OLIVER FORD - DRIVE ONE 4uR SCHOOL

On Saturday, May 1st, Oliver Ford along with the PHS Athletic Dept. and the PHS Athletic Booster Club will again sponsor the Drive One 4uR School. The event will be May 1st from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at the PHS parking lot in front of the Rockpile. Every 5 minute driving test will pay PHS $20.00. 300 drivers is all that is needed. Requirements are - must be 18, valid driver's license and limited to one test drive per household. If we get 300 valid drivers, Oliver Ford will kick in another $500.00.

The big kick off will be Thursday evening, April 1st, at PHS 6:00 pm at the Booster Club spring sport picture night.

Along with the Drive One 4uR School fundraiser, the cheerleaders will be selling raffle tickets for an IPOD touch, nano, shuffle, Gateway netbook, and a big BBQ grill (donated by Oliver Ford). Raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. Drawing for the raffle will be May 1st. Raffle tickets can be bought from any PHS cheerleader, in the PHS athletic office or Oliver Ford.

PHS Distinguished Alumni Award

Nominations are now being accepted at Plymouth High School and until April 17, 2010, for the PHS Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Award which will be presented at the 2010 Alumni Association Banquet on June 18, 2010.

After all nominations are received, the committee will review the nominations and select a PHS alumnus who has made a significant contribution in his/her field or has been of exceptional service to his/her profession either locally, statewide, and/or nationally.

A nomination form may be obtained at PHS, Marshall County Historical Society, WTCA, Plymouth Library, Chamber of Commerce, Marshall County Convention and Tourism Bureau or from any committee member.

The Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame committee members are James Condon, PHS Principal; Larry Pinkerton, retired PHS principal who originated the award in 1984; Jack Greenlee, Class of 1947; Sally Johnson Greenlee, Class of 1966; Larry Holloway, Class of 1962; Beverly Kelso Brummett, Class of 1965; Mary Lee Williams Rudd, Class of 1951; Karen MacLain Liedtky, Class of 1977; and Jane Faulstich, Class of 1985 and Laura Jeffirs Kruyer, Class of 1988, PHS teachers and co-chairpersons.

Previous winners of the award are Major General Larry N. Tibbetts, Class of 1952; James L. Parsons, Class of 1933 and Dr. Foster and Louise Link Montgomery, Class of 1930; Commodore Schuyler F. Heim, Class of 1902; Mearl D. Strombeck, Class of 1918; Walter A. Glaub, Class of 1932 and Charles O. Glaub, Class of 1935; Noble E. Kizer, Class of 1919; Lt. Col Lewis L. Hawkins, Class of 1948; Donald R. Minix, Class of 1940; Florence Hoham, Class of 1922; George F. Stevens, Class of 1920; Dr. Edith Boyer Schuman Tackitt, Class of 1923; Dr. Ruth Mangun Holland, Class of 1942; C. Arthur Thomas, Class of 1926; Dr. M. Sue Pifer, Class of 1957; Marshall F. Kizer, Class of 1925; Dr. James Harley Kellar, Class of 1939; Frederick C. Morrow, Class of 1941; Robert L. Hileman, Class of 1940; Scott Skiles, Class of 1982; Lester D. Read, Class of 1943; Francis Wilson Johnson, Class of 1933; Clifford Linedecker, Class of 1950, Don Aker, Class of 1949; Fred Kehoe, Class of 1946; Steve Yoder, Class of 1958, and Ray Roth, Class of 1963

A display of Hall of Fame winners is visible in the North Lobby at PHS.

There are many PHS graduates who qualify for the award. Please consider someone and submit the nomination. Nominations not selected are kept permanently to be reviewed for the following years.

ATTENTION: PHS Athletes and Parents

Charlie Adams will be in the Red Rock Cafe at Plymouth High School on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss with parents and athletes "What it takes to become a collegiate athlete from a recruiting expert".

All athletes and parents are encouraged to attend.

Past Recipients of PEA Scholarships

My name is Beth Garrity and I am a senior at Taylor University this year. I am majoring in Elementary Education and Special Education and will graduate this spring. I graduated from Plymouth High School in 2006. That spring I was the recipient of a PEA Scholarship. I just wanted to thank everyone who participates in the ticket sales for the PEA Chicken Dinner which helped me attend college. I have gotten to attend an amazing university that, I think, has prepared me well for my future. I am currently student teaching at Webster Elementary in Mrs. Houin's third grade classroom. Thank you for helping make my dreams of being a teacher a reality.

Geoff Scheetz was the recipient of a PEA scholarship in 2005. Geoff is teaching at Jefferson School this year. He was hired to teach third grade and second grade for teachers on leave.

Megan Barker teaches kindergarten at Menominee School. She is our third recipient of a PEA scholarship.

We are fortunate to have these three PHS graduates working for the Plymouth Schools.

The Plymouth Education Association (PEA) sponsors an annual Nelson’s Port-a-Pit Chicken and Bake Sale as a non-profit fundraiser to award scholarships to PHS seniors pursuing a degree in education. Our chicken and bake sale will be Friday, April 9th. Tickets are on now on sale.
Tickets are being sold by 138 members.

Riverside Intermediate Production of Peter Pan

Riverside Intermediate School will present the play "Peter Pan" under the direction of teachers Mrs. Jamie Briles and Mrs. Shelley Shafer on Monday, March 15th.

The cast will perform at 1:00 P.M., 2:00 P.M. and 6:30 P.M. that day.

The cast is pictured: Stars: Zoe Keilman, Hannah Walker, Guiliana Davis and Cassie McPherron; Family: Gabby Garver, Jon Eberly, Amber Blissmer, Victoria Styers, Patrick Houser, Eric Burch, Courtney Bradley; Peter Pan-Jenna Morgan, Sarah Walker; Shadow-Cameron Carter; Tinker Bell-Hannah Puckett; Pirates-Lanae Singleton, Austin Read, Katie Bowling, Haylie Lewandowski, Sophia Smith, Josh Eberly; Crocodile:Rachael Kellerstraus; Lost Boys: Haley McFarland, Haley Mills, Lauren Deisch,Maggie Phillips, Madisyn Deisch; Indians: Alli Dennie, Taylor O'Neal, Riley Rose; Mermaids:Emily McKenzie, Hanna Hopple, Erin Hunter; and Stage Crew: Will Houser, Cam Maddox, Ashley Harrell, and Dalton Briles.

Northwest Indiana NFL National Qualification Tournament Results

The Speech Team hosted the Northwest Indiana NFL National Qualification tournament here at PHS over the weekend.

Numerous individuals had outstanding days advancing to semi-final and final rounds. Plymouth also saw several students qualify for the national tournament in June. Jon Tyree qualified in Drama. Andy Langdon and Sam Compton qualified in Humor. Patrick Felke qualified in International Extemp. Bryt Hiatt qualified in USA Extemp. Zach Wendt and Nick Houin as well as Cam Robertson and Katie Morrow qualified in Duo. Jon, Andy, and Cam also qualified in other events at the tournament but are only allowed to attend nationals in one.

Congratulations to all! Now, let's get ready to bring home another state championship!

State Champion Winter Performance

The PHS Winter Performance Ensemble (winter guard and winter drumline) had a GREAT weekend!

The PHS band department won its first-ever state championship this weekend at the I.H.S.C.G.A. Class 3A State Finals hosted at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis.

Plymouth had to compete against 35 other high schools (nearly 4 hours of non-stop competition). Plymouth achieved an almost unheard of CLEAN SWEEP of every judge on the panel (total of 6 judges in 12 categories). Plymouth placed 1st (out of all 36 schools involved) in every single category at the event!

This is the first state championship the band department has ever earned and also the first time in PHS history that a group from Plymouth earned an additional Gold Rating at this event.

The same day, the winter drumline performed at the I.P.A. State Prelims at Avon High School competing against 20 other high schools. Plymouth had a GREAT performance at this event and also advanced to the state finals for the first time ever in Class 2A! The I.P.A. state finals will be this coming weekend at Ben Davis High School.

