Titan Times Magazine

TITANTIMES ISSUE NO. 5 // FALL 2017

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

A PUBLICATION OF THE PEMBROKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 12 06

14 12 03 04 06 08 10 12

10

Letter from the Superintendent Introducing Titan Time Cultural Exchange Program Titans Boosters Social & Emotional Learning The Art of Music

14 16 18 20 22 24

Athletics Update News & Noteworthy DECA Club Around Town Alumni Network IT Matters- Technology

TITAN TIMES MAGAZINE

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LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT ERIN OBEY

Dear Pembroke Students, Parents, Families and Community, Thank you for a wonderful first term of school.

Amazing musical performances, fall sports, and continued academic success mark the first four months of the 20172018 school year. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all they have done in making the start of this school year one of the best ever! I am honored to serve as Superintendent in a district where our staff and students are continuously striving for excellence.

The spirit of giving in “Titan Town” goes far beyond the holiday season. In the first term alone, our students and staff organized fundraisers in support of the Pembroke Food Pantry, Breast Cancer Awareness, Pembroke Titans Against Drugs, and Toys for Tots, just to name a few!

December is packed with many events and musical concerts. I encourage you take time to attend these events and see the talented young performers we have throughout the district. A listing of all these events can be found on our district calendar. I also encourage you to follow our social media account as we highlight student events and achievements.

One important focus area for the district has been promoting a “growth mindset” culture that incorporates the best practices in teaching and learning. This fall we officially launched Google for Education, piloted new math software for tiered interventions, rolled out Titan Time and look forward to launching a new website in early 2018!

As we continue our drive toward excellence, I must acknowledge that the progress we make is a result of the collective efforts of our teachers, students, administrators and community. Excellence is not possible without vision, support and commitment. Thank you to the leadership in each school and to all of the faculty and staff who support the mission of a “student centered education” with the tireless hours spent creating meaningful and engaging lessons.

Finally, thank you to for the privilege of working alongside you to make our district one of the best on the South Shore. As always, I appreciate your feedback and encourage you share using, "Let's Talk!".

Have a happy holiday season!

INTRODUCING TITAN TIME FLexible Learning Block We are thrilled to announce Titan Time, a new student flexible learning block. Titan Time, aligns with our mission of, "ensuring student achievement through excellence in teaching and learning ," by providing students and teachers designated “flex” time. That time can be used for extra help, support, enrichment or extension. Titan Time looks slightly different at each school level, however the end goal is the same; student achievement through personalized instruction.

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WHAT IS TITAN TIME?

A designated learning block to allow students to enhance learning during the school day. This time is not a study hall but a focused academic time that is targeted based on personalized student needs.

WHY TITAN TIME? Titan Time aligns with our mission of excellence in education. Titan Time allows for improved teaching and learning for all grade levels. This block is designed to meet the needs of all students at all levels of learning and readiness.

High School Titan Time: The Titan Time block is a designated 30-minutes that allows students to enhance learning during the school day.

This time can be used to get extra help, to make up work, or to further one’s studies in a particular area. The idea is that the students at Pembroke High School will use this flexible time during the school day to help alleviate some of the pressures in their ever busy schedules.

Each Monday, students report to their Advisory during Titan Time. This allows students to log into Enriching Students, our scheduling software and work with their advisors to review their Titan Time schedule for the week. Teachers log in prior to each Monday’s session and set up their student requests for the following week based upon targeted, student academic needs. If students have any openings in their Titan Time schedule for the week, they work with their advisor to create a full schedule based on their individual academic needs. The rest of the week students report directly to their scheduled teacher during their Titan Time block.

What the teachers are saying....

“I really like Titan Time. Kids are getting work done. They can get help if they need it.

They can also help each other.” " So far it is working well and I’ve had several students see me. All but a few have increased their scores on the last quiz. I love it!" " I really like Titan Time. Based on my discussions with students it seems like it relieves a ton of stress and gives students the chance to have some less structured time within the school day."

Middle School Titan Time The Titan Time block at the middle school is built upon the same premise as the high school block.

