can be difficult. Sadie Kusmin said, “Advisory is a great place for me to get to know students I probably wouldn't have met without it.” Getting the chance to socialize as a class is a great opportunity for all students at North, and time being devoted in advisories to give kids the occasion to do this is greatly appreciated by all advisors and students. Regardless of what type of work is being done in freshman advisories this year, there is structure and achievements being made by both teachers and students; many look forward to how the curriculum and class time will change for the future.
Mr. Parcellin is Spreading Important Messages Parcellin talks to student advisories to get certain messages across By Annalise Lopes Students fill into their assigned advisory classes for 30 minutes two times a week. This little “break” halfway through the school day is being taken advantage of by the principal of North. Mr. Peter Parcellin’s plan is to attend sophomore and junior advisories, as well as senior directed studies, in a presentation format. A slideshow and small activity helps get specific messages across. The goal of this different approach is to get lessons to really stay with students. “All of the kids in the building understand that everyone who works here shows up to help them get better,” said Mr. Parcellin. He wants kids to see that the staff is here to support their students. The start of this came simply to Mr. Parcellin by the influence of teachers. “Teachers wanted messages sold, and we knew we wanted it to be meaningful,” said Mr. Parcellin. The rules of the school are explained to the 10th and 11th graders to understand why they must behave. The game of “telephone” was played by the students to show how rumors and how the truth can be altered easily. The purpose of this was to show students that words are powerful, and how actions can have an impact on others.
One of the marketing teachers at North, Mrs. Sprowl thinks very positively of this new approach. “I love it! Because I think principals can be scary and this shows the students they have an ally,” said Mrs. Sprowl. This idea of having an ally has an impact on the student body. With another supporter always there it reminds students they are wanted. “They actually had fun. They were surprised with some of the information they heard. They won some school store money which they were happy about,” said Sprowl. Hearing this feedback from her students who were nervous at first can change students’ attitude significantly. To engage students Mr. Parcellin offered school store money as a prize. A medal was worth a dollar that could go towards a snack at North Station. Tarp Volleyball is one of the games the senior class had to play. A regular game of volleyball was played, but students had to hold onto a tarp the whole time. This prompted trust and working together.
Mr. Parcellin speaking to Mr. McWalter’s and Mr. Escobar’s Sophomore Advisories. Photographed by Bella Piekarski
Skyler Oster, a senior, played in this game during her directed study. “I took away that being a role model to the kids in the school is helpful and I make the school stronger,” said Oster. This message of leadership to the younger students is very vital to the senior class. Without knowing it, many of the lower grades look up to that student body. Oster suggests this should happen more often. “Once a month there would be a fun day in which for an hour every grade comes together to play games,” said Oster. She suggested this because of how important the relationship between younger and older students is. Mr. Parcellin mentioned that the main goal of this is to just get students improving every day. This could be academics, attitude, or even just kindness. Despite there being no set plan for semester two, the interaction presentation and representation is in the works.
New MCAS Score Requirements Threaten Student Success Insight into efforts taken to ensure that PNHS students receive the MCAS scores necessary to earn a high school diploma By Nicole Ryttel For the class of 2026 and beyond, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) has raised score requirements for its English and math exams. In the past, students had to earn a scaled score of at least 472 on English and 486 on math in order to receive a passing grade. However, now students are being asked to demonstrate an increased level of proficiency. For the graduating classes of 2026-2030, students will need to earn an English score of 486 or higher. And for the class of 2031 and beyond, students will need to earn a score of 500 or above in math and English. Currently, all students in Massachusetts are required to pass science, math, and English MCAS exams in order to graduate high school. Because this is now combined with increased score thresholds, staff members at Plymouth North High School (PNHS) are devoting class time to preparing students for the test. “Everything we are doing in English class…aligns with the exam,” Mrs. Michelle Terry, English Department Head, said. “It’s reading comprehension, it’s writing, it’s responding to a prompt…all worthwhile tasks.” Ms. Angela Velino, math teacher, said, “I incorporate a lot of MCAS practice questions just organically, like in my lessons…But other than that…we will do a full week of just MCAS preparation.” Despite these provisions, rising MCAS score requirements have the potential to elicit a higher fail rate than in years past. When a student fails an MCAS exam, Plymouth Public Schools (PPS) educators must take additional steps to ensure that said student is eligible to graduate high school. “Typically we get test results fairly quickly and we get that information out to teachers and families so that the students have ample opportunity to retake [the MCAS exam],” Mrs. Kelly Bitinas, K-12 Mathematics Coordinator, said.
Once this communication has been established, families and staff members decide on the best way to ensure success for each student. The majority of students simply receive additional attention in their junior and senior year classes for the exam they failed. However, students who require more assistance have the opportunity to be put on an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP), which decreases the score they need to receive on MCAS exams in order to pass. Despite all measures implemented at PNHS and beyond, some students continue to struggle in meeting new MCAS score thresholds. the standards that they need to in order to graduate high school,” Mrs. Terry said. “Sometimes, I don’t think that [MCAS] carefully accounts for that, especially for some of our struggling populations.” “Ideally, we make sure that our kids are meeting “I wish that there was more done to accommodate people learning English, other than the dictionary provided on the math exam,” Ms. Velino said.
Even with these setbacks, the majority of educators in Plymouth’s school system recognize the value in standardized testing as a graduation requirement. “I believe in standardized education, I believe in high expectations…and I understand the purposes that [MCAS] serves and how it’s meant to provide equity,” Mrs. Bitinas said. “Every school in Massachusetts is different, so I understand the state wanting to have a benchmark to make sure that students are at the levels they need to be,” Mrs. Terry said. Currently, action to remove MCAS as a graduation requirement or lower score requirements has yet to be taken by Massachusetts lawmakers. As a result, PPS educators will have to continue to devise and enforce procedures that guarantee adequate student performance on the exam.
Khan Academy Personalized SAT Prep The college application process is very stressful for a lot of students. While many schools are now test-optional, providing exceptional test scores can add a lot to an application. However, students usually don’t know where to go when looking for ways to prepare for the test. The Official SAT Practice from Khan Academy is a great way to prepare for your upcoming test. Khan Academy was given special access by the creators of the SAT to build a personalized practice regimen to help students optimize their score. According to their data, students who use it for six or more hours and take at least one practice test score about 39 points higher than those who did not. In addition, it’s free of charge. You can link your PSAT scores from the College Board to Khan Academy, allowing the program to work with personal test scores in order to improve areas specific to the student. It provides users with constant feedback to show how much progress has been made, making it engaging and giving students insight.
Khan Academy gives students a chance to improve SAT scores with a ersonalized study program based on their Pre-SAT. Khan Academy offers eight full-length practice tests By Riley Dever
created in partnership with the College Board. Additionally, there are thousands of practice questions, videos, and lessons. If students are stuck, it offers hints to help them through the problem. It will also give you additional studying and test taking tips. Plymouth North students who have taken the SATs agree that it is a useful study resource. “It’s an easy and available resource to study for the SATs. It’s free and you can access it through your Google account. I found it very beneficial. It’s easy and accessible,” said Victoria Parent, a senior who took the SATs last year. Parent also thought that Khan Academy's format was useful when studying. “It was nice because you had practice problems and examples to go off of. There are also videos that explain to you how to do it.” Sammi Cheung, a senior who recently took the SATs, believes that Khan Academy was a very helpful study tool. “It did improve my score. I would recommend it so you are exposed to the kind of questions that are asked on the SAT,” said Cheung. By using Khan Academy, students can get a feel for what the test will actually be like. It provides practice problems that are formatted similarly to the questions on the actual SAT test.
