Education Changes, New Curriculums Discussed

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The Rochester School Committee met on Thursday, February 7 to discuss numerous issues, including their preparation for the snowstorm that is expected this coming weekend, as well as potential changes in the state’s educational budget and a new learning curriculums in writing and science that are currently underway.

Director of Facilities Gene Jones assured the School Committee that his staff had taken all the precautions in the last day or so to assure that the Rochester Memorial was ready for the snowstorm.

 “We’re preparing for the storm.  That’s the latest thing we’re doing today.  Making sure that the fuel generator is up and on, that our transfer switch is operational, everything is ready to go to maintain the building for the storm,” said Jones.

He also said that the staff would be working Saturday to clear the fire lanes as well as any other maintenance necessary.

Jones added that an engineer had recently come to the school for a yearly inspection of the 15,000-gallon aboveground fuel service tank at the school, and that everything had checked out all right and paperwork had been filed.

Lastly, Jones said that a heat wheel that was leading to heating issues at new wing of the school had been repaired. Some teachers had voiced complaints regarding the temperature in the wing, but Jones said that this repair should solve the issue.

Superintendent Doug White spoke about Governor Deval Patrick’s presentation on January 23 of a new state budget, which includes a new $550 million investment in education for fiscal year 2014.

According to a report from the superintendent, the new investment in education “would provide universal access to high quality early education for children across the state, from birth to age five; fully fund K-12 education and allow for extended school days in high-need schools; make college more affordable and accessible for high school graduates; and allow community colleges to expand their efforts to provide students with the knowledge and skill training needed to succeed in the workplace.”

White added that if the governor’s plan were approved, it would mean a potential $593,336 for Old Rochester Regional (an increase of 2.17% over fiscal year 13) and $12,625 for Rochester Memorial (an increase of .7%).

“He’s put an emphasis on high quality education for all children in the state,” said White.  “The $593,336 would be a welcomed increase that will help us balance the local budget.”

He added that the proposal included $25 in funding per student in all districts within the state.

Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos discussed the implementation of several new initiatives and a new curriculum within the school system, including two new programs—a new English and Language Arts (ELA) program and a new science program—that they hope will benefit in the student’s learning processes.

“Lot’s of initiatives have been placed on our shoulders, and as we swim through the sea of change, we’re entering, as far as our district, the implementation phase where we’re putting together our new unfolding ELA curriculum,” said Frangos.  “Teachers have worked very hard to create that curriculum.”

She added that teachers have been working in teams to look at student’s writing samples for the purpose of building the new ELA curriculum.

As far as the new science curriculum goes, she said that teachers have also been working to perfect what they hope will result in the strengthening of what she already considers to be a strong program.

“We are on the cusp of having those (new) standards approved,” said Frangos.  “I think we are (already) ahead of the curve with science.”

She added that the state currently has a shortage of approximately 100,000 workers in scientific fields.

“We don’t have the workforce to fill these jobs.  We hope our students will fill those voids.  My personal hope is that our children are excited about science,” said Frangos.

She added that students from grades 3-6 have recently undergone testing that they will use as a “dipstick into where our children are.  It’s very helpful to teachers.”

By Nick Walecka

Activities Program on the Rise

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From magicians dropping bowling balls out of thin air, to peers simulating Family Feud, and the experience of going to a casino without worrying about how it may affect them in the long run, Tabor has it all on the weekends.

It’s events like these that make people wonder how some students become homesick.

This has been a year where weekends have become the highlight of one’s Tabor experience. It has involved the clever combination of traditional events and new events that separate Tabor from other schools.

“I think the activities have gone well,” said Chris Millette, Director of Student Activities. “We’ve added a few things and reinvented some things. We’ve also done popular things like trips to Wareham Crossing, Open Mic night and trips to Boston more consistently.”

Millette has come through with activities that bring people together in different ways.    This year has included past traditions like the Hypnotist show, two Open Mic Nights, and dances with themes based on when it took place (i.e. Halloween, beginning of the school year and Winter/Christmas).

Students have also gone on off-campus trips to Boston, Providence and nearby restaurants, like Turks and Tokyo.

There have also been new events such as the Norman Ng Magic Show, an extravaganza where Norman combines jaw-dropping magic with hysterical humor, and Tabor Fight Night, which gave students the opportunity to fight a friend or faculty member.