The following students are in the Winter Drumline and Winter Guard:

Amy McLiver
Sami Guerrero
Danyelle Ganshorn
Yolanda Fish
Rinda Scott
Ana Miranda
Crystal Fox
Tori Fox
Cynthia Lua
Addie Palmer
Katie Lee
Stephen Johnson
Leah Cook
Lindsey Holloway
Patrick Gouvenuer
Jake Harley
Brittany Halsey
Greg Rundle
Adam Fish
Justin Buchert
Tori MacLain
Elizabeth Wolford
Jacob Pritchard
Elizabeth Oviedo
Kameron Eisenhour
Zach Mahan
Zach Craft
Taylor Jones
Tonya Roeder
Jared Beabout
Caitlin Jung

BPA State Leadership Conference Results

The following members competed at the BPA State Leadership Conference in Indianapolis on March 7-9, 2010 and will be advancing to the National BPA Leadership Conference.

Payroll Accounting
Stefan Baird-State Runner-Up-2nd
Sam Webster-3rd

Spreadsheet Analysis
Stefan Baird-State Champion-1st
Gage Egierski-State Runner-Up-2nd

Prepared Speech
Shara Hudson-State Champion-1st
Sarah Gouker-3rd

Fundamental Word Processing
Kaitlyn Brettin-3rd

Administrative Support Team-3rd
Preston Bastardo
Scott Cawthon
Shara Hudson
Mike Treat


Medical Office Procedures
Emily Knapp-State Runner-Up-2nd

Medalist Winners in Open Events:

Financial Math and Analysis-Stefan Baird-State Champion-1st

Insurance Concepts-Dalton Bergeron-4th

This year PHS finished third, behind only Pike and Lake Central. The 2010 State Leadership Conference has been the most successful SLC in PHS history. PHS is a sending a school record 10 members to National Leadership Conference.

School Reach Test Reminder

This Sunday, March 14, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. Plymouth Community Schools will test their new Emergency Notification Telephone Service to parents called School Reach.

The message from the superintendent of schools will be sent in both Spanish and English. If you are a parent of a Plymouth student and don't receive the test phone call please contact the secretary at the school or schools where your children attend and give them your phone number. If you receive the test phone call and don't wish to be included in the service you should contact the secretary at the school or schools where your children attend.

Menominee Kindergarten Student State Wrestling Champ

This past weekend six members of the Plymouth Wrestling Club participated in the Indiana State Wrestling Association (ISWA) Tournament at the Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.

Menominee Elementary Kindergarten (Ms. Barker) student, David Hunsberger (6 yrs), finished the 2010 season with a state title. He brought home a first place win by defeating his opponents with 2 pins and 2 decisions. Hunsberger is the son of David and Katie Hunsberger.

Spelling Bee Finalist

Richard (Ricky) Cooper III, a sixth grade student at Riverside Intermediate School in Plymouth, was the third place finisher in the Notre Dame Spelling Bee that was held at the Hammes Bookstore on Saturday, March 6th.

The competition lasted more than three hours and featured about 50 northern Indiana students in grades 4 through 6. As the third place finisher, Ricky received a trophy, a football, and tickets to the Blue/Gold game at Notre Dame.

Congratulations Ricky!!

Plymouth Regional Boys Basketball Ticket Info

Regional Tickets will be sold as follows:

Wednesday, March 10, Parents of varsity players, managers and cheerleaders, high school students and high school employees from 12:00 – 3:00 PM - - SEASON TICKET HOLDERS ONLY.

Wednesday, March 10, From 3:30 – 4:30 PM - Plymouth Community School Corp. Employees – season ticket holders only.

Season Tickets holders - Tickets will go on sale from 5:00 – 6:30 PM
in the athletic hallway. Everyone must pick up their own tickets.

Thursday, March 11,
Non season ticket holders 8:00 – 4:00 PM.

Seats for the regional will not be reserved.

All Tourney tickets are $9.00

Sectional Tournament Results

I had the pleasure to attend two Plymouth High School Sectional Tournaments this weekend.

The first was the Basketball Sectional. For coach Kevin Stuckmeyer, it was his first sectional championship and hopefully to be followed by many more. For the players, they played hard and represented Plymouth High School like we would expect them to. They lived up to the legacy left by many sectional champions before them and will take that legacy to Chesterton High School next weekend to face Gary Lew Wallace for a shot at the semi-state basketball tournament.

The second was the Speech Sectional. For veteran coach Dave McKenzie, it was his tenth in a row since moving to Plymouth. Once again, the well-dressed and articulate students represented Plymouth High School like we would expect them to. They also lived up to the legacy left by sectional champions from the last three decades. They will take this legacy to the District Speech Tournament this Saturday at Plymouth High School where students will be competing for a shot at the National Speech Tournament.

Basketball and Speech; two proud traditions of Plymouth High School. Good luck to all the players, speakers, coaches, and fans.

Aren't we all proud to be from Plymouth?

PHS Jazz Ensemble

The PHS Jazz Ensembles competed in the ISSMA Jazz Competition this weekend at LaPorte High School.

PHS came out on top with both the PHS Jazz Ensemble and the PHS Jazz Combo earning Gold Awards at the event.

Congratulations to the students in the jazz ensembles:
Stephen Boener
Stephen Johnson
Taylor Jones
Mike Berger
Jesse DeVault
Addie Palmer
Nate Johnson
Caitlin Coombs
Tabitha Sherwood
Jake Harley
Patrick Gouvenuer
Zach Craft
Caitlin Jung
Jack Garrison

PHS Winter Drumline and Color Guard

Congratulations to the PHS Winter Drumline and Color Guard. The group won their first-ever championship this weekend at the I.P.A. tournament hosted by Warsaw. Groups from across Northern Indiana competed at the event and PHS came out on top!

The team will now compete at the State Preliminaries this coming weekend at Avon High School. Only 7 schools in the state will advance to the State Finals event on March 20th.

The following students are in the Winter Drumline and Guard:
Amy McLiver
Sami Guerrero
Danyelle Ganshorn
Yolanda Fish
Rinda Scott
Ana Miranda
Crystal Fox
Tori Fox
Cynthia Lua
Addie Palmer
Katie Lee
Stephen Johnson
Leah Cook
Lindsey Holloway
Patrick Gouvenuer
Jake Harley
Brittany Halsey
Greg Rundle
Adam Fish
Justin Buchert
Tori MacLain
Elizabeth Wolford
Jacob Pritchard
Elizabeth Oviedo
Kameron Eisenhour
Zach Mahan
Zach Craft
Taylor Jones
Tonya Roeder
Jared Beabout
Caitlin Jung

State Wrestling Results

Damon Howe, a Plymouth High School Junior, placed 5th in the State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Indianapolis.

Congratulations to Damon for this outstanding accomplishment.

Riverside 5th Grade Basketball Results

The 5th grade Riverside Rockets A team won the Riverside Tournament last Saturday defeating Knox in the championship game 34-13.

To get to the championship, the Lady Rockets beat Argos 19-15. Nicole Horvath lead the team with 17 points, Ashley Harrell added 12 points. Victoria Styers had 9 points, Destiny Schoff had 6 points, Brittani Splix had 4 points, Erin Hunter had 2 points, and Lanae Singleton had 3 points.

The Lady Rockets are 8-0 on the season!

PHS Results at the ASCE Bridge Bust Competition at Purdue

On Monday, March 1, 2010, 22 Plymouth students competed at the 33rd Annual ASCE Bridge Bust Competition at Purdue. There were 11 schools that brought teams to the competition for a total of 66 bridges. Bridges were judged in two categories: Aesthetics and Structural Efficiency. Here are the results for the top five Plymouth bridges and where they placed at Purdue:

Structural Efficiency:
1. Robbie Miller & Kate Glassburn
2. Santiago Ibarra & Jeff Overmyer
3. Cody Benjamin & Josh Phillips
4. Sean McClellan & Lucas Hill
5.Matt Libersky

Aesthetics:
1. Santiago Ibarra & Jeff Overmyer
2. Robbie Miller & Kate Glassburn
3. Cassie Hopper & Faith Fish
4. Sean McClellan & Lucas Hill
5. Joel Hartung & Kyle Matthews

Clay Hilliard - State Elk's Hoop Shoot Contest Winner

Clay Hilliard, a 3rd grade student at Webster Elementary, has now won the local, regional, and State Elk's Hoop Shoot Contest!

