41 Obery Street
THE EAGLE Plymouth North High School Plymouth, Massachusetts
Midterms Removed District ends formal midterms, gives teachers more flexibility, and avoids schedule interruptions By Justin Fosdick and Oliver Trask
For many years, students at North knew that the end of the first semester brought midterms. The schedule would rearrange to accommodate a standardized test for every class, no matter the subject or discipline. This school year, Plymouth Public Schools have removed formal midterm exams and a midterm schedule for high school students. Instead, students will be subject to taking a less formal midyear assessment. The decision to move away from the standard midterm was a collective one, made earlier this year. “We had a big conversation about it, what is the value of that for kids, other than a messed up week that interrupts the whole process,” said Principal Peter Parcellin. “When we shut the whole building down and
do a whole schedule just for the week, it interrupts everything.” Teachers across the building are welcoming the additional time they receive for instruction as part of the change. “You lose a lot more time than the class period where you take that test,” said Language Department Head Michelle Lewison. “I think ultimately it will be a really positive thing in all aspects, including grades.” While year-long courses will not be required to take a formal midterm exam, half year courses will still take a final exam at the end of the semester in January. However, the schedule will remain the same during the semester final exams. “With the direction of our K-12 Mathematics Coordinator, Dr. Kelly Bitinas, the removal of midyear exams means that teachers and students are not forced to follow the previous strict timeline for a mid-year benchmark, but we should still offer common cumulative assessments.” said Math Department
Head Kesha Nielsen. In science, the teachers of each subject are tasked with coming together to decide what their common assessment will be, keeping it the same across classes. “It’s up to the collective,” said Mary Raymond, the Science Department Head at North. “Like, all the chemistry teachers will decide whether they’re doing a test or if they’re going to do a project. It’s up to each individual area within science to decide that.” In contrast to that, the English department set the framework of the test to be decided by grade level. “Freshman are going to be doing a poetry analysis. Sophomores are going to be doing a continuation of a story- narrative writing to help prepare them for MCAS. And juniors are going to be working on a rhetorical analysis, which helps them prepare for the writing option on the SAT,” said English Department Head Shelley Terry. The task stays the same from classes in the same grade level,
January 2020 but individual teachers are allowed to choose the text their students work with. “For all of the honors core history classes, the National History Day project took the place of the midyear exam and is kind of there as a substitute for that midyear exam even now,” said Department Head David Clark. Clifton Buckley, one of Plymouth North’s three chemistry teachers, said, “For AP we’re still going to take a traditional test, everything that they covered, but that’s to kind of get them ready for the AP exam.” As a result of midterms being removed, year long classes have been re-weighted, with each term being worth 22.5% and the final exam being 10%. Any assessments that take place as a common assessment will be factored in a term grade. Over the next few weeks, students will be taking midyear assessments all across the building during normal class periods. Teachers will be able to continue their classes with less interruption, while still being able to administer cumulative assessments for the first half of the year.
Advisory With Additional Goals
New changes to the advisory classes at Plymouth North hope to provide students with a more meaningful classroom experience By Meiling Xiong and Amber Bates
For Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors, it is mandatory to participate in an assigned advisory on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week. The main purpose of advisory is for students to connect with teachers and peers through service, art, and a variety of activities. Although that goal of connection remains consistent, advisories are showing signs of change through new mini lessons. “The goal still remains, it will always stay there,” said Ms. Linda Goggin, a teacher helping institute these changes. “The mission of Plymouth North is for every student to have a connection with someone in school. Instead of replacing the goal, we are adding on to it. Helping students develop character and practice civil responsibilities.” Advisory classes are an initiative to a strategy called small learning communities. The logic is that if a student had one staff member that they had a connection with, students would be more likely to open up with teachers about their
Echo:
problems, creating a stronger and safer overall learning environment. Around the school, there have been many different projects completed by advisories. Some classes aim their projects at helping North through the recycling program or Pay It Forward, which helps students in the North community attend school events free of cost. Other classes, have taken the initiative to help those outside the walls of North through letter writing, caroling and even gardening. Advisory teacher, Ms. Jennifer Carroza, said, “I think that there is a lot of value in understanding what kind of impact you can have on society.” Recently, however, North has been shifting advisory to move beyond its previous focus on a singular project. This began with the advisory mini-lessons that took place in December. Students were given different options and they chose the one that they felt bet fit their interests. These lessons ranged from ‘How to cook a perfect steak’ with Mr. Christopher Bruno, to ‘What’s the purpose of the Tower of Hanoi’ with Ms. Melanie Dolloff, or even ‘How to do your Laundry’ with Mrs. Bonnie Holmes. Each lesson had the common goal of teaching students something they wouldn’t learn in a traditional classroom. Junior Adam Garcia said, “I thought it was fun, I felt like I was doing
Two of the options on advisory mini-lesson day were tie dye and organizing your agenda (see above).