Millette claims that Fight Night greatly benefited Tabor, and not just because of its popularity.

“I think Fight Night was the biggest winner this year,” he said. “It was new, fun, and it raised a lot of money for the senior class. I think we can make a few tweaks to it and have it be a great tradition for years to come.”

This upcoming Saturday features an event that has occurred at Tabor the past couple of Februarys and has drawn a large crowd each time.

Events in the past have included a roulette wheel, a “dice” table, and five poker and blackjack tables. At the end of the night, students could choose from over 25 different prizes.

However, Millette is planning to make it bigger and better than ever.

“It was so popular and crowded last year,” he said. “We are adding some more table games so that more kids can sit down and play.”

On February 14, there will be an Asian Dinner, which is a popular meal consisting of food from eight different Asian countries (Bahrain, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, India, Thailand and Vietnam). In the past, lines have gone outside the Lillard dorm main entrance.

As the diverse array of activities continues to pile up and gain popularity, we are looking forward to more amazing nights at Casino Nights and Asian Dinner.

By Nicholas Veronesi

Schools Closed on Friday

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Due to the impeding snowstorm, public schools in Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Old Rochester will be closed on Friday.

Maria M. “Sadie” Monteiro

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Maria M. “Sadie” Monteiro, 94, of Marion, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.  She was the wife of the late Manuel D. Monteiro, Sr.

Maria was born in Havana, Cuba, but Marion is where she has called home since the early 1950’s. What mattered most to Maria was her family, friends and her community. Despite the many hats she wore, it was her role as a mother that mattered most to her.

She is survived by her son, Manuel Monteiro and his wife Jane of Marion; her grandchildren, Marcus and his wife Deborah of Fall River, Vanessa Monteiro and her partner Darren King and Alexander Monteiro and his partner Meaghan Crook all of Brooklyn, NY; her great grandson, Xavier as well as many “adopted” children and grandchildren.

Her funeral was held from the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Highway (Rt. 28), Wareham on Mon., February 11, 2013 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Rita’s Church, Front St., Marion. Interment was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Wareham. Visiting hours were held on Sun.

For on-line guestbook visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

Valery R. (Hiller) Torres

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Valery R. (Hiller) Torres, 53, of New Bedford died February 6, 2013 unexpectedly at St. Luke’s Hospital.

She was the wife of the late Frank Torres.

Born in Boston, the daughter of the late Russell L. and Sheila (Collins) Hiller, she was raised in Marion and lived in Fairhaven and New Bedford for many years.

Valery was formerly employed by Aerovox.

She enjoyed spending time with family and friends and reading.

Survivors include her daughter, Megan Hunt of Orlando, FL; 2 sons, Matthew Torres and Christopher Hunt, both of New Bedford; 3 sisters, Brigette Burke of Wisconsin, Stephany Hiller of California and Rebecca Hiller of New Bedford; 4 grandchildren, Raedell London, Lathan Ambrose, Joaquim Ambrose and Julien Hunt; 3 nieces and a nephew.

Her arrangements are incomplete.

Cutting Club Fees: Winter Homecoming

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This week at ORR is the first spirit week and pep rally of recent memory. The event centers on the Friday night basketball game against Bishop Stang. It is essentially a mid-year Homecoming, complete with the spirit days all through the week, a pep rally the last half of the day on Friday, and a dance on Saturday night.

The spirit days are as follows: Monday is Favorite Color Day, Tuesday is Ugly Sweater Day, Wednesday is Mismatch Day, Thursday is Fancy Day, and Friday is White-Out Day. All students are encouraged to dress up to show their school spirit.

The pep rally will be on Friday at 12:45 pm. In straying from the usual Homecoming pep rally tradition, there will not be any class skit competition. Instead, there will be different games and activities to get the school pumped up for the big game. These activities have yet to be disclosed.

The varsity basketball game will be at 6:30 pm in the ORR gymnasium against Bishop Stang on Friday, February 8. All students are encouraged to go support their classmates on the court.

On Saturday, February 9, there will be the Snowball Dance. Just like a second Homecoming, it is open to all grades and will be held in the high school’s cafeteria. Unlike Homecoming, all proceeds from the dance, including ticket and concession sales, will go towards lowering the Club and Activities Fee for all students. As of this year, the fee for participating in a non-athletic club is $100. That includes every club from Drama Club to Sci-Fi Club to Film Club and more. In previous years, the Bulldog Dash was the fundraiser to lower the club fees, but as it makes more sense for that to be a fundraiser for the athletic teams, Student Council and Class Officers created the Snowball Dance as the clubs’ way of offsetting the fee.

