Monfredo: Worcester Public Schools Open at the DCU
Saturday, August 31, 2019
PHOTO: John Monfredo
“WE ARE ONE” was the battle cry for the fourth year in a row as all staff members met at the DCU … Administrators, teachers, teacher assistance, secretaries, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, crossing guards, and all other departments came together as one group for the opening of school year.
Every school coming into the DCU was in high spirits as each school displayed their enthusiasm as they competed for the “Spirit Award.” Many handmade signs with educational themes were created, there were slogans within the crowd, staff in various costumes, and some schools even had their own mascot moving through the crowd at the DCU. At the end, the schools selected for top “Spirit” honors on the elementary level were Gates Lane and Tatnuck Magnet. On the secondary level, it was South High and Worcester East Middle.
Superintendent Binienda, the architect of this amazing event, opened the program by stating, “All 5000 of us are a team and today I get to be with my team. We’re making a statement to the community that we welcome every student back to the classroom and we are committed to their academic success.”
She spoke about the importance of all schools welcoming back their students and parents. She acknowledged, “It is important that each school make students, staff, families and community members feel welcome, valued and supported…I am asking all of you to commit to relationship building, establishing a culture of respect, encouragement and high expectations. For our work to change our students’ lives we must all agree to work collaboratively.”
She then went on to say, “We must teach in every instructional moment. We need to depend on each other and share responsibility for student learning. We have to all be committed to learning more and ensure that ALL our students learn more. One person’s commitment can change the course of a student’s life. Stories of the difference educators have made are woven into my experience and the experience of many of you. We join today to celebrate our commitment everyday to make a difference in the lives of ALL CHILDREN in the Worcester Public Schools.”
She went on to emphasize the importance of committing the district to reach students in need of assistance and students with high achievement. “We must work hard, reach deep, expand our skills, and refuse to accept excuses as reasons to not achieve. We need to provide support for our struggling students and opportunities for advanced learning for all our students. Today we demonstrate once again that we are one school system, one city coming together to provide the best education for ALL OUR CHILDREN. Look around- we are a mighty force!!”
Other speakers at the event including Mayor Joseph Petty, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Fire Chief Michael Lavoie, Health and Human Services Commissioner Dr. Matilde Castel and District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. Opening and closing remarks were done by School Safety Director Robert Pezzella.
The keynote speaker was Jaime Casap who is the Educational Evangelist at Google. As stated, he evangelizes the power and the potential of technology and the web as enabling and supporting tools in pursuit of inquiry – based learning models. Mr. Casap shared his experience and the importance of welcoming technology into the classroom. He spoke about how education disrupts poverty and how when he was growing up education was his way out of poverty. He urged the teachers in the audience to reach out to their students. He declared, “Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they group up but what problems do they want to solve. This changes the conversation from who do I want to work for to what do I need to learn to be able to do that.”
In addition, fifty-one schools selected a member of their team to receive the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award for work done above and beyond their job description. The Unsung Heroes award was also given to several staff members… Minerva Madera from the Durkin Administration Building for support services, Doreen McElroy Nutrition Manager at Doherty and Celeste Torres Nutrition Manager at North High, Judi Shamaly the School Safety Crossing Guard at Rice Square School, Stephen Cignetti the school bus driver, and Betty Santiago Barney the transportation Bus Monitor.
Also, Distinguished awards were handed out to Burncoat Elementary Schools Deborah Sharleville, for the instructional assistant of the year … Worcester Arts Magnet School’s Virginia Hanlow received the Secretary of the Year Award … the John F. Doherty award for School Shop Employee of the year award went to district-wide carpenter Michael Basset, the John Lapomardo award for custodian of the year went to John LeMay of Midland Street School and the School Nurse of the year award went to Nelson Place’s Maureen Burke. In addition, the Administration of the Year award went to former principal at Lincoln Elementary and now principal at Sullivan Middle School Shannon Conley. Also, the award for the Teacher of the Year went to Lauren Sargent, ESL teacher at the Dr. James A. Caradonio New Citizens Center.
It was a grand kick-off to the new school year and best wishes to all to a very successful year!
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