On Saturday, March 28, the Hanover High School Robotics team participated in both the Botball Tournament and Botfest Exhibition at UMass Lowell.  Seniors David Raab and Nick Ricciarelli and freshman Spencer Kubicki represented the team at the Botball tournament.  At Botfest, a robotics exhibition, sophomore Matt Blanchard displayed his prototype for a high- speed Rubik’s cube solver with the help of Nao, Hanover School District’s humanoid robot.

 Botball Tournament

The theme of this year’s tournament was mining minerals in the Southwestern United States.  The goal was to design, build, and program two autonomous robots to collect randomly scattered ‘minerals’, bring them to specific areas of the board, and sort them by color. The items were at different heights and they were various sizes, shapes and colors.  Each match lasted two minutes.  David, who will attend Rensselaer in the fall and Nick, who will attend RIT, were in the pit.  The team was able to make it through the seeding rounds and enter the double elimination match.  In the first match, Hanover’s robot “Arnie” started too soon and lost to Chelmsford High.  In the second match, Hanover defeated Innovation Academy.  The third match was lost to Veazie High School after Hanover’s robot “Maria” got thrown off course by a bump in the arena floor.

It was great to see the engineering design process at work.  Each match led to design adjustments, refining of code, and improved performance.  David and Nick quickly analyzed each situation and reacted swiftly to fix any problems and increase their chances of success.     

The final results have not been posted, but the team clearly improved since last year’s first try at Botball.  Last year, the team was eliminated after the second game and this year they weren’t eliminated until after the third game.  Most importantly, the students gained valuable skills in design, programming, engineering, time management, teamwork, refining, diagramming, strategizing and project management.  Hanover High School was also able to acquire two new robot platforms and hundreds of sensors and motors that can be used by Engineering Classes as well as the robotics team.  The software is installed in the Engineering lab for any student with an interest.  Hanover High also received complete standards- based curriculum resources to use with all engineering students.

Botfest Exhibition

Last year, for the Botfest Exhibition, Matt Blanchard created a Lego robot that could solve a Rubik’s cube.  Matt continued his quest this year and began online communication with David Gilday, the principal engineer at ARM in Cambridge, England.  Gilday is the co-creator of the world’s fastest Rubik’s cube-solving robot, “Cubestormer III.”  The “Cubestormer III” can solve the Rubik’s cube in 3.253 seconds. 

The Rubik’s cube solution is an algorithm; therefore, a robot can be programmed to follow a specific pattern of movements to solve the cube after scanning each side and determining the original positions of the colors.  Matt began work on a prototype for his own high-speed Rubik’s cube-solving robot which he displayed at this year’s exhibition.  Matt hopes to create the fastest one in North America by the time he is a senior in high school.  Incidentally, Matt himself is also a competitive Rubik’s Cube solver; he can solve the puzzle in 18.68 seconds. 

Special Thanks

• For the second year in a row, the team received a grant from NASA and UMass Lowell’s Community Partnership Program that covered $1,700 of the fee for Botball ($2,200 total).  The fee covers all materials, robots, and tournament expenses.
• Grants from the Hanover Foundation for Educational Enrichment ($1,800) and Walmart ($500) allowed the purchase of seven EV3 Lego robots that were used to build a prototype for a high-speed Rubik’s cube-solver for the exhibition.  The EV3 robots will be also be used in engineering courses at the high school.
• The humanoid robot, Nao, which assisted Matt at Botfest, was purchased for the district by the PTO.

Let’s get one thing clear: I like picking out new clothes and looking nice just as much as the next person, but high fashion is definitely not my forte. So when I signed up to walk as a model in the Fashion Club’s yearly show, I was a bit apprehensive. Anyone who knows seniors Haley Martin and Bruna Dacosta (or even sees them in the halls, for that matter) is well aware that they are a fashion force to be reckoned with. Haley was awarded Most Unique Stye and Bruna claimed Best Dressed in this year’s senior superlatives. No surprise there, these girls founded Hanover High School’s Fashion Club their junior year and already had one wildly successful fashion show under their belt. I had no doubt that they would pull off another fantastic show . . . my only worry was making it down the runway in one piece!

As I prepared for the show Saturday, I quickly learned that the models came in a  wide range of age and experience. Some girls, along with many of the hair and makeup experts, hailed from Hanover’s Fashion Focus program. Fashion Focus is a modeling and finishing agency owned by the emcee of the show, Maria Wood. Some of us weren’t so seasoned in the fashion show life, however, and some of these faces may look more familiar to

the average HHS student. Mr. Perry, Mr. Hopkins, Mrs. Curley, Ms. Fay, Mrs. Abban, Mrs. Gately, Mrs. Boyle, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Sousa, Mrs. Curtis, Mrs. Fraser and Mrs. Gallagher from guidance agreed to strut their stuff for the catwalk. Mr. Paquette and Mr. Galligan stole the show, and we even got to meet mini Emersons, Coates, Pereiras, Dhomees, Abbans, Curtises, McHugh and Paquettes (that’s right . . . who knew Mr. Paquette had such adorable kids?!).  Haley and Bruna managed to show off all of the clothing and accessories that had been donated for the night by local boutiques, including Olivia Rose and No Rest for Bridget for children, Habit and Ku De Ta for juniors, and Tuxedo Time and Lyn Evans for the adults.

