Winchendon Weekly News school newsletter - Friday, June 9

Community Happenings newsletter - Friday, June 9

Blue Devil Football Camp

Murdock Football will be hosting a Blue Devil Football camp for all interested in playing during the fall 2023 season.

When: Wednesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 22
Where: Murdock Practice Field (baseball field)
Time: 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Needed: wear athletic clothes and cleats and bring a water bottle
Who: Anyone interested in playing football in the fall and will be in grades 6-12 next year

American International College Awards Degrees

SPRINGFIELD, MA (06/15/2023)-- American International College (AIC) in Springfield, MA, has awarded degrees to 364 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in 2023. Congratulations to these recent graduates.

The following local students have been awarded degrees from AIC:

Victoria Donarumo of Templeton, Master of Science
Kathryn Haney of Winchendon, Master of Education

Founded in 1885, American International College (AIC) is a private, co-educational, doctoral granting institution located in Springfield, Massachusetts, comprising the School of Business, Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Health Sciences. AIC supports and advances education, diversity, and opportunity for its students and the community.

STCC Students Named to Spring 2023 Dean's List

SPRINGFIELD, MA (06/15/2023)-- Springfield Technical Community College celebrates the accomplishment of the 764 students who were named to the spring 2023 dean's list. The dean's list is published each semester to recognize excellence in academic performance. To be considered, degree-seeking students must earn 12 or more college level credits in the current semester, or a total of 12 or more combined college-level credits earned during the fall and spring semesters, and achieve a 3.3 or above grade point average.

Harry Paige of Winchendon, MA was named to the Dean's List.

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequalled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college - a designated Hispanic Serving Institution - seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

Mount Wachusett Community College Receives Robinson Broadhurst Foundation Grants to support College Success Academy and Winchendon Scholarship

GARDNER, MA - June 14, 2023 - The Robinson Broadhurst Foundation has awarded two $20,000 grants to the Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation to support scholarships for Winchendon residents and the College Success Academy, a collaboration between Murdock High School and the college.

The College Success Academy provides seminars and college readiness activities to sophomores, juniors, and seniors to prepare for college enrollment after high school graduation. The College Success Academy will target the entire class of 2024, 2025, and 2026, approximately 252 Murdock students. Funding will support the cost of dual enrollment courses, including books and support staff, educational supplies, SAT preparation and career search materials, school bus and van rental for students to attend college fairs, campus tours, and participation in career and college exploration programming throughout the year.

Throughout the fall and spring semester, seniors will receive personalized college enrollment coaching to support completing college admissions and financial aid and interpreting admission/ financial aid applications once received by students. Seniors interested in Dual Enrollment at MWCC will receive guidance on course selection and registration for appropriate career-focused coursework should they be interested in taking a course the spring semester of their senior year.

In the spring of 2024, Murdock juniors will begin attending seminars, college tours and fairs. The entire Murdock class of 2025 will have the opportunity to complete a four-credit dual enrollment course that is career oriented through MWCC, such as "Introduction to Healthcare Careers." Sophomores will be afforded the opportunity to begin career exploration at MWCC Step Up Day.

The second $20,000 grant assists Winchendon residents with unmet costs for tuition, fees, books, and other educational expenses such as transportation and childcare, while they attend MWCC. The scholarship serves an estimated 20 Winchendon residents each year.

The Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, Inc. is a private foundation founded in 1984 operating and granting funds to charitable organizations aimed at improving the quality of life for the residents of Stamford and Worcester, New York, and Winchendon, Massachusetts.

Justina Johnson Sworn in as Mount Wachusett Community College Student Trustee

Justina Johnson
Photo courtesy of MWCC

GARDNER, MA - June 13, 2023 - Mount Wachusett Community College student Justina Johnson was elected by her fellow Student Government Association (SGA) members to represent the students of MWCC on the Board of Trustees. Johnson was sworn in on May 18 during the Board of Trustees meeting.

