Good Afternoon Students, Parents, and Community Members:
PRIDE MONTH
PSA:
A short informative video to celebrate Pride Month and honor the history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality, embrace diversity, and educate about allyship
5 Tips to Being an LGBTQ Ally - YouTube
June is LGBT Pride Month(youth.gov article) and Library Of Congress information about Pride Month.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June recognizes the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969.
General LGBTQ+ Support and Resources for Students & Community:
Here are organizations and resources that might be helpful for students, families, and our school community:
General website resources:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth Resource List
the Trevor Project, and
Q Chat Space are great resources for LGBTQ+ students to find help and safe communities.
More Student Resources
Articles/Websites:
Kidshelpline What is Sexual Identity?
For parents/guardians:
Articles/Websites:
For parents and caregivers to support their kids: PFLAG is a great resource.
FINAL EXAM LUNCH SCHEDULE
1st Lunch: Freshmen 10:38-11:04
2nd Lunch: Sophomores 11:07-11:33
3rd Lunch: Juniors 11:36-12:00
Bristol Aggie valedictorian wants to save wildlife from microplastics
Donna Whitehead
The Taunton Daily Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK
DIGHTON — Noah Hanson spent his senior year at Bristol County Agricultural High School studying fecal matter from turtles to determine the effect of microplastics on wildlife. Hanson, of Rochester, who is the valedictorian of Bristol Aggie’s Class of 2022, plans to major in wildlife and conservation biology at the University of New Hampshire this fall.
See BRISTOL, Page 2A
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“Microplastics are definitely a large issue in society today,” he said.
Hanson chose to attend Bristol Aggie and major in natural resources management to follow his lifelong interest in wildlife.
“I was always interested in the outdoors,” said Hanson, who was born in Maine. “Our house had a huge forest behind it. I was always in the woods.”
When he moved to Rochester he said became more familiar with the sea coast. Working on his uncle’s lobster boat he would observe marine animals.
For his senior research project at Bristol Aggie, Hanson wanted to study microplastics’ impact on wildlife. He chose the Northern diamondback terrapins, a threatened species of turtle.
“I’m interested in microplastics,” Hanson said. “It’s relatively understudied.”
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial products and the breakdown of larger plastics. Hanson wanted to investigate the possible presence of microplastics in terrapins.
“I didn’t even know if it was present,” he said.
Hanson received help from the Taunton River Watershed Alliance to obtain fecal matter from terrapins during the summer of 2021. Two Bristol Aggie teachers, Brian Bastarache and Kourtnie Bouley, work with the alliance and assisted with Hanson’s project.
The alliance has a terrapin trapping program led by Bastarache.
“They trap and keep track of weight, the sex and location (of the turtles),” Hanson said. “They captured 13 for my sampling, held them overnight and jarred any fecal matter.”
Hanson identified microplastics in the fecal samples. He also found a smaller amount of microplastics in the school tap water he used as a comparison.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I had a feeling there had to be some sort of microplastics accumulating in animals. I was more surprised to find them in tap water.”
He shared his results with the school’s administration and presented his research to the Northeast Natural History Conference in Albany, New York.
“Turtles wash up on the shore full of plastic,” he said. “If it’s not good on a large level, it’s not good on a small level either.”
At the University of New Hampshire, Hanson said he hopes to work with a UNH professor who is studying microplastics.
“There was recently an article (in Smithsonian Magazine) about microplastics being found in human blood,” Hanson said. “(Microplastics) have the ability to bind with human blood. I would hypothesize if that could happen to a human it could happen to an animal.”
When he’s not studying marine life, Hanson is a Bristol Aggie student trustee, class president, National Honor Society treasurer and was a member of the High Five Club. In addition he volunteers to tutor other students during an after school program and has been a mentor for a summer survival camp program for middle school students.
Gym class with teacher Keith Poloskey has been his favorite class at Bristol Aggie, he said.
“I’m a relatively athletic person and like to stay active,” he said.
One of his favorite high school memories was trying out for the soccer team.
“I remember walking in freshman year,” he said. “The coach and two other kids were there. The coach was super excited to see me.”
The team eventually got a full roster of players. Hanson went on to lead the boy’s soccer and basketball teams as captain and was given the Mayflower League All-Star Award in both sports. He was also named this year’s MAVA Outstanding Vocational Technical Student.
“My biggest inspiration is my parents, Sandy and Sara Hanson,” he said. “They are very hardworking and they taught me to reach for the stars.”
Hanson also has an older brother, who is a sophomore in college.
Hanson hopes to someday work for the federal government in wildlife biology.
“I would be bouncing around from state to state working on environmental and conservation efforts,” he said.
As valedictorian, Hanson was tasked with making a speech to his fellow classmates at commencement on Thursday, June 5. His plans was to draw on his experience leading middle schools on survival camp hikes.
“It seems almost impossible when you get there,” he said. “There is little food in your stomach and your legs are tired… But when you reach the top and sit back and relax you see the view and the endless possibilities.”
Staff writer Donna Whitehead can be reached by email at dwhitehead@tauntongazette.com.
Bristol Aggie Then and Now: A famous adage exists: “You have to make hay while the sun shines.” We saw evidence of this on our campus farm this week. Staff and student workers toiled diligently throughout the process of mowing, raking, baling, stacking, and transporting the hay from our fields. Here is a look at our current haying work, AND a nostalgic look back to the early decades of haying season on our school farm! (Newspaper article depicted above from Taunton Gazette 1988)
Activities and Athletics:
LAX: The LAX team had their end of year banquet on Friday, June 3rd to cap off a season that witnessed a lot of growth over the season. We look forward to continuing to build on their success next year. Well done!
Softball:
The Bristol Aggie Softball team completed their softball season with a record of 17-5 earning the title of Mayflower League Champions and took runner up after a hard fought game in the MVADA Vocational Tournament.
The Week Ahead- A Week
Monday, June 13
Assembly in Gym @ 8:10
EXTENDS: CSE RM 2206 from 2:45-4:30
Late Bus at 5:00 pm (Student Commons Circle)
Tuesday, June 14
No Late Buses
Wednesday, June 15
Late Bus at 5:00 pm (Student Commons Circle)
Thursday, June 16-FINAL EXAMS Early Release at 12:00
LUNCH SCHEDULE
1st Lunch: Freshmen 10:38-11:04
2nd Lunch: Sophomores 11:07-11:33
3rd Lunch: Juniors 11:36-12:00
Friday, June 17-FINAL EXAMS Early Release at 12:00
LUNCH SCHEDULE
1st Lunch: Freshmen 10:38-11:04
2nd Lunch: Sophomores 11:07-11:33
3rd Lunch: Juniors 11:36-12:00
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