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The Eagle Plymouth North High School
Jan. 2024
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North Athletics
Shippin’ Up to Boston: Unified Basketball Plays at TD Garden
On Sunday, January 14th, athletes on the Plymouth North Unified Basketball team woke up at the crack of dawn with one thought on their mind: Beat Plymouth South. In November, the Andrew James Lawson Foundation extended an invite to the Plymouth North Unified Basketball team to play at the Bostonfavorite venue, TD Garden. As if this once-in-alifetime experience wasn’t enough motivation for the athletes, they were soon notified that they would be playing their hometown rivals at Plymouth South. The team has hopes that this achievement will help the unified athletics program gain traction, as well as increase fan support. “We had our most successful season in terms of wins this year … I hope that playing at the Garden will help [fan attendance],” Coach Kelly Maccaferri said. In the 2023 fall season, the members of the PN Unified Basketball team almost tripled in size. The roster contains approximately 40 athletes and partners. The team members come together from all grades, as well as the Project Growth program.
“It will be a great way to celebrate the effort we’ve been putting in, as well as promote a good cause,” said Coach Maccaferri. The Lawson Foundation is a non-profit organization in honor of Andrew James Lawson, who passed away after battling cancer at age 27. The Norwell student was born with Down Syndrome, and spent his high school years as a three-sport athlete through the unified program. Every year, a tournament-style event is held at TD Garden to fundraise for the Massachusetts Special Olympics program, as well as bring the unified sports community together. Coach Kelly Maccaferri and Coordinator of Unified Athletics Laura Allen were notified about this invitation mid-season before they told the rest of the team. From the start, they knew playing at the Garden could be a literal game changer for the program. “It’s a big deal for us,” said Ava Galindo, member of the Unified Basketball team. As student attendance at the unified games has been an adversity in past seasons, having not one, but two cheerleading squads attend the tournament noticeably boosted the morale of the basketball team. The team has stepped up the promotion of their game schedule in the 2023 fall season. From creating their first social media platform to hanging up posters around Plymouth North, student attendance has improved, but is still not ideal. “It’s wonderful seeing the team come together,” said Coach Kelly Maccaferri. “Seeing kids who might not normally interact with each other work towards this common goal, it’s amazing.” At 8:00am on Janaury 14th, Plymouth North and Plymouth South’s Unified Basketball teams faced off on the renowned court. The fan section was packed with
A hometown rivalry game between Plymouth North and Plymouth South unified basketball teams raises awareness for the Special Olympics program By Gabby Lopes family and friends, and the only thing closer than the seating was the score. The first half ended with a close score, in which Plymouth South took an early lead. The Panthers were up by eight points, but not for long. Plymouth North fought back hard, with Cam Ricard tying it up at 26 points with 20 seconds left in the first half. The grit of Plymouth North Unified Basketball was highlighted during the second half. North gained a six point lead during the beginning of the period. However, Plymouth South wasn’t ready to settle. The final score was 50-42, favoring Plymouth South. Despite the scoreboard, it can be concluded that both teams are victorious. “I don’t know what else to say … I am just proud,” said Bobby Mbuthia, Plymouth North athlete. Mbuthia certainly had reason to be proud – not only for himself, but his friends. With an outstanding performance in the second half, he brought North to a six point lead. However, he credited his teammates at the end of the day. The Unified Basketball team arrived at the Garden with a profound amount of motivation and a winning mindset. From their successful fall season to their resilient spirits, their hopes remain high. However, looking out into the crowd to see their friends cheering them on, win or lose, is a feeling that is incomparable to our high school athletes.
Plymouth Students on Their Way to Central America An adventurous group of Plymouth students are taking a school trip to Costa Rica in February 2024 By: Oliver Durgin The tickets are booked, the flights are reserved, and it's time to go beyond the common high school jurisdiction. In a school trip organized by Mr. Alexandre Cardoso and Mrs. Nicole Jalbert, students from North and South will explore the different cultures of Costa Rica and gain valuable memories and experiences that shape who they are. This is not the first time that students have traveled across continents. There have been multiple previous trips to various locations; Panama, Peru, and Japan are only a few examples. Last year, students explored Panama. Fiona Carlin, a senior at Plymouth North, said about her experience going overseas: “an experience in different countries is always awesome, you get to try new foods, you get to try new things.” This is the kind of knowledge that the teacher organizing this trip hopes students will learn. Acknowledging other cultures is critical to opening one's perspective to how things are done around the world.
“an experience in different countries is always awesome, you get to try new foods, you get to try new things.” - Fiona Carlin
Mr. Cardoso, who managed the Panama trip and is also managing the Costa Rica trip, said, “What I hope the students are doing the most is growing culturally. They’re going to be more aware of life outside of Plymouth.” Mr. Cardoso is certainly not a novice traveler. This upcoming trip will be his third time visiting Costa Rica, making him the perfect person to guide this trip. However, with this role comes a tremendous responsibility. He said when it comes to the most important parts of administering a trip like this, “My biggest concern is always making sure everyone comes back safely, but also that everyone enjoys themselves as well, I want everyone to not only make the most out of this experience but do it safely.” For a lot of students, this will be their first time traveling out of the country. Students must accommodate for the substantial differences between preparing for a trip to another state and preparing for a trip to another country. Allie Costa, another senior at Plymouth North, said how she's preparing, “I’ve been paying for the whole trip myself, that's been a huge goal of mine. As far as packing…I’m trying to keep in mind that the weather there is very different from here.” This program partners with EF, Education First, which is a tour guide company strictly for school trips. This
Faculty Advisor: Michelle Terry Photographers: Ava Galindo Bella Piekarski Sammi Cheung Amy Cheung Colleen Johnson Molly Lutz Mya Boyd
company has provided North with a variety of useful resources to make the trip as easy as possible, from checklists to make sure everyone is adequately prepared to helpful tour guides committed to teaching students about international cultures and history. Besides the obvious preparation, there is much to look forward to with this trip; Costa said how her excitement as the trip grows closer is increasing. “I’m so excited for the trip, it's something I’ve been looking forward to for months…I’m most excited because I’ve taken Spanish so I'll be able to use that in a real-world setting, as well as it's somewhere tropical so I’ll get to experience things like white water rafting and stuff I’ve never done before.” Another senior, Bella Piekarski, who was lucky enough to go on last year's Panama trip and go to Costa Rica again this year also said, “I’m very very excited. After going to Panama I just can’t wait to do this again and do even more stuff this time.” With all the perks that this trip has, there is a notable price tag. The trip is priced at about $3,500 per student. However, the process of paying is made easier with school-organized fundraisers and financial help. “I do think they're worth the money,” said Costa. “I also think they're a safer option for kids interested in getting into travel but are too young to travel the world themselves.” In terms of payments, fundraising is a huge piece of accumulating money. “We had several fundraisers for the last year, we’ve had car washes, we’ve had chocolate
sales, and we also had concessions for some of the sporting events,” said Cardoso. For those in more difficult financial situations, for example students who are on reduced lunch programs, the prices are altered accordingly. Cardoso said, “We are offering a scholarship for those students who qualified for the requirements for free or reduced lunch, provided they haven’t had any misconduct in their transcript or weren’t failing any classes.” Making the trip affordable is a huge piece to gaining more following and getting more students to continue going on these trips in the future. As for the future of international school trips, there are always ways to improve students' experiences. “We always take things that we can improve from previous trips and incorporate into the new ones,” said Cardoso. “We take feedback from students as well; whenever we finish a trip, we ask for their comments for things that worked well for them.” The future is bright for this program and many students who have already gained the international experience with Plymouth schools recommend these trips to students in the future. Opportunities like this are rare and being able to explore outside the country with a group of your friends is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Students are wished the best of luck on their upcoming journey and encouraged to have an incredible and memorable time. Trips like these will hopefully continue to take place over school vacations so if you're looking to go on an international trip with your friends, this is your opportunity.
