CONTENTS

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1 Superintendent’s Message

2 Student Spotlight Emma Travassos

3 Faculty Spotlight Mike Bastoni

5 Curriculum The Constructivist Model at Manomet

Choice Increases Student Engagement in P.E. Curriculum

Project-Based Learning at PSMS

8 Student Engagement The Whole Child Approach at West

Real World, Real Learning at South High

Teaching Styles at PCIS Reach All Learners

French Class Fun at South Middle

12 Community Classroom Lessons Bloom at the

Plantation’s Horticultural Center

Nathaniel Morton Students Learn About Altruism

South High Students Create Art for Those in Need

15 News & Noteworthy The Flipped Classroom at PCIS

18 Inspiration Awards Mike Bastoni

Sean Donovan

Marsha Hanby

Mary Tousignant

20 Alumni Spotlight Andy Burgess

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Dear Readers of the Voyager,

Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of the Voyager. The intent

of the Voyager Magazine is to spotlight trends and interesting educational

developments within our school district. This 2014-2015 edition is dedicated

to highlighting teaching and the current strategies that are focused on

personalization and student engagement.

The teaching profession is an evolving dynamic and has changed dramatically

since I started my teaching career over 25 years ago. We as educators must

continue to re-tool and implement strategies that inspire our students to

develop lifelong skills. A part of our strategy for understanding our students is

the concept of personalization, which further encourages student engagement.

Personalization is grounded in the notion that teachers learn information about

their students. This allows the teacher to connect with them educationally, and to

instruct by individualizing their teaching in an effort to personalize their students’

learning. When we had our initial scoping session in development of this issue,

we were excited to highlight some of these examples of exemplary instruction.

I hope after you read this edition of the Voyager that you, too, are encouraged

with the message of personalization and student engagement that is happening

within our schools. Although we have hundreds of faculty within the Plymouth

Public Schools, the pages ahead highlight just a small sampling of inspiring,

personalized learning that is taking place across the district.

Thank you for your support as we navigate this journey.

Sincerely,

If you would like to be added to the Voyager mailing list

you may do so by registering:

www.plymouthalumni.net

Authorization is required for reproduction of any copy or photographs. Please submit your request in writing to:

Plymouth Public Schools 253 South Meadow Road Plymouth, MA 02360

1

SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE

Dr. Gary MaestasSuperintendent of Plymouth Public Schools

SPONSORS

Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

The Voyager is sponsored in part by the Plymouth Education Foundation.

“ Teaching is a dynamic profession

evolving to meet the needs of

the modern child.”

Publication Information

Voyager Magazine is a periodical intended primarily for current faculty, students, and alumni of the Plymouth Public Schools and, additionally, for community members of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is also available for anyone who may be interested in the curriculum, instruction, initiatives and leadership of the Plymouth school district. Views expressed herein may not necessar-ily be the official position of the Plymouth Public Schools.

Publication Staff

Dr. Gary Maestas Chief Program Director

Tara WoomerSenior Editor, Writer, Photographer

Nancy DargieExecutive Director

Jim FedericoLogo and Graphic Design

Standard ModernBrockton, MA Printing

Publication Design and Production

2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 E D I T I O N22

Senior Emma Travassos is the valedictorian of the Class of 2015 at

Plymouth North High School. She will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall where she will major in Chemistry. Emma has played flute in the combined high schools marching band since freshman year, and she is the section leader for the flutes. Her course load at North consists of four Advanced Placement courses this year and two last year. She attended Nathaniel Morton Elementary School and PCIS. She has returned to PCIS numerous times during high school to volunteer for different projects, and she chose to create her senior project at PCIS.

“For my senior project, I’m working with eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Sykes, to start a Creative Writing program at PCIS for eighth graders in Gemini,” she said.

Emma was the recipient of the 2014 Achievement Award in Writing which is a program sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English. Thirteen Massachusetts students were selected as winners out of 796 nationally nominated students.

Emma is also a member of the Math Team and the National Honor Society. She has also written for the literary magazine at North. One of her favorite high school experiences was playing in the pit orchestra during performances of The Wiz. She hopes to play flute in the orchestra at WPI.

Emma also takes private flute lessons, and she is a flautist in a quartet at the South Shore Conservatory. In a recent performance, one of her favorite pieces to play was Jour d’été à la montagne. One of her proudest accomplishments was her solo as the Pied Piper in marching band.

“I was the Pied Piper. That was a huge honor. Marching band sounds a lot easier than it is.

It can be really difficult. Freshman year I was going to quit because I was embarrassed that I wasn’t getting the steps on the field. Bonnie Holmes, the Band Director, was great. She made me comfortable with performing. The opportunity to be the Pied Piper was really awesome. I can’t say thank you enough,” said Emma.

Emma said her teachers in the Plymouth Public Schools have prepared her very well for WPI.

“I definitely feel prepared for college. I’ve had great teachers who have taken the time to get to know me. They made it comfortable in their classrooms and allowed me to take creative risks,” Emma said.

Emma Travassos

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTSTUDENT SPOTLIGHT

“ I definitely feel prepared for college. I’ve had great teachers who have taken the time to get to know me. They made it comfortable in their classrooms and allowed me to take creative risks.”

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All About Emma

Family: Parents - Christine and Stephen Sister - Julia

Best friends: Mackenzie, Emily, Abigail

Favorite Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Job: Reference Library Page at Plymouth Public Library

Favorite Teachers: Mrs. Mack, Ms. Finkle, Mrs. Cameron, Mr. DiFrancesco, Mr. Dunlap, Mr. Buckley, Mrs. Larracuente, Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Hughes

Plymouth North Engineering Technology teacher Mike Bastoni is the embodiment

of the engineering program at North. He has been a part of the program since its inception and has helped to grow the department into its own school within a school. Over 250 students from North have gone on to study engineering at the collegiate level. Some have also earned their doctorates. Mr. Bastoni goes quietly about his business of opening young minds to the beauty and joy of engineering. His favorite teaching memory encompasses his team approach to changing students’ lives.

“My favorite memory is working collaboratively with the Plymouth school staff, administration, local business leaders, the greater Plymouth community, students and parents to create a new, innovative program that serves the career ambitions of Plymouth’s young engineers,” said Mr. Bastoni.

Graduates of the program have matriculated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Cornell University, Princeton University, Harvey Mudd College, Northeastern University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wentworth Institute of Technology, the University Of Massachusetts Amherst, the United States Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and many other colleges and universities.

Despite the tremendous success the program has found in its college matriculation rates, it is not the only goal of the program. Mr. Bastoni said any student is welcome in the program whether or not they plan to become an engineer, and there is no way of predicting the future outcome of a student’s career path until it actually happens. Mr. Bastoni told the story about a student who surprised him greatly.

“In high school, this kid was flying under the radar. It happens. We teachers miss a lot when it comes to seeing the potential.

We often meet wonderfully actualized young people who escaped our notice,” said Mr. Bastoni.

One day Mr. Bastoni ran into his former student at a downtown restaurant. The young man greeted him, but Mr. Bastoni could not remember him. Although the young man had been a student of Mr. Bastoni’s, he did not stand out academically while at North. It turns out he was working on his doctoral thesis and was about to earn his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Bastoni asked him about his degree.

“I asked him if he was studying analog or digital. I assumed digital because the math is less complex. He said analog. Then I asked, ‘You didn’t go RF, did you,’ which means Radio Frequency and is an inside electrical engineering reference to what is arguably one of the most challenging and mathematically complex electrical engineering fields,” said Mike.

