There is a small but significant change coming to HHS next year in the fact the school day will be ending at 2:16 instead of 2:06.  First period will still start at 7:25 am. This gives 10 minutes of additional instructional time for each school day. In terms of total time on learning, it translates to an additional 5 school days a year. That might be hard to believe at first, but any additional time during the day multiplied by the 180 days we are in school every year is significant. This actually means that Hanover, having a 6 hour and 51 minute school day, will now be higher than neighboring districts such as Norwell and Hingham (each with 6 hours and 42 minutes).

The extended school day was made official by a vote of the school committee during their April 8th meeting. It is a part of the new teacher’s contract between the Hanover Teachers Association (the labor union that all Hanover teachers and professional staff are members of) and the School Committee for the next three fiscal years.

According to Superintendent Mr. Ferron, “The increase in instructional time is critical as the Hanover Public Schools plan to adopt and implement a new math curriculum in grades k-8 as well as prepare all students for new state assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards (PARCC exams).” While HHS is not receiving a new math curriculum as a part of the Vision 2020 initiative, the additional time can still be useful for preparing for the rigorous new exams.

Mr. Paquette said it has not yet been decided how the high school will use the additional 10 minutes. “We now need to think very carefully on how to best use this time,” he said.

News of the change received  mixed reactions from students.

“I think it’s upsetting because we’re not coming in 10 minutes later,” said sophomore  Caitlin Dever.

Junior Alex Zwart felt we have a long day already. “It’s going to be really weird.”

Niamh Kenney, a sophomore, said she doesn’t really mind the extra 10 minutes. “I don’t think it will make much of a difference.”

Sophomore Chris Sellier said he’d be okay with the change if the extra time is added to the lunch period. “I’ll be for that because I so need my grubbin.’ But if it’s for classes, it’s a waste of my time.”

Michelle Leary, a junior, worried how the later dismissal time would impact after school activities including work and sports. But her main concern was the fact that students didn’t have a say in the decision. “We should have input on what effects us.”

Wanna know what’s scarier than the fact that I can roam the earth in 27 days? Being stalked by people who you never thought had a bad bone in their body as they lay on your lawn for hours, drinking rainwater, and surviving off the landscape. Their sole mission:  to spray you with a super soaker.

Paranoia has struck the seniors of HHS, making them wary of even walking outside in fear that an assailant is waiting patiently for them to come by. Senior Assassin has begun and for those of you who don’t know what it is, get your head out of your book and listen to any conversation between seniors. Six hundred dollars is on the line, 140 students enter, one leaves with the money. The object of the game is to shoot your target with a squirt gun outside of school. When you get them, they are eliminated and can no longer attain the jackpot. Whoever they had as a target now becomes your next victim. Matt Baressi and Mike Vigneaux, the headmasters behind this game of death, are carrying on a tradition held each spring at HHS for several years.  You can follow the drama on Twitter #HanoverSA2015.

At least 30 people are out so far and I haven’t left my safe house to go to the bathroom in four days and I’m running out of hot cups. I  managed to get some quotes via pneumatic tubes and carrier pigeon messages.

“I got destroyed,” said Ally Cerone. Her assassin, Breanna Harris, waited outside Ally’s house in the rain and muck for days on end, but finally got her when Ally made the mistake of going to the supermarket where Breanna works. “She followed me down the aisles until she got me.”

Kenny Croke says the games are both exciting and scary. Kenny hasn’t been eliminated yet and felt the ceasefire declared the day of Junior Prom has calmed everyone down somewhat.

I developed some tips in my bomb shelter on not getting out so listen here:

1. If you have a dog, let them out before you take a step outside. This way if anyone’s camping around your house, you’ll know and your dog will eat them.

2. If you have a sibling or parent who leaves before you, let them out to see if the area is clear.

3. Always look for someone tailing you because they could strike the second you get out of your motor vehicle.

4. Keep a squirt gun, water bottle, or really anything with water in it to throw at your assailant at an hour of vulnerability. You don’t want to be empty-handed facing down the loaded barrel of a water pistol.