Engineering the Future of Technology Senior engineering students create innovative projects from apps to guitar-playing robots! By: Lily Johnson As you’re walking through Plymouth North, you may recognize the faint scent of burning wood or the steady hum of the 3D printer. It is not an uncommon sight to witness engineering students directing robots with a controller and if you’re not careful, you may bump into one! Amidst these familiar scenes, senior engineering students are harnessing their four years of knowledge to create cumulative projects, as they are given the opportunity to explore any issue they choose. “The past few years, I’ve tried to give it a little more of an open-ended opportunity where I’m pushing the students to explore things outside of our classroom,” said Mr. Carl Nielsen, the engineering technology teacher. Under Nielsen’s guidance, students dive into uncharted territory as this flexible approach empowers students to take advantage of this opportunity and find niche topics to base their project on.
Senior engineering student Victoria Parent embarked on an unconventional path, aiming to tackle a challenge in the medical field. Her project—an iOS app designed to remind individuals about their daily medication— required Parent to learn Swift, a coding language that was not covered in the PNHS engineering curriculum. Similarly, Jack Donohoe, another senior engineering student, channeled his interest in electrical engineering to his innovative project. His creation harnesses kinetic energy from the weight of your body to power lights and utilities in various settings, envisioning it for use in schools, parks, and apartment buildings. “First you start with initial ideas and concepts..narrow it down to a couple and then you have your one project idea, many prototypes. You do revisions on those prototypes then eventually, you have a final design,” said Donohoe, encapsulating the tedious process of creation.
The engineering room at Plymouth North, where senior engineering students are creating their cumulative projects.
However, for some, this journey sparks a shift in interests. Megan Petrarca, initially drawn to architecture and later physical therapy, pivoted towards crafting a self-playing guitar mechanism. Her project embodies a newfound passion, diverging from her earlier career aspirations. These exceptional endeavors are just a few of the unique projects that students are fabricating and will be highlighted at the senior showcase, an annual event where students in the tech program reveal what they have learned throughout their four years in their chosen tech. For engineering students, it is a platform to premiere their project to peers, faculty, community members, and family as a representation of their hard work and dedication. These ventures not only exhibit their learned expertise but also herald a new wave of thinking which shapes the technological landscape.
Photographed by Mya Boyd
Poetry Out Loud Poetry Out Loud gives students a chance to deepen their knowledge of literature and poetry By: Riley Dever
Each year, students around the school participate in Poetry Out Loud as part of their English class. For most, it is nothing more than a required assignment, but for students who take advantage of it, Poetry Out Loud can be an amazing opportunity. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts educational program. It was founded to encourage students to study great poetry that they may not have had exposure to otherwise. The organization has a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies. By hosting a recitation competition, the program not only exposes high school students across the country to poetry, but helps build public speaking skills, confidence, and a greater understanding of both historical and contemporary influences. The competition starts at the classroom, like we see at PNHS, or at the local level. The winners then advance to a regional or state competition, followed by the national finals.
Awards are determined by the judges' scores, which are based on the organization's evaluation criteria. Each winner at the state level wins $200 and an all-expensespaid trip to Washington D.C to compete at nationals. The national champion wins a $20,000 prize. The participants in second through twelfth place are also eligible for prizes. The state winner's school or organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The same is awarded to the school or organization for the top twelve national finalists. For the 2024 competition, states will be holding their competitions in mid-March and the national finals are planned to take place from April 30th to May 2nd. This year’s finalist, Evan Johnson, will represent Plymouth North as he competes in the state semi-finals. This March, Evan Johnson will compete with other students across Massachusetts to qualify for the State level competition. Plymouth North Poetry-Out-Loud coordinator Mrs. Jennifer McWhirter said that “It’s a really competitive structure in the semi-finals in March,
Photos from last year's spring break visit to Panama, another trip made possible by Education First Photographed by Mya Boyd
The Eagle Contact: plymouthnorthnews@gmail.com
Writers: Gabby Lopes, Oliver Durgin, Lily Johnson, Riley Dever, Sadie Turrell, Nicole Ryttel, Annalise Lopes, Maggie Kusmin, Gabby Colorusso, Emmy Spinale
Chief Editor: Ava Galindo Copy Editors: Connor Curow Nicole Rytell Managing Editors: Bella Piekarski Mya Boyd Avabella Tassinari
The finalists of this years Poetry Out Loud competition, Michaela Derkinderen (runner up) and winner Evan Johnson Photographed by EDTV
,its great” Annalise Lopes, a senior who won the school finals last year and competed this year, believes that Poetry Out Loud was a very beneficial experience. “It made me an overall better student, because I had to memorize and do public speaking in front of strangers. Memorizing lines of someone else's pieces of art helps stimulate my memory and cognitive function.” PNHS junior Michaela DerKinderen also participated in Poetry Out Loud last year and was first runner up in the school competition for the 2023 and 2024 competition and also believed that it was a positive, enriching experience. “I love Poetry Out Loud. It’s been a really big part of my life. I love being able to perform poems that resonate with others, and resonate with me.” “Especially in high school, being able to listen to everyone bring out that true emotion in their own poems, and the fact that they can find a poem that resonates with them and their own life is so amazing,” said DerKinderen. “Poetry Out Loud is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a poem of their choice,” said Mrs. McWhirter. “We have the opportunity for students to feel a connection to not only their own individual poems but also connecting with their peers.” Even though students are reciting poems from the Poetry Out Loud website, they can still feel emotionally connected to the works they are reading. Mrs. McWhirter said, “Even though students didn’t write the poems themselves, they may still feel connected to the theme.” Mrs. McWhirter said, “We had a great turnout. There were thirteen performances and each student performed two poems. We had a great variety and all grades were represented”. Johnson agrees that Poetry Out Loud is an enriching experience. “Reading and making a connection with the poem is more important than memorizing,” said Johnson. “I didn’t want it to be monotonous, I wanted to share something that meant something to people”.
