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FALL ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB KICK OFF NIGHT

The Plymouth High School Athletic Booster Club will host their fall sports kick off night on Tuesday, August, 9, at 6:00 pm in the PHS auditorium. All fall athletes and their parents are encouraged to attend. Fall coaches will have a parent meeting after the program. The Booster Club will be cooking for all athletes and their families at the football pavilion. A raffle will be held for adults only. Prizes consist of football, boys basketball and baseball season tickets, 1 Booster Club $30.00 membership, and Rockie & Pilgrim hats and t-shirts.

PHS Football Hosts Annual Soap Game

The Plymouth High School Football team will host a Soap Game on Saturday, August 6, at 7:00 pm at The Rockpile to preview the 2011 Rockies. Fans are asked to bring soap and or shampoo for admission.

Season football tickets are on sale in the Plymouth High School Athletic Office from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm for students and adults. All tickets are $24.00. The Rockies will host Rochester on Friday, August 26, at 7:30 pm. The seniors and their parents will also be honored before the start of the game.

Local Girls Participate in National Competition

On the weekend of July 16th, two local girls, Jillian Smith age 13 and Alli Dennie age 12 traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas to compete in the USTA National Baton Twirling Competition. The girls competed in a variety of events at the beginner and intermediate level. Both girls made it to the podium four times which means they were in the top five of that particular event for their age group. The best place for both girls was with their pairs routine where they received a second place for beginner pairs. Twirlers from all around the United States were at this competition and it was an amazing opportunity for both girls. These girls spent many, many hours practicing to get ready for this event. Both girls are members of Daphne's Dolls in Plymouth and they are also coached by Brenda Minnich from Geneva, Indiana.

Pictures provided by McDilda Photography.

Online Registration Information

InfoSnap Online Registration – Parent / Guardian Information

At the request of many of our families, we are excited to announce the opportunity for you to register online for the upcoming school year! We have partnered with a company called InfoSnap. Through one simplified process, you will be able to complete all of the registration forms and share family information between siblings, without having to reenter the information for each child.

Soon you will be receiving user names and passwords, as well as detailed instructions. These will be sent to you via email or US Mail. Emails will be sent from a PCSC Online Registration account, so please be sure to check your spam filter. All families still need to attend registration at Plymouth High School on August 3rd or 4^th, to finalize the process. Computer access will be available for those families who have not previously completed the online forms.

Please help our schools go green and save time by taking advantage of this opportunity!

Registration for all Plymouth Students will be held at Plymouth High School

Wednesday, August 3rd from 7:00-10:00a.m, 12:00-3:00p.m., and 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 4th from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 4:00-8:00 p.m.

PHS Fall Sports Practice

Fall sports practices will start at Plymouth High School according to the dates regulated by the IHSAA. Girls golf will start practice on Friday, July 29, while cross country, football, boys and girls soccer, boys tennis, volleyball and cheerleading will start on Monday, Aug. 1. PHS athletic participation forms have to be turned into the athletic office prior to the first day of practice. Forms include a physical, emergency medical form, code of conduct and a random drug testing form.

Plothow Selected to Coach 2011 North All Star Team

Plymouth High School's Head Baseball Coach, Tony Plothow, has been selected to coach the 2011 North All Star team at this year's 37th Annual Indiana North South All Star game by his fellow coaches and the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association's Executive Council. Plothow's career record at PHS is 227-124. Plothow's teams have won 5 sectional titles, 3 regional titles, 1 semi-state title, have had 2 final four appearances and in 2000 the Pilgrims were IHSAA Class 3A State Runner-up. His teams have won 4 Northern Lakes Conference Championships including one this season. Coach Plothow has been named Northern Lakes Conference Coach of the year 4 times and has twice been named District Coach of the Year.

This year's Indiana North-South All-Star series will be played on July 9th and 10th in Fort Wayne at Indiana Tech University at Parkview Field. The teams play a double header on Saturday starting at 11:00 am. They will also play a single wooden bat game at 12:00 pm on Sunday.

These students are touring Washington DC as part of the partnership with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education. The students have a front row seat to democracy in action in the halls of Congress as well as in meetings with Washington insiders and media.

This opportunity was made available as part of the Title I, Part C Migrant Grant.

Rebecca Ippel PHS English as a New Language is chaperoning the students:

Left to Right

Jose Velero, Jorge Veloro, Rebecca Ippel (chaperone) Yoselin Galiano, Alejandra Renteria, and Monica Renteria.

Riverside Accepts Ingenuity Grant from 3M

3M Plant Manager, D.J. Fishbaugh presented checks to Math and Science Teachers at Riverside Intermediate School. The grant recognizes and supports teachers who make math and science come to life. 3M targets STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math eduction). These areas of education represent the background of most 3M employees. More importantly, these disciplines open the doors to ALL types of career opportunities and help individual understand the world around them.

Ingenuity Grants will be presented to teachers in 36 3M communities across the country. Teachers from 21 states participated in the Ingenuity Grant program. 119 grants were awarded to 52 schools, totaling over $350,000. These grants will serve over 32,000 students.

