Monday, January 31, 2011

Local schools combine for ecology and education

PLYMOUTH – Calvary Lutheran’s preschool program is hoping to put Riverside Intermediate School on the bench – literally.
Riverside’s ecology program is currently collecting plastic lids – for example those on beverage bottles, spray cans and margarine tubs – for a special recycling project. According to Jill Montgomery of Riverside, the recycled tops will be sent to a company in Terre Haute to be converted into benches for the school.
The company in Terre Haute is the only one in the nation who performs the process and the students must collect 250 pounds of the tops to create one bench.
Calvary Lutheran has added their help to the project for a special reason – counting.
“We use them to count,” said Diane Eveland, head of Calvary Lutheran’s preschool, adding with a smile, “Over and over and over again.”
The drive started as a competition between the three year old class and the four year old class over who could raise the most lids. On the way the counting practice has been helpful too.
“It’s also a good thing to teach kids how they can do something to help others and to help the environment,” said Eveland.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Learning experience for new "Principals"

Plymouth graduate Nick Chaney returned to school with PHS Assistant Principal Andrew Hartley
PLYMOUTH – It was back to school for some area residents Friday as they had the opportunity to experience life as “Principal for the Day” at the Plymouth Schools.


Ten area residents from varying career backgrounds had an opportunity to spend the morning with the various Principals of the Plymouth School Corporation seeing exactly what their job entails. For nearly all it was “...an eye opening experience.”

“I knew there would be technology but I had no idea,” said Jim Bottorff of WTCA-AM 1050 who shadowed Plymouth High School Principal Jim Condon for the morning. “He (Condon) was in the hallway, talking to kids, calling them all by their first name. When I was in school that didn't happen. When I was in school you only saw the Principal when something bad was about to go down.”

“It was really something to see the positivity of the kids as they came in the building – smiling, high fiving teachers – just really seeming genuinely excited to be there,” said Ryan Jessen of PNC Bank and the new Head of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce who was with Menominee Principal Michael Dunn. “We even had two disciplinary episodes in the morning but it was all dealt with in a very positive manner.”

Local emergency personnel will likely get a positive report from Jim Strong of the Indiana State Police who had the Plymouth Fire Department show up for a drill at Webster where he was working with Principal Carrie McGuire.

“I'm used to that kind of thing I guess but I was very amazed and happy,” said Strong. “Almost immediately I saw teachers walking around with signs held in the air and I noticed the colors of them but then I saw the words 'all students accounted for'. They had kids all over that building in various programs and doing special work in other places but they made sure they accounted for every one in an emergency situation. That can't be easy. As the parent of a first grader that makes me feel good.”

The way students work in the schools was also enlightening to those who spent the morning. In addition to technology – a given in today's society – all were amazed at how students learned in the schools.

“It's really like every student has their own individualized learning plan,” said Gina Young of the Plymouth Park Department who spent her day with Bob Remenih Principal at Jefferson. “Teachers were able to intervene with students that may have needed a little help or take a few aside because they were ahead of everybody and the class never missed a beat they just kept right on going. It was really like every single kid has their own specialized learning plan.”

“You know this was all real and not just a put on for today,” said Nick Chaney of U.S. Granules who was with Andrew Hartley, Assistant Principal at PHS. “The kids went on with class with the Principal there with no disruption at all. If it had been just a one day thing everybody would have been looking around to see what was going on. It's obvious that kids are used to the principals being in their classrooms every day.”

The program is began under Governor Orr and has continued at Plymouth as an important one according to Superintendent Dan Tyree.

“Its very important for schools to connect and interact with the communities that they exist in,” he said. “Parents are such a vital part of the education process and giving them ways to be involved with that is an important part of learning.”

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Faulstich needs your vote

Jane Faulstich with partner Patrick Pendexter
PLYMOUTH – Her career has been backstage at Plymouth High School, but she will take center stage on Feb. 5 as part of the Neighborhood Center's Fundraiser Dancing With the Stars at Swan Lake Resort.

Jane Faulstich and her partner Patrick Pendexter will try to win the title by gaining your votes and contributions for the Neighborhood Center. Faulstich – who teaches theatre at Plymouth High School – is drawing on her “vast” experience as a dancer for a good cause.