The daily 33-minute block will be used to support and extend learning and has been rolled out in a two phase approach. This fall students were assigned to their Titan Time rooms which held 14-15 students per room and were aligned with their teams. The first few sessions were used to orient students to the new year with team building activities, assistance with basic organizational skills, guidance check-ins and homework help. Second term and beyond will incorporate the personalized learning block into the student’s daily schedule. Initially the focus will be on additional academic supports, and extensions that are targeted, and specific to each student. As the program rolls out, staff and students will provide feedback about the process during staff meetings, and 21st Century Skills classes.

Issue 27 | 234

Elementary School Titan Time Titan Time in our elementary schools is based on grade level needs. Titan Time incorporates both classroom specific work and grade level goals. So for an example students may be working on an extension activity in their classrooms one day or receiving help on a concept with another grade level teacher on another day.

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Cultural Exchange Program Pembroke Public Schools fosters and utilizes local and global connections to cultivate learning experiences within and beyond the classroom.

Pembroke Public Schools are proud to announce the third year of our Cultural Exchange Program at Pembroke High School.

On September 15, 2017 students from our partnering school, Galileo Galilei of Alcorcón, Spain arrived to stay with host families throughout the community. Students attended Pembroke High School during their two week stay.

The Cultural Exchange Program, now in its third year, is an incredible way to help students reach beyond the world language classroom. The program was started by two Pembroke High School teachers, Mrs. Christine Noguer and Ms. Sara Gregg.

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Last year Pembroke High School received sister city status with the town of our partnering school in Spain.

Students and staff from Pembroke High School held a ceremony at a municipal building in Alcorcón in February 2017 and presented the mayor with a plaque to commemorate our sister city/sister school status.

While in Spain the twenty-two Pembroke High School students along with teachers Christine Noguer and Sara Gregg traveled to Segovia and Toledo for cultural excursions, attended classes at the high school and visited an elementary school. They also enjoyed group activities around Madrid with their exchange partners.

This year Pembroke was recognized by the student exchange company, Prometour as one of the three most inspiring school exchanges and was featured in their newsletter which went to school districts all over the world.

This September, Pembroke welcomed returning teacher Ana Méndez and twenty-two students from our sister school to our community.

A number of our students who traveled to Spain as part of the program in the past have also hosted exchange students in their homes. A few of our students have hosted two or even three times!

Welcome Saviz Safizadeh Pembroke Public Schools are proud to welcome Saviz as head of the Foreign Languages Deparment.

Madame Saviz is a native French speaker with fifteen years of French immersion teaching experience. She has an architectural degree from L’Académie Royal des Beaux Arts in Brussels, a B.A. in French Literature and M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College. She also is a Ph. D. student in the program of Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies at University of Massachusetts, Boston. “Children are my passion, and French is my gift to them”, she recently said in an interview. On " why Pembroke," she said “My search for a shift in my career took me to various school systems in the greater Boston area. Since the position I was interviewing for was in administration, I heard a lot about student achievement and teacher accountability. Since my first interview with Pembroke I felt I found a good match with my philosophy to foster emotional wellness of students and staff, while aiming for robust academic results. I am a strong advocate of promoting high academic achievement by fostering a strong sense of belonging among all members of the learning community. Whether a person is a student or a staff member, schooling means changes in lifestyle, authority, environment, social life, and relationships in addition to meeting the demands of rigorous academic responsibilities. One’s ability to cope and manage these changes will highly depend on their ability to cope with these numerous challenges. I feel it is important that we keep that in mind in our daily interactions with colleagues, students, and parents and I am happy to have joined a district where this is a shared belief.

In October, the exchange program was featured on PCN. To watch the clip, check out the PCN PACTV Community News YouTube Channel.

A picture from the Pembroke High School students visit to Spain in February, 2017.

"What our hope for the program was originally and continues to be is that we open a window for our Pembroke students and families to give them a connection to the outside world. As foreign language teachers it is very important to have that connection, and understand the relevance of using a foreign language. The cultural component of it has so much value that when these Pembroke students accept these Spanish students into their homes and really share each other’s traditions and cultures it makes a lasting impression on them."

