Palmer High School News

Sue North

Principal

John Diorio

Assistant Principal

Grades 6-12

4105 Main Street Palmer MA 01069

Phone 413-283-6511 Fax 413-283-3476

Dear Students, Parents/Guardians,

I am excited to start the 2019-2020 school year. This will be my fourth year at the high school as the

principal and I truly enjoy each and every day. It is wonderful to see the growth that each student has

conquered with their academics and I’m proud to watch their accomplishments with sports, band, clubs,

and extra-curricular activities. I always encourage students to have a voice in their school. When we

work together, great things happen. Each year new clubs and events happen at the high school because

students have a creative idea, they create a plan and proposal, and then we discuss how we can make their

idea happen.

We are continuing with PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support). Our focus is respect,

responsibility, and safety. Another focus is Trauma-Sensitive Training for staff to help with social and

emotional learning.

We are continuing with the co-teaching model for Math and ELA for the foundations class for 6th & 7th

grade. The co-teaching model is a regular classroom teacher and a special education teacher working

collaboratively to help the students grow with their learning. We are adding an 8th grade Math and ELA

class to continue the progression of the model.

We are extremely excited for the Instructional Leadership Team to provide professional development and

support to all staff to focus on school wide data. Some data that the staff will be analyzing is student

engagement, MCAS, graduation rate, drop-out rate, attendance, discipline, and course pass rate & failures.

We would like to welcome Laura Pompei and Cynthia Streker to our Spanish Department. Lisa Hua will

be teaching 7th grade Math and Michelle Pavini for 6th grade ELA and an 8th grade ELA Communica-

tions Workshop. Karen Hatch is the new Administrative Assistant. Makenna McCloskey, Tracy Murphy,

and Kerrie Baldwin will be our new paraprofessionals. We are still in the process of interviewing for two

more paraprofessionals, STEP Teacher (6th & 7th), and an ETL (Educational Teacher Leader).

I’m thrilled that we will have a PTO for our school. Melissa Petrashewicz has organized this very im-

portant parent organization to help support our students and staff. The first meeting is Tuesday, August

6th at 6 pm at the Palmer Public Library. Everyone is invited to attend.

Please check every Sunday during the school year the Palmer School District webpage under News &

Announcements. I post the weekly activities and events so that you are aware of important information.

Thursday, August 22nd, a 6th grade orientation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the

Auditorium. (Information, school tour, and ice cream social).

Open House will be Thursday, September 5th, from 6:00 to 8:00. More specific information will be com-

ing soon.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. I look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Sincerely,

Sue North

Principal

Connie Mahoney

Assistant Principal

Grades 6-12

Opening Dates

August 22nd Gr. 6 Orientation Night

6:00-8:00 p.m.

August 26th Teacher & Staff Orientation

Day

August 27th First Day for Students

September 2nd Schools Closed—Labor Day

September 5th Open House—6:00—8:00 pm

Report Card Schedule

Grades Close– Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Issued— Friday, November 8, 2019

Grades Close— Friday, January 17, 2020

Issued— Friday, January 25, 2020

Grades Close– Monday, March 30, 2020

Issued—Thursday, April 9, 2020

Progress Report Schedule

Progress Reports will be posted/issued:

Progress Reports Posted September 29

Progress Reports Posted December 6

Progress Reports Posted February 28

Progress Reports Posted May 1

Important dates to remember

We are looking forward to seeing all of you

at our Open House that has been scheduled for:

The evening will begin with meeting Mrs. North, Principal

and Mr. Diorio and Ms. Mahoney, Assistant Principals. Parents will have the opportunity to

follow their student’s 1st semester schedule.

A copy of each student’s schedule will be available outside the auditorium.

I.D. PHOTOS/STUDENT PICTURES

Photos will be taken on Thursday, September 12th.

Order forms for purchase will be given out on the

first day of school. Please send completed order

forms with your student on photo day.

All students must have his/her photo taken.

Retakes will be on Thursday, October 17th.

September 5, 2019

6:00—8:00 pm

Palmer High School

Auditorium

Students in grades 6 will receive their schedules on Orienta-

tion Night. All other students will receive them on the first

day of school.

SENIOR INFORMATION

Class of 2020

Congratulations on making it to senior year! This year will prove to be exciting, challenging, but most of all rewarding as you achieve your goals, and look to your futures. Please be mindful that you only get to do this once, so make it count! Below you will find important information for the start of the year. Be sure to take note of dates and deadlines. All of this information will also be posted in the Google Classroom for the class of 2020. Please check your school email for an invite to the classroom, if you aren’t already registered. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Chapin at pchapin@palmerschools.org

• Senior Class Dues As you know Senior year is expensive and your dues cover many of the costs associat-ed with graduation and other senior activi-ties. After calculating the expenses, less the amount the class has raised over the years , your class dues will be $130.00 for the year. This amount will be broken in-to two payments of $65.00. The first pay-ment will be due no later than December 6. The second payment will be due no later than April 9. You may pay in full at any-time.