Along with 3m Plant Manager D.J. Fishbaugh, and HR rep Amber Moulton for 3M in Plymouth are Riverside teachers:

From Left to right Kim Burns, Vanessa Zook, Tara Sharp, Crystal Dennie, Jim Keister, Nikki Rumpler, Terri Dennie, Amy Lewis, Jeff Hunter, Shelley Shafer, Eric Knebel, Stephanie Beiswenger, Tillie Kain, and Sue Turpin

Riverside Spruce Up

Students, parents, school employees gathered on Saturday, May 14, to spruce up the landscaping at Riverside Intermediate School. These students and staff worked 3 hours and spread 24 yards of mulch around trees, building, and bushes.

From left to right:

Kathy Olejniczak, Kyle Whiteman, Jared Bubica, Trevor Grimmet, Jared Fuzey, Jim Keister, Jared Renfrom, Guillermo Morales, Luke Lyon, Josh Carlton and daughter, Kirk Davis, Austin Hardesty, Josh Eberly, Dylan Manuwal, Shawnee Burchert, Giuiana Davis, Wendy Guernsey

PHS Band Earns "All-Music Award"

The Pride of Plymouth Bands have been presented with the Indiana State School Music Associations prestigious "All-Music Award."

This award is only give to band programs that participate in every facet of the state music associations events and the program must receive the top ratings of a "Gold Award" at every state event.

This achievement is marks the eighth consecutive year that the band program has received this award. Congratulations to all of the students and staff in the many different departments of the band program on another great year of achievements.

PHS Band & Choir Tour Washington, D.C.

The band and choir recently completed their tour of Washington D.C. The music students were able to tour Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. Capitol Building, Smithsonian Museums, Mount Vernon, Washington and Lincoln Monuments, and the war memorials (including the Vietnam Wall, Korean War Memorial and Wall, and the World War 2 Memorial.

The band represented the State of Indiana in the National Memorial Day Parade through the heart of Washington, and the choir performed as part of the Naval Memorial wreath laying ceremonies. Washington D.C. had a record-high heat index on Memorial Day and the kids did an amazing job of dealing with the heat during the performances.

Congratulations to all of the music students that represented our community and state at this national event.

RIVERSIDE AWARDED BRONZE LEVEL STATUS

One Stop Registration Schedule

ALL SCHOOLS @ Plymouth High School

August 3, 2011
7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

August 4, 2011
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Please park in the north lot of Plymouth High School

Enter through Door 5

Use www.plymouth.k12.in.us to access all the school websites including the corporation site.

REMINDER - Plymouth Alumni Association Annual Alumni Banquet

It's time once again for the Plymouth Alumni Association Annual Alumni Banquet. This year the event will be Friday June 17, 2011 at Plymouth High School.

There will be tours of the PHS facilities - state of the art broadcast studio, theatre, music rooms, and updated athletic facilities - beginning at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and the Hall of Fame Program starts at 7:30 p.m.

You can reserve and pay for your seat online at www.plymouthalumni.blogspot.com and while you are there be sure to sign up for our mailing list and make your Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame nominations.

Cost is $25 per person and there is limited seating. You can also make your reservation by sending an email to plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com, call
574-952-4444 or send your check made payable to the Plymouth Alumni Association to 611 Berkley Street, Plymouth IN 46563.

Lindsey Downs from Plymouth High School Earns National Photo Contest Award, Sponsored by Jostens and Wolfe’s Camera

Lindsey Downs, a junior from Plymouth High School was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Photo Contest, sponsored by Jostens and Wolfe’s Camera. This nationally acclaimed, annual competition recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of student photographers.

Downs was among 114 winners selected from more than 6000 contest entries submitted by high school, junior high and middle school students nationwide. Photo contest submissions were judged on composition, artistic merit, and technical qualities, as well as the ability to convey a compelling story.

In addition to serving as an assistant editor for the 2011 Mayflower yearbook, Downs is also a member of the National Honor Society and French Club. She throws shot put and discus on the girls track team. She is a nine year member of the Green Acres 4-H Club. Her parents are Lester and Patty Downs.

"Jostens is honored to recognize the artistic talents of student photographers and their ability to capture important school experiences and traditions through the lenses of their cameras,” said Gary Lundgren, Jostens’ senior program manager/education. “Our photo contest allows students to personalize, share, and remember school experiences through sophisticated, high quality photography. Many of the submitted photos will help tell their school story as part of the yearbook.”

Downs’ winning photograph, along with all the other winning photographs from the 2011 Photo Contest, were announced on Facebook and featured on the Jostens.com Web site. These photos will also be featured in the 2011 issue of the Jostens Gotcha Covered Look Book, a popular resource for yearbook advisers and staffs seeking creative ideas, trends, and inspiration.

PHS Speech Competes in Washington, D.C.

Over the Memorial Day Weekend the PHS Speech Team traveled to Washington D.C., for the NCFL Grand National Speech Tournament. Facing off against the top teams from around the country and over 220 of the top qualifiers in each event, the team had numerous outstanding finishes.

