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Hull High School AP Spanish Students Visit State House for Annual MIRA Luncheon

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Hull Public Schools
Michael F. Devine, Superintendent
180 Harborview Road
Hull, MA 02045

For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 4, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Hull High School AP Spanish Students Visit State House for Annual MIRA Luncheon 

Front row, left to right: Seniors Sean Healey, Jessica Goode, Krista Carpenter and Katie Punchard. Back row, left to right: State Rep. Joan Meschino, seniors Michael DelGuidice, Leah Dunn, Hannah Lees, Alyssa Albert and Spanish teacher Elizabeth Wescott. (Courtesy Photo Hull High School)

HULL — To wrap up their first unit of study, Hull High School AP Spanish students traveled to the State House for a real-life lesson on immigration and citizenship.

On Nov. 20, AP Spanish seniors Sean Healey, Jessica Goode, Krista Carpenter, Katie Punchard, Leah Dunn, Hannah Lees and Alyssa Albert, along with teacher Elizabeth Wescott, attended the Our Shared Table luncheon. The event was hosted by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) — the largest coalition in New England promoting the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees.

The annual luncheon celebrates newly sworn-in and aspiring U.S. citizens. During the students’ first semester, they completed a unit on “Personal and Public Identities,” where they worked on a project about the Hull’s immigrant community, and in the process came upon MIRA.

Given students’ excitement and dedication to the project, Wescott reached out to MIRA for a potential field trip opportunity, who invited them to the State House for the Our Shared Table event.

During the luncheon, the students served food and were able to listen to speeches about immigration and citizenship, including one from U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and immigrants from the Boston area who are working to help their communities. Students also got to practice their Spanish with some of the MIRA employees and immigrants, and tie their work back to their studies on global challenges and contemporary life and families and communities.

“AP Spanish students enjoyed the field trip and were also able to make connections to their curriculum with an authentic and memorable experience,” Wescott said. “I was so impressed with students’ maturity, enthusiasm and initiative. It was a great day.”

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Kearsarge Community Member Receives High School Volunteer of the Year Award

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Kearsarge Regional School District
Superintendent Winfried Feneberg
114 Cougar Court
New London, NH 03257

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Kearsarge Community Member Receives High School Volunteer of the Year Award

Left to right: Kearsarge High School Principal Rob Bennett, Henry Howell and KRHS Transition Coordinator Rebecca Hemingway. (Courtesy Photo Kearsarge Public Schools)

KEARSARGE – Superintendent Winfried Feneberg is pleased to announce that community member Henry Howell received the New Hampshire Partners in Education 2018 High School Volunteer of the Year award last month.

The prestigious honor recognizes school volunteers who demonstrate excellent management and leadership skills, unique and creative services/programs and originality of work during the 2017-2018 school year.

Howell, a Kearsarge High School volunteer, was honored during a ceremony on Oct. 26 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

Over the last couple years, Howell has volunteered hundreds of hours to work with high school students in a variety of ways. This includes creating, planning and coordinating alternative educational opportunities for a group of non-traditional learners at the high school through after school activities and programs.

Howell collaborated with community members and local businesses for a number of different student-led projects, like the high school’s new rain garden. The structure is dedicated in memory of former Kearsarge High School wood shop teacher Thomas McLoughlin who passed away from cancer two years ago.

Students, under Howell’s guidance, also created several new trail systems and foot bridges throughout New Hampshire forests and learned about the importance of sustainable energy via solar panel projects. Those with an interest in environmental studies worked with Howell to research and construct birdhouses for some of the state’s native species.

“Throughout all of the projects Henry worked on with students, he reinforced the importance of strong social skills, critical thinking and the importance of teamwork,” said Kearsarge Regional High School Principal Robert Bennett. “He expertly guided students to use what they learned in the classroom for outside projects, which is exactly what the district is focusing on through our competency based learning curriculum.”

Principal Bennett would also like to recognize KRHS Transition Coordinator Rebecca Hemingway for working side-by-side Howell, ensuring that he and students had all the necessary equipment, transportation and support needed to complete projects. Like Howell, she continues to connect students with community businesses and organizations to strengthen their learning and to help foster a stronger bond between the high school and greater community.

