The Panther Press

February 6, 2022 - Volume 4 - ISSUE 19

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!

February 17 - Delayed Opening

February 21-25 - No School – Winter Break

March 1- Panther Praise 7:30AM Performing Arts Center

March 3 - Delayed Opening

March 9-10 - MCAS ELA Retest

March 11 - Alumni/Community Band Concert 7:00PM Performing Arts Center

March 15-16 - MCAS ELA Retest

March 17 - Delayed Opening

March 18 - Early Release – Professional Development

March 21 - Spring Sports Start

March 22-23 - MCAS ELA – Grade 10 Students

March 31 - Delayed Opening

April 1 - Early Release – Grading Day

Meet the Teacher Opens to book Parent-Teacher Virtual Conferences

April 4 - Quarter 3 Ends

April 5 - Quarter 4 Begins

April 6 - Parent Portal Opens – Quarter 3 Grades

April 7 - Parent-Teacher Virtual Conferences by appointment only 12-2PM and 6-8PM

April 15 - No School – Good Friday

April 18-22 - No School – Spring Recess

April 28 - Delayed Opening

You set goals and have a vision of what you want to do to get where you want to go.

The trick is prioritizing the steps you need to take to get there over what others expect from you.

The only way to move forward is to repeatedly ask if you are moving toward what you want or toward what others want. A simple example is email. When you focus on the emails you are getting you are completing other people's "to do" lists in stead of focusing on yours. Big picture is that you don't have time to get what you want done because you are making sure everyone else is taken care of before yourself.

Strike a balance and find out that by focusing on you there will be enough time for others. Be grateful for those around you, but make sure you are grateful for yourself.

More in the video below. Take three minutes and give it a listen. Let me know your thoughts.

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.

Junior Parent College Planning "Coffee with the Counselors" - This Week

As a follow-up to the College Admissions Seminar that was held last week, junior parents are invited to attend our Junior Parent "Coffee with Counselors" on the morning of February 10, 2022 from 7:30 am – 8:30 am in the Courtyard Cafe at the high school. We’ll be providing timely junior college planning tips and information. This will provide an opportunity for parents and counselors to get together and further discuss the college search and application process. We recognize that many parents have similar questions regarding how to navigate through the college admissions maze, especially during Covid times. Please RSVP in advance for this program by following the Coffee with the Counselors Registration Link. If you have any questions, or if you would like to set up an individual college planning appointment, please feel free to contact your child's school counselor at the email address below.

SOS - Signs of Suicide - School Counselors and Adjustment Counselors will be working with Semester 2 Health classes on February 4 and 5 to deliver the SOS - Signs of Suicide Program. SOS Signs of Suicide is an evidence-based youth prevention program designed specifically for high schools. Parents of students currently enrolled in Semester 2 Health class, please reach out to your school counselor or Health teacher if you have questions. We encourage parents to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, to access useful resources, and to learn more about the key message all students will learn in class. If needed, please enter Parent Username: whrhs-par and Parent Password: whrhssos

Dual Enrollment with Quincy College - Students currently enrolled in Algebra II/PreCalc Honors are eligible to earn three college credits through our dual enrollment partnership with Quincy College. Mrs. Carrigan visited classes recently to talk about the program. For more information, please refer to the handout given in class or follow this link to register by March 31, 2022. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Carrigan.

Scholarship Info for Seniors - On March 1, 2022, a Virtual Scholarship Meeting will be held at 6:30 PM. Information will be presented about Dollars for Scholars and Local and Community Scholarships. All seniors and parents are encouraged to attend. Please sign up here for the Virtual Scholarship Meeting.

Dollars for Scholars - Students from the Class of 2022 who wish to apply for a Dollars for Scholars scholarship award may begin filling out their student profile. The profile can be found at www.WhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforSchholars.org under the “Student & Parent” section. Students may fill out the profile and return to update it regularly. The application deadline is March 15, 2022. Any graduating high school senior who resides in Whitman and Hanson or attends WHRHS and has a 2.5 GPA is eligible for a DFS scholarship. For more information please visit: www.WhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforScholars.org or contact Mike Ganshirt at 781-252-9683.

Massasoit On the Spot Admissions - On March 2, 2022, admissions representatives from Massasoit Community College will be visiting WHRHS for an On the Spot Admissions event where students will be able to meet with admissions and receive an “on the spot” acceptance. Interested seniors should contact their school counselor to sign up.