· Pauline Dagass (sophomore) finished 3rd in Declamation.

· Austin Craft (senior) and Stephanie Gorka (senior) finished 21st in Duo Interp.

· Sean Hatfield (senior) and Jason Pickell (junior) finished 23rd in Duo Interp.

· Bryt Hiatt (senior) finished 25th in Extemporaneous Speaking.

· Sarah Gouker (senior) and Olivia Hilliard (junior) finished 44th in Duo Interp.

· Sam Compton (senior) finished 45th in Dramatic Performance.

· Emily Walden (senior) finished 60th in Dramatic Performance.

· Rebecca Brumbaugh (junior) finished 79th in Original Oratory.

Kelsey Shaffer, Michaila Nate, Nelson Wagner, and Deven Berger competed at the tournament and turned in solid performances as well.

MTA Certification

Please join me in congratulating the following individuals on achieving the Microsoft Technology Associate certification and Microsoft Certified Professional designation.

Christian Pynaert – Plymouth
Pedro Jimenez – Bremen
Allen Collins – Plymouth
Adam Risner – Knox
Dylan Miller - Plymouth

These students passed this certification this week and should be congratulated on their hard work. The MTA certification is a brand new certification from Microsoft and is very close to the Network + training that we conducted the first half of this academic year. Hopefully, this certification is the first of many as these Microsoft Certified Professionals continue to prepare for a rewarding career in Information Technology. More information can be found on the MTA certification at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/mta.aspx .

Plymouth Alumni Association Annual Alumni Banquet

It's time once again for the Plymouth Alumni Association Annual Alumni Banquet. This year the event will be Friday June 17, 2011 at Plymouth High School.

There will be tours of the PHS facilities - state of the art broadcast studio, theatre, music rooms, and updated athletic facilities - beginning at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and the Hall of Fame Program starts at 7:30 p.m.

You can reserve and pay for your seat online at www.plymouthalumni.blogspot.com and while you are there be sure to sign up for our mailing list and make your Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame nominations.

Cost is $25 per person and there is limited seating. You can also make your reservation by sending an email to plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com, call
574-952-4444 or send your check made payable to the Plymouth Alumni Association to 611 Berkley Street, Plymouth IN 46563.

Country Auto Center helps raise $550 for Riverside Intermediate

Pictured here: Shayla Noble, Jessica Clemens, Joe Martin Jr., Donna Burroughs, Kiley Weiss (front) Ouinte Rodgers and Uriel Medrano

Country Auto Center helped raise $550.00 for Riverside Intermediate School with Chrysler’s "Drive for the Kids" program. The fundraising event was held on May 5, 2011.

Fifty-five parents and guests each earned a $10 contribution to the school from Chrysler by taking a brief test drive in a Town & Country, the companies award winning minivan. Country Auto Center supplied the vehicles, and volunteers from the dealership were on hand to assist in the fundraising drives.

“Drive for the Kids is a mutually beneficial program. We’re pleased to support our local schools, and enjoy demonstrating a terrific, world class product,” said Joe Martin Jr., owner of Country Auto Center. “Parents are genuinely interested in testing our Chrysler minivan with all the advanced safety, technology, and economy features; and we are happy to help raise extra dollars for the school. We all work together for the kids. Everyone has a great time.”

Chrysler supports schools in the communities where the company does business. Since 1993, when Chrysler introduced Drive for the Kids, Chrysler dealers have worked with parents and educators in communities across the nation. Chrysler has contributed an estimated $4 million, directly to local schools, for student needs from playgrounds and field trips to reading programs and computers. Chrysler is proud of this tradition of community involvement.

3rd Annual Ta Ta Trot: Nancy Jaynes Memorial Scholarship

The third annual Ta-Ta Trot will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 9 a.m. to benefit the Nancy Jaynes Memorial Scholarship.

There are three distances to race this year! Participants can register to run/walk a 5K (3.1 miles), a 10K (6.2 miles) or a 15K (9.3 miles). The race starts behind Oliver Ford-Lincoln in Plymouth. The run/walk will take place through the Green Way Trails/Plymouth Centennial Park.

One female and one male winner for each running category will receive a free vacation for two to Las Vegas, Cancun or a Carnival Cruise (airfare is not included).

If you do not wish to participate in the event, but would like to volunteer or donate to the scholarship, contact Jennifer Houin at Oliver Ford in Plymouth at 574-935-1001.

For an entry form, please visit the following link:
http://www.plymouthounceofprevention.org/

Thank you for your continued support of a great scholarship in memory of an amazing woman!

Mayor for a Day

Five Riverside Intermediate students joined Mayor Mark Senter on the radio station to read their essays..."If I were Mayor".

Joining the mayor is Garret Garver who spent the day as Mayor.

Other finalists were Destiny Hartwig, Carter Sanderson, Brandt Bush, and David Bacon.

Sports Physicals

Sport physicals for all incoming 7th thru 12th graders for the 2011-12 school year will be given at Plymouth High School on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 starting at 5:30 pm.