-Foreign Languages Teacher, Christine Noguer

When asked about the World Language Department, Ms. Safizadeh replied “Pembroke’s World Language Department is rich with caring and supportive teachers who strive to bring the best to their students. A program I am extremely grateful for is the Spanish exchange program. and we owe its success to the commendable work of our teachers. and administrators from middle school to high school for supporting and encouraging our students to excel in their language learning, however the tireless work of Mrs. Christine Noguer is the heart and soul of the program. As wonderful as it was to see our students host and grow in this wonderful program last September, I see our mission only halfway accomplished until we send our students to Spain, hopefully next year. Unfortunately, we did not have enough students signed up to travel to Spain this Spring. I would like to encourage our Pembroke families who participated in the exchange program this year to complete the circle of giving. You gave so generously as hosts, let’s further benefit from this program and send our students to Spain soon!”

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FEATURES

WELCOME TO PHS TITANS BOOSTERS Let us introduce ourselves…we’re the PHS Titans Boosters! We’re a volunteer organization that raises funds to help finance the activities of all sports teams at Pembroke High School.

Some of the purchases we have been able to make to benefit our student athletes include scholarships, award night in the spring, scoreboards for the gym, trainer’s cart, batting cage, clock for cross-country and track, springboards for gymnastics, large nets on track for lacrosse, hockey bumpers and banners for rinks, swim flags, tennis scorecards, all the varsity letters, certificates, pins for your banquets and the banners in the gym.

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For 2017 -2018, the Boosters have purchased a new scoreboard for the turf and custom sideline chairs which will be used for our home basketball games, volleyball games and wrestling matches, four stationary bikes for the weight room, two sets of plyo boxes for all athletes to use in the weight room and two boys and girls lacrosse shot goal target nets.

In addition, each year the PHS Titan Boosters give out six $500.00 scholarships to PHS student athletes. These are only a few of the great things provided by the PHS Titans Boosters. We are always looking for parents to get involved. We meet on the second Wednesday of the month from September to June at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library. We’d love to meet you and we hope that you will consider coming to one of our meetings to see what we are all about.

COME GET INVOLVED! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Next meeting is December 14th at 7:00 p.m. at By the Sea, 31 Schooset Street, Suite 200, Pembroke MA, 02359

Contact us!

Email: phstitansboosters@gmail.com phstitansboosterspr@gmail.com (PR Committee) Website: www.phstitansboosters.com Facebook: PHS Titans Boosters PAGE | 09

FEATURE

Building a Community THE KINSHIP CARE SUPPORT GROUP

This group is for grandparents and other relatives of elementary school children who have taken on the role as primary caregiver to related children.

This is a school based support group created to address the unique issues facing these families. Pizza dinner is served and childcare provided.

The Kinship Care Support Group was

If you would like to join, you must register

created because many children in

one week prior to the start of each event.

Pembroke are being raised by

If you have any questions, comments or

grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or

concerns please contact one of the

other close family members. These

elementary school social workers.

“kinship” families often have unique needs

Cheryl Larson at

that may include physical, medical, social

Cheryl.Larson@Pembrokek12.org

and emotional challenges.

or

This support group provides participants a chance to share their personal experiences with others who are in similar situations and are experiencing the same types of issues.

The evening begins with families gathering together for pizza in the cafeteria. After eating, adults will meet in a small group for discussion and resource sharing while children participate in activities supervised

by YMCA staff.

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Caitlin Martin at Caitlin.Martin@Pembrokek12.org.

Save the Date!

The meetings take place at the North Pembroke Elementary School from 6:30-8:00 PM. The dates for the 2017-2018 school year are: January 18, 2018 February 15, 2018 March 22, 2018 April 26, 2018 May 24, 2018

" This year my classroom is a lot calmer and more focused. We have learned effective strategies to help us reset and relieve tensions in our classroom environment. By taking three minutes to practice these techniques with my students, I am able to help them focus and get ready to learn. " Above: Students at Bryantville Elementary School practice a deep breathing technique as part of Calm Classroom.

Calm Classroom

In today’s world, the stressors of

The program provides students

daily life can cause children and

and staff with accessible tools to

adults to feel overwhelmed and

help manage stress, teach self-

anxious. In an effort to alleviate

regulation and in turn lead more

some of the increasing

productive, well-balanced lives.

frustrations our

The techniques can be seamlessly

students experience, we have

integrated into any classroom

implemented a program called

schedule and each technique

Calm Classroom.

takes about three minutes to

Calm classroom is composed of

complete. The purpose of the

many different teacher-led,

program is to make for a more

scripted techniques for

mindful school climate and

breathing, stretching, relaxation

encourage students to foster

and focusing techniques. Calm

attitudes of respect and kindness

classroom provides practical

towards themselves and others.

mindfulness-based tools to help

Ask your child to show you a

our students manage stress and

breathing of focusing activity from

achieve emotional well-being

Calm Classroom.