something that I actually enjoyed.” In addition to the mini-lessons, the new changes included character development activities, leadership, community services, public speaking, fundraisers, and life skills such as how to effectively complete a job or college applications. “In whatever form students and teachers feel is best, I want advistoy to be the place where kids feel at home here,” said Mr. Parcellin. “I think our goal is, in the long term, to have an advisory where kids connect with each other and with an adult in the building, and
hopefully we can make that happen.” Advisory classes already made significant progress in developing students’ characteristics through activities like mini-lessons. The bond between staff and students within the school is noticeable too. Mrs. Goggin said, “I love my advisory students, we are like a family. I get to know my students a lot better because there is no judgment. I get to see a different side of them rather than just being a student.”
Revamping Lit Mag to encorporate many styles of creative writing
Scallop Roll:
Downtown Plymouth’s latest public art installation
Town News:
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The Impossible Burger: a new, plantbased alternative in fast food
SCHOOL NEWS JANUARY 2020 Amnesty Internation Students Voices Now ECHO Rebuilt Through the Halls of North
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By Maggie Mallon
By Amber Bates
Many students take to the field or the stage to express their individuality, but others don’t feel comfortable raising their voice in these activities and want a space where they feel heard. Plymouth North’s literary magazine has recently been rebranded, giving those students the creative outlet they’ve been seeking. “The idea is that the literary magazine echos the voices of everyone within the walls of Plymouth North,” said advisor Ms. Brittney Hildebrand. To highlight this message, students collaborated to rename the publication Echo. “We chose Echo because it’s like you are getting your voice heard, showing everyone your creative side without any restrictions,” said Sophomore Danielle Halson. Halson writes for the literary magazine and is a part of the developmental team. She said, “It is all about the students. It isn’t about what grade you’re in or anything else, it’s about what you can create.” It was Halson’s passion for writing that inspired her to join the club. “Around middle school, I got into reading, and I really liked the stories. After that, I realized I had so many stories to tell on my own,” Halson said. Not to be confused with the common commercial magazines like Vogue or Times, literary magazines focus their publication on creative writing. These publications often do not bring in the same amount of revenue as commercial magazines, but even so, literary magazines give a platform to creative writers to showcase different styles of writing. The styles of writing in literary magazines can vary from, poetry, short stories, flash fiction, memoirs, book reviews, interviews, letters, literary criticism, essays, and everything in between. To go along with writing, literary magazines also feature various forms of artwork, including, but not limited to, photography, sketches, pastels, paintings, and graphic design.
TJ Showsted, a sophomore at PNHS, is choosing to express himself through poetry and he is excited about the voice the literary magazine is giving students. He said, “Personally I hope that the club will show off to the school the amazing things that students are capable of and to also give a voice to the students and faculty that don’t normally have a way to spread what they have created.” The club wants to celebrate students, like Showsted, who are passionate about writing and art through their own inventive lens. Ms. Hildebrand took over for the former advisor, Mrs. McWhirther, and made it her goal to expand the club, giving a platform to students who don’t feel like they are heard. “The vision right now is giving voice to students who may not have found an avenue for that,” said Ms. Hildebrand. “It’s about giving voice to students who tend to be a little bit quieter, a little bit more introverted, and giving voice to the arts in this building.” The inspiration to take over the club comes from Ms. Hildebrand’s creative writing class, an elective that focuses on harnessing students’ skills through several styles of writing. Ms. Hildebrand said, “In revamping this, my idea was to bring the arts together and include writing, photography, paint and illustration, watercolor, pen and ink, and really sort of art in the whole sense of what it can mean and bring it together.” To create a successful publication, Ms. Hildebrand knew that she needed to get the message out to students. She credits her department, specifically Ms. Allison Pickens, with their help in the initial recruiting process. Students from all grade levels meet every K block on Friday to discuss different aspects of the publication. In the first two terms, the main focus of the club has been advertising and rebranding. “We’ve been kind of building on each other’s ideas, which is
fueling the revamping of [the club],” said Ms. Hildebrand. “I suppose its kind of like a living breathing thing where we are trying to navigate what we want it all to be.” Sophomore Lana Sweeney loves creative writing and joined the club because it was a new and different experience than what she is used to. She said, “You can write anything you want and create anything imaginable.” Sweeney also said, “It’s a really inclusive club and you can do so many things to contribute.” Right now, students on the core team are contributing to marketing and graphic design to build more student involvement. After rebranding the literary magazine, the club got to work continuing to get the word out there. Members of the club use a free program called LucidPress to create posters that were hung up around the school in the middle of November. The posters were used to encourage students and staff to submit their art or writing for the magazine. The team wants as many students and staff members to submit work they are passionate about, the restrictions of the classic five-paragraph essay don’t apply! Once this stage of the process is complete, the team will move on to the design process. They will, again, be using LucidPress to create the magazine. To get involved, students and staff do not need to attend every meeting to have their voices heard. To have work published in the magazine, one must fill out a google form that can be found through a QR code that has been posted throughout the school. As the club begins to move into the design process, they are excited to bring their vision to life. “It’s a little dorky and nerdy, but I think it’s fun,” said Ms. Hildebrand. “They’re interested in celebrating what is happening in this building and that was my whole goal.”