Athletes need to have their physical form filled out and signed by their parents in order to receive the physical. The cost will be $20.00.

PHS forms can be picked up in the athletic office.

Speech Team Garage Sale

Saturday is the annual Garage Sale fund raiser for the Speech, Theatre, and Broadcasting program at PHS. They need donations! Clean out your closets and garage! If there is anything that you have been meaning to get rid of - now is your time! You can make this a tax deductible donation! Items can dropped off on Wednesday till 5:00 and Thursday till 7:00.

The garage sale will be held on Saturday May, 11th on the PHS stage from 7:00am till 2:00pm. Come in through the loading dock doors (door 4). Stop by and see what is for sale!

BPA National Leadership Conference Results

The BPA National Leadership Conference was held May 4-7, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Below are the results from the conference.

Payroll Accounting: Fletcher Craft - 17th

Fundamental Spreadsheets: Eric Blake - 29th

Keyboarding Production: Scott Cawthon - 36th

Fundamental Word Processing: Kelly Bryant - 15th

Basic Office Systems and Procedures: Sam VanVoorhis - 47th

Computer Security: Logan May - 22nd

Administrative Support Team - 17th: Eric Blake, Scott Cawthon, Fletcher Craft, Morgan Hill

Small Business Management Team National Finalists - 11th: Courtney Harris, Bryt Hiatt, Maja Howard, Lane Singleton

OTHER CONFERENCE NOTES

Administrative Support Team finishes in the Top 20 at National Leadership Conference for the second straight year, this year with three new members.

Small Business Management Team finishes as a National Finalist for the third time in four years.

Kelly Bryant placed 15th in her National Leadership Conference event, the highest placing of all individual 2011 PHS BPA National Qualifiers.

Fletcher f n both of his National Leadership Conference competitive events.

Bryt Hiatt placed 11th in the nation in his three National Leadership Conference competitive events during his four years in PHS BPA career and won two State championships.

Eric Blake, Scott Cawthon, Logan May and S Van Voorhis had strong performances in their individual competitive events.

9 members finished in the Top 25 at this year's National Leadership Conference

PHS had a school record 14 members qualify for the 2011 National Leadership Conference

This very successful 2011 National Leadership Conference capped off the most successful year in PHS BPA history.

Riverside Intermediate Scores Highest in the Nation

Riverside Intermediate Computer Applications teacher, Amy Gerard, received a notification today from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Riverside's sixth grade students scored the highest in the nation on the April edition of the FBI-SOS Internet Safety Challenge. For their student's outstanding accomplishments, Riverside Intermediate will be presented with the FBI-SOS National Trophy. Someone from the Indianapolis office of the FBI will be in Plymouth later this month to present a trophy to Riverside.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Lincoln Academic Super Bowl

This weekend the 7th and 8th grade Lincoln Academic Super Bowl Teams competed at the State Competition at Wawasee Middle School. The subject this year was Latin America and all of the teams had to learn, study and understand this information in order to compete. After a tight race throughout the morning, the Social Studies team of Drew Gerard, Jessica Stillson, Sarah Rundle and Libby Read placed first out of all of the teams in the area. The Language Arts team of Haylee Schuh, Megan Rust, Emma Trappe, Alex Jeffirs and Ian Bardwell also placed first, pulling ahead in the last couple of competition questions. Finally, the Interdisciplinary team, which is composed of Math (Janessa Salazar), Science (Brennan McPherron), SS (Drew Gerard), and LA (Ian Bardwell) placed a well-earned 3rd to secure their finish. The Math team consisting of Janessa Salazar and Brennan McPherron and the Science (Emily McKenzie, Sarah Tanner, Brennan McPherrson, and Curtis Smith) teams also had a great meet and worked hard this season! Congratulations to all of the students!

Proposed Calendar for 2011-12 School Year

This is the proposed calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. The calendar still needs to be voted for approval by the Board of Trustees. Is it on the agenda for the May 17, 2011 meeting.

PHS Newsletter

WORD FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Greetings Parents,

As most of you are aware, the end of the school year is accompanied by many important activities and events. The intent of this Parent Newsletter is to communicate to you important information related to our end of the year activities and simultaneously keep you abreast of progress made towards our two major projects, 1:1 computing and New Tech High School at PHS. After reading the Newsletter, feel free to contact me by phone or email should you have any questions or concerns. If you would rather meet with me in person to share information, please feel free to contact our main office and our receptionist will attempt to schedule an appointment. Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve your children at Plymouth High School.

Mr. Condon, Principal

REPORT CARDS AND END OF COURSE EXAMS (ECA)

Report cards and End of Course Exams ( ECA) score reports will be sent home with students on Monday April 25. The Indiana Department of Education welcomes requests to have a test rescored however, the rescore window ends April 29. Requests for rescoring must be initiated by parents. If you have questions regarding report cards or End of Course Exams, please contact your child’s counselor.