Below is a link for more information about

throughout the day by

Calm Classroom.

activating the body's relaxation

www.calmclassroom.com

response.

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the art of music The Pembroke Visual and Performing Arts Department has been very productive this fall!

Pembroke Public Schools offer a range of music and art

The incredibly talented art students have also been busy

classes K-12. At the secondary level: 22 music courses, 7

beautifying the walls of Pembroke High School. This

extra-curricular music ensembles, 16 visual art courses, 2

fall students have been painting murals and trash buckets

art clubs and a drama program that includes full scale

throughout the building. They coined their efforts the “Art

musicals and plays are offered. At the elementary level,

Attack” and teachers have really enjoyed the new custom

students have general music classes, visual art, chorus,

trash barrels in their classrooms! Students in Mrs.

band and strings all of which introduce a love for music

Lazarus’s class have been learning how to construct

and the arts at an early age.

cityscapes using the new MAYA software and at PCMS

This fall the Visual and Performing Arts departments have

students in Mrs. Gillis' have been busy learning how to

been very busy and our students have a lot to be proud of.

work with clay to build and design 2D, and 3D art pieces.

The Pembroke High School Visual Art Department, led by teachers Amy Motta, Erin Massa and Jessica Lazarus

The Pembroke Music Department has also been very busy

organized and submitted student artwork in the Josh

sharing their talents with the community. The PHS

Cutler Congressional Art Competition. The art department

Marching Band played for the Pembroke Town

also teamed up with Pembroke Titans Against Drugs

Appreciation Firework Celebration in September and in

(PTAD) to help design and paint pumpkins for their annual

October they participated in the UMASS Band Day. The

fall fundraiser. Pembroke High School students designed

PHS Chamber Singers performed at the Veteran’s Day

and entered sneakers into the Vans Custom Culture

Service on November 11, 2017 as a way to pay tribute to

Competition and customized Vans sneakers using a variety

our local veterans. Concert Orchestra teacher Greg Tarbox

of painting techniques.

led the orchestra and played spooky Halloween music for

This fall the PHS Art Department was also featured on

students and staff in the atrium on the morning of October

Instagram! At the beginning of the school year, Erin Massa

31st. The PHS Thespian Troupe #7127 performed 3

reached out to the customer service department of Cedars

incredible performances of Chicago in November and the

Company to see if they would donate containers to our

newly formed Elementary String Club under the direction

classrooms. She asked for 30 for a pen and ink / liquid

of Nancy Kidd is off a great start!

watercolor lesson. They responded saying they loved the idea and sent a box of easily 500 containers!! All they

Be sure to check out some of the upcoming shows by our

wanted in return were some photos to see how we used

talented music students such as the Pembroke Tree

them. Mrs. Massa sent them photos that they used in an

Lighting Ceremony in December or the Winter Concerts

Instagram live story.

presented in both December in January. For a full listing of Visual and Performing Arts events check the calendar on

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our website www.pembrokek12.org.

FALL HIGHLIGHTS Concert Orchestra teacher Greg Tarbox led the orchestra playing spooky Halloween music for students and staff in the atrium on the morning of October 31st.

The newly formed Elementary String Club under the direction of Nancy Kidd is off to a great start!

PHS Art students have been beautifying the walls of PHS by painting murals and trash buckets.

The PHS Thespian Troupe #7127 performed 3 incredible performances of "Chicago" in November.

The PCMS 2D and 3D students have been hard at work learning to work with clay.

FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER!

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N A T TI E D I PR

ATHLETICS UPDATE with Athletic Director, Justin Domingos

Follow @PHS_Titans

The Pembroke High School student athletes have a lot to be proud of this season. Not only were the athletes successful but the fans came out in support of all of our teams demonstrating Titan Pride both at home and away.

CHEER Cheer finished strong at the All-State Meet taking 10th place and taking 3rd place overall in the Patriot League.