Mr. Bastoni’s former student had gone RF.

“This was a deeply satisfying lesson about how absolutely wonderful the world can be for folks who find an interest and follow their passions. I will never pass judgment on any kid who wants to pretend to be an engineer while in high school. My responsibility is simply to provide opportunities and to make sure our program offers the most complete buffet table of experiences and activities that we are capable of. The rest is out of our control and in the hands of those people who we try to help find their way. The metric by which I prefer to evaluate the program’s

success is, ‘What percentage of participants feel that their choice to take the engineering program was rewarded with learning and satisfaction?’ After all, some folks have taken the program and learned they did not like or wish to enter engineering. That is as important an outcome as the story of the young Ph.D.,” said Mr. Bastoni.

Mr. Bastoni was quick to praise all departments at North, and he said any successful student is the product of a school-wide effort and not just the product of a particular course of study.

“The hundreds of students who have matriculated into engineering programs throughout the U.S. have benefitted not only from our Engineering Technology program, but also from the knowledge, skills, academic acumen, and personality development afforded them by the math, science, humanities, and art programs and the teachers they had the good fortune to share time with. I am fortunate to have worked with these competent and caring educators. After all, you do not get into engineering school without evidence of a solid academic background,” said Mr. Bastoni.

Mike Bastoni

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

continued on page 4

“ The hands-on experience of designing and actually fabricating robots and wind turbines at North was truly invaluable to me at Cornell. Many students at Cornell had never used SolidWorks® CAD software or a milling machine before. Mr. B. is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher and the most influential of my academic career.”COREY BELAIEF, 2007 GRADUATE OF PLYMOUTH NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, B.S. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, CORNELL UNIvERSIT Y; M.ENG. ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT, CORNELL UNIvERSIT Y

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We asked Mr. Bastoni a few questions about his career at North.

Q. How did you develop your teaching style?

A. Experimentation and a combination of ignorance, enlightenment, and effort that helped us recognize the essential ingredient is the development of mutual trust and commitment among the learners – students and myself. We learn together. We constantly adopt new technology, CNC / CAM these past two years, and without the synergy created by students who learn fastest, we would never be in a position to roll out classes in these subject areas that benefit everyone in our learning community. Especially myself!

We monitored the changing demands on skills and experience that the engineering colleges expected by keeping in touch with our alumni. These students were attending competitive colleges and universities nationwide. We asked them what skills and knowledge they needed to remain competitive in undergraduate work.

I have also had several key mentors in my private and educational life. I feel a great deal of gratitude towards past Principals Bob Holton and especially John Siever, as well as current Superintendent Gary Maestas and Vocational Principal Jim Hanna for their insights and the support and freedom they provided us in exercising decisions that helped shape our current program of studies. It’s teamwork, it’s family, and the intention is to achieve something significant for the community we serve.

Perhaps the most important insights I received into teaching were my years in college. I paid my tuition working as the college printer. I ran the print jobs and created cover designs for college publications. I was given keys to the labs and shops so I could have 24/7 access to do my work around my schedule.

I had all the labs to play in, all the time. I learned how to learn on my own and with other motivated students. I’ve tried to create this experience as much as possible for my students. Learning takes time and desire. The more you can have of either or both, the more you learn.

Q. What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

A. Watching people’s passions evolve, along with their maturing confidence and ability to acquire skills, experience, and knowledge. Working with the highly talented educators and staff at Plymouth North. The math department at Plymouth North does an exceptional job of preparing our young engineers, as does the science department.

The history and humanities teachers at North are a cohesive and dedicated

group. They are wonderful people for kids to pattern a

personality around. The art and music programs

at North provide exceptionally creative opportunities unequaled in most schools. Working with professionals like these is highly motivating and deeply rewarding.

Q. What do you hope your students take with them to college and beyond from your classroom?

A. That they can acquire the knowledge, desire, and ability to design their lives, and that they are, in great part, responsible for one another’s success.

Q. What is difficult about teaching?

A. The bells that ring when you’re in the middle of a significant learning experience and a built-for-management, not learning, approach to education. The limitations of the 180 day school year. This beautiful facility (North High) remains inaccessible to many of the students who could most benefit from it for nearly half the calendar year.

Providing a meaningful experience for every student in search of passion and purpose. That’s likely the most difficult aspect of the job. We have to keep all shades of our “gray crayons” handy because this is definitely not a black and white world.

Q. Do you have any hobbies outside of school?

A. I only began cultivating them after I stopped working two jobs most of my life. I recently constructed a greenhouse, and I maintain a vegetable garden. I grow too many seedlings for my own consumption, so I enjoy giving them away to the charitable farmers’ markets and to friends. I make wine. I do a lot of bicycling, and I participate in triathlons on occasion. Tech type pursuits remain a constant interest. Six thousand watts of photovoltaic panels generate the necessary electrical requirements for my home as well as provide energy for my daily commute in an electric Nissan Leaf. I love this car.

For the past 25 years I’ve been remodeling and reshaping my home in an effort to increase its energy efficiency and functionality.

continued from page 3

Mike Bastoni“ Because of the engineering program at North, I was way ahead when I went to college. I did a lot of things at North that my peers didn’t do until they were seniors in college. Mr. Bastoni is the best person I’ve ever met. He treats everyone like they’re intelligent. He would explain things in a multitude of different ways until one resonated with that student’s learning style.”NIk TAORMINA, 2011 GRADUATE OF PLYMOUTH NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR AT THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, AFTER GRADUATION wILL wORk AS A CYBER OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR THE U.S. AIR FORCE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTFACULTY SPOTLIGHT

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Manomet Elementary School fifth grade teacher Nancy Cavicchi uses the

constructivist model of teaching to engage her students. During a recent lesson on electricity, she draped herself in a strand of white lights and asked her students to spend three minutes writing down everything they think they know about electricity. Mrs. Cavicchi holds her students’ attention with her blend of humor, hands-on activities, and encouragement.

“I teach in an unconventional way. I’m a wacky, weird scientist. When my kids were little and their toys didn’t work, I took the toys apart and figured out why. I believe science is a verb. I don’t believe in memorization and regurgitation. They’re going to remember this,” Mrs. Cavicchi said about her lesson of the day.

Students were given a D-volt battery, a strip of tinfoil, and a tiny light bulb. Their job was to figure out how to light the bulb using only the battery and foil. Students tried many different methods to accomplish their task. The classroom was filled with happy chatter and the energy of discovery.

“It’s a chance to take risks,” she reminded them.

Fifth grader Annie Yaeger was hard at work figuring out how to create electricity.

“We do a lot of fun stuff instead of doing lots of worksheets. Most of it is stuff we’ve never done before. Mrs. Cavicchi really seems like she likes what we’re doing,” Annie said.

Excitement in the classroom was palpable as students figured out how to create electricity with a few simple items. Mrs. Cavicchi moved around the classroom encouraging each student to figure it out for themselves.

“This is like a teacher’s dream when we really start to see people think things through,” Mrs. Cavicchi said.

A student accomplished the task, and Mrs. Cavicchi provided positive reinforcement.

“You got yours to work without wires! Amazing,” said Mrs. Cavicchi.

Students are deeply engaged in the lesson because they are required to test their own knowledge.

“I like to use the constructivist model of teaching. Students construct their own

knowledge. They’re learning the whole time. It’s an exploratory kind of lesson. If they can build it, then they own it,” Mrs. Cavicchi said.

