Superintendent's Newsletter - Back to School Edition
WPSD Welcomes Mrs. Mary Jane Rickson as New Principal at Murdock High
At their meeting on Wednesday, August 24, the Winchendon School Committee welcomed Mrs. Mary Jane Rickson, new Principal of Murdock High School.
With 32 years of experience in public education, Mrs. Rickson most recently served as Superintendent of the North Brookfield Public School district, one of the smallest districts in the region (with an elementary and a Junior-Senior High School, it is not regionalized and the town has a population of roughly 4,750 people). Prior to that one-year term, Mrs. Rickson was Director of Career Technical Programs at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton, MA, Interim Superintendent of Schools for the Maynard (MA) Public School District, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Athol Royalston Regional School District and Assistant Superintendent for Pathfinder Regional in Palmer MA. Her experience with school districts and communities very similar to Winchendon is unusually extensive.
School Committee Chair Ryan Forsythe asked Mrs. Rickson what her "entry plan" was to start off the new school year.
"I am interested in really taking a look at the culture and the climate, and one of the things I'm focusing on this year, a couple of things, my main focus would be teaching and learning and instruction," Mrs. Rickson said. "I'm going to really spend a lot of energy to work with the teachers to make sure that what's happening in the classroom is robust, and a lot of active discourse and conversations and making sure that the teachers are facilitating the conversations. We need to have a classroom where the kids aren't just regurgitating information. We want them to be critical thinkers and really take a look at what's happening...we really need to create a culture of respect and responsibility."
She sees a teacher as "a champion for the students," she said. Building relationships between the administration and the teachers and between the teachers and the students, making it go both ways, is her goal. "I think if we can create that culture, an environment of trust, respect and really supporting each other, I think then the next step of looking at the curriculum and facilitating conversations and really help our students become more productive. It's about really taking the time to listen to what they have to say," she said. "So those are my two priorities, looking at relationships, and creating a culture and climate to ensure that teaching and learning is robust and and active."
Mrs. Rickford said that the school staff she'd met so far seemed very excited, and the staff was "small but mighty."
School Committee member Larry Murphy said of the staff, "the last two years they've gone through a lot of difficulties and challenges, yet they were impressive and understanding despite all the noise around them, they stayed focused on student learning. And it was just amazing to see that despite all the trials and tribulations around them, they were able to still continue to provide the very best they had to our students. So you do have good staff...and you have some veterans there that will help shepherd your way through your first year."
"Education is on the precipice of being revolutionized right now. So hopefully the last couple of years has really showed us that we can do a lot more," Mrs. Rickson said.
Mr. Murphy asked Mrs. Rickson what she thought educators had learned from the pandemic that they could now use, "down the line."
"I think just coming out of your comfort zone, it's okay to try new things and take risks," Mrs. Rickson responded. "And I think that's really important. I think, and we'll use me as an example. I don't like to do things differently. And let's try some new things. And it really, I think it makes us better as educators really taking the opportunity to try it. Just doing online stuff was new for a lot of teachers. So Zooming--now Zoom's the norm, not that we'd like to do that. But there's a new way to teach. So I think that there's going to be some some changes, especially for my grandchildren."
School Committee member Alicia Jordan said she was glad to see a woman in an administrative and leadership role. "And to be quite honest, what you just highlighted is heartwarming because it seems as though you are going to foster a community of trusted adults and that is absolutely what we need in any classroom...I don't think someone would provide the information in the specifics that you just did to this group if you didn't know what you were doing. So I have confidence that you are what the district needs."
Mount Wachusett Community College Adult Education Students Awarded 2022 First Literacy Scholarships
GARDNER, MA - August 19, 2022 - On August 18, 2022 five Mount Wachusett Community College Adult Education students were honored by First Literacy with scholarships.
First Literacy Scholarships are awarded in recognition of educational achievements and potential, community service, and perseverance in the face of hardship. This year, First Literacy awarded 30 scholarships to deserving individuals from community colleges across the Commonwealth. Students Juan Luna and Hajarah Nakalyango were honored as First Year Scholars, Yves Verneret, Bushrah Namirimu, and Lilian R Thimotti were honored as continuing scholars.
"These students are inspiring, consistently rising to the challenges of balancing work, family and school," noted MWCC President James Vander Hooven. "I have such admiration for these students and their achievements."
"These students are amazing," stated Kimberly Kayser, MWCC Adult Education Transition Coordinator. "We are so proud of all they have achieved and continue to achieve."
Nakalyango immigrated to the US from Uganda. As a single mother, she worked two jobs to support her son as she pursued her education. She became a Certified Nursing Assistant and is now taking classes in pursuit of a degree in nursing.
"At a certain point I thought I would have to give up on my dream to become a nurse," Nakalyango noted. "This program helped me to improve my English and become a CNA."
Luna, also an immigrant, faced medical issues, unemployment and financial hardships in his home country before coming to the US to seek a better quality of life.
"When I decided to immigrate to the United States of America, I knew that it would be a new challenge, although I did not know how difficult it would be to face a new language and a new culture," noted Luna. "I feel lucky that I began my educational process at Mount Wachusett Community College."
First Literacy reaches approximately 5,000 adult learners and 250 teachers in 150 programs across Massachusetts each year through program grants, free teacher workshops, and student scholarships. Since 1990, the First Literacy Scholarship Program has awarded over 500 scholarships to students in adult basic education or English language programs who are continuing their education. To learn more about First Literacy, visit their website at firstliteracy.org.