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Student Representative Report – March 15, 2017

Forestdale
Students at Forestdale have had another exciting couple of weeks.  Last week students were treated to an assembly called the Magic of Five.  This combination magic and comedy performance discussed the importance of healthy eating in an entertaining and engaging way.  This program was sponsored by the Sandwich Elementary PTA.  Students in grade one were also visited by the naturalists from Greenbriar of these past few weeks.  Students learned about animal adaptations and how these adaptations allow species to survive and thrive, along with how their adaptations are matched to their environment.
Forestdale also started the process of welcoming next year’s kindergarten class to the school.  It began with the principal visiting local preschools to answer questions about kindergarten, introduce himself and reading the students a story.  Last Thursday, parents and students were invited to a Kindergarten Information Night and learned about the kindergarten program at Forestdale.  This week began kindergarten registration.  Next month, entering kindergarten students will have an opportunity to take a practice bus ride.
Oak Ridge
Thank you to the District Attorney’s office for their presentations to our students in grades 4-6 on Internet Safety.  It really opened a lot of eyes to the challenges of living in a digital world.
4th grade students began preparing for their trip to the Cape Cod Canal by hearing a presentation from the Parks Service.  4th grades have also started learning more about the Cape Cod environment and habitats through our collaboration with Green Briar Nature Center’s Project Life.
5th and 6th grade string students had the opportunity to participate in the String Jamboree that brought strings students from around the Cape for a day of learning and fun.
Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring the Scholastic Book Fair.  Tonight is family night and they are hosting an Ice Cream Social at Oak Ridge that goes until 8pm tonight.
This Friday, Term 2 report cards go home.  We will also make the link live for registering for parent teacher conferences which are 3/28 and 3/29, with evening conferences for grades 3 & 4 on the 28th and conferences for grades 5 & 6 on the 29th.
On 3/24th the PTA will host a 6th grade social.  We ask parents to register in advance to help the PTA in their planning.
Finally, MCAS testing begins on April 3rd.  Please make sure students are well rested and eat a good breakfast the night before each testing session.  Please make sure students are on-time to school and encourage them to do their best.
STEM
t was exciting to see so many students of all ages attend the STEM Journey on March 4. Over 40 exhibitors attended and the reception for Dr. Luke Roberson from NASA was excellent. In the morning about 45 Boy Scouts earned merit badges in several areas. Thank you to everyone who helped organize this special event.
Several STEM Academy students had their art work on display at the Cape Cod Cultural Center in Yarmouth. Congratulations to all the students in 7th and 8th grade who participated in that regional art program.
Students from the engineering, science, and ELA classes will be presenting at the Science on the Street Festival this Saturday at the Cape Cod Community College.
Congratulations to 7th grader Nathan Metcalf who qualified for the state Geography Bee semi-finalists. Nathan will compete with 100 other students later this month.
Sandwich Project 351 Ambassador Jack Burgess, an 8th grader, has organized a clothing drive from March 20-24. Clothing collected will be donated to the Cradles to Crayon organization.
The next STEM Dance is this Friday on St. Patrick’s Day.
Congratulations to the STEM science staff for receiving a $5,000 grant from the Biogen Corporation which will be used for their programs in protecting the Cape’s biodiversity.
The 7th grade will be going on a field trip to the Whydah Pirate Museum on April 11 and 12.
 
SHS
The news at SHS this week is the success of the NYC annual field trip. Seniors had a wonderful time and were able to bring Mr. Franke, who is out on medical leave,  along with them through the use of creative  photography! Special thanks to teachers Rebecca Lewis and Mike Welch for all they did to organize this wonderful opportunity and for providing such a great experience for our seniors. In so doing they made Mr. Franke and the entire SHS community very proud.The March 11 sock hop was an amazing success! Special thanks to the KTC parents and Kevin and Melinda Lasit for bring such joy to the entire community of Sandwich.  Babies, toddlers, and children from all ages along with  parents, community members, and grandparents were dancing, laughing, and enjoying all the activities. Special shout out to  School Committee member, Jim Dever, for being such a good sport as he bravely volunteered for the pie throwing contest.

While all this was going on, the cast and crew performed several production numbers. All who were there would agree that the upcoming musical is going to be a huge success Grease opens on Friday, March 31 and continues April 1, 7 and 8. Curtin goes up at 7:00 p.m.

SHS parents attended a recent information night on March 9 to learn about the AP offerings and  upcoming  components of the senior projects. Here is a fun fact. 42% of SHS students are enrolled in AP courses. We are moving into our third year of opening AP courses to sophomores with outstanding results including  sophomores earning 5’s on the AP exams!  Great job!

SHS is  very excited about the recent awarding of the Project Lead the Way grant. Special thanks to teachers Beth Simmons and Dept. Chair of Science Jane Smith for all they did in gathering data and writing the proposal. Students are SHS are responding very well to all the Project Lead the Way courses and are signing up in record numbers for these courses next year!

Next Monday, March 20 marks the beginning of spring sports try outs as life at the castle picks up the pace for the every busy spring season!

Lots of events and activities to report on from now to the end of the year! Stay tuned