New leadership has brought change to Amnesty International in the form of a new format and more student engagement.
Amnesty International is a global organization that focuses on ending human rights violations. Plymouth North has its own chapter which has been lobbying local government and mobilizing students to stand up against injustice. It is open to all students and is the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month in room 319. Run by teacher coordinator Mrs. Joelene McCusker and student leaders Karen Phan and Emma George, Amnesty International is flipping a new page with new leadership. Mrs. McCusker has been with the club since it’s founding in 2016. “Amnesty International’s purpose is to raise awareness on human rights issues all over the worldthat hasn’t changed this year,” said Mrs. McCusker. Emma George’s sister Abby George had run the club in previous years, and while the mission of Amnesty International does not change, Emma was interested in adding some new aspects to the club. “What we do is so important,” George said, “We really want to see new kids walk through the door. We need different opinions.” New opinions would bring new life to Amnesty International’s case studies. A case study, Phan said, is “a topic from Amnesty International that can be researched and debated at meetings.” Phan and George are looking to encourage involvement from all club members in the case studies, whose topics have ranged from abortion laws to genocide. “Before every meeting, we choose volunteers to pick
and present next week’s case study,” George said. This new format is meant to make sure everyone has a chance to talk about something they are passionate about. Phan and George are also working to expand their branch of Amnesty International’s outreach in the community. Last year, the club ran one Christmas charity, but this year they ran three charities during the holiday season. “We’re doing a toy drive, a mitten tree, and making Christmas cards for nursing homes,” Phan said. All charities were made accessible to Plymouth North students. George said, “Many families may be struggling during the holidays. We’re just trying to help out.” Charities aren’t all they do for the community. The new leaders have made an effort to make sure they are writing to state and government officials about the issues brought up in the case studies. “After a case study, volunteers can write letters to bring justice to things they are passionate about,” George said. These letters let students take direct action and make sure government officials are respecting laws and not misusing power. As North moves into the new year, Amnesty International is moving in a new direction.
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Monday Room 319
Families Growing Through Kinship By Caroline Gillis
Students coming across that not all kids are kin by choice and want to stress the different family structures we have throughout our school community. Recently, a club called Kinship has been started by three seniors, Chris Tamulionis, Bree Ferrell and Nick Carlon. Kin is defined as one’s family and relations and this club is helping give the opportunity to build non-traditional families closer together. Kinship care refers to the care of children through different relatives or close family friends. This applies to many different students within our Plymouth community. Normally children in this type of care are experiencing family hardships. In 2002, 2.3 million lived in kin-
ship care families. 59% of children lived with either of their grandparents, 19% lived with aunts or uncles and the remaining 22% were living with other relatives, for example cousins or siblings. These senior students have come across how common different family structures are. Not everyone is raised by their parents and aren’t in the same environment one would think. These seniors have acknowledged it, and have now used this club to act upon it. A senior, Chris Tamulionis, finds these different structured families and understands the concept, for he knows a lot about the foster care sys-
tem. “They not only struggle with being both a parental and grandparent figure but are always out of the loop of what events are going on for their grandkids within the schools,” said Tamulionis. These students are giving the chance for these families to become more involved in their children’s lives and to connect with other families that may be in the same situation they are currently in. The advisor of Kinship, Ms. Kathy Schram is encouraged about the students coming together to help families in the school community. “You can have a traditional family, with a mom, dad, brother and sister but we all form our own
In 2002, 2.3 million lived in kinship care families.
informal families constantly, and the definition of family expands throughout this club,” said Schram. Although this club has recently just started, they do have some future plans they are in the middle of organizing. “They have high hopes for a winter carnival in January,” said Schram. Chris, Bree and Nick’s goal is to plan a carnival with games and activities for these families to get a chance to meet with others in the same situation, and a time for grandparents to connect with their grandchildren. Their goal is to organize events with these families, and with the help of these students, they will be able to help fill in these guardians on any further questions they have. Because they are not as apart of the school community, informational meetings like this will help fill them in.