Plymouth Students on Their Way to Central America An adventurous group of Plymouth students are taking a school trip to Costa Rica in February 2024 By: Oliver Durgin The tickets are booked, the flights are reserved, and it's time to go beyond the common high school jurisdiction. In a school trip organized by Mr. Alexandre Cardoso and Mrs. Nicole Jalbert, students from North and South will explore the different cultures of Costa Rica and gain valuable memories and experiences that shape who they are. This is not the first time that students have traveled across continents. There have been multiple previous trips to various locations; Panama, Peru, and Japan are only a few examples. Last year, students explored Panama. Fiona Carlin, a senior at Plymouth North, said about her experience going overseas: “an experience in different countries is always awesome, you get to try new foods, you get to try new things.” This is the kind of knowledge that the teacher organizing this trip hopes students will learn. Acknowledging other cultures is critical to opening one's perspective to how things are done around the world.
“an experience in different countries is always awesome, you get to try new foods, you get to try new things.” - Fiona Carlin
Mr. Cardoso, who managed the Panama trip and is also managing the Costa Rica trip, said, “What I hope the students are doing the most is growing culturally. They’re going to be more aware of life outside of Plymouth.” Mr. Cardoso is certainly not a novice traveler. This upcoming trip will be his third time visiting Costa Rica, making him the perfect person to guide this trip. However, with this role comes a tremendous responsibility. He said when it comes to the most important parts of administering a trip like this, “My biggest concern is always making sure everyone comes back safely, but also that everyone enjoys themselves as well, I want everyone to not only make the most out of this experience but do it safely.” For a lot of students, this will be their first time traveling out of the country. Students must accommodate for the substantial differences between preparing for a trip to another state and preparing for a trip to another country. Allie Costa, another senior at Plymouth North, said how she's preparing, “I’ve been paying for the whole trip myself, that's been a huge goal of mine. As far as packing…I’m trying to keep in mind that the weather there is very different from here.” This program partners with EF, Education First, which is a tour guide company strictly for school trips. This
Faculty Advisor: Michelle Terry Photographers: Ava Galindo Bella Piekarski Sammi Cheung Amy Cheung Colleen Johnson Molly Lutz Mya Boyd
company has provided North with a variety of useful resources to make the trip as easy as possible, from checklists to make sure everyone is adequately prepared to helpful tour guides committed to teaching students about international cultures and history. Besides the obvious preparation, there is much to look forward to with this trip; Costa said how her excitement as the trip grows closer is increasing. “I’m so excited for the trip, it's something I’ve been looking forward to for months…I’m most excited because I’ve taken Spanish so I'll be able to use that in a real-world setting, as well as it's somewhere tropical so I’ll get to experience things like white water rafting and stuff I’ve never done before.” Another senior, Bella Piekarski, who was lucky enough to go on last year's Panama trip and go to Costa Rica again this year also said, “I’m very very excited. After going to Panama I just can’t wait to do this again and do even more stuff this time.” With all the perks that this trip has, there is a notable price tag. The trip is priced at about $3,500 per student. However, the process of paying is made easier with school-organized fundraisers and financial help. “I do think they're worth the money,” said Costa. “I also think they're a safer option for kids interested in getting into travel but are too young to travel the world themselves.” In terms of payments, fundraising is a huge piece of accumulating money. “We had several fundraisers for the last year, we’ve had car washes, we’ve had chocolate
sales, and we also had concessions for some of the sporting events,” said Cardoso. For those in more difficult financial situations, for example students who are on reduced lunch programs, the prices are altered accordingly. Cardoso said, “We are offering a scholarship for those students who qualified for the requirements for free or reduced lunch, provided they haven’t had any misconduct in their transcript or weren’t failing any classes.” Making the trip affordable is a huge piece to gaining more following and getting more students to continue going on these trips in the future. As for the future of international school trips, there are always ways to improve students' experiences. “We always take things that we can improve from previous trips and incorporate into the new ones,” said Cardoso. “We take feedback from students as well; whenever we finish a trip, we ask for their comments for things that worked well for them.” The future is bright for this program and many students who have already gained the international experience with Plymouth schools recommend these trips to students in the future. Opportunities like this are rare and being able to explore outside the country with a group of your friends is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Students are wished the best of luck on their upcoming journey and encouraged to have an incredible and memorable time. Trips like these will hopefully continue to take place over school vacations so if you're looking to go on an international trip with your friends, this is your opportunity.
Engineering the Future of Technology Senior engineering students create innovative projects from apps to guitar-playing robots! By: Lily Johnson As you’re walking through Plymouth North, you may recognize the faint scent of burning wood or the steady hum of the 3D printer. It is not an uncommon sight to witness engineering students directing robots with a controller and if you’re not careful, you may bump into one! Amidst these familiar scenes, senior engineering students are harnessing their four years of knowledge to create cumulative projects, as they are given the opportunity to explore any issue they choose. “The past few years, I’ve tried to give it a little more of an open-ended opportunity where I’m pushing the students to explore things outside of our classroom,” said Mr. Carl Nielsen, the engineering technology teacher. Under Nielsen’s guidance, students dive into uncharted territory as this flexible approach empowers students to take advantage of this opportunity and find niche topics to base their project on.
