Harbinger The Algonquin
December 2015 vOL. 28 NO.2
Passing time, homeroom, recess, midterm open campus:
Finding minutes to meet 990 hours Riley Garand
StaffWriter Teachers and administrators are exploring ways to meet the Massachusetts standard of 990 hours of instructional learning time a year, and have already changed exam schedules and may eliminate homeroom in order to do so. “The state requires 180 days of school and 990 hours of instructional time; we are short of that mark,” Assistant Principal Paul DiDomenico said. “One thing we have been looking at is the value of homeroom and possibly cutting that and absorbing it into the other classes. Every minute [in a school day] equals three hours [180 days times one minute equals three hours for the whole year] in the calculation leading up to 990. Each homeroom is five minutes which means those minutes in the whole year would be equivalent to 15 hours.” DiDomenico continued, “In addition we would lose the passing time from homeroom to period one which is an additional five minutes and that would be another 15 hours. So essentially by losing homeroom there would be 30 hours of instructional time added to the year.” DiDomenico added that the school is currently at about 963 hours, and that the hours are short of the state requirement because of issues like snow days and with half days. “If we can’t get credit for it [homeroom], it becomes another matter or issue we should think about,” Principal Tom Mead said. “Every class is [considered] instruction; also our studies are referred to as Directed Studies, so if a student has a study hall on their schedule the state Department of Education has largely determined that it is actually good time for teaching and learning to happen.” Multiple teachers and some students are concerned about the possibility of losing homeroom. “Personally, it [990 hour requirement] seems almost kind of like an arbitrary measure of time on learning and it really brings into perspective the question of, well what does quality time in school mean?
990, page 7
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Stellar season ends at states Nolan Kessinger
StaffWriter The girls varsity soccer team was on the verge of capturing another state title but lost 3-1 in the championship game to the undefeated Needham team on November 21. “It would have been nice to end the season with a win, but winning Central Mass and making a far run in the tournament was something we were all proud of this year,” senior co-captain Caroline Leonard said. Right from the start, the state finals looked to be a tight match. Needham started off the scoring fifteen minutes into the game and ended the first half up 2-0. With just over fifteen minutes left in the game and the score 3-0, Leonard found the back of the net and tried to surge the team. “Playing in the state final game was like nothing I had ever experienced. The Photo Kelly Slovin atmosphere in the stadium was full of energy and all of the fans supporting us Junior Megan Stassi prepares to take a shot at the goal in the post season made it unforgettable,” Leonard said. game against Shepherd Hill. Led by one of the highest scoring nificantly to the high scoring offense, but turning players who looked to avenge the offenses in Massachusetts and a solid de- it was sophomore Sydney Carney who led losses on a greater stage by the end of the fense to go along with it, the team took the team in scoring this year with twenty- season. losses in the past two Central Mass finals five points, scoring over twice the amount “No matter who you lose to it sucks and used them as fuel for this year’s suc- of goals as she did last season. and losing in the CMass final two years in cess. “It’s really exciting [to be the leading a row hurts because you know you were so “Losing the past scorer] because at the close,” Hostage said. two years, we have beginning of the seaThe past two years the team failed to learned not to take any- “Nothing has son no one expected it,” achieve a berth into the state semi-finals. thing for granted and surprised me Carney said. This year they met Minnechaug and junior work really hard to just about the success The team averaged Mackenzie Smith scored the final goal to take it game by game,” of this year...” 4.4 goals per game and win the game 2-1. senior co-captain Kendonly gave up .8 goals “Nothing has really surprised me all Sweeney said. per game for the reguabout the success of this year because I Scott Taggart lar season. Head coach knew that Finally, the third with the quality of the players Head Coach Scott Taggart accredits we had we could create a great opportutime was the charm, as the team defeated Wathe success of his team nity. We are playing at a level that I thought chusett 3-2 on their to its depth. He is confident that he can we should,” Taggart said. home turf in the final, the team’s first time put eighteen or nineteen players out on “We have a very deep bench. We can winning the title since 2009. the field and not have the level of play put anyone out there and compete,” SweeThe team then rolled through the drop at all. ney said. tournament with wins over Shepherd Hill Their only loss was on October 27 to “This year we knew we had a lot of and Tantasqua leading to the champion- rival Nashoba who had defeated them in talent, but I didn’t know if we’d be able to ship game. the Central Mass final in 2014. click like we have,” Hostage said. Hostage and Sweeney contributed sigThe team was mostly made up of re-
Lack of security leads to locker room thefts MAX MICHAuD
StaffWriter More than ten items have been stolen from the girls’ and boys’ locker rooms for one class alone, and administration and students are struggling to prevent theft. Seniors Ethan McRae and Frances Palmer have had multiple articles of clothing stolen from their lockers, making them and other students question the school’s policy towards preventing and dealing with school thefts. “I came into class last week hoping to get sweaty in my old tee. Unfortunately some thief stripped me of this opportunity,” McRae said.“I have also had shorts taken for some time, but they were eventually returned.” “I had a pair of shoes, Nike shorts,
Snapchat encourges new relationships page 4
and a shirt taken from my locker. These dents get something stolen from their were valuable so it really bothered me,” locker it’s not because a student Palmer said. broke a lock, but because “It happens every now and then,” there was no lock at all.” Principal Tom Mead said. “Our stuPhysical education dents are encouraged to use locks. teachers are deemed reThey don’t always do that though.” sponsible for promoting Mead believes that students proper behavior in the are not always willing to take the locker rooms. However necessary precaution in locker there are limitations for room security. teachers like Patrick Rus“All our [gym] lockers sell that prevent them don’t have built in locks on from monitoring locker them so they would actually rooms at all times. have to go to a store and buy “We can’t put cama lock, but that’s asking them eras in the locker room,” to do something they probably Russell said. haven’t done or thought about so it doesn’t always happen,” Permission Thegreenj Mead said. “Typically when stuTheft, page 9
Focus in on food and the people who make it pages 10-11
Sachem coffeehouse energizes crowd page 14