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A weekly look at an issue in the Wakefield Public School system.Superintendent Joan Landers announced at Wednesday’s School Committee meeting that Marie McNamee will become the new principal of the Woodville Elementary School this fall. McNamee has spent the last seven years serving as the assistant principal at both the Rita Edwards Miller School and the Norman E. Day School, both elementary schools in Westford. She has spent the last 11 years overall working in an administrative position, and prior to that she spent 13 years as an elementary school teacher in Lowell. “She’s a seasoned educational leader who will bring a wealth of experience to the …
Superintendent Joan Landers announced that three viable candidates have been found in the search for the new Woodville Elementary School principal. Brian Middleton-Cox, who has held the position since 2008, accepted an offer for principal of the Cole School in Boxford, MA back in March. He ends his role as principal in Wakefield on June 30, 2011. “In the past week and a half we’ve received many applications, I reviewed them with the search committee chairs and were able to screen, in the last two days, applicants to put forward to the search committee,” Landers said. “I’m very pleased to …
It's against school policy to disclose which students are attending which college, but here's a list of the 75 colleges to which Wakefield Memorial High School students have been accepted so far: Art Institute of Boston Assumption College Babson College Bay State College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Bryant University Coastal Carolina University Colby-Sawyer College Columbia College University of Connecticut Dartmouth College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fisher College Fitchburg State University Florida Southern College Hampshire College University of Hartford …
Wakefield Memorial High School's 164th Commencement Ceremony was held on June 4, 2011.
The following is a compilation of all the student speeches at Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 Commencement Ceremony, which was held on June 4 at the Charbonneau Field House. Welcome, Christopher Gerndt, Class President Class Essayist Address, Elizabeth Barr Class Salutatory Address, Victoria Lee Class Valedictory Address, James Palano Passing of the Key, Stephanie Rizzo, Vice President Presentation of the Class Banner, Alyssa Chankhour, Secretary, and Nathanial Marshall, Artist Click here for a full photo gallery of the graduation ceremony.
[The following is the text of the speech given by Class of 2011 Vice President Stephanie Rizzo for the Passing of the Key at Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 Graduation ceremony held on June 4, 2011.]Passing of the KeyOnce again, welcome everyone, and thank you for coming today to share in what will be one of the greatest moments in our lives so far. As the vice president of our class, I am here today to carry on a tradition by handing this symbolic key down to the class of 2012. With this key we will pass on our legacy as well as all of the important lessons that we have …
[The following is the text of the speech given by Class of 2011 Essayist Elizabeth Barr at Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 Graduation ceremony held on June 4, 2011.]Class Essayist SpeechGood Morning! I hope all of you and your families are enjoying this day that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Before I start, I have to ask you all a question: “If you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?” I have to be honest, I didn’t come up with this query; a little-known rapper named …
[The following is the text of the speech given by Class of 2011 Secretary Alyssa Chankhour for the Presentation of the Class Banner at Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 Graduation ceremony held on June 4, 2011.] Presentation of the Class BannerIt is now my distinct honor to present the class banner, designed and created by Nate Marshall. If you look over to the right, you will see banners from the past eleven classes. Each banner represents one year, leading up to our senior year, that we have been in school, each banner a step along our journey. In September of 1998, we attended…
[The following is the text of the speech given by Class of 2011 President Christopher Gerndt at Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 Graduation ceremony held on June 4, 2011.] Welcome SpeechGood morning. We are gathered here today to celebrate and validate the graduation of the Class of 2011. I am Chris Gerndt, class president, and I am honored to have the opportunity to speak today. High school has been an unforgettable journey that has prepared us for the future, whatever it may hold. To start, I would like to thank all of those who have helped us get to this point and have …
The following is the text of the speech given by Wakefield Memorial High School's Class of 2011 valedictorian James Palano at June 4th's graduation ceremony: Four years ago we sat in these very seats and Mr. O’Leary told us that time would fly. Three years ago we sat in these very seats and Mr. O’Leary told us that time would fly. Then two years ago we sat in these very seats and Mr. O’ Leary again told us that time would fly. And last year, we sat in these very seats and Mr. O’Leary once again told us that time would fly… whether it did or not: here we are today. Whether the time flew or …
