Get to Know Your School
Portrait Of a Graduate
by Axel Murphy-Malloy
1/6/22
What is it?
On November 2nd a group of students,(Abbey, Autumn, Brian, Emma, Lonan, myself, and a few others.), and some teachers,(Mrs. Negrini, Mrs. O'Hagerty, etc.) met on your day off to discuss and learn about Portrait of a Graduate. We entered the building knowing almost nothing about this.
So what is it? Portrait of a Graduate is going to be a class in the second semester in replacement of the class period you had gym in the first semester. Juniors will be able to research communities, interview people, identify issues in the community, and finally present what they learned, in a creative way to their peers and the community.
This was created to help students take risks, develop leadership, learn about new cultures, develop new skills, become resilient and resourceful. This will help students develop more important skills they'll need when they go out into the world outside of PHS.
More info
It’s almost completely run by students, adults will be there to supervise but we will be doing the work, and we will get credits for this course. This program is only for Juniors right now but may be expanded in the future and hopefully all juniors will end up taking this in the years to come. Taking this class will be a good thing for colleges to see as it shows leadership and responsibility.
The people participating will find an issue they are passionate about in the community and work to help fix the problem. They will have the opportunity to research their topic and eventually speak to people in the community of their choice about the problem(s) they are facing and get to understand people of that community better. We also have a lot of resources to help them with their research, such as PCTV if you like film or Kimball farms if you want to help out the elderly. (link to the plan for next semester)
Why Join?
Students will be able to log their research on their topic through tik toks, journaling, and other creative ways. They will also be able to do good in their community, creating a sense of fulfillment and leadership.
You’ll be like a beta tester, trying this program out so future generations can benefit from it like you will. At the end of the course they will get to present their work to the community and their families. The project they do at the end could be a poster, slide show, poetry, video or anything else students can think of to inform people about the issue they choose to research . If you like doing artistic things, want to make a change, help others, or learn about other cultures, or just want to get out of your 2nd semester class, this is the class for you!
“(PHS) was my own home under the dome,” -Mrs. Mancari
Mrs. Mancari is Pittsfield High’s newest addition to the foreign language wing. She teaches Spanish, after studying the language all throughout high school and college. “I find the language beautiful,” she says, “and (I) appreciate understanding more than just my own language.”
Mrs. Mancari is an alumnus of Pittsfield High School, from the graduating class of 2011. “When I was a student, I wasn’t aware of all the time and dedication my teachers put into learning,” she explains. “And how teachers truly don’t mind when students make mistakes.” After PHS, she attended Union College in Schenectady, studying both Spanish and Cultural Anthropology. She lived in Seville, Spain, a beautiful city known for its architecture, for some time. Like Mrs. Mancari, anyone who is learning another language can benefit from the total immersion that comes with being surrounded by native speakers.
In her free time, Mrs. Mancari enjoys hiking and traveling, and spending time with her two year old dog, Lexi. And just like the determination that comes with hiking, Mrs. Mancari is determined to offer as much support as possible to students, so they feel welcome and can realize how much potential they have.
In turn, we want Mrs. Mancari to feel just as comfortable here at PHS. Stop by in room 154 to welcome her back to her home under the dome. ¡Bienvenidos!
Struggling with Classes?
By Arianna Coppola
10/22/21
It happens to everyone, but there are tons of ways to get help on school work. New to PHS, the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) is an amazing tool to use to catch up. The main goal of ACE is to provide “extra help, time, and space for students who don't receive that otherwise” according to its founder and organizer, Ms. Smith.
With COVID scares taking a toll on both physical and mental health, more students are missing school than ever. These absences bring confusion, and it often feels impossible to catch up and fully understand work you may have missed while out. Despite that, ACE is here in the PHS library to help. Whether it’s school work or time management skills that need some work, Ms. Smith has organized a schedule that covers each academic subject with a variety of teachers throughout the week.
We know schedules are busy right now, but help can happen when it’s convenient for you - whether that’s during personalization, after school, or during the school day, ACE is here. If this is something that interests you, even if only for a one time meeting, feel free to reach out to teachers that could recommend you or through the student request form located on your Canvas (make sure to directly state that you are interested in the ACE program). You can also sign up directly through Flextime Manager for personalization throughout the week.