Winchendon Weekly News school newsletter - Wednesday, December 7

Photo courtesy of Martha MacEwen

Photo courtesy of Martha MacEwen

Memorial Elementary School Principal Chante Jillson decorates the newly planted school Christmas tree with second graders Mason Bisson and Levi Trombly. The tree was draped with blue lights to show school pride with "Murdock Blue" colors.

WPS December Staff Spotlight

Sally Huff
Support Staff Member of the Month

Sally has worked in WPS for 6 years and currently works as a Pre-K Para at Memorial School. She loves working with Pre-K students because she can be silly, creative, compassionate, and sometimes messy (her favorite!). She has learned that every child learns differently, and she enjoys the challenge of finding out what works for each individual student.

Molly Gilbo
Teacher of the Month

Molly is in her 12th year of teaching and is currently the ALL Program teacher at MMS. She loves being an educator because every day is different, and she enjoys seeing her students grow academically and socially. Molly takes the time to build strong, positive relationships with her students and truly invests in their lives.

Sizer Seniors walk away with Acceptances during On the Spot Day

The Sizer School Class of 2023 is starting to see college acceptances, and before you know it, they will be making their post-high school decisions!

On Thursday morning, Sizer School in Fitchburg held its first On The Spot Decision Day for seniors. Nearly half of the Class of 2023 took advantage of the opportunity and were rewarded with on the spot decisions from colleges they've been considering.

"On the Spot Days are supposed to be days of celebration. It is an opportunity for students to meet with representatives from colleges, have a formal interview, and receive admissions decisions to colleges of their interest," explained Jessica Burris, Sizer School's College & Career Access Counselor. "For some students, this can be like a light bulb going off in their head - helping them understand that they do have the ability to go to college."

On the Spot Decision Day 2022 took place December 8th at Sizer. Colleges in attendance included Worcester State University, Salem State University, Fitchburg State University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Mount Wachusett Community College.

The students that met with admissions representatives for the On-the-Spot day received acceptances, scholarships, and admissions advice.

"Sizer School prides itself on being able to give students the feeling that they are known personally and cared about deeply by teachers and staff," said Burris following Thursday's event.

"Most On-the-Spot Days I have experienced were bustling and busy, but this event was undisturbed and quiet. Due to the smaller size of our 2023 graduating class, our Sizer Seniors were able to have a relaxed and calm environment for their interviews," she said.

Burris added, "Students that received acceptances were excited, and I think it renewed their motivation to strive for a college pathway, and helped some students realize that the college pathway is 100 percent a possibility for them. I am very happy that I was able to bring this experience to our Seniors."

Sizer Senior Daevion Ramos of Fitchburg met with Brooke Bidga, the admissions representative for University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - he submitted his application before his interview, and Brooke was able to accept him into their university!

Senior Ethan Osgood of Fitchburg also met with Brooke from UMass Dartmouth, and received a very exciting acceptance for the Fall of 2023.

Senior Jaiden Killion of Templeton has many bright plans for her future - now including the Nursing Program at Salem State University! A competitive program, Jaiden was accepted On-the-Spot by Salem State admissions representative Mallory McFadden - a clear demonstration of all of her hard work throughout high school.

Senior Nathan Mekonen met with Alex Navarro, admissions representative and Director of Dual Enrollment at Fitchburg State University. Still deciding, Nathan likes how local Fitchburg State is, and the programs they can offer.

Aside from its partnerships for On the Spot Day, Sizer School partners with MWCC and FSU every year to provide advanced learning opportunities to high school students. These programs provide valuable experiences and in some cases, allow students to graduate with a year of college credits under their belts, completely free.

On October 21st, Sizer School hosted its 2nd Annual College & Career Fair. Over 30 colleges, agencies and post graduate program representatives met with students and spoke with them about their futures.

"Our College & Career Fairs spark excitement. Even if students don't leave saying, 'I know what I want to do', so many of them leave saying, 'I didn't know I could do that!' That's an empowered statement. And considering all of our high school students, 9-12 grade, were invited to our October event - the future-focused impact was huge," said Director of Communications & Recruitment Lindsay Alweiss.

Interested in joining Sizer School in the fall? Sizer is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year for students in grades 7, 8 and 9. Apply now, visit www.sizerschool.org.