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Oyster River High School Implements FLEX/Advisory Period to Enhance Student Learning

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Oyster River Cooperative School District
SAU No. 5
Superintendent James Morse
36 Coe Drive
Durham, NH 03824

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-000
Email: [email protected]

Oyster River High School Implements FLEX/Advisory Period to Enhance Student Learning

DURHAM — In a move designed to empower students and increase learning opportunities at Oyster River High School, a new schedule that will incorporate additional study and enrichment time takes effect in September.

The altered bell schedule will include an added 50-minute Flex/Advisory period each day before lunch, providing students and faculty with flexibility beyond their regularly scheduled classes.

During this period, students can meet with teachers in specific subjects where they need additional learning time, study for tests or quizzes, schedule college and career meetings, check in with their advisers and engage in enrichment activities.

School-wide or grade level assemblies can also be scheduled during this time to decrease the amount of instructional time that would otherwise be affected.

Additionally, students will have the opportunity to take seven classes, however not all courses will run every day. The change allows students to diversify their options and further their interests while factoring in workload and homework.

“Through the Flex/Advisory period, the goal is for our students to be empowered to make the appropriate academic and social decisions necessary for success at Oyster River High School and beyond,” ORHS Principal Suzanne Filippone said. “We recognize that this will be a transition for students and staff, however we will continue to work together to ensure this change is implemented as smoothly as possible.”

ORHS faculty, students and administration began the evaluation of the bell schedule in the 2016-17 school year, researching potential alternatives that better meet the district’s mission and vision of student learning.

To make the change work, ORHS moved from having 80-minute periods every two weeks to having them each week, mixed in with 50-minute periods.

Parents and community members who want learn more about the new bell schedule can do so by watching a previous School Board meeting here.

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Melrose High School Students Win Amp It Up! Challenge

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Melrose Public Schools
Superintendent Cyndy S. Taymore
360 Lynn Fells Parkway
Melrose , MA 02176

For Immediate Release

Monday, May 14, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Melrose High School Students Win Amp It Up! Challenge

Left to right: Video Production teacher Anthony DiBenedetto, juniors Kyle Nolan and Dan Maffie, Superintendent Cyndy Taymore, juniors Alex Gillis and Ross Carroll, and Larissa Matzek from MassDevelopment. (Courtesy Photo Melrose Public Schools)

MELROSE — Principal Jason Merrill is pleased to announce that a group of Melrose High Students placed in the Amp it up! Challenge for their video on Southbridge SJC Drums.

A creative video production competition, AMP it up! annually invites students to research the inner workings of an advanced manufacturing innovation to explain how it impacts the world around them in a two-minute video. Entries must capture three main ideas about a product, including how it is made, why it matters and what it means to the creator of the video.

The winning group, one of three entries from MHS, received $3,000 from MassDevelopment, the sponsoring organization behind the AMP it up! Challenge. The money won by the students will be reinvested into the program by adding and upgrading equipment. This is the second time is three years that MHS has placed in the competition.

Juniors Kyle Nolan, Dan Maffie, Alex Gillis and Ross Carroll featured Southbridge SJC Drums, a manufacturer of custom percussion instruments, under the guidance of MHS Video Production teacher Anthony DiBenedetto. Over February vacation, the group went on site to complete interviews, film b-roll and conduct research for their project. They then spent two weeks editing the video before submitting it to the competition.

“Melrose High School and MHS-TV are extremely excited to have participated in the AMP it Up! Challenge,” DiBenedetto said. “The entire process is really interesting for the students and helps to build a variety of skills. It is always great when you can combine student interests and work with other members of our community, like businesses, to promote the awesome things we both are doing.”

To view MHS’ winning entry, click here.

About MassDevelopment:

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During the 2016 fiscal year, MassDevelopment financed or managed 352 projects generating investment of more than $4 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 8,200 jobs and build or rehabilitate about 4,200 residential units.

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