He has made 23 of 25 free throws in both the regional and State. He now advances to the Midwest competition between Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana which will be held in Angola, Indiana.

Congratulations to Clay on his great success!

Immunization Clinic - Riverside Intermediate

In 2010-2011, the State of Indiana school immunization requirements will change for students entering the 6th thru 12th grade. In anticipation of these changes, the Marshall County Health Department will be hosting a FREE IMMUNIZATION CLINIC for Riverside students only at Riverside Intermediate School on March 17, 2010. Notification was sent home with students who will be needing immunizations. Parents need not be present, but signed permission forms must be returned prior to the clinic. All parents are encouraged to take advantage of this onsite clinic in order to avoid the rush before school starts in August.

New requirements are:
Tdap ( Tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis) must be given after the tenth birthday
Menactra ( Meningitis)
Two Varicella (chickenpox) or written date of disease.

They will offer Hep B and IPV if necessary.

Please contact the school at (574) 936-3787 if you have any questions.

Plymouth Community Schools - Spring Break Dates

Monday, March 22, 2010, through Friday, March 26, 2010 school will not be in session due to Spring Break.

ISSMA Solo and Ensemble - PHS State Results

The PHS band participated in the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble State Finals this past weekend at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

PHS had 32 students that advanced to the state tournament.

The following students took top honors with a Gold Award rating.

Adam Fish - flute solo and woodwind ensemble

Jacob Pritchard - woodwind ensemble

Stephen Johnson - trumpet solo and brass quintet

Jesse DeVault - brass quintet

Brittany Halsey - woodwind ensemble

Amy McLiver - woodwind ensemble

Holli Spier - woodwind ensemble

Jared Beabout - woodwind ensemble

Faith Fish - woodwind ensemble

Katelyn Brashere - woodwind ensemble

Addie Palmer - woodwind ensemble and string trio

Greg Rundle - woodwind ensemble

Chris Eberly - woodwind ensemble

Elizabeth Wolford - woodwind ensemble

Cameron Pifer - string trio

Kayla Arriaga - string trio

Jacob Shafer - brass quintet

Katie Lee - brass quintet

Stephen Boener - brass quintet

Congratulations students on a job well done representing PHS at the state level!

LJH - Winter Guard

The newly formed Lincoln Jr. High School Winter Guard had their first-ever competition this weekend. The Lincoln Guard did an outstanding job representing Plymouth at the event! The guard earned a high enough score to place as a Silver Medalist.

Above is a photo of the Lincoln Winter Guard at the Anderson Highland IHSCGA tournament.

Marshall County Reading Council Young Author's Essay Contest

Grade 5 and Grade 6 students participated in the Marshall County Reading Council Young Authors’ Essay Contest. The topic for the 25th Anniversary contest was: 25 Years into the Future.

Finalist from Riverside
Front Left to Right – Karly Gruett, Alex Walter, Trevor Fisher, Laynie Caras, Katie Johnson

Back Left to Right – Allie Tharp, Gabby Garver, Lauren Deisch, Anya Hettich, Dana Kiefer

Winners from Riverside were:
Grade 5 – Katie Johnson
Grade 6 – Gabby Garver

Riverside Student Receives Writing Award

Quentin Gawronski, son of Kristy and Joel Gawronski of Plymouth, was recently notified that he is a winner in a state writing contest promoting disability awareness.

The contest is sponsored each year by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Indiana, Inc. Quentin has been invited to a special award dinner in Indianapolis where he will receive a cash prize.

He is a sixth grader at Riverside Intermediate school and learned of the contest from his teacher, Mrs. Sharon Scott.

Riverside 5th Grade Recorder Pep Band

The 5th grade Recorder Pep Band, under the direction of music teacher, Mrs. Jamie Briles, performed during the 5th grade girls' basketball game at Riverside Intermediate School on February 25th after school.

The Rockets school spirit was evident everywhere!

See the Pilot News Website for actual live action!

7th Grade Girls Basketball Results

The Lincoln Jr. High 7th grade girls A team won the Benjamin Franklin (Valparaiso) Middle School Tournament on Saturday. The girls won their first game over Grimmer Middle School 23-13. Kirstin Riise lead the team with eight points Hunter Stevens had six points and Haley Harrell had 5 points. Kylee Rippy added four points. Kaydon Folser and Emily Trump added some key defensive minutes. Abby Patrick, Carly Berger and Libbie Portteus did a great job rebounding for the team.

For the championship game, the girls played Ben Franklin Middle School and won 22-14. Hunter Stevens lead the team with ten points. Haley Harrell had five points, Kirstin Riise had four points and Kylee Rippy added three points. Allie Wright had some key defensive stops throughout the game.

Riverside 5th Grade Girls Basketball Team Results

The girls 5th grade A basketball team won the North Liberty Tournament last Saturday beating LaVille 18-10. To get to the championship, the ladies defeated North Liberty 20-2. All the girls contributed both offensively and defensively in the two big wins! The Lady Rockets are 4-0 on the year. The A team consists of Hanna Hopple, Miranda Southwell, Destiny Schoff, Lanae Singleton, Ashley Harrell, Rachel Hilty, Nicole Horvath, Kennedy Snyder, Erin Hunter, Brittani Splix, Maddie Samuelson, Alli Dennie, and Victoria Styers. Student Manager- Chanelle Taylor Coach- Kimberley Burns Volunteer Assistant- Tosha Hamann

The 5th grade girls B Team finished second in the North Liberty Tournament, losing 14-12 in the final seconds of the championship game. The 3-1 Lady Rockets came from behind to make it the most hard fought game of the year. The B Team consists of Alaysha Jackson, Victoria Leazenby, Mackenzie Derifield, Shania Northern, Amber Blissmer, Cassie McPherron, Lexie Stein, Sierra Strickland, Courtney Bradley, Destinee Hartwig, Zoe Keilman, Madison Stevens, and Haley McFarland. Student Manager- Chanelle Taylor Coach- Kimberley Burns Volunteer Assistant- Tosha Hamann

Both teams will host a 5th Grade Tournament at Menominee Elementary Saturday, February 27th beginning at 9 am.

Come out and support the Lady Rockets!

WSBT TV I Love to Read Challenge - VOTE!

WSBT's Alyssa Rossomme will be visiting one of these lucky schools Tuesday, February 23rd.


Oregon Davis Elementary
Knox Community Elementary
Menominee Elementary
North Judson Elementary


Be sure to place your votes between 5 am and 7 am tomorrow morning! Online - Visit http://www.wsbt.com and the option to vote is under the Question of the Day on the right side of your screen. You can vote as many times as you like.

State High School ISMAA Solo and Ensemble Results

Plymouth High School’s choirs did an outstanding job at the State ISMAA Solo and Ensemble contest Saturday. Results follow.


GOLD AWARDS- VOCAL SOLOISTS

1. Sarah Gouker
2. Courtney Harris
3. Olivia Hilliard
4. Danielle Lenne
5. Tayler May
6. Amy McLiver
7. Shelly Ortiz
8. Alison Sherk
9. Tyler Switzer


SILVER AWARDS- VOCAL SOLOISTS

1. Katie Galloway
2. Priscilla Hammonds
3. Heather Rohr

GOLD AWARDS- ENSEMBLES

1. Gouker Ensemble- Grace Anders, Tori Fox and Sarah Gouker
2. Lenne Ensemble- Angelina Jung, Ashley Lenne, Danielle Lenne and Heather Rohr
3. Ortiz Ensemble- Grace Anders, Kendall Cooper, Tori Fox, Cassie Gaines, Jessie Gibbs, Sarah Gouker, Courtney Harris, Olivia Hilliard, Angelina Jung, Ashley Lenne, Danielle Lenne, Tayler May, Shelly Ortiz and Heather Rohr

SILVER AWARDS- ENSEMBLE

1. Switzer Ensemble- Jack Bowen, Cassie Gaines, Maggie Howard, Angelina Jung, Tayler May, Shelly Ortiz, Scott Read, Heather Rohr, Ty Shively and Tyler Switzer

Where are they now?

We all know about Morgan Uceny's bid for the US Olympic Team two years ago, but where is she now?