Senior engineering student Victoria Parent embarked on an unconventional path, aiming to tackle a challenge in the medical field. Her project—an iOS app designed to remind individuals about their daily medication— required Parent to learn Swift, a coding language that was not covered in the PNHS engineering curriculum. Similarly, Jack Donohoe, another senior engineering student, channeled his interest in electrical engineering to his innovative project. His creation harnesses kinetic energy from the weight of your body to power lights and utilities in various settings, envisioning it for use in schools, parks, and apartment buildings. “First you start with initial ideas and concepts..narrow it down to a couple and then you have your one project idea, many prototypes. You do revisions on those prototypes then eventually, you have a final design,” said Donohoe, encapsulating the tedious process of creation.
The engineering room at Plymouth North, where senior engineering students are creating their cumulative projects.
However, for some, this journey sparks a shift in interests. Megan Petrarca, initially drawn to architecture and later physical therapy, pivoted towards crafting a self-playing guitar mechanism. Her project embodies a newfound passion, diverging from her earlier career aspirations. These exceptional endeavors are just a few of the unique projects that students are fabricating and will be highlighted at the senior showcase, an annual event where students in the tech program reveal what they have learned throughout their four years in their chosen tech. For engineering students, it is a platform to premiere their project to peers, faculty, community members, and family as a representation of their hard work and dedication. These ventures not only exhibit their learned expertise but also herald a new wave of thinking which shapes the technological landscape.
Photographed by Mya Boyd
Poetry Out Loud Poetry Out Loud gives students a chance to deepen their knowledge of literature and poetry By: Riley Dever
Each year, students around the school participate in Poetry Out Loud as part of their English class. For most, it is nothing more than a required assignment, but for students who take advantage of it, Poetry Out Loud can be an amazing opportunity. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts educational program. It was founded to encourage students to study great poetry that they may not have had exposure to otherwise. The organization has a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies. By hosting a recitation competition, the program not only exposes high school students across the country to poetry, but helps build public speaking skills, confidence, and a greater understanding of both historical and contemporary influences. The competition starts at the classroom, like we see at PNHS, or at the local level. The winners then advance to a regional or state competition, followed by the national finals.
Awards are determined by the judges' scores, which are based on the organization's evaluation criteria. Each winner at the state level wins $200 and an all-expensespaid trip to Washington D.C to compete at nationals. The national champion wins a $20,000 prize. The participants in second through twelfth place are also eligible for prizes. The state winner's school or organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The same is awarded to the school or organization for the top twelve national finalists. For the 2024 competition, states will be holding their competitions in mid-March and the national finals are planned to take place from April 30th to May 2nd. This year’s finalist, Evan Johnson, will represent Plymouth North as he competes in the state semi-finals. This March, Evan Johnson will compete with other students across Massachusetts to qualify for the State level competition. Plymouth North Poetry-Out-Loud coordinator Mrs. Jennifer McWhirter said that “It’s a really competitive structure in the semi-finals in March,
Photos from last year's spring break visit to Panama, another trip made possible by Education First Photographed by Mya Boyd
The Eagle Contact: plymouthnorthnews@gmail.com
Writers: Gabby Lopes, Oliver Durgin, Lily Johnson, Riley Dever, Sadie Turrell, Nicole Ryttel, Annalise Lopes, Maggie Kusmin, Gabby Colorusso, Emmy Spinale
Chief Editor: Ava Galindo Copy Editors: Connor Curow Nicole Rytell Managing Editors: Bella Piekarski Mya Boyd Avabella Tassinari
The finalists of this years Poetry Out Loud competition, Michaela Derkinderen (runner up) and winner Evan Johnson Photographed by EDTV
,its great” Annalise Lopes, a senior who won the school finals last year and competed this year, believes that Poetry Out Loud was a very beneficial experience. “It made me an overall better student, because I had to memorize and do public speaking in front of strangers. Memorizing lines of someone else's pieces of art helps stimulate my memory and cognitive function.” PNHS junior Michaela DerKinderen also participated in Poetry Out Loud last year and was first runner up in the school competition for the 2023 and 2024 competition and also believed that it was a positive, enriching experience. “I love Poetry Out Loud. It’s been a really big part of my life. I love being able to perform poems that resonate with others, and resonate with me.” “Especially in high school, being able to listen to everyone bring out that true emotion in their own poems, and the fact that they can find a poem that resonates with them and their own life is so amazing,” said DerKinderen. “Poetry Out Loud is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a poem of their choice,” said Mrs. McWhirter. “We have the opportunity for students to feel a connection to not only their own individual poems but also connecting with their peers.” Even though students are reciting poems from the Poetry Out Loud website, they can still feel emotionally connected to the works they are reading. Mrs. McWhirter said, “Even though students didn’t write the poems themselves, they may still feel connected to the theme.” Mrs. McWhirter said, “We had a great turnout. There were thirteen performances and each student performed two poems. We had a great variety and all grades were represented”. Johnson agrees that Poetry Out Loud is an enriching experience. “Reading and making a connection with the poem is more important than memorizing,” said Johnson. “I didn’t want it to be monotonous, I wanted to share something that meant something to people”.
Plymouth Girls Hockey Explore the differences that come along with a sports team being combined, despite being from different halves of town By Gabby Colorusso Out of the countless sports teams across Plymouth, very few remain combined. North and South teams, such as football, view each other as "rivals", yet the girls’ hockey team is unified as one Plymouth team. Many adjustments are necessary to accompany the two sides of town being combined into one. These changes include learning to manage scheduling, choosing uniforms, and most importantly, friendship. When playing on a team, collaboration is key. Yet, does this combination of North and South cause an obstacle in the formation of connections? Lauren Allen has been assistant coach of the girl's hockey team for 10 years. Mrs. Allen said, "The number of female hockey players is much lower than that of boys. Both South and North did not have enough athletes to sustain their own team. Thankfully, you can apply to the MIAA to have a co-op team. Co-op started from day one, back in 2014." Thanks to the MIAA, all female hockey players in town will get the opportunity to continue playing once they get to high school.