“I was in Crimson Connection in high school with Mr. Pickell does that count?,” she said of her dance "background". “Karen Barden (Director of the Neighborhood Center) called and asked if I'd do it and at first I was a little hesitant because of my schedule. I thought who would want a partner with those kind of time restraints.”

She found one when Barden paired her with Patrick Pendexter who also was a part of the competition a year ago.

“He's one of the professional dancers at the LifePlex and he's really been patient with me,” said Faulstich. “I'm one of those people who doesn't know my right from my left. Literally. In driver's ed they'd tell me to make a turn and I'd have to ask which direction it was.

“He's made it kind of funny and that's great for me because I can play that role a lot better.”

The hard work has been a given. She and Pendexter have been practicing since November for the event.

“We've been working two times a week since November and I've had soreness in muscles I didn't even know I owned,” she said. “It has been good, I don't have to go to the treadmill nearly as often.”

The experience has taught the teacher a little something too.

“I knew the Neighborhood Center was here but I really had no idea what they did. I think it's amazing to have an organization that does the things they do,” she said. “With my schedule I've never really felt like I had any time for any sort of charity work or fundraising. Being able to have an impact for somebody else is a really great feeling.”

Voting is going on now at www.events.org/neighborhoodcenter.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A message from Dan Tyree on current Indiana Legislation regarding the school calendar


The opinions expressed in this release do not reflect those of myself or Plymouth Community School Corporation. I am simply reporting what legislation is or has gone through committee that may have an impact on public accredited schools.

Last week Senate Bill 0171, restricting the beginning and ending dates for schools, was passed and now goes to the Education Committee in its amended form.

The bill, if passed would not allow schools to start before Labor Day and would have to end before June 10 of the following year. The amended form would allow the year to be extended past June 10 only after three public board meetings and a majority vote of the board.

Professionally, this will make little impact on the school academic year. We will still be quite capable of getting in the required 180 days of school with those restrictions, only asking for extended time after June 10 for the make up of snow days. Vacation time would be drastically affected, though.

I have put together a new calendar and the following vacation times would be altered or eliminated:

1. Fall Break would be completely eliminated.
2. Holiday Break would be limited to one week.
3. Spring Break would be completely eliminated.

How do you feel about this calendar? Does this fit the needs of your business? Does this fit the needs of your family? Regardless of how you answer, please take the time to email your representative officials and let them know how you feel. I don’t want any Plymouth Community School family to let these changes be made state-wide without your input.


Contact Your Representatives:
Edward E. Charbonneau S5@in.gov
Nancy Dembowski H17@in.gov

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Become a Corporate Sponsor


We all want to make a difference in our community. The Plymouth Community School Corporation has been doing just that for a very long time. Your company is a vital part of the community as well. You can help make a difference by becoming a corporate sponsor of the Plymouth Alumni Association.
Monetary support of the Plymouth Alumni Association (501c3 non-profit) ensures that extra-curricular and co-curricular programs such as art, music, theatre and athletics continue to be offered by the Plymouth Schools and is tax deductible. We sponsor special events throughout the year and your support gains you sponsorship status at those events and in the promotion of those events.
We host the WTCA pre and post game shows during football and basketball season, a reception following the spring musical, the annual Hall of Fame Alumni Banquet and various activities during Alumni Week held the first week of August each year.
PAA Patron – For a contribution of $200 a year, you will be a acknowledged as a co-sponsor of any one of these events you choose and in the corresponding promotional material.
PAA Supporter – For a contribution of $600, you be acknowledged as a co-sponsor of all our events and in all corresponding promotional material.
PAA Sponsor – For a contribution of $1,000, you will be acknowledged as a co- sponsor of all events, and your logo will appear on all materials distributed by the PAA including our quarterly newsletter. Your logo will appear on the Alumni blog along with a link to your businesses website.
Payment Option – We understand in tough times you are very conscious of budgeting dollars wisely. If you desire we can offer the option of dividing your sponsorship into quarterly payments through the year to make it easier on your advertising budget.
Pledge your support by contacting Rusty Nixon at 574-952-4444 or plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com

