Medway

Medway Families Attend Literacy Night at Burke Memorial Elementary School

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

For Immediate Release

Friday, Dec. 6, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway Families Attend Literacy Night at Burke Memorial Elementary School

MEDWAY — Principal Amanda Luizzi is pleased to announce that Francis J. Burke Memorial Elementary School faculty recently invited students and their families to an evening of family literacy fun.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, families attended multiple workshops as part of the school’s Family Literacy Night. More than 60 families registered for the event, with nearly 25 more dropping in that evening. 

The event, organized by fourth grade teacher Shannon Tonelli, is held annually at the school, with a fresh set of workshops offered this year.

“This event is always a hit with families, and it’s great to see our students and their parents come together to share in their love of reading,” Principal Luizzi said. “I’d like to thank everyone who participated, as well as the faculty members who helped run the workshops this year.”

The four workshops families could attend during the event included:

Memorial Moth Hour: Given the power of stories, families learned how to captivate, surprise and delight an audience with a true story from their lives. Participants used bravery, humor and honesty to tell powerful personal stories. 

Family Book Club: Participants shared their love of reading by discussing and launching a family book club, where adults and children could come together to create a habit of reading or continue a beloved routine. The school plans to come back together on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. to discuss future ideas and opinions. Participants signed up in advance to read one of the following books: “The Get Rich Quick Club” by Dan Gutman, “The Year of the Dog” by Grace Lin, and “Stories for Kids Who Dare to be Different” by Ben Brooks.

Readers Theater: Participants gathered in the school cafeteria where faculty and staff performed a set of readings. Faculty members mixed their love of stories with acting, bringing their favorite books to life. Participants learned tips and rehearsed scenes, and could also perform a scene from their favorite book in front of the audience.

Reading Aloud: A final workshop was a read aloud session featuring Assistant Principal John Kelley and Principal Luizzi reading from some of their favorite books.

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Medway High School Students Share Stories to Honor Local Veterans

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway High School Students Share Stories to Honor Local Veterans

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires and High School Principal Dr. John Murray are pleased to share that Medway High School students recently had the opportunity to learn about the lives and service of local military veterans and to share those stories with the community.

Students honored Veterans Day on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the fourth annual recognition event, held in collaboration with the Medway Council on Aging at the Friends of the Elders senior citizen center in Medway.

Medway High School social studies teacher Aubrie Rojee, Medway Council on Aging Director Courtney Riley and Council on Aging Outreach Coordinator Marcia Lombardo worked to organize the event. Rojee worked with the students on their presentations, while Riley and Lombardo assisted with the coordination of the veterans and production of the event.

As part of the event, students interviewed veterans about their lives and military service and wrote a summary to present at the event. Eight students volunteered to be a part of the event and spent several weeks interviewing, writing and practicing their presentations.

“We’re very proud of these students for the time and effort they put into these projects to honor our veterans,” Dr. Murray said. “It’s wonderful for our students to hear about the many different acts of service and bravery these veterans shared, and we thank these six veterans for giving their time to participate and being willing to share their stories with our students.”

Junior Molly Britton shared the story of Joe Javorski, an Army veteran who grew up in Enfield, Connecticut. Javorski attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1968. He attended several schools for military training to be trained in specific areas of combat, including Airborne School, Pathfinder School, Jumpmaster School and Ranger School. During his service, Javorski completed an estimated 65 jumps from aircraft and earned the title Master Jumper. Javorski served in active duty in Germany as a member of the 509th Airborne before deploying to Vietnam where he was an combat and tactics advisor to the 34th Vietnamese Ranger Battalion. After moving several times throughout the U.S., Javorski, his wife and his children moved back to Massachusetts where he retired from the military and taught ROTC at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Juniors Elizabeth Downing and Sophie Boucher shared the story of Michael Gulla, a Marine veteran originally from Sherborn. As a member of the Navy Reserves, Gulla was called to active duty by the Marine Corps on Sept. 11, 2001. Gulla deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq as a corpsman before leaving the Navy as a petty officer second class, then joining the Coast Guard in 2005. Gulla deployed to Iraq with the Coast Guard in 2009 to train Iraqi forces in maritime law enforcement. For his service, Gulla was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with valor. He is now a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves.

Juniors Lillian Woodard and Alaina Zambrowski shared the story of Anthony Manbucca from Milford, who began his service in the National Guard. In January 1954, Manbucca volunteered for the draft and began training at Fort Benning, Georgia, also completing training as a radio operator in Morse Code. Manbucca then served in Korea where he went on boating missions as a radio operator to bring CIA operatives to and from North Korea. After leaving Korea, he trained as a helicopter pilot before leaving the military and attending night school at Northeastern University to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering. Between active and reserve duty, Manbucca spent 13 years in the military.

Juniors Sreendhi Ravipati and Rena Weafer shared the story of Tim Pozsgai who served for 35 years. He grew up in Trenton, Michigan and enlisted as an electrician. Pozsgai spent four years on active duty in the Navy, deploying to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. When his enlistment was up, Pozsgai decided not to re-enlist and attended Michigan Technological University where he earned a degree in electrical engineering, supported by the G.I. Bill. Pozsgai then joined and was a member of the Navy Reserves for 30 years. He was awarded seven medals for his service, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal and National Defense Medal.

Junior Maisie Donohue shared the stories of Elizabeth and Gary Estler. Elizabeth was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and Gary was raised in Queens, New York. Elizabeth enlisted in the Army in 1975 and was a member of the last Women’s Army Corps Direct Commission Class. Elizabeth served in many U.S. states as well as Panama. She later went to Germany and worked with classified military intelligence. She spent 13 years in active service and an additional seven in the inactive reserves, and received an Army Commendation Medal for her service. She ended her service in the Army at the rank of major.