There are a variety of different resources available to help you study. One of which is YouTube, which provides videos explaining step-by-step approaches to problems. Although YouTube provides assistance, many students agree that it is not as interactive and personalized as the interactive problems provided through Khan Academy. “Khan Academy gives you the real thing, while watching YouTube videos just gives you tips,” said Cheung. Another option is the Princeton Review Book that students can purchase from the College Board when signing up for the SATs. “The explanations in Khan Academy are more helpful than [the book], which just tells you the answer,” said Helena Dhillon, a senior who recently took the SATs. Overall, the Khan Academy Personalized SAT prep is a resource widely recommended by PNHS students. It is free and accessible through your Khan Academy account, and by linking it to your PSAT scores, you can personalize the program to fit your specific needs. There is constant feedback and the program is made to help you understand concepts that you’re struggling with. Khan Academy one of the best ways to help prepare you for your next SAT.
Revised Freshman Advisory Curriculum Freshman Advisories gain a set curriculum to form structure and connections in the new year By Bella Tassinari In the time before the 2022 school year at Plymouth North, the advisory classes curriculum was made by teachers themselves, allowing them to determine the responsibilities and workload given to their students. Starting this year, Mrs. Furtado, the 9th grade assistant principal, has created a curriculum for freshman advisories, giving each teacher a set curriculum for all to follow. Mrs. Furtado said she took the initiative to create a community-building curriculum with the hopes to allow the students that are new to Plymouth North “opportunities to connect with staff in the building and also the other students.” She said she has made an “easily accessible and all-inclusive database” for teachers and students to work with. The work Mrs. Furtado put in has paid off, as she saves teachers time and planning with their advisories. Many teachers have seen a turnaround in student learning and connections since they've all been on the same curriculum. Freshman advisory teacher Mrs. Figlioli has been making her own curriculum in the past and feels much better having a set curriculum to share with other teachers. Mrs. Figlioli is also a marketing teacher at North and feels grateful that the curriculum has worked with the school store, as many freshmen weren't aware of it being a source to students, and has seen many more underclassmen visiting during K-Block since.
Teaching for Mrs. Figlioli consists of team-building activities and creative brain-building workshops that allow students to learn more about their peers while also learning social and academic skills.
Freshman Advisory participating in current curriculum Photographed by Colleen Johnson
While teaching this year's freshmen, Mrs. Figlioli said, “Students that buy into the curriculum are benefiting from it.” As a result, a majority of students do seem to have become more aware of the clubs and activities going on at Plymouth North. As the year progresses teachers hope to see more students learning from their advisory class and being able to build friendships with this opportunity. One student from Mrs. Figlioli’s Freshman advisory, Sadie Kusmin, feels advisory is a brightening experience brought to her schedule at North. Starting this year with many new peers, getting to know the people around you can be difficult. Sadie Kusmin said, “Advisory is a great place for me to get to know students I probably wouldn't have met without it.” Getting the chance to socialize as a class is a great opportunity for all students at North, and time being devoted in advisories to give kids the occasion to do this is greatly appreciated by all advisors and students. Regardless of what type of work is being done in freshman advisories this year, there is structure and achievements being made by both teachers and students; many look forward to how the curriculum and class time will change for the future.
Mr. Parcellin is Spreading Important Messages Parcellin talks to student advisories to get certain messages across By Annalise Lopes Students fill into their assigned advisory classes for 30 minutes two times a week. This little “break” halfway through the school day is being taken advantage of by the principal of North. Mr. Peter Parcellin’s plan is to attend sophomore and junior advisories, as well as senior directed studies, in a presentation format. A slideshow and small activity helps get specific messages across. The goal of this different approach is to get lessons to really stay with students. “All of the kids in the building understand that everyone who works here shows up to help them get better,” said Mr. Parcellin. He wants kids to see that the staff is here to support their students. The start of this came simply to Mr. Parcellin by the influence of teachers. “Teachers wanted messages sold, and we knew we wanted it to be meaningful,” said Mr. Parcellin. The rules of the school are explained to the 10th and 11th graders to understand why they must behave. The game of “telephone” was played by the students to show how rumors and how the truth can be altered easily. The purpose of this was to show students that words are powerful, and how actions can have an impact on others.
One of the marketing teachers at North, Mrs. Sprowl thinks very positively of this new approach. “I love it! Because I think principals can be scary and this shows the students they have an ally,” said Mrs. Sprowl. This idea of having an ally has an impact on the student body. With another supporter always there it reminds students they are wanted. “They actually had fun. They were surprised with some of the information they heard. They won some school store money which they were happy about,” said Sprowl. Hearing this feedback from her students who were nervous at first can change students’ attitude significantly. To engage students Mr. Parcellin offered school store money as a prize. A medal was worth a dollar that could go towards a snack at North Station. Tarp Volleyball is one of the games the senior class had to play. A regular game of volleyball was played, but students had to hold onto a tarp the whole time. This prompted trust and working together.
Mr. Parcellin speaking to Mr. McWalter’s and Mr. Escobar’s Sophomore Advisories. Photographed by Bella Piekarski
Skyler Oster, a senior, played in this game during her directed study. “I took away that being a role model to the kids in the school is helpful and I make the school stronger,” said Oster. This message of leadership to the younger students is very vital to the senior class. Without knowing it, many of the lower grades look up to that student body. Oster suggests this should happen more often. “Once a month there would be a fun day in which for an hour every grade comes together to play games,” said Oster. She suggested this because of how important the relationship between younger and older students is. Mr. Parcellin mentioned that the main goal of this is to just get students improving every day. This could be academics, attitude, or even just kindness. Despite there being no set plan for semester two, the interaction presentation and representation is in the works.
New Course at Plymouth North High School
A Small Club With Large Expectations
Ms. Carrozza is teaching a new course at Plymouth North High School: Advance Literacy and Media, allowing for students to explore new types of media By Nyla Lavoie
Looking for a new type of class to try this upcoming year? With semester 2 right around the corner, it is almost time for new electives. Students who are looking to make changes schedule-wise should seriously consider Advanced Literacy and Media. This course is a third-level class for photographers, designers, and film-makers looking to create a portfolio. Students are required to take two of four specific classes (Intro to Film, Film 2, Introduction to Photography, and Photography 2) in order to meet the needs for this class. Advance Literacy and Media is taught by Ms. Carrozza. “I love teaching this class. Since this is a third-level course, I have already had these students at least twice before, so we all get to know each other and the equipment very well,” said Carrozza.
Creating an environment where students are able to get comfortable and experienced allows for both new friendships and well-produced work. With this class, students are able to build bonds with their peers and work together to create projects. “It is definitely more of an independent class compared to an intro class. They definitely create their projects more on their own, and I’m there to help,” said Carrozza. Senior Sadie Turrell said, “I have been taking Film classes since freshman year. I am glad they added this class so I was able to continue on with these courses.” Turrell would definitely recommend this class to others. “This class has taught me many valuable skills with editing, filmmaking, and photography that I have been able to apply to other courses and classes. Even when it just comes to creating projects, I have been able to apply more creativity,” said Turrell. Other students in this class have similar remarks.
Junior Bella Johnson said, ¨My favorite part of this class is taking photos, but there is something for everyone. We are currently working on our third final project of the term.” For Bella’s project, she is taking portraits, but you are given options related to the aspects of the class. Project types include photography, film, and design. Each of these include different options such as menus, scripts, films, etc. This class offers access to all different types of media, and allows for students to learn lifelong skills that are able to be applied both in and out of the classroom.