Well, recently Morgan was interviewed by Runner's World. See the interview in the attached link.

http://dailynews.runnersworld.com/2010/02/a-brief-chat-with-morgan-uceny.html#more-1696

SchoolReach Information

Parents,

In our effort to improve communication between parents, students, and schools, March 14, 2010 Plymouth Community School Corporation is implementing a telephone broadcast system that will enable school personnel to notify all households and parents by phone within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event that causes early dismissal, school cancellation or late start. The service may also be used from time-to-time to communicate general announcements or reminders. This service is provided by SchoolReach, a company specializing in school-to-parent communications.

Please see the link for the English or Spanish version of the introduction letter and form. Please complete the form and send it to each of your student(s) school(s).

English Version: http://www.plymouth.k12.in.us/School%20Reach.pdf

Spanish Version: http://www.plymouth.k12.in.us/School%20Reach%20-%20Spanish.pdf

State Swimming Results

This past weekend Plymouth High School junior, Kenzie Miller, competed at the State Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.

Kenzie competed and placed well enough on Friday night to swim in the championship heats Saturday afternoon in both of her events: 200 IM and 100 BACK.

Swimming against the best teams in the state, Kenzie medaled and placed 6th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.30 and medaled and placed 7th in the 100 back with a time of :56.88.

Congratulations Kenzie-great season and great job representing Plymouth High School!

PHS Art Students Win Top Awards

Plymouth Artists
(l-r) Jordan Harner, Kasey Litts, Zach Craft, and Brandon Baird. Not pictured: Allyson Gergely

2010 marks the 87th anniversary of the Scholastic Art Awards, which is a juried exhibition at THE SOUTH BEND REGIONAL MUSEUM OF ART conducted to encourage and recognize junior and senior high school student achievements in visual arts. With the support of national and regional co-sponsors, the Scholastic Art Awards program has grown to become the largest and oldest juried exhibition of its kind in the United States.

Several Plymouth High School art students received high honors at the Northwestern Regional Scholastic Art Awards Contest held recently. Schools from eighteen counties in northern Indiana and southern Michigan entered artwork in the contest.

Brandon Baird won a Gold Key award for his exceptional fashion illustration, which will be forwarded to New York for national-level judging. Zach Craft received two Silver Key awards for his work in Digital Design. Jordan Harner received an Honorable Mention in Drawing and Kasey Litts received an Honorable Mention in Digital Design. Allison Gergely also received an Honorable Mention for her Portfolio submission. An Award Ceremony and Reception will be held at the South Bend Museum of Art this Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:30 p.m.

February 11, 2010 - 2 Hour Delay

Plymouth Schools will operate on a 2 hour delay today, February 11, 2010.

IUSB Evening Classes

IUSB classes held at Plymouth High School for this evening, February 10, 2010, have been cancelled.

Schedule Adjustments Due to Weather

Girls Basketball Sectional @ PHS
The 2 games scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, 2010, have been cancelled and moved to Friday, February 12, 2010. Plymouth will play CGA @ 6:00 p.m. Friday's semi final games will be played on Saturday, February 13, 2010 and the championship game Monday, February 15, 2010.

PHS Boys Basketball
The Plymouth vs. Warsaw game @ Warsaw will be played as scheduled on Thursday, February 11, 2010.

Friday, February 12, 2010
School will not be in session for students on Friday, February 12, 2010. A teacher in-service day is planned.

Monday, February 15, 2010
School WILL BE in session.

Schools Closed

Plymouth Schools are closed today. The day will be made up Monday, February 15 which was already scheduled as a snow make up day.

2 Hour Delay

Plymouth Schools will operate under a 2 hour delay today.

Updated: PHS Evening Activities

Due to weather conditions and to ensure safety for our students & staff all PHS athletic and extra-curricular practices will end at 5:15 p.m. today.

The high school girls basketball sectional will be held tonight. The new starting time for the Rochester vs. St Joe game is at 6:30 p.m.

The only cancellation this evening is the after school academy assistance program held in the PHS library.

LJH ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Results

Lincoln Junior High School had several instrumental students compete in the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble competition this weekend and all of them made a great showing in their categories.

Earning Bronze Medals:
Mariana Olvera - Flute
Ira Tillman - Bassoon

Earning Silver Medals:
Ian Bardwell - Cello
Hope Babcock - Flute
Lauren Winkler - Oboe
Jessica Sayer - Clarinet
Lexi Fetters - Clarinet
Holly Gosky - Clarinet
Jessica Beagle - Clarinet
Mariah Tepper - Clarinet
Alyssa Egierski - Alto Saxophone
Rachel Hacha - Alto Saxophone
McKenzie Goble - Tenor Saxophone
Tucker Pletcher - Tenor Saxophone
Kathryn Hickman - Flute Trio
Kathryn Burke - Flute Trio
Korie Rice - Flute Trio
Will Sibal - Trumpet
Jose Figueroa - Baritone
Joseph Brennan - Tuba
Breanna Morrow - String Quartet
Korie Rice - String Quartet
Kathryn Hickman - Struing Quartet
Ian Bardwell - String Quartet
Cody Gamble - String Quartet
Jessica Knill - String Quartet
Karissa Krou - String Quartet
Amanda Wolford - String Quartet

Earning Gold Medals:
Rachel Hartman - Flute
Kelly Henderson - Flute
Miranda Hacha - Oboe
Gracie Gilbertson - Clarinet
Courteney Keller - Clarinet
Shannon May - Bass Clarinet
Tyler Wagner - Alto Saxophone
Luke Schumacher - Alto Saxophone
David Walsh - Alto Saxophone
Kyle Barry - Baritone Saxophone
Megan Leonard - Baritone Saxophone
Tylor Broggren - Trumpet
Libby Read - Trumpet
Nicholas Byron - Trumpet
John Stillson - Trombone
Konnor Smith - Percussion
Sarah Iwinski - Percussion
Eric Jung - Percussion
Brandon Knepper - Percussion
Chandlor Lamb - Percussion
Zachary Lee - Percussion
Nate Mahan - Percussion
Chandler Price - Percussion
Kylie Redman - Percussion
Masen Sanchez - Percussion
Karissa Krou - Viola Trio
Emma Libersky - Viola Trio
Ian Rettig - Viola Trio

Congratulations to all participants!

Band and Orchestra ISSMA District Solo and Ensemble Results

The High School Band and Orchestra participated in the annual ISSMA District Solo and Ensemble Competition at Kokomo H.S. Many students participated in the event from both the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band and the Orchestra.

The following 32 students earned their Gold rating in Group I and will advance on to state on February 27th:

Adam Fish - flute solo and woodwind ensemble
Jacob Pritchard - oboe solo and woodwind ensemble and mallet ensemble
Taylor Jones - trumpet solo
Stephen Johnson - trumpet solo and brass quintet
Jesse DeVault - trombone solo and brass quintet and mallet ensemble
Leah Cook - snare solo and mallet ensemble
Brittany Halsey - woodwind ensemble
Amy McLiver - woodwind ensemble
Holli Spier - woodwind ensemble
Megan Fisher - woodwind ensemble
Jared Beabout - woodwind ensemble
Faith Fish - woodwind ensemble
Katelyn Brashere - woodwind ensemble
Addie Palmer - woodwind ensemble and string trio
Greg Rundle - woodwind ensemble
Chris Eberly - woodwind ensemble
Matt Lee - woodwind ensemble
Elizabeth Wolford - woodwind ensemble
Gentry Heisler - woodwind ensemble
Katie Shaffer - woodwind ensemble
Cameron Pifer - string trio
Kayla Arriaga - string trio
Parker Miller - mallet ensemble
Lindsey Holloway - mallet ensemble
Jacob Shafer - brass quintet
Katie Lee - brass quintet
Stephen Boener - brass quintet
Jordan Harner - brass quintet
Nelson Wagner - brass quintet
Travis Plumley - brass quintet
Tonya Roeder - brass quintet
RJ Dudash - brass quintet

In addition to advancing to the state finals, one ensemble earned a perfect score for their performance (very difficult to do in the Group I division):

Leah Cook
Lindsey Holloway
Jacob Pritchard
Jesse DeVault
Parker Miller

CONGRATULATIONS!

Lock Down

Plymouth High School is under a lock down at this time. This is a routine lock down. Studets are not in any danger.

