Please note: Progress Reports will be mailed the week of December 15, 2008.

I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday and had the opportunity to share it with friends and family. As I look ahead at the calendar for December, it seems that 2009 will be here before we know it.

November was a busy month for PMHS as we celebrated student achievements on a few different occasions including the National Honor Society induction ceremony as well as the fall sports banquet. The administration also took the opportunity to personally congratulate those students who made first quarter Honor Roll. November was also a historical month for our State and federal governments as New Hampshire elected its first female U.S. Senator and the country elected its first African-American President. Regardless of one’s political viewpoints, it was (and will continue to be) an exciting time in American History.

Can you believe that it snowed this past weekend? I’m sure those of you who enjoy skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling must be excited. I, for one, am not excited about having to start shoveling and scraping my car windows, but that’s the price of living in New England. For those of you with children driving to and from school, please remind them to be cautious and to drive safely as the weather worsens. Please also remind them to dress appropriately. As I realize many students enjoy wearing shorts and flip-flops during the cold winter months, students have to realize that wearing such clothing is not going to be appropriate in the event of a fire drill, building evacuation, or waiting at a bus stop.

There are only three weeks left before the next holiday break and I imagine that it’s going to go by quickly. PMHS has a few events planned that are worthy of mentioning. Our annual Winter Concert will take place at 6:30pm on December 18^th. Please join us in the auditorium as our Mixed and Select Choruses as well as our Concert Band provides some holiday music and entertainment. I should also mention that on Tuesday, December 23^rd, Student Council will facilitate its annual Winter Carnival. This is a day where classes (grade levels) compete against each other in effort to demonstrate the most school spirit. The afternoon is filled with many activities and it is sure to kick off the holiday vacation with some positive energy. Students are required to be in school that day as it is important to PMHS that we provide an opportunity for our students to meet the civic and social expectations for student learning as it relates to our Mission. If you choose to dismiss your child before the end of school on that day, he or she will need to provide the Main Office receptionist with a note signed by you before the school day begins.

In last year’s December issue of the Wolf tracks newsletter, I asked how many of you knew the PMHS mission statement. I took it a step further and encouraged you to get your child to prove to me that he or she knew it as well. I’m going to propose that same deal for this year. Any student who, on Tuesday, December 23^rd, comes up to me during lunch and can tell me our school’s mission statement will be given a tasty edible treat. Plus, a point will be awarded to his or her class for Winter Carnival.

I look forward to seeing you on December 18^th at the Winter Concert. For those of you I will not see, enjoy the holidays and if you would like to contact me with any comments, concerns, or questions please feel free at 875-8800 or at jfitzpatrick@pmhschool.com. Don’t forget to check out the school’s Website at www.pmhschool.com.

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Student Recognition

Catherine Martinez and Nick Iannotti have been accepted to participate in New Hampshire All-State. PMHS had two instrumentalists and seven vocalists audition. Nick and Catherine will be joining other students from across the state in April to practice and perform.

Through All-State auditions, and being ranked as 5^th best alto in the state, Catherine Martinez has been selected to participate in the Chamber Ensemble Women’s Choir on January 10, 2009. Congratulations Catherine and Nick!

The following students were inducted into the National Honor Society on November 20, 2008:

Ashley Barsanti Casey Beranger

Mariah Bousquet Katie Chagnon

Erica Clemons Ashley Collins

Cindell Corbeil Allison Cormier

Alexandra Couch Hollie Couture

Lindsey Daniels Melissa Fortin

Sarah Fraser Kelsey Hopper

MaryMargaret Houghton Joshua Hough

Michael Jensen Danielle Juza

Jack LaFreniere Erika Macaione

Jamie Matthew Joseph Monasky

Bradley Olmstead Emily Pellowe

Benjamin Rogers Stephanie Roy

Heather Tempest Liana Tetreau

Jared Landry uses his newly crafted table.

Corey LeBlanc created a custom table to fit on Jared

Landry’s chair to make working easier.

Congratulations to the girls’ varsity soccer team who were recognized by the NHIAA for their sportsmanship and for not receiving any red or yellow card penalties during the past fall’s soccer season.

Nick Bugieda and Matt Apkarian will have some artwork published in the Fosters Holiday Magazine December 18th. They will be honored at a special awards reception in late January or early February along with their family members and teachers. Matt and Nick were each allowed to submit a piece of artwork for the contest in cartooning illustration and design as an alternative assignment to the current running project in an effort to continue personalizing education.