Another one of the organizers, Bree Ferrell, understands why they would be lost and unaware of specific dates of events happening in Plymouth for their grandchildren. “We’ll not only fill them in, but give them chances to be there as their grandmother or grandfather,” said Ferrell. Kinship has started meeting in room 107 during k-block on Fridays. This is one’s chance to help themselves get involved within the community and help those with different families get closer.
SCHOOL NEWS
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New At North Station Two students take on responsibilities in the school store as their full year DECA No matter which day of the week, every K Block or Com Block North Station is always teeming with activity. The store is a hub for students of all four classes to meet, pick up a snack, and enjoy time with their friends. Many don’t stop to consider what goes on behind the scenes to make the school store such a cool place to be, but for seniors Keenan Johnson and Bobby Murray, is of extra special importance. Johnsonand Murray are both marketing students, a technical program here at North. As part of their curriculum, they work on a big project to bring to the DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America, Competition. “I have been participating in DECA competition for four years now, and have made it all the way up to the international level of competition of my category, Food Marketing Series,” said Murray. “I actually placed in the top 20 globally in this category last year.” Their teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Figlioli, feels the school store is in good hands. “Keenan and Bobby work very well together. They bounce ideas off of each other and can give and receive constructive feedback from each other,” she said. Murray said “Keenan has a level of motivation that is hard to match, and he puts everything he has into this project. This project does have its stresses but having someone
else to work on it with makes it more fun.” North Station is a key part in the daily routines of many students, and the seriousness of the responsibility is not lost on the pair. “We know that students already had a mental image of what North Station was before Keenan and I stepped in this year. There was a group of students who ran the store last year extremely well, so there was also a mentality of passing the torch,” said Murray. “We are always accepting of students opinions on our various social media pages, including new items and programs from North Station.” While keeping the daily processes of the store running is a goal both are passionate about, there are other factors motivating the pair. The work they’re doing is still submitted to the DECA Competition for review, and counts toward their grade in class. “The rubrics are spelled out by DECA,” said marketing teacher Ms. Kathy Schram. “They get graded on completion, they get graded on the work their doing along the way, progress their making, grammar. There’s a lot, it’s a big thing. They have a whole list of things they’re required to do.” And the two students have done alot during the 4 short months they have been in charge. From setting up an online delivery service to teachers to also expanding the stores
By Oliver Trask
Photo provided by Kathy Schram
Stepping Forward For Skills USA By Eric Chase
publicity through new social meda pages. Another important job of the students is the keeping of financial records in North Station. This includes documents like balance sheets, income statements, and other forms necessary to the success of a business. Though there is a lot of pressure from teachers and students alike to succeed, the experience gained is well worth it in their eyes. “The level of freedom that this project has given me is far more than I have ever experienced in a high school class. It feels amazing to take what I have learned in the classroom, about advertising, sales, and pricing, and to put it to use in a real setting,” said Murray. “As someone who wants to go into the marketing field, this has only deepened my love for the subject.” So far, the largest change the pair have brought has been the delivery system for teachers. They can place orders and have items brought directly to their classrooms. “Teachers have never had the same access to the store as kids do during the school day,” said Murray. “our mobile delivery service, which is exclusively to teachers, was created to change that.” Updates about future changes and additions to North Station can be found on social media pages.