Well there’s my senior assassin article. Gotta keep this ending short because my bunker generator is running out of power any second. Wish me luck.

Longer days, warmer weather and the disappearance of snow       (finally) can only mean one thing: prom season is here once again. Friday, April 10th dawned grey and drizzly, but the dour weather did nothing to dull the excitement of the junior class on the early release day. Students and teachers alike could feel the anticipation of a night long awaited and the 12 pm bell signifying the end of the day could not come soon enough.

Just a few hours later at 5:30, students began to arrive at the school for pictures on the red carpet that led from the front doors into the cafeteria. They were looking a heck of a lot better than they had when they came to school that morning. Family, friends, teachers, and photographers lined the carpet like paparazzi. Once all of the couples had made their debut and had the compulsory picture taken as they made their way through the crowd, the five coach buses that stood waiting in the parking lot opened their doors.  The boarding and transit went smoothly and at 7 pm  sharp, students arrived at the venue: the Quincy Mariott Hotel.

The ballroom was beautiful, with glistening chandeliers, a  large dance floor, and vases of bright blue hydrangeas on every table. The order of events began with dinner, a buffet offering pasta, mashed potatoes, mac n’ cheese, salad, chicken, and rolls. After fueling up for a long night of busting moves on the dance floor, DJ and HHS senior Molly Minnehan started working her magic. Almost everyone was up and dancing for the whole night, and the music choices brought even the shyest attendees out of their shells.  Songs ranged from typical rap songs to classics including Bust a Move, Ain’t No Holla Back Girl, September, and Drunk in Love. Who doesn’t love a little Beyonce? Sophomores, juniors, and seniors were all represented at the dance, as well as a few students from other schools.

About halfway through the night, a hush came over the room as the prom court was announced. Teachers voted but many agreed that the winners definitely deserved their titles. Prom court for girls included Jessica Gardiner, Junior Class President Sarah Ryan, and Emily Rose Manser. The boys were Peter Crowley, Noah Clapp, and Josh Justice-Pope. The prom queen sash was given to Caroline O’Rourke, and the king’s crown was soon on the head of Max Meallo.

After a few more songs, the night came to an end and the buses were once again loaded for the return trip. Overall, it was a great night and I will remember this experience for years to come.

A special thanks to our class officers Sarah Ryan (president), John Carroll (vice president), Emma Devine (treasurer), and Emma Hardy (secretary), along with class advisors Ms. Turner and Mrs. Bostwick for organizing such a successful event! Also, thanks to our chaperones Ms. Emerson, Ms. Fay, Ms. Bossong, Ms. Pavao, Mr. Mahoney, Mrs. Halloran, Mrs. McHugh, Mrs. Abban, Mr. Galligan, Mr. Barrett and Mr. Paquette.

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Email your prom pictures to smchugh@hanoverschools.org and we’ll include them in the slideshow!

The freshman and junior classes spent the last week taking a battery of new standardized tests referred to as the PARCC exams. PARCC is an acronym for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, which is a consortium of 13 states of which Massachusetts is a prominent member. The tests assessed both English and Math knowledge in a way previously not seen by most students. In a departure from the MCAS, the Math exams  focus on content from a specific course such as Geometry or Algebra (as opposed to testing everything learned in grade 10). Keeping with the structure of the MCAS, the English portion of the exam will be grade- specific (for example, a 9th grade section and 10th grade section).

A small pilot involving two sophomore English classes took a version of this exam last year. This year, juniors had to take the exam instead. Sophomores were exempt because the MCAS is still the graduation requirement for their class. As a matter of fact, the current MCAS exams taken in high school “will continue to be a graduation requirement through the class of 2019,” according to Mrs. St. Ives, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the district. While administering the exam to grades 9 and 11 is “still voluntary,” it is highly encouraged by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to do so.