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR ACTIVITIES

Super Sunday

Super Sunday, inclusive of National Honor Society Induction, Academic Hall of Fame Induction, and Baccalaureate will be held on May 22. NHS induction will be held in the auditorium beginning at 1:00. The Academic Hall of Fame induction will be held in the Red Rock Cafe beginning at 3:00 and Baccalaureate will be held in the auditorium at 4:30. Information will soon be sent home to those students who will be inducted into NHS or the Academic Hall of Fame.

Senior Awards Day

Senior Awards Day is scheduled for Friday, May 27 and it will be held in the varsity gymnasium beginning at 8:15AM. Visitors are welcome and should enter PHS through door #7 which will be open at 7:30AM. All students in grades 9-12 will attend the convocation to witness the awarding of numerous scholarships in hopes that this will inspire them to work even harder in the classroom. Following the convocation, students in grades 9-11 will report to first period class while members of the senior class will report to the Multi Purpose Room for their large group brunch and the distribution of remaining non-monetary awards. Members of the Class of 2011 will also be given the opportunity to view their class video. Seniors will be dismissed from school early on May 27 following the completion of the awards convocation and senior brunch. I anticipate their dismissal occurring between 2:00PM and 3:00PM. Formal dress is required of all seniors who will be participating in the awards convocation and attending the brunch. Note the following dress guidelines for members of the class of 2011 as it relates to May 27:

Gentlemen – Dress slacks, shirt, tie, and dress shoes are required. While a sport coat is encouraged it is not required. Tennis shoes and sandals are not acceptable. Ladies – A dress or skirt and blouse is required along with a dress shoe. Flip-flop shoes are unacceptable. We encourage dresses or blouses to be worn that are in accordance with our dress code at school. This includes attempts to ensure that your shoulders are covered and that your back and area below your neckline is properly covered.

Members of the senior class who chose to challenge our expectations for proper dress on May 27 will not be awarded the privilege of participating in the convocation or attending the senior brunch with their peers.

Final Examinations

Final examinations will now be held on Friday, June 3 and Monday, June 6. It is critical that students are in attendance for their final examinations. Parents, we sincerely appreciate your cooperation in making sure that your child is present at school for final examinations. If at all possible, please refrain from requesting alternate test dates/times for final examinations for your child.

Summer School

Plymouth High School summer school classes will be held at Lincoln Junior High School. This will allow our technology department to make the necessary preparations in advance of PHS becoming a 1:1 computing environment for all students next fall. First summer school session will begin on June 8 and end on July 6. Summer school classes will not meet on July 4. Second summer school session will begin on July 7 and end on August 3. Contact Mrs. Portteus, PHS Director of Guidance, should you have questions related to summer school. Summer school classes to be offered will include:

Session 1 Session II Speech Advanced Speech Economics U.S. History B Economics – On Line Class Geometry B Government – On Line Class Government

U.S. History A Geometry A Language Arts Credit Recovery, grades 9-12

Note: Government and Economics are not offered during the second summer session.

Summer School registration will be conducted the week of April 25-April 29. Students will register in the PHS treasurer’s office before/after school and during Home Room/SRT. Payment must be made at the time of registration.

Commencement

Commencement activities for the Class of 2011 activities will be held on Thursday and Friday, June 9 and 10. Commencement practice will begin at 9:00 AM and will be held in the varsity gymnasium. Commencement will be held on Friday, June 10 at 7:30 PM. Our original plans were to attempt to hold this year’s commencement activities outside on the football field. However, due to concerns with sound, lighting, and of course the weather, we will once again hold the ceremony in the varsity gym. The auditorium will once again be open and air conditioned for those who wish to avoid

the heat that usually accompanies our graduation ceremonies in the gymnasium. Your graduation announcement cards, which were ordered quite some time ago, will still show that this year’s ceremony will be held outdoors on the football field. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The simple fact is that we had to submit the order for the announcement cards long before we could actually decide if an outdoors commencement ceremony was possible. The PHS Administration is currently researching options related to a possible insert or sticker which may be applied or included with the graduation announcement and if successful, we will share such information with you as soon as possible.

PROJECTS AT PHS

1:1 Computing at Plymouth High School

Beginning in the fall of 2011, all PHS students in grades 9-12 will receive a MacBook Pro Laptop Computer. To accomplish our goal, PHS has partnered with Apple on a four year lease. Laptops will be distributed on the first day of the school year. Students will be allowed to take their MacBook home with them and will be expected to charge the machine overnight in preparation of the next school day. The battery charge should last approximately 10 hours. Students will be assessed a nominal amount for the rental of their laptops each school year. Laptops will be returned prior to summer vacation for annual maintenance. We will spend time with students the first day of next school year discussing proper care and use of their MacBook. PHS will also offer a Parent University program at the beginning of the school year which will focus on proper care of the laptop and effective ways to monitor Internet use of your child.