Faculty and Staff Recognition

Guidance counselor, Ms. Cathy Bond, was recently named a winner of the Pay it Forward Scholarship Essay Contest. PMHS Alumni, Dustin Despres (’07), used Ms. Bond as the subject of his essay. He described the impact that Ms. Bond had on him and his peers and to the overall culture of the building. Dustin’s essay won him a $1,000 scholarship and Ms. Bond an all expenses-paid trip to London in July, 2009. Congratulations!

What’s the Staff Reading 2008

Shiela Croft—Spanish teacher

I currently have on my bedside table, Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve. (I belong to a monthly book group and that is the book we are reading right now.) Some of my past favorites are, The Time Traveler's Wife, A Thousand Splendid Sons, and Three Cups of Tea.

Guidance News

College Financial Aid Workshop

The Guidance Office will sponsor a College Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the Auditorium. Kerry Koziell, from the Center for College Planning, will present this workshop aimed at parents of college-bound seniors and juniors. If you have questions about how to pay for a college education for your child, here is an opportunity for you to get some answers. Please join us!

SAT and ACT Test Dates

ACT Test Date Registration Late Registration

Deadline Deadline

Dec. 13, 2008 Nov. 7, 2008 Nov 8-20, 2008

Feb. 7, 2009 Jan 6, 2009 Jan 7-16, 2009

April 4, 2009 Feb. 27, 2009 Feb 28-Mar 13, 2009

June 13, 2009 May 8, 2009 May 9-22, 2009

Register online at www.actstudent.org

SAT Test Date Registration Late Registration

Deadline Deadline

Dec 6, 2008 Nov 5, 2008 Nov 18, 2008

Jan 24, 2009 Dec 26, 2008 Jan 6, 2009

Mar 14, 2009 Feb 10, 2009 Feb 24, 2009

May 2, 2009 Mar 31, 2009 April 9, 2009

June 6, 2009 May 5, 2009 May 15, 2009

Register online at www.collegboard.com

Seniors and Parents

College Applications and Financial Aid Deadlines

Seniors and their parents/guardians are reminded to watch out for all college application deadlines. All seniors should have met with a guidance counselor or should set up a meeting before the holiday break in December. Please request transcripts and recommendations from the guidance office.

If you apply on-line to college, you must let Guidance know so that your transcript packets and recommendations can be sent from the guidance office.

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 12^th Deadline for submitting guidance requests to go out before the December break.

December 22^nd Deadline for submitting guidance requests to go out over the December break.

January 8^th Deadline for submitting guidance requests to go out before January 15^th.

JANUARY 1^ST – EARLIEST DATE TO SUBMIT FAFSA

Watch for all your financial aid deadlines. Colleges may require 1, 2, or 3 financial aid forms: FAFSA, Profile, and/or Institutional Forms

Yearbook Information

Senior write-ups are due on November 3, 2008. Please see Mrs. Kelliher as soon as possible to make sure your senior write up appears as you want it in the yearbook.

If you would like to purchase an advertisement in the yearbook the prices are as follows:

1/8 page $55.00

¼ page $105.00

½ page $175.00

Full page $295.00

The deadline to purchase an advertisement is December 8, 2008. Please contact Mrs. Kelliher at kkelliher@pmhschool.com or 875-3800 extension 2115.

School Play

Auditions for the next school play, Anything Goes, will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, December 9 & 10, 2008. The play will be performed April 9-11, 2009.

Rock Concert Series

On Friday, January 9, 2009 there will be a concert to benefit Special Olympics. Featured bands include The Coming Weak, Foredoes Me Quite, Readymade Breakup and How Lost We Are. The cost will be $5.00 in advance and $6.00 at the door. Please contact Mr. MacStravic or Mr. Long for tickets or details.

Family and Consumer Science

The aroma of fresh baked bread or casseroles made in the International Foods class spreads throughout the Family & Consumer Sciences labs and sometimes down the hall. In these turbulent economic times, FCS classes become even more valuable. Students are working to improve their personal and family lives, learn to economize, helpful shortcuts, and to appreciate the impact of healthy living. Students will learn to prepare for the holidays in the next three weeks by baking traditional foods and participating in special activities.

PMHS Calendar of Events December, 2008

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

School Board Meeting 6:30 pm Library

Anything Goes Auditions

Dance 6:00–10:00 pm Cafeteria

School Board Meeting 6:30 pm Library

Outing Club Trip to Dover Rock Climbing Wall

Holiday Concert

6:30 pm Auditorium

Christmas Eve

No School

Christmas Day

Holiday Break

New Years Eve

*Photo credit by Trey Ratcliff. Accessed 3 December 2008, http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=christmas.