THE SPINNAKER

By Ella Lynch

On Wednesday September 18th, Buttonwood Books and Toys collaborated with Cohasset Public Schools to host a community-wide discussion of Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation”. The discussion was moderated by author Lynn Reeves Griffin, and featured a panel of community members that represented different stakeholder groups. The panel included Jason McCabe, a Cohasset High School teacher and parent of middle and high school students; Sarah McSweeney Ryan, a pediatrician from Scituate and a parent of high school and college age students; Abigail Sullivan, the owner of the Cohasset Learning Studio and parent of elementary school students; and Ella Lynch, a senior at Cohasset High School.

With just over 150 attendees, the discussion was lively and resulted in constructive conversations about how cell phones and social media have been shaping kids’ lives for years now, and the detrimental effects that have occurred. The panel also discussed how cell phones have changed the way students learn and have made it difficult for teachers to maintain students’ attention while competing with cell phones. Overall, the discussion was very productive, contained a variety of perspectives, and has kickstarted an effort by the Cohasset Public Schools to change the way phones are present in our schools.

By Charlotte Reilly

Exciting news for our school community: the Alumni Field has just received a brand-new scoreboard! After lots of planning and fundraising, the installation was set just a few weeks ago. The old scoreboard, which was run down, discolored, and beginning to malfunction, has been replaced with a modern and up to date scoreboard.

Thanks to generous donations from the Walls family, in memory of Bob Walls, the school had the funds to go ahead with the plan of the new scoreboard. The new scoreboard features vibrant school colors and a sincere dedication to Bob Walls, who for years announced games as the voice of the CHS Skippers. Students, athletes, and fans are thrilled about this upgrade. The installation took around four days, so the fall sports were not affected. School spirit will rise as fans enjoy an accurately-scored game. Coaches expressed their enthusiasm, noting how the new scoreboard will help keep players and fans informed throughout each match.

We are so happy to have this scoreboard, and it is a great addition to the new turf! We encourage everyone to take a look, so come stop by to support our teams and enjoy this fantastic new feature!

By Jack Clark

There are two upcoming April vacation school trips: the Costa Rica trip and the Guadalupe trip. The Costa Rica trip is a one-week adventure in Central America that is organized by Ms. Daisy and chaperoned by other teachers. The package includes round-trip airfare, ground transportation, local guides, meals, lodging, emergency support, expert tour planning, insurance, customized private tours, and additional travel refund options. The itinerary includes a day in San Jose, a motor trip to Sarapiqui, a bat ecology program at Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve, whitewater rafting, hiking, ziplining, and a trip to Punta Leona.

The Guadeloupe Service Learning and Cultural Immersion Trip is an eight-day experience, offering educational experiences in the arts, sciences, history, and the French language. Run by French teacher Mr. Grasmann, the trip is not limited to the French program and offers both French and English language learning experiences. The Guadeloupe trip includes a private bus for transportation, a local trip guide, visits, tours, and various activities like games night, graffiti art, environmental education, swimming with sea turtles, cooking classes, an open-air market, and educational stops.

To learn more about the class trips, contact Ms. Daisy or Mr. Grasmann, or find flyers in high school hallways with QR codes to register or find more information. Engaging in school activities can make the high school experience better because they offer a great time for all participants.

By Joey Pannozzo

Spirit Week at Cohasset High School was extremely exciting! It was filled with lots of great costumes and memories, and the week ended with a thrilling Friday night football game under the lights. Every single day, all the students dressed up as their theme, and nobody’s costume disappointed. Everyone was so enthusiastic and got extremely creative with their school spirit. Malone Yemini, a current freshmen at Cohasset High School agreed saying, “Spirit Week was a really fun opportunity to add entertainment to our school days. The pep rally was so exciting to watch, and everyone had so much fun participating!”

This describes the week perfectly. The pep rally was hilarious and entertaining for everyone who goes to CHS. The majority of the school’s favorite activity was the sibling race. After the pep rally, students attended the football game. Friday night was a memorable night to say the least. The football team captured a memorable win against talented opponent Nauset. This was right before the Homecoming Dance, making the night even more exciting for everyone. In all, Spirit Week was the perfect way to have fun while still learning as a school.

By Keira Lynch

With the first month of school coming to a close, the class of 2028 is getting their initial look at what the next four years will be like. After hearing so many different perspectives on the high school experience, freshmen come into this year with all kinds of outlooks and expectations. But now that the grade has settled into its new routine, everyone is beginning to develop their own opinions. In addition, CHS’s newest students are figuring out how to manage the changes that high school brings on.

It is widely agreed that high school is very different from middle school, even in Cohasset where students don’t go as far as leaving the building. These differences include scheduling, sports and extracurriculars, workload, and so much more. When asked about these changes, 9th grader Quinn Kearney says, “High school is what I expected. There’s a lot of freedom that comes with high school, which is what I had hoped for. Teachers also put a lot of responsibility on the students and treat them like young adults, which I like.” His positive thoughts on the differences that come with high school are shared by his peer Samantha Williams, who says, “I’ve noticed that high school teachers tend to move quickly and smoothly, which is something I like but also find a bit challenging.” They are not alone in these beliefs, as many students in the class of 2028 are enjoying the new qualities of high school.

