Whittier

Whittier Softball Coach Cheryl Begin Celebrates 200th Win

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Whittier Tech
Maureen Lynch, Superintendent
115 Amesbury Line Road
Haverhill, MA 01830

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier Softball Coach Cheryl Begin Celebrates 200th Win

HAVERHILL — Whittier’s Varsity Softball Coach Cheryl Begin celebrated a momentous achievement this spring when she marked her 200th win, but for her, it was just another day on the field working with her girls.

Now in her 14th year coaching varsity softball, Begin started at Whittier in 1994 as a security monitor (she is now head of security and the student mediator for the school) and it didn’t take long for her to get involved with student athletics.

In 1996 she took on the first assistant coach position for softball, and over the years built the team to be one of the best in the league.

“My first two years, we were 5-15,” Begin recalled. “Now we’re 20-2, 18-2, 19-3. We changed from a team that was average to a team that’s great.  Students are very invested in the program. They come to practice every day ready to work and you can see their dedication to building on their skills and being the best they can be.”

For the last four years, the Whittier softball team has been the Commonwealth Athletic Conference champions, and over the last 12 years, they’ve made it to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.

Sophomore Alicia Habib, of Haverhill, joined the team as a starting shortstop and pitcher as a freshman. For her, it’s about the daily support she receives — whether she’s got a bat in hand or not —  that makes her a better player.

“When you’re on the field, she’ll push you to make you a better player. She knows you’re able to do it,” Habib said of Begin. “She gives me all the tools I need to succeed. She said, ‘use what you want and make it happen.'”

Begin is like a second mom to the 14 girls on the team. It’s not uncommon to walk into her office in the athletic department to find students hanging out, chatting about anything and everything. There’s a loving trust among them all that only further contributes to the success they maintain as a team.

One of those students is senior second baseman Kelleigh Greaney, of Groveland, who chose to come to Whittier to follow her dream of playing softball and to work with Begin specifically.

“She knew my potential and how great I could be,” Greaney said, noting that each year she’s worked with Begin she’s further earned her spot as a starter on the team. “She pushes us to do more than we think we can do. She’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. She’s become my family.”

In high school Begin was a three-sport athlete, playing field hockey, basketball and of course softball. She understands the adrenaline her girls feel at the start of each game, the excitement of a game won, or the disappointment of a match lost. But most of all, she gets the love of the game and the passion her students feel every time they step onto the field.

On April 11, Begin celebrated her 200th win in a game against Shawsheen Tech. Due to her selflessness, though, Begin wasn’t aware of the milestone until Athletic Director Kevin Bradley notified her of the achievement.

“Cheryl is like the Bill Belichick of the Whittier softball team,” Bradley said, who works  directly with Begin as the coach and assistant coach, respectively, of the girls basketball team. “Success is no surprise to me. It’s not just about what she does on the field, it’s about what she does off it too. A lot of the students call her mom because of her commitment and dedication and they bring that same passion to the game because they want to make mom proud.”

With the last games scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, the team stands at 11-2 (with 209 wins for Begin), but it’s not about the number of victories. It’s about the experience Begin is able to have with her team year after year.

“I’m proud of the program, I’m proud of the girls,” Begin said. “I think it’s that pride that makes me work hard at this. They push me to be better.”

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Whittier Teams Place First at Massachusetts Trowel Trades Competition 

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Whittier Tech
Maureen Lynch, Superintendent
115 Amesbury Line Road
Haverhill, MA 01830

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier Teams Place First at Massachusetts Trowel Trades Competition 

Students Showcase Skills in Masonry and Hardscaping 

HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that two Whittier teams finished in first place at today’s 20th annual Trowel Trades Competition.

Organized by the Massachusetts Trowel Trades Association, the competition tests students’ ability to complete masonry and hardscaping challenges in a set amount of time.

This year’s competition was held at Whittier, where approximately 90 students from seven area schools had three hours to complete individual brick and block challenges, or a hardscaping design in teams of three.