Her methods and those of her colleagues are clearly working. Last year, Manomet Elementary

students’ MCAS scores were in the top two percent statewide. Fifth grader Liam Wright loves Mrs. Cavicchi’s hands-on style of teaching, and he plans to become a biologist after college.

“We don’t read textbooks. That’s a good thing. They can be boring. I think I learn more seeing it firsthand instead of in print,” Liam said.

Risk taking is also welcome in Mrs. Cavicchi’s classroom, and this creative thinking culminates in a yearly science fair.

“One great example of how I convey the message that it’s okay to take a risk is through our annual science fair. Students create a hypothesis and use the scientific method to test their prediction. In some cases, their hypothesis is incorrect or their experiment does not work as anticipated, but we stress the importance of this valuable learning opportunity which transfers into the real world. What they take away is that every endeavor, whether successful or not, is still an opportunity to gain knowledge even if it’s only finding out what doesn’t work. One boy struggled, but then he figured it out, and he did it himself! Nothing is more exciting or powerful than that. That is what makes teaching ‘teaching.’ That puts tears in my eyes,” said Mrs. Cavicchi.

The Constructivist Model at Manomet Elementary

CURRICULUM

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Today’s physical education classes allow students to choose activities according

to their personal preferences. The goal is to engage students in physical activity for life by offering enough choices so that everyone can find their niche.

At Plymouth North High School, physical education teacher Evan Paris said her goal is to introduce students to activities that will, hopefully, become part of their lifelong fitness routines.

“My goal is, ‘What can I give these students that will be lifelong for them?’ We give students a variety of ways to be fit and participate. We try to have options for non-athletes. We also want to know what activities students are interested in. We give them a quiz and ask them what they enjoy and why. We are constantly trying to tailor the curriculum,” Ms. Paris said.

At North, students can choose from yoga, power walking, jogging, weight room training, tennis, fitness, indoor soccer, volleyball, football, softball, Ultimate FrisbeeTM, badminton, and Pickle-ball®, which is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.

During a gym class at North, Ms. Paris was teaching her students yoga.

“The benefits of yoga are flexibility and relaxation. It’s a stress reducer, and it builds muscles. Yoga is about breathing, focusing on you, and on what you should be doing. Yoga is about taking care of your body,” Ms. Paris said.

Students were engaged in the yoga poses, and the class was quiet as students tried to hold each new pose. Freshman Mercedes Matienzo liked the relaxing pace of the lesson.

“It’s fun, but it’s also exercise. It’s not too challenging, and it’s something everyone can do. It’s a time during the day that I can do something that I enjoy. It’s very relaxing,” Mercedes said.

Freshman Noah Theologou also enjoyed the yoga lesson.

“It was really relaxing. I’m not that into sports. I like this better because it’s non-competitive,” Noah said.

At Plymouth South High School, physical education students worked through a circuit of activities called “Fitness Friday” that aimed to increase their flexibility, cardiovascular strength, muscular strength,

and muscular endurance. Physical education teacher Eric Baril said the goal is to increase students’ awareness of physical fitness outside of school.

“We want students to be more aware of their own personal fitness and become physically fit outside of school in the community and at home. We want to help guide them along and help them prepare for lifelong healthy fitness habits. We want to help them realize that it isn’t so difficult,” said Eric Baril.

The program aims to engage students in physical activities they may not have tried on their own. Junior Moriah Julio said he discovered a new sport from his physical education classes at South.

“They teach us not to be afraid and to just do it and try. I thought I was absolutely going to hate golf, but I ended up loving it,” Moriah said.

Junior Christian Weppert said he likes how everyone benefits from physical activity and not just the top athletes.

“It’s just good for everyone. Most people aren’t doing sports all the time. Kids who aren’t doing exercise on their own get it here,” Christian said.

Physical education teacher Stephanie Finn said one of her students who does not play any team sports was really interested in jump roping.

“I have one girl who really took a liking to jumping rope. She told me that she jumps rope at home now. That’s kind of cool,” Ms. Finn said.

At Plymouth South Middle School, physical education teacher Margie Turner and the South Middle physical education staff complete fitness testing in four areas for all students, and students then write their own fitness goals. Each student is given a form called My Workout Favs, and students can select from yoga poses, stability balls, DynaBand® exercise bands, medicine balls,

Student Choice Increases Student Engagement in Physical Education Classes

CURRICULUM

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CURRICULUM

Plymouth South Middle School World Geography teacher Steven Herbert

engages his students with project-based learning assignments. His students work in small groups at their desks. They are inquisitive and thoughtful. They take their work seriously, but they also share some laughs. Mr. Herbert makes time for each student and provides thoughtful and direct one-on-one attention.

Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are English Language Arts domains that are woven into the Social Studies curriculum. Mr. Herbert ties everything together by assigning projects and by allowing students to choose the direction of their projects.

“These literary standards are incorporated in a number of ways. One way has been the teaching of novels in World Geography classes. When we study southwest and central Asia, we read the novel The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. There is also A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park when studying Africa. Geographic concepts come easier to kids and adults when there is a story attached. At first, kids are hesitant when introduced to a novel in their Social Studies class. However, after two chapters,

they’re hooked, and many kids can’t help but read ahead. It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Mr. Herbert.

He continued, “My job is to help kids become better readers, writers, thinkers, and listeners. Project-based learning incorporates all of these things, so I am working to create more of this in my classroom. Kids will be more engaged in a project when the topic is applicable to their lives. They will also be more invested if they are given choice, both in terms of the topic of their project and the manner in which to present it. Involving the use of technology also helps keep the students engaged.”

Mr. Herbert was recently awarded the John Reilly Award for Teaching Excellence in Geography by the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies. The award is given to a Geography teacher who “develops and uses instructional materials creatively and effectively and incorporates innovative and effective instructional strategies in their classroom.”

Congratulations, Mr. Herbert!

Project-Based Learning at Plymouth South Middle School

and jump rope. Ms. Turner said one of the priorities in the class is to allow students to choose their own activities.

“We’ve recognized that some love team sports, and some love individual sports. They can choose handball, kickball, or the fitness room. We’ve also looked at the changing [of clothes] issue, and students don’t need to change for every activity. We’ve eliminated some of these issues. That’s what is fundamentally sound about the program. It’s fun, interesting, and personalized. They’ve made the choices, so they’re where they want to be. There’s something for everyone,” Ms. Turner said.

Sixth grader Paige Simard loves the variety of choices. Sixth grader Rebekah Livramento and sixth grader Ella Estes also love to choose activities in physical education class. Sixth grader Lily Christian likes to practice what she learns at school at home with her parents.

“I like it because when you go home, you can try new things. I like yoga. It’s a nice stretch, and it’s relaxing. It’s good for your muscles. I do yoga poses at home with my mom and dad. He stretches out his legs,” Lily said.

Across all grade levels, students today are able to engage in all kinds of physical activities in physical education classes and, hopefully, stick with some for the rest of their lives.

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

The Whole Child Approach at West Elementary School

Lauri Reid has been a second grade teacher at West Elementary School

for 32 years this June. She engages her students in mind, body, and spirit with her peaceful presence and calm demeanor. She rings Tibetan hand bells to call her class to order. “Brain breaks” allow students to get some fresh air in the play area outside of her classroom. Yoga poses are used to change the tempo of the classroom’s energy. Star cards with inspirational quotes rest in a jar, and students earn them whenever they show kindness. Mutual respect connects each student to Ms. Reid. Her voice is melodic and almost hypnotic, and coupled with her kindness, it keeps her students fully engaged.