Wakefield School Committee, Educational Meeting Agenda When: 7:00 p.m. May 24, 2011Where: WCAT StudioAttendees: School Committee, Clerk, Superintendent, SAC Members, Bus. Administrator
Since the Education Reform Act of 1993, the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) has been a significant driving factor in the schools of the Commonwealth. Standards detailed in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks provide the structure for curriculum and the MCAS tests become an influential force for instruction in the classroom. Just recently the tests have assumed even more significance as the state’s Commissioner of Education proposed a set of regulations that link student MCAS scores to teacher performance. The concern for many educators is that such an intensive …
The After School Enrichment Program has been in full swing this year at Wakefield Academy. There were a number of one-day programs in addition to the five 5-week sessions offered throughout the year. Our final session begins the week of May 9th. The Enrichment Programs were so popular that student enrollment numbers often exceeded the class size limit, sometimes necessitating additional offerings. The Arts & Crafts Programs are in demand with elementary students; students can create seasonal crafts, sand art pictures, puppets and much more in just one hour one day a week. Finally, how …
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as a member of the Wakefield School Committee for the past three years. During this time, we have seen tremendous successes by our students at all levels. Each of our four neighborhood elementary schools, our Galvin Middle School, and Wakefield Memorial High School provides students with opportunities to grow and develop into productive members of society. The teachers and parents who dedicate their time and effort to ensure each student progresses according to their personal capability are the unsung heroes who make this possible. The …
In the spring of 2009, Governor Deval Patrick and the Commissioner of Education, Mitchell Chester, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to support the development of K-12 standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The impetus for the creation of these standards came about from numerous reports that demonstrated an inequity in student testing across states. In order to address these inequalities stakeholders convened to begin the crucial work to remedy these discrepencies. At the time of …
I would like to take this opportunity to report on the many outstanding accomplishments throughout our extracurricular programs at Wakefield Memorial High School this past winter season. Our most recent notable event was the amazing season experienced by our varsity boys’ hockey team. Having been directly involved with Wakefield Athletics for over thirty years, this season’s tournament for our hockey team was unquestionably one of the most exciting seasons any team has had at Wakefield High School. Although the team fell short of securing the school’s first state hockey championship, this …
[Note: The following article was submitted by Beth Yando, principal of Dolbeare Elementary School.] The Wakefield schools are fortunate to have programs that benefit students. The Wakefield Adult Mentors is a program for elementary through high school students. This program was started by director Bob Eldridge in 2001 and has impacted many lives. Currently, Paul Simpson is the contact person for the elementary schools. He has been a great asset to the program. At the present time we have students at Dolbeare who work with a mentor. Adults in the Wakefield community volunteer their time to…
[The followng was submitted by Brian Middleton-Cox, M.M., M.Ed., principal of the Woodville School.] I recently watched the documentary film Race to Nowhere directed by Vicki H. Abeles. Within the film, the filmmakers illustrate the many demands that are placed upon our children in this century. For example, over the last 20 years, there have been many additional extracurricular activities, which in many cases, provide experiences for a well-rounded child. There are times, however, when we overtax and over schedule our children which causes stress for the children. Students that were …
[The following was submitted by the Office of the Superintendent.] For years we have known that the level of parent involvement in a child’s education is one of many factors directly linked to student achievement. Today parents are busy juggling work and raising a family and often feel guilty that they can’t be more involved in their child’s school, but there are many things even busy parents can do to support their child’s education. Creating an academically rich learning environment at home for students is one of the best ways parents can support high student achievement. Providing time …
[Note: The following was submitted by Wakefield High School Principal Dr. Kimberly Smith.] As our beautiful new theater at Wakefield Memorial High School opens to the public, the word perseverance lingers in my mind. I hit the dictionary tab on my computer this morning and contemplate its meaning: steady and continued action or belief over a long period of time despite difficulties or setbacks. Right, exactly. Since 1986 I have sat in the old WHS lecture hall watching the drama club stage remarkable performances that rival anything you could see on a professional level: Brighton Beach …
