Pembroke High School Weekly Update

Dear PHS Families, 
 
Here is this week's update.  Please do not ever hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about these or any other matters.  
 
PHS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL - Little Shop of Horrors
After months of hard work and rehearsals, the PHS Thespian Troupe #7127 proudly presents three performances of Little Shop of Horrors this weekend, November 18-20 in the Randall Auditorium. The performances on Friday and Saturday nights will begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday's show is a matinee starting at 2 p.m. 
 
Little Shop of Horrors is a classic horror/comedy rock musical and will feature over 50 students in the cast and crew. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, with a limited number of priority seating tickets available for $20.  These priority seats must be purchased in advance, so please contact Mrs. Chapman (781-293-9281 x2128) if interested.  
 
Thank you for your support of our Performing Arts Program.  
 
PHS PATHWAY PROGRAMS UPDATE:

As many of you know, this year, PHS is piloting three new Pathway Programs, each with the goal of helping students gain the skills necessary to be college and career ready by exploring a relevant field of study both in and out of the classroom.  The plan is to expand these pathways in subsequent years.

 

Students that participate in a pathway will experience an in-depth look at a specific career field of interest, engage in career planning activities, and enhance their experience through an industry-focused internship, certification, or capstone project during their senior year.  Whether a student is heading to college, trade school, or a full-time career after high school, the Pathways Program will ensure students are prepared for the next step in their life journey.  

 

The three programs offered this year are Business and Entrepreneurship, Digital Arts, and Computer Science. In 2023-2024, we intend to add a Manufacturing Engineering Pathway and a Biomedical Pathway. 

 

 

To achieve the goal of successfully implementing the Pathway Program, complete with internships and capstone projects for students, we are actively looking for community partners that could provide these opportunities in the areas of Business and Entrepreneurship, Digital Arts, or Computer Science.   The goal is for students to spend the final six weeks of their high school career working in an organization that closely aligns with their career goals.  
These partnerships will prove mutually beneficial, as the internships will provide an educational and safe environment for Pembroke High School seniors to learn from experts outside the classroom. At the same time the host businesses will benefit from the additional resources, new perspectives, and skills the students bring to the workplace and the opportunity to help mentor the students.    
 

On Wednesday, November 30, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., the Pembroke Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Pembroke High School, will host an informational meeting at the Pembroke Public Library for local businesses to learn more about the Pathways Program and internship information.   Please consider hosting a student internship and joining us at the event to help support our students gain marketable skills for their future.      

 

If you have any additional questions about the Pathways Program or are interested in hosting a student for an internship, please contact Maryellen Gates, Pathways Coordinator, at 781-293-9281 x2119 for more information.  

 

BREAK FREE FROM DEPRESSION - PARENT PRESENTATION:

Please join us this Thursday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m. for an important informational evening for the parents/guardians of Grade 9 students taking Health and Wellness during the first semester.  All of our freshmen are required to take Grade 9 Health and Wellness, in large part because of the 3-unit comprehensive health education curriculum.  This is a semester-based course, with half of our freshmen taking it right now during Semester 1 and the other half taking it during Semester 2.  This evening is for the parents/guardians of students currently enrolled (Semester 1) in their Health and Wellness class as students begin the Social/Emotional and Interpersonal Relationships Unit.
 
An important component of that unit is our Break Free From Depression Workshop. The attached letter explains BFFD in more detail.  This year, we are adding the informational night for all parents/guardians to speak with our counseling and PE staff before your child begins this important unit.  While not mandatory, we do hope to see you there so that you can hear directly from - and ask questions of - our staff about how they will deliver this content to your child.   
 
If your child is currently enrolled in a Semester 1 Health and Wellness class, please see the attached letter, which explains BFFD in more detail.  If your child is not scheduled to take the Grade 9 Health and Wellness course until the second semester, you do not need to attend this evening.  We are running a second session in the spring to coincide with semester two.  

 

IMPORTANT WINTER SPORTS UPDATES:
With our very successful (seven of our nine teams qualifying for post-season play) Fall Sports Season almost complete, it is important to keep a few dates in mind as the Winter Sports Season approaches. The first day of tryouts for all winter sports is Monday, November 28.  The deadline to register for winter sports is this Wednesday, Nov. 16.  The deadline for all juniors and freshmen to complete impact testing is also on Nov. 16.  Parents can click here to register for both the impact testing and winter sports.  
 