School Counselors:

Mrs. Carrigan

Mr. Murphy

Mrs. Selig

Mrs. Cunha

Mr. Amado
Ms. Rivera (Administrative Assistant)

School Adjustment Counselors:
Mrs. Siden
Ms. Dalton

Mrs. Robichaud

Students in Ms. Reagan’s Spanish 2 class have been doing Describe and Draw to practice with house and directional vocab. They also looked at real estate ads for houses for sale in Spanish-speaking countries and are now working on creating their own ad for a house for sale!

Mr. DeSantes shared the email below that he received from a student in his financial literacy class. Our in-class learning and discussions are having real-life impacts on our students and we couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments!

"Hi Mr. Desantes,

Just wanted to reach out to tell you that I spent my snow day opening up a checking account! I got it with Rockland Trust, and I actually looked at the projects we did in class to see some of the features that I would get. I am also using the google sheets check register format that we did in class. I don't imagine I will need it that much, but it’s cool to have and keep track of."

United States History I students have been studying Jacksonian America. Students in Mr. Walsh's class recently completed a walking gallery related to the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Students were tasked with creating posters that summarized the most pertinent issues of the era. Students then analyzed each other's posters in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Jackson's use of executive power.

February is Black History month. And what better way to celebrate than to highlight a few of the many brilliant mathematicians and their amazing contributions to the field of mathematics and the world?

Katherine Johnson’s (1918-2020) passion for mathematics began at an early age. She skipped several grades and began college courses at West Virginia University when she was thirteen! After receiving her doctorate, she joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ West Area Computing group, a group of human computational experts (called “human computers” before the advent of modern mechanical computers) composed entirely of African American women. In 1962, she provided the orbital entry and launch window calculations that enabled John Glenn’s orbit around the moon. She also provided calculations that coordinated the Apollo moon landing. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, and her work was profiled in the film Hidden Figures.

Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a primarily self-educated mathematician and astronomer. He is best known for building America’s first clock at the age of 24 – a wooden device that struck hourly. He also was able to accurately forecast lunar and solar eclipses. Banneker’s deep curiosity and understanding of mathematics greatly paved the way years before any other Black mathematicians in the US.

Dr. Gladys West (1930) was awarded a scholarship to attend Virginia State College. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics, she accepted a job offer to work at a naval base in Dahlgren, Virginia. Throughout her career, Dr. West manifested exceptional steadfastness – she never stopped learning and kept pushing herself to do the hard work. Her accomplishments laid the groundwork for the invention of one of the most indispensable technological wonders of the modern world, the global positioning system (GPS).

This week we sent out a reminder to all students about spring sports and the process of registration. We will be holding a mandatory meeting for all spring sport athletes this Wednesday after school in the PAC. If anyone has any questions about any aspect of the process please reach out as soon as possible by contacting me at robert.rodgers@whrsd.org .

This year, four winter sports (both genders of basketball and hockey) will be competing under the new statewide MIAA playoff system which is centered around power rankings. The Boston Globe releases their update on this ranking system daily but these are unofficial. The MIAA releases the official rankings once per week at this link - Power Rankings - MIAA . The other sports will continue with the way the post season has run in the past.

One team we are particularly excited to see what happens in the playoffs is wrestling who will compete at sectionals on Saturday at Marshfield High School. Several Whitman Hanson wrestlers have a great chance to advance deep into the section and perhaps win their title. The team also should be a top contender for a team sectional title. As a tune up, the team took 2 of 3 at a quad meet on Saturday.