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In terms of the independence provided by the course, Jane Burt, teacher and advisor, said, “The idea behind the senior project was that it was an authentic assessment meaning that students are learning about something they are truly interested in, rather than a teacher giving a random assignment.” Students must complete a pre-approval form on what their ideas may be for their project. Next, students must complete “the five P’s,” standing for portfolio, concrete product, practicum with a mentor for 15 hours, presentation to faculty panel, as well as a research paper. This paper is required to be about 5-6 pages long, with information based on an area of their choice, relating to their project. Assignments for every term are graded based on progress seen throughout the year in the project portfolio. "This is the most authentic class they're going to get in comparison to a college class as it is an independent study-type course and has deadlines they have to make. Similar to a college class; it allows you to be independent," said Mrs. Burt. Students are provided with the opportunity to abide by deadlines, yet set out on their own to complete their project. "We've had a ton of memorable projects. Last year, we had some pretty cool ones about music, where students pushed their limits in creating music. Students have connected with their middle school teachers, students have written books, learn to detail cars,” said
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Though seniors have the chance to pick from a wide variety of courses, there is one in particular which allows seniors to explore an area of interest freely. Senior Project, a full year course, permits seniors to dive deep into their area of interest independently. This class has now been available for over 10 years, allowing students to explore avenues other than the required courses necessary to graduate. They dedicate their year to one area of interest, and construct a project to present their work. As an advisor of the course, Shaun Loughlin said, “Students should take this because it is an opportunity to do something that you choose. Very few opportunities to do so in a high school setting. It can also convince you to take a different path after high school graduation, and it gives you time to start thinking about your future while you're just in high school." Students have the chance to choose their own topic of interest, where advisors assist them along the way. There’s tons of variety amongst project topics, as really anything can work! Focusing his project on his very own surf clothing brand, Max Santos, senior, said, “I wanted to be able to learn about a subject in school that I was actually interested in and felt would benefit my future.” Max Santos said he enjoys this class because he is now encouraged to “manage my time and also forced to find answers and solve problems independently."
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Mr. Loughlin. “My all-time favorite was a student that started an acapella program at PCIS." At the end of the school year, seniors in this course must showcase their presentation to a panel of judges, who grade their final product. Cali Barbosa, senior, said that what inspired her to take this class is the freedom it provides for students to “…dip into their future before graduation.” Cali said that she has just begun to prepare for her first benchmark check, as Mrs. Burt and Mr. Loughlin monitor students' independent progress. Senior project opens the doors to responsibility, independence, and time management for students. The final showcase will be in May 2024, where students can present their final work! If you have an area you wish to investigate prior to graduation, consider a senior project. The possibilities are endless.
Plymouth North offers so many extracurriculars based on different interests but a particular club has another approach: reaching outside of our school walls. Interact Club is focused on community service, offering opportunities from trash cleanups to large-scale talent shows. It is the high school division of the Rotary Club, a global service organization. The Plymouth North chapter has existed for many years but due to Covid-19, there was a pause in outreach into the community. Last year, Michelle Lewison stepped up as the club advisor and saw the demand for more service opportunities. “There’s so much need in every community; you don’t have to look very far. For me, what I'm still in the process of learning is how to be learning all of this for the first time myself but also handing some of it off to students…when I still feel like I’m getting a grasp on it,” said Lewison.
Last year, Interact Club focused on putting on a benefit show which highlighted student performers,including Plymouth North's Poetry Out Loud winner, Annalise Lopes. Other impressive acts included the band Lucas Cubed, comedian Quinn Hales, and our own acapella group, Northern Lights. With a turnout of almost 400 people, over $6,500 was raised and donated to Lucy's Love Bus, a charity that provides free integrative therapies to children with pediatric cancer. The club is excited to help another worthy charity but with limited members, it is hard. “I hope more people will join and with that, we’ll be able to do more...activities and they’ll run smoother. We’d be able to get the word out which would bring more attention to the club,” Sarah Godlewski, club member, said. Although they have only held a few meetings, Interact Club is already planning out the school year. They are
working with the Plymouth Rotary Club, their parent organization, to find more ways for the two divisions to interact within the community. As for the highly anticipated benefit show, we can expect another in the spring with a different beneficiary. The details are still in the works, but expect an announcement soon. Although low on numbers, Interact Club members truly care about our community and what impact they will leave. “I think having a club like this just promotes good community service and also promotes more interaction within the community between students, teachers as well as different clubs,” said Maggie Kusmin, club president. Lewison hopes students will form “a habit of service and a habit of looking out for others. Thinking, ‘What good can I do?’ is just very positive.” If you are interested in joining, please see Mrs. Lewison in room 337 and follow @pnhs_interact_club on Instagram for all updates.
Movie Club North welcomes a club that lets students be expressive while discussing films with one By Maggie Kusmin
another
The movie club is open to anybody at Plymouth North no matter their grade or taste in movies. This unique club has no prerequisites and does not require much work outside of meetings, their only homework is to watch movies. “We do a different movie or movies every week,” said club advisor Evan McNamara. "So if something speaks to you, great, and if not you're more than welcome to skip it.” Although this club is not new this year, McNamara would love more people to join him during the meetings. The monthly meetings do not require you to bring anything, except your eagerness to discuss movies. “We go from person-to-person and give individual thoughts on it, however long that can take, and then there's a screen we pull up with a bunch of movie award categories,” said club member Kaia Case. “We discuss cinematography, set design, character design, acting, casting, lighting, all that stuff, and we choose one or two categories we think the movie did best at and whatever the movie did worst at.” The laid-back atmosphere of the club is what current members would like to let prospective members know about. It is a stress-free environment where members feel
By Sadie Turrell
The junior class’ first major event starts the school year off with a bang By Mya Boyd the people running through. Noah Kerr, a member of the junior class council that brought Haunted Hallways to life, is hopeful that the success of this event will allow it to continue well into the future, “Haunted Hallways was a major success,” he stated, “Like our other events, I’m hoping that we can continue this in the future!” The dedication of the junior class is the reason that Haunted Hallways became such a successful night. Advertising both in and outside of school, they were able to attract more customers than they had ever expected, raising money for future class events. Along with participation from the Junior class, the haunted hallways rallied participation from all North students. Plymouth North students had the opportunity to help out with the festive night, whether it was through assisting with set up, doing the make-up of the scare actors, or even playing a role as a scare actor.
By Lily Johnson Lily Caple performing with WINA, a band composed of Plymouth North students, at the benefit concert in March. Photographed by Billy Tavares
free to express their own opinions with friends and acquaintances about movies. “It’s a place where you can be more expressive about your interests; like, a class is cool. I'm in a film and fiction class right now and I like it a lot, but it’s a class,” said club member Sebastian Demerjian. “A club is more somewhere where you can take charge and speak about things you're interested in.” The club has a small enrollment at the moment, but current members greatly encourage students and teachers to join. The members' passions for watching and discussing movies resonate with one another, and it is a great place to make friends. “It's a very fun way to get into more movies if you don't watch many, and for avid movie watchers, it's perfect!…It's a short, brief, but very fun time," said Case. The club is low-commitment and easy to join. “Movie club is open to anybody, you can come in anytime you want, and if you want to skip a week that’s fine with us,” said McNamara. “We meet on Wednesdays. We do not meet at a set time, but the meeting dates are posted in our Google Classroom.” Worried you may not like the movie being discussed? No worries, everybody in the club has the opportunity to pick a movie they are interested in to discuss.