Monday, January 10, 2011

Plymouth native Starr will return for book signing

MOUNT VERNON, OH – Things don't always go as planned. That doesn't mean they don't turn out pretty good in the end.
That is the oddssey of 1984 Plymouth High School graduate Matt Starr. A stand out athlete at Plymouth he attended Manchester College and received a Masters Degree from Kent State and appeared headed for a long and distinguished career as a sports psychologist, with an appointment to work at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
“Before I could go 'Dessert Storm' hit and funding was cut,” said Matt. “I found myself needing a job and found one with the government here in Ohio working with developmental disabled people. I was recreation director so I did all kinds of things like Special Olympics and other programs like that.
“I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised that all those things I'd been learning in psychology I could still apply. I mean, I could have been helping a sprinter get another tenth of a second off his time, but what I was doing now was teaching somebody who couldn't do it before, how to brush their teeth, helping people that were terribly emotionally scarred and that was such an incredible reward.”
Matt found a passion for his work and for the people he worked with that led him to finally become the director of a 32 bed facility in the state for the developmentally disabled. After a time he also felt a leading in another direction.
“I began to feel I could do more to help the field I was in by getting out of the field,” he said. It was at that time he also met someone who would change his life.
“I met a man named Roger McNamara who was dying,” said Starr. “He worked in the area of abuse prevention and he wanted somebody to work with him in getting all his ideas and concepts out and on film before he died. We came up with the Abuse Prevention video series.”
In order to do that Matt had to start his own video production company I-CONN Video Production (http://www.iconnvideo.com/contact.html) and one thing led to another.
“We do commercial production, work for ad agencies, we recently did a campaign for the Chamber of Commerce here,” he said. “I guess you could say I'm an entrepreneur now. I look for opportunities and relationships to become involved with.”
Now Starr has also moved into writing, with the publishing of his first book “Thoughtful Caregiving; Abuse Prevention through Emotional Responsibility”.
“I write everyday. I've done that really for the last 20 years,” he said. “The first thing I do when I wake up is write something. Maybe it's just a couple of sentences but it's something. I love it.”
And in all the spare time he has, Starr has taken up another pursuit.
“I really came alive onstage, I've started acting and been able to feel emotions at a depth onstage I haven't felt in a long time,” he said. “I had a chance to play the part of Lenny, in 'Of Mice and Men' and it was sort of like a culmination of a lot of things to be able to portray a character like the people I'd been working with and tell a story.
“I guess I'm just a story teller,” he added with a laugh. “I don't make nearly as much money as I did when I was working for the government, but it is really very satisfying.”
Starr will be in town for a special appearance and book signing for his new book on Jan. 29 from 11 a.m to 2 p.m in the Plymouth Library's Fireplace Room.
Along with the I-CONN Video website Starr's work can also be seen at www.keylightadvertising.com and on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_BhND87rbA with several related video links available there as well.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Like your iTunes? Thank a Plymouth grad

