Kindergarten Registration Is Still Open - Don't Forget to Register Your Kindergartner!

If you have a child that will be eligible for the 2022-2023 Kindergarten school year, you will need to fill out the registration forms that can be found on our website at www.winchendonk12.org/o/mes. They are located under the Menu dropdown, Kindergarten Registration. You can download and fill in the forms. Hard copies are also available at Memorial School. Once completed, you will need to return them to Memorial School along with the items listed below. You can do this any number of ways:

1. Fax: 978-297-3944
2. Email: mmacewen@winchendonk12.org
3. Mail: Memorial School, 32 Elmwood Road, Winchendon, MA 01475
4. Drop off: In person between the hours of 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

No child will be admitted to Kindergarten without having met the eligibility requirements listed below.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. If your child is five (5) years of age by August 31 of the forthcoming year, he/she is eligible.
2. BIRTH CERTIFICATE- Original must be brought with you.
3. PROOF OF RESIDENCY - Current utility bill, or copy of lease.
4. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION INCLUDING VISION AND HEARING SCREENING BY YOUR PHYSICIAN MUST BE DATED AFTER AUGUST 31, 2022.
5. IMMUNIZATIONS - VERIFICATION WILL NEED TO BE PROVIDED BY THE END OF AUGUST. This must include lead screen results. Read or download complete immunization requirements (PDF)

Each child MUST have a physical examination completed by your physician. A signed printout from your child's doctor's office listing all the required information is also acceptable. Students cannot start school without a completed physical. We recommend calling your physician today to schedule an appointment as it sometimes takes several months to get one.

All completed immunization/examination forms need to be in the School Nurse's Office by Friday, August 26th before your child will be permitted to start school. These forms can be faxed by your doctor to the school at 978-297-3944.

There will be a Parent Orientation on Wednesday, May 18 from 6-7 at Memorial School. More information will be provided. A Kindergarten Screening will be conducted, as required by State and Federal school laws. Screenings will be Wednesday, June 1, Thursday, June 2, and Friday, June 3. You will be contacted as these dates get closer to schedule an appointment.

We share the excitement of your child entering Kindergarten and look forward to both of you being a part of the Memorial School family. Please feel free to call the school at (978) 297-1305, with any questions or concerns you may have.

Winchendon's Kathleen Dwyer Among Those Honored by MWCC as All-State Academic Team Members

GARDNER, MA - May 2, 2022 - The Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) held its annual All-State Academic Team Recognition Ceremony on Friday, April 29, 2022 to honor forty-one Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society students from across the Commonwealth.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the international honor society of two-year colleges. PTK has recognized and encouraged scholarship among community college students for 100 years while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. Students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa.

Senator Anne Gobi and Representative David Roberts, Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, welcomed students and congratulated students for their hard work and dedication.

"Each of you have not just achieved, you have excelled," Senator Gobi told honorees. "You are the heart and soul of our community colleges. Thank you for everything you do to make our colleges so much stronger."

"You are here because you have made the absolute most of your community college experience. You are not being transactional with your college experience; you seek to have a more transformational experience. In short you are "extra", PTK President and CEO, Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner told students. "You have found value in learning; you know that the skills and abilities you are gaining will help you in life. Ask yourself what makes you "extra", hold onto it and draw from it for the rest of your life."

"Congratulations to our honorees and also to our advisors," MWCC President James Vander Hooven commented as he introduced the MWCC honorees. "I know this is a rewarding experience for them as well, so congratulations to our PTK advisors Tami Morin and Fagan Forhan."

Mount Wachusett Community College honorees are Kathleen Dwyer, Karissa Popieniuck, and Samina Mian.

Kathleen Dwyer of Winchendon, MA, is a full-time student in the Interdisciplinary Studies, Allied Health program, working on pre-requisite courses needed for the LPN to RN bridge program. Following high school, Dwyer began working full time as a certified nurse's aide, putting off applying to colleges for several years before pursing her LPN. In addition to her studies, Dwyer is a full-time LPN, often working up to 50 hours a week while attending school. As a first-generation college student, Dwyer highly credits the Trio Rx program with helping to guide her through the college process, providing support and assistance.