Dancing with the Stars - Riverside Teacher Wins!

Riverside teacher, Tara Sharp, and PHS graduate, Devan Garcia, won the 2nd Annual Dancing with the Stars competition Saturday night at Swan Lake Resort.

The event raises funds for the Neighborhood Center and Lincoln's 5 Star program. Funds raised at the event surpassed the $50,000.00 mark.

Congratulations to Tara for a job well done.

State IHSFA Debate Tournament

The State IHSFA Debate Tournament in Indianapolis has been canceled for this weekend.

PHS Vocal Solo and Ensemble District Results

Several PHS student musicians participated in the Vocal Solo and Ensemble District Competition on Saturday, January 30th. The medal tally was 24 gold, 10 silver and 1 bronze. Those students who entered in Division I and received a gold rating will be moving on to compete in the State competition on February 20th in Indianapolis.

The following students received a Gold in Division I:
Katie Galloway
Gouker Ensemble
Sarah Gouker
Priscilla Hammonds
Courtney Harris
Olivia Hilliard
Lenne Ensemble
Danielle Lenne
Tayler May
Amy McLiver
Ortiz Ensemble
Shelly Ortiz
Heather Rohr
Alison Sherk
Switzer Ensemble
Tyler Switzer

The following students received a Silver in Division I:
Grace Anders
Kendall Cooper
Tori Fox
Brittany Hazen
Maggie Howard
Angelina Jung

The following student received a Bronze in Division I:
Anne Marshall

The following student received a Gold in Division II:
Stephanie Diedrich

The following students received a Silver in Division II:
Marie LaValle
Amanda McPherron
Tia Merritt
Ty Shively

The following students received a Gold in Division III:
Cinthia Lua
Morgan O'Neal
Gina Rodeghero

The following students received a Gold in Division IV:
Vanessa Hite
Lauren Rearick
Aimee Ringer

Dancing with the Stars Fundraiser

Two Riverside Intermediate students, Kaylie Barden and Travis Owen, will help raise money for the Neighborhood Center and Lincoln Junior High's 5 Star program by dancing this Saturday night, February 6, 2010 in the Second Annual Dancing with the Stars Fundraiser Event.

If you want to help this worthwhile cause, please go to the following site and register your votes! www.events.org/neighborhoodcenter

Principal for a Day

Plymouth celebrated their tenth Principal for a Day on Friday, January 29, 2010. Joining Plymouth principals were Mike Burroughs, Jim Masterson, David Bacon, John LaFree, Tim Castle, Carrie Cadwell, Rusty Nixon, Clyde Avery, Tony Lenne, Mike Hite, and Laura Arriaga.

Practice Lock Down

Plymouth High Schools will do a practice Lock Down at 8:50 Friday morning.

2 Hour Delay

Because of black ice on the secondary roads, Plymouth Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay today.

PHS Freshman Orientation Program / Parent-Teacher Conferences

EIGHTH GRADERS AND PARENTS INVITED TO PHS ORIENTATION;
CURRENT PHS STUDENTS AND PARENTS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

On January 20, 2010, Plymouth High School will hold a Freshmen Orientation Program for current eighth graders and opportunities for the parents of current high school students to conference with teachers.

The Freshmen Orientation meeting is designed to create a smooth transition from junior high to high school. At 6:00 p.m. parents/students will have an opportunity to visit departmental displays and speak with staff members in the cafeteria. At 6:30 p.m., a meeting will be held in the auditorium featuring representatives from the administration and athletic department who will discuss school policies, trimester block scheduling; and opportunities and goals for the incoming freshmen. School Counselors will provide information on graduation requirements and course selection for the 2010-2011 school year. After the meeting, eighth graders and parents will be offered tours of the school by PHS students.

Parent Teacher Conferences for current PHS students will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Teachers will pre-schedule conferences from 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. Opportunities for parents to “walk in” and conference with teachers will be offered from 7:45 p.m.-8:30 p.m. All conferences will be held in individual teacher’s classrooms.

Cancellation - Indiana University Speech Tournament

The Indiana University Speech Tournament has been cancelled for this weekend.

Public Meetings

Plymouth Community Schools will hold two public meetings to explain the 1 million dollar budget reduction they are facing in the general fund, to answer questions about how the school is addressing the reduction, and to take suggestions for how to address the reductions.

The public meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in the Plymouth High School cafeteria and Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in the Washington Elementary cafeteria. The meetings will run until 8:00 p.m. or until all input is taken.

Early Dismissal - January 7, 2010

Plymouth Schools will be dismissing two hours early today due to inclement weather. All evening extra curricular activities are cancelled.

Weather

Plymouth School officials have been monitoring the road conditions this morning and will continue to monitor them. If we release students early, it will be posted on this Blog, as well as the following media outlets: WNDU, WSBT, and WTCA. Student safety is of paramount importance as we make this critical decision.

Extreme Home Makeover has Plymouth Connection

Jennie (Morris) Wilder( PHS Class of '83), and her husband, Derek Wilder, also a PHS grad, were very involved in the makeover of the home in Bunker Hill, Indiana that will air this Sunday night on ABC.

Derek, employee of Hallmark Homes out of Anderson, was the project manager of the makeover. Besides the construction, they had to recruit all of the volunteers and secure the donation of materials. The mold infested home was demolished and rebuilt in a few days despite lots of rain and mud.

The project was completed in October, and is scheduled to air on January 10.

Alumni vs. PHS Swim Meet for Heminger House

Over Christmas Break, the PHS swim team hosted an “Alumni Meet” inviting all past Plymouth swimmers to battle the current team in a meet that also raised some much needed food items for the Heminger House in Plymouth.

Jack McLiver, volunteer assistant, organized the event that turned out to be a lot of fun and also supported a great cause. Swimmers were asked to provide a participation “fee” of canned goods to be donated to the home for women who are victims of domestic abuse. Judging from the huge turnout, the cause and the camaraderie were a big hit with Plymouth swimmers.

Pictured are the captains of the current PHS Swim Teams:
Allyson Gergely, Morgan Gay, Dani Wise, Riley Senter, Joe Portteus, Kevin Garrity.

The teams and coaches are hoping to make this an annual event.

Tuesday, January 5

Because of the drifting snow, Plymouth Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay today.

Plymouth High School - Financial Aid Night

The Plymouth High School annual Financial Aid Night is WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2010 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. Seniors who plan to attend college or vocational/technical schools next year should attend this meeting. Parents should also attend.

A Financial Aid Representative from Ancilla College, will be the speaker. She will talk about the various forms of financial aid and how to apply for them. She will then do a detailed explanation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is a very important informational session and ALL Seniors and their parents are highly encouraged to attend. The meeting will last approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

Also on JANUARY 6, 2010 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theater, the Guidance Staff will be will be doing a PSAT Score Report presentation for the parents of Juniors and Sophomores. Individual Score Reports will be handed out and general information about the test reviewed.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Because of the drifting snow, Plymouth Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay.

Head of the Class

Plymouth High School was recently named a Head of the Class high school by the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce. This distinction recognizes high schools that maintain strong academic credentials and a low cost to the tax payer. To view the actual presentation of the award copy and past the following link into your browser.

mms://PowerHost.PowerStream.NET/008/00143/bestbuy.wmv

PCSC Holiday Present to Marshall County

We all know that the real spirit of the holiday season is giving and not receiving. It is for that reason that staff and students from Plymouth Community School Corporation are pleased to announce their large gift to the Marshall County United Way Fund.

Last year, Plymouth Schools gave $16,568.00. This season, the staff and students increased their gift to $23,256.00, nearly fifty percent more than last year.

Some notable contributions include 100% of the Webster Elementary staff contributed, the Plymouth High School staff doubled their contributions from last year, and the Plymouth Community School Corporation students nearly doubled their gift from last year.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a multitude of thanks for working with a wonderful group of people!

US Census Bureau

The U.S. Census bureau is hiring for the 2010 Census. These temporary, part-time jobs offer good pay, flexible evening and hours, and the chance to work near home.