@northstation_pnhs @PNHSstore
JANUARY 2020
SkillsUSA is a nationwide organization helping over 500,000 nationally, improve their skills in health occupations, trade, and technical services. The SkillsUSA program at Plymouth North holds a steady participating volume, Facilities management, Allied Health, Marketing, and Engineering programs are all represented. SkillsUSA has a more difficult application process in order to prohibit all Vocational Tech students from joining. Though competing in Skills is highly competitive there are community service projects, students can do whether or not they make it to SkillsUSA. These projects must follow the SkillsUSA framework, personal skills, workplace skills, and technical skills. Only 65 of the 400 students in vocational tech programs at North are allowed to go to SkillsUSA, located in Marlborough, MA. Only the first and second place winners are allowed to move on to the state competition. Anyone wanting to compete at Skills must be in a vocational tech program, pass a test in class in order to go. Only 30 out of the 100 members in the Allied Program are allowed to go. While this is a prestige competition there are various community service opportunities in our own town that need these students help. Head of the Allied Health program at Plymouth North and SkillsUSA Chapter Advisor, Laura Drew said, “Because not all of the Tech students can compete due to limited category slots, the community service projects are a great way to involve everybody.” Plymouth North alumni Allie Vario, competed in the SkillsUSA program and was a community service medalist. SkillsUSA pushes the community service events to start involv-
ing students who are not already involved in SkillsUSA. Mrs.Drew said, “ We are in partnership with South Shore Early Education, Task Force to end Homelessness, Mitten Tree hanging at Christmas time, the community Tree, Toys for Tots and everything we really can.” Applying students with useful skills can benefit our own community and is an avid part of what these high school Vocational Tech Program’s bring to Plymouth. Last year, Plymouth North devoted many hours towards their projects, recieving a $10,000 increase to their operating budget, in the state of Massachusetts. This sum is used to continue such community involvement, and qualified them to receive a Chapter Medal of Excellence. These Vocational Program’s are seeking out those who are truly willing to give their time to the community; students that have a desire to influence and impact hold a role in getting other people to contribute as well. Plymouth North’s Facilities Management teacher Mr.David South said, “SkillsUSA fits our shop well because trade is so community based. It is interactive with people around you. The activities we do in the shop and community require self-motivated action by the students.” The SkillsUSA organization encourages involvement from all Vocational Tech Programs, but also any driven student willing to help others in the community service projects to make a change. Mrs.David South said, “ I hope they can continue to want to take on these projects with other community organizations and programs.”
The "Scallop Roll" Promotion Spotlights Local Artists
As Plymouth 400 is on the horizon, the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce is taking advantage of this opportunity to not only promote local businesses, but artists as well By Bobby Murray The painted lobsters previously scattered throughout downtown Plymouth have been auctioned off, and now the town is ready to install a new attraction. Starting earlier this summer, the statues were pulled from their various locations and replaced with new scallop shells. Amy Naples, the Executive Director of the Plymouth Area of Commerce, led the project. “The lobsters were certainly a favorite, however, it is important to keep things fresh and draw new visitors to town.” said Naples, “It was time for a new attraction.” This promotion followed The Lobster Crawl, the last art exhibit here in Plymouth. The statues from that event were very popular, and the Scallop Roll was the next step. “The Scallop Roll was created after the success of the Plymouth Lobster Crawl, we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have another public art exhibit throughout town during 2020,” said Naples.
This Scallop Roll is made up of the newly designed scallop shells, which play a similar role as the lobsters. These shells number 29 in total, each being sponsored by one local business and being designed by a local artist. One such artist is Jan Walsh, who has been painting for most of her life, has participated in both The Lobster Crawl and the new Scallop Roll. “I knew what I wanted to do at the beginning, I wanted to make a character because that is more or less my forte,” said Walsh. Standing at about 5 feet tall, Shelldon was designed around the Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company. He is a turkey with a conductor's hat and pocket watch, perfectly encapsulating not only the companies image but also a part of the culture of Plymouth. Town spirit takes center stage in the Scallop Roll. With Plymouth 400 quickly approaching, the town knew it was time for
a change of scenery, and the shells were the perfect opportunity. “We chose the scallop shells because they have been a sign of pilgrimage for hundreds of years around the world. With Plymouth celebrating 400 years in 2020 and the arrival of the Pilgrims we thought it was fitting,” said Bob Nolet, Director of Communications in the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. These shells are designed for the tourists being brought in for the Plymouth 400 events as a way for them to walk through a nontraditional exhibit and not only learn more about the small businesses of the area but also the artists as well. “They [the Chamber] do a nice job of how they expose us to the public and how the public gets to see the other side of our work. It makes us feel special,” said Walsh. This project is a special coming together of two different parts of Plymouth for one common goal: public expression by the
artist. Such artistic expression is not just noticed by the people of Plymouth, but function as an inspiration to young artists as well. “It is refreshing to see projects like these in Plymouth.” said Karen Phan, an AP Art student at PNHS. “The expression of local artists motivates me to do more.” A map including all 29 locations of the shells is available on the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce website, and the shells are planned to stick around for a while. “Our art installations are meant to bring people to the community throughout the years and to keep coming back,” said Nolet. “Although Plymouth 400 is happening next year, our art installation is meant to be an attraction for multiple years. The scallop shells will be out until December 2021.”