CROSS COUNTRY The girls team and boys teams won the Patriot League Division and League Meets. The girls team were Eastern Mass. Division 3 Qualifiers. Sarah Tormey & Aly Coyle ran in the Massachusetts All-State Meet. Sarah finished 72nd and Aly 83rd. The team finished the season 5-0.

The boys team finished 11th at the All State Meet. Justin Gaiser was named the Patriot League Fisher Division MVP. The team placed 2nd in ther Eastern Mass.

Division 3. They finished the season 5-0.

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! s n a t i T Go SOCCER FIELD HOCKEY The team finished 4-14 and 1-11 in the League.

They were also awarded the Patriot League Fisher Division Sportsmanship Award.

FOOTBALL The football team finished the season with an amazing victory againt rival Silver Lake on Thanksgiving.

They were awarded the Patriot League Fisher Division Sportsmanship Award.

The team played in the MIAA Division 4 Playoffs.

GOLF The team finished 6-10 and 4-10 in the League.

Jared Pillard was an MIAA State Individual Qualifier.

VOLLEYBALL The volleyball team finished their season 13-5 and 10-5 in the League.

They were MIAA Division 2 South Tournament Qualifiers.

The girls team finished strong at 6-9-3 and 3-8-3 in the League. Amanda Schafer was named the EMASS All-Star, All State All Star.

The boys team was an MIAA Divsion 2 South Sectional Finalist. (One of 4 top teams in the state for D.2) They finished the season at 13-4-5 and 8-1-5 in the League.

Class of 2018 student, Patrick Mulhern signs his NLI to play lacrosse at Franklin Pierce.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES Football: Bradford Hartigan Boys Soccer: Jackson Saia Girls Soccer: Samantha Goodman Girls Cross Country: Olivia Chilcott Boys Cross Country: Ethan Rankin Golf: Tommy Lagner Field Hockey: Finley Gough Volleyball: Jeanmarie Marshall

PATRIOT LEAGUE ALL-STARS

N W O T N A TIT

Football: Nicholas Lane, Brian Burns Boys Soccer: Gabe Noguer, Roman Frattasio, John Heeran, Nate Horner, Brian Flaherty Girls Soccer: Amanda Shafer, Samantha Goodman Girls Cross Country- Sarah Tormey, Aly Coyle, Abby Oberman, Sophia Pizzi, Fiona Feerick, Lara Federspiel Boys Cross Country: Cam Aderson, Cole Radke, Justin Gaiser, Chris Spellman, Alex Wengryn, Keith Brash Golf: Jared Pillard Field Hockey: Brooke McIssac, Callie Morse Volleyball: Sarah L'Italien, Charleen Lamagna, Kristen Joyce

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS Football: Joseph Donovan Boys Soccer: Gabe Noguer Girls Soccer: Kate Norton Girls Cross Country: Lara Federspiel Boys Cross Country: Matthew Nugent Golf: Ryan West Field Hockey: Kelly Cunningham Volleyball: Katherine Canniff PAGE | 15

News & Noteworthy

Dash & Dot Robots Arrive!

The new Dash and Dot Robots arrived and students are having a great time learning about coding and robotics!

Pembroke Public Schools was awarded a grant from the Biogen Foundation's Ignite the Power of STEM grant program. Joan LaCroix, Pembroke Public Schools science content supervisor, applied for this grant with North Pembroke Elementary Library Paraprofessional, Kate Nugent. This grant will allow STEM Labs/Makerspaces to be created in the libraries at all three elementary schools.

Pembroke was also awarded a grant called Engineer This! The goal of this grant is to utilize the Pearson Realize Science Curriculum that Pembroke Public Schools has in place to expand on STEM opportunities for all students. The STEM Labs will have all of the materials in one place, allowing more students to utilize the space and resources at the same time.

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Resources have been used to purchase programmable robots and the iPads that control them. These robots are designed to teach elementary students the basics of coding and robotics. The robots are called Dash and Dot and they are part of the Wonder Workshop program. These robots promote STEM in classrooms across the country by providing students access to coding in a way that they can understand. Kids master the language of coding by transforming their new friends, Dot and Dash, into interactive playmates.

As a second part of the Engineer This! initiative, workshops will be held for student’s grades K through six utilizing alumni, community members, middle and high school teachers. This workshop model will bring experienced leaders from various fields of STEM related expertise into classrooms across the district.

LATEST NEWS!

ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Abigail Adams Scholars Pembroke High School is proud to annouce that seventy members of the class of 2019 have earned Abigail Adams Scholarships based on their English Language Arts, Mathematics and STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering) MCAS Scores. To recognize this accomplishment the high school held an assembly to annouce the students who achieved this honor.

Commended Students Principal Marc Talbot recently announced that Pembroke High School students Jackson Saia, Colten Cappa and Ethan Rankin were named Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.

A letter of commendation from Pembroke High School and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, was presented by Mr.Talbot to these scholastically talented seniors.

Wipro Awards Two teachers received additional Wipro grants to continue projects funded by previous Wipro awards.

Sara McNulty an elementary teacher in Pembroke will use her grant of nearly $2000 to continue bringing computer coding to 5th Graders. Students will learn how to create computer games and animations related to the books they read, and the science concepts they are learning. She will work with her entire team of teachers as they learn how to program software called Scratch and integrate materials from Code.org. Eight Chrome Books will also be purchased with the funds. “I envision my team using coding in all subjects as well as for enrichment.” Sarah said.

Last year her students coded animations to explain Newton’s Three Laws, as well as games to teach animal adaptations.

This new funding will continue her efforts and expand it to her teacher team.

Many girls shy away from STEM related clubs and activities. Thanks to a $2,000 grant from the Wipro Science Education Fellowship, the Pembroke Community Middle School Science Club for Girls will continue this year under the direction of Maureen Leonido. Among girls, the club fosters excitement and increases self-confidence and literacy in science, technology, engineering and math. Laboratory activities will be developed from the varied interests of the girls in the club, focusing on the topics they want to explore.

Both Ms. McNulty and Ms. Leonido were Wipro Science and Engineering fellows for 2 years which made them eligible to apply for additional funding.

The Wipro Science Education Fellowship (Wipro SEF) is a two-year program for experienced teachers licensed in a science subject or elementary licensure, which uses a model of teacher support and development to increase the science capacity of teacher-leadership.

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PEMBROKE HIGH SCHOOL

DECA CLUB

Get to know the Pembroke DECA DECA IS AN AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB THAT EDUCATES STUDENTS ON BUSINESS AND MARKETING SKILLS.

The main goal of DECA is to prepare students to become leaders in the business world. The DECA club is a club based around business, marketing and entrepreneurship. This after-school club serves as an extension of the business classroom and encourages students to further explore topics that are discussed as part of their business courses. This year 73 students are Pembroke DECA Club members. The DECA Club, which is no longer an acronym, has 215,000 members, 3,500 high school chapters, 275 collegiate chapters, and 5, 500 advisors.

In addition to the community service projects, managing the school store and their business classes, the Pembroke High School DECA Club is also a tough competitor at the District, State and International DECA competitions.

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As part of these yearly competitions, the students must complete three challenges. Two of the three events they compete in are centered around a role playing activity. They are given a business scenario related to the topic of their choice. It could be focused on sports, hospitality, business law & ethics, just to name a few. Students select their category of interest and compete in those areas. The students are given a one-page scenario and have ten minutes to analyze it. They have to come up with a plan on how to respond to that particular business scenario and go in front of judges to present their ideas. This type of on the spot role playing requires the students to act on their feet to come up with appropriate responses to real business world challenges, teaching them invaluable communication and business skills.

Students also take a 100 question, 90-minute multiple choice test based on marketing terms for the third event. All parts are added together to determine a student’s overall score.

The first District competition is scheduled for January 4-5th at the Quincy Marriott. Sixty-three Pembroke DECA students are set to participate at the District competition. The top four students from each category move onto the State Competition held at Copley Marriott Hotel in Boston on March 810th. More than 3,000 students from across the state are expected to participate. The top winners of the State Competition will move onto the International Competition in Atlanta, Georgia on April 24-24. Students fundraise throughout the year to raise money for travel and hotel expenses for the DECA competitions.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT WITH THE PEMBROKE HIGH SCHOOL DECA CLUB

DECA

Trick or Can Food Drive Each year the Pembroke DECA club kicks off the now annual Trick of Gear Up for the Holidays!