New Tech High School

New Tech High School is coming to PHS! In the fall of 2012, The “Plymouth School of Inquiry” will accept applications from 100 students in the Class of 2016 . From that point forward, 100 students per subsequent graduating class will be allowed to join New Tech at the beginning of their Freshmen year of High School for a total enrollment of 400 New Tech students after year four. The PHS School of Inquiry will be far different from the New Tech programs offered at Rochester and Oregon Davis. Some of the important features of the PHS School of Inquiry are listed below:

• Students may chose to be part of our New Tech Program or not • New Tech students will have the opportunity to take a combination of New Tech classes and non New Tech classes which may include core classes, performing arts classes, visual arts classes, or general electives • New Tech classes will be integrated combining the curriculums from a minimum of two existing classes • Integrated courses will feature curriculum which is rigorous, relevant, and promotes partnerships with local business and industry • Integrated courses will be team-taught by two members of the PHS Faculty • New Tech classrooms will be twice the size of traditional classrooms due to the fact that enrollment in integrated classes will be larger • To create space for integrate classes, PHS will make some modifications to our existing structure but no additional construction outside the walls of the current building is being considered

Washington Discovery Academy

Textbook Adoption Display

Plymouth School Corporation will display textbook adoption choices in math and science in the Board Room of the administration building from Tuesday April 26 - Wednesday, May 11. If you would like to view the textbooks, please call 936-3115 to make an appointment for Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

PHS Academic Super Bowl Results

The Plymouth High School Academic Super Bowl students competed Tuesday night in the Indiana Academic Super Bowl Senior Division at Northridge. The Fine Arts and Social Studies team each earned third place finishes in their categories. They competed in the Class Two division. The theme for this year was Latin America.

The Social Studies team is coached by Mrs. Melissa Faulstich. The team members are Zach Mahan, Jose Ortiz Baca, Marco Ramirez Baca, and Maggie Buza.

The Fine Arts team is coached by Mr. Kim Hassett. The team members are Juan Chavez Reynaga, Brandon Baird, Yoselin Galeano, Monica Renteria, and Jose Ortiz Baca.

Riverside "Drive For the Kids" Fundraiser

CHRYSLER IS COMING TO RIVERSIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Parents team up with Country Auto to work for kids!

Plymouth, Indiana — On May 5, 2011, representatives from Chrysler and Country Auto will join with parents and teachers for a Drive for the Kids™ fundraiser in support of Riverside Intermediate School.

During Riverside’s Student Showcase, parents and guests can earn a $10 contribution for the school from Chrysler by taking a brief test drive in the company’s award winning minivan, the Chrysler Town & Country. Everyone is invited to join the fun. Any licensed driver, age 18 or over, may drive and earn $10 for Riverside Intermediate School. Chrysler Town & Country will provide minivans and insurance for the event, and volunteers from the dealership will be on hand to help out with the fundraising test drives. Driving times are from 5:30 to 7:00 PM.

“STUDENT SHOWCASE” will be fun for the whole family,” said Jeni Hirschy “and we are pleased to have this opportunity from Chrysler to push our fundraising goal over the top! Planned activities include: family dinner/social, viewing of student projects and displays, and school fundraiser.

In 1993, Chrysler introduced Drive for the Kids™ and became the first automotive manufacturer to directly support schools in the communities where the company does business. Since then, dealers like Chrysler Town & Country here in Plymouth have worked with parents in communities across the country, and Chrysler has contributed over $3.5 million to local schools.

PHS Band Earns Gold

Congratulations to the PHS Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble members!

The bands competed in the ISSMA Concert Band Competition at Concord H.S. on Friday. The bands received the top honor of a Gold Award rating and earned gold ratings from every judge. Three of the four judges nearly had PHS with a perfect score. The band additionally earned a rating in the sight-reading division.

This marks a perfect ISSMA record for the band for this school year earning Gold Award honors at every ISSMA event and qualifying the band for their 8th consecutive "All-Music Award" from the ISSMA office. This award is earned only by schools that compete in Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Solo and Ensemble State Finals and you must earn a Gold Award at every event to qualify.

Make Your Smartphone Safe

Parents may think that they are safe taking pictures of their children with a Smartphone. Please take a look at this video of an NBC News investigation. Please make sure everyone you know watches this video for the safety of all our children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2vARzvWxwY

Earthquake Preparedness Set for PCSC

Over 476,000 students in Indiana, including Plymouth, are registered to participate in the first ever Central United States ShakeOut earthquake drill. This drill will be the largest earthquake preparedness drill ever in central U.S. history and will be held at 10:15 a.m. (EST) on April 19, 2011.

This drill is a result of partnership from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Geological Survey, the Indiana Department of Education, and safety officials from eleven other states.

The basic drill would include drop, cover and hold on, which is a quake-safe action designed to protect lives and prevent injuries from falling furniture and falling objects that can become projectiles during ground shaking. Teachers and students would then evacuate the building according to their preparedness plan.

Plymouth is prepared to participate in this drill as we believe safety for our students is very important.

Webster Math-A-Thon

Webster Elementary 2^nd and 4^th graders recently participated in the St. Jude Children’s Hospital Math A Thon. Fifty-seven students in both grades collected donations from family members and friends. Students also received a fun math book to complete math problems. Our original goal was to raise $1,800.00, with each participating classroom goal being to raise $300.00. The students more than surpassed that $1,800.00 goal and were able to raise $3,527.15. Students earned prizes that were provided by St. Jude for reaching different donation levels.