“We are going to do a draw out of a hat type thing for who’s gonna actually pick the movie,” said Demerjian. The club discusses a wide variety of movies from cult-classics to arthouse productions. This year they plan to continue discussing movies that span a vast range of topics and production styles. Keep an eye out or pop in for some conversation at their next meeting in room 108a on November 29th. We can’t wait to see the movie club grow.
Poster for those interested in joining Movie Club Designed by Mr. McNamara
Coming Soon… Criminal Justice Club
North’s Haunted Halls At the end of October, Plymouth North’s junior class hosted the school’s very first Haunted Hallways– a night for friends and families to experience both halloweenthemed arts and crafts and a spooky haunted house staffed by the students of Plymouth North High School. The haunted house featured two kinds of experiences: a kid-friendly trick-or-treating segment of the hallway and a haunted hallway. The haunted hallway was a passageway in which participants twisted and turned down the paths that were lined with clowns, scarecrows and even dragons. Students made sure that both hallways were carefully decorated so that the academic hallways of Plymouth North were almost completely unrecognizable to its students. Flashing string lights and fog machines made the hallways that students walk through every weekday into one with an eerie atmosphere that filled the ‘haunted house’ hallway as costumed students terrified and jeered
A closer look at the newly evolved Interact Club after their very successful benefit show last year
Student scare actors lined up inside of the haunted hallways. Photographed by Noah Kerr
“We got a lot of participation, which was good,” said Ellie Snyder, a Plymouth North senior that volunteered as a scare actor in the ‘haunted house’, “I thought it was really successful, especially for the younger kids. The great success of events like Haunted Hallways is a hopeful indicator of the dedication of Plymouth North students to providing exciting experiences that are fun for both high schoolers and families alike, with attendees and volunteers from all grades. The junior class has already set a high bar for future student council activities, and it will be exciting to see what other creative happenings will be held as the year continues.
This new club will give students the opportunity to get experience in the Criminal Justice field
Plymouth North's school resource officer, Shawn Ireland, is starting a new Criminal Justice Club. The club will teach students what it is like to work in the criminal justice system in a fun and interesting way. Officer Ireland said, "The club is going to cover police officers, correctional officers, and some court stuff. It's going to be all about the criminal justice system." According to Officer Ireland, this club is for students interested in this field. It will give them exposure to different types of jobs. Due to expected high interest, juniors and seniors will be given priority in joining the club. There are plans to go on field trips to the police department, the courthouse, the sheriff's department, and the jail. "We're going to do some motor vehicle traffic stops, maybe run some radar, and there's a thing at the police station where you can do virtual training, so it's like a
scenario, and you get to act out the scenario," said Officer Ireland. In addition, Officer Ireland is also looking to do a mock trial at the courthouse to give students a real feel for the court system. The group SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will be doing a mock car crash during prom season, and Officer Ireland is looking for the club to help out with that to warn students about the dangers of drunk driving. Student Abby Roderick, a senior at Plymouth North, is interested in joining this club. "I want to do something with criminal justice, and I've always found it interesting, and it seems like a cool way to learn and get experience in that field," Roderick said. Roderick is eager to join this club because of the unique field trip opportunities offered. Principal Peter Parcellin feels that there has been more interest by students in the last few years in going into a criminal justice career.
“I want to do something with criminal justice... It seems like a cool way to learn and experience in that field” - Abby Roderick "The fact that we have a school resource officer, who is really invested in our school, is going to give kids a first-line opportunity to see the process in action of what it looks like, and what it would take for them to be a part of it," said Principal Parcellin. "The opportunity for kids to get to know Officer Ireland and get to know what he does is going to be a real positive for them." The club will run during directed study and will start on November 13th. For more information about joining this club, feel free to email Officer Ireland or talk to him at school!
New Course at Plymouth North High School
A Small Club With Large Expectations
Ms. Carrozza is teaching a new course at Plymouth North High School: Advance Literacy and Media, allowing for students to explore new types of media By Nyla Lavoie
Looking for a new type of class to try this upcoming year? With semester 2 right around the corner, it is almost time for new electives. Students who are looking to make changes schedule-wise should seriously consider Advanced Literacy and Media. This course is a third-level class for photographers, designers, and film-makers looking to create a portfolio. Students are required to take two of four specific classes (Intro to Film, Film 2, Introduction to Photography, and Photography 2) in order to meet the needs for this class. Advance Literacy and Media is taught by Ms. Carrozza. “I love teaching this class. Since this is a third-level course, I have already had these students at least twice before, so we all get to know each other and the equipment very well,” said Carrozza.
Creating an environment where students are able to get comfortable and experienced allows for both new friendships and well-produced work. With this class, students are able to build bonds with their peers and work together to create projects. “It is definitely more of an independent class compared to an intro class. They definitely create their projects more on their own, and I’m there to help,” said Carrozza. Senior Sadie Turrell said, “I have been taking Film classes since freshman year. I am glad they added this class so I was able to continue on with these courses.” Turrell would definitely recommend this class to others. “This class has taught me many valuable skills with editing, filmmaking, and photography that I have been able to apply to other courses and classes. Even when it just comes to creating projects, I have been able to apply more creativity,” said Turrell. Other students in this class have similar remarks.
Junior Bella Johnson said, ¨My favorite part of this class is taking photos, but there is something for everyone. We are currently working on our third final project of the term.” For Bella’s project, she is taking portraits, but you are given options related to the aspects of the class. Project types include photography, film, and design. Each of these include different options such as menus, scripts, films, etc. This class offers access to all different types of media, and allows for students to learn lifelong skills that are able to be applied both in and out of the classroom.
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In terms of the independence provided by the course, Jane Burt, teacher and advisor, said, “The idea behind the senior project was that it was an authentic assessment meaning that students are learning about something they are truly interested in, rather than a teacher giving a random assignment.” Students must complete a pre-approval form on what their ideas may be for their project. Next, students must complete “the five P’s,” standing for portfolio, concrete product, practicum with a mentor for 15 hours, presentation to faculty panel, as well as a research paper. This paper is required to be about 5-6 pages long, with information based on an area of their choice, relating to their project. Assignments for every term are graded based on progress seen throughout the year in the project portfolio. "This is the most authentic class they're going to get in comparison to a college class as it is an independent study-type course and has deadlines they have to make. Similar to a college class; it allows you to be independent," said Mrs. Burt. Students are provided with the opportunity to abide by deadlines, yet set out on their own to complete their project. "We've had a ton of memorable projects. Last year, we had some pretty cool ones about music, where students pushed their limits in creating music. Students have connected with their middle school teachers, students have written books, learn to detail cars,” said
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Though seniors have the chance to pick from a wide variety of courses, there is one in particular which allows seniors to explore an area of interest freely. Senior Project, a full year course, permits seniors to dive deep into their area of interest independently. This class has now been available for over 10 years, allowing students to explore avenues other than the required courses necessary to graduate. They dedicate their year to one area of interest, and construct a project to present their work. As an advisor of the course, Shaun Loughlin said, “Students should take this because it is an opportunity to do something that you choose. Very few opportunities to do so in a high school setting. It can also convince you to take a different path after high school graduation, and it gives you time to start thinking about your future while you're just in high school." Students have the chance to choose their own topic of interest, where advisors assist them along the way. There’s tons of variety amongst project topics, as really anything can work! Focusing his project on his very own surf clothing brand, Max Santos, senior, said, “I wanted to be able to learn about a subject in school that I was actually interested in and felt would benefit my future.” Max Santos said he enjoys this class because he is now encouraged to “manage my time and also forced to find answers and solve problems independently."