“You don’t learn that in college. You either have it, or you don’t. I don’t raise my voice with my students. I like a calm classroom. I love the kids and what I do. That’s what it’s about. I want them to have the best year possible. It’s the only time they’ll ever be in second grade,” said Ms. Reid.

Service learning is de rigueur in her classroom whether her students are collecting items for Helping Hands Animal Shelter in Cedarville or collecting items for

birthday parties for homeless children. She models the behavior she wants to develop in her students through her own volunteerism. Five years ago, she launched the Great Pajama Story Drive at West, which is a pajama drive and a family literacy night. Over the years, she and her team of colleagues and West students and families have donated 1,028 pairs of pajamas to children in need.

In her classroom, students move between five different stations in small groups. There are no rows of desks. Her approach is multidisciplinary, and in one lesson she was able to incorporate science, reading, and writing.

“I like to include all subjects in a lesson if possible,” said Ms. Reid.

An interactive MimioBoard® is located at the front of her classroom. Students use it to practice their computer skills for PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) testing. Her classroom has a magical blend of teacher-directed and student-directed learning. She might call the class over to a corner of the room so she can read them a story, but she also encourages

students to parlay their own knowledge into lessons which may alter the day’s lesson plan.

“You have to be able to be flexible and roll with it because teaching is unpredictable. A student will raise their hand and share some of their background knowledge or share something that happened, and you have to be able to be flexible. You don’t know what is going to happen. You can’t be stuck, and you can also extend what you had planned to another day or another lesson. I may have a student who is fabulous in science. It’s their niche, and they have a lot of background knowledge. They’re teaching all of us because that’s what they love,” Ms. Reid said.

One of her current students, Molly Fawcett, loves her teacher’s methods. Ms. Reid also taught Molly’s mother, Jodie, years ago.

“We get to go outside and have a second recess. We do centers where we switch to computers and do Lexia®, which is a learning game and then deskwork. We do Extra Math where we race the teacher. For math, science, and social studies, sometimes we watch Brain Pop. She lets us use the whiteboard when we have indoor recess, and we get to do arts and crafts. I really like the things she does,” said Molly.

Ms. Reid’s philosophy of education centers around the whole child.

“They might all be different on the outside but not on the inside. We’re always thinking of others and of the whole person they will become as adults,” said Ms. Reid.

Whether it’s her encouraging tone of voice, her understanding that youngsters need plenty of movement and fresh air, her respect for them as people, or her ability to teach her students the power of thinking of others, Ms. Reid’s teaching style exemplifies how to engage students in mind, body, and spirit.

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On any given day, students in the Culinary Department at Plymouth

South High School can be found baking bread, firing up Bananas Foster, making soup from scratch, decorating cakes, or whipping up a soufflé. Students cook on site for the school’s restaurant called Southside Fare, and this hands-on, real world experience deeply engages the students.

The clang of pots and pans and the controlled chaos of a real working kitchen provide students with enough hands-on experience to determine if they want to become professional chefs or bakers. Barry Levy, head of the Culinary Department at South, says that making the program fun is one of the most important ways to keep students engaged.

“One of the most successful learning strategies is allowing students to have fun, while being fully engaged with the task at hand with students not giving a second thought to the learning process that is taking place,” Mr. Levy said.

Senior culinary student Katelin Gellar will attend Johnson & Wales University in the fall. She plans to open her own bakery someday, and she loves working in the kitchen at South.

“I truly love it! It’s my favorite part of the day. Every day is a new challenge. Some days are really busy, and some days the kitchen is closed down, and we focus on the educational side of it. I enjoy that it’s a real restaurant because it’s not just cooking. It’s cooking to get the job done,” Katelin said.

She works at Henri-Marie, a restaurant at The Pinehills in Plymouth, as an apprentice under their pastry chef.

“I’ve taken a lot of what I learned at school to work one hundred percent. It’s absolutely my passion. When I go to work, I don’t look at the clock. I usually don’t want to leave,” Katelin exclaimed.

A recipe for vanilla bean ice cream from Henri-Marie made its way into the school’s kitchen, and the students’ version was ambrosial. Mr. Levy said in addition to learning how to cook and bake delicious food, the program aims to teach “transferable world skills” such as presence, a positive attitude,

articulation, organizational skills, phone manners, and the importance of timeliness on the job. Students are also taught how to deliver a firm handshake, the importance of eye contact, and how to dress appropriately for work.

“We’re teaching them how to put their best foot forward and how to be a professional culinarian. We’re teaching them the hard, solid basics,” Mr. Levy said.

Plymouth South has articulation agreements with Johnson & Wales University, the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Southern Maine Community College, and numerous community colleges throughout Massachusetts. Eighty percent of culinary students at South attend culinary school after high school. Numerous South High graduates also work as professional chefs and bakers. Julie Thompson, a 2008 graduate of South High, is now the head pastry chef at Davio’s in Lynnfield. She said South’s culinary program was great preparation for life in a professional kitchen.

“I love all of the teachers there! It’s a great school! I still visit. In high school, if we showed that we were interested in learning something, the teachers went above and beyond to help us learn it. I also had to learn kitchen measurements at South, and I was above everyone when I went to college,” said Julie.

She attended Stonehill College for a year and studied health care, but she missed baking. She transferred to Johnson & Wales and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and Food Service Management. Julie is currently training three pastry chefs at Davio’s where she loves to bake mousse cakes, semifreddo, and gluten-free items. She loved the real world lessons that she learned at South.

“The teachers were always coming up with something new. A lot of students, mostly upperclassmen, had internships at restaurants in Plymouth. At South, I really learned how to work with other people,” Julie said.

Mr. Levy is always searching for ways to engage his young chefs. Students create online tutorials for their fellow students about such topics as how to tie a roast or how to bake a soufflé. He also encourages them and allows them to create their culinary dreams. One student’s goal was to make galantine, and another wanted to learn how to make charcuterie. Both accomplished their goals.

One student wanted to create an ice carving. Mr. Levy had the student contact three vendors to get the best price on the ice, set up the ice delivery, and learn how to operate a chainsaw. The student successfully carved a beautiful ice sculpture of sunfish and coral. Mr. Levy’s methods have one goal.

“I wanted the student to be able to say, ‘I can do this,’ ” declared Mr. Levy.

Students also learn about knife safety, proper nutrition, menu planning, the proper French terminology for kitchen lingo, how to run the front of the house in a restaurant, how to handle food-based allergic reactions, and proper sanitation.

“We can do whatever the students are interested in. The sky’s the limit. They learn a variety of techniques which allows them to see the beauty and art of the end products. They get to make something beautiful, and as an extra bonus, they can eat it,” Mr. Levy said.

He constantly challenges his students to step out of their comfort zones, and one lesson was how to flip eggs in a pan without using any utensils. Many students doubted their ability to complete the task, but they did it.

“Their expressions were unbelievable. Their expressions were priceless,” exclaimed Mr. Levy.

South High culinary students are fully engaged in preparing delicious food and learning how to work in a professional kitchen. The students are dedicated, hardworking, and committed to the process and the product. Mr. Levy is all smiles as he weaves his way around the happy, bustling kitchen.

“They are awesome, awesome kids,” he said.