Pictured are participants from each classroom:

Front row, left to right: Christian Thornton and Kelvin Mercer

Back Row, left to right: Sean Rettig, Ivan Avalos, Luke Walters, and Sydney Richer.

Update on Plymouth High School Pool

After close examination from an engineer, the pool will be open for use in the 2011-2012 season. Once again, we will limit the use to preserve the life of the pool. We can't stop looking for funding for another pool as the life of the high school pool is very short. The pool has already outlived its normal life expectancy because of the tremendous care our maintenance staff has given. So, swimmers, on your mark...

Lost Comment

This post was submitted before I closed comments. It did not appear because it was too long. I will see if it will appear this way.

Daniel Tyree, Superintendent

Thank you, Dan, for printing at last my signed comments on your “Plymouth Truth”. I was really surprised! Since you purposefully blocked any PCS employee from being able to receive any “Hawes” emails on PCS computers from our home computer a few years ago, I was not confident my response to your blog dissing Mrs. Vice would be able to even get through.

I am sure you recall blocking Hawes emails. Mike and I only realized you were blocking our home emails from PCS teachers when Sam (our son, I am sure you remember him) graciously sought to assist the Speech team find lodging in Birmingham for the National Speech meet, and his personal emails to the PCS speech coaches were blocked. He asked me to contact your brother-in-law to relay his offer to help the Speech Team, and that is when we learned you had blocked receipt of any email with the name Hawes..…When I thereafter questioned if that was ethical of you, you told me in writing that if I would promise to begin to “behave” (ie. Fall in to lock step with your demands) then you would allow me, a public citizen, free access to “your” employees. …. In seeking to assist a PCS student recently in my position as an Insource Advocate, I learned my access to PCS employees was still blocked by yourself—so thank you sincerely, as our PUBLIC school superintendent. for finally unlocking the door to my free expression once more. It is sad—and a bit scary-- that your historical actions forced a public debate before I could finally be heard.

The Plymouth Truth comments have been most interesting. For those Annonymous folks who have chosen to believe, based on most limited knowledge and understanding of the fully documented facts, that Mrs. Vice and I are ridiculous, wasting tax payers money, are on a personal agenda, etc. I would like to invite them to please call me directly (936-6853). IF they will properly identify themselves and conduct themselves in a civil matter—I would appreciate having an adult conversation regarding these serious issues with them. If anyone would like to review the documents (as one person asked) all they need to do is to ask Dan or his secretaries for the specific documents they need. (Readers: Please note, under Indiana Public Access Law, Dan and Roger are legally obligated within time restrictions to provide these public documents to any citizen who makes such a request for their review. If citizens wish to possess their own copies by hard copy, flash drive, etc. ---thanks to Mrs. Vice--Dan is now required to provide these public docuements at no additional expense to taxpayers!

In fact, Dan, given the public interest-- what about a debate between you and me, maybe on WTCA? We asked Kathy for that opportunity much earlier in this drama, but you refused. I again make that offer despite your fame as a debater/ speech coach. Though I might get flustered amidst your experienced speech tricks, I firmly believe my speaking truth would not be difficult.

As you and your board well know and as is exhaustively documented we, numerous other citizens, and our ethical attorneys have repeatedly asked, in writing, to meet with your public school board for a private, adult conversation since October 2007. Your response? Your local attorney Joe Morris wrote us that it was illegal for the school board to meet with us. (Hogwash! In fact, I understand that you told one (of many) PCS employees when you were forcing his unjust dismissal, when he asked to meet with the school board, you told him he could not. Again, Hogwash!) Your other Indianapolis attorney (paid over a hundred PUBLIC dollars per hour to protect you against me) Thomas E. Wheeler II , also wrote us--- threatening to sue us in writing if we persisted in our citizen efforts for the truth, for our laws and school policies to be upheld, for wrongdoers to be held accountable for OUR educational community’s welfare. However, for most obvious reasons—for self-serving reasons NOT student-serving reasons, you and your mute-by-choice once respected board has persistently refused to address these serious issues, including alleged criminal wrongs of computer tampering…..And now, there is a valid question about fraud and kickbacks.

Ironically, when we appealed to the local prosecutor Dave Holmes about these alleged criminal issues, he—as your good friend?-- has persistently refused to ever once meet to hear the strong testimony or to examine the evidence. (Recently, he is continues to refuse as a public official, as an officer of the court, to accept a certified, restricted letter from me , a citizen. Why?) And thereafter, Holmes willfully misrepresented (in writing no less) these facts to the Indiana State Police. Regretfully, due to close political connections with our Mayor Senter and his documented staunch supporter John Oliver, we firmly believe the Indiana State Police also chose to incorrectly interpret the law so they would not investigate the evidence of alleged criminal wrongdoing by our public school administrators, willfully and persistently covered up by the Plymouth school board.

The fully documented facts of this public school corruption is mind boggling. But, they are the real Plymouth Truth…..and they need to be justly addressed. We pray they will be, and soon. However, if no one of true integrity or legal authority dares to address this fully documented public corruption-- we are confident Our God will do so, in His time and in His way. He has promised. That’s not bringing “religion” into this discussion—that is relying on the One True God on Whom this great country was founded, and who has abundantly and mercifully blessed our country and ourselves --despite our grievous sins against Him.

I have great peace in that fact.

Mrs. Dare Hawes

Christian, Citizen and Public Educator

It's Over

I would like to thank all of you who weighed in on this issue. We have heard enough. I will no longer accept comments on this topic.

Technology Innovation Grant Awarded to Plymouth Community School Corporation

Congratulations to Plymouth Community School Corporation for being awarded another technology innovation grant from the Indiana Department of Education. This grant is valued at $200,000 and will help Plymouth students use technology to advance learning.

The Indiana Department of Education received 180 applications for this grant and only 22 were chosen to receive the grant. Congratulations and thanks go out to the writers of the grant Dan Funston and Janice Curtis.

Response to Diana Vice

Yesterday, Superintendent Daniel Tyree, Asst. Superintendent Rodger Smith, and PHS Principal Jim Condon were guests on the WTCA What's Your Opinion Show. The main topic was the roof project. Put together by Dave Schoof and Rodger Smith, the roof project came in at a savings of almost $200,000 and was the lowest cost per square foot roofing job proposed in Northern Indiana in the last six months.

Lafayette Blogger Diana Vice, fueled by Plymouth resident Dare Hawes, a contributor to Mrs. Vice’s blog, has accused Plymouth of breaking the law during the bidding process. They have also accused Todd Samuelson of breaking the law because of a conflict of interest. We made a complete presentation on WTCA on Thursday, March 31, 2011, detailing why no laws were broken by administrators or Todd Samuelson. Plymouth Community School Corporation also has all of the paperwork available should anyone choose to look at it.

During the radio broadcast, Mrs. Diana Vice called the station in a tirade, citing outdated law cases, incorrect statistics, and citing statute taken out of context. The call did not shed a favorable light on Mrs. Vice. Tony Ross and Kathy Bottorff caught on very quickly that Mrs. Vice had no case to stand on. When they pressed her for answers, she became very rattled and eventually ended the call without saying good-bye.

Mrs. Vice's blog is now full of accusations about Plymouth Schools and the roofing project. She has disabled the comment button so rational people cannot comment or report on the truth. If you are interested in hearing a podcast of the show, you can find it on WTCA's web site.

One of Mrs. Vice’s accusations is that Dr. Rodger Smith did not send her the information requested by her open access request. The technology team found the open access request reply that was sent to Mrs. Vice by e-mail from Dr. Rodger Smith on February 4, 2011, at 2:37 p.m.

Damon Howe "Pins" His 101st Career Win

Congratulations to Damon Howe who ended his high school wrestling career with a win March 13, 2011 at the Indiana/Illinois All-Star Dual. Damon beat Jason Huebbe of LaSalle Peru High School by a 4-3 score. Huebbe finished 3rd in the State in Illinois. This was Damon's 101st career win. Good luck to Damon next year as he pursues a college football career at Findlay University in Ohio.

Riverside Intermediate Holds Annual Spelling Bee

The annual Riverside Intermediate School 5th grade Spelling Bee was held on March 17, 2011 in the school gym. Nine students participated in the competition under the direction of Mrs. Amy Lewis, fifth grade teacher. The winner, Leah Smith, will represent the school in the county bee which will be held at Argos on Monday, May 2nd. The runner up was Autumn Wilson.

The participants pictured are (L to R) Front row, Winston Carrington, Leah Smith, Jena Downs, Kaylee Hartz, (Middle) Kegan Thomas and Brenna Sullivan; (Back) Olivia Emmons, Autumn Wilson, and Emma Daniels.

Kindergarten Round-Up Set for April 7, 2011

Since non-resident students now can attend Plymouth Community School Corporation (PCSC) with no tuition, PCSC will host the annual Kindergarten Round-up on April 7, 2011 in all Plymouth Elementary Schools. Parents are invited to bring their children to Plymouth.

Resident parents should attend their specific school district round-up. Non-resident parents may attend the round-up at any of the four Plymouth Elementary Schools; however, their child may be placed at another Plymouth School to balance class size.

There will be two sessions. Parents and children need only attend one session. The 1st session is at 1:30 p.m. The 2nd session is at 6:00 p.m. Each session should last no longer than one hour.

Please bring an original copy of your child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and a social security number. The schools will make copies of the originals. For Spanish speaking Kindergartners and parents, interpreters will be available. During the hour-long Round-Up, parents will meet with administrators and fill out registration forms; children will meet with Kindergarten teachers for screening.

In order to be eligible for Round-Up this year, your child needs to be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2011.

For those unsure of which building their child will attend, please call the transportation department at 574-936-3169.