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Mr. Loughlin. “My all-time favorite was a student that started an acapella program at PCIS." At the end of the school year, seniors in this course must showcase their presentation to a panel of judges, who grade their final product. Cali Barbosa, senior, said that what inspired her to take this class is the freedom it provides for students to “…dip into their future before graduation.” Cali said that she has just begun to prepare for her first benchmark check, as Mrs. Burt and Mr. Loughlin monitor students' independent progress. Senior project opens the doors to responsibility, independence, and time management for students. The final showcase will be in May 2024, where students can present their final work! If you have an area you wish to investigate prior to graduation, consider a senior project. The possibilities are endless.
Plymouth North offers so many extracurriculars based on different interests but a particular club has another approach: reaching outside of our school walls. Interact Club is focused on community service, offering opportunities from trash cleanups to large-scale talent shows. It is the high school division of the Rotary Club, a global service organization. The Plymouth North chapter has existed for many years but due to Covid-19, there was a pause in outreach into the community. Last year, Michelle Lewison stepped up as the club advisor and saw the demand for more service opportunities. “There’s so much need in every community; you don’t have to look very far. For me, what I'm still in the process of learning is how to be learning all of this for the first time myself but also handing some of it off to students…when I still feel like I’m getting a grasp on it,” said Lewison.
Last year, Interact Club focused on putting on a benefit show which highlighted student performers,including Plymouth North's Poetry Out Loud winner, Annalise Lopes. Other impressive acts included the band Lucas Cubed, comedian Quinn Hales, and our own acapella group, Northern Lights. With a turnout of almost 400 people, over $6,500 was raised and donated to Lucy's Love Bus, a charity that provides free integrative therapies to children with pediatric cancer. The club is excited to help another worthy charity but with limited members, it is hard. “I hope more people will join and with that, we’ll be able to do more...activities and they’ll run smoother. We’d be able to get the word out which would bring more attention to the club,” Sarah Godlewski, club member, said. Although they have only held a few meetings, Interact Club is already planning out the school year. They are
working with the Plymouth Rotary Club, their parent organization, to find more ways for the two divisions to interact within the community. As for the highly anticipated benefit show, we can expect another in the spring with a different beneficiary. The details are still in the works, but expect an announcement soon. Although low on numbers, Interact Club members truly care about our community and what impact they will leave. “I think having a club like this just promotes good community service and also promotes more interaction within the community between students, teachers as well as different clubs,” said Maggie Kusmin, club president. Lewison hopes students will form “a habit of service and a habit of looking out for others. Thinking, ‘What good can I do?’ is just very positive.” If you are interested in joining, please see Mrs. Lewison in room 337 and follow @pnhs_interact_club on Instagram for all updates.
Movie Club North welcomes a club that lets students be expressive while discussing films with one By Maggie Kusmin
another
The movie club is open to anybody at Plymouth North no matter their grade or taste in movies. This unique club has no prerequisites and does not require much work outside of meetings, their only homework is to watch movies. “We do a different movie or movies every week,” said club advisor Evan McNamara. "So if something speaks to you, great, and if not you're more than welcome to skip it.” Although this club is not new this year, McNamara would love more people to join him during the meetings. The monthly meetings do not require you to bring anything, except your eagerness to discuss movies. “We go from person-to-person and give individual thoughts on it, however long that can take, and then there's a screen we pull up with a bunch of movie award categories,” said club member Kaia Case. “We discuss cinematography, set design, character design, acting, casting, lighting, all that stuff, and we choose one or two categories we think the movie did best at and whatever the movie did worst at.” The laid-back atmosphere of the club is what current members would like to let prospective members know about. It is a stress-free environment where members feel
By Sadie Turrell
The junior class’ first major event starts the school year off with a bang By Mya Boyd the people running through. Noah Kerr, a member of the junior class council that brought Haunted Hallways to life, is hopeful that the success of this event will allow it to continue well into the future, “Haunted Hallways was a major success,” he stated, “Like our other events, I’m hoping that we can continue this in the future!” The dedication of the junior class is the reason that Haunted Hallways became such a successful night. Advertising both in and outside of school, they were able to attract more customers than they had ever expected, raising money for future class events. Along with participation from the Junior class, the haunted hallways rallied participation from all North students. Plymouth North students had the opportunity to help out with the festive night, whether it was through assisting with set up, doing the make-up of the scare actors, or even playing a role as a scare actor.
By Lily Johnson Lily Caple performing with WINA, a band composed of Plymouth North students, at the benefit concert in March. Photographed by Billy Tavares
free to express their own opinions with friends and acquaintances about movies. “It’s a place where you can be more expressive about your interests; like, a class is cool. I'm in a film and fiction class right now and I like it a lot, but it’s a class,” said club member Sebastian Demerjian. “A club is more somewhere where you can take charge and speak about things you're interested in.” The club has a small enrollment at the moment, but current members greatly encourage students and teachers to join. The members' passions for watching and discussing movies resonate with one another, and it is a great place to make friends. “It's a very fun way to get into more movies if you don't watch many, and for avid movie watchers, it's perfect!…It's a short, brief, but very fun time," said Case. The club is low-commitment and easy to join. “Movie club is open to anybody, you can come in anytime you want, and if you want to skip a week that’s fine with us,” said McNamara. “We meet on Wednesdays. We do not meet at a set time, but the meeting dates are posted in our Google Classroom.” Worried you may not like the movie being discussed? No worries, everybody in the club has the opportunity to pick a movie they are interested in to discuss.
“We are going to do a draw out of a hat type thing for who’s gonna actually pick the movie,” said Demerjian. The club discusses a wide variety of movies from cult-classics to arthouse productions. This year they plan to continue discussing movies that span a vast range of topics and production styles. Keep an eye out or pop in for some conversation at their next meeting in room 108a on November 29th. We can’t wait to see the movie club grow.
Poster for those interested in joining Movie Club Designed by Mr. McNamara
Coming Soon… Criminal Justice Club
North’s Haunted Halls At the end of October, Plymouth North’s junior class hosted the school’s very first Haunted Hallways– a night for friends and families to experience both halloweenthemed arts and crafts and a spooky haunted house staffed by the students of Plymouth North High School. The haunted house featured two kinds of experiences: a kid-friendly trick-or-treating segment of the hallway and a haunted hallway. The haunted hallway was a passageway in which participants twisted and turned down the paths that were lined with clowns, scarecrows and even dragons. Students made sure that both hallways were carefully decorated so that the academic hallways of Plymouth North were almost completely unrecognizable to its students. Flashing string lights and fog machines made the hallways that students walk through every weekday into one with an eerie atmosphere that filled the ‘haunted house’ hallway as costumed students terrified and jeered
A closer look at the newly evolved Interact Club after their very successful benefit show last year
Student scare actors lined up inside of the haunted hallways. Photographed by Noah Kerr
“We got a lot of participation, which was good,” said Ellie Snyder, a Plymouth North senior that volunteered as a scare actor in the ‘haunted house’, “I thought it was really successful, especially for the younger kids. The great success of events like Haunted Hallways is a hopeful indicator of the dedication of Plymouth North students to providing exciting experiences that are fun for both high schoolers and families alike, with attendees and volunteers from all grades. The junior class has already set a high bar for future student council activities, and it will be exciting to see what other creative happenings will be held as the year continues.
