Winchendon Weekly News -- October 27, 2023

From the Desk of Dr. Goguen - Superintendant's Update October 20, 2023

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)

Fall Exhibition at the East Wing Gallery at MWCC Highlights Origami Artist Ben Parker

A display of Ben Parker's art
Photo courtesy of MWCC

GARDNER, MA - November 1, 2023 - The East Wing Gallery at Mount Wachusett Community College welcomes Ben Parker to Gardner for a fall exhibition of his work titled "Bends and Shadows".

Parker, a native of Pittsburg, currently resides in Connecticut where he teaches workshops and classes at local schools, businesses, and libraries. Parker's art uses geometric origami to design tessellations and corrugations.

"Origami is a fascinating discipline. To its practitioners, it presents an unparalleled challenge to the mind and body, and the knowledge that can be unlocked by pushing the limits of what is possible with a single sheet of paper never ceases to amaze. The study is ancient, yet modern science is just beginning to reveal its full potential. It involves the manipulation of paper, among the humblest of materials, yet it sheds light on questions that flow through fundamental branches of human study such as mathematics, physics, pedagogy, art, and meditation. It is an art form that in its purest state neither adds nor subtracts material but alters it in an almost alchemical process. These aspects of origami have held my interest for a very long time. I practice a branch of this discipline known as geometric origami, and primarily design tessellations, which are studies of how paper can be shaped to create complex patterns capable of an infinite number of repeated iterations," notes Parker's artist statement.

The "Bends and Shadows" exhibit runs through December 3, with an artists reception on Sunday, November 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. The East Wing Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. as well as during all Theatre at the Mount performances.

MWCC Students Visit Gardner District Court

Photo courtesy of Nia Carignan

GARDNER, MA - October 27, 2023 - MWCC students in the Litigation and Introduction to the Law courses spent the morning observing proceedings at the Gardner District Court on October 18 where their professor, Judge Mark Goldstein presided over sixty cases ranging from restraining orders to traffic and probation violations.

Judge Goldstein has been an adjunct instructor in the paralegal program at the Mount for 15 years. In between sessions, Judge Goldstein and Attorney and Professor, James Korman, spoke to students about what they had observed. Students also heard from Assistant District Attorney Emily Lombardi, Clerk-Magistrate and former State Representative Sheila Harrington, Chief Probation Officer Diane Massouh, and Chief Trial Court Officer Calvin Lopez before court resumed for the second part of the morning session.

The Gardner District Court facility serves as both the Gardner and Winchendon District Court home. The Gardner District is comprised of Gardner, Hubbardston, Petersham, and Westminster. The Winchendon District serves Ashburnham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, and Winchendon. The Gardner District court typically handles a variety of legal matters, including civil, criminal, and traffic cases. Judge Goldstein was appointed first presiding justice at Gardner District Court in January 2021.

Sizer students bring their voices all the way to city hall

Photo courtesy of Sizer School

On September 25, Sizer School 11th grade students Chacko Mathew and Jeffrey Cadorette of Fitchburg were discussing their shared experiences living in Fitchburg and decided to take some action.

The students put their heads together and drafted an email to Mayor Stephen DiNatale.

"To try to incite the changes we wanted to see," explained Cadorette.

This led to a meeting on October 4, prompted by the Mayor, at City Hall.

"He wanted to discuss our ideas, and we showed him a presentation we made," Cadorette added.

Cadorette said the entire experience was amazing, even though they were nervous.

"At first we were a bit nervous, but mayor DiNatale was very kind. We gave our entire presentation. I read the part on education and homelessness, and Mat read the parts on infrastructure development and roads," he said.

"It was incredibly nerve wracking," added Mathew, "but we managed to demonstrate to the Mayor our leadership qualities by sharing our worries for the city.

"After that, DiNatale went over our points from his perspective," said Cadorette. "He was very encouraging of our interest in politics, and told us that if we continued, he may even have a job opening for us!"

In their presentation to the Mayor, the students focused on topics like education and what they felt was a need for more support for education in Fitchburg. "Education is one of the most important parts of society. If we improve the education in Fitchburg, the rest of Fitchburg will naturally improve as a result," they wrote.

They also talked about the need to address problems with homelessness. "Less desperation will naturally mean less crime and less drugs and alcohol addiction in the general populace," they wrote.

The students also wrote about the need for increased highway access, fixing existing roadways and making use of abandoned properties. "If we rework the buildings we can provide extra living space and space for businesses, improving the economy..." they wrote.

"Mayor DiNatale was very encouraging of our future in politics and even recommended us for jobs in his administration," said Mathew. "This was a very insightful experience, and we hope to further shape our future with these kinds of opportunities."

Using Student Voice is one of the Sizer 6 tenants along with Respect, Integrity, Community, Purpose and Safety. Encouraging students to be active members of their home communities is part of the Sizer School learning model. Sizer School serves students in grades 7-12 in 25 towns and cities throughout central Massachusetts.

Based on the Essential School Principles developed by Harvard Professor and Leader of Education Reform Ted Sizer, students are known personally, challenged intellectually, and active members of their own educational journey at the school. Future-focused, advanced coursework challenges students and gives them real-world, hands-on learning opportunities as they learn to Think, Care, Act.

Sizer School is currently accepting applications for the current school year as well as the 2024-2025 school year. Apply online at www.sizerschool.org