Winchendon Weekly News -- September 29, 2023

From the Desk of Dr. Goguen - Superintendant's Update October 4, 2023

Former WPS Superintendent Thad King Named Interim Principal of Garfield Middle School in Revere, MA

Former Winchendon Public Schools Superintendent and Murdock High School Principal Thaddeus King is now serving as the Interim Principal of Garfield Middle School in Revere, MA on the North Shore, according to an article in The Revere Journal. Revere Superintendent Dianne Kelly described Mr. King as "a very rare person to find" and "a hands-on leader, designing collaborative teams with a focus on fostering culture and equity and innovation," in her introduction of Mr. King to the Revere School Committee.

A citizen at the meeting asked Mr. King why he left Winchendon. Mr. King responded, "I was in Winchendon, most recently as a Superintendent. Quite frankly, also spent in the last two and a half years--at that same time for about two of those years, I was also working as the Finance Manager in that district...quite frankly, the school committee turned over, and we sort of were no longer philosophically aligned around sort of operations and personnel, and that happens. We together agreed to separate, and am very fortunate to have made it here to Revere." Mr. King also said that "I'm very happy to be here."

The Revere School Committtee seemed very pleased to have Mr. King in Revere, "a really welcoming city," and said that he would fit right in.

According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) district profile, Garfield Middle School has 546 students in grades 6 through 8, of which 63.9 percent are identified as Hispanic, 82.8 percent are identified as High Needs and 71.1 percent are identified as Low Income.

Enroll Your Child in Head Start

Enrollment is now open for the Winchendon Head Start program. The Pre-School program has many openings for local families. For complete information, see one of the flyers linked below:

Head Start (English)

Head Start (Español)

Winchendon Resident Named to St. Anselm's Dean's List for Spring 2023 Semester

MANCHESTER, NH (September 29, 2023) - Saint Anselm College has released the Dean's List of high academic achievers for the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year. To be eligible for this honor, a student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.4 or better in the semester with at least 12 credits of study which award a letter grade. A total of 557 students representing 24 states and 5 countries received this honor.

Mark W. Cronin, Dean of the College, announced that the following Winchendon student has been named to the Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire.

Rachel Romero, Politics (BA), 2025

Generation Hope Names MWCC a FamilyU Seal Institution

Student-parent Corinne Howard cares for Sophia Douglass in the MWCC Family Resource Center while her mother Millie Bousbaa, a Criminal Justice major, is in class. Howard is a College Ambassador in the MWCC Child Watch Program and an Early Childhood Education major.
Photo courtesy of MWCC

GARDNER, MA - October 4, 2023 - Generation Hope, an educational advocacy organization, has named Mount Wachusett Community College a recipient of their FamilyU Seal in recognition of the college's work to serve parenting students.

The FamilyU Seal is a national certification for higher education institutions making significant strides to intentionally serve parenting students. MWCC is one of only 13 higher education institutions and 1 nonprofit organization to receive the 2023-2026 certification.

"We are honored to be chosen by Generation Hope for this honor," stated MWCC President James Vander Hooven. "This national certification recognizes the important work that we do everyday to help support our student parents pursue their education, access economic mobility, and thrive."

"Across the country more than one in five college students are parenting while pursuing their education," stated Ann Reynolds, MWCC Academic Advisor. "At MWCC, we are proud to invest in these students' success, ensuring that their families are welcomed, valued and supported."

MWCC's CCAMPIS program (Child Care Access Means Parents In School) is a federally funded program that provides childcare and before and after school subsidies to qualified students who are enrolled full or part time and are Pell Grand eligible. CCAMPIS students also have the option for their child to attend the Garrison Center on-campus preschool program.

In addition to the CCAMPIS program, the Mount provides parenting students with access to the Parent Support Group, Family Resource Center where parenting students can gather and study, child watch, and lactation room.

Monty Tech Named as Part of New Cohort of 14 Climate Leaders Recognized for Outstanding Efforts Towards a Net Zero Future by Mass Save®

Recipients have utilized financial and technical assistance from the Sponsors of Mass Save® to collectively save tens of millions of kWh and tens of thousands of therms in the last few years

BOSTON (October 5, 2023) - The Sponsors of Mass Save® today announce the newest cohort of Mass Save Climate Leaders. This distinguished recognition honors fourteen recipients across Massachusetts for their ongoing efforts to curb energy use and lead the Commonwealth to a net zero future.

The 2023 Mass Save® Climate Leaders represent a range of industries including education, grocery, healthcare, hospitality, municipalities, and more. Each winner has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the environment by leveraging incentives offered by the Sponsors of Mass Save® to curb their organization's greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency.

"We are proud to live and work in the Commonwealth where we have a number of leaders to show us the pathway through decarbonization to a net zero future," said Tilak Subrahmanian, Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility at Eversource. "The Sponsors of Mass Save® continue to see the strong efforts from this year's recipients and their dedication to honoring their own climate goals. We commend them as leaders and will continue to support them on their path to a decarbonized future."

Each Climate Leader has implemented operational changes to increase energy efficiency. These entities have demonstrated commitment to the climate in numerous ways, including investment in onsite renewable energy, completion of a 15,000 LED light fixture, and installation of a new energy management system that automatically lowers energy usage. Together they have saved tens of millions of kWh over the past five to ten years. For comparison, an average residential home in Massachusetts uses a little more than 10,000 kWh per year. These efforts not only impact their communities in a positive way but are essential to supporting the Commonwealth's clean energy goals.

"Leading on building decarbonization is critical for the Commonwealth to meet its climate goals. I applaud these 14 institutional leaders for their efforts to address energy efficiency throughout their buildings," said Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. "DOER will continue to work closely with the Mass Save® Sponsors in support of these leaders and look forward to celebrating more of their successes."

"The path towards a decarbonized future requires community trailblazers who set an example for their peers to follow, as well as robust programs with the financial and technical resources necessary to support these efforts," said Representative Jeffrey N. Roy, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy. "Thank you to these Mass Save® Climate Leaders for contributing to the Commonwealth's pursuit of ambitious climate goals."

"The 2023 Climate Leaders recognize the importance of battling the climate crisis, having each taken crucial steps towards creating a sustainable future through energy-efficient measures," said Christopher Porter, Director of Customer Energy Management at National Grid. "These organizations and municipalities put on display that entities conscious of the environment are a successful model for the Commonwealth's economy and climate future. We appreciate the recipients' efforts in this fight and look forward to continued collaboration with all our partners to achieve Massachusetts' net-zero goals."

"Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School has made numerous investments over the last two decades to improve energy and operational efficiency in their facilities, creating incredible savings through installations," Alec O'Meara, Media Relations Manager from Unitil. "The school has also invested in its students, providing instruction which will translate to effective implementation in their chosen construction fields as the state looks to create a clean energy future."

Complete list of 2023 Mass Save® Climate Leaders:

Arlington Public Schools
Berkshire East Mountain Resort
Boston University
City of Lowell
Franklin County House of Corrections
Harbor View Hotel
Liberty Mutual
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
New England Authentic Eats LLC
Northeastern University
Shaw's Supermarkets
State Street Corporation
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Thermo Fisher Scientific