Can Drive as a way for the club to give back to the community of Pembroke. Community service projects are a way for the DECA Club to help the community while also gaining valuable business and marketing skills. The Trick or Can event had over a 98 percent class participation rate, largely in part to the club’s ability to market their fundraising efforts to the community and to their peers. Many students who are not part of DECA joined them in their efforts and over 400 cans were donated to the Pembroke Food Pantry.

Time to stock up on Titan Spirit Wear for the holidays!

Support the Pembroke DECA Club today! These limited edition pom-pom hats are custom designed with the new Pembroke “P”. The hats make a great holiday gift for all ages! The purchase price is $20. Pembroke sweatshirts and long sleeve tshirts will also be available soon at the Titan Market. Checks can be made payable to Pembroke High School and may be purchased at the Titan Market.

Connect with PHS DECA Follow the Pembroke DECA club on social media for the Shop Titan Market The school store (Titan Market) is managed by the PHS DECA students and overseen by Maryellen Gates, the Pembroke High School Business teacher and DECA advisor. Students work in the store selling spirit wear, other school related merchandise and food items. They are part of the selection process for merchandise design, as well as managing inventory and sales. Product is available for purchase all year and the designs change depending on the season. Quantities of certain items are limited. Proceeds are used to run the store as well as support the Pembroke DECA club with competition expenses. The Titan Market is located in the main lobby of the high school. If you would like to purchase spirit wear from the Pembroke High School store, please contact Maryellen Gates, Maryellen.gates@pembrokek12.org.

latest updates and info! You can also contact the DECA Club advisor, Maryellen Gates at Maryellen.Gates@Pembrokek12.org. with any questions about the program.

@PHSTitans_DECA

@PembrokeDECA PAGE | 19

#TITANTOWN

AROUND TOWN

WE ARE MEMBERS OF TITAN TOWN BOTH INSDIE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. HERE ARE SOME WAYS OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF DEMONSTRATE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TITAN IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.

MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER In October, twenty-eight Pembroke High School students and two teachers participated in the five mile long Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Boston. The group raised over $1,500 for the American Cancer Society. The walk was a very special experience for everyone who participated. The Pembroke High School Student Council also worked to incorporate the idea of Breast Cancer Awareness month into the school day throughout the month.

The students ran raffles to raise money for cancer research. The girls varsity volleyball team dedicated one of their games as the "Pink Out" game and the students collected donations, decorated the gym and all of the players and fans wore pink to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer and the various research organizations.

TAKING A STANCE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE This is the generation that will change the future and these are the students who will do it. The boys soccer team took a stance against domestic violence by dedicating their game against Whitman-Hanson as a way to raise awareness. Students, fans and community members took the "White Ribbon" pledge as part of the opening ceremony.

PHS has an active White Ribbon Club and students have visited the State House on White Ribbon Day. The club continues to grow each year and the students have led by example using whatever platform they have to raise awareness against this issue. The White RIbbon Pledge states: “I will promote respect, dignity and equality. I will speak out against attitudes and behaviors that contribute to sexual assault and domestic violence. I will remind myself and others that gender violence is a men’s issue that affects all of us, regardless of our backgrounds and identities. I will confront sexism, homophobia, racism and other forms of oppression. I will find out how to help when I suspect that someone I know is a victim or offender of sexual assault or domestic violence. From this day forward, I promise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women.”

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SPORTSMANSHIP ABROAD Pembroke's Tyler Spencer spent eleven days last summer traveling throughout Europe with 12 other local high school basketball players. He goes into his senior season at PHS with life long lessons he learned during his travels of sportsmanship and commitment.

Tyler's coach said that he played with a contagious energy and quickly earned the trust of his traveling teammates. Without a doubt, Tyler will continue to demonstrate what it means to be a Titan both on and off the court.

WE ARE #TITANTOWN

SCENES FROM AROUND TITAN TOWN Follow us on social media for regular updates and photos from all of our schools.

Bryantville Elementary School Facebook: Bryantville Elementary School News @GlaudeCatherine

Pembroke Community MIddle School Pembroke Community Middle School News @Pembroke_ms

Hobomock Elementary School Hobomock Elementary School News @DANIELLEMKAY

Pembroke High School Pembroke High School News @Pembroke_Titans Athletics: @PHS_Titans

North Pembroke Elementary School North Pembroke Elementary Schools News @NPES_Principal

Pembroke School News @PemSch_news PAGE | 21

Achieve ONCE A TITAN, ALWAYS A TITAN

We want to hear from you. Share an update, a favorite PHS memory or an achievement with us!