• Senior Photos for the yearbook Information regarding senior photo require-ments was posted in the Google Classroom for students and parents to review. If you are unable to access this information, please email Ms. Chapin at pcha-pin@palmerschools.org

If senior photos have not been completed as of yet, please do so by the end of Sep-tember. It takes almost 6 weeks for these photos to be processed and then submitted to the yearbook staff. Please have your photographer submit your photo digitally to pchapin@palmerschools.org no later than Friday, November 15, 2019.

• Yearbook Deadlines All photos, paperwork, and information will be due within the first two months of school, sub-mitted via Google Classroom. You will receive the information with all of the deadlines and sheets to fill out at the first class meeting. Info Sheet: Friday, October 4 Superlative Sheet: Friday, October 18

Baby Photo: Friday, November 1 Senior Photo: Friday,

November 15

I.D. Photos/Student Pictures • Photos will be taken on Thursday, September 12. • Order forms for purchase will be given out on the first day of school. Please send completed order forms with your student on photo day. • All students must have his/

her photo taken for his/her school I.D.

• Retakes will be on Thursday,

October 17

Welcome to Grade 6 at PHS

We are all very excited about meeting you and starting our new year at Palmer High School. There will be some

amazing sales going on for back-to-school supplies, so here is a list of what you need to have for the upcoming

school year.

Supplies for Back-to-School

1 pocket folder to be your homework folder

1 package each – pencils, blue pens

1 pencil/pen zipper case

4 100 page composition notebook (black and white marbled – not spiral)

1 package of thin markers

1 package of colored pencils

1 flash drive

Many Glue sticks (we will use them throughout the year)

1 pair of scissors

1 package of dry erase markers and an eraser

Boxes of tissues, Clorox wipes, and glue sticks are always a welcome donation to the class-

room.

Teachers will be utilizing interactive notebooks throughout the year so students will need the

supplies on hand daily in class. These may need to be replenished as the year goes on so

please check in with your child periodically.

Backpack Note:

Because of the size of our classrooms, all backpacks must be kept in lockers. Students will

have locker time built into their schedule in order to get items needed for their classes. Think

about the size of your locker when buying your backpack.

The following teachers are all on the 6th grade team. Your child will have one ELA teacher, one

Math teacher, one Social Studies teacher, and one Science teacher from the list below. Their

specific schedule will be given to him/her on the first day of school.

Ms. Young ELA tyoung@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Perniciaro ELA aperniciaro@palmerschools.org

Ms. Pavini ELA mpavini@palmerschools.org

Dr. Choiniere ELA bchoiniere@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Burns Math tburns@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Herring Math aherring@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Vigneault Math nvigneault@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Tatlock (1/2 year) Science ctatlock@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Cagan (1/2 year) Social Studies scagan@palmerschools.org

Mrs. Hogan ELA/Special Education phogan @palmerschools.org

Mrs. Williams Math/Special Education jwilliams@ palmerschools.org

Mrs. Ferry Special Education pferry@palmerschools.org

Please email us if you have any questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Welcome to the 7th grade! We hope that you are enjoying your summer. We can’t wait to

meet you in a few weeks, and we look forward to spending the year with you! Seventh

grade is an exciting time.

To have a successful year you should: Your teachers this year will be:

Math- Sheila Browne, Room 403

¨ Do your homework Math- Lisa Hua, Room 407

¨ Ask questions Math 180-

¨ Stay after school for extra help ELA- Kathy Regan, Room 409

¨ Show respect ELA- Barbara Choiniere, Room 305

Science- Dawn Walsh, Room 410

Social Studies- Michael Martin

Read 180- Patricia Hogan/Tina Young, Room 404

Supplies you will need to come to school with the first day:

2 two-pocket folders

Pencil case that snaps into your binder

Filler paper

Pens, pencils, erasers, and ruler (metric)

Highlighters

Glue sticks *****

Flash Drive

3 pack of dividers

Colored pencils

Index cards (500) – do not bring all 500 to school at once we will use them through the year

Optional- scientific calculator- not required but useful

Dry Erase Markers (chisel tip preferred)

One 2 or 3 inch three ring binder (We will set up the binder the first day of school. This binder will be used

for Science, Math, ELA and Social Studies. Teachers will let you know how to set up their section. Please

do not get a separate binder for each class.)

