novel

Newport Police Officer Joshua Lillis and K-9 Ozzy Make Appearance as Characters in Crime Novel

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Newport Police Department
Chief Seth C. DiSanto
222 Main St.
Newport VT 05855

newport-vt-patchFor Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

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

Newport Police Officer Joshua Lillis and K-9 Ozzy Make Appearance as Characters in Crime Novel

K-9 Ozzy makes an appearance as a character in “The Obsession,” a fiction crime novel published this spring by international author Carol Kravetz. (Courtesy Photo Newport Police)

NEWPORT, Vermont — Officer Joshua Lillis and K-9 Ozzy may be familiar faces among Newport locals, but the duo also made their debut as characters in a crime novel published earlier this spring.

Officer Lillis and K-9 Ozzy, a Belgian Malinois, appear as characters in “The Obsession,” a fictional crime story written by Carol Kravetz, an internationally published author. The novel is the fourth installment in Kravetz’s Bathville Books series.

As she was researching K-9 tracking for her book, Kravetz contacted Officer Lillis to learn more. Officer Lillis taught Kravetz all about the process of tracking with the help of a police dog, and the work he and K-9 Ozzy are trained to do to locate victims and suspects.

“This was a unique, fun opportunity to explain what K-9 Ozzy and I do when we work together, and to help Carol realistically portray what K-9 tracking actually looks like in her novel,” Officer Lillis said. “Hopefully, when people read the book, they’ll understand a little more about K-9 tracking, all while enjoying the narrative Carol created.”

In addition to including Officer Lillis and K-9 Ozzy as characters, the novel is set in the Newport, Vermont area.

“When I started communicating with Officer Lillis, outlining what I needed, he responded promptly with photos of Ozzy and advising he would love to help,” Kravetz said. “He answered a lot of questions and explained patiently and willingly the intricacies involved with tracking a victim or suspect, right down to getting a scent, to locating the person and how Ozzy will work tirelessly until told to stand down. He taught me a lot by showing me how important a K-9 team is and I can’t thank him enough for taking the time to help me bring that part of my story alive.”

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Rogers Middle School Students in Rockland Learn About the Power of Kindness After Showing of the Movie ‘Wonder’

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Rockland Public Schools
Superintendent Dr. Alan Cron
34 MacKinlay Way,
Rockland, MA 02370

For Immediate Release

Monday, Dec. 4, 2017

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

Rogers Middle School Students Learn About the Power of Kindness After Showing of the Movie ‘Wonder’

ROCKLAND — Fifth grade students at Rogers Middle School know that when it comes to kindness, even the smallest act can make a difference in someone’s day.

On Nov. 22, 160 students attended a private showing of the movie, “Wonder.” The film follows the story of August “Auggie” Pullman, a fifth grade boy with Treacher Collins syndrome — a genetic disorder that prevents bones and tissue in the face from fully developing. The story weaves through multiple perspectives, taking viewers along Pullman’s journey as he explores the bonds of friendship, learns the power of acceptance and forgiveness, and finds the courage within to live the life he’s always wanted.

Students first read the novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio, on which the movie is based, during reading class with teacher Jean Page. While discussing the material, students learned about themes and point of view, and Page shared a monthly precept with her students that correlated with the book.

To conclude the unit, students and fifth grade teachers wrote their words to live by, which were accompanied by a corresponding illustration. The drawings are now hung throughout the third floor of Rogers Middle School to inspire and remind the community to always choose kindness.

“This unit was great for students because of how applicable the main character’s story is to their real lives,” Page said. “Being able to read R.J. Palacio’s novel and then see the adaptation on screen really brought what students learned about in the classroom in terms of point of view, themes and life lessons full circle.”

Fifth grade student precepts included:

Adam Stewart
Precept: Kindness brings rewards to others
Explanation: “If you are kind to someone, it is like giving them a free gift and you are also giving yourself a gift because it makes you feel good”.

Jocelyn Thibeau
Precept: Choose kindness
Explanation: “If you choose to be kind you can make someone’s day and change the world in a positive way.”

Katie McPartlin
Precept: Kindness is the key to life
Explanation: “Kindness will help you and others feel positive, which will allow you to move ahead in life.”

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Gallery: Northeast Metro Tech Students Win Whale Watch Excursion as Part of Summer Reading Project

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Northeast Metro Tech
Superintendent David DiBarri
100 Hemlock Road
Wakefield, MA 01880

For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 20, 2017

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

Northeast Metro Tech Students Win Whale Watch Excursion as Part of Summer Reading Project

Students Engaged in Discussion, Friendly Competition around “In The Heart Of The Sea” Novel

WAKEFIELD — Principal Carla Scuzzarella is pleased to announce that 70 students at Northeast Metro Tech attended a whale watch this week for their work on the school’s summer reading project.

Prior to starting the 2017-18 school year, all students and staff read “In The Heart Of The Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,” by Nathaniel Philbrick. The book tells the story of the Essex, a whaleship from Nantucket that sank after a sperm whale attacked it in 1820, and was the inspiration for the legendary Herman Melville novel, “Moby Dick.”

On the first day of school, students gathered in small groups and engaged in an hour-long discussion with peers, shop instructors and academic teachers about the novel.

Following the discussion, each shop and ninth grade homeroom had three weeks to create a project that illustrated an aspect of the book related to their area of study.

Ninth grade students, who have not yet chosen their shop, worked individually or in groups in their homeroom. Students then voted on the two best projects to represent their homeroom. To add incentive, the students with the top three projects (for sophomores through seniors) and freshmen would win a field trip related to the book.

This is the first year Northeast has implemented a school-wide reading project in an effort to excite students about literature and to make meaningful connections to their own lives. Additionally, with a basic understanding of the themes of the novel — like man versus nature — students could then use these concepts to develop their projects.

To coincide with students’ projects, all of Northeast Metro Tech watched the movie adaption of “In The Heart Of The Sea” on Sept. 25, which was released in 2015 and directed by Ron Howard.

Students completed their projects on Oct. 3. A panel of school faculty (nurses, members of the business office and administration assistants) then scored them using an established rubric. The winners were as follows:

First place — a Whale Watch trip that left from Gloucester on Oct. 19: Business Technology and ninth grade homeroom 209
Second place — a trip to the Nantucket Whaling Museum on Oct. 18: Robotics and ninth grade homeroom 125
Third place — a visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Oct. 25th: Tie between HVAC and Metal Fabrication and between ninth grade homerooms 200 and 204.

“Students did an outstanding job with these projects, going above and beyond what was required of them,” Principal Scuzzarella said. “The judges were beyond blown away by their creativity and dedication, so much so that we’re looking for places in our communities that we can display students’ work!”

Business Technology students took home the win for their detailed research, which judges felt showed a clear connection to present day. For their project, students compared the whaling industry with today’s oil corporations — illustrating the difference in job titles (from ship owners to CEOs) to income comparison (from a sailor/steward who makes about $14,000 a year, whereas a driller makes approximately $42,000 annually) and the similarities and disparities between job duties.

The winning ninth grade students created an ABC book, where each page started with a different letter, beginning with a word from “In the Heart of the Sea.” For example, “C” is for cannibalism, which the men in the book are said to have resorted to while on the high seas. The pages all have a corresponding explanation and picture.

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