Norfolk

King Philip Middle School Student Council Visits Elementary Students on Read Across America Day

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

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

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

King Philip Middle School Student Council Visits Elementary Students on Read Across America Day

Members of the King Philip Regional Middle School Student Council wore Dr. Seuss hats and read to elementary school students Friday, March 1 in celebration of Read Across America Day. From left to right: Front row — Alyssa Legere, Heidi Lawrence, Danielle Gresham, Alysse Moskal. Back row: Jack Chisholm, Rachel Barros, Sarah Brown, Colby Cloutier, Kayden Henry, Andre Bubluski, Philip Harmon, and Lily Gallagher. (Courtesy Photo King Philip Regional School District)

NORFOLK — Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to share that the King Philip Regional Middle School Student Council visited several elementary schools last week to celebrate Read Across America Day.

Read Across America Day is an annual reading event that was launched in 1997 by the National Education Association around the time of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2. The annual reading initiative seeks to motivate students to read, and have fun while doing so. Each year, schools, libraries, municipalities and community groups hold activities on Read Across America Day to celebrate reading.

The King Philip Regional Middle School Student Council and their advisers, math teachers Jenna Brady and Whitney Hartwell, have annually visited local elementary schools to celebrate Read Across America day for approximately 15 years. This year, the student council visited the Anna Ware Jackson School in Plainville, the Delaney School in Wrentham, and the H. Olive Day School in Norfolk.

“Every year, members of the student council look forward to Read Across America day,” Hartwell said. “It’s a special time to connect with younger students, and spark their excitement about reading. This year, students wore Dr. Seuss hats and really got into the spirit of the day.”

Members of the student council include eighth grade students Andre Bubluski, Lily Gallagher, Danielle Gresham, Phil Harmon, Kayden Henry, Alysse Moskal, and seventh grade students Rachel Barros, Sarah Brown, Jack Chisholm, Colby Cloutier, Heidi Lawrence, and Alyssa Legere.

“Read Across America Day is a great initiative that generates excitement every year about reading,” Superintendent Zinni said. “The student council did a great job visiting our local elementary schools, and served as role models for younger students to look up to as they develop their reading skills.”

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King Philip Students Donate to Peace Corps Project 

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

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019

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

King Philip Students Donate to Peace Corps Project 

NORFOLK– Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to announce that eighth grade students at King Philip Middle School have donated nearly $1,000 to support a Peace Corps project this month.

Approximately 400 eighth grade students at the school donated their own money to a Peace Corps Partnership middle school latrine project in the West African nation of Mali. Donations were raised in one week this month before students went on February break. A total of $961 was raised by the middle schoolers.

The fundraiser was inspired by lessons on global poverty covered in their language classes. After watching the documentary “Living on One” that follows four American college students as they attempt to replicate the poverty of living on $1 per day in Guatemala, they felt a desire to help.

“Many students were moved by the lack of basic sanitation and educational opportunities presented in the video and they felt moved to help others,” said Spanish and Cultural Studies teacher Katie Brenneis.

Since 2005, Brenneis, Spanish teacher Howard Bean, and Spanish and French teacher Mimi Laetitia Lussiez de Narvaez, have annually chosen a Peace Corps Partnership project based on student interest to support.

The three teachers each served in the Peace Corps in Latin American countries in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This year, students donated more than any class prior. One student was so moved by her studies, she donated $200.

“It’s great to see students coming together to support a project, and using their studies to identify real, global problems,” Superintendent Zinni said. “The language and culture teachers at King Philip Middle School have done an excellent job opening students’ eyes to global poverty, and showing them how they can help make a concrete, positive impact.”

When choosing a project to support, students wanted to select a project that would help improve water and sanitation conditions. The latrine project was tied to a regional middle school in a French speaking country, which offered French students a connection to their language of study. The project also allowed students to support and follow a project to benefit students their age.

“This is strictly a labor of love for us as teachers and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV),” Brenneis said. “We do it because we feel it makes the world a smaller place and helps our students feel that even a small contribution can make a huge difference.”

The teachers believe the project aligns with two components of the Peace Corps mission: to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people the Peace Corps serve and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Each year, the school hears back from the Peace Corps volunteers working on the project students donate to, and classes in the past have connected over email, Skype, YouTube, and other platforms with Peace Corps volunteers to watch the project progress over the course of the school year. 

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King Philip Students Recognized by Scholastic Art Awards

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

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019

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

King Philip Students Recognized by Scholastic Art Awards

NORFOLK –Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to announce that nine King Philip High School students have been recognized in the Scholastic Art Awards.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards annually recognize art and writing works submitted by students in grades seven through 12. According to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards website, 350,000 pieces of work were submitted for consideration this year.