Joe with Sara McLachlan at the iTunes debut
NASHVILLE, TN – You could really call 1981 Plymouth High School graduate Joe McKesson a renaissance man.
A self admitted “computer nerd,” he is also an extremely talented singer and performer with a love and skill for opera, singing for opera companies all over the United States. With his background in music and technology, it was kind of a natural fit for him to be involved when iTunes was just an idea on a drawing board.
“All the time I was singing and performing I always worked as a library temp and as time went on, I learned more and more about technology and ways to use it. I had sort of built this other life as a techy,” he said. “I was working a freelance job for Apple doing a database for all the items that Steve Jobs used in his keynote speeches. His keynote speeches are kind of famous for what huge productions they are and we were cataloging all that material in databases. That's when a program for a thing called iTunes came across my desk. I begged to be a part of the project. I just told them I knew I could do it. They had great programmers, but what about the music? My background in music was what I knew I could bring.”
The rest – as they say – is history. 
Joe became a Senior Producer for the iTunes project. His team was in charge of merchandising and distribution, building the entire library from scratch and making key decisions on how that content would flow through the iTunes system.
“I lived in my cubicle while we were doing it. Literally,” he said. “I'll never forget, we worked an entire weekend to fill up the entire store. It was only a week before we were supposed to launch so we decided we needed to have a first preview to see if the whole thing would work.”
So what song was the very first ever played on iTunes?
Joe laughed, “Um. Well. It was Abba. Supertrooper by Abba.”
While he's traveled many roads and experienced many things in the course of his adult life, formative years in Plymouth meant a lot to the development of the artist.
“I came to Plymouth after some very traumatic and dark times in my life,” he said. “Plymouth rejuvenated me. The people of Plymouth rejuvenated me. People accepted me as family almost immediately. I'm not sure whether it was because they knew my dad and my grandmother and through them, me; but they accepted me as family. I remember meeting Dan Tyree (then a teacher at PHS and now Superintendent of Schools) and being a part of the Speech Team, really working with all those people in building that team from scratch, and that was an intimacy with a group of people that I'd never experienced. I think sometimes maybe people didn't know what to think of me when I'd stand down by the G&G parking lot and sing to people coming out of the grocery or the laundry there.
“Being in Plymouth allowed me to spend time with my grandmother, Rose McKesson, who is the love of my life and definitely the musical influence in my life. Music is my life blood.”
Joe currently uses his skills and experience to work on varying projects of interest. He is currently working on an animated 3D film for families that is a retelling of the “Big Bang” theory.
“I'm a religious person and a scientific person and I really like working on projects that merge the two,” he said. “Science explains a lot of things, but there are some things it can't explain.”
He's also working a lot of free lance projects – a fundraiser for the San Francisco Symphony, web projects for Warner Brothers Records, and helping Kanye West with maximizing his “social media” presence. He also has a passion to help young artists.
“I was really sort of fearless when I was younger and right out of high school I really didn't have the option of going straight to college, so I went to Chicago and auditioned,” he said. “There came a point when I knew I had to go to school. I couldn't read music, I didn't know the languages I was singing, I didn't have peers like I had in high school. I needed that.
“A lot of kids just go straight to auditioning and don't go to school and I want to help those kids because I was that kid. You see artists like Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus and they really have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). They are so very frightened of what is going to happen to them when they aren't 'the thing' anymore. I try to help them realize that they can do things to help themselves survive that. They can gain skills that will help them have long productive careers and they don't have to be afraid. For me, I went back to IU and felt that feeling of belonging again, like I had at Plymouth. I was part of a system. I don't know, but I think I'm getting to the point in my life that I may want to teach now. We'll see.”
From opera, to MTV, to iTunes, Joe has had many great experiences in his career and has some specific advice for anybody about to begin:
“Follow your desires but learn everything you can. Education is something we take for granted when we're younger, but that's the time when you're most able to learn. I am very glad I was a voracious reader. You always have to read and learn especially the way technology is changing our world every day. You have to adapt. And you have to be fearless in following your passions. The worst that can happen is that you'll be humiliated. We're humiliated every day whether it's the kid on the playground saying somebody smells or somebody in the office talking behind your back. In the end, none of those things matter. When you find something you have a passion for, go for it.”