Real World, Real Learning at Plymouth South High School

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

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Teaching Styles at PCIS Reach All Learners

In Gemini House at PCIS, English Language Arts teacher Tara Rezendes uses many

means to engage her students. For one classroom project students were responsible for a written reflection piece, a classroom presentation, a video presentation, and a script rewrite. A multidimensional approach to the text allowed students to own the story on their terms. Seventh grader Alek Mikulic loves this approach to learning.

“For this project, we get to make props and write a script. I think visuals and groups are a lot of fun. With visuals, instead of just writing stuff down, we get to create stuff. It’s a better way of learning than just reading it over and over. We’re not just writing down facts and highlighting. I think it stays in our brains a little bit better,” said Alek.

Mrs. Rezendes said she employs any means possible to engage her students such as movement, technology, books, video clips, humor, and a personal connection with each student. ELA and its current standards focus not only on reading and writing, but also on speaking, listening, and presentation skills. Mrs. Rezendes meets this array of standards in her classroom by her broad-minded approach to student engagement.

“Speaking and listening in ELA is huge. Any time I can combine speaking and listening, I do because we have multiple standards. It’s kind of a backwards design; knowing where you need to get and working backward to figure out what materials to use to get them there,” Mrs. Rezendes said.

Seventh grader Ben Dietzman loves Mrs. Rezendes’ philosophy of approaching a text in numerous ways.

“She’s fun. She really isn’t like the normal English teacher. She really tries to get us engaged by making it fun. She also lets us get other opinions on our work and gives us constructive criticism because other people might have a different idea. She gives us time to work with other kids, which helps us to socialize and learn from other students,” Ben said.

Mrs. Rezendes said her goal is to prepare students to be strong readers, writers, listeners, and presenters.

“We’re always working on speaking, listening, and presentation skills. We have collaborative literature circles that get the kids up and moving. It helps them to understand things better if they can talk it out. The Common Core standards are the basis for everything. My goal is to keep them engaged even if the text is complex,” Mrs. Rezendes said.

In Mercury House, Algebra teacher Ryan Ross engages his students with constant encouragement. He offers positive reinforcement, which keeps his students engaged in their lessons. Mr. Ross supports his students’ efforts with simple praise, such as “Go for it!”, “Excellent!”, and “Perfect!” His feedback is sincere, and almost every hand is raised to answer a question. His students are extremely well behaved and polite to each other and to him. Mr. Ross

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

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Katelyn Kaminske’s seventh grade French class at Plymouth South Middle School

is the picture of student engagement. Her students are on their feet dancing, playing, moving, and laughing while learning their French vocabulary. Games of Jacques dit (Simon Says), J’ai / Qui a (I Have / Who Has), Tic-tac-toe, and French hangman are not only fun, but also help them to learn the proper French pronunciation of words.

Ms. Kaminske’s classroom has a smooth balance between movement and quiet work time. The class begins with a fun, active game, and then students work quietly at their desks.

“When I plan every class I force myself to have an activity where they are up and

moving. They are all just awesome kids. They’re having so much fun they don’t realize they’re learning. I’m a game person, and I always think of where I can put the language into an activity. They give me really good ideas on games to play,” she said.

Ms. Kaminske has also used Go Fish, the chicken dance, the hand jive, and the I’m A Little Teapot song to engage her students in their French lessons.

“I just like that you can do so much to make students strong speakers, readers, and writers. I always want to give them a chance to feel successful. There are so many aspects to learning a language, and the kids can feel so empowered by it,” Ms. Kaminske said.

French Class Fun at Plymouth South Middle School

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

runs the class with kindness and a genuine respect for his students. Their mutual respect for him is evident. He issues a challenge to his Algebra students.

“If you exceed my expectations, you get rewarded for this,” Mr. Ross said.

Moments later, a student asked Mr. Ross how he could exceed expectations, and the student accepted the challenge Mr. Ross put forth. Mr. Ross teaches his students how to be confident in their own abilities. Eighth grade student Tatianna Manning-Blake said that Mr. Ross and his upbeat attitude create a positive learning environment.

“He makes sure to keep everyone engaged with his voice. It’s uplifting.

It’s his attitude. It’s a positive attitude. He’s never down, which makes us

feel the same way that he does. He makes it fun. It’s one of my

favorite classes. It’s just a positive atmosphere. We have a good

bond. He knows how to engage a student with his attitude,” Tatianna said.

The route to student engagement is broad and diverse, and the strategies to reach students are endless. PCIS students are fortunate to have so many different styles

and methods utilized throughout their school.

“ I like how we play games because it’s to help us learn academics. It’s not just to play games. We’re actually learning in a fun way, and it helps us to remember more. I think Mademoiselle Kaminske is a good teacher because she has a good mind for creating games where we can move and have fun and learn academics.” MICHAEL COSTELLO

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“ The games are fun, and when it’s fun it puts something in my brain that sticks. If a teacher is just talking, it doesn’t stick. It’s kind of boring.” MARY QUINN

“ A lot of people need to see something to know it. They have to process the information with hands-on movement. Mr. Herbert keeps my attention the whole class because he has a good sense of humor.” ELIzABETH TRACY

“ I think Mademoiselle Kaminske is a really good teacher because she makes it fun to learn. We play a lot of memory games. She’s always having something interactive. She never talks for the whole class.”MASON FULLER

“ The games make it easier to learn. Just playing the games is fun. Mademoiselle Kaminske makes it fun because she gets us up and moving. We’re always up and moving around. We’re not bored to death. She does the activities with us. She’s always happy and never angry or upset with us.” NICk kEDING

“ In class we do projects that are really fun. I need to do things to learn instead of just looking at something and trying to retain it. I think projects help me remember a lot of the information we just learned. I’ll remember it, and I won’t forget it.” JAMES kERNEN

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Classroom Lessons Bloom at Plimoth Plantation’s Horticultural Center

Project Growth students are fully engaged with their work in the community at

numerous jobsites around town. Students Alexa Abbott and Nick Collins work at the Horticultural Center at Plimoth Plantation. One of their tasks is to prepare pots for spring seedlings. Their work takes place at one of the many sites in Plymouth that employs students in the Project Growth program which is headquartered at North High. The program is for students between the ages of 18-22.

“They’re building skills to become prepared for the world of work. I’m always impressed with how the students learn new tasks and become independent,” said Christine Belmonte, who is a Special Education teacher at North.

Project Growth students also work at Stop & Shop, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, South Elementary School, Pilgrim Sands Hotel, the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless, CVS, Plymouth Rehabilitation & Health Care

Center, Emeritus at Plymouth Beach, The Inn at Silver Lake, and Equine Assisted Learning at the Dusty J. Farm. Students must keep track of their daily schedules and contact their employers to let them know if they will be absent. Students highlight their schedules, set their alarms, and plan their weeks.

“It prepares them for a job because it’s so real and it all makes sense. That’s when they’re fully engaged. They have to let them know if they won’t be there, which gets them thinking about this ahead of time. They have to remember to let them know when there is a half day. Real learning takes place. It’s amazing,” Mrs. Belmonte exclaimed.

Alexa starts her work day by reviewing a checklist of expected behaviors. She uses an iPod Touch with alarms to schedule her day around work, bathroom breaks, and lunch. She also uses a device that helps her to communicate by referring to pictures that specify thoughts such as go back, thirsty, and favorite. She also communicates with modified hand signs. Her daily goals are to greet her employer, say or sign hello, take initiative with tasks, and stay on task.