WH won it first match verses Weymouth by a score of 64-10. WH also won the second round match with Bristol Plymouth by a score of 48-30. In the final match of the day Norwood came out on top 42-33. At 106 pounds was Freshman Charlie Lussier winning all 3 of his matches by pin in 2:21 and 1:10. Charlie also won by pin at 113 pounds in 2:24. Charlie is now 29-0 on the season with 22 pins to lead the team in every category. Also wrestling at 106 pounds was Christian Grimaldi winning his first Varsity dual meet match by pin in 1:50. Wrestling at 113 pounds was Freshman Mike Brandl winning his first 2 Varsity matches of the season 9-3 and by forfeit. Winning by forfeit at 120 pounds was Sophomore Graham McInnis. Sophomore Austin Gamber wrestling at 126 pounds had a great day winning all 3 of his matches 2 by pin and an 8-2 decision. Austin is having a great year with a record of 16-4 with 12 pins to his credit. At 132 pounds Junior Aidan Guiliani continues to produce with big wins going 3-0 on the day with 2 pins and a forfeit. Aidan is currently 21-3 on the season with 11 pins. At 138 pounds Junior Braden Kain won all 3 of his matches 2 by pin and one 7-2 decision. Braden is now 24-5 on the season with 11 pins. Both Aidan and Braden are having impressive seasons. Senior Captain Pat Collett went 2-1 on the day with 1 pin and a hard fought 4-2 victory. Pat is 12-10 on the season with 9 pins. Freshman Cooper Lussier wrestling at 160 pounds won by a score of 10-1, Cooper's record is now 26-2 on the season with 17 pins. Freshman Jacob Getchell had 2 wins on the day by forfeit. Freshman Curtis Burke wrestling at 182 pounds went 1-2 on the day with a forfeit. Senior Captain Rocco Ruffini wrestling at 220 pounds won 2 matches by pin and 1 by forfeit. Rocco is now 17-6 on the season with 11 pins. Finishing the day for WH was Junior Maddox Colclough at 285 pounds going 2-1 on the day with a hard fought win 5-3, a loss in overtime and a win by forfeit. Maddox is now 17-6 with 11 pins. The Panthers finish the dual meet season at 11-7 and 3-2 in the Patriot League.

Whitman Hanson Gymnastics had their best meet of the season Saturday against Scituate. These ladies scored their highest team score with a 120.65. Highlights include Junior Captain Riley Getchell’s solid 8.2 beam routine, Freshman Katelyn Ferraro’s beautiful vault with an 8.3 and Junior Captain Steph Braga’s excellent 8.4 vault. Junior Sarah Regan had the crowd cheering loud when she competed her new skill, a round off on the beam.

The girls basketball team suffered their first loss of the season this week falling on the road at North Quincy, 60-55. The team was led by Junior guard Caitlin Leahy 12 points and senior captain Abby Martin who also scored 12 points. The game was back and forth throughout but the Panthers could not make enough plays at the end to pull it out. Senior captains Megan Stone and Lauren Dunn chipped in with 10 points and 9 points respectively. The Panthers had their game against Plymouth North on Friday postponed due to weather. That game will be made up on Thursday February 17th.

The boys basketball team also lost a close one to North Quincy, 58-55. The game was tied with 10 seconds left when North Quincy turned in an excellent individual effort to snap the deadlock. Malcolm Alcorn Crowder paced the offense with 19 points. The boys also had their game with Plymouth North postponed and it will be made up on that Thursday of February vacation.

Boys hockey traveled to Martha's Vineyard to play the Mariners this weekend but unfortunately lost 2-1 in OT. After a scoreless first period, Panthers got on the board first in the second when Sophomore Alex Ethier scored on the power play to take a 1-0 lead after two periods. Martha's Vineyard scored on a power play chance in the third, tying the game 1-1 with six minutes left. Whitman Hanson had a 5 minute major power play in overtime but was not able to capitalize. Martha's Vineyard scored on a penalty shot in overtime to win the game after one of their players was taken down on a breakaway.

The girls hockey team had a big win over Old Rochester this week and the highlight was our own Jackie Higgins scoring her first ever varsity goal. The game on Saturday was postponed and information on a makeup will be announced soon.

Our WHSL Co-Op swim team had a terrific day at the league meet. Sam Fernandez had a best time in the 100 breast, placing in second while he tied for first in the 200 IM. Ben Hurley and Matt Ward also had a best time in the 50 freestyle. Haylie Pinola came in 3rd in the 200 yard free and the 100 fly. Results are not in yet for placement of teams.

The cheerleaders have been hard at work under new head coach Kayla Crawford. Their competition season will kick off on Saturday when they travel to Natick. The league championship will be on the line on February 17th when the team travels to Duxbury.

Our track teams also have been training with great energy and focus in preparation for the league meet coming up Thursday at the Reggie Lewis Center. Tickets for this event are only available online at https://fs17.formsite.com/WHathletics/3ydcjr0g39/index.html . You must have your vaccination card and ID to enter as a spectator.

Interested in more videos, reflections, and where a many of these ideas come from and are expanded on? Don't forget to check out and subscribe to my YouTube Channel and WordPress Site

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