Plainville Community School News

On February 6, 2010, the Plainville High School National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) team competed in the regional competition known as the Quahog Bowl at UCONN's Avery Point campus in Groton, Connecticut. The team, led by senior captain Rachel Orzechowski, placed fifth overall out of the eighteen teams present during the competition. Additional Plainville High School team members included seniors Nicole Orzechowski, Daria Bednarczyk, David Benoit, and junior Lauren Mankowski.

The team, led by faculty member advisors Ken Fusco and Cheryl Hathaway, met once a week during the month of September and twice a week up until the competition to study and prepare for the event. In addition to gathering information about marine sciences, the students also practiced mock competitions. PHS alumnus Emily Brown, who received a bachelor of science in biology this past year, also worked with the student group.

According to Fusco, who has served as an advisor since 2001, the club is open to all Plainville High School students, but only five are able to compete. Those students are selected based on their knowledge, passion, and dedication to the team.

The NOSB team is an academic club aimed at making students, parents, and school members more aware of ocean stewardship while preparing students to compete in a regional competition. According to the NOSB website, "The NOSB is a nationally recognized and highly acclaimed high school academic competition that provides a forum for talented students to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology."

After three double elimination rounds, the Plainville team ended their run in the Quahog Bowl competition. Prizes awarded to the team included book bags, t-shirts, gift cards and books, as well as a free ticket to Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport.

"I am so proud of the team this year. They really worked hard. It’s nice to see students compete in an academic setting and do as well as they did. They deserve all the accolades they can get," said Fusco.

"Our NOSB team is a source of great pride at Plainville High School. Their hard work and dedication are extremely commendable," commented Plainville High School Principal, Greg Ziogas.

-Posted on March 12, 2010 at 10:06 AM

The Middle School of Plainville's MATHCOUNTS Team recently participated in the Hartford Region MATHCOUNTS Competition where many MSP students earned personal best scores, according to team advisor and Middle School Music Teacher, Todd Helming. Helming has coordinated the Middle School's MATHCOUNTS program for the past several years.

As part of the regional competition, which included 25 school districts from Connecticut, students participated in multiple rounds with math problems that challenge even the most advanced math students in the country. MATHCOUNTS is a national program sponsored by engineering firms including UTC, Lockheed Martin, and NASA. Students around the country prepare for and participate in yearly competitions. This year, after the competition, students were treated to a lecture about life in Space presented by an engineer from Hamilton Standard. The lecture focused on how math plays a key role in everything NASA does.

The MSP MATHCOUNTS Team is comprised of nine sixth and seventh grade students who were invited to participate in the program based on teacher recommendations and interest in the program. The group meets every third day of school for approximately 40 minutes.

The Middle School MATHCOUNTS Team is now working diligently on a special project at MSP. Their goal is to develop a scaled floor plan of the middle school stage in order to design and eventually create an acoustical shell custom designed for the MSP auditorium. This project involves measurements accurate to 1/16 of an inch, using CAD software to lay out the current structure, and using complex math strategies to create a shell that will correctly direct sound waves from the stage into the audience. The project allows students to apply the knowledge they have learned in the MATHCOUNTS program to a real life situation, creating something that will benefit both the middle school and the Plainville community for years to come. "The students are excited to be engaged in a project that will allow them to apply and use their knowledge. The fact that they will be helping the school and community is just icing on the cake. Students learn best when they have opportunities to apply and use their knowledge, so while this is a "fun" project, the educational experiences and opportunities it will provide will be outstanding," said Helming.

"Mr. Helming's effort with the MATHCOUNTS Team is one of the impressive ways that our MSP staff takes the initiative to provide opportunities that enrich and extend our students' learning opportunities. Mr. Helming and the students should be very proud of their efforts," noted Middle School of Plainville Principal, Matthew Guarino.

-Posted on March 8, 2010 at 03:03 PM

Children who will be five (5) years old on or before January 1, 2011 are eligible for kindergarten in September, 2010. Please contact one of the following elementary schools to obtain materials for kindergarten registration:

Linden Street School: 793-3270
Louis Toffolon School: 793-3280
Frank T. Wheeler School: 793-3290

Registration will be held during the week of Monday, February 22 â€" Friday, February 26, 2010. Hours of registration will be 10:00 A.M. â€" 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. â€" 2:30 P.M. Parents may also register at the schools any time after the designated registration dates.

-Posted on February 22, 2010 at 02:32 PM