Call 1-866-861-2010 or visit http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/

PHS Named 2009 "Head of the Class" School

Congratulations to Plymouth High School for its selection as a 2009 “Head of the Class” school in Indiana’s Best Buys report from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Plymouth High School is one of only 10 schools from the state’s 357 public and charter schools included in this study to receive this distinction as the “best of the best.” This is the first time Plymouth has received this top honor in the report’s 11-year history.

The goal of the Indiana Chamber’s Best Buys report is to identify and honor schools that are excelling by offering the highest levels of academic achievement for the lowest amount of tax dollars. You can read more about the report and view last year’s press release at the link below.

http://www.indianachamber.com/bestbuys

PHS Senior Parents - Please read

Seniors: The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is here.

Applicants must have a minimum combined SAT score of 1800 or minimum ACT score of 26, demonstrate participation in school and extracurricular activities, be involved with community service, and demonstrate leadership traits.

If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, see your counselor.

Christmas Spectacular

This Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. the Plymouth High School will present "Christmas Spectacular" in the Plymouth High School Auditorium. This program will feature the holiday sounds of the band and choir.

This event will be video streamed for your enjoyment. Please forward this link to any snowbirds or out of town relatives for their enjoyment.

The link can also be found on the Plymouth High School web page.

http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00476/live1.asx

Parent Centers in Plymouth Schools

As another service to Plymouth parents, all PCSC schools now have Parent Centers. The centers are supplied with a variety of informational resources in both English and Spanish. Each center also has a computer that parents can use to access Powerschool, the new database of student information. Parents can obtain a password to access their child’s grades, attendance, and discipline records as well as homework assignments. The computer can also be used by parents for online access to government agencies.

For further information, contact your child’s school.

ATTENTION: PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL FANS

The Plymouth Boys Basketball game against the Peru Tigers Friday night, Dec. 11, 2009 can be video streamed using the link below.

Please forward this link to any snowbird Pilgrim fans who have already gone south or to out of town relatives. Let's support the basketball team Friday night. Other PHS events will be video streamed throughout the year. Links will also appear on the PHS web site.

http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00476/live1.asx

H1N1 Clinic

On Thursday, December 10, 2009 the Marshall County Health Department will be holding a clinic for the H1N1 Flu Vaccination for PHS students. This will take place in the multi purpose room during SRT and the lunch periods (10:30am-12:45pm).

Students will be required to have a signed parental permission slip to receive this vaccination. The permission slip and instructional forms are attached to this email and can also be found on the Plymouth High School website www.plymouth.k12.in.us/phs/index.html. Packets will be available in the PHS office for students whose parents do not have Internet access.

If you have any questions you may contact Mrs. Harner, PHS School Nurse, at jharner@plymouth.k12.in.us or by phone 936-2178 ext 7006.

Riverside Intermediate Gives to United Way

The student body of Riverside Intermediate School recently raised $927.22 for the Marshall County United Way with a student council sponsored Penny War.

Riverside students presented the donation to Mrs. Gibson of the local Community Foundation. The student council committee who organized the event is: John Gerrard, Daisy Lewis, Travis Owen, Dylan Pavey, Carson Pifer, Sarah Tanner, Karly Gruett, and John Eberly.

December Michiana Teacher of the Month

Jenifer George, 3rd grade teacher from Jefferson Elementary was named Teacher of the Month for Michiana. The recognition program is sponsored by Sunny 101.5, WB25, and ABC57. Jenifer was nominated by one of her students.

This honor now puts her in the pool for a teacher to be named Teacher of the Year. The station's production crew will be at Jefferson Elementary today to present her with her award.

Congratulations Jenifer!

Chamber Orchestra

Congratulations to Sarah, Karly, Breanna, Lauren, April, Katie H., Hayden, and Ian B. for making this year’s Chamber Orchestra! They will be working on some very difficult music in an attempt to play along with the South Bend Symphony’s Super-Size Concert in April.

Maestro Yeh was looking for high school string players but we are challenging the chamber group to learn the music as well. Although Maestro Yeh said tryouts were not necessary to be a part of the performance, tryouts are a condition for our chamber members. By Spring Break, each chamber member will have to show that they know the music well enough to participate in the performance.

Tuesday, November 24th - Alternate Bus Drop-offs

NIPSCO has informed us due to construction 3rd Street will be closed during the afternoon bus routes. Students will not be able to be dropped off tonight at Washington Street and 3rd Street or Adams Street and 3rd Street.

Bus numbers 14, 24, and 6 will be affected. Students will be dropped off at Lake Street and 3rd Street or Jefferson Street and 3rd Street.

2009-2010 New Staff

Jenni Watkins is a new 2nd grade teacher at Webster Elementary. Mrs. Watkins is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University. She has her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education.

Jenni and her husband, Mickey, have three daughters. Her husband is the Technical/Youth Pastor for Plymouth Wesleyan Church.

Mrs. Watkins is pleased to be teaching in Plymouth because it is such a great community with excellent schools and wonderful people. She is looking forward to being a part of the Webster staff and investing in the lives of her students.

H1N1 Clinic

http://www.plymouth.k12.in.us/Wellness/forms/H1N1Forms/

The Marshall County Health Department will hold a clinic for the H1N1 vaccine during the school day on Monday, November 23, 2009 at Lincoln Junior High School. The clinic will be for junior high aged children.

A student MUST have a signed permission slip to receive the vaccination. Permission slips will be sent home today and will also be available on the Lincoln Junior High School website.

Riverside Spell Bowl Team

Riverside Intermediate School sixth grade spell bowl team earned first place in Class I at the Northern Indiana District Spell Bowl held at North Liberty on Thursday night. Special congratulations to Ricky Cooper III and George Stults for scoring perfect rounds. Earning ribbons for near perfect rounds were Emily Morris, Elise Patrick, and Sarah Tanner. Other spell bowl members contributing to the championship were Heather Baumgartner, Eric Burch, Alex Fox, and Curtis Smith.

The team is coached by Sharon Scott. The spell bowl team is sponsored by Angie Stults of PNC Investments at National City Bank.

SCRIP Fundraiser

Let the Riverside and Webster PTO help with your gift giving this year!

The Riverside and Webster PTO use a program called SCRIP as a fundraiser for the schools. SCRIP is gift cards that can be purchased for gifts or weekly purchases. The businesses who participate in the SCRIP program give Riverside and Webster a portion of the proceeds. For instance, Martin's grocery store scrip can be purchased in increments of $25.00 or $50.00 from Riverside and Webster. With each purchase Martin's donates to the school 3% or .75 cents for the $25.00 card and $1.50 for the $50.00 card.

Local SCRIP offered by businesses include:

Opie's, City Center News and Books, Java Trail, Beef O'Brady, JCPenny, CVS, Kmart, Walmart, Walgreens, Game Stop, Advanced Auto, BP Gas Station, Family Express, Marathon, Shell, Speedway, Kroger, Lowes, Applebees, Arbys, Ponderosa, Bob Evans, Burger King, Christos, Corndance, Edgewater Grille, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Little Caesars, Long John Silver's, Mi Camino Real, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Subway, The Vine, Wendys, Ace Hardware, Bath and Body Works, and Sally Beauty.

The Riverside and Webster links under the Plymouth School Corporation website have an order form that lists other businesses that support the SCRIP program. SCRIP can be purchased at Riverside and Webster during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily with cash or check made to RIS or Webster SCRIP. Many local SCRIP is kept on hand. Other SCRIP will be ordered and delivered most times within a week of the order.

Thank you for supporting our schools!

2009-2010 New Staff

Amy Lewis is a new 5th grade teacher at Riverside Intermediate. Mrs. Lewis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Purdue University.

Mrs. Lewis is married and has three sisters and two nephews. Mrs. Lewis loves to camp and fish. She also likes to play tennis, cook, and spend time with her friends.

Mrs. Lewis is glad to be teaching in Plymouth because she is close to her family and she has heard many positive things about the corporation and community.

Safety at the Bus Shuttle

Recently, a five year old boy got off of a bus at the high school and walked to Jefferson Street without being stopped by our supervisors. We have a significant number of parents who, for one reason or another, pick their children up at the bus shuttle at the high school instead of their child’s school.

In the name of safety, parents are now asked to pick their children up at their home school and not at the bus shuttle. This goes into effect immediately.

In addition, we have posted security at the south end of the parking lot to insure that young children don’t walk away from the bus shuttle area.