This new club will give students the opportunity to get experience in the Criminal Justice field
Plymouth North's school resource officer, Shawn Ireland, is starting a new Criminal Justice Club. The club will teach students what it is like to work in the criminal justice system in a fun and interesting way. Officer Ireland said, "The club is going to cover police officers, correctional officers, and some court stuff. It's going to be all about the criminal justice system." According to Officer Ireland, this club is for students interested in this field. It will give them exposure to different types of jobs. Due to expected high interest, juniors and seniors will be given priority in joining the club. There are plans to go on field trips to the police department, the courthouse, the sheriff's department, and the jail. "We're going to do some motor vehicle traffic stops, maybe run some radar, and there's a thing at the police station where you can do virtual training, so it's like a
scenario, and you get to act out the scenario," said Officer Ireland. In addition, Officer Ireland is also looking to do a mock trial at the courthouse to give students a real feel for the court system. The group SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will be doing a mock car crash during prom season, and Officer Ireland is looking for the club to help out with that to warn students about the dangers of drunk driving. Student Abby Roderick, a senior at Plymouth North, is interested in joining this club. "I want to do something with criminal justice, and I've always found it interesting, and it seems like a cool way to learn and get experience in that field," Roderick said. Roderick is eager to join this club because of the unique field trip opportunities offered. Principal Peter Parcellin feels that there has been more interest by students in the last few years in going into a criminal justice career.
“I want to do something with criminal justice... It seems like a cool way to learn and experience in that field” - Abby Roderick "The fact that we have a school resource officer, who is really invested in our school, is going to give kids a first-line opportunity to see the process in action of what it looks like, and what it would take for them to be a part of it," said Principal Parcellin. "The opportunity for kids to get to know Officer Ireland and get to know what he does is going to be a real positive for them." The club will run during directed study and will start on November 13th. For more information about joining this club, feel free to email Officer Ireland or talk to him at school!
Plymouth North Football Starts Off Strong
The New Allied Health Crew A look into some of the changes and goals for the allied health department this school year By Emerson Spinale The allied health department, a technical education program provided by Plymouth Public Schools, has seen 3 teachers go within the last couple years due to new opportunities in education. Allied health, the study of medical treatments for students looking to pursue a career in the medical field, has become a popular choice by students recently. “My goal was to prepare students to be professional certified nursing assistants,” said Plymouth South assistant principal and former North allied health teacher Melissa Morse. “There are not many programs in Massachusetts that allow students to gain a certification and care for patients at the young age of 16-17.” Before becoming an assistant principal at Plymouth South High school and a Plymouth North allied health teacher for 3 years, Morse was a registered nurse in telemetry as well as labor and delivery. “You never know where the future will take you, so I share with all young people that they should explore all opportunities,” Morse said. Although teachers have parted ways with North over the last few years, the school has been armed with a new staff of teachers looking to share their experience in the medical field with new generations of students. Their expertise can hopefully instill ambition in those students for the allied health program. Two of the new additions to the program this year include teachers Grace Horvath and Alyssa McGraw.
Grace Horvath, a former nurse for 20 years at Brigham Women's Hospital in Boston, visiting nurse, and triage nurse has found love in teaching her new students about the importance of allied health. “The medical field gives insight into all different people’s lives, and the struggles with not feeling good. It teaches people how to have a deeper understanding and to care for patients on different levels,” said Horvath. In being a first-year teacher at PNHS, Horvath said, “My goal for teaching is for students to want to continue staying in the program, and appreciate the program’s values.” Alongside Horvath in her first year teaching allied health at North, Alyssa McGraw has big ambitions for those students who choose to remain in the program. “I want my students to feel comfortable, feel challenged, to feel empowered, to develop confidence, and become inspired to pursue a job in the medical field that is unique,” said McGraw.
“I want my students to feel comfortable, feel challenged, to feel empowered” - Alyssa McGraw
Students at their clinicals this past spring. Photographed by Harmony Solana McGraw previously taught nursing at the collegiate level at Cape Cod Community College and Quincy College, in addition to being a nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Mass General Hospital. “I just discovered how to make a connection with kids at this particular age. I’ve learned a lot from my students. They have taught me empathy, and really opened my eyes to other people’s lives and individual struggles,” said McGraw. Collectively, both Horvath and McGraw have discussed how their experiences in previous occupations will help them in their inaugural year of teaching at North. “Our experience in the field working together will help the students of North. We both have children in high school so by seeing them at home, it will help us react to students empathetically, and remain positive members of the community,” said McGraw. In spite of new teaching arrangements, the teachers within the allied health department are determined to continue inspiring students to either join or remain in the program. “I truly believe that education is the best investment. There is something special about being a part of someone’s journey to reach their dreams,” said Morse.
Promising Futures for Project Growth Students The Plymouth North project growth program prepares its students for their years beyond its hallways By Ava Galindo Project Growth is an academic program offered at Plymouth North High School and provides services for special education students ages 18-22 who have not met state and local graduation requirements – such as MCAS. This program is a fully inclusive, post-secondary program for adult high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thanks to Project Growth, students within the special education program are able to remain in school and get the support they need before leaving the halls of Plymouth North High School. Plymouth North students who attend Project Growth are able to participate in several employment opportunities with job coaches and other support staff. Many of our students leave this program with paid employment and skills that transcend the classroom. From learning life skills within the classrooms or actively participating in the workforce at job sites, all students are able to prepare for their futures – however they may look.
Adam Weiner, a senior student of the Project Growth Program, stated that, “My favorite part about Project Growth is that I am able to try out new job sites in order to know what career we want to get into.” After visiting several job sites and learning about different potential careers, Adam plans to enroll in the Life Program. The Life Program is a program located all throughout Cape Cod that provides individualized employment support that includes discovery and assessment, job coaching, and job development. With an upcoming graduation of the Project Growth program, Weiner has plans to collaborate with preschools and offer volunteer services. Project Growth prepares its students for their lives after their years at Plymouth North, regardless of what their future holds. Differing from student to student, Project Growth prepares students to make the transition from its program to entering the workforce, attending college, life skills programs and many more pathways.
One option that Ashlynn Furtado, a Project Growth member, plans to take on is college. Project Growth offers Plymouth North students a college experience through the MAICE program at Cape Cod Community College, in which students like Ashlynn attend. Furtado notes that, “After Project Growth, I plan to attend Cape Cod Community College and transfer over to Bridgewater State University.” Project Growth has prepared its students for each of their own very bright futures, ranging from working, continuing schooling, and many more options.
Senior Ashlynn Furtado Photographed by Serena Ball
Faculty Advisor: Michelle Terry Photographers: Ollie Durgin Bella Piekarski Serena Ball Harmony Solana Ava Galindo Colleen Johnson Billy Tavares Noah Kerr Gabby Colorusso
The Eagle Contact: plymouthnorthnews@gmail.com
Writers: Simon Paquette, Nicole Rytell, Riley Dever, Bella Tassinari, Annalise Lopes, Nyla Lavoie, Gabby Colorusso, Mya Boyd, Lily Johnson, Maggie Kusmin, Sadie Turell, Ava Galindo, Emmy Spinale, Ollie Durgin, Gabby Lopes
Chief Editor: Ava Galindo Copy Editor: Connor Curow Managing Editors: Bella Piekarski Mya Boyd Avabella Tassinari
The Plymouth North football team wins two big games early to boost the energy of the players and fans By Oliver Durgin It may be a cold Friday night, the bleachers might be soaked from the morning rain, and the wind might be whipping against all students shouting from the fan section, but the Plymouth North football team plays on. Contradicting last year’s record in which the Eagles finished 0-8 in the regular season. The team has had an explosive start this year, winning three out of their first six games. The team has started strong, but how does the powerful start play into the behaviors of coaches and players, and how will the team continue forward? Last year’s 0-8 Eagles team graduated 8+ seniors. Contrary to the thought that this decrease in roster should decline the skill of the team, this year's team doesn't appear to have seen significant change. Senior captain Shamus Whiting, who plays quarterback for the Eagles said, “Obviously the older, bigger dudes were a lot of help, but the younger guys, they get better every day.” The loss of the seniors would seemingly be noticeable on the field, but linebacker for Plymouth North and fellow senior captain Dayton Costa said, “I don’t think so, I think we’re doing better without them.”