“These awards annually recognize submissions from thousands of students across the country,” Superintendent Zinni said. “These students put a lot of hard work, and heart, into these submissions. It’s great to see them honored for that effort by these awards.”

Multiple students from King Philip were recognized for more than one submission.

Haley Johnson, a senior, was awarded a Scholastic Art Awards Gold Key for her painting “Alive in the Summertime.” Johnson was also awarded a Silver Key for her painting, “There is Hope Among the Darkness,” and she received honorable mentions for her drawing/illustrations “Drop of Life” and “Pomegranate Renderings.”

According to Cathleen Carneiro, Art Department Curriculum Team Leader at King Philip High, earning a Gold Key in the painting category is particularly challenging.

“It’s very difficult in her medium, painting,” Carneiro said. “So many people submit paintings, or mixed media, or illustrations. It’s very difficult to get something like a gold key in paint. Hers is an oil painting; it’s beautiful.”

Johnson’s painting, “Alive in the Summertime,” is also being considered for a National Medal, and medalists will be announced on March 13. Her painting will be on display alongside other Gold Key winning submissions at Breed Memorial Hall at Tufts University from March 16 through March 25. The exhibition will be open to the public.

The Scholastic Art Awards also recognized several other King Philip student artists. Jason Hehn, a senior, was awarded a Silver Key for his digital art submission, “When the lights go out.” Hehn was also given honorable mentions for his mixed media submission “Foil of Life’ and drawing/illustration “The Zoo.”

Sam Lydon, a senior, was awarded a Silver Key for a drawing/illustration titled “Caught in Shadows.” Alexis Zitomer, a senior, was awarded two Silver Keys, one for her drawing/illustration “Memory,” and another for her painting, “Lady in the Bathroom.” Zitomer was also awarded honorable mentions for her drawing/illustration “Tension,” and painting, “Reflecting on the Past.”

Several students were also awarded honorable mentions for their work.

Carrigan Andrews, a junior, was awarded an honorable mention for a ceramics/glass submission, “Slab Birdfeeder.” Melissa Campbell, a senior, received an honorable mention for a ceramics/glass submission, “Large Scale Amphora with Silkscreen Detail.” Cierra Gomes, a senior, was given an honorable mention for her ceramics/glass submission, “Large Scale Amphora.” Amy Provencher, a senior, received an honorable mention for her drawing/illustration, “macarons a la gare du sud.” Hannah Sencaj, a senior, was awarded an honorable mention for her ceramics/glass submission, “Elephant Teapot.”

Carneiro said she was impressed by the range of mediums that students submitted artwork in for consideration in the awards.

“We really covered every range of genre and medium, so it was great,” Carneiro said. “We had still life, figure drawing, surreal situations, realistic situations, and some graphic design projects. We had nature scenes and natural science themes. I was really impressed by their range, but they’re a really impressive group, period. They go above and beyond and they have been that way since their freshman year.”

“It’s a tough contest to participate in,” she added. “It’s very fluid in what they need and what they want. There’s no way you can kind of pinpoint what’s going to be that gold key or silver key. It’s very difficult to reach that level.”

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King Philip Student Musicians to Perform in All-State Ensembles

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

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019

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

 

King Philip Student Musicians to Perform in All-State Ensembles

NORFOLK –Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to announce that six King Phillip Regional High School students have been chosen to perform in the All-State ensembles.

Approximately 1,100 Massachusetts students auditioned at Shrewsbury High School on Saturday, Jan. 26 for a spot in the All-State band, orchestra, jazz ensemble and choir. Less than 500 students were selected, and will perform at Symphony Hall on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston on Saturday, March 2. The event begins at 12:30 p.m., and the first performance is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Six out of 12 King Philip students who auditioned were selected to perform in the ensembles, including Tim McQuaid, clarinet, Michael O’Loughlin, tenor saxophone, Jack Cannon, tuba, Matt Beatty, trombone, Ryan Puorro, euphonium, and Nick Beltramini, alto saxophone. Beltramini has also been selected to play in the All-National Jazz Band, and Daniel Sammarco, clarinet, has been selected to play in the All-Eastern Concert Band.

“These students will have the opportunity to rehearse with the best student musicians from all around the state, collaborate with guest conductors from around the country, and perform in a culminating concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall,” said Band Director Michael Keough.

“The acceptance of these students into these regional groups is a testament not only to their hard work, but their talent and passion for music,” Zinni said. “Now they will have the opportunity to learn from skilled instructors, meet peers with similar interests, and perform in high level concerts.”

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