Karissa Popieniuck of Douglas, MA, is a full-time student, President of the Phi Delta chapter of PTK. Popieniuck earned her GED after dropping out of high school to help support her mother. As a mother of four, she enrolled in college to both earn a degree to support her family, but also as an example for her children. Upon her graduation with her associates from MWCC, she will be transferring to Fitchburg State University to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. She is an strong advocate of patient rights as they navigate pregnancy and birthing decisions, and hopes to be a strong partner for women in her future practice.

"To say that I am honored by this nomination is an understatement and does not even begin to describe how I feel in this moment. I am very proud, and it feels amazing to have my hard work recognized in this way," Popieniuck commented.

Samina Mian is working to complete her associate degree in Natural Resources at Mount Wachusett Community College and will transition to a bachelor's degree program in Sustainable Food and Farming at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in Fall 2022.

At MWCC, she is a member of the Green Society and volunteers weekly at the college's outdoor greenhouse. It is her professional and personal goal to use the skills she develops through studying natural resources and the agricultural-related fields to develop strategies to educate consumers of all ages about the importance of developing life-long, positive eating habits.

"I greatly appreciate the resources that MWCC offers its students to help them to succeed and I am especially grateful for the supporting staff who enable us to reach our academic and career goals," Mian noted upon receipt of the nomination.

Mount Wachusett Community College Hosts Virtual Conference to Help Student Parents

GARDNER, MA - April 29, 2022 - Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), in collaboration with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), hosted a 'Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Virtual Student Parent Conference' on Friday, April 22. This full-day event incorporated voices of leadership and student-parents sharing the stories of their educational journeys.

Student-parents are now one of the fastest growing college populations, yet balancing family and school can be a challenge for many. CCAMPIS leaders at MWCC and NOVA created the conference to share insights and enable student-parents to gain skills on navigating their own educational journey, while connecting and supporting peers.

The CCAMPIS program is funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand services that alleviate financial burdens for college students who are also parents of young children. By assisting student-parents with childcare subsidies and wrap-around supports, the grant program allows them to focus on their studies, completing their educational goals and graduating. These grants also help with after-school services and childcare needs of the students served by the college.

"Through the CCAMPIS grant, we are able to support our hard-working student-parents," said Ann Reynolds, MWCC CCAMPIS director "Providing resources for our student-parents supports them and future generations of students to come."

"I want to thank our partners at NOVA and our own CCAMPIS director, Ann Reynolds, for putting this day together and for the work you do every day," noted MWCC President James Vander Hooven during his introductory address. "It is wonderful to know that our institutions are models for this work across the country."

"Community colleges across the nation are seeing higher numbers of pregnant and parenting students attend their institutions," said Diana Yacob, project director of the CCAMPIS Childcare Access Grant at NOVA. "Studies show that when we offer support to student-parents and acknowledge their tenacity and accomplishments in their educational pursuits, they are more likely to succeed."

Speakers included Jessica Lee, Senior Staff Attorney for the Center for Work Life Law, Melanie Rivera, CEO of Breaker28, Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and CEO of Generation Hope and author of "Pregnant Girl", and Crystal L. Bailey, director of the Etiquette Institute of Washington.

MWCC parenting students Nichole Camelo, Nicole Leeper, Jacqueline Bussiere, and graduate Kateri Stuart joined NOVA students Mindy Lu, Akim Evans, and Nathalie Baguma Samba for a panel discussion about their own academic journeys and the benefits of their participation in the CCAMPIS program.

For more information about the CCAMPIS program at Mount Wachusett Community College, please visit mwcc.edu/current-students/student-parent-support/ For questions regarding the CCAMPIS programming, please contact Ann Reynolds, CCAMPIS Childcare Access Grant Advisor at areynolds1@mwcc.mass.edu.