The Panther Press
Official Newsletter of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Welcome!
May 15, 2022 - Volume 4 - ISSUE 31
Welcome to the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Newsletter! It is designed to keep everyone (parents, students, staff, and community members) informed of the many events that are happening in and around the school. It contains links, pictures, and videos so that you have a more interactive experience and the ability to learn more about various topics.
Communication is incredibly important to understanding so we ask that you share our news as much as possible. We also welcome feedback! It is the only way to continuously improve. So, please interact, get involved, and let us know what you think by contacting us and sharing our news!
Important Dates to Plan
May 17-18 - MCAS Math – Grade 10 Students
May 19 - ASVAB Test 2:00PM-4:30PM
May 19 - Science Fair 6:30PM
May 19-20 - NEASC Visit
May 26 - Senior Prom 6:00PM-10:00PM at Lake Pearl, Wrentham
May 27 - Seniors Last Day
May 30 - No School – Memorial Day
June 1 - Parent Portal Opens – Quarter 4 Senior Report Cards
Graduation Rehearsal 9:00AM
Senior Scholarship Night 6:30PM in PAC
June 2 - Graduation Rehearsal 9:00AM
CES Graduation 6:00PM in PAC
June 3 - Graduation 6:00PM on field
June 7-8 - STE MCAS – Grade 9 Students
June 17 - Early Release – Grading Day
June 20 - No School – Juneteenth Independence Day
June 23 - Early Release – Last Day of School
Parent Portal Opens – Quarter 4 Grade 9-11 Report Cards
Dr. Christopher Jones
Choices
One of the sneakiest negative words that works it's way into our vocabulary is "just." As soon as we attach it to who we are or what we do it diminishes the act. It already labels it as less than whatever else is being discussed.
Practice finding and eliminating any self talk. Then get rid of the words you say out loud that diminish who you are or what you do. Don't let negativity win because it is often an easier, more accepted perspective than positivity. Once you start either one, it's harder to stop. So make it positive.
Have a listen and let me know what you think!
Our Story...
Not everyone outside the walls of our awesome school get to see the fantastic things going on each day. This short video is meant to showcase some of the great things occurring at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School during the week!
Take a look and feel free to comment...this is our story...and everyone is part of it.
Mr. David Floeck
Senior Prom May 26, 2022
Seniors attending the Senior prom must be in school on the day of the prom and may not be dismissed prior to dismissal time for that day. Dismissal time for seniors on the 26th will be at 10:05am.
Underclassmen(Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors) attending the Senior prom must be in school on the 26th and may not be dismissed that day prior to 1pm. If an underclassmen is being dismissed to attend the Senior prom, communication regarding that dismissal must be in to the main office no later than May 24th. Any underclassmen dismissed prior to 1pm will not be permitted to attend the senior prom.
New App
We want to be proactive in reaching out to parents to talk with your students regarding this app. This has disrupted classes, made some students extremely uncomfortable and has incited confrontations between students. The use of this app and the disruption it is causing will not be tolerated in school.
We will be speaking to students next week regarding this issue and would appreciate your partnership in speaking to your child as well.
School Counseling - Mrs. Ruth Carrigan
ASVAB - WHRHS will be offering the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) testing on Thursday, May 19th after school. Any student in grades 10 - 12 who is thinking about joining the military is welcome to sign up for ASVAB testing by following this link.
Scholarship Night for Seniors - Scholarship Night for Seniors will be held on Wednesday, June 1st at 6:30 PM in the Dr. John F. McEwan Performing Arts Center. Seniors receiving a School, Local/Community Scholarship were notified by school email on Friday. The Dollars for Scholars organization will notify their scholarship recipients soon. Seniors and their families are welcome to attend the program.
AP Exams - It’s a Wrap! During the 2021-2022 school year, 303 WHRHS students enrolled in 573 Advanced Placement Classes. Over the past few weeks many WH students participated in the culminating activity of AP exams. We congratulate the students involved in the AP program for their hard work and dedication. If you want to learn more about the AP program, follow this link. If you are interested in adding an AP class to your schedule next year, please check in with your counselor.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact your school counselor.
If you have any questions, please reach out for assistance.