The "Scallop Roll" Promotion Spotlights Local Artists
As Plymouth 400 is on the horizon, the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce is taking advantage of this opportunity to not only promote local businesses, but artists as well By Bobby Murray The painted lobsters previously scattered throughout downtown Plymouth have been auctioned off, and now the town is ready to install a new attraction. Starting earlier this summer, the statues were pulled from their various locations and replaced with new scallop shells. Amy Naples, the Executive Director of the Plymouth Area of Commerce, led the project. “The lobsters were certainly a favorite, however, it is important to keep things fresh and draw new visitors to town.” said Naples, “It was time for a new attraction.” This promotion followed The Lobster Crawl, the last art exhibit here in Plymouth. The statues from that event were very popular, and the Scallop Roll was the next step. “The Scallop Roll was created after the success of the Plymouth Lobster Crawl, we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have another public art exhibit throughout town during 2020,” said Naples.
This Scallop Roll is made up of the newly designed scallop shells, which play a similar role as the lobsters. These shells number 29 in total, each being sponsored by one local business and being designed by a local artist. One such artist is Jan Walsh, who has been painting for most of her life, has participated in both The Lobster Crawl and the new Scallop Roll. “I knew what I wanted to do at the beginning, I wanted to make a character because that is more or less my forte,” said Walsh. Standing at about 5 feet tall, Shelldon was designed around the Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company. He is a turkey with a conductor's hat and pocket watch, perfectly encapsulating not only the companies image but also a part of the culture of Plymouth. Town spirit takes center stage in the Scallop Roll. With Plymouth 400 quickly approaching, the town knew it was time for
a change of scenery, and the shells were the perfect opportunity. “We chose the scallop shells because they have been a sign of pilgrimage for hundreds of years around the world. With Plymouth celebrating 400 years in 2020 and the arrival of the Pilgrims we thought it was fitting,” said Bob Nolet, Director of Communications in the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. These shells are designed for the tourists being brought in for the Plymouth 400 events as a way for them to walk through a nontraditional exhibit and not only learn more about the small businesses of the area but also the artists as well. “They [the Chamber] do a nice job of how they expose us to the public and how the public gets to see the other side of our work. It makes us feel special,” said Walsh. This project is a special coming together of two different parts of Plymouth for one common goal: public expression by the
artist. Such artistic expression is not just noticed by the people of Plymouth, but function as an inspiration to young artists as well. “It is refreshing to see projects like these in Plymouth.” said Karen Phan, an AP Art student at PNHS. “The expression of local artists motivates me to do more.” A map including all 29 locations of the shells is available on the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce website, and the shells are planned to stick around for a while. “Our art installations are meant to bring people to the community throughout the years and to keep coming back,” said Nolet. “Although Plymouth 400 is happening next year, our art installation is meant to be an attraction for multiple years. The scallop shells will be out until December 2021.”
OPINION
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JANUARY 2019
By Meiling Xiong
Plymouth’s Decision to Disable Follett Notifacations Directly Contrasts the Goals of the Students Students no longer can access their Aspen grades through an iPhone app By Sam White
This year the Plymouth School District made the decision to do away with grade notifications from Aspen. In previous years students were able to download the app Follett Notifications to instantly see a grade without having to log in to Aspen. The districrt made the decision because they believed the app stressed students out, put unnecessary pressure on them, and worried that instance notifications may not always be accurage. They believed getting rid of
this ‘stressor’ would improve students’ mental health and performance, as the driving factor would not be seeing a good grade on Aspen. Instead, the driving factor would be learning the content rather than obsessing over a number. This decision has caused a major split in students, some enjoy it because they do not see a poor grade while hanging out with friends and having fun, and they are not as obsessed with their grades. Others do not like this change, as they wish to be easily informed of their grades. While this is certainly beneficial for some, many struggle to keep up with their grades, having to log in every time they wish to access the web service. Although some pressure may be taken off of some students, more is placed on others, checking grades becomes a chore, that can either put off your entire day or make it. Faculty should work closely with the student body and As-
pen staff to find a solution that benefits all students. Perhaps more options, like the ability to easily disable notifications for a short time, or at least making it optional as it was in the past and allowing students to choose. Or maybe for grades to be updated each week via the app. Another issue was parent access, students would open their phones to be greeted with a text asking about a particularly poor grade. Perhaps restricting parental access could cause less stress for the student. Bethlehem Central School District in Delmar, New York attempted this exact thing by limiting the information a student’s parents could access.
They found great success in this and are continuing to evolve the way they use Aspen. Plymouth Public Schools could take some of the strategies BCSD uses and try them in this district to see how they affect student populations. Though it certainly needs some work and changes, Follett Notifications is beneficial for students and should make a modified return. Students will have the option to use Follett Notifications and those who wish to will be able to handle their grades with more ease. Those who do not, could be given more options or manage their grades in another way.