However, as pointed out by both inputs, high school comes with more work and responsibilities. When mixed in with both seasonal sports and school clubs, students can become busy fast. Therefore, it is important that freshmen find a schedule that works for them. Freshman Dominique Vecchiollla comments, “I’ve definitely needed to make some changes to my schedule. You have to stay focused and be efficient when doing homework and extra activities so that you can manage the workload.” Others stress the importance of a consistent routine as well, agreeing that it is useful for staying on track.

Getting used to any new environment is difficult, let alone one that shapes your future, but the class of 2028 is working hard to start off on a good note and set themselves up for success in the coming years.

By Malone Yemini

Throughout the halls of Cohasset High School, a particular teacher who stands out for her kindness, passion for learning, and expertise among the sciences is the well-loved Mrs. Reardon. Bringing energy, excitement, and happiness to hundreds of students throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Reardon is an inspiration to many members of the CHS community.

With a talent for science Mrs. Reardon teaches Intro Physical Science, Intro Physics, and Accelerated Physics with her infectious enthusiasm. Her captivating experiments and entertaining lessons don’t only excite students, but foster a deep appreciation for science. She began teaching because she loves learning new things and explaining them to people. This makes her an excellent teacher, as well as assuring that her students feel confident in their subject. Inspired by her parents, educators themselves, Mrs. Reardon chose to follow a similar career path, embodying the qualities of an excellent teacher.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Mrs. Reardon co-runs Student Council with Mrs. Norton. Together they make the environment of meetings welcoming and fun, leading to a large and successful student council for our school. Their organization and passion towards Student Council creates smooth sailing meetings and never ending fun for students. Student Council is Mrs. Reardon’s favorite part of CHS, along with challenging her students.

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Reardon enjoys a variety of activities. She loves spending time with her family and really enjoys playing competitive games. She also enjoys baking and watching sports in her free time. Her favorite part of Cohasset is the beach.

In summary Mrs. Reardon contributes to Cohasset High School in countless ways and has inspired numerous students along the way. Her passion for teaching and kindness towards her students make her a wonderful teacher and asset to the school community.

By Lylah Jackson

In 2022, the Cohasset High School Girls Soccer team won the Division 4 State Championship. Ever since then, they have been fighting hard to live up to this accomplishment. The girls are now half way through their regular season, and have been playing well against some talented opponents. The team is led by coaches Deb Beal and Kim Froio, who together motivate the girls to practice hard and perform with skill. So far this season, the girls are placed 5th in the MIAA Division 4 rankings, with a record of 5-2-1. Their match against Hull is certainly a game to look out for in the upcoming weeks. Earlier in the season, Cohasset competed in a physical game against the neighboring town at home, which ended in a draw. The girls will soon play Hull away, where they plan to leave it all out on the field, settling this rivalry with a win.

On the offensive side of the team, Ava Carcio, Regan Brinzey, Farrah Jackson, and Tess Barrett, Georgia Royston, and Mattie Driscoll creatively break through the opponents defensive line, and get the ball into the back of the net. Defensively, Regan Carroll, Meghan Smith, Kylie Newman, Lylah Jackson, Fiona Rennie, and Molly Campbell shut down any threats to goalie Kylee Ziady. The team captains, Tess Barrett, Lylah Jackson, Kylie Newman, and Ava Sunday, are hopeful to make it far into the playoffs this year, supported by their confidence in their close knit and talented team.

By Emma Lee and Lennox Wrixon

On September 27th, 2024, Cohasset Varsity Field Hockey played Hingham in a harrowing, suspenseful match. In the first half of the game, the teams were tied 0-0 until a member of the Hingham team scored a goal against goalkeeper Ella Otfinoski. Cohasset Field Hockey put up an impressive fight throughout the game. In the last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter, forward Kate Greer managed to score against Hingham’s goalkeeper, tying the game 1-1. This was an especially exciting moment for Cohasset, as the team had lost 0-5 against Hingham the previous year. We admire the team's improvement and expect to see many more great wins this season!

By Luke Hurley

Starting this school year at Cohasset High School, there has been a new favorite food to eat at lunch: the new school pizza. During the first few weeks of school, there were huge groups of students rushing to grab the pizza. Luckily, they were eventually able to form a pizza line. The types of pizzas that the lunch workers make include pepperoni, margherita, and cheese. This new type of pizza in our Cohasset Skippers cafeteria was made possible with our new pizza oven.

Editor: Amanda Fox

Website: cohassetk12.org
Location: 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA, USA
Phone: 781 383-6100

"Pursuant to state law, no expression made by students in the exercise of such rights shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy and no school officials shall be held responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by the students."