A Gardner resident, Johnson is the mother of two boys, ages four and twelve. She is pursuing associate degrees in interdisciplinary studies and business administration. She earned her business administration certificate in 2022.

As the Student Trustee, Johnson will also serve on the Student Advisory Council, a group comprised of SGA presidents and student trustees from all 29 public institutions in Massachusetts.

In addition to her position on the Board of Trustees and Student Advisory Council, Johnson is currently president for the National Society of Leadership and Success (Sigma Alpha Pi), the event coordinator for the Campus Activity Team for Students (CATS) student life organization and serves as a team leader at the annual Leadership Academy.

The MWCC Board of Trustees is comprised of alumni, local business leaders and educators and the student trustee. The current Chairperson is Robert Antonioni, of Antonioni & Antonioni Law Offices. He is joined on the Board by Alumni Representative, Irene Hernandez Guzman; The Velvet Goose owner, Patty Bergstrom; Leominster City Councilor, Claire M. Freda; Professor Emerita, Western New England University, Denise Kindschi Gosselin; Tracy L. Hutchinson of GAAMHA, Inc.; Douglas Petersen of Workers Credit Union; Patricia Pistone of UMass Memorial Health - Health Alliance Clinton; Kenneth C. Tomasetti of ACT Fastening Solutions; and Rick Walton, owner of Moon Hill Brewing Company and the Gardner Ale House. The Board meets, insofar as possible, on the second Thursday of the month. Interested parties can find the meeting schedule and past meeting minutes at mwcc.edu/about-mwcc/leadership/.

MWCC Awarded Early Childhood Career Pathways Grant for Fiscal Year 2024

GARDNER, MA - June 13, 2023 - Mount Wachusett Community College is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) has appropriated $515,055 for Fiscal Year 2024 to continue funding the Early Childhood Career Pathways Grant program.

The Early Childhood Career Pathways Grant aims to help interested students and early childhood educators advance their careers. The mission of the grant program is to help alleviate the early childhood educator shortage and increase the education levels of educators already in the field. Students receive free courses, books, and the Child Development Associate (CDA) certification visit and exam required to earn the CDA credential. English-language tutoring support and one-on-one advising is also provided. The program goal is to service 120 students in Fiscal Year 2024.

"We are thrilled to receive continued funding for this vital program," stated Grant Coordinator Jonie Latimer-Brady. "We not only have been able to help students earn their CDA credential, but many have continued on to earn their Early Childhood Education certificate."

Funds will also be used to increase the number of Spanish-speaking instructors and advisors for the new Spanish language college level ECE Certificate program. Students will earn their EEC Lead teacher certification by starting with courses that are taught in Spanish and will take a contextualized college level ESOL course concurrently.

To learn more about the ECE Career Pathways program and determine eligibility, visit https://mwcc.edu/early-childhood-education-career-pathways/

Mount Wachusett Community College Offers Forest Fire Control and Management Course

GARDNER, MA - June 9, 2023 - Mount Wachusett Community College is one of only two schools in Massachusetts, and the only community college east of the Mississippi to offer the Forest Fire Control and Management Course, leading to the federally recognized S-130/190 wildland fire fighting certification. The MWCC S-130/190 certification is in collaboration with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Faculty member George LoCascio established the course in 2021 at MWCC. LoCascio was a firefighter in Flagstaff, Arizona from 2007 to 2011 where he worked for the United States Forest Service (USFS) on a Type 1 hand crew, also known as "hot shots". LoCascio's job was to "lead the dig" where he "led half the crew in digging and moving burnable material away from the fire."

Students enrolled in the course learn about S-130/190 certification, prescribed fires, and wildland fires, similar to the wildland fires currently in Canada and other western U.S. states. The course focuses on S-130/190 classes such as basic fire behavior and weather, as well as the Incident Command System (ICS) as well as wildland fire ecology and how to use prescribed fire as a management tool.