“Please be advised that Plymouth Public Schools no longer supports Follett Notifications App.”
Plymouth North High School
Editors Amber Bates Julie Donegan Maggie Mallon Bobby Murray Oliver Trask Sam White Meiling Xiong Reporters Eric Chase Justin Fosdick Caroline Gillis Sam Larson Allison Norwood Editorial Cartoonist Photographers Emma George Hannah Caple Our Email plymouthnorthnews@gmail.com
NEWS
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JANUARY 2020
The Impossible Difference
Local fast food restaurants are introducing plant-based alternatives such as the Impossible Whopper in hopes to aid in climate change crisis If you’ve been hearing the words “impossible burger” a lot lately, your not alone. An array of fast food restaurants are turning heads of meat and plant lovers alike by adding this new plant based option to their menu. So, what is an “impossible burger” exactly, and how are they becoming one of the most important steps in the mission to save the environment? Impossible burger explains that it uses entirely plant based ingredients such as soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, wheat, potatoes, and its secret ingredient, heme, which makes the burger “bleed”, just as if it was made from meat. When eaten it tastes and feels remarkably similar in your mouth to a burger made from animal products. Impossible foods CEO Patrick Brown explains,”The ultimate goal is to develop a way to pro-
By Allison Norwood
duce all the food we [tradibased options remain gainnity to try the Impossible tionally] get from animals ing attention and publicity Burger will open new doorin a much more sustainable as they appear in more and ways for not only vegans, way using scalable ingredimore local locations, such but also other meat eaters ents from plants, and make as Dunkin Donut’s plant who want to give it a try these foods delicious, nutri- based breakfast sandwich and learn more about what tious and affordable.” and Burger King’s Imposplant based alternatives The goal of Imhave to offer.” possible Foods is to A 2013 study by 2013 Animal Agriculural Emissions recreate the vital parts (By the U.N. Food and Argiculture Organization) the U.N. The Food of a burger and other and Agriculture Ormeat sourced foods ganization estimated and transform it into a that the total annual more environmentally emissions from anisustainable, but even mal agriculture were more delicious verabout 14.5 percent of sion made entirely of all human emissions, 41% Beef Related plants. of which beef contribIn October of last uted 41 percent. That year, the journal Nameans emissions ture published a study, from beef production saying that, in order are roughly on par to feed the expected with those of India. 9.7 billion people on In addition, a the planet in 2050, the Beyond Meat study world will need to shift tosible Whopper. shows that plant based ward plant-based diets, in Eva Chase, student at burgers create 90 percent addition to reducing food Plymouth North who is less emissions, uses 46 perwaste and adopting new plant based, expresses her cent less energy, 99 percent farming technologies. excitement for these new less water and 93 percent The impossible burger advancements, “I believe less land than its traditional and other versions of plant that offering the opportulivestock burger competi-
tors. High demands in the meat industry have lead to the creation of factory farms, which pollute the air, water, and earth, as well as contaminate surrounding areas with toxins from massive quantities of livestock waste. Livestock is also linked to 75 percent of deforestation in the brazillian rainforest. Impossible Foods and other plant based companies have taken this information into account, and has spent years analyzing what meat lovers love about burgers, and how to use these factors to create a just as satisfying burger out of plants. The arrival of these products at local restaurants has proven their success, and to be a step in the right direction for our planet’s future. Try one yourself, see if you can taste the Impossible difference.
