King Philip Regional Middle School

Police Conduct Scheduled K-9 Search at King Philip Middle School Today

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For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 11, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Police Conduct Scheduled K-9 Search at King Philip Middle School Today

NORFOLK — Superintendent Paul Zinni, Principal/Assistant Superintendent Susan Gilson and Norfolk Police Chief Charles H. Stone Jr. report that a scheduled police K-9 search of King Philip Regional Middle School was conducted Friday morning.

The search was conducted by Norfolk Police at approximately 9:30 a.m. and lasted about 30 minutes. K-9 searches are done at the school at least once each school year.

A notice has been sent out to parents that the search was conducted.

As a result of the search, there were no positive alerts by the K-9 and no illegal or potentially harmful contraband was found.

“Student safety is one of our top priorities and searches like today’s are a routine part of keeping the middle school safe and secure,” Chief Stone said.

As part of the standard operating procedure of the search, the school was briefly sheltered in place. Once the search was completed, the shelter in place order was lifted. The school day then continued on a regular schedule.

“I was pleased to see that the search yielded similar results to the one that was done at the high school back in November, where no contraband or illegal items were found,” Superintendent Zinni said. “We are thankful to Chief Stone and the Norfolk Police for helping to keep our middle school safe and we value our partnership with the department.”

Parents or residents who have questions or concerns can call the King Philip Regional School District administration office at 508-520-7991 or the Norfolk Police Department at 508-528-3206.

“Even though nothing was found in the search, a day like today is the perfect time for parents to talk to their children about drugs, alcohol and tobacco,” Principal Gilson said.

Resources for parents can be found by clicking the links from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

It should be noted that about an hour after the search concluded, the school briefly sheltered in place again to allow for an ambulance and paramedics to come to the school for an unrelated medical emergency.

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King Philip Middle School Teacher Reflects on Time Teaching in China Over Summer

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King Philip Regional School District
Paul Zinni, Superintendent
18 King Street
Norfolk, MA 02056

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 1, 2018

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

King Philip Middle School Teacher Reflects on Time Teaching in China Over Summer

NORFOLK — King Philip Regional Middle School STEM teacher Susan Hall had a blast this summer travelling to China and teaching students about rocketry.

Hall spent July 20 through Aug. 20 in Shenzhen, China working for the Mast STEM Academy. The private school for students in grades 1-8 hires English-speaking instructors who are experts in teaching science, mathematics and engineering to elementary and middle school-aged kids.

“It was quite the experience being able to immerse myself in the cultural and social aspects of life in China,” Hall said. “But at the same time, teaching is teaching and kids are kids, so it was great to be able to give the students some of the same lessons that I teach to my seventh graders at KPMS.”

Hall was among a group of STEM teachers from Maine, Texas, Hawaii, North Carolina and South Carolina who taught at the institution, each of whom focused their classes on a particular area of expertise. The teachers each signed up for the program and were paid for their time at the school.

“The teacher from Texas was an expert in drones. The teacher from Hawaii taught marine science. My classes were based around rocketry,” Hall said. “I taught them about the Apollo program. They built rockets out of paper and other materials and powered them with rubber bands and Alka Seltzer. They made a mock lunar lander and used marshmallows as the astronauts.”

Hall created and implemented the STEM program at KPMS and is working on her dissertation to receive her doctorate in STEM education from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

In her first two weeks in China she taught students in grades 6-8. She had three classes with 16 students each. In the next two weeks to she taught kids in grades 1-3 with about 10 students in each class.

All of the students spoke some English and there were translators in each class to assist with any language barriers.

“One of the big takeaways from my time there was that the Chinese really value their education and it can be very competitive. So the parents want to immerse their children in as much learning and educational activities as possible,” Hall said. “They also highly value American education and being able to speak and understand English is a big focus.”

Hall’s classes followed the Engineering Design Process where students were taught to:

  • Investigate: Perform Research
  • Originate: Design and Build a Prototype
  • Evaluate: Test Prototype
  • Re-Create: Fix Flaws and Make Improvements
  • Communicate: Share Results

Through that process they were able to take Hall’s lessons and do hands-on projects about rocketry.

In her free time, Hall visited local tourist attractions and marketplaces.

“It was great to visit and it would be wonderful to have a fellowship with someone from China or another country where we could invite teachers to come teach at our school as a way to share our cultures,” Hall said.

On Monday, Hall found out that she has been invited back to teach at the school next year. She will be teaching her heat transfer unit, also known as “Save the Penguins,” which she also teaches to students at KPMS.

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King Philip Regional School District Utilizing New Visitor Management System

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King Philip Regional School District
Paul Zinni, Superintendent
18 King Street
Norfolk, MA 02056

For Immediate Release

Monday, Sept. 10, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

King Philip Regional School District Utilizing New Visitor Management System

All Middle School and High School Visitors Must Present ID

NORFOLK — Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to announce that the King Philip Regional School District has implemented a new electronic visitor management system in the middle school and high school this school year.

Starting this week, upon entering the buildings, visitors will be asked to present an ID, such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. No visitors will be allowed entry into the school without an authorized form of identification.

“This new system will allow us to better screen visitors, contractors and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff,” Superintendent Zinni said.

If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, a school staff member can use any form of photo identification to manually enter the person’s name and date of birth using the Raptor Visitor Management System.

One function of the system is to ensure that registered sex offenders are not entering school buildings without the knowledge of administrators. The system checks the visitor’s name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders.

Visitors should note that the sex offender database is the only database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency.

Once entry is approved, a badge will be issued that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his or her visit.

A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.

“The safety of our students is our highest priority and this new system is a tool that will allow us to quickly identify those that could pose a risk to our students,” Superintendent Zinni said. “I want to thank members of the community in advance for their understanding and support as we work to enhance the school safety protocols in our district.”

If anyone has questions about the new system, please contact the King Philip Regional School District administrator’s office at 508-520-7991 x2200.

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