One would think the girls had difficulty networking as they go to separate schools. Yet, it is clear that's not the case. It seems to be every athlete's favorite part of the sport, as they get to see friends from the other side of town. Mrs. Allen compared coaching such a fantastic group to being a part of a family. Allen said, "Typically in youth hockey, they play together, but split up in high school because the two sides of town. But the girls play youth hockey together from childhood, and the team chemistry grows and grows all the way through senior year." Lauren Anderson, senior captain of the team, agrees. Anderson said, "Our team is very close as we have all played together for so long, which helps us communicate better overall.”Anderson and her teammates are proof of how functioning a combined sports team is. Anderson also said, “I really enjoy having a combined team as many of the closest friends I have on the team go to North. I wouldn’t prefer it to be separate as the team functions as a whole much better together, and I wouldn't be able to make as many connections as I have been able to.”
Addison Stuart, an athlete from North, said:
"My favorite part about having a combined team is seeing all my friends that go to South, and being able to play with them, not against them." The team strips the idea of rivalry from the game, as the girls can combine forces. To create an even closer environment, the girls’ jerseys actually have an eagle on one shoulder, and a panther on the other. Avery Lawrence, a junior athlete on the team, said, "It helps show how our team is united as one, but represents both schools. We simply just go by Plymouth." The team truly showcases how they represent the entire town, and both high schools. Allen said, "It’s such a unique situation and feeling causing a bigger sense of pride because you're representing the whole town, not just a team." Luckily, one issue the girls do not face is traveling to practice. Armstrong Arena is quite local for both groups of girls. Sabrina Andrews, junior athlete, said, "I get to experience playing with a variety of different players and meeting other people from South. I wouldn't want it any other way." It is clear that the Plymouth girls’ hockey team operates quite well, with friendships that will last a lifetime.
Local Aquatic Programs Affecting Plymouth Swim The Plymouth swim team’s response to practice time and team dynamic changes this year. By Emerson Spinale This year, the combined swim team, including both Plymouth North and Plymouth South students, has had to make adjustments to practice times in order to minimize competition with other local swim programs. The Village Sports Club in the Pinehills is one of the select available pools in the town for swimming. As pool-based activities have continued to become more popular in Plymouth, there has been less availability for local swim teams to have the pools to themselves for practice. “The Pinehills said we could either swim from 5:156:30 a.m. or 9:00-10:00 p.m every day if we wanted the pool to ourselves,” said Plymouth swim team junior captain Molly Lutz. “Last year we only got two lanes since we had to share the pool with other swim programs after school.” On top of swimming for the high school team, Molly L. swims for a local club after school. After swimming competitively from a young age, Molly L. knew the sport was something she wanted to be dedicated to in high school. “It’s definitely a commitment, but if swimming is something you are interested in doing, you should do it,” Molly L. said.
In addition, sophomore swimmer Molly St. Gelais looks to seek the positives in having earlier team practices. “Practices in the morning are more convenient, because I have club practice in the afternoon. This gives me more time in the afternoons for school work,” said Molly S. Different from most years, the team has dramatically decreased in size within the last year. “It’s definitely a smaller team, but we’ve gotten a lot closer with each other through carpooling, especially with earlier practice times. However, I do miss the larger team, because there was more energy,” said Molly S. Even with the size of the group altering from each season, there are still plenty of reasons to join the team in the future. “If you’re interested in doing it, you should. It's very low stakes, you don’t have to be great at everything to still have a fun time. The coaches acknowledge that not everyone has had a background in swimming, and it's very welcoming,” said Molly S. Plymouth swim team coach Kenna Melkonian believes the adjustments in the practice schedule have benefitted her swimmers. “It was a huge shellshock at first when the practice times changed. However, I think the kids on the team have a sense of pride in being involved with such a commitment,” said Coach Melkonian.
Melkonian has been the Plymouth swim team coach for three years, in addition to coaching at Cape Cod Swim Club for four years before becoming a teacher. “I personally love getting to be involved in the sport I was passionate about growing up, so being the coach of the team is great. The kids are also great, so it makes it really easy to get up early in the morning to coach them,” said Coach Melkonian. Although waking up earlier in the morning could be considered a downside to joining the swim team, Coach Melkonian believes this change has allowed for a better quality practice compared to past years. “The past two years we have had to share pools, because it’s the members’ pool and we were considered guests. The benefit to working in the morning is that we have access to all six pool lanes, so we are able to get much more done,” said Coach Melkonian. While many would see early practice times as an issue for high school students, both the coaches and swimmers on the Plymouth swim team disagree. This change has allowed for a tighter-knit community within swimmers in Plymouth. “I love the swim community, because the people that help you in achieving a goal make you feel great,” said Molly S.
Cultures and Connections
NHS Takes on Food Insecurities in the Community The National Honors Society is conquering a new chapter project for this school year by focusing on food insecurities in school and throughout the town of Plymouth By: Sadie Turrell
Food insecurity is a large problem throughout the town of Plymouth. According to Project Bread, a program that helps families facing food insecurities in Massachusetts, as of October of 2023, 24.6% of families with children in Massachusetts are struggling with food insecurities. The Plymouth North National Honors Society is working to help out with this in our local community. Every year NHS chooses a chapter project to focus on and every student in the program must get involved. This year they chose food insecurity. The members of NHS have helped this chapter by donating food and making Thanksgiving baskets for students who didn’t have a big meal to eat for Thanksgiving, and they have plans to help throughout the community in the coming months. Mrs. Jane Burt, National Honors Society co-advisor, said, “We worked with our athletic department and asked them to bring in snacks that we were able to distribute to our elementary schools, because we know that lots of times the elementary school teachers are buying extra snacks, and we know that when kids are hungry that’s what they focus on. By doing so it helped the teachers as well as the students, and it was hugely successful.”
Burt said that the members of NHS have been doing a great job with helping out at events held, to contribute to this year's chapter. Bella Piekarski, President of NHS, said, “We participated in Stuff a Truck at Stop and Shop. Our members were helping collect food to then give different families in need of a Thanksgiving dinner.” Piekarski said that all of the members are able to get involved with this chapter, and she works together with the advisors to get students who play sports in the fall season to be able to participate in the later volunteering opportunities. While NHS is working on helping with food insecurity, they are also educating themselves on it more by having guest speakers come to their meetings to speak about food insecurities and how their role in the community has helped food insecurity.