They set the standard at work and at home

The list of accomplished Plymouth alums is a long one. Don and Evelyn Heim, members of the class of 1958 could likely take accolades for two different careers.
Both had acclaimed careers in the aerospace industry, and even with the high pressure demands of their jobs also raised three daughters. For the era in which they achieved both, they were a non-traditional family indeed.
“During the 1950s and early 1960s women were expected to marry, have babies, stay home and live happily ever after. The usual professions for women were teaching, nursing and secretarial work – all with relatively low pay since the husband was expected to be the breadwinner and should therefore earn more money,” said Evelyn of the changes she's seen in society since she began her career as an analytical chemist.
She quit her first job to raise her daughters but when their oldest entered high school she went back to work at Hughes Missile Systems in 1979. It was a daunting task.
“Not only was I the only woman in the product design discipline, I was totally 'green' and pushing 40 with three daughters at home,” she said. “Understand this was a huge challenge. I didn't want to fail and thereby make things difficult for future women.
“During the 1960s and 1970s I worked actively within the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to further the status of women and to raise the awareness of young girls that education is important because life doesn’t always work out in the then expected way – and that girls can do math.”
Meanwhile Don was making a name for himself in his career in the fledgling rocket industry. Working for Rocketdyne he received numerous awards from NASA for contributions to the space shuttle program, various high energy laser programs and was considered and expert in precision measurement of temperature, high vacuum measurements and dynamic measurements which include very high frequency vibration and pressure.
“I was always interested in science, electronics and the like,” he said. “Mr. Schaffer in seventh grade and Louisa Davis in high school especially encouraged me. After vascillating over chemistry and electrical engineering I finally decided to major in physics at Purdue. It was a marriage of all that was interesting to me.”
Well maybe not all that was interesting to him. As closely as either of them can recall, Don and Evelyn remember getting to know each other in the Science Club at PHS. They began dating their senior year. The next fall Evelyn left for I.U. in Bloomington and Don for Purdue in West Lafayette.
“We missed each other –a lot-- and decided one of us would switch schools for the sophomore year,” they said. “It turned out to be Evelyn. With the blessings and support of our parents we married during the summer before our senior year and graduated the following spring of 1962.”
Time growing up in Plymouth did more than just fuel a love of science for the couple. It gave them the foundation they would use as they built both their careers and their family life.
“My strongest memories are of school friends, my parents’ friends, teachers,” said Evelyn adding, “And the secure feeling that comes from knowing so many people in our town.”
“My strongest memories of Plymouth had to include growing up and working our family farm, hunting and fishing and the friends and atmosphere of our small town,” said Don. “My years in the PHS band were memorable and led to further musical interests at Purdue and later. Also memorable were my high school and Jr. high teachers who encouraged my pursuit of the educational background leading to my lifelong career.”
That upbringing helped the couple as they found a way to meet the challenges of a demanding career and raising three daughters far from home in California.
“Both of us worked close to home (no long Los Angeles commutes) and our work hours were slightly different,” said Evelyn. “Our youngest daughter attended Lutheran schools which offered after-school activities until 9th grade. The main challenges were summer vacations, sick days and transportation – all managed with the help of summer camps, friends, and occasional baby sitters.”
It was tough, but they admit that their daughters have it a little tougher now.
“Having two careers without much outside help was not as easy as having one parent at home, but it was something we could manage at this stage,” said Evelyn. “As travel requirements of our jobs increased, our daughters were growing up and we never were required to travel at the same time. We were busy, but we didn’t have to struggle with supporting the heavy homework loads and demanding outside activities that our grandchildren have now or the commutes of their parents.”
Both have seen many changes during their long, illustrious careers and both have been a big part of those changes.
“Life didn’t always work out the way it was supposed to for many women and the standard life wasn’t a good choice for others. During the 1960s, 1970s and beyond, women sought to change the status quo. As with all change, it was a turbulent time,” said Evelyn. “At the start of my career in 1979 I was one of a small handful of professional women and the only one in product design engineering at Hughes Missile Systems. My work ethic was to learn as much as I could, do the best job I could and not make an issue of being a woman except that I did play an instrumental role in forming a professional women’s network within the company. My greatest satisfaction is that this all worked not just to my benefit, but hopefully to ease the way for other women after me to be routinely accepted as valued members of the technical staff.”
“There have been so many changes it is hard to single out any one major change in my field of rocket engine development instrumentation, but if I did, I think it would relate to doing more with less,” said Don. “This has come from all of our technical advances, many driven by the arrival of the computer age. In the early 60’s we were still using slide rules and mechanical calculators for most of our engineering work. Now almost everything we do uses a computer and computer programs. Back then if we wrote a technical report it was hand written, then typed by a secretary on “ditto master” paper, returned to the engineer to be proof read, corrected, then sent back to the secretary for retyping, reproduction and distribution. Today, engineers create their own documents on a linked PC, check spelling and grammar automatically and distribute by an email list.
“Rocket engine test data which was to a large extent captured by banks of mechanical inking recorders and interpreted by groups of 'data reduction' personnel is now done instantaneously by sophisticated computerized equipment. Technicians who watched inking recorders for signs of a problem with an 'engine cut' button in their hand have been replaced with computerized monitoring equipment which can act in thousandths of a second. Even the testing effort is reduced. Analysis techniques have become so improved that much of the effort that had to be expended in the early days of rocketry (blow it up and rebuild it) is no longer necessary because of the improved ability to build reliable engines from the beginning.”