Healthy Habits in Plymouth Plymouth has many options for clean eating that make it easy to develop healthy practices for Plymouth residents By Julie Donegan After a season of indulgence with all the holidays, many people resolve to develop healthy habits in the new year. Plymouth has many opportunities to be successful with this resolution. The popularity of many Plymouth juice bars such as Healthy Vibes, Vela, Top Notch Nutrition, has grown immensely in the past years with many clientele being teenagers. Noreen Bechade, owner of the popular nutrition club Healthy Vibes is one of the many who turned to protein shakes to lose weight. Bechade said the aim of “The nutrition club is to get into the community, teach nutrition, offer free fitness classes, and get everyone eating better.” Bechade opened her own business after successfully losing weight after childbirth. While she started it as a side job for five years, Bechade was able to turn her passion into a successful and beneficial mission to Plymouth’s community. Bechade said, “I found protein shake products through a friend. After three days, my energy was better, my attitude was better, and I lost weight within six weeks.” Many teenagers and athletes have become customers of these healthy eating estab-
lishments. Shea Tavekelian, student athlete at Plymouth North, goes to Healthy Vibes and Vela frequently as she is an avid lover of smoothies and shakes. Tavekelian uses these highly energized foods to keep her motivated during sport seasons. She enjoys the taste that comes along with the other health benefits. “Before any of my sports practices or games I’m usually starving, I usually choose Healthy Vibes or Vela because it keeps me energized but fills me up before a game,” said Tavekelian. Many health places have extended their hours for any athletes looking for something to eat before and after practices. Ana Walsh is co-founder and owner of Plymouth’s Vela Juice Bar. Vela offers a variety of health options for anyone who is gluten free, vegan, or vegetarian. Walsh discovered her love for healthy eating after her past job had her eating unhealthy due to traveling so much. “I was traveling a lot and when you travel for work you end up eating really badly because you’re so busy,” said Walsh. Vela’s menu offers a variety of of smoothies, juices, acai bowls, salads, toasts, and
more. Many of Vela’s ingredients are made in house, including homemade peanut butter, pesto, and avocado toast. Walsh said, “We’re a busy generation and it’s hard to eat healthy when we’re busy. Vela’s not fast food but it only takes 5-10 minutes to order and prep food and we have call ahead options to be as convenient as possible.” Vela’s popularity increased so much that they announced a second location on November 4th 2019. Walsh said, “ We discovered that we were drawing customers from South Plymouth, Sagamore Beach, and even Sandwich.” With Vela’s widespread clientele the second location located next to the Cape Cod Canal allows many runners, bikers, etc. to stop by afterwards for a bite to eat. The New Year has approached and many of our healthy business owners are encouraging many to continue these habits moving forward. Vela’s second location is open on 89 Main St. in Buzzards Bay. If you’re looking for protein shakes, you can find Healthy Vibes on 21 Court St, Plymouth MA.
Courtesy of Vela Juice Bar
Courtesy of Vela Juice Bar
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SCHOOL NEWS
Overcoming the SAT How students can utilize Khan Academy to study more effectively By Jason Pettinato
With growing competition in college admissions, the SAT seems more daunting than ever. Despite the anxiety some students have about the test, improving scores on the SAT is possible if students are diligent and effective in their study habits. The SAT is an aptitude test that is often used in the college admissions process. Typically taken between sophomore and senior year of high school, countless students nationwide prepare vigorously in order to attain a good score and get admission into their top colleges. By using Khan Academy, a website partnered with the College Board, students can get personalized problems for their weakest areas on the SAT, PSAT, and SAT practice tests - all done automatically when students link their Khan Academy and College Board accounts. Preparing for the test, although straightforward, requires an understanding of how to study properly. “Utilize the tools on Khan Academy” said Rebecca Brady, a math teacher at North and former tutor.
Khan academy analyzes a student’s last SAT or PSAT and determines what that student needs to study the most. Based on that information, a study plan is created, focusing on the student’s weaknesses. Students can try practice problems, watch lessons on hard to understand topics, and even take a full practice exam on the site. On average, with 20 hours of studying for the SAT on Khan Academy, students can raise their score by as much as 115 points; this raise in score can decide whether students qualify for hundreds of dollars worth of scholarship money, or even if they are admitted to their top colleges. The reason Khan academy is so successful is because it helps students understand where their thought process went wrong in questions that were more difficult for them. Understanding these mistakes is the most important thing a student can do to increase their scores. “It is very important to understand the SAT, and the types of questions they throw at you,” said Guidance Department Head, Shari Kahle. “Many kids simply don’t ana-
lyze what they’re doing wrong. Don’t bang out questions. Instead, take the time to find out what you missed, causing you to get the problem wrong.” No matter the amount of questions you got right or wrong, it is still important that students take advantage of the practice tests. These tests can familiarize test-takers with the material, offer personalized problems for students who got certain questions wrong, and give a realistic score based on testperformance. In order to see significant improvement, being consistent with studying for this test is necessary. Ms. Allison Pickens, an English teacher at North, said, “Have a schedule. Many kids are inconsistent with their studying, but to improve on the SAT you need to have a set time to study for this test, otherwise you won’t see much improvement.” Juniors at Plymouth North will be taking the SAT on April 14th and by taking advantage of the tools on Khan Academy, students can feel confident in their abilities when they walk into the test room.
JANUARY 2020 HOW TO LINK YOUR COLLEGE BOARD ACCOUNT WITH KHAN ACADEMY
1 Go to practicesat.org
Click on Start Practicing to login to your Khan Academy account or create a new account.
2 Connect the Accounts
Sign in to your College Board account to link them together.
3 Share Your Scores
When prompt, click “Send” to share scores.
ANSWERS :
#1. D
#2. B
#3. D
#4. A
SAT Practice Questions Visit Khan Academy at practicesat.org to get more questions like these.