The Starfish Honor: An Incentive for All Insight into a staff appreciation program that inspires faculty and funds educational endeavors By: Nicole Ryttel Last school year, the Plymouth Education Foundation (PEF) introduced its Starfish Honor to the Plymouth Public Schools. With this honor, students and their families are given the opportunity to thank PPS staff members for their impact in their educational experience. When nominated for the Starfish Honor, Plymouth faculty members receive a card sharing a personalized message from the sender and a copy of Loren Eiseley’s The Starfish Story. This short tale describes how one person has the ability to change another’s life, and is meant to show appreciation for educators. Mrs. Kathleen Babini, former PPS Social Studies Coordinator and PEF Board Member, said, “The Starfish Honor allows those unsung heroes - people who just go in every day and do an awesome job - to receive thanks for what they do. It can make a big difference.” Mr. Christopher Bruno, PNHS Social Studies teacher and Starfish Honor recipient, said, “The student that gave me [The Starfish Honor] was a student who was quiet and getting the honor reminded me that even if it goes unsaid, we are still making an impact.”
Besides energizing Plymouth staff members, the Starfish Honor has an important role in fundraising for local projects. With each nomination, senders are asked to provide a $10 donation to the PEF. Funds collected go towards grants and scholarships for PPS students and staff. “Our goal is to support really good programs that aren’t within school budgets. The grants we provide touch a lot of students,” Babini said. So far, donations from the Starfish Honor have been used to fund educational field trips, community awareness projects, and classroom technology. These implementations have greatly improved the lives of PPS students, giving them an enhanced academic experience. It is clear that the Starfish Honor has benefits for both PPS students and staff. For this reason, the PEF board has made it simple for Plymouth community members to nominate staff for the award. “Sometimes it's hard to find the time to thank people,” Babini said. “The Starfish Honor gives students and parents the incentive and opportunity to recognize people who took the time to make their educational experience better.”
The club Friends without Borders continues to grow with the help of the student body Annalise Lopes
STUFF THE TRUCK Help those in need
The members of the NHS are inspired by this and strive to work harder to battle food insecurities. “It’s really nice to see how I can help the community, and how I can make an impact on something that I take for granted,” said Emily Wheeler, a second-year member of NHS. The National Honors Society is working on new projects, “We are working with End Hunger New England, which is based in Pembroke, and their goal is to package up a lot of food and give it out to different food pantries, and families in need. We are going to send a large amount of our members there, and we are also donating a large amount of money there so that they can buy the food and we can help package it,” said Piekarski. The NHS has also reached out to the Plymouth Council on Aging Senior Center, to see if there is anything they can do to help. In addition, they have also reached out to the Plymouth Public Library, because they see a lot of children who struggle with food insecurities. Thank you to the National Honors Society for all that you are doing to help with food insecurities at Plymouth North, and in our community!
To nominate a PPS staff member to receive the Starfish Honor, simply visit the PEF website and click on the Starfish Honor tab. At the bottom of the page, there is a short form that you must complete. Information needed for the form is your donation amount ($10), name of person being honored, school or department of honoree, name of donor, and brief message for recipient. This form can be filled out at any point during the year. “The Starfish Honor is an ongoing process,” Mr. Shawn Costa, PEF President, said. “It’s a great way to honor hard work and passion.” “Teaching is an art form…We are molding and crafting people through experiences,” Mr. Parcellin, Plymouth North Principal, said. “For this reason, teaching without feedback is impossible.” With ongoing positive feedback from the Plymouth community, PPS staff members are motivated to continue to put their best foot forward for students. As The Starfish Story wisely illustrates, their drive can impact the lives of these students for years to come.
Breaking language barriers and social borders, this is one of the clubs at North unfamiliar to many but is responsible for creating new friendships. Friends without Borders was created in 2022 with this mission. After school, ELL students and non-ELL students meet over food, games, and cultural presentations. In room 230, long-lasting friendships are encouraged in an open environment. Students coming from other countries to the United States can be a struggle, and the language barrier can make it even more difficult. The club is led by Mrs. Linda Goggin and Mr. Matt Carpenito, who both teach English to ELL students; they play a role in bringing the students together. “Many students showed an interest in sharing their culture and learning from others. They wanted to feel validated in their knowledge,” said Goggin. When non-ELL students show interest in wanting to learn about other cultures and meet new students, it makes North a more comfortable place to be in. “Not everyone who attends this school speaks English or celebrates holidays in the same ways. The more we learn about the different dynamics, it creates harmony in the school,” said Goggin. “What makes this club special is the focus on inclusion and friendship,” said Mr. Carpenito. He also explained it’s important that it gives his students an opportunity to be in an extracurricular. In most meetings it can be seen that there are prominently ELL students. “99% of the students are ELL and most of that 99% are Brazilian students,” said Goggin. The main goal of this club is to bring together ELL students and to promote friendship. Student President Sammi joined this club to combat the barrier that holds these students apart.
Cheung explained some of the struggles that are in the club. “Talking to ESL students is hard, because you can’t say what you want to say most of the time,” said Cheung. In elementary school she took an ESL class to be able to communicate fluently with her classmates. Despite there being a known language barrier in the club, Mrs. Goggin and Mr. Carpenito help translate certain phrases.
Outside the club the language barrier is also a struggle for ELL students. Kelvyn Pereira, also a student president of Friends without Borders, explains this struggle he has everyday. “One of the struggles that is the most impactful is the language barrier,” said Pereira.
Eagles Nest Providing nearly everything students need but don’t have access to By: Maggie Kusmin “Although I know many students are unaware of Eagles Plymouth North’s special education teacher Mrs. Aminta Seery has recently gotten a former donation-based “closet” up and running again. Located in the faculty room on the second floor, it is a hidden closet filled with clothing available to all students. “Eagles Nest is a donation-based closet of clothing to help students and families in our school community with free clothing items they need,” said Mrs. Seery, the Plymouth North teacher who oversees the Eagles Nest. Many students and teachers are unaware about the resources and clothes it provides. “I think some students may know about it by it being a resource for them but I know there is probably more advertising of it that can be done,” said Plymouth North High School vice principal Shannon Turner. Eagles Nest hosts an assortment of trendy clothes, as well as prom and homecoming dresses. Along with formal and trendy clothing, the “boutique” also holds a variety of business clothing that students are allowed to take for events like DECA or model UN.