PHS Yearbook - Senior Pictures

Parents of Seniors Who Have Not Had Their Picture Taken For The Yearbook...

Last chance for seniors...to have your picture included the PHS Yearbook.
Looking back, senior year will be one of the defining moments in your child’s life. After all, it is not every day that a teenager blossoms into a young adult and graduates from high school. For this reason, we want to be certain your son or daughter is photographed for the 2010 Plymouth High School Mayflower yearbook and for the local newspapers at graduation.

Seniors have one final opportunity to have senior portraits taken at PHS in the library media center during homeroom and lunch on Monday, November 9, 2009. Portraits cost $10.

Please be advised that students who do not take advantage of this final opportunity for portraits WILL NOT BE PICTURED in the senior portraits section of the yearbook.

H1N1 Clinic

The Marshall County Health Department will hold a clinic for the H1N1 vaccine on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. at Washington Elementary School. The clinic will be for children, ages 6 months to 18 years of age.

Because school is in session that day, lines will not begin to form until 3:30 p.m.

H1N1 Update

This is in response to the many questions about Plymouth Schools and the H1N1 virus. I will continue to update the community as we expect this outbreak of flu to last through March 2010.

· Our custodial staff continues to clean the schools high travel areas multiple times daily.
· Our buses are cleaned nightly.
· Our teachers continue to stress to students the correct way to cough, sneeze, and wash their hands.
· Our nurses continue to monitor sick children and send them home if they have flu-like symptoms.
· Our nurses and attendance staff continue to audit the percentage of students absent with flu-like symptoms.
· Our head nurse is in close contact with the Marshall County Health Department.
· We continue to ask parents to keep their children home until 24 hours after the fever is gone without using medicine such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
· We continue to send packets of homework if students feel well enough to work on it.

While we don't expect to close schools, we know that a possibility exists that we may have to close one school or the entire corporation. Across the country, several hundred schools have closed, mostly because the bus or teaching staff has been hit hard with the flu.

We are following Department of Education suggestions to prepare work for students if the schools are closed. These packets will be sent home in the next few weeks and can be accessed through the school's web site.

Fall Break

There will be no school on Thursday, October 22, 2009 and Friday, October 23, 2009.

2009-2010 New Staff

Mr. Robin Tobias is the new assistant principal at Plymouth High School. He received his bachelors from Wabash College and he holds a masters from Indiana State University.

He is married to his wife, Janel. They have two children and are expecting their 3rd child this December. They also have a yellow lab named Wrangler.

He is glad to be an administrator in Plymouth because this corporation is a proactive corporation that has placed student achievement at the front of its vision and decisions.

Student of the Month

The SCILL Center is pleased to announce the Student-of-the-Month recipients for the month of September.

Aaron Everage from Knox High School and Eric Sarber from Plymouth High School were the AM class recipients of the award. Zachary Loehmer from Culver Community High School and Kevin Pfeiffer from Triton High School were the PM class recipients of the award.

The Student-of-the-Month is chosen by the AutoTech instructors, Rodney Dawson and Mark Anderson, based on the student’s test scores, class participation, attitude, attendance and initiative in the shop.

Blog Bits

The High School Alternative School students in partnership with the Plymouth Rotary Club will be sponsoring a drive for the Marshall County Humane Society. The Humane Society is in desperate need of the following items: used or new blankets, dog food, cat food, bleach and cleaning supplies, and cleaning utensils (mops, brooms, etc). The AHS students will run the drive from Thursday, October 14, 2009 through Monday, October, 26th. PHS students and faculty, please drop donations in the front office.


If anyone outside of PHS would like to make donations, please feel free to drop donations off at the Alternative School (Service Center) or contact the Alternative School at 935-9051 and we will make arrangements for pick up.

Plymouth High School - Letter to Parents

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

The purpose of this letter is to explain an event that took place at Plymouth High School the afternoon of Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Today, we had an uninvited visitor who refused to identify himself while repeatedly attempting to enter our building. Thanks to security measures and the awareness of our faculty, his attempts to enter the building were unsuccessful. The Plymouth Police were called immediately and the young man was peacefully apprehended.

Although the visitor to our building was not violent when spoken to, the fact that his clothing was torn and bloodied alarmed some of our students who saw him walking around the outside of the school from their classroom window.

At approximately 2:10, I addressed our student body and faculty and summarized today’s event with them. I informed our students that they are free to see me should they have any questions or concerns.

As we reflect on today’s event, it once again calls to mind the need for us to always maintain a safe environment at school. We encouraged our students to continue to work with us in making sure our doors are properly secured so that guests to our building although welcome can simultaneously be accounted for. Parents, please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,


James A. Condon, Principal
Plymouth High School

Help Lincoln Jr. High Win Equipment

Phil Scott, Lincoln Junior High technology teacher, has entered Lincoln in a contest with Best Buy for some digital video equipment. The winner is determined by the school with the most votes over the contest period. (Oct. 4-18). Please help Phil and his students by voting for Lincoln Jr. High. Right now they are in a close contest with a couple of other schools. Just click on the “Get that Money” tab on the right side of the screen. Enter IN and Plymouth and click Search. Then all you have to do is vote!

http://www.at15.com/contests_scholarships/teach

Suggestion from Saint Joseph's Hospital

The H1N1 Flu has raised a lot of concerns, particularly in schools. Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center asks that you please review the attached release. It contains valuable information, some of which is school-specific, to help not only ease those concerns but also help us alleviate much of the overcrowding in Emergency Rooms throughout Michiana as a result of those concerns. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Please continue to remind students to wash their hands with warm water and soap or an alcohol-based hand cleaning solution, sneeze or cough into their elbow or a tissue, avoid contact with people who are ill, and if they are feeling ill to please stay home. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact SJRMC's Public Relations Manager, Mike Stack, at 247-8786. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.

SJRMC Reminds Community to Follow CDC Guidelines for H1N1
Before Seeking Emergency Room Care

Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center reminds the entire community that those with flu-like symptoms should stay home and avoid contact with others, except to get medical care from their primary healthcare provider.

That is one of the main messages the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conveying on its website, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu, and SJRMC asks the community to adhere to this, and other CDC guidelines, to alleviate its overcrowded Emergency Room, due to H1N1 Flu concerns.

The CDC and SJRMC recommend you should not go to the Emergency Room if you are only mildly ill.

"The Emergency Department should be utilized by the significantly ill,” said Dr, Steven Gable, SJRMC’s Vice President of Medical Quality Improvement. “If people are experiencing flu-like symptoms, but the symptoms are not severe, they should stay home, get plenty of rest, and drink lots of fluids. Coming to the ER in these situations would only spread the disease."

Those who go to Emergency Rooms and are not sick with the flu are at risk of catching it from those who do have it, according to the CDC’s website.

The CDC’s website provides a wide range of information regarding what to do if you get sick, as well as information for specific groups including schools http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/ , parents, pregnant women, and there is even an evaluation link www.flu.gov/evaluation, where users can evaluate their possible symptoms. The CDC can also be reached at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

SJRMC urges the entire community to consult primary healthcare providers or the CDC at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu or at 1-800-CDC-INFO before immediately deciding to use Emergency Rooms.

Blog Bits

The following letter will be sent home today with ALL students:

October 6, 2009


Dear Parents:

We have no confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Plymouth Schools. We do have cases of students who are home with flu-like symptoms.

Public health officials want you to protect yourself and your family against seasonal flu. Here are some ways to stop the spread of germs and sickness:

~ Keep children who are sick at home. Don’t send them to school.

~ Teach your children to wash hands a lot with soap and water for 20 seconds. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.

~ Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.

~ Teach your children to stay at least three feet away from people who are sick.

~ People who are sick should stay home from work or school and stay away from other people until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

~ Stay away from shopping malls, movie theaters or other places where there are large groups of people.

If you have questions, please contact your School Nurse or healthcare provider. You can get more information from the Marshall County Health Services at (574) 935-8565.

Sincerely,


Dan Tyree
Superintendent

School Board Breakfast Club

Two members of the Plymouth School Board will be available to meet with the public Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at Castaways Restaurant from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Frank Brubaker and Melissa Christiansen will be available to answer questions and listen to concerned citizens. The School Board Breakfast Club will meet each month at various restaurants in the community.


