Winchendon Weekly News school newsletter - Wednesday, March 22

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MWCC Hosts National Weather Service Hydrologist Jason Elliott for Earth Day

GARDNER, MA - March 27, 2023 - Mount Wachusett Community College's Earth Day celebrations will include a presentation from Jason Elliott, Director, Hydrologist-in-Charge (Acting) at the National Weather Service (NSW) Northeast River Forecast Center.

The Northeast River Forecast Center, located in Norton, MA, creates, calibrates, and maintains forecast models and model forcings yielding hundreds of daily river forecasts in New England and much of New York, and provides decision support services to key hydrologic partners throughout the region.

As Service Coordination Hydrologist, Elliott coordinates with internal and external partners throughout the water and weather enterprise regarding flooding and water supply issues within the service area. Elliott also served as the Acting Hydrologist-in-Charge for portions of 2022 and 2023. Previously, Elliott was the Senior Service Hydrologist at the Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office for over a decade. Before that, Elliott served as a meteorologist at NWS offices in Huntsville, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Mobile, Alabama. Elliott holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in Meteorology from the University of South Alabama, and a Master of Education in Human Resource Education, specializing in Distance Learning, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Elliott's presentation "Reflections on Climate Change" will explore how the NSW utilizes data to measure the impacts of climate change. Elliott will also share the educational journey that led to a career with NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The "Reflections on Climate Change" event will be held on Earth Day, April 20, 2023, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm at the Gardner campus in room H171.

Annual High School Art Exhibition Returns to the East Wing Gallery at MWCC

GARDNER, MA - March 29, 2023 - The 37th Annual Regional High School Art Exhibition will open on March 28, 2023 at the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center's East Wing Gallery on the Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner campus.

Each spring the MWCC Art Department invites all area high schools to participate in the annual Regional High School Art Exhibition and competition. Due to the pandemic, the event has been on hiatus since 2020.

"We are happy to bring back this tradition and beloved exhibition," notes Joyce Miller, Art Department Chair and Gallery Director. "It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the work of high school art students, their accomplishments, and the dedicated art teachers that make this exhibit possible."

The exhibition includes work from Contoocook Valley Regional High School, Leominster High School, Lunenburg High School, Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School, Oakmont Regional High School, Quabbin Regional High School, Wachusett Regional High School, and the Winchendon School.

The exhibit will be open from March 28 through April 20, 2023, with a reception and awards ceremony on April 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the gallery. Learn more about the East Wing Gallery at mwcc.edu/gallery.

Open Kindergarten Registration Starting March 1

Dear Parents:

If you have a child that will be eligible for the 2023-2024 Kindergarten school year, you will need to fill out the registration forms that can be found on our website at www.winchendonk12.ore/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 AM - 2 PM

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, 2018 (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 oflease.
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. Click here to view and download a list of needed vaccinations.

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 25th before your child will be permitted to start school. These forms can be faxed by your doctor to the school at 978-297-3944.

Kindergarten Screening will be conducted, as required by State and Federal school laws. Screenings will be Wednesday, May 31; Thursday, June 1, and Friday, June 2. You will receive a letter with a sign up link for a screening appointment after you have registered.

We share the excitement of your child entering Kindergarten and look forward to both of you being a part of the Winchendon Public Schools. Please be aware that screenings will take place at Memorial School but your child will be attending Kindergarten at Toy Town School due to the school econfiguration. We are excited to have you be a part of the first year of our Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten building. Please feel free to call the school at (978) 297-1305, with any questions or concerns you may have.

MWCC, Fitchburg State University and Athol High School Partnership Achieve Early College Designation

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has granted Early College designation to Athol High School in partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) and Fitchburg State University.

Early College programs combine deep career and college exploration with the opportunity for students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and at least 12 college credits across the high school experience. Additionally, Early College programs expose students, who might not have considered college an option, to the experience of college with significant supports along the way.

The Athol Early College Program will support students in deep career exploration in grades 9 and 10, and the opportunity to take upwards of 27 college credits by the time they graduate high school, in the pathways of health care, liberal arts and sciences, business and technology, and education.

The FY24 budget proposed by Governor Maura Healey includes $46.9 million for Early College and Innovation Pathways which constitutes a $14.4 million expansion over FY23.

"We have seen Early College help hundreds of students earn college credits, and even associate degrees, since the inception of these programs," noted MWCC President James Vander Hooven. "We look forward to welcoming the students of Athol and Royalston to the MWCC Early College community."

"Early College is a proven program that creates opportunities for students to pursue their educational aspirations," Fitchburg State University President Richard S. Lapidus said. "This expansion will build on that strong foundation and open doors for students in Athol and Royalston."

"We are proud to receive this designation and excited for the opportunities it presents for our students," added Athol High School Principal, David King.

Early College programs offered in partnership with MWCC and Fitchburg State University started in 2019 with the designation of programs for Gardner High School, Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology, Leominster High School, Leominster Center for Excellence and Leominster Center for Technical Education Innovation, Fitchburg High School, the Sizer School, and Narragansett Regional High School.