Eagles varsity team during their game against the Falmouth Clippers. Photographed by Ollie Durgin With the new wave of fresh seniors, the team has taken on a new sense of team spirit and energy, not only in the players but all around the school. Aidan Mackenzie, a Plymouth North senior who’s very supportive of the football team, said, “I think the team starting off with some wins and having some success definitely changed the energy around the school.” Plenty of support from the students at North, but what’s the reason for this early success? “Practice” is what Whiting blames for the great start to the season, adding on, “the grind in the offseason”. Incorporating new coaching styles with a relatively new coaching staff has increased production at practice and therefore in games. The Eagles beat the Falmouth Clippers in their first regular season game, and then two weeks later took down the Pembroke Titans. Apart from the players, the coaching staff also has to accommodate the gains and losses of players. “This year's group has some pretty strong leadership, a lot of kids with qualities that you want some of the younger kids to follow,” said Head Coach for the Eagles, Coach Christopher Whidden.
Then, after a couple of tough losses, they went in as underdogs against Whitman Hanson and held them to zero points, winning the game 10-0. This isn’t a team that is just getting lucky. Countless hours of practice and hard work are what is propelling the team forward. Some of that grind is due to the work of the coaches. Whidden said, “You set a certain standard and level of expectations that people should strive to meet…their expectations that I set but it doesn’t mean anything if the kids don’t believe in it.” Coach Whidden can incorporate ideals for his team and thanks to the belief of the group, this code of play sticks. Coach Whidden is very confident in the football team this year. When reviewing the future of the team he said, “Hopefully we keep getting better every time we play…the measuring stick is always to be better than we were the last time we played.” The future looks bright for the team, but for now, the players and coaches are thrilled and confident about their impressive start.
Unified Sports Goes on the ‘Gram
The vision of one student-athlete spreads awareness of Plymouth North’s unified sports program with the use of an online platform By Gabby Lopes
With the click of a blue “share” button, Plymouth North junior Amy Lee changed the course of the unified sports program in the spring of 2023. This fall, the unified basketball team at Plymouth North High School witnesses an increase in support from the student body due to engagements with their social media platform on Instagram, @pnhsunifiedsports. The account was launched during the spring season for unified track and field, and much attention has grown since. “I saw many other school sports teams and clubs participating in social media, and I wanted that for Unified,” Lee said. With a following of over 170 students, Amy Lee updates fans in the community with upcoming games, practice progress, and schedule changes. There are on average 2-3 posts per week regarding the fall basketball season, and the promotion of the program has not gone unnoticed. “I’ve also noticed that less people have been asking what Unified is, and more people asking what they can do,” said Lee. Social media traction has undoubtedly recruited more members to the 2023 basketball roster, if not made more Plymouth North students aware that the program exists in the first place. The “tag” feature on Instagram allows Lee to share the posts with other teammates to be reposted to their personal accounts. The constant resharing of content from the teammate’s accounts to larger platforms such as PNN
Plymouth North Unified Nick Muscato shooting basket against Hingham Unified basketball team Photographed by Ava Galindo The increase of recruits for the unified basketball team or PN Athletics has allowed the account to have a much may be attributed to the social media interaction that larger reach than what is initially perceived. occurred during the offseason. However, where there is “What people don’t see is the texts, DM’s or emails I progress, there is always room for improvement. will get from other students asking about our program. “Compared to some of the schools we go to, our People have become really interested,” senior member student attendance isn’t great,” said Coach Kelly Ava Galindo Maccaferri. said. Although the number of involved members for the unified basketball team has surged, there haven’t been any noticeable changes in the student section during both home and away games. Against all odds, the athletes participating in the fall basketball season firmly believe that team morale overcomes these obstacles any day. “My favorite part about unified basketball is that win or lose, we have a fun time playing,” Captain Adam Weiner said. Despite the notable improvements made on the unified basketball team, the program still has a long way to go in regards to student recognition. However, the future is bright, and Plymouth North can contribute with the click of a blue “share” button. @pnhsunifiedsports Amy receives direct messages through the Instagram account, and is able to respond to potential recruits, fans, or interested community members. New faces have appeared in the program in recent years, but the growth in the unified program since 2023 has been unlike any other season.
@pnhsunifiedsports
Plymouth North Football Starts Off Strong
The New Allied Health Crew A look into some of the changes and goals for the allied health department this school year By Emerson Spinale The allied health department, a technical education program provided by Plymouth Public Schools, has seen 3 teachers go within the last couple years due to new opportunities in education. Allied health, the study of medical treatments for students looking to pursue a career in the medical field, has become a popular choice by students recently. “My goal was to prepare students to be professional certified nursing assistants,” said Plymouth South assistant principal and former North allied health teacher Melissa Morse. “There are not many programs in Massachusetts that allow students to gain a certification and care for patients at the young age of 16-17.” Before becoming an assistant principal at Plymouth South High school and a Plymouth North allied health teacher for 3 years, Morse was a registered nurse in telemetry as well as labor and delivery. “You never know where the future will take you, so I share with all young people that they should explore all opportunities,” Morse said. Although teachers have parted ways with North over the last few years, the school has been armed with a new staff of teachers looking to share their experience in the medical field with new generations of students. Their expertise can hopefully instill ambition in those students for the allied health program. Two of the new additions to the program this year include teachers Grace Horvath and Alyssa McGraw.
Grace Horvath, a former nurse for 20 years at Brigham Women's Hospital in Boston, visiting nurse, and triage nurse has found love in teaching her new students about the importance of allied health. “The medical field gives insight into all different people’s lives, and the struggles with not feeling good. It teaches people how to have a deeper understanding and to care for patients on different levels,” said Horvath. In being a first-year teacher at PNHS, Horvath said, “My goal for teaching is for students to want to continue staying in the program, and appreciate the program’s values.” Alongside Horvath in her first year teaching allied health at North, Alyssa McGraw has big ambitions for those students who choose to remain in the program. “I want my students to feel comfortable, feel challenged, to feel empowered, to develop confidence, and become inspired to pursue a job in the medical field that is unique,” said McGraw.
“I want my students to feel comfortable, feel challenged, to feel empowered” - Alyssa McGraw
Students at their clinicals this past spring. Photographed by Harmony Solana McGraw previously taught nursing at the collegiate level at Cape Cod Community College and Quincy College, in addition to being a nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Mass General Hospital. “I just discovered how to make a connection with kids at this particular age. I’ve learned a lot from my students. They have taught me empathy, and really opened my eyes to other people’s lives and individual struggles,” said McGraw. Collectively, both Horvath and McGraw have discussed how their experiences in previous occupations will help them in their inaugural year of teaching at North. “Our experience in the field working together will help the students of North. We both have children in high school so by seeing them at home, it will help us react to students empathetically, and remain positive members of the community,” said McGraw. In spite of new teaching arrangements, the teachers within the allied health department are determined to continue inspiring students to either join or remain in the program. “I truly believe that education is the best investment. There is something special about being a part of someone’s journey to reach their dreams,” said Morse.