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY:
Each week, I will conclude this update with the "Celebrating Community" segment, which will highlight the recent successes and accomplishments of our entire school community.  In doing so, we draw well-deserved attention to the many people that make our community great.  
  • John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Winners - Congratulations to these 60 members of the Class of 2023 for being named as recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship.  This scholarship provides tuition credit for up to eight semesters at a Massachusetts state college or university.  To qualify for the scholarship, these students' ELA and Mathematics MCAS scores placed them in the top 25% of all MCAS scores in their school, AND they scored Advanced in at least one MCAS exam and Proficient or higher in the other.  Usually, a student's STE MCAS exams are also a factor, but because of COVID-19 school closures in the spring of 2020, less than 1% of students in the Class of 2023 across the state took the STE MCAS exam.  Congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment. 
  • Native American Heritage Month - Our Multicultural Club is celebrating Native American Heritage month in November, and as part of that, they are asking all students and staff to wear light blue or turquoise on Tuesday, November 15. 
  • Fall Sports Post-Season Awards - As noted above, our fall sports teams had a very successful season, and many of our student-athletes have earned individual post-season awards (Please note, these are the awards of which I am currently aware.  Football has not yet had its Patriot League Meeting.  Additional award recipients will be included in future email blasts)
    • Boys' Soccer - In addition to earning the #1 seed in the D3 State Tournament and advancing to the Elite Eight, congratulations to the following team members: 
      • 2022 EMSCA 2022 All-Region Team - Ethan Sullivan
      • 2022 EMSCA 2022 All-State Team - Ethan Sullivan and Declan Crowley
      • Patriot League All-Stars:
        • Declan Crowley
        • Andrew Gleason
        • Ben Kane
        • Owen Kane
        • Ethan Sullivan 
        • Jack Taylor
      • Patriot League Scholar-Athlete - Jack Taylor
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Owen Kane
    • Girls' Soccer - In addition to qualifying for the D2 State Tournament (#35) for the first time in five years and advancing to the Round of 32 for the first time in six years, congratulations to the following team members: 
      • EMSCA All-State 2nd Team - Emma Cranston
      • Patriot League All-Stars:
        • Emma Cranston
        • Bella Gill
        • Maggie MacDonald
        • Nikki Balkam
      • Patriot League Scholar-Athlete - Kristin Farrell
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Alexa Rinehart
    • Girls' Field Hockey - While the girls didn't qualify for post-season play, congratulations to these student-athletes:
      • Patriot League All-Star - Olivia Skeiber
      • Patriot League Scholar-Athlete - Ashlynn Gallagher
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Olivia Alther
    • Boys' Golf - While the boys did not qualify for post-season play as a team, Matt Bergamesca did qualify for the D2 South Sectional Championship as an individual.  Also, congratulations to these team members: 
      • Patriot League All-Star - Matt Bergamesca
      • Patriot League Scholar-Athlete - Dylan Warrell
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Brady McKeown.
    • Boys' Cross Country - After taking 4th in the Patriot League Championships and 8th in the D2 State Championships, congratulations to these team members:
      • Patriot League All-Stars:
        • Josh Phinney
        • Adam Wengryn
        • Christian Leary
        • Cam McLaughlin
        • Joe A. D'Angelo
        • Casey Motta
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Cam McLaughlin
      • MIAA D2 All-State Qualifiers (this Saturday!)
        • Josh Phinney
        • Adam Wengryn
    • Girls' Cross Country - The girls finished 6th in the Patriot League Championships and 10th in the D2 State Championship.  In addition, congratulations to these team members:
      • Patriot League All-Stars
        • Cassie Sparrow
        • Sarah Leach
        • Elizabeth Souretis
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Sarah Leach
    • Girls' Volleyball - In addition to earning the #27 seed in the D3 State Tournament and advancing to the Round of 32, congratulations to the following team members:
      • Patriot League All-Star - Meghan Wu
      • Patriot League Scholar-Athlete - Meghan Wu
      • Patriot League Sportsmanship Award - Devin Anderlionis
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
  • 11/17 - Break Free From Depression Parent Information Night (6:30 p.m. Randall Auditorium)
  • 11/18 - PHS Musical - Little Shop of Horrors (7 p.m. Randall Auditorium)
  • 11/19 - PHS Musical - Little Shop of Horrors (7 p.m. Randall Auditorium)
  • 11/20 - PHS Musical - Little Shop of Horrors (2 p.m.Randall Auditorium)
  • 11/23 - Senior Breakfast (8:30-11 a.m.)
  • 11/23 - ERD (Student Dismissal at 11:10 a.m.)
  • 11/24-11/25 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
  • 11/30 - Pembroke Chamber of Commerce-Pathways Meeting (5:30 p.m. Pembroke Public Library)
Thanks, all.  Please do not ever hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns about these or any other matters.  
 

Marc Talbot, Principal
Pembroke High School |  80 Learning Lane, Pembroke, MA  02359
P  781-293-9281 |  F 781-293-2812  | www.pembrokek12.org | @Pembroke_Titans