Masonry, also known as trowel trades, can be seen in office buildings, homes, schools, factories and municipal buildings. The work involves block and brick laying, tile setting, concrete finishing and stone setting.

“With everything becoming so automated, masonry and hardscaping is one of the last hands on trades,” Superintendent Lynch said. “It’s really a lost art form, so it’s great to be able to see students create some beautiful structures while interacting and learning from their peers. Everyone worked hard today and created some great pieces, so we’re extremely excited to have our students place first in both categories.”

Outside, hardscaping teams quickly got to work laying paving stones and building a retaining wall, using bricks and varying shades of gray stones to create their designs.

Throughout the competition, judges surveyed students’ work, giving it a thorough review before declaring winners at the three-hour mark.

One of Whittier’s team’s — senior Lauren Powers, of Haverhill, sophomore Brian Levesque, of Amesbury, and sophomore Asahya Hernandez, of Haverhill — placed first. The team worked well together, each checking the other’s work to ensure everything was level, properly laid out and aesthetically pleasing.

“I was dumbfounded when I heard our names,” Powers said. “It’s a great feeling of accomplishment. No one expects a girl to be good in this trade, but we proved them wrong.”

“I was shocked, but at the same time, not shocked,” added Hernandez, who participated in the competition for the first time this year. “We made sure everything was perfect, so I had a good feeling.”

Inside one of Whittier’s bays, sophomores, juniors and seniors competed against students in their grades in traditional masonry projects, building brick and cement block walls.

Sophomore Lily Fox, of Amesbury, took first place in her grade level, despite not completely finishing the brick wall. Judges focused not on if a project was completed, but on the technique and appearance of students’ work.

“The kid next to me was wicked good and I didn’t think I was going to win,” Fox recalled. “I was surprised. A lot of people didn’t want me to pick masonry for my area of study, so I’m glad I’m doing my parents proud.”

Freshman Jordan Gouthier, of Bradford, and seniors Jonathan Caron and Christopher McNulty, both of Haverhill, earned fourth place in the brick and block challenge.

Other Whittier competitors included sophomores Matthew Livingood, of Haverhill, and Noah Foley, of Newburyport; juniors Edward Fernandez, of Haverhill, Xavier Valdivieso, of Haverhill, and Matthew Nunez, of Haverhill; and seniors Griffin Rogers, of Haverhill, and Shannon Loh, of Haverhill.

Students who placed first, second and third earned masonry tools donated by schools and industry partners. Every student, however, regardless of how they did in the competition, was able to take home a tool that they could use in their future work.

Other participating schools included Essex Tech, Greater Lowell Tech, Greater Lawrence Tech, Shawsheen Valley Tech, Bay Path Regional Tech and Montachusett Tech.

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Whittier Students Learn Budgeting Skills During Credit for Life Fair

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Whittier Tech
Maureen Lynch, Superintendent
115 Amesbury Line Road
Haverhill, MA 01830

For Immediate Release

Friday, May 3, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier Students Learn Budgeting Skills During Credit for Life Fair

HAVERHILL — Whittier seniors got a peek into the financial realities of life after graduation as they made their way around a Credit for Life fair this morning.

The event was designed to give students an idea of the financial responsibilities — obtaining a job, finding a place to live, buying groceries, saving for retirement and handling unexpected expenses — they will face when they leave Whittier.

Whittier first piloted the fair last year to service cluster seniors, and based on that success, expanded the event to the entire senior class. Each student received a monthly allotment of approximately $3,400 and were randomly given a credit score, which dictated what they could and could not afford.

“Seventy percent of adults are financially illiterate and we save negative one percent of our income,” said Business and Marketing teacher Linda Sarno, who organized the event with Hospitality teacher Cathie Baines. “I hope that after this event students realize how important it is to do a monthly budget and to be putting money into a savings account. The more they learn, the more they can earn.”

At one station, students spun the “reality check” wheel, which featured unexpected circumstances in life that needed to be factored into how they budgeted for expenses. Students had to account for things like a stolen credit card fee, a car repair and a medical bill. School Resource Officer Jamie Landry also made his way around the fair, handing out speeding tickets to further complicate students’ budgets.