Promising Futures for Project Growth Students The Plymouth North project growth program prepares its students for their years beyond its hallways By Ava Galindo Project Growth is an academic program offered at Plymouth North High School and provides services for special education students ages 18-22 who have not met state and local graduation requirements – such as MCAS. This program is a fully inclusive, post-secondary program for adult high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thanks to Project Growth, students within the special education program are able to remain in school and get the support they need before leaving the halls of Plymouth North High School. Plymouth North students who attend Project Growth are able to participate in several employment opportunities with job coaches and other support staff. Many of our students leave this program with paid employment and skills that transcend the classroom. From learning life skills within the classrooms or actively participating in the workforce at job sites, all students are able to prepare for their futures – however they may look.
Adam Weiner, a senior student of the Project Growth Program, stated that, “My favorite part about Project Growth is that I am able to try out new job sites in order to know what career we want to get into.” After visiting several job sites and learning about different potential careers, Adam plans to enroll in the Life Program. The Life Program is a program located all throughout Cape Cod that provides individualized employment support that includes discovery and assessment, job coaching, and job development. With an upcoming graduation of the Project Growth program, Weiner has plans to collaborate with preschools and offer volunteer services. Project Growth prepares its students for their lives after their years at Plymouth North, regardless of what their future holds. Differing from student to student, Project Growth prepares students to make the transition from its program to entering the workforce, attending college, life skills programs and many more pathways.
One option that Ashlynn Furtado, a Project Growth member, plans to take on is college. Project Growth offers Plymouth North students a college experience through the MAICE program at Cape Cod Community College, in which students like Ashlynn attend. Furtado notes that, “After Project Growth, I plan to attend Cape Cod Community College and transfer over to Bridgewater State University.” Project Growth has prepared its students for each of their own very bright futures, ranging from working, continuing schooling, and many more options.
Senior Ashlynn Furtado Photographed by Serena Ball
Faculty Advisor: Michelle Terry Photographers: Ollie Durgin Bella Piekarski Serena Ball Harmony Solana Ava Galindo Colleen Johnson Billy Tavares Noah Kerr Gabby Colorusso
The Eagle Contact: plymouthnorthnews@gmail.com
Writers: Simon Paquette, Nicole Rytell, Riley Dever, Bella Tassinari, Annalise Lopes, Nyla Lavoie, Gabby Colorusso, Mya Boyd, Lily Johnson, Maggie Kusmin, Sadie Turell, Ava Galindo, Emmy Spinale, Ollie Durgin, Gabby Lopes
Chief Editor: Ava Galindo Copy Editor: Connor Curow Managing Editors: Bella Piekarski Mya Boyd Avabella Tassinari
The Plymouth North football team wins two big games early to boost the energy of the players and fans By Oliver Durgin It may be a cold Friday night, the bleachers might be soaked from the morning rain, and the wind might be whipping against all students shouting from the fan section, but the Plymouth North football team plays on. Contradicting last year’s record in which the Eagles finished 0-8 in the regular season. The team has had an explosive start this year, winning three out of their first six games. The team has started strong, but how does the powerful start play into the behaviors of coaches and players, and how will the team continue forward? Last year’s 0-8 Eagles team graduated 8+ seniors. Contrary to the thought that this decrease in roster should decline the skill of the team, this year's team doesn't appear to have seen significant change. Senior captain Shamus Whiting, who plays quarterback for the Eagles said, “Obviously the older, bigger dudes were a lot of help, but the younger guys, they get better every day.” The loss of the seniors would seemingly be noticeable on the field, but linebacker for Plymouth North and fellow senior captain Dayton Costa said, “I don’t think so, I think we’re doing better without them.”
Eagles varsity team during their game against the Falmouth Clippers. Photographed by Ollie Durgin With the new wave of fresh seniors, the team has taken on a new sense of team spirit and energy, not only in the players but all around the school. Aidan Mackenzie, a Plymouth North senior who’s very supportive of the football team, said, “I think the team starting off with some wins and having some success definitely changed the energy around the school.” Plenty of support from the students at North, but what’s the reason for this early success? “Practice” is what Whiting blames for the great start to the season, adding on, “the grind in the offseason”. Incorporating new coaching styles with a relatively new coaching staff has increased production at practice and therefore in games. The Eagles beat the Falmouth Clippers in their first regular season game, and then two weeks later took down the Pembroke Titans. Apart from the players, the coaching staff also has to accommodate the gains and losses of players. “This year's group has some pretty strong leadership, a lot of kids with qualities that you want some of the younger kids to follow,” said Head Coach for the Eagles, Coach Christopher Whidden.
Then, after a couple of tough losses, they went in as underdogs against Whitman Hanson and held them to zero points, winning the game 10-0. This isn’t a team that is just getting lucky. Countless hours of practice and hard work are what is propelling the team forward. Some of that grind is due to the work of the coaches. Whidden said, “You set a certain standard and level of expectations that people should strive to meet…their expectations that I set but it doesn’t mean anything if the kids don’t believe in it.” Coach Whidden can incorporate ideals for his team and thanks to the belief of the group, this code of play sticks. Coach Whidden is very confident in the football team this year. When reviewing the future of the team he said, “Hopefully we keep getting better every time we play…the measuring stick is always to be better than we were the last time we played.” The future looks bright for the team, but for now, the players and coaches are thrilled and confident about their impressive start.
Unified Sports Goes on the ‘Gram
The vision of one student-athlete spreads awareness of Plymouth North’s unified sports program with the use of an online platform By Gabby Lopes
With the click of a blue “share” button, Plymouth North junior Amy Lee changed the course of the unified sports program in the spring of 2023. This fall, the unified basketball team at Plymouth North High School witnesses an increase in support from the student body due to engagements with their social media platform on Instagram, @pnhsunifiedsports. The account was launched during the spring season for unified track and field, and much attention has grown since. “I saw many other school sports teams and clubs participating in social media, and I wanted that for Unified,” Lee said. With a following of over 170 students, Amy Lee updates fans in the community with upcoming games, practice progress, and schedule changes. There are on average 2-3 posts per week regarding the fall basketball season, and the promotion of the program has not gone unnoticed. “I’ve also noticed that less people have been asking what Unified is, and more people asking what they can do,” said Lee. Social media traction has undoubtedly recruited more members to the 2023 basketball roster, if not made more Plymouth North students aware that the program exists in the first place. The “tag” feature on Instagram allows Lee to share the posts with other teammates to be reposted to their personal accounts. The constant resharing of content from the teammate’s accounts to larger platforms such as PNN
Plymouth North Unified Nick Muscato shooting basket against Hingham Unified basketball team Photographed by Ava Galindo The increase of recruits for the unified basketball team or PN Athletics has allowed the account to have a much may be attributed to the social media interaction that larger reach than what is initially perceived. occurred during the offseason. However, where there is “What people don’t see is the texts, DM’s or emails I progress, there is always room for improvement. will get from other students asking about our program. “Compared to some of the schools we go to, our People have become really interested,” senior member student attendance isn’t great,” said Coach Kelly Ava Galindo Maccaferri. said. Although the number of involved members for the unified basketball team has surged, there haven’t been any noticeable changes in the student section during both home and away games. Against all odds, the athletes participating in the fall basketball season firmly believe that team morale overcomes these obstacles any day. “My favorite part about unified basketball is that win or lose, we have a fun time playing,” Captain Adam Weiner said. Despite the notable improvements made on the unified basketball team, the program still has a long way to go in regards to student recognition. However, the future is bright, and Plymouth North can contribute with the click of a blue “share” button. @pnhsunifiedsports Amy receives direct messages through the Instagram account, and is able to respond to potential recruits, fans, or interested community members. New faces have appeared in the program in recent years, but the growth in the unified program since 2023 has been unlike any other season.
@pnhsunifiedsports