If the turnout of the dance is high, the $100 fee will be cut to a much more preferable amount. However, should turnout to the dance be lousy, the fee will not be cut as much as hoped. Attendance of as many students as possible will directly result in a greater lowering of the fee. Tickets will be sold at lunches all this week.

By Jessica Correia

ORR Hockey Can’t Get Past Bourne

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It was a hard-hitting hockey game on both sides at the Tabor rink last Wednesday, but the ORR boys’ ice hockey team couldn’t hold on as they suffered a 2-1 South Coast Conference loss to rival team Bourne.

The game was a decisive one, as it determined whom the SCC championship would go to. The ORR/Fairhaven combo team played well, but a few unlucky plays would give Bourne the win. The Bulldogs started off strong; Jeremy Lawton scored the lone goal for the Bulldogs early in the first period. A physical first period set the tone for the entire game, as there would be countless checks into the boards. Freshman Goalie Chris Nadeau played fairly well, and he provided a key save in the final minute of the first period to preserve the temporary Bulldog lead.

The Canalmen took over in the second period, scoring two goals in the span of about six minutes to take control of the game. The Bulldogs were not as aggressive in the second period, and the lack of tenacity was a key factor for the Canalmen’s quick goals.

The third period was scoreless but exciting. The Bulldogs had several opportunities to score, but could never capitalize and tie the game. However, Old Rochester’s Cam O’Connor and Zack Matthews each played well in the loss. The tough loss puts the Bulldogs in second place for the SCC.

Several of Old Rochester’s freshmen and sophomore track athletes had their time to shine in the 25th Annual Janiak Freshman Sophomore Meet. The meet provides some of the younger athletes the opportunity to compete in races without the dominant presence of upperclassmen. That being said, several excellent performances occurred last Saturday. Sophomore Bailey Truesdale won the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 9.77, and teammate Kevin Saccone won the boys’ 55-meter hurdles in a meet record time of 8.45 seconds. Also, freshman Emily Josephson placed second in the girls’ mile with a time of 6:13, and Arden Goguen placed second in the 55-meter dash in 7.99 seconds.

By Michael Kassabian

Sound System Upgrade Ok’d at Sippican School

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The Marion School Committee approved an upgrade to the sound system at Sippican Elementary School at their meeting on Wednesday, February 6.  The upgrade followed concerns by band director and music teacher, Hannah Moore, who previously told the board that the multipurpose room had a blown amplifier.

Facilities Director, Eugene Jones told the board that he had researched the sound system within the entire school and felt an overall upgrade would save money in the long run.

Jones noted that past use of extension cords for events outside the building could be avoided with an upgraded sound system using battery-operated microphones. He secured several competitive quotes, which were discussed, and suggested the committee approve the upgrade so that it could be tested under warranty during the current school year.

The committee agreed to a purchase price up to $ 5,360 for the upgrade.  The sound system can be used both indoors and outdoors.

“We’ll be under warranty and we will make sure that we are getting what we agreed to purchase,” said Jones.

In other business, the board voted to accept a $5,000 donation to Project Grow from the Ludes Foundation.  The board thanked the Ludes family and voted to accept the donation.

Superintendent White discussed the 2014 state budget proposed by Governor Deval Patrick.  Although not yet approved by the State House and Senate, White presented the proposed amounts currently budgeted in the state budget for education.

The Chapter 70 Increase for the ORR Senior and Junior High School is a 2.17% increase over the fiscal year 2012, representing approximately $593,336.  If approved, Marion would see a 48% increase of approximately $216,400.  Mattapoisett, under the proposed state budget, would have an increase of 32% or $174,439.  Rochester would have a .7% increase, equaling approximately $12,625.

White commented on the change in education and requirements through the years.  He said that he had attended a recent educational seminar and recommended that the public take a look at a web site which recorded the changes in education that have taken place since the 1990’s.  The site can be accessed at http://www.jamievollmer.com/poster.html

Nikki Spencer, representing Project Grow Parents, presented two fundraising opportunities, which were approved by the committee.  Kids Stuff Book Sales, which is similar to the ‘Dinner for Two‘ booklets will be sold.  Another fundraiser is a family day at a local gymnastics center, which will be held on a Sunday afternoon in March.