Nick’s list of daily goals consists of advocating for himself, initiating a conversation, using the name of his supervisor, and increasing his work pace. One of the main goals of the program is for the students to stay engaged in a task, engaged with each other, and engaged with their work supervisor or teacher. If Alexa becomes distracted, Mrs. Belmonte gently guides her back to the task with modified hand signs.

“She prefers to sign. It’s less obvious using a sign. It’s a gentle prompt for her to re-engage. Sometimes speaking can be overlooked. Sometimes she has to ask for help. We’re trying to get her to take the initiative and know when to ask for help from her supervisor,” Mrs. Belmonte said.

Another goal of the program is for students to learn how to behave in a work setting. Students learn how to apply years of classroom instruction about acceptable behavior to real world settings.

“The other day, Nick’s occupational therapist, Mrs. Josephine, asked him how he was doing. He answered her, and said, ‘Good, how are you?’ That’s the first time that he ever did that! Now he gets it because he sees everybody doing that at work,” Mrs. Belmonte said.

Project Growth students are valued workers around town who contribute a great deal to our community in a multitude of venues.

“I love seeing their progress, and I enjoy having their young, vivacious personalities in the workplace. It’s a great help to have them accomplish the work. It’s a huge contribution,” said Plimoth Plantation Horticulturist Lori Danek.

Engagement in their jobs also helps students learn how to engage in their lives outside of school. Over lunch, Nick asked Alexa what her plans were for the weekend.

“The goal is to get students to their most independent level at work and in their social lives. We want them to be a productive part of society and to become an independent person in the community that they live,” said Mrs. Belmonte.

COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY

Plymouth South High School students in Art teacher Kathy White’s Ceramics

class sculpted soup bowls to be sold at a Visual and Performing Arts fundraiser called Empty Bowls. Mike Caple, head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department for the Plymouth Public Schools, said the fundraiser aims to bring the community together and to fight hunger in Plymouth and the surrounding communities.

“The goal is simple – to raise awareness of hunger issues in our community as well as raise funds for the South Shore Community Action Council. This is all done while bringing the community together at the bowl-making workshops and the community dinner. I am thrilled that the VPA can offer this program to the community of Plymouth. It is our perspective that the arts are an integral part of the community and can help bring the community together,” said Mr. Caple.

Mrs. White helped her students brainstorm ways to craft their bowls.

“You have to think, ‘Would you want to eat soup out of this bowl?’ Yours could have a handle or could be used like a big cup. People are going to be buying these, and the donations will go to the food pantry. You have to make people want to buy your bowl,” said Mrs. White.

Sophomore Doug Mahan was hard at work crafting his bowl of clay, and although he has enjoyed creating numerous other pieces in class, this project was special.

“I like that I can be creative. I’ve made a box that looks like a present, a cat sculpture, bowls, and houses. This project is a lot more meaningful,” said Doug.

Senior Brittany Murphy also enjoyed the project especially because of its purpose.

“Mrs. White is an awesome teacher. I like the way she teaches the class. I like this project a lot because it’s for a purpose,” said Brittany.

Empty Bowls is an “international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness to end hunger” according to their website. The program is 25 years old. Plymouth North High School Art teacher Lauren Jezierski brought the fundraiser to Plymouth.

Beth Keane teaches students at all eight elementary schools in Plymouth. Her

third, fourth, and fifth grade Basic Skills students at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School participated in an engaging classroom project which taught them the beauty of altruism. She set up a classroom contest for her students to earn plastic coins for good behavior and for waiting their turns.

The coins were deposited in their holiday stockings in their classroom. At the end of the two-month contest, the coins were tallied, and the students with the highest amounts were allowed to go holiday shopping with Mrs. Keane to purchase presents for a family in need. Dinner with her at Red Robin was also part of their reward.

“It’s good because some family doesn’t have presents because Santa didn’t have enough money to buy them. We needed to have expected behavior, and we needed to raise our hand for waiting patiently, and we couldn’t yell out. Sometimes it’s hard to do that. I’m so happy and excited, and the kids just wanted clothes, not any toys. I’m just excited to go,” said fifth grade student, Arianna Pierson, who was one of the lucky students to accompany Mrs. Keane on the shopping spree.

Her students also memorized lines of text from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Coins earned during this activity were added to their stockings. This lesson in altruism not only fully engaged her students in a friendly

competition but also taught them that “giving is the best gift” which was the theme of the entire project.

Mrs. Keane was thrilled with her students’ altruistic attitudes towards others.

“At the end of the day, it is extremely satisfying to provide the students with the experience of giving rather than receiving. It empowers them to see themselves as capable and competent. It is exciting to see the initial sparkle in their eyes and hear the chatter between them as they remind each other to work hard in groups and behave at recess, so that the class as a whole can earn more money. Their enthusiasm and desire to achieve a common goal helps a class grow into a family,” Mrs. Keane said.

A Lesson in Altruism Engages Students at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School

Plymouth South High School Ceramics Students Focus on Helping Others

Scott Smith, a Math teacher in Gemini at PCIS, uses a blended learning form

of instruction to engage his students in their lessons. The process is also called flipped learning, and it allows students to move at their own pace, utilize technology, and benefit from one-on-one classroom instruction. Students are thriving under his tutelage.

With this approach, Mr. Smith creates online tutorials and narrates PowerPoint presentations, which students view online at home. Students can submit conceptual questions to him online, and class time is free to practice concepts and to receive personalized, individualized instruction from Mr. Smith.

“It appealed to me because students have their own individual plans and goals and move at their own individual pace. They own it. Students who can move on, they move on. It’s an asynchronous classroom,” said Mr. Smith.

He has created about 90 tutorials, and students can move from one level to the next once they can prove an understanding of at least 75 percent of the material at any given level. He spends between two and two and a half hours to create each tutorial. One of the benefits of this instructional model is that students can pause and rewind as much as they need to. Students are also able to move through the levels at their own pace.

“There are a handful of students who are just cranking through it. I need to create some new tutorials for them,” Mr. Smith said.

One of the main goals of this teaching method is to free up the teacher’s time in the classroom for one-on-one instruction.

“The really good part of this is that I can rotate around the class the whole time. Students are also working on developing communication skills this year,” Mr. Smith said.

Samantha White, one of his eighth grade Honors Algebra students, likes his approach because she can learn at her own pace.

“If you don’t know something, you can look back at the video and watch it as many times as you want until you get it. We get packets with two pages of questions that we answer in school, and we watch the tutorials at night. We all move at different paces, and we don’t have to keep up with each other. It makes it seem easier. Instead of having a teacher teach you once, you can have a teacher teach you however many times you want to. With the tutorials, there’s questions on your phone, and you can answer the questions on your phone,” Samantha said.

Carolyn Reimer is also an eighth grade Honors Algebra student in Mr. Smith’s class. The technological aspect of this method appeals to her.

“I like that we can take our time and make sure we fully understand it. There are still expectations. Using our electronics makes us want to do it more. We can use a tablet, a laptop, or an iPad. I like it better because as soon as you have a question, he comes over to your desk and helps you. You’re not distracted by other people,” Carolyn said.

Mr. Smith said that one of the benefits to this method is that unlike traditional classroom lectures, students cannot get lost. He does check-ins with his students every day through section reviews and assessments of their tutorial packets. Patrick Hilton, also an eighth grade Honors Algebra student, likes the one-on-one instruction.

“He comes and helps us out. I think it’s personal to us, and we have our own time with him not in front of the whole class,” Patrick said.

Noah Medhaug, also an eighth grade Honors Algebra student, likes the individualization of this approach.

“It’s kind of hard to get lost doing the tutorials. I take notes during the tutorials and write questions that I have. It’s easier to do it at your own pace and do your own work individually,” said Noah.

Mr. Smith said the ultimate goal of this flipped classroom approach is to engage students in the learning process through their increased independence as learners and through their improved communication skills.

“They’re not doing this for the honor roll. We’re trying to make them become learners. Once you become a learner, the grades come. We’re trying to stop regurgitation, and we’re trying to have the information become ingrained,” he said.

The Flipped Classroom Method at PCIS Increases One-on-One Instruction

NEWS & NOTEWORTHY

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The Inspiration Award was created to recognize and honor the extraordinary and inspiring commitment of educators within the Plymouth Public Schools. There are four recipients annually, nominated by faculty members, students or parents. Awards are presented every August at Opening Day.

Inspiration Awards

Mike Bastoni is an Engineering Technology teacher at Plymouth

North High School. He was nominated for an Inspiration Award

by Dana Perlow who is a World History teacher at Plymouth North High

School. The two colleagues have taught at North since 1993.

“I nominated Mr. B. for the award because he is truly a great teacher.

He took the old shop area and turned it into a first class engineering

area. His classes are true learning places. The students are working on

amazing projects and are helping each other to learn and build these

items hands-on with Mr. B. there for guidance and direction. That is true

learning. He thinks outside of the box. We cannot compete with China,

Japan, and Korea in memorizing information, so how do we compete

in the world? By thinking outside the box. Mr. B. does that. He is a

nonconformist, and I think it is good for students to realize that there is

not just one way to get an answer in life. That is a good thing. Life is not

all about being the same and getting the same answers. He models and

teaches this. The other obvious reason I nominated him is that he would

do anything for his students, and they know that. It’s hard to put into

words how awesome Mike is. As he told me once about a student, ‘He’s

like a splash of color on a black and white picture,’ ” said Mr. Perlow.

Mr. Bastoni was also nominated by his former student, Patrick Fey, who

is a Mechanical Engineering major at UMass Lowell.

“Mr. B. has had a huge impact on my life. His class has absolutely been

the most important class I’ve taken in my high school career. He has

shaped my work ethic, and every single thing I did in his class I took so

much pride in. Mr. B. teaches just as much about life as he does about

school. The principles I’ve learned from him are ones that I will keep for

my whole life. He taught me that no matter what the problem is, you

Mike Bastoni

can always do it if you put your mind and your

time to it. He is not just a great teacher, but he

is also an incredible mentor to his students.

Mr. B. shows such compassion about what he

does, and it’s very inspiring to see a guy who

has done it all to be as happy as he is coming

to school to teach students every day. He gives

them the same inspiration and dedication that

he has always had. Mr. B. has inspired countless

individuals who have passed through North

High School to live their dreams,” said Patrick.

INSPIRATION AwARDS

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Sean Donovan is a custodian at Plymouth Community Intermediate

School who was nominated by PCIS Head Custodian Tim Anti

because of his work ethic, personality, and sense of humor. Mr. Donovan

was born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and because of this

birth defect, Mr. Donovan has endured numerous surgeries on his

leg over the years. He made the decision last February to have his leg

amputated, and he now wears a prosthetic leg. Despite Mr. Donovan’s

ordeal, he has always lived a full and active life.

After his leg was amputated, his first concern was how quickly he could

return to work. He greatly appreciates everything his coworkers and the

school department have done for him.

“I really appreciate what the school has done for me. They looked

out for me. I can’t thank them enough. I work for a great employer,”

Mr. Donovan said.

He loves to help the public, and he loves to be friendly. He also has an

excellent rapport with his colleagues.

“Everyone’s really nice and friendly and easy to talk to. They’re great

people to work for. It’s like a family. Everyone looks out for one another.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a custodian or the superintendent. Everyone

says, ‘Hi. How’s your day?’ We all get along,” Mr. Donovan said.

He hopes to advance in his career, travel to Ireland and other countries

in Europe, have children, and be “a good family man.” He also plans to

go on a bike ride with Dr. Maestas as soon as possible. Mr. Donovan’s

spirit is an inspiration to everyone.

“I don’t like the word cannot,” he said.

Mr. Anti has been Mr. Donovan’s supervisor for seven years, and he said

Mr. Donovan is an excellent employee.

Sean Donovan

“ I thought Sean would be a great recipient for this award for all that he has gone through. Moving forward, he has goals to achieve, and he will reach them at his best ability. Sean inspires me as an individual. He doesn’t think of himself. He is always helping somebody. It’s a pleasure to have him on the team. He’s a great guy and not afraid to be in the mix of everything.”

PCIS HEAD CUSTODIAN TIM ANTI

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INSPIRATION AwARDS

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M arsha Hanby is an Art teacher at Manomet Elementary School

who was nominated by Manomet Elementary School Physical

Education teacher Christine Kupinski. Mrs. Hanby has been an

inspiration to Christine for many years.

“I was a student of Marsha’s for her first couple of years teaching. She

was an inspiration to me because she brought a positive attitude and

treated all the students equally. She inspires me as a colleague because

of how she interacts with the children. She puts in an enormous amount

of extra time beautifying the school. Everyone here at Manomet

Elementary School respects Marsha for who she is and all that she does.

She goes above and beyond what is required of her. She is patient, soft-

spoken, easy to approach, and always makes each and every student

feel proud of their artwork,” said Ms. Kupinski.

Mrs. Hanby displays students’ artwork around the school, paints murals

on the walls, creates props for the school plays, and organizes an annual

art show of students’ artwork each year. Outside of school, Mrs. Hanby

is a member of the Plymouth Guild and organizes art classes at the

Plymouth Center for the Arts.

Mrs. Hanby is retiring this year after teaching for 22 years. She plans to

teach art classes at the Center, create her own art, get a side job, travel,

do yoga, and spend lots of time with her grandson, Xavier. Recently,

Mrs. Hanby was also instrumental in securing a large grant from the

Massachusetts Cultural Council for the Center.

She will certainly miss the children at Manomet Elementary School,

and she has loved to watch her students embrace art over the last

few decades.

“They dive in and try their best. I’ll miss their excited energy and awe,”

said Mrs. Hanby.

Marsha Hanby

INSPIRATION AwARDS

“ Marsha Hanby is the most gifted educator with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. Many people are talented artists, but that doesn’t necessarily make them great teachers. Marsha understands the need to continually work at her craft, and goes far beyond anything that could be reasonably expected of her as she strives for excellence. She is truly a master teacher.”MANOMET PRINCIPAL PATRICk FRAINE

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M ary Tousignant is a Developmental Preschool Teacher at South Elementary School who has been teaching in Plymouth

for 24 years with 16 years at Mt. Pleasant Preschool, a year at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School, and 7 years at South Elementary School. Nikki Morrison was one of numerous individuals who nominated Mrs. Tousignant to receive an Inspiration Award. Ms. Morrison was a former colleague of Mrs. Tousignant’s at Mt. Pleasant Preschool, and she is currently the School Adjustment Counselor at Indian Brook Elementary School.

“As a colleague, Mary taught me so much. I spent the first five years of my career working at the preschool. Mary taught me so much about early childhood, and her passion was palpable. I learned a great deal from her about disabilities and their impact on children and families. I learned about the many presenting behaviors and marveled at how she managed them all. She really emphasized the whole child concept, and this helped me to understand how all of the disciplines within our school came together to help children grow and improve,” said Ms. Morrison.

She also nominated Mrs. Tousignant for the award because of a personal connection.

“One of the reasons I nominated Mary is that she taught both my daughter, Stefanie, and my son, Jake, at Mt. Pleasant. She was simply amazing and has had an enduring impact on them both. Jake now works for the state with developmentally delayed adults, and Stefanie is in grad school to become a teacher. Mary had such an impact on Stefanie that when she was inducted into the National Honor Society at Plymouth South High School, she invited Mary as her honored teacher. There is a double frame in Mary’s classroom that has photos of them; one at preschool graduation and the other at the induction ceremony. Mary is near and dear to my heart as a mom,” said Ms. Morrison.

Mary Tousignant

INSPIRATION AwARDS

“ Her love and energy for what she does!” prompted me to nominate Mary. “Having attended both Pre-K field trips this year, I saw it was quite a task keeping 15 toddlers in order, but Mary did it with ease. From singing the whole ride to hopping, skipping, running, she did it all! By the afternoon, I was wiped, but not Miss Mary! She kept up the same energetic, outgoing personality assuring fun for both groups.”

SOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT TAMMY PEREIRA

Andy Burgess attended Cold Spring Elementary School and PCIS before

graduating from Plymouth North High School in 2002. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2006 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Andy has been the Lead Sensor Engineer at Standex-Meder Electronics in West Wareham since 2011.

Before Andy became an engineer, his first job during high school was to install new computers throughout the Plymouth Public Schools. Dr. Maestas, then Plymouth’s Technology Director, was his boss, and he quickly became a mentor to young Andy.

“My friend, Dave Keay, and I worked to install new computers throughout the school system. It was really my first job, and Gary was an excellent mentor and boss. He trusted that we were mature enough to handle a lot of self-directed work. He also respected our technical knowledge, even as high schoolers, which I found very encouraging. He understood that kids like Dave and I just needed someone to believe in us both personally and technically,” said Andy.

His favorite teachers in the Plymouth Public Schools were Mr. Davidson at Cold Spring, Mrs. Dewar at PCIS, and Mr. Bastoni and Mr. Fisk at North. His education in Plymouth prepared him extremely well for college.

“I spent my entire education from kindergarten through graduation in the Plymouth Public Schools, and I received an excellent education all around. Not only were the math and science programs great, but I also received an excellent English and Social Studies background. When I got to college, I found that I was exceptionally well-prepared

for the communication and social awareness aspects of the engineering program at WPI,” said Andy.

Although many teachers contributed to Andy’s success, Mr. Bastoni and the Engineering Technology program at North greatly influenced his career path and his life.

“There were several teachers who had special roles in my education, but Mike Bastoni had, by far, the greatest influence. I first met Mr. B. before I started at Plymouth North. My older sister, Alli, had joined the Robotics Team while I was still in middle school, and I tagged along to events. By the time I started freshman year, I knew I wanted to spend my time in the computer lab and machine shop with Mr. B. Over the next four years, I spent more time in Room 222 than anywhere else. Mr. B. created an environment and atmosphere unlike anything

I had experienced before or since. It was a place that merged learning, experimentation, passion, and life. Sure, it was technically school, and he taught me the foundation of my engineering knowledge, but it was much more than a classroom.

It was a place that encouraged you to be yourself and accepted everyone for who they were. Any question, whether it was about AutoCAD, politics, or relationships, was welcomed and discussed. Mr. B. created a place that was about life learning. He showed me and countless other students that passion and curiosity always beat cynicism and negativity. He showed me how to be a great person and that being honest and kind, even when it is difficult, is always the right choice. And what’s more, he brought these ideas and lessons into the real world.

Through programs like FIRST and Battlebots, Mr. B. gave an entire generation of curious, smart, and sometimes awkward teenagers their first opportunity to experience the thrill of real success and failure. There are

things that I learned from Mr. B. and my experience with Robotics that still guide me today. Foster and nurture new ideas; don’t be afraid to question authority or the status quo; do what you love whenever you can; start with the assumption that you can accomplish great things.

But my favorite thing I learned from Mr. B. is a simple, yet profound, piece of advice he gave me one afternoon. I had tried to hide a mistake I’d made, but it was obvious what I’d done. I was embarrassed and ashamed for the mistake and for lying about it. After discussing it with Mr. B., he told me, ‘Real integrity is what you do when no one’s looking,’ and then we moved on. That is Mr. B. in a nutshell. He gave me everything I needed to find myself and to make mistakes. And when I did, he was there to offer his advice and show that life goes on,” said Andy.

He is the son of Tammy and Steve Burgess, and he has a brother Danny, a sister-in-law Jes, a sister Alli (who is a math teacher in Gemini at PCIS), and a brother-in-law Jimmy. He and his fiancee, Julie, just bought their first home in Plymouth last summer, and they have a “big, energetic goofball of a dog named Mac.” Andy plays indoor soccer, runs marathons, and codes and tinkers whenever he can find the time. He plans to own his own business in the future.

“I enjoy my work, but ultimately, I want to be my own boss and have creative and financial control. I would also like to do something that really helps people and to leave a legacy of positive change,” said Andy.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Andy Burgess

“ I spent my entire education from kindergarten through graduation in the Plymouth Public Schools, and I received an excellent education all around.”

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The Plymouth Public Schools Alumni Association

The Plymouth Public Schools Alumni Association is a volunteer organization that aims to connect current high school students with alumni mentors to assist with senior projects, provide scholarships for current high school students, increase the awareness of alumni successes, and increase communication between current high school students who may be interested in certain colleges with alumni who attended the same colleges.

Alumni board members meet monthly to brainstorm numerous ways to connect with alumni. The board has created a website called Plymouthalumni.net. If you are either an alumna or an alumnus of Plymouth High School, Plymouth-Carver Regional High School, Plymouth North High School, or Plymouth South High School please register. It is free of charge. The board also created an alumni Facebook page, and the site is updated frequently with information and news for alumni. A LinkedIn page is also in the works which will assist alumni with job searches and career contacts.

Other alumni board members have served as senior project judges at both Plymouth North and Plymouth South High Schools. A few board members volunteered to serve as judges at this year’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition. One board member writes two articles per month for the Old Colony Memorial newspaper to highlight the achievements of alumni. She has interviewed a pastor, a restaurant owner, an Ivy League graduate, a corrections officer, a police officer, a hospice nurse, a banker, a rock climber, a chef, an engineer, a restaurant owner, a realtor, a hairdresser, a kitchen and bath remodeler, an artist, a ballerina, a middle school teacher, a Green Beret soldier, a professional life coach, an English professor, a therapeutic mentor, and many others.

Another board member works at Plymouth North High School, and she has helped to connect alumni mentors with seniors at North who need mentors for their senior projects. Another board member has also spoken at numerous local community groups to explain the board’s mission.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Please contact Alumni Association President Anthony Schena at anthony.schena@ubs.com if you would like further information about the Alumni Association. Please contact Tara Woomer at alumniprofiles@yahoo.com to suggest an alumna or an alumnus for an alumni profile article which will run in the Old Colony Memorial newspaper.

Fundraising

The Alumni Association recently held a Comedy Night fundraiser. All proceeds were used to fund scholarships for two seniors in the Class of 2015. The next fundraiser will be the Insane Inflatable 5K Obstacle Fun Run on August 22 in East Falmouth at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds. If you wish to participate, please contact Michelle Badger at michellebadger@gmail.com for more information.

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