Pereira benefits from this club, because he can gain friendships. “It does improve communicating with students from America and those who are not,” said Pereira. While growing friendships and bonds is one of the goals of this club, it also promotes diversity. Students with backgrounds from China, Brazil, Mexico, and Nicaragua meet together to create relationships. If you want to join, attend the meetings held in room 230 every other Thursday. Follow @pnhsfriendswithoutborders on Instagram and with any questions reach out to mcarpenito@plymouth.k12.ma.us or lgoggin@plymouth.k12.ma.us.
Nest, when students struggle to find or afford business clothes for DECA, we recommend Eagles Nest,” said Plymouth North marketing teacher Holliane Sprowl. Eagles Nest was dormant for a few years during the pandemic, but Seery has made it her goal when bringing it back that it would be better than ever. “Ms. Seery took this task over almost two years ago now and has done a great job at having it grow into a much larger resource for our students,” said Turner. Seery has done a wonderful job keeping the “store” stocked with all different clothes, for all different occasions.
“I had a student in need of a prom dress, so to help her, we had to take a van to South High where they have Becca's Closet, a space with solely prom dresses,” said Seery. This is part of the inspiration of why she wanted prom dresses available right at North for our students. After getting the Nest up and running again, Mrs. Seery began to grow the inventory. “That year I also ended up reaching out to local tuxedo rental businesses and helped a handful of boys secure donated tuxedo rentals for prom,” said Seery. The Eagles Nest does not stop at formal clothes. The nest hosts winter jackets, sneakers, heels, and a variety of trendy clothing and basics such as jeans and t-shirts. It is not just Mrs. Seery who has put her time and effort into the closet. “Many staff have donated and I've personally reached out to many friends and family and have gotten a ton of donations that way. A few parents have also reached out to donate items as well,” said Seery. If you or anyone you know would like to learn more or donate personally, “Students can talk to their guidance counselor who can get in touch with me or they can scan the QR code on the posters around or simply email or talk to me directly,” said Seery. If you are in need, please reach out to Mrs. Seery at aseery@plymouth.k12.ma.us or contact your guidance counselor.
Cultures and Connections
NHS Takes on Food Insecurities in the Community The National Honors Society is conquering a new chapter project for this school year by focusing on food insecurities in school and throughout the town of Plymouth By: Sadie Turrell
Food insecurity is a large problem throughout the town of Plymouth. According to Project Bread, a program that helps families facing food insecurities in Massachusetts, as of October of 2023, 24.6% of families with children in Massachusetts are struggling with food insecurities. The Plymouth North National Honors Society is working to help out with this in our local community. Every year NHS chooses a chapter project to focus on and every student in the program must get involved. This year they chose food insecurity. The members of NHS have helped this chapter by donating food and making Thanksgiving baskets for students who didn’t have a big meal to eat for Thanksgiving, and they have plans to help throughout the community in the coming months. Mrs. Jane Burt, National Honors Society co-advisor, said, “We worked with our athletic department and asked them to bring in snacks that we were able to distribute to our elementary schools, because we know that lots of times the elementary school teachers are buying extra snacks, and we know that when kids are hungry that’s what they focus on. By doing so it helped the teachers as well as the students, and it was hugely successful.”
Burt said that the members of NHS have been doing a great job with helping out at events held, to contribute to this year's chapter. Bella Piekarski, President of NHS, said, “We participated in Stuff a Truck at Stop and Shop. Our members were helping collect food to then give different families in need of a Thanksgiving dinner.” Piekarski said that all of the members are able to get involved with this chapter, and she works together with the advisors to get students who play sports in the fall season to be able to participate in the later volunteering opportunities. While NHS is working on helping with food insecurity, they are also educating themselves on it more by having guest speakers come to their meetings to speak about food insecurities and how their role in the community has helped food insecurity.
The Starfish Honor: An Incentive for All Insight into a staff appreciation program that inspires faculty and funds educational endeavors By: Nicole Ryttel Last school year, the Plymouth Education Foundation (PEF) introduced its Starfish Honor to the Plymouth Public Schools. With this honor, students and their families are given the opportunity to thank PPS staff members for their impact in their educational experience. When nominated for the Starfish Honor, Plymouth faculty members receive a card sharing a personalized message from the sender and a copy of Loren Eiseley’s The Starfish Story. This short tale describes how one person has the ability to change another’s life, and is meant to show appreciation for educators. Mrs. Kathleen Babini, former PPS Social Studies Coordinator and PEF Board Member, said, “The Starfish Honor allows those unsung heroes - people who just go in every day and do an awesome job - to receive thanks for what they do. It can make a big difference.” Mr. Christopher Bruno, PNHS Social Studies teacher and Starfish Honor recipient, said, “The student that gave me [The Starfish Honor] was a student who was quiet and getting the honor reminded me that even if it goes unsaid, we are still making an impact.”
Besides energizing Plymouth staff members, the Starfish Honor has an important role in fundraising for local projects. With each nomination, senders are asked to provide a $10 donation to the PEF. Funds collected go towards grants and scholarships for PPS students and staff. “Our goal is to support really good programs that aren’t within school budgets. The grants we provide touch a lot of students,” Babini said. So far, donations from the Starfish Honor have been used to fund educational field trips, community awareness projects, and classroom technology. These implementations have greatly improved the lives of PPS students, giving them an enhanced academic experience. It is clear that the Starfish Honor has benefits for both PPS students and staff. For this reason, the PEF board has made it simple for Plymouth community members to nominate staff for the award. “Sometimes it's hard to find the time to thank people,” Babini said. “The Starfish Honor gives students and parents the incentive and opportunity to recognize people who took the time to make their educational experience better.”