The doors opened at 5:00 pm sharp for pop-up shopping with the boutiques which were represented in the show, mocktails, and cupcakes. As viewers were happily chatting away, the real excitement was going on backstage. Models had been at the school for hours, prepping for their minute-long debut. The first stop was to pick up the outfit we would actually be wearing and cross our fingers as we tried it on for size. Back into real clothes for hair and makeup, which took place in the band and fitness rooms, respectively. Hair was done by a mix of professionals and students alike, but every person who left the room was completely transformed. The theme of the show was bohemian, so styles included braids, long curls, and messy up-dos. Makeup artists similarly went with an artistic approach and tried to match outfit and face. Finally, outfits and finishing touches were pulled together and the show was ready to begin at 6 pm.

The younger kids took the catwalk first, navigating the series of

twists, turns, and poses much better than myself. Juniors were next, and went in categories by store. I loved seeing the skill everyone had and watching them come to life when the lights were turned on them! The adults were probably the funniest to watch. I never expected to see the man who teaches me poetry strutting down the runway in a bright orange cheetah tie! Anyone who has been listening to the announcements lately is probably dying to hear about the Ms. Fay versus Mrs. Abban style

showdown. Both ladies looked absolutely amazing and fully embraced their time to shine. However, although Mrs. Abban walked with the poise and grace of a true model, I’ve got to give this one to Ms. Fay. From her posing in the Egyptian at the beginning to her sassy moves on the platform, no one could compete with the ‘tude she pulled off.  Other highlights included Mr. Perry with a salmon pocket hanky, two hockey players walking out their coach’s son, and Ms. (soon to be Mrs.) Pavao and fiance ending the show as a boho bride and groom.

All proceeds from the show went to a scholarship for girls just like Haley and Bruna who love fashion and want to pursue it as a career. After being a part of their show and witnessing them in action, I know that after graduating this year Haley and Bruna will no doubt find success. An when they do, I know I’ll be in the front row of their fashion shows!

After learning about a famed installation sculpture, Mrs. Curley’s Ceramics and Sculpture II class decided to create their own version. Their work, on display in the Multipurpose Room Friday, was inspired by “The Dinner Party” created by Judy Chicago from 1974-1979. The original installation is a ceremonial banquet representing 1,038 women in history. On tables are 39 place settings, each dedicated to a notable woman from ancient to modern times. The floor and banners on the walls honor additional women. The installation has been part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum in New York since 2007.

In our students’ version, each of the 22 place settings represented a different artist they chose to study, from Raphael and Degas to Dali and Warhol. Students worked on their creations for more than a month, focusing on translating the artist’s style into their plate, cup and utensils.

According to Mrs. Curley,  the place setting project has been done with some of her past classes, but this is the first time she did the banquet on such a grand scale.

“I have a great group this year and I knew they were capable,” she said.

Great job to all of the students. The artwork was incredible! (so was the chocolate bark)

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The Instrumental and Choral groups of HHS got together for their annual Spring Collaborative Concert on March 19. This concert is meant to be a way for the community to hear what the groups will be performing at their adjudicated Festivals. The program for the concert and the video from Hanover CTV are embedded below.

Symphonic Band, Concert Chorus, Chorale, and Vox will be performing their selections at the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) Festival the weekend of March 27-28. Jazz Ensemble participated in the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education (MAJE) Festival and received a bronze medal.

Two weeks after MICCA, all of these groups will be traveling to Williamsburg, Virginia, during April Vacation to perform in another competition.

HHS Spring Concert from Hanover Community Television on Vimeo.

HHS 2015 Festival Concert (link to program)

Walking a mile in gym class can seem daunting on a rough morning, but walking 26 miles through the night around a track? I don’t think so! Or so I thought at first anyway. The Relay for Life is a huge undertaking but can be extremely rewarding. The good news is, you don’t actually have to walk all 26 miles, and you can stop to sleep for as long as you want, but more on that later. Let’s start with the big picture: what even is Relay for Life? In one sentence, this walk is organized by the American Cancer Society and claims the title of the world’s largest fund raiser. It generates the highest percentage of the Society’s funds, and unites people across the world. Walks are organized at the local level with just over 100 participants, but are also held at college campuses like MIT, University of Miami, and Stanford, along with huge cities including New York City, Washington D.C., and other sites around the globe. The first Relay for Life was held Tacoma in 1980, making the fundraiser older than any student at HHS! Since the very first event where just one man walked a high school track with friends who donated money to participate, Relay for Life has grown immensely. Every year, over 4 million people participate in 20 different countries!