School Counselors:
Mr. Amado
Ms. Rivera (Administrative Assistant)
School Adjustment Counselors:
Mrs. Siden
Ms. Dalton
Math - Ms. Deborah Caruso
Math MCAS is Here!
Grade 10 students are scheduled to take the Mathematics MCAS exam May 17 and 18. The Math Department has been gearing students up for this exam all year. By providing students with Common Core aligned curriculum and by utilizing programs like desmos and IXL, we hope to set our students up for success with the many opportunities and activities that we do each day. Leading up to the exam, math teachers have been taking some class time to familiarize students with the exam structure and platform by utilizing the online practice tests provided by Pearson: http://mcas.pearsonsupport.com/student/practice-tests-math/.
Additionally, teachers have been reviewing select concepts from previous math courses that are sure to be presented to them on the exam. Students can access these materials at home for extra preparation before the big day. Students are always welcome to check in with their math teacher for test specifics and additional preparation ideas/materials.
Although there are many things that we do during the school year to prepare students for the exam, some of the most important preparation happens the night before and the morning of the exam. Being well rested and relaxed walking into the test site is one of the things students can do to set themselves up for success. They should be sure to pack extra pencils, a calculator, water and a snack the night before so they are not rushing around in the morning. Additionally, they should try to eat something before the exam so that their brain has enough fuel. During the test, students should read each question carefully to ensure a complete understanding of what is being asked. This test in untimed, so students do not need to worry about taking too long or running out of time. On the day of the test, students will receive a reference sheet with formulas to help them solve many of the problems on the exam.
That reference sheet can be found here: http://mcas.pearsonsupport.com/resources/student/MCAS_2019_Gr10_Math_Ref_Legacy.pdf Students should familiarize themselves with its contents beforehand so that it can be a helpful resource for them.
Best of luck to all of our Mathematicians!
Social Studies - Mr. Robert Davidson
Civil War
Students in U.S. History I classes are learning about the coming of the Civil War.
One of the specific topics they are studying is the Election of 1860.
Picture #1: Mr. Walsh explains the different viewpoints that American citizens had of the election.
Picture #2: Mr. Walsh discusses the Election of 1860 with his United States History I class.
Science - Mr. Mark Stephansky
21st Annual Family Science Fun Night!!
Come join the High School Advanced Placement Science Students in the Whitman-Hanson High School Cafeteria for an evening of science wizardry and experimentation. Teams of AP science students have researched and prepared hands-on science activities geared to grade K-5 students.
Where: Whitman-Hanson High School Cafeteria
When: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Time: 6:30PM-8:30 PM
Refreshments will be provided
Environmental Science Studies
Students in Mr. Dukeman’s Environmental Science classes make water filtration systems to learn about clean water supplies.
World Languages & Business - Mrs. Kristen Thomas
Immersed in culture!
Students who went on the trip to England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany over April vacation had the opportunity to visit historical sites such as the beaches of Normandy and Churchill War Rooms but they also got the chance to immerse themselves in the cultures of each country that we visited. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye to name a few, students and chaperones alike saw the local landmarks and experienced the local flair of each city. We also sampled local cuisine - from Borough Market in London to Nutella and banana crepes from street vendors in Paris to authentic Belgian waffles and Berliner “donuts” and currywurst in Germany…yum!
Athletics - Mr. Bob Rodgers
Great News!
History was made Friday when our baseball team gave head Coach Pat Cronin his 500th career win by beating Plymouth North, 3-2 in 9 innings. Aidan Barry and Ryan Baker were outstanding on the hill with Barry going 8 innings to get the win. Baker worked the 9th to pickup the save. The star of the game though had to be Trevor Googins who threw out the would be winning run in the bottom of the 8th by throwing a perfect strike from left field to cut down the runner at the plate. In the top of the next inning, Trevor then delivered an rbi single to score the winning run.
Our softball team made the best of its senior night this week by beating Scituate, 12-0. Senior Erin Burke had a tremendous day at the plate going 3-4 with an RBI. The Panthers offense was very patient at the plate and several players provided clutch hits which resulted in many players crossing home plate to score. Freshman Taryn Leonard provided the Panthers with with a solo homerun in the 3rd to get the team rolling with many scoring opportunities.