FILL OUT THE ALUMNI FORM ON LET'S TALK! WWW.PEMBROKEK12.ORG

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

2010

Kim is a longtime technology enthusiast, having spent the past 9 years working in early-stage tech. After graduating from PHS, she moved to New York City to attend NYU, where she was the first female president of NYC’s largest developer and designer organization, and founding partner of a $.5M student-run venture fund. In 2014, Kim moved to Dublin, Ireland to join Frontline Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in startups.

After moving to London, Kim was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2017. After 3 years in Europe, Kim left Frontline in 2017 to travel through Central and South America for 6 months.

Favorite PHS Memory: "I thoroughly enjoyed my history classes while I was a student at PHS (not surprisingly). I loved the camaraderie in our classes and the laughs that I got to have with my classmates. I am now fortunate to work with some of the teachers who inspired me to become a teacher way back when!."

-Jessica Rose

Featured Alumni

KIM PHAM CLASS OF 2010 Favorite PHS Memory: "Running the Pembroke Sentinel as editor-in-chief. I have such fond memories of hanging out with the editorial board in the journalism room, under the great tutelage of Scott Turley!" -Kim Pham

2011 JESSICA ROSE CLASS OF 2011 Jessica is a Pembroke native and went through the Pembroke school system.

After graduating from Salve Regina University, Jessica returned to Pembroke to share her love of history with future generations of Titans.

In her spare time she enjoys boating, reading and going to the beach.

2014

JOHN VALERI CLASS OF 2014 Favorite PHS Memory: "My favorite memory from Pembroke High School was my senior season as the cross-country captain under coach Greg Zopatti." -John Valeri

John Valeri is a student at the United States Military Academy (West Point). He is set to graduate in May, 2018. After he gradautes he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry of the United States Army. During his time at PHS, John was a three-time all-state champion, a two-time Nike Cross Nationals qualifier and captain of the high school cross country team as a senior. He credits his family, his team and his coach, Greg Zopatti with having the most influence on his running career. He was a member of the National Honor Society and the Executive Board President of the high school student council in addition to his exceptional running achievements.

During his time at West Point, John became known as a stand-out runner. He was one of three people to place in all six competitions in 2016. He finished first started the season with a fifth place finish at the Maine Dual and finished first in the Iona “Paddy Doyle” Meet of Champions. John placed 95th at the Paul Short Invitational and finished 13th against Navy clocking a time of 2.52.40. At the National League Championship, he captures fourth with a time of 25.01.5 and 48th in the NCAA Regionals. The former Titan placed 160th in the NCAA men's cross country championships. It was the Army's first appearance in the championship in a decade. He was named Patriot League Runner of the Week once. John was also featured in the Boston Globe this past November.

Join the Alumni Network today!

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IT MATTERS: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

/BY BRANDON HALL, PEMBROKE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATOR/

The last three months have been very exciting times for technology in the Pembroke Public Schools. With the roll out of Google Apps for Education, our schools are now using Google Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Sites, along with a variety of other tools. These digital learning features are key to connecting with students and allowing them to access curriculum no matter where they are located.

With Google’s Classroom, teachers can post assignments, projects, due dates, study guides, and reminders for their students with the click of a button, all viewable on the web or on the Classroom app. Docs, Sheets, and Slides are online versions of popular products where students can write, create spreadsheets, or make multimedia slideshow presentations. Forms is a popular program used for instant assessments or as a survey tool. Sites allows students and teachers to create websites and learn basic HTML coding, all with free hosting services. All of these programs have been rolled out with extensive professional development for teachers, which will continue through the school year. Students have received support from teacher-leaders and the tech team as the year has progressed.

Looking forward, we’re very excited to announce the creation of a student-run and managed Genius Bar at the high school during Titan Time. The purpose of the Genius Bar will be to assist students with their own devices by computer science students, all the while teaching soft skills like management, communication, and customer service to our students. With our reliance on students bringing their own devices, we will now have a place for students to have their devices serviced if something goes wrong. Future Genius Bars will be rolled out at the Middle and upper Elementary levels after the establishment of the high school Genius Bar.

Titan Times Magazine is a Publication of the Pembroke Public Schools