Gary began in the Army ROTC and was commissioned in 1969 as a second lieutenant. He served in the signal corps branch and later attended airborne school and ranger school. He served in Germany and Vietnam, as well as several stations in the U.S. He later served in Panama where he met Elizabeth. He served in the Army for 20 years, ending his service at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Gary received six meritorious service medals and a Bronze Star for his service.

Each veteran shared memories of their service and advice with the students. Every student team ended their presentation with a word of thanks and appreciation for the veterans’ service.

The community was also invited to attend the event to hear the students’ presentations, which were followed by a small reception.

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Medway Students Participate in Team Rival Peer Leadership Conference

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway Students Participate in Team Rival Peer Leadership Conference

MEDWAY — Principal John Murray is pleased to announce that Medway High School Peer Leaders, Unity Club members and Class Officers recently attended the Team Rival Peer Leadership Conference at Gillette Stadium, in conjunction with Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey. 

The event, held Wednesday, Nov. 20, serves as the kick off for Morrissey’s annual year-long Team Rival challenge to promote healthy choices and supportive, strong schools across Norfolk County.

The Team Rival challenge pits high schools in Norfolk County against each other in a friendly competition that involves a number of constructive events and functions that revolve around building a school culture of making healthy choices.

Medway High School is joined by 30 other high schools in this year’s competition. They are in a bracket with two nearby schools, Millis High School and Bellingham High School.

As part of the conference, the Haley Cremer “Do Unto Others” Award was presented to MHS senior Peyton Redfield, who received the award for her outstanding community service work compiling care packages for the U.S. Navy, volunteering at Milford Regional Hospital and her role as a Peer Counselor.

The award was established in loving memory of Haley Cremer, an outgoing, enthusiastic and compassionate young woman who died tragically on Father’s Day, June 15, 2014 due to a reckless driver. She is remembered by all who knew her as someone who cared deeply for others.

The Haley Cremer “Do Unto Others” Award is given to an individual that demonstrates passion and dedication toward school, helping others and improving the lives of those around them. The award was presented to Redfield by District Attorney Morrissey and Haley Cremer’s parents.

“We are proud of the hard work displayed by all of the students taking part in the Team Rival competition,” Principal Murray said. “They were chosen because they each have a track record of positive decision-making and contributing to the overall health of our school culture.”

Remaining Events:

In addition to the Nov. 20 Peer Leadership Conference, three components to this year’s Team Rival competition remain:

Distractology: Sponsored by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology will teach students about the science of distracted driving and tools to become safer drivers by learning to avoid and ignore distractions on the road. Students will complete an online training course as part of the activity. 

smokeSCREEN: An interactive online game that teaches students how to gain knowledge and build healthy decision-making skills surrounding tobacco use. The game is sponsored by the play2PREVENT Lab at the Yale Center for Health & Learning Games, with support from the CVS Health Foundation.

Adventures in Respect: Each school will select five students to participate in an end-of-the-year outdoor activity at the Bernon Family Branch of the Hockomock Area YMCA in Franklin. The day will consist of a variety of educational activities and workshops. The event will be split into two days, with Medway’s date set for April 30, 2020.

At the conclusion of the remaining events, schools will be scored based on overall participation in each of the four events. A winning school will then be crowned.

Visit the Team Rival website for updated standings and for more information on the competition.

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New Vending Machine Offering Healthy Food and Beverage Options Now Available at Medway High School

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

New Vending Machine Offering Healthy Food and Beverage Options Now Available at Medway High School

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that Medway High School students now have more healthy snack and meal options at the school, thanks to a new vending machine that has been operational this year.

“The goal of the vending machine is to provide healthy options for students throughout the day, particularly before and after school,” said Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness for the Medway Public Schools. “It will help to fill a gap that hasn’t been met up until now outside of the lunch period.”

To use the machine, students will only need to enter their school ID number and the funds will be deducted from their school lunch account. Anything dispensed from the machines will also meet USDA guidelines for reimbursable meals, meaning students on a free- or reduced-lunch program will be able to purchase the food at a reduced rate.

The cost of items will be comparable to what is offered during regular school lunch hours.

Sherman said he expects the machine to be used as a grab-and-go option for busy students.

“So many students play sports, do drama or participate in other clubs,” Sherman said. “If a student has an early lunch, they might not be able to have a meal until dinner time. This way they can grab a healthy snack or light meal after school or on the way to a game.”

The machines will also provide healthy choices for students in the mornings.

“The only nearby breakfast options in the area are Dunkin’ Donuts or Cumberland Farms,” Sherman said. “We see a lot of students bringing in food from those types of places in the mornings, and we’d love to see them use this machine as an alternative.”

Director of Dining Services Shawn Fallon said food options will include a variety of sandwiches, salads and other protein-rich meals, as well as fresh fruit and beverages. But the selections will vary based on student preferences.

“Ultimately this machine belongs to the students, so we want them to have a say in what gets stocked,” Fallon said. “If there are items they don’t particularly like, or things they might want to add, we can swap items in and out as the year goes on.”

The purchase of the machine was paid for through the Medway Public Schools Food Services Department. The food will be made fresh and stocked daily, and provided by the district’s full-time food service provider, Chartwells Dining Services.

Sherman said he hopes to see staff at the school take advantage of the machine as well.

“Usually if students are in the building before or after school that means staff members are there as well,” Sherman said. “This will be a great way for them to also have healthy food options available.”

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