Annie Cook, Lauryn Meade, Katelyn Hagerty, Kaylee Butterfield, Makenzie Gillespie and Makenna Kirschner all provided hits and RBIs to give the Panthers the 12-0 win.
Lauryn Meade pitched 3 strong innings allowing 0 hits, 6 strike outs and 0 walks. Rachel Webb came into the game in the 4th shutting down Scituate with 0 runs allowing 4 hits and striking out 1 in her two innings pitched.
The senior night activities were truly special. Check out Twitter @whathletics to see some pictures and videos.
It was also a special senior day for boys and girls track and field. The girls team (2-3) downed Duxbury High School 115-21 at home Wednesday afternoon. Once again, the Panther Seniors led the way. Senior Captain April Keyes won three events (400 Hurdles - 70.56; 100 Hurdles - 16.43, and the Long Jump - 15' 1.5".) Senior Katelyn Bagley placed first in both the High Jump (4' 8") and Triple Jump (31' 11.5".) And Senior Emily Hanrahan won in the Discus (78' 2") and Shot Put (29' 5".) Other winners included Senior Erin Kelly in the Mile (5:43.5), Sophomore Savannah Kamperides in the 400 (69.1) Senior Captain Myah Kamperides in the 800 (2:29.8), Freshman Molly Burnett in the 200 (28.27), Senior Sarah Boulger in the 2 Mile (13:57) and Freshman Will McKay in the Javelin (81' 10).
The boys came up a little short losing 80 to 55. Winning the 800m was Senior Captain Gordon Johnson 2:07. Senior Nathan Tassey cruised to victory in the 2 mile in 10:30. Senior Captain Sean Kelly had a Win in the shot put with a heave of 37’7.25. Senior Chase Baker had a leap of 19’ 7.5” to win long jump. Sophomore Alex Kehayias was the winner of the triple jump with 38’1”. The loss concludes the Panther’s dual meet record at 1 - 4.
Both the boys and girls will compete in the league championships tomorrow at Hingham.
The Whitman-Hanson boys lacrosse team traveled to Plymouth North Thursday and notched an 8-5 win on the road. The defense was impressive all afternoon, led by senior captain Bobby Hunter. Long stick midfielders, Matt Solari (1g, 1a) and Will Frazier were impressive forcing turnovers time and time again. It was a back and forth battle all game until the panthers took control in the fourth quarter pulling away from the eagles and possessing the ball for the last 2 minutes. Collin Murphy (3g, 2a) led all scorers today with 5 points while Connor McCarthy (2g, 1a) popped in 2 Gs and a helper for 3 points. Senior captain, Chris Ross (1g, 2a) had an absolute snipe in the 3rd quarter which sent the panther bench into a frenzy. Gavin McCarthy (1g) and James Whitman (1a) chipped in with a couple pints to round out the scoring. Goaltender, Dave MacNeil made 7 saves on the day while Jeff Gomes controlled the face-off X winning 9 of 15 faceoffs. Hanover comes to Dennis M. O’Brien next Tuesday for senior night. Game starts at 4:00.
Whitman-Hanson Girls Lacrosse had a nice senior day pregame celebration Thursday but lost to a strong Plymouth North team 19-9. WH is now 2-8 on the season and 1-5 in the Patriot League. There were 7 players that were involved in scoring plays. Ella Nagle led the team with 2G, 2A, Joli Falmos also had 2G, Maya Viscocchi had 1G, 1A, Jackie Keenan, Bailey Kelly, Lilly O'Donnell and Maddy Allen each had 1 goal. The defense had a solid first half with the score 10-5 but struggled to keep that hold or chip away at the margin in the second half. Ava Barry and Maddie Guidaboni shared time in net, each with about a 40% save rate.
The boys and girl’s tennis teams had a rough week as the schedule didn’t do them any favors playing three very strong teams. The boys though are still in the top 32 according to the MIAA power rankings which would still earn a spot in the state tournament. While the girls are not likely to make the tournament they are actually one of the most improved teams of the spring. With a lineup of many younger players, the future is bright.
Contact Us
Email: christopher.jones@whrsd.org
Website: https://www.whrsd.org/our-schools/whrhs
Location: 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 618-7020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCSJones
Twitter: @DrCSJones