Diane Hartley, Co-Chair of Volunteers At Sippican School (VASE) asked the board to approve a 5K Race fundraiser to be held in May in Marion.  The route will follow the ‘Turkey Trot’ organized by the Marion Recreational Department.  The board approved the request.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry


MMA Fighter Ready to Step into AFO Cage

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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. It combines different fighting techniques including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Taekwondo. What started out five years ago as unfamiliar territory during the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” program on television has turned into a can’t miss sporting event, gaining viewership rapidly.

But watching and competing in the sport are completely different animals.  It’s one thing to watch an MMA fight from the comfort of your couch, but to actually step into the cage and go head to head in a fight can be quite daunting.

That’s not the case for 35-year-old Marion resident and Old Rochester Regional High School graduate Jim Manning. In just over a week, he will be making his American Fighting Organization (AFO) debut at the Holiday Inn in Boxboro, MA on Saturday, February 16 at 7:00 pm.

“I’m really excited. This is something I’ve always wanted,” said Manning. “I feel prepared, I’ve trained hard, done my homework and I’ve got great coaches. I’m looking forward to fight night.”

Manning began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a few years ago after catching MMA fever. During his training, he met his Coach and friend Marcio Silvia. Silvia owns Xcel Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in New Bedford, where Manning both trains and teaches classes.

“When Coach Marcio opened Xcel this summer, we only had three or four students with us,” said Manning. “Today, we often have 20 students at our fundamentals classes. We just added kickboxing on Tuesday and Thursday and our youth classes are packed. It’s pretty amazing.”

For the past eight weeks, Manning has spent six days in “camp,” which is what MMA fighters call training. Between teaching classes and taking classes, there are days during the week where Manning spends almost six hours at the gym. That’s six hours spent in the gym on top of working full-time as a carpenter and spending time with his kids. But Manning doesn’t mind the busy schedule.

“I love waking up every day knowing I’ve got the chance to out-train my opponent,” he said. “I truly believe that if I do that day after day, it will pay off when we meet in the cage. There’s no way I’m being outworked.”

One week after his fight in Boxboro, Manning will fight again in front of a more local crowd in Plymouth. Cage Fighting Extreme (CFX) 22 will take place at the Jungle Plex and doors will open at 6:30 pm.

“The hardest part of the sport is waiting until it’s your turn to fight. I’m not looking forward to that,” said Manning.

In two weeks, Manning will have his first two fights as part of the AFO under his belt. What would be a lofty accomplishment for many is only just the beginning for him.

“Hopefully I’ll get through these next two fights with two wins and injury free,” he said. “Then I’d like one more amateur fight this summer and turn pro by the end of the year.”

For more information on Manning or MMA in general, or for tickets to the upcoming fights, contact Marcio Silvia at 774-202-7260 or marcio@xcelbjj.com. For more information about the AFO, visit www.afomma.com.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Tabor Academy Presents “Damn Yankees!”

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On February 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm in the Fireman Auditorium, Hoyt Hall on the Tabor campus, the curtain will rise on Tabor Academy’s production of “Damn Yankees!”

“Damn Yankees!” has been one of the best-selling Broadway musicals of all time and is a clever retelling of the age-old Dr. Faustus story.

Middle-aged baseball fanatic Joe Boyd trades his soul to the Devil, also known as Mr. Applegate, for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. As young baseball sensation Joe Hardy, he transforms the hapless Boston Red Sox into a winning team, only to realize the true worth of the life he’s left behind with his loyal wife, Meg. Joe ultimately outsmarts Applegate and the seductive Lola, returns to his former self, and shepherds the Red Sox to the World Series.

Light, fast-paced, and devilishly clever, “Damn Yankees!” is a home-run hit featuring all-American subject matter and an irreverent sense of humor. The show also has a terrific song list (“Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants”) with dynamic, athletic choreography supported by student-designed and built sets and lights. The cast is lead by veteran senior performers: Oliver Palmer as Joe Hardy; Joe Coffey as the older Joe Boyd and the manager, Van Buren; Chapman Hyatt as Applegate, the devil; Clare Knowlton as Lola, his seductive assistant; Claire Chatinover as Meg Boyd; and junior Xan Marsella as Gloria Thorpe. “Damn Yankees!” is directed by John Heavey with musