The Bobcat Beat - Plymouth Regional High School

The Bobcat Beat
Volume 19, Issue 3 Plymouth Regional High School December 2010
“Look for up-to-date school and sports information on our website: www.prhs.sau48.org”
“The Many Faces of Facebook”
Plymouth State University Police Investigator Jennifer
Frank will be presenting “The Many Faces of Face Book”
to students and faculty at Plymouth Regional High School
on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in the high
school gymnasium. Officer Frank is one of the few safety
and social media experts in the State of New Hampshire.
Her presentation will focus on the dangers of some of the
internet’s most popular social networking web sites, like
Face Book and MySpace. She will also share tips and tools
for a safer internet presence. This presentation provides
guidelines for young people to follow to protect
themselves from potential harms of social networking
sites.
Hello from the Administration…
December already – where
has the time gone! 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 holiday concert under the
direction of Mr. William Gunn and also to the theatre
department, under the direction of Ms. Sarah Bunkley,
with the performance of Man of La Mancha.
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 and our Community of Caring Club donated
Thanksgiving Day gift cards and is assisting with our local
Operation Santa Claus collecting new toys to be
distributed to area children. 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
Saturday 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 5 th and Move-Up Night for
our incoming 8 th graders on January 24 th at 6:00 p.m.
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 – 12:35 each day. The dates of
mid-term exams are Tuesday, January 11 th -14 th . There is no
school on Monday, January 17 th in observance of Civil
Rights Day and on Tuesday, January 18 th for our Teacher
In-Service Day. The exams are as follows:
11 th Blue Day Per 1 9:30 -11:10 Per 3 12:40 - 2:20
12 th White Day Per 1 9:30 -11:10 Per 3 12:40 - 2:20
13 th Blue Day Per 2 9:30 -11:10 Per 4 12:40 - 2:20
14 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 2011.
Bruce W. Parsons Randy Cleary Robert J. Price
Principal Interim Assistant Principal/ Assistant Principal
CTE Director
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News from the Guidance Department
Financial Aid Night
The Guidance Department will sponsor a financial aid
workshop for students and parents on Wednesday, January
5, 2011, 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 a freshman version of the 2011-12
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 24 th @ 6:00 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 high school 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.
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SAT I and SAT II Test Dates
Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration
Jan. 22 Dec. 23 Jan. 7
March 12 Feb. 11 Feb. 25
May 7 April 8 April 22
June 4 May 6 May 20
ACT Test Dates
Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration
Feb. 12 Jan. 7 Jan. 21
April 9 March 4 March 18
June 11 May 6 May 20
Marijuana Myths
Do you know the facts about marijuana? Here are
some common myths and myth busters.
MYTH: Marijuana is harmless.
FACT: Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug
among youth today and is more potent than ever.
Marijuana use can lead to a host of significant health,
social, learning, and behavioral problems at a crucial time
in a young person's development. Getting high also
impairs judgment, which can lead to risky decision making
on issues like sex, criminal activity, or riding with someone
who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According
to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
(CASA) at Columbia University, teens who use drugs are
five times more likely to have sex than teens who do not
use drugs. Getting high also contributes to general apathy,
irresponsible behavior, and risky choices.
MYTH: You can't get addicted to marijuana.
FACT: Don’t be fooled by popular beliefs. Kids can get
hooked on pot. Research shows that marijuana use can
lead to addiction. Each year, more kids enter treatment
with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for
all other illegal drugs combined.
MYTH: There's not much parents can do to stop their
kids from "experimenting" with marijuana.
FACT: Most parents are surprised to learn that they are
the most powerful influence on their children when it
comes to drug use. But, it's true, so this message needs to
start with parents. Kids need to hear how risky marijuana
use can be. They need to know how damaging it can be to
their lives. And they need to begin by listening to someone
they trust. By staying involved, knowing what their kids are
doing, and setting limits with clear rules and consequences,
parents can keep their kids drug-free.
GET THE FACTS!
For information about how to talk to your
kids about drugs and alcohol –
visit our web site at
WWW.CADYINC.ORG

Digital Portfolios
A digital portfolio of
student work is a
graduation requirement,
and seniors should be encouraged to submit their portfolio
for review and/or feedback as soon as possible. They can
do this by picking up a request form in the library. This
request form needs to be filled out and passed back to one
of the team members listed below. Or, students can submit
this request by putting it in the blue box when entering the
library. It is located on the circulation desk. April 15 th is
the deadline for officially submitting digital portfolios.
Parents will be notified by mail of any incomplete
portfolios. Notification of incomplete portfolios will be
mailed April 26 th . An incomplete portfolio will jeopardize a
senior’s graduation. Feel free to contact any one of the
committee members via email if you have questions.
Parents and students can log into the Web 2 School Portal
to see if this graduation requirement is complete. If it is,
your student’s transcript will be marked with a PASS. If
this Digital Portfolio is marked as PASS, the student has
met this graduation requirement. Congratulations to the
seniors that have completed their portfolios. They are one
step closer to graduation.
There is plenty of extra help available for students.
They can stop by room 201 or the library anytime. After
school is a great time to schedule larger blocks of time to
get some extra guidance and support. If you think you
need this extra support, stop by 201 and schedule extra
time with Mrs. MacLean. Mrs. Maclean can schedule time
Monday through Thursday 3PM- 5PM. The following
teachers can answer your questions and address concerns:
Advisors: Lena MacLean, Pam Harland, Anne Simensen &
Georgeanne Boyd
Theatre Closes Man of La Mancha,
Starts The 39 Steps
On November 20 the PRHS Performing Arts
Department closed its highly successful run of Man of La
Mancha, the Broadway musical featuring the hopeful
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visions of Don Quixote. A knight errant, Quixote tells his
tale to fellow inmates while waiting to face the Spanish
Inquisition. Among the approximately 1,800 audience
members to witness PRHS’ finest singing, dancing, and
acting were senior citizens who enjoyed the matinee
performance as our guests on November 20. Before the
matinee many of the seniors citizens came to a
complimentary turkey dinner prepared by PRHS
administrators and sponsored by OSSIPEE, a student
service group.
Even before the final bows for La Mancha, the Theatre
Department was already in the preliminary stages of
developing its next show, The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow.
The stage play is a spoof of the early Alfred Hitchcock film
of the same name, which in turn comes from the short
novel by John Buchan. A complex comedy for both the
actors and the technicians, The 39 Steps is currently wowing
audiences from London to Broadway. Plymouth Regional
is among only a handful of non-professional companies to
have secured the production rights to this uproarious
homage to Hitchcock. The New World Stages in New
York where the show is currently playing says: “ Mix a
Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash
of Monty Python and you have...(mystery chords!) The 39
Steps, Broadway's most intriguing, most thrilling, most
riotous, most UNMISSABLE comedy smash! The mindblowing
cast of 4 plays over 150 characters in this fastpaced
tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily
entertaining adventure.” PRHS Theatre’s ambitious project
will be presented to the public at the high school on March
10, 11, and12 and will become the basis for its entry into
the New Hampshire Educational Theatre Guild’s play
festival later in the year.
Community of Caring &
Operation Santa Claus
The PRHS Community of Caring
students have been working hard trying
to collect toys for the Operation Santa
Claus program sponsored by the local
fire departments. They have
developed a class competition and
will be hosting an ice cream party
for the winning class who
contributes the most toys. They will
also be drawing four names from those students
participating in the competition for a chance to win a
holiday gift card. Please consider donating an
unwrapped toy to your local fire department to help
the children in our community celebrate the holidays.
Our meetings are on Tuesdays at 2:50 p.m. in Room
209. All are welcome to attend. Please call Veronica
Barton or Cheryl Davis at the high school if you have any
questions about C.O.C. or if you have a community
project our students could assist with.

New York City Trip - Juniors in 2012
Juniors don't
forget to sign up
for the 2012 Class
Trip to New York
City! Monthly
payments of just
$25 are currently
being accepted to
hold your spot
for the trip
(starting early so
more people can
attend). More
information
regarding the trip
was enclosed in
the flyer sent
home on
December 8th,
and is posted on
the school website. Come and explore NYC with your
friends, PRHS Staff, and Plymouth Travel for two days
and one night in May 2012 and make memories you will
never forget!. For any questions, please contact head junior
advisor Danee Morrison at dmorrison@prhs.sau48.org or
536-1444, ext. 1090.
Tickets to ETC’s Peter Pan
Make Great Stocking Stuffers
Join the ETC Family, including PES students, for the
Broadway Musical Peter Pan at Silver Center, PSU. See
Peter, Wendy, John and Michael fly live on the Silver
Stage! Join us for this spectacular family adventure January
26-29 at 7:00 p.m. and January 29 th and 30 th at 2:00 p.m.
BOX OFFICE 603-535-ARTS or online:
plymouth.edu/silver/tickets
Peter Pan Children’s Arts Festival!!!!!
Join us January 15 th for the Annual Children's Arts
Festival Themed around Peter Pan! See Backstage.
Participate in art, music, movement, drama and literacy
workshops. Meet Peter Pan!! Call Michelle Lauriat at 535-
2615 to join in the fun!
Free GED Classes
Classes start on Mon., Jan. 10. Classes and books are FREE! Call
Janice at 536-1444, ext. 3 to sign up. GED test date will be April
16 at 8:00 a.m. Anyone interested in taking the GED test must
pre-register.
Yearbook Reminder
Yearbooks are being sold for $75 in Mrs. Prescott's Office. The
deadline for seniors to order their name printed on the front of
their yearbook is January 14, 2011. Please submit your order form
with your check for $75. Order forms are on the website.
CHANGE OF INFORMATION
Upcoming Events/Activities
Half Day Thurs., Dec. 23
- buses are here for 11:10 a.m. dismissal
No School – Holiday Recess Dec. 24-31
School Community Council–5:15 p.m. Mon., Jan. 3
School Board Meeting – 5:00 p.m. Tues., Jan. 4
Financial Aid Night – Jrs/Srs 6:30 p.m. Wed., Jan. 5
Facilities Committee Mtg – 5:00 p.m. Mon., Jan. 10
Policy & Budget Meeting - 5:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 10
Program & Staffing – 6:00 p.m. Mon., Jan. 10
No School – Civil Rights Day Mon., Jan 17
No School – Teacher In-Service Tues., Jan. 18
School Board Meeting – 5:00 p.m. Tues., Jan. 18
Move Up Night – 6:00 p.m. Mon., Jan. 24
Community of Caring Blood Drive Sat., Jan. 29
Quarter 2 Report Cards Available Mon., Jan. 31
It is imperative that parents/guardians contact
school personnel if you move, change your mailing
address or phone number(s). It is very difficult to
keep open communication with parents/guardians
without updated information.
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