Please Note: Each 7th grade student will have an individual schedule, although some students may travel

together. We feel this will positively impact social interactions between students, allow for a variety of dif-

ferent random heterogeneous groupings and provide greater flexibility in scheduling.

8TH GRADE SUPPLIES

The following is a list of supplies each Gr.8 student should

have with them on their first day of school:

Pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils,

scissors, glue sticks, filler paper, highlighters, erasers, and dry erase markers

Colored Pen

2 Non-spiral Composition Book

2 Binder 1” or 2” with 5 Dividers

1 Pkg. White Lined Filler Paper

Pencils with Erasers

Highlighters

Calculator

Spanish/English Dictionary—recommended

Tissues are always welcome

Washington D. C. Trip

8th Grade Parent Information Night for the trip to

Washington D.C. will be held in September at

Palmer High School

Date and Time - TBA

6th GRADE INFORMATION NIGHT

Thursday, August 22, 2019

6:00—8:00 pm

Palmer High School

We would like to invite YOU and your parent/guardians to an informational evening to assist you in

transitioning and becoming better acquainted with the high school.

Mrs. North, Principal, Mr. Diorio and Ms. Mahoney, Assistant Principals, will address parents and

incoming 6th grade students on important information pertinent to the individual grade experience.

Students will receive a folder with information about the upcoming year, including schedules and

locks. You will have the opportunity to hear from numerous staff members regarding expectations.

After a short meeting, the students will have the opportunity to meet student council members who

will assist in the transition of students to PHS. Parents will remain in the auditorium to complete the

necessary paperwork and will then be given the opportunity to tour the building. During this time

students will be given the chance to speak with friends and teachers.

ATTENTION: ALL medications, including EPI-PENS and inhalers must be brought into my office by the

start of the school year, including MD orders, and self-administered paperwork.

**WE ARE A NUT FREE SCHOOL** Please make every possible effort not to send your child into

school with food or products that contain tree nuts or peanuts. IT CAN SAVE A LIFE!!

Sports Physicals—If your son/daughter is participating in a sport this school year, the health office

must have a current sports physical on file. If the physical has expired, they will NOT be able to

practice or play. NO EXCEPTIONS

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, STAY HEALTHY AND PROTECT YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN.

NOTES FROM THE NURSE

The PHS Band will hold rehearsals before school starts to begin

learning the music and drills for the 2019 half-time shows. All Band

members are needed to attend rehearsal on Monday, Tuesday, and

Wednesday, August 19th, 20th, and 21st from 9:00 am—2:00 pm.

Students should dress for warm weather, and please wear sneakers

with socks. No flip-flops or sandals! Bring sunscreen, extra water,

and a lunch, along with your instrument, music lyre, and flip holder.

All fall sport athletes must have an updated physical on

file before you can practice or participate in any activities.

Fall sports team will begin practice on the following days:

Football—Friday, August 16th

Field Hockey, Golf, Cross Country, Field Hockey, and Soccer will

begin Thursday, August 22nd.

There is a $75 user fee charged to all athletes.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health mandates vision, hearing, BMI, and SBIRT screening. Vision, Hearing, and BMI screening will be performed in Grades 7 and 10, per state regula-tions. SBIRT screening will be performed on Grades 7 and 9. Pos-tural Screenings will be performed yearly on all students in Grades 6, 7, 8, and 9. If a screening has been done at a physician’s office, a copy of the health record must be forwarded to the health office

IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN A SCREENING, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL NURSE.

PHYSICAL EXAMS

According to Massachusetts state law, physical examinations are required upon entry to the school system (kindergarten and trans-ferring students) and every three to four years thereafter.

All students new to the school district must submit a signed physical examination performed by a health care practitioner, con-ducted within the past 12 months. Physical exams are required to be submitted minimally at the following intervals: Grade 7 and Grade 10. It is best practice to submit a copy of your child’s physi-cal exam yearly.

More News from the Nurse

The School Council is responsible for assisting administration in five major

areas. These areas include, but are not exclusive to, adopting educational goals,

establishing policies around student performance standards, identifying the

educational needs of students, formulating a school improvement plan,

reviewing the student handbook to consider changes and review of the annual

school budget and discuss school events.

The Council is required to hold meetings regularly, and maintain its membership

representative of the principal, parents, teachers, community members and at

least one student at the high school level. The membership term rotates every

three years.

Current Representatives:

Principal—Sue North

Teachers— Karen Anti

Students— Tori Edwards, Jacob Mastalerz

Parents– Jolene Mastalerz, Melissa Webber

Together We Can

Do So Much

Work Hard

Dream Big

Never Give Up

Good Things Are

Going To Happen

Think Positive

Be Positive

Stay

Positive