So, how exactly does Relay for Life go? Well, the emphasis is on the relay. People form teams that fund raise as a group, with all profits going to benefit the American Cancer Society. The walks can last for up to 24 hours, but each individual team member can walk as much or as little as they would like as long as one person on the team is walking at all times. Now, you might think walking a track 104 times might get a little repetitive, but this isn’t the case; every few miles of the course is different in some way. The walk kicks off with a survivors’ lap, a time for past cancer patients to walk the track together and lead the battle against this terrible disease. After dark, a luminary ceremony is held with candles in paper bags around the track. Each candle represents a life lost to cancer. Finally, the fight back ceremony  involves personal pledges to fight back against cancer, not to mention doughnuts at 2 a.m., balloon animals, and glow sticks with blasting music!

I can’t wait for this year’s Relay for Life which will be held on Friday, June 19 through Saturday, June 20 at Pembroke High School. The walk is a local way to make a big difference, and requires just a fraction of the strength that cancer patients must constantly show. If you are interested in participating in this year’s walk, talk to Mr. Centorino or Mr. Hegarty, who have helped to coordinate the Hanover High School team.

For more information about the walk itself, visit:

http://www.cancer.org/involved/participate/relayforlife/index

To donate to the Pembroke walk, visit:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY15NE?pg=entry&fr_id=65394

The Hanover school district is using a new method of reaching out to students, parents, and the wider community. That method is Hanover Community Television’s  new show Anchor TV.  Each school has its own segment in the show to highlight what is going on. New episodes are released roughly once a month, with the latest released on March 3rd. Episodes are broadcast on Channel 22 (Comcast) or Channel 37 (Verizon FiOS) Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm or Friday and Saturday at 12:30 pm. Archives can also be found online at www.vimeo.com/hanoverctv.

The segment of the show about the high school is always featured first and prominently. Students from Mr. Patch’s advanced digital media class are the main producers. The latest episode interviews students on how they would describe the best principal HHS has ever had: Mr. Paquette. Seniors are also asked about their college plans;  I certainly know the stress of that whole process firsthand. Finally, Tyler Powers and Tom Martin were interviewed about their experience being on the hockey team all four year of high school and being captains this year. As we all know, the hockey team has had an amazing season and has made it farther in the tournament than any other sport here at HHS.

Later in the show, STEM Director Mr. Plummer is featured in the “Professor Plummer” segment where he dons a lab coat and invades Chem Lab 217 to do his evil bidding. Students from Center-Sylvester school explain who he is and the reasons behind his “evil” activities.

Anchor TV is just one of many ways that HPS district administration has sought to expand communication with the public. A team of digital media teachers from all of the schools and district central office staff meets once a week at HHS in order to plan their episodes and go over how their current episodes are received by the community. I personally think it is an amazing right now and it will only become better as it continues on the rest of this school year. They really make an effort to feature all of the notable events going on across the district and there is good chance that if you watch it, you may eventually find yourself in it! Everyone likes seeing themselves on TV, even if it just Channel 22.

The HHS STEM Fair: a battle of smarts and mastery of the properties of science, technology, engineering and math.

This year at the fair participants were scarce but the work was immense. Fresh foods versus frozen foods: who will come out on top? The Peppermint Effect: I don’t even know how this dope-ish idea works, but hell, it’s science. Hungry Venus fly traps: how do they eat? These were just some of the projects that students created and presented at HHS’ fair on Feb. 11

Ever have a tummy ache from too much scientific process? Well, junior Jill Drummy has the answer on which antacid is going to help you most.  Her project found that Tagamet  is the most potent and effective antacid because it comes in various forms: pill, liquid, and injection. It is also a prescription antacid which is why it is so powerful. So if your gourd’s in a knot, pop a couple of Tagament and you’ll feel as good as new. The worst, or least effective, antacid Drummy found is Rolaids. In addition to not doing the job, the brand has been recalled multiple times due to quality control, most recently in 2010. So don’t buy them basically.

The Peppermint Effect, a project by freshmen Michaela Murphy and Yasmina Burkat, tested human reaction time when smelling peppermint, with the theory being that people can react faster when they’re exposed to minty goodness. Freshman Sierra Little-Gill conducted an experiment on composting with worms, and junior Annika Rowland tested musicians’ perception of music.

Murphy, Burkat, Little-Gill and Rowland may advance to the regional round of the science fair, according to Ms. Emerson, anatomy and biology teacher and coordinator of the fair.

Besides dissecting animals, Ms. Emerson is also very good at dissecting my questions and giving me answers! Ms. Emerson thought the fair went very well, although she would have loved if more people participated (hint, hint). She loved the amount of support that the fair received from the community as well. Her favorite project was one on the Venus fly trap, which described how the carnivorous plant digests along with its other functions.