Become a member today

You can join the Plymouth Alumni Association today and take advantage of special member activities and special membership deals.


Dues are $20 for a one year membership, $30 for two years, if both you and your spouse are Plymouth grads you can have two years for $50 and a lifetime membership is just $300.

Make your check payable to:
Plymouth Alumni Association
611 Berkley Street
Plymouth, IN 46563

Or just click the PayPal button to the right and follow the easy instructions.

Remember that this is the official Plymouth Schools sponsored Plymouth Alumni Association. We are a 501c3 not for profit and your money goes to support extra curricular and co-curricular activities - music, art, theatre and sports - at Plymouth Schools.

If you'd like more information call 574-952-4444 or email plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Plymouth grad in All Star game

INDIANAPOLIS — Just two weeks into his 2008 college season, Eric  
Quintana’s football career was dealt a major setback.
 
But in mid-December, the Plymouth native and University of Indianapolis  
offensive lineman was given news that helped revive some old dreams.
Quintana was invited to play in the 2011 Cactus Bowl Friday at Texas  
A&M-Kingsville’s Javelina Stadium, an NCAA Division II all-star  
football game where he’ll get to showcase his skills in front of a  
national TV audience and scouts from around the NFL one last time.
 
“It feels awesome to play another game,” he said. “I was going to end  
my career at the end of the season. I wasn’t planning on going to the  
next level or anything like that, and then getting selected for this  
game, it’s very big. It’s a very big game for Division II. A lot of  
players actually go on to the next level and play in the NFL or arena  
league football. It just opened my eyes, and I’ve got some contacts  
for the next level. It’s going to be great to play in this game and  
show my skills to the nation... It’s going to be a good time and a  
good learning environment.”

Quintana is one of only 10 players chosen at his position for the  
Cactus Bowl, which is played in an East vs. West format. He is also  
one of only four Greyhounds ever selected to play in the 17-year  
history of the game, and he says he’s been getting plenty of  
congratulations around the UIndy campus for the accolade.

“I’ve gotten a lot of congratulations from the school, from coaches,  
from players,” he said. “Only four (UIndy) players have played in it,  
and just to be in this elite group of athletes to come out of  
Division II and just to be able to rep my school and to rep Plymouth  
is just a great accomplishment for me.”

While Quintana may be enjoying the spotlight now, his journey to the  
Cactus Bowl hasn’t been all glitz and glamour.

After helping the Greyhounds gain over 2,000 rushing yards and set a  
new school record for points scored in 2007, Quintana was named All- 
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a sophomore. But  
he was sidelined with an ACL injury just two games into his junior  
season, leaving the rest of his collegiate football career in  
question and putting any hopes of future professional glory on the  
back burner.

The 6-foot-3, 292-pound Rockies football product got back to work  
with renewed vigor, however, finishing physical rehab ahead of  
schedule and working his way back to a starting role for his final  
season with the squad. Rather than feeling bitter about time lost,  
Quintana said the experience has helped him realize what he was  
beginning to take for granted.

“Just sitting on the sidelines and seeing what I was missing out on,  
I took a lot of that for granted when I played through my two  
seasons,” he said. “I guess you could say I got a big head. When I  
came back and pushed through my rehab and got out a little earlier  
than I was supposed to it really made my hard work feel a lot better.  
I drove myself to be the best I could be. In the past two seasons  
I’ve done a lot to get myself just to where I am right now... Injury  
was actually a blessing. It opened my eyes to more things that I  
could do.”

And with so many watching Thursday, he’s hoping his story isn’t over  
yet, either.

“It seems like I’m back on the map,” he said of his Cactus Bowl  
selection. “I’ve done everything in my power to go onto the next  
level so now it’s just what the scouts see in me and what I can do at  
this game. Hopefully, something good comes out of it.”

Provided by James Costello, Sports Editor, Pilot News