Once they visited all the booths, students met with credit counselors — volunteers from TD Bank, Enterprise Bank, Webster Bank and Haverhill Bank — who helped them calculate their monthly spending to see if they were under, at or over their budget. If over, students had to figure out which areas of their life they’d have to scale back.

Senior carpentry student Kaitlyn Macduff, of Haverhill, received a credit score of 600, but was still able to plan appropriately and afford what she needed, having learned a lot about budgeting in her financial literacy course. She ended up with just over $130 left at the end of month, which she planned to put into savings (something she practices in her real life as well). She left feeling more prepared about what she’ll be responsible for once she finishes school.

“Right now I don’t pay for my house, I don’t pay for my phone bill or groceries,” Macduff said. “A lot of that is a reality check. It’s helpful because when I get to college or after I graduate, I’m going to have to start paying for this stuff.”

CAD Drafting senior Parker Breen, of Ipswich, received a good credit score — 720 — and chose to budget modestly throughout all aspects of his life (besides insurance, where he splurged), realizing if he chose more expensive options, he might end up in debt. Instead, he came out with $300 he could put into his savings account.

“If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have known the big picture,” Breen said. “It’s very beneficial. Money doesn’t grow on trees. You need to earn money and depending on how much money you have and your credit score, you have a bright future ahead of you.”

The event was made possible by grants from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Kiwanis. To conclude the event, students took a survey from the Commonwealth, to provide feedback on their experience.

Superintendent Maureen Lynch would like to thank Sarno and Baines for once again organizing the event and all the volunteers who contributed to the success of the activity.

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Whittier’s Roxann Grover Named Semifinalist for DESE’s Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Award

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Whittier Tech
Maureen Lynch, Superintendent
115 Amesbury Line Road
Haverhill, MA 01830

For Immediate Release

Monday, April 15, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier’s Roxann Grover Named Semifinalist for DESE’s Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Award

Whittier Physical Education and Health Teacher Roxann Grover was named a semifinalist for DESE’s Massachusetts Teacher of the Year award. (Courtesy Photo Whittier)

HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education named Whittier Physical Education and Health Teacher Roxann Grover a semifinalist for its Massachusetts Teacher of the Year award.

Each year, the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year program honors an educator who exemplifies excellent teaching in the Commonwealth. The program also looks at the work involved in educating all students through highlighting student achievement, commitment to the profession, innovations in education and teacher leadership.

Grover will be honored with other semifinalists and finalists at a banquet at the State House on June 20.

“It was such an honor to be nominated and then selected to the semifinalist round,” Grover said. “It validates the profession of health and physical education and the things we do as teachers everyday to make sure students understand that their well-being is the most important thing in their lives.”

Whittier’s Curriculum Coordinator Kelly Fay nominated Grover earlier this year, highlighting her dedication to students and wellness education for the last 40 years. She’s helped parents recognize the signs their children might be using drugs or alcohol through “Hidden in Plain Sight” events, organized walks for hunger to raise money for Project Bread and led food drives throughout the community to benefit Haverhill’s local food pantry, Our Neighbors Table.

Grover has also organized bullying prevention activities and walks to raise awareness for domestic violence, with proceeds going to a local women’s shelter. She even helped organize a Whittier Relay for Life team, where over a two-day period, students came together to remember their loved ones who lost the battle to cancer, honor survivors and raise money to help the Haverhill community.

Through her physical education and health classes, Grover educates the entire Whittier community on the value of activity, health, nutrition, recreation, teamwork, sportsmanship and social interaction. She also serves as a mentor for students, teachers and staff throughout the building, as well as in the community.

“Roxann is uncompromising in her quest for quality educational opportunities for the whole student and she never loses sight of her students and their needs,” Fay wrote. “Roxann is a true team player and she is a valued member of our school community, the Haverhill community and the entire Merrimack Valley overall with her combination of intelligence, commitment, perseverance, creativity and compassion for everyone she encounters.”

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