While the tests may be new to students, it’s important to realize that many classes here at HHS have been recently reworked and realigned to the new Common Core standards, which PARCC is designed to assess. According to St. Ives, “any changes in classes would have more to do with pacing than content.” That’s the reason why it is so important for students here and across the state to participate in these pilot exams, even if they don’t technically count. Just like when the MCAS was first introduced years ago, the pilot exams help the state refine the test and schools adjust their teaching.

Many freshmen were not happy about having to take these exams and were quite vocal in their disapproval when I spoke them. Cam McAuley (better known in his role as Frederick in The Sound of Music) summed up the opinions of many I talked by simply saying, “I did not enjoy taking this test. Not at all.” The math section of the exam took some major heat with Caroline Cleary describing it as being “stupidly difficult” and Ava Whitney complaining that “some of the math questions we weren’t taught how to do.” The English section of the PARCC fared slightly better, with Cleary saying the “English essays were better than MCAS” and Whitney admitting that she enjoyedthe narrative essay.  The narrative essay is a section not seen on the MCAS exam.

I also spoke to some juniors who had plenty to say about the experience of taking PARCC. Dante Nicotera told me that he was philosophically opposed to the exam and that he originally wanted to opt out of taking the exam citing concerns about missing class in the month before AP Exams. Late March and the month of April are considered hallowed time in the eyes of most AP teachers and to miss class at that point often results in a torrent of makeup work. Andrea Bilton took a slightly more optimistic view. While she “hated being required to take a test that doesn’t officially count for anything,” she said “I think future high schoolers would definitely benefit from taking the PARCC instead of MCAS.” The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary education agrees with Bilton’s assessment because Mrs. St. Ives told me the PARCC  is “designed to build on the strengths of MCAS and add additional features such as innovative technology-based items and more open-ended, performance based tasks.”

The PARCC exams have also only just begun for the year. Freshmen and juniors will both have to take them again on May 14 and May 15. These exams will be end of year exams in both English and Math. In future years, the eventual statewide goal is for students to take these exams online using a secure computer program. When districts make that transition depends “on their technology readiness with both hardware and software,” according to St. Ives. For Hanover, it is not known at this point in time when that will be.

I wrote an article earlier this year about music and all of its benefits — there are plenty such as helping your mood and relaxing your body. Two Hanover High students have found another good thing that music can do. By collecting used iPods for an organization called Music and Memory, seniors Ceara McLaughlin and Mike Vigneaux hope to help patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Founded in 2006, Music and Movement brings the donated iPods and other digital music players to nursing homes and care facilities across the country. They train caregivers to create personalized playlists for patients. A video clip of Henry, from a 2012 documentary called Alive Inside: a Story of Music and Movement, shows one of the residents reawakened by listening to his Cab Calloway favorites.

According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website, music can help patients in many ways. It can remind them of past memories, put them at ease and even motivate them to move their bodies or do other activities.  The music stimulates the brain and, although their memories are sadly deteriorating, the tempos and beats can keep them going through hard times. In late stages of Alzheimer’s, many people lose the ability to express love or affection for ones they hold dear, yet they can move to a beat until extremely late in the cycle of the disease.

Different music can have different effects on people, the website states. These effects are categorized as stimulative or sedative. Stimulative music promotes movements while sedative music can help for bedtime or during activities that cause agitation because of its relaxing properties.

Alzheimer’s and dementia are horrifying things: diseases which slowly deteriorate all that you have learned in life.  Emotions, movement, memories can all disappear. I think if you haven’t already donated an iPod, it would be a huge help to a patient in need.

“Nothing stops or cures the disease, but for some reason, music can be really helpful in bringing back memories,” said McLaughlin. “My grandfather was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so it’s important to me.”

More than 20 iPods have been collected in the HHS drive.

For more information on Music and Memory or to make a donation, visit www.musicandmemory.org