The club Friends without Borders continues to grow with the help of the student body Annalise Lopes
STUFF THE TRUCK Help those in need
The members of the NHS are inspired by this and strive to work harder to battle food insecurities. “It’s really nice to see how I can help the community, and how I can make an impact on something that I take for granted,” said Emily Wheeler, a second-year member of NHS. The National Honors Society is working on new projects, “We are working with End Hunger New England, which is based in Pembroke, and their goal is to package up a lot of food and give it out to different food pantries, and families in need. We are going to send a large amount of our members there, and we are also donating a large amount of money there so that they can buy the food and we can help package it,” said Piekarski. The NHS has also reached out to the Plymouth Council on Aging Senior Center, to see if there is anything they can do to help. In addition, they have also reached out to the Plymouth Public Library, because they see a lot of children who struggle with food insecurities. Thank you to the National Honors Society for all that you are doing to help with food insecurities at Plymouth North, and in our community!
To nominate a PPS staff member to receive the Starfish Honor, simply visit the PEF website and click on the Starfish Honor tab. At the bottom of the page, there is a short form that you must complete. Information needed for the form is your donation amount ($10), name of person being honored, school or department of honoree, name of donor, and brief message for recipient. This form can be filled out at any point during the year. “The Starfish Honor is an ongoing process,” Mr. Shawn Costa, PEF President, said. “It’s a great way to honor hard work and passion.” “Teaching is an art form…We are molding and crafting people through experiences,” Mr. Parcellin, Plymouth North Principal, said. “For this reason, teaching without feedback is impossible.” With ongoing positive feedback from the Plymouth community, PPS staff members are motivated to continue to put their best foot forward for students. As The Starfish Story wisely illustrates, their drive can impact the lives of these students for years to come.
Breaking language barriers and social borders, this is one of the clubs at North unfamiliar to many but is responsible for creating new friendships. Friends without Borders was created in 2022 with this mission. After school, ELL students and non-ELL students meet over food, games, and cultural presentations. In room 230, long-lasting friendships are encouraged in an open environment. Students coming from other countries to the United States can be a struggle, and the language barrier can make it even more difficult. The club is led by Mrs. Linda Goggin and Mr. Matt Carpenito, who both teach English to ELL students; they play a role in bringing the students together. “Many students showed an interest in sharing their culture and learning from others. They wanted to feel validated in their knowledge,” said Goggin. When non-ELL students show interest in wanting to learn about other cultures and meet new students, it makes North a more comfortable place to be in. “Not everyone who attends this school speaks English or celebrates holidays in the same ways. The more we learn about the different dynamics, it creates harmony in the school,” said Goggin. “What makes this club special is the focus on inclusion and friendship,” said Mr. Carpenito. He also explained it’s important that it gives his students an opportunity to be in an extracurricular. In most meetings it can be seen that there are prominently ELL students. “99% of the students are ELL and most of that 99% are Brazilian students,” said Goggin. The main goal of this club is to bring together ELL students and to promote friendship. Student President Sammi joined this club to combat the barrier that holds these students apart.
Cheung explained some of the struggles that are in the club. “Talking to ESL students is hard, because you can’t say what you want to say most of the time,” said Cheung. In elementary school she took an ESL class to be able to communicate fluently with her classmates. Despite there being a known language barrier in the club, Mrs. Goggin and Mr. Carpenito help translate certain phrases.
Outside the club the language barrier is also a struggle for ELL students. Kelvyn Pereira, also a student president of Friends without Borders, explains this struggle he has everyday. “One of the struggles that is the most impactful is the language barrier,” said Pereira.
Eagles Nest Providing nearly everything students need but don’t have access to By: Maggie Kusmin “Although I know many students are unaware of Eagles Plymouth North’s special education teacher Mrs. Aminta Seery has recently gotten a former donation-based “closet” up and running again. Located in the faculty room on the second floor, it is a hidden closet filled with clothing available to all students. “Eagles Nest is a donation-based closet of clothing to help students and families in our school community with free clothing items they need,” said Mrs. Seery, the Plymouth North teacher who oversees the Eagles Nest. Many students and teachers are unaware about the resources and clothes it provides. “I think some students may know about it by it being a resource for them but I know there is probably more advertising of it that can be done,” said Plymouth North High School vice principal Shannon Turner. Eagles Nest hosts an assortment of trendy clothes, as well as prom and homecoming dresses. Along with formal and trendy clothing, the “boutique” also holds a variety of business clothing that students are allowed to take for events like DECA or model UN.
Pereira benefits from this club, because he can gain friendships. “It does improve communicating with students from America and those who are not,” said Pereira. While growing friendships and bonds is one of the goals of this club, it also promotes diversity. Students with backgrounds from China, Brazil, Mexico, and Nicaragua meet together to create relationships. If you want to join, attend the meetings held in room 230 every other Thursday. Follow @pnhsfriendswithoutborders on Instagram and with any questions reach out to mcarpenito@plymouth.k12.ma.us or lgoggin@plymouth.k12.ma.us.
Nest, when students struggle to find or afford business clothes for DECA, we recommend Eagles Nest,” said Plymouth North marketing teacher Holliane Sprowl. Eagles Nest was dormant for a few years during the pandemic, but Seery has made it her goal when bringing it back that it would be better than ever. “Ms. Seery took this task over almost two years ago now and has done a great job at having it grow into a much larger resource for our students,” said Turner. Seery has done a wonderful job keeping the “store” stocked with all different clothes, for all different occasions.
“I had a student in need of a prom dress, so to help her, we had to take a van to South High where they have Becca's Closet, a space with solely prom dresses,” said Seery. This is part of the inspiration of why she wanted prom dresses available right at North for our students. After getting the Nest up and running again, Mrs. Seery began to grow the inventory. “That year I also ended up reaching out to local tuxedo rental businesses and helped a handful of boys secure donated tuxedo rentals for prom,” said Seery. The Eagles Nest does not stop at formal clothes. The nest hosts winter jackets, sneakers, heels, and a variety of trendy clothing and basics such as jeans and t-shirts. It is not just Mrs. Seery who has put her time and effort into the closet. “Many staff have donated and I've personally reached out to many friends and family and have gotten a ton of donations that way. A few parents have also reached out to donate items as well,” said Seery. If you or anyone you know would like to learn more or donate personally, “Students can talk to their guidance counselor who can get in touch with me or they can scan the QR code on the posters around or simply email or talk to me directly,” said Seery. If you are in need, please reach out to Mrs. Seery at aseery@plymouth.k12.ma.us or contact your guidance counselor.