Boys' Soccer Coach Reflects on Historic Season

By Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter

The Sturgis East boys soccer team recently completed its historic season, finishing with an 11-4-1 record including the playoff loss to Seekonk, and longtime head coach Brian Hastings certainly played a major part in the success of the squad. Coach Hastings, a retired Sturgis teacher who also coaches the girls’ tennis team in the spring, took the time to speak with the Stormwatch about his experiences and perspectives on the soccer season.
    When asked the popular question of whether this was the best year in Sturgis boys’ soccer history, Coach Hastings made sure to acknowledge the success of all Sturgis soccer seasons.
    “Every team has been challenged yet able to be 'first' at some milestone in our program. This year's team had the best record by far, was the first team to shutout and not to lose to Nantucket, and had the highest seed ever in the State Tournament. From that aspect, yes, this team accomplished the most; but I wouldn't want to slight the other years for what they accomplished too.  I am proud of all of them and I always will be.”
    Despite the best efforts of the Storm in the state tournament, they lost 2-1 to Seekonk at home to put a sad ending onto what was otherwise a fantastic year. Coach reflected on this disappointing loss, “Just by the nature of sports, you don't win all the time…In our game with Seekonk, I don't think we played our best but we did try as hard as we ever have.  I think we were nervous and made some mistakes. That's life!”
    Arguably the greatest addition to this year’s soccer season was the East-West rivalry that now has enough drama, controversy, and passionate fans to last for many years. Coach Hastings gave several words of wisdom while discussing this rivalry:
    “Rivalry and competition are not bad things as long as we never lose sight of the fact that all of athletics is just a game…Sometimes I think we have to work harder, when the opponent is our sister school, at playing hard but leaving the game on the field.  Fans sometimes don't understand that.  Having said all this --- GO EAST!”
    Furthermore, Coach Hastings could not have been more proud of the senior class this year, especially senior captains Chris Dennison, Chris Dedecko, Ben Duncan, and Kyle Garvey: “I always count on all of the seniors to set an example for the rest of the players…the captains this year were very influential in keeping our team on track to the successes that we achieved.”
    The boys’ soccer team will definitely be a new-look team next year, with six starters and nine overall varsity players being seniors. State tournament qualification hopes aside, Coach Hastings gave a simple answer to his expectations for next year’s squad:
    “Each team builds its own attitude and character.  My expectations are always the same:  To help to develop a group of young men to maximize their potential and see where that takes us all.”

Turkey Basket Collection a Success

By Meghan Agostinelli and Alicia Pollard, staff reporters

Jack Goldstein and Kit Freddura preparing the turkey baskets in Dr. Albis' room.

On November 16, Sturgis advisories finished their turkey basket collection for the 2012 holiday season. At Sturgis twenty-one baskets were collected for the program, which donates items for Thanksgiving meals to local needy families.

Sturgis's efforts were spearheaded for the second time by Latin teacher Dr. Albis. He said, "This was definitely a success. This year, it was different in that we had to deliver the baskets."

Jack Goldstein, Kit Fredeura, James Peterson, and Bella Springer helped Dr. Albis deliver the baskets to the Hyannis Harbor Hotel where the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and the Islands picked them up to distribute them. Fredeura, a junior, remarked that he could tell "the people were especially grateful." 

Jack Goldstein, Kit Freddura, Bella Springer, and James Peterson with a pickup full of turkey baskets

Peterson, also a junior, said: "There was more than I thought there would be. It was good to know that there would be a lot of baskets going to families who needed it."

Dr. Albis.

West Begins to Take Shape at Construction Site

Noticeable Construction has Started at Sturgis West

By Meghan Agostinelli, co-editor

All photos by Alicia Pollard, co-editor

Starting at Sturgis East, head west down Main Street, drive around the West End rotary, drive past the Melody Tent, and take a left onto a dusty road just before the Stop & Shop petrol station. You have now arrived at the future home for Sturgis West.

Using a large crane a sub-foundation panel is moved into place.

At present, the site looks like a “big jigsaw puzzle” as aptly described by Mr. Hyer. A
huge pile of sand is located in the middle of the construction site. But, the full foundation is laid in place, indicating the large footprint of what will become of the two-story construction. Piles of pipes lie in various areas throughout the site. About a dozen modules, all transported here from Pennsylvania, stand in a row. Each module is covered with white tarp, and each has been written on in red ink to indicate where the piece will later be placed.
          
Although much work remains, the construction workers are rapidly making headway. Two modules, including windows, has been put upon the foundation, and completely assembled.

Facing East: A view of the crawl space. The basement is in the distance.

Students Give Back During Holidays

An advisory's Turkey Basket for one family in need this Thanksgiving.              Photo by Hannah Driscoll.

 

By Meghan Agostinelli, staff reporter

As the holiday season approaches, many organizations whether religious or secular help the less fortunate in the Cape Cod area. Through Dress A Live Doll and Thanksgiving Baskets, Sturgis students and faculty too are giving back to their community.
Mrs. Botsford said, “I’ve always wanted to organize a charity drive here at Sturgis.” And now she is: Botsford is leading Sturgis advisories in the Dress A Live Doll campaign, and Sturgis involvement in this campaign has been tremendous. Out of twenty advisories at Sturgis East, fifteen are participating in Dress A Live Doll.

Keeping Religion Out of Your Sneezes

OPINION | |  By Meghan Agostinelli, staff writer

Avoid saying "God Bless You" or face a point deduction.

Imagine you are that “ideal” student - you ask intelligent questions in class and are nothing but polite to all your teachers and classmates. One day, while in your health class, you say, “God bless you” as common courtesy after a fellow classmate sneezed. What would you do if your teacher then said, “I’m taking 25 points off your grade because you simply said, ‘God bless you’”?

A California health teacher made national news at the end of September for banning the use of “God bless you” in his classroom. But he didn’t stop there. He banned the entire practice of saying anything at all, including “Bless you.” Additionally  he went as far as penalizing students’ grades for violating the rule.

Sturgis is Tops with its 2011 MCAS Results

Sturgis is No. 1 in English; No. 5 in Math; and No. 11 in Science

By Meghan Agostinelli, staff reporter

For anyone who doubts the accuracy of the Washington Post’s ranking of top high schools in the country by ranking Sturgis Charter Public School East’s placement as No. 42 on the list, the 2011 MCAS results cemented proof of the quality of the education received at Sturgis. 
“I just think we really deserved this, said Junior Olivia Sequin who sat for the statewide exam last year as a sophomore. “The MCAS results show that we can succeed in the I.B.”

Student Council Elections to be Held in May

By Meghan Agostinelli, staff reporter

It’s a year of firsts for Sturgis: a new school, the first girls’ field hockey win in school history, and the first time Student Council elections will be held in May.

From the founding of Sturgis’s Council to the 2010-2011 elections, officers and representatives were elected at the start of the school year. However, Student Council moderator Mrs. Yalden notes that, “In the past, elections took up the whole month of September, and we had no plan to prepare for Spirit Week properly and any other early events.”