Upcoming Breakfast Club Dates/Times:

November 11, 2009 - Christo's 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
December 9, 2009 - Birdhouse 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
January 13, 2010 - Java Trail Resort 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

2009-2010 New Staff

Vanessa Zook is the new Title I teacher at Riverside Intermediate. She is a graduate of Indiana University-Kokomo.

Vanessa and her husband, Blake, just recently moved to Plymouth. She is looking forward to meeting people and becoming involved in the community.

Vanessa is excited to start her teaching career in Plymouth.

Plymouth High School -Parent Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2009

Greetings Parents,

Please mark down the evening of October 7 on your calendars. We have three important events taking place on this evening including Parent – Teacher Conferences, PowerSchool Training for Parents, and large group meeting for the parents of PHS Juniors/Seniors. Also, yearbooks have arrived! See page 2 for important yearbook information. Finally, one of our goals is to increase opportunities for parents to be actively involved in the academic experience of their son/daughter. In our attempt to research strategies which promote effective parent involvement in schools, we are partnering with the Indiana Academy for Parent – School Leadership. We have created a “leadership committee” composed of parents, staff, and community members that will participate in training and strategic planning dedicated towards this purpose. Our first step is to find out how our parents feel about existing opportunities to be involved at PHS. Listed below, you will find a link to a parent survey (English and Spanish versions provided) that I ask you to complete. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes and your responses are very important to us.

Spanish version - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WHDtXeJWyz3509qhLaOAEg_3d_3d
English version - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=e6NUXmwLvbupht_2bWcYFiZg_3d_3d

Parent/Teacher Conferences-October 7, 2009

In an attempt to increase the level of parent involvement, PHS has replaced our traditional Open House concept with Parent – Teacher Conferences which will be held on October 7, 2009 from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. Conferences will be by appointment only due to our limited 2 hour time period. In most but definitely not all cases, our fall Parent – Teacher Conferences will be scheduled for students who are members of either the Freshmen or Senior class and are performing at a level which may place them academically at risk. Additional conferences may be scheduled if a teacher simply feels a need to communicate information with the parents of his/her students thus one should not automatically assume the child is performing poorly if contacted. We have asked each PHS teacher to submit the names of 15 students whose parents they would like to conference with. Our office staff will soon be calling those parents to arrange a 10 minute conference. Parent – Teacher Conferences will focus on developing an understanding of learner expectations, strengths, areas for growth, and developing a plan in which the parent can play an active role in the academic experience of their son/daughter. If you are scheduled for a Parent – Teacher Conference, please check in at either door 1 or 5. At this point, you will be asked to sign in and you will simultaneously be given a copy of your child’s mid term report card, a copy of our school map, and a list of potential questions you may wish to ask during your conference. If you are not contacted by PHS but would still like to speak with your child’s teachers about his/her academic progress you may do so by emailing them or telephoning them. To contact your child’s teachers by email visit the PHS website at www.plymouth.k12.in.us . To contact PHS by telephone simply dial 936-2178 and the secretary will connect you with the voice mail of the staff member you wish to speak with.

PowerSchool Training for Parents

Also on the evening of October 7, PHS will be offering training for parents on the use of PowerSchool for Parents. PowerSchool is the name of our new Student Information System replacing SASI (Parent In Touch). Through PowerSchool, parents may monitor the up-to-date academic progress of their child. PowerSchool training is open to all parents regardless of whether you are scheduled for a Parent – Teacher Conference or not. PowerSchool training for parents will be held in the PHS cafeteria at the following times:
- 5:30
- 6:15
- 7:00
- 7:40

Meeting for Parents of PHS Juniors and Seniors

In addition to Parent – Teacher Conferences and PowerSchool Parent Training, PHS Counselors will be holding a meeting in the Library for the parents of our Juniors and Seniors. During this meeting, we will communicate to our parents key dates they need to circle on their calendars and important post secondary information. The meeting will begin at 6:00 P.M. in the PHS Library. If this conflicts with a scheduled Parent-Teacher Conference simply contact the PHS Guidance Office to receive information.

PHS Yearbooks

2009 Yearbooks have arrived and were distributed in Homeroom on Monday, September 21. If you did not pre-order last year's book, but would still like a copy, contact Amy Schmeltz in Room 133/ 936-2178 ext. 7133/ aschmeltz@plymouth.k12.in.us to purchase one for $50.

Pre-order your 2010 yearbook for the reduced price of $45. Order online via the PHS Web site, or place your order in Room 133. The price is $50 after December 18.

Seniors: Remember to have your senior yearbook portrait taken with Ron Zimmerman by October 31. Schedule an appointment with Ron by calling 936-9040. Seniors - see the list posted outside Room 133 to verify that your picture has been taken.

Picture retakes are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13 during lunch. Order forms will be available in the office.

Parents, do you have great pictures of PHS students? Please submit them for consideration in the yearbook by visiting www.hjeshare.com and entering the school code 7008866.

Contact Amy Schmeltz, PHS English Teacher/Yearbook Sponsor should you have any questions. Mrs. Schmeltz may be contacted at 936-2178 ext. 7133 or by emailing aschmeltz@plymouth.k12.in.us

School Board Breakfast Club

Two members of the Plymouth School Board will be available to meet with the public Wednesday, September 16, 2009, at the Birdhouse Restaurant from 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

Larry Pinkerton and Frank Brubaker will be available to answer questions and listen to concerned citizens. The School Board Breakfast Club will meet each month at various restaurants in the community.


Upcoming Breakfast Club Dates/Times
October 7, 2009 - Castaways 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
November 11, 2009 - Christo's 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
December 9, 2009 - Birdhouse 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.

2009-2010 New Staff

Trista Hurst is the new art teacher at Lincoln Jr. High School. She is a graduate of Huntington University. Trista has a bachelors in K-12 Art Education and also has minors in graphic design and fine arts.

Trista is a newlywed. Her husband is Terry.

Trista is excited to offer her students a new way to experience art and design. She is ready to give them her best and to expect the best from her students.

Comment Censorship

Comments generally come into my email so I can proof read them before I publish them. I only reject comments that contain profanity or blatant attacks on a staff member or a student. In this case, Brent, the emails didn't show up until today. Thus, your post is now published. Thanks for voicing your opinion. Good philosophical discussion allows for intellectual growth. 

President Obama’s Speech to Students

Today, this office has received numerous calls asking our school not to show President Obama’s Speech in school as the President has asked us to do. We have Board Policies dealing with situations such as this one and we will follow those policies. To be brief, we will not interrupt instructional time to have students view the speech. We do whatever it takes to protect our instructional time.

If, in the course of study in social studies, a teacher feels that listening to the speech would be an appropriate avenue to illustrate their studies, then the teacher would have the right to have the students listen to the speech.

As parents, you have the right to ask for an alternative assignment, but I would ask that those requests be done in a respectful manner. Regardless of your political persuasion, we must teach children to treat our President with respect.

Code Blue Response

I received two responses. One was published. The second contained profanity so I did not publish it, but I will respond to both.

First, there is a software that we had planned to add that would allow us to email or text message parents for situations such as a code blue. When I realized that we would be replacing our student demographic this year, I did not think it was prudent to add too many pieces of software. I still plan to unveil this software because I believe it will help us communicate with parents faster.

Second, we published some of the details about the code blue for two reasons. First, if I don't tell what happened, someone will speculate. I would rather you hear the correct story from me. Second, I think it's important for the students, teachers, parents, and community to know that Plymouth is being proactive in getting drugs out of school.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the staff and students at both Menominee and Washington Elementary Schools for being named finalists for the Top Title I School in the State of Indiana.

The schools will now go through an on-site interview by the state Title I staff.

The top Title I school will be recognized at the National Title I Conference.

Code Blue Lock Down at PHS

This morning at approximately 10:15 AM Plymouth High School went into a Code Blue Lock Down. A small amount of marijuana was found in the school. This led the Administration to request the Plymouth Police to bring in the Canine Unit for a search of the area. During the Code Blue, students remain in their classrooms and instruction continues. Approximately 45 minutes after the lock down was called the school returned to the regular schedule. Investigation into this matter continues.