The Bobcat Beat - Plymouth Regional High School

December 2012
Volume 21, Issue 3
The Bobcat Beat
“Look for up-to-date school and sports information on our website: www.prhs.sau48.org
Special points of interest:
Progress Reports
available online
Dec. 13
Winter Concert
Mon., Dec. 17 at 7:00
Holiday Break will be
Dec. 24-Jan. 1
From the Administration
December already! With December here our winter sports programs are in full swing.
Girls and boys basketball, wrestling, alpine, Nordic and ski jumping, and our dance team
have all begun to practice and are gearing up for competition. Congratulations are in
order for our very successful and entertaining theatre musical under the direction of
Ms. Jill Hibbard, with the performance of Little Shop of Horrors.
At Plymouth Regional High School, we are proud of our efforts to provide
opportunities for our students to give back to our communities. Our Culinary Arts
classes and Family and Consumer Science classes baked cookies and other holiday
treats for the Plymouth Community Closet. The Ossipee Club, under the direction of
Denise McGlone, provided a wonderful Thanksgiving Day dinner with all the fixings and
entertainment for our senior citizens who also enjoyed a Sunday matinee of the school
musical.
As always, please consult the calendar for important dates and times that come up fast
in January including Financial Aid Night on January 3 rd and Move-Up Night for our
incoming 8 th graders on January 28 th at 5:30 p.m.
NEASC VISITATION
We have just completed the New England
Association of Schools and Colleges
(NEASC) re-accreditation visit and are
excited to hear their commendations and
recommendations. I wish to thank the
parents, School Board and community for
their support and participation in this process.
I would especially like to thank the
dedicated faculty and staff who worked
numerous hours preparing this self-study of
Plymouth Regional High School; I am proud
of their work ethic and dedication to this 2-
year process.
Sincerely,
Bruce W. Parsons
Mid-Term Exams will be held over four days in January. During the four exam days we
will be running on a delayed opening schedule. The first exam of the day starts at
9:30 and ends at 11:10. The second exam of the day starts at 12:40 and ends
at 2:20. Lunch will be served in the cafeteria from 11:10 – 12:40 each day.
Buses will leave at 2:25 p.m. The dates of mid-term exams are Friday, January 11 th -
16 th . The exams are as follows:
11 th Blue Day Per 1 9:30 -11:10 Per 3 12:40 - 2:20
14 th White Day Per 1 9:30 -11:10 Per 3 12:40 - 2:20
15 th Blue Day Per 2 9:30 -11:10 Per 4 12:40 - 2:20
16 th White Day Per 2 9:30 -11:10 Per 4 12:40 - 2:20
Any snow days will push the exam days forward. Students who have a study hall
or earned time do not need to be in school when that period meets.
Again this year, we will be utilizing an emergency notification system which should
expedite notification by phone of delays, closings and unusual circumstances more
expeditiously than TV, radio or internet postings.
Have a safe and relaxing holiday season and we’ll see you in 2013.
Bruce W. Parsons Randy Cleary Robert Price
Principal Interim Assistant Principal & CTE Director Assistant Principal

Guidance Department News
Financial Aid Night
The Guidance Department will sponsor a workshop on financial aid
for students and parents on Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 6:30 pm. A
representative from the Center for College Planning at the NHHEAF
network will present information on the financial aid process and discuss
the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Parents of students
planning to attend 2 or 4 year post-secondary programs are
encouraged to attend.
In addition, the NHHEAF organization offers other workshops at their
Concord, NH facility. For a complete list of CCP workshops, please
visit: www.nhheaf.org and select Center for College Planning.
Reminder: Parents of seniors should register on-line to obtain a pin
number for the FAFSA form. Both students and parents need a pin
number to electronically file the FAFSA form. Obtaining a pin number
will enable parents and students to electronically sign the FAFSA form
in January. It may take ten days to receive a pin number so people
should apply early. To receive a pin number, please visit the following
website: http://www.pin.ed.gov/.
Scheduling
The transition for eighth grade students into ninth grade begins in mid-
January. The freshman guidance counselor will present the 2013-2014
Program of Studies to the eighth grade class at each elementary
school. During this presentation the eighth grade students will learn
about courses offered @ PRHS as well as all graduation requirements
and electives. Parents are encouraged to speak to their child about
the course selections and to attend Move Up Night at PRHS on
Monday, January 28 @ 5:30 pm. This is an informational night where
parents and students will have an opportunity to meet our high school
administration and counselors and have their questions answered.
At the end of January/beginning of February, our freshman counselor
will visit the elementary schools again to meet with each student
and their eighth grade guidance counselor to work out a course request
for ninth grade. When the course request sheet is complete, all
eighth grade students will take the request to their parent/guardian for
final approval. If parents have any questions, please contact the Guidance
office at 536-1444, ext. 2009.
The scheduling process for current 9 th , 10 th , and 11 th grade students
also begins in February. The students’ current teachers will be giving
their recommendations to the guidance counselors to help determine
the appropriate courses for next year. The guidance counselors will
meet with each of their students to discuss course requests. Parents
will receive copies of teacher recommendations and course requests
before final submission. If parents have any questions about the process
or about specific course requests, please call the Guidance office
and speak to your child’s counselor.
SAT I and SAT II Test Dates - ** SAT I only
Test Date
Registration Deadline Late Registration
January 26, 2013 December 28 January 11
**March 9 February 8 February 22
May 4 April 5 April 19
June 1 May 2 May 17
Note: Sunday test dates are scheduled following each Saturday test
date for students who cannot test on Saturday because of religious
observance.
Student Planners
2012-2013 Student Planner & Academic Handbooks
are available in the Guidance office for $5.00
ACT Test Dates
Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration
February 9, 2013 January 11 January 18
April 13 March 8 March 22
June 8 May 3 May 17
PSAT SCORES AVAILABLE
Students have received their PSAT scores. Please call your child's
counselor if you have any questions.
PRHS Music Notes
The music department has been very busy the last few weeks! The
PRHS Jazz Ensemble performed a joint concert with the PSU Jazz
Workshop and PSU Jazz Ensemble on November 29 th and had an excellent
performance. Congratulations to all those students involved!
We had 21 students who were invited to the Lakes Region Music Festival
on January 19 th , 2013. Hannah Ford, Sarah Scheinman, Savannah
Bailey, Carolyn Ebner, Chris Ebner, Paige Bradley, Christian Babin, Ian
Soderberg, Daniel Ambrose, Evan Macedonia, Jimmy Kelly, Robbie
Kelly, Jordan Browne, Steven Zachary, Sabrina Tedeschi, Stephen Buttolph,
Andrew Buttolph, Lynn Yunghans, Mark Rogalus, Mike Ray, and
Tabitha Nieves.
We had 4 students who were invited to the All-State Music Festival
after successfully passing an audition. Brooke Banister (soprano
voice), Ian Soderberg (tenor voice), Kesley Tuck (alto voice), and Andrew
Buttolph (trumpet). These students worked incredibly hard to
prepare for a rigorous audition!
All ensembles are currently preparing for our Winter Concert on
December 17 th , 2012. The concert starts at 7:00 and includes the
PRHS Concert Choir, PRHS Chamber Singers, PRHS Jazz Ensemble,
and PRHS Concert Band. These students have an incredible program
to share with the community, and I hope you’ll join us!

Erin D’Aleo’s Photo Featured in AAPT 2013 Calendar
Mrs. Sanborn and Mrs. O’Brien have collaborated for
the past 3 years on an interdisciplinary project between
Photography and Physics. Mrs. Sanborn teaches
the digital photography course and provides the artistic
guidance to her students while Mrs. O’Brien helps
with the explanations of the physics involved in the
photo. Some of the best pieces of work have been
submitted to the American Association of Physics
Teachers Photography contest. Former students
Emily Prescott (Class of 2010) and Gillen Schofield
(Class of 2011) both had their photos selected as
among the best 100 photos out of over 1000 submissions.
This year Mrs. Sanborn’s Digital Photography classes
have been studying the work of Harold “Doc” Edgerton.
He was a professor of electrical engineering at
M.I.T. but is probably best remembered for his work
with stroboscopes in photography. Many of his photos
are quite famous (http://edgerton-digital-collections.org/docs-life/underwater-exploration ). High and slow speed photography were studied
by the students in Mrs. Sanborn’s class. Erin D’Aleo completed a course of study in Photography I and then pursued advanced techniques
in movement in Advanced Photography. She is currently taking Advanced Art with a focus in photography. Erin plans to continue her studies
in the graphic arts in college.
Erin’s submission (shown above) was created using a flashlight and a long shutter speed. She writes, “To create this photograph, I am spinning
the flashlight in a vertical circle while rotating about a vertical axis. I am applying a centripetal force to keep the flashlight spinning in a constant
circle. The time for one spin averages about 0.7 seconds. When you spin things in a vertical circle, the centripetal force is different at the top
and bottom, so the flashlight must spin fast enough so that when it is at the top of the circle the weight is equal to the centripetal force. If this
is not true then the shape will not be a circle.” This photograph was taken between nine and ten o’clock at night. Her photo was selected by
the AAPT as one of the top 100 photos. This photo was then displayed at the AAPT National Conference in Philadelphia this past summer.
Even more impressive, Erin’s photo was selected as one of the twelve photos to be in the AAPT’s 2013 Calendar. Her photo is showcased in
the month of October.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Math Team
The Plymouth Regional High School Math Team competed at the
third Lakes Region Math meet on December 5 th . Twenty-one
enthusiastic math students participated in the event at Belmont
High School. PRHS fielded enough competitors to have two varsity
teams and one junior varsity team in a battle against twelve
other high schools. We had our best showing in the varsity competition
with our top team taking first place! Our second varsity
team, operating with only six students out of a possible ten, came
in a respectable 7 th place out of 20 teams competing. We are
also delighted to report that the junior varsity team of 9 th and
10 th graders once again maintained a first-place showing.
We are very proud of the stellar performance by these mathletes
who exemplify Plymouth’s Pride & Tradition. Our next competition
is a home meet at PRHS and is scheduled for January 9 th .
We only have two more meets to go before the State Competition
at Plymouth State University on March 19 th . Mr. Parsons has
graciously offered a prime rib dinner for the PRHS Math Team if
we can take home the state crown.
GO MATH TEAM!!!!!!
Through the Advisory program
at Plymouth Regional
High School students are provided
rubrics, instructions and
expectations regarding the digital portfolio program. During the month
of December, students will be given instructions on how to share their
portfolios electronically. What this means is students can now request
feedback from home. During Freshman Seminar students are introduced
to the process, register for an account, save work samples and
reflect on learning experience. They also have an opportunity to work
with different file formats. If a student transfers in after freshman year,
guidance will inform students of this graduation requirement. It is up to
the student to make the necessary arrangements to spend fifteen to
twenty minutes registering, reviewing the process and expectations
regarding portfolios. This information is shared through the Advisory
program. If you are unsure of anything, there is help available.
This is especially important to seniors. Seniors should keep in mind that
for their convenience, their portfolios are accessible from home. They
have until April 1, 2013 to complete this process. Senior parents will be
notified if their student’s portfolio is not completed as this is a graduation
requirement. Notification of incomplete portfolios will be mailed
on April 26 th . If your student needs to schedule time for extra help and/
or register for an account, please see Mrs. MacLean in room 201. Or,
you can email Mrs. MacLean at lmaclean@prhs.sau48.org. Students new
to PRHS are encouraged to stop by room 201, or the library, if there
are concerns or questions. Faculty and staff are working in the library
every period of the day and after school until 6 pm to assist students.

Hats Against Hate
The Freshmen class is running the annual Hats Against Hate Day!
Students and faculty can pay $1 to wear the hat of their choice for
the day on Thursday, Dec. 20 th . Proceeds go to Voices Against
Violence, a community agency which has trained advocates that
provide free information, referrals, and support 24 hours a day,
365 days a year for individuals that need free, confidential services
regarding any aspect of relationship violence, sexual assault, sexual
harassment, and other related issues. We hope to bring some
assistance to this amazing agency doing great work, as well as bring
awareness to teens that help is available. If you have any questions
regarding this event, please contact Danee Morrison. If you would
like to contact Voices Against Violence directly, please call anytime
on their 24 hour hotline: 1-877-221-6167.Their office numbers are:
536-3423 or 536-5999.
Their website: http://voicesagainstviolence.net/ Some facts about
teen dating violence from the New Hampshire Coalition
www.nhcadsv.org:
*Sexual violence is a crime in which youth are particularly at risk.
Forty-one percent of the most recent sexual assaults of females
reported in the New Hampshire survey occurred before the victim’s
18th birthday, and 83% occurred before the age of 25. Sixtynine
percent of the most recent sexual assaults committed against
males in New Hampshire occurred before the victim was 18. Fiftyone
percent of men who reported having been sexually assaulted
said it occurred when they were age 12 or younger; another 18%
said they were assaulted between ages 13 and 17.
*Consistent with previous research, the data shows clearly that for
the majority of victims of sexual violence, the perpetrator of the
most recent assault they experienced is someone whom they
know. In New Hampshire, as elsewhere in the United States, a
victim of sexual assault is most likely to be harmed by someone in
her or his own circle of friends and family.
Safe winter driving
tips to remember
· Avoid driving during winter storms if possible.
· Decrease your speed.
· Leave yourself plenty of room to stop.
· Allow at least three times more space than usual between you
and the car in front of you.
· Brake gently to avoid skidding.
· Always use your headlights, daytime too!
· Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
· Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
· Be especially careful on bridges and overpasses; they
freeze first.
· Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. A four
wheel drive vehicle will not help you stop more quickly.
Next available Driver Education class
January 23rd at PRHS 3:00-5:00 p.m.
(DURHAM, November 26, 2012) — Sixteen New Hampshire high school academic teams will vie for brainy bragging rights in the 29th season of Granite
State Challenge. During the GSC Super Sunday qualifying contest November 18th, a total of 48 NH school teams took a written test to qualify for a spot.
The schools with the highest scores will compete in this season’s GSC. They include: Bedford; Bishop Brady; Bow; Coe Brown; Dover; Hanover; John
Stark; Keene; Kingswood Regional; Mascoma Valley; Nashua ; Oyster River; Pinkerton Academy; PRHS; Portsmouth Christian and Winnacunnet.
It takes a winning combination of knowledge, teamwork, grace under pressure, and a quick buzzer reflex to play GSC. The program brings New Hampshire’s
top high school academic teams head-to-head in lively competition. The game emphasizes quick recall of factual material in all major disciplines –
math, science, social studies, language arts and fine arts – along with a mix of questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and regional topics.
Host Jim Jeannotte asks the Challenge questions to the teams; co-host Lori Warriner goes behind-the-scenes to interview team members. Online GSC
quizzes help keep students and audiences involved in the game.
PRHS will tape their first round on January 13 th in Durham. The team is excited and will be competing against John Stark Regional in the opening round.
To prepare for this meet, the students challenged the PRHS teachers to a competition recently. The well rounded staff team was able to defeat the students,
but it was an exciting match nonetheless.
GSC is generously funded by lead sponsor Unitil Corporation, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England; additional funding is
provided by the NHHEAF Network Organizations, DF Richard, Markem-Imaje, Heinemann and Measured Progress. New Hampshire’s top high school
academic team sport went on hiatus in 2011 after NHPTV lost all its state funding, which helped support the popular, long-running program.
“Unitil congratulates the teams who have earned the honor of competing in this year’s GSC,” said Carol Valianti, Unitil’s vice president of communications
and public affairs. “We know all the students will represent their state, their schools and their families with pride and grace in this beloved academic competition.”
GSC will premiere Sunday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m. to challenge high school students and viewers. It will air Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on NHPTV PRIME,
and re-air later in the week on NHPTV PRIME and NHPTV EXPLORE. If you miss a match and want to see how your favorite team fared, watch GSC
online at http://video.nhptv.org, on YouTube or iTunes.

Outdoor Leadership students explore life on the ropes
and make a difference in our local forests!
The familiar sting of cool temperatures hits the faces of the Outdoor Leadership
students as they trudge headlong into the New Hampshire winter. The
often ice covered crags of Rumney have been the home base for students to
learn the basics of top rope rock climbing, rappelling, and fixed rope rescues.
With frozen fingers they challenge themselves to seek their potential and push
higher, navigating rock routes and keeping each other safe on belay systems.
In the classroom students are studying the ecology of the Northern forests,
including tree identification and forest management strategies. This information
has been coupled with fieldwork in our local forest plot in Langdon
Woods and along the Forest Discovery Trail in Lincoln. As a way to gain
hands on field experience and to give back to the rich resource the forest and
trails offer, the Outdoor Leadership class has teamed up with the White
Mountain National Forest to take part in Volunteer projects throughout the
area. Members from the WMNF will be discussing topics such as trail maintenance
and training, land management, and outdoor focused career paths. Recently,
O.L. students have removed brush and cleared trees along a section of
the cross-country ski trail near Smarts Brook in Waterville Valley. As projects
are underway the O.L. class looks forward to exploring the forest further
by studying wildlife tracking and the seasonal changes that take place in
the forest as winter approaches. Now, if only we had some snow!
Top Rope Rock Climbing at Upper Darth Vader Wall, Rumney Rocks
PRHS Yearbooks
Yearbooks make great holiday gifts. Go to our school's website
and place your order today. Email me (jjfogarty@prhs.sau48.org)
and I will send you a personalized gift card indicating that you have
purchased your child their 2013 yearbook. Currently the cost is
$50, and prices will go up again at the end of January. We sold out
of books last year, do not be the only person without a copy of
this very special book; This year's book will be a full color book
and arrives in May!
Surprise, a 2013 yearbook has been
purchased for you!
To: ___________________________
From: _________________________
NOT
What the Doctor Ordered!
Myth:
Drugs prescribed by a doctor are safer than drugs purchased on the street.
Fact:
Prescription drugs can be JUST AS DANGEROUS, addictive and deadly
as illegal street drugs.
Here’s why:
Doctors take many factors into consideration when prescribing a specific
drug and appropriate dosage to patients including: an individual’s
age, weight, medical history, allergies, interactions with other medicines,
and potential side effects of prescribed drug. When individuals are prescribed
a medication, it is done so under the watchful eye of their
healthcare professional.
Talking regularly with childred about the
dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other
drugs reduces the risk of their using in
the first place.
SHATTER THE MYTHS WITH THE FACTS!
For information about how to talk to your kids about
drugs and alcohol— visit our website at
WWW.CADYINC.ORG
Upcoming Events/Activities
Facilities Committee Mtg – 5:00 p.m. Mon., Dec. 17 Financial Aid Night - 6:00 p.m. Wed.,, Jan. 3
Policy & Budget Meeting - 5:15 p.m. Mon., Dec. 17 School Board Meeting – 5:00 p.m. Tues., Jan. 8
Program & Staffing Mtg – 5:30 p.m. Mon., Dec. 17 Quarter 2 Progress Reports Close Thurs., Jan. 17
School Board Meeting – 5:00 p.m. Tues., Dec. 18 Early Release Day Tues., Jan. 29
No School - Holiday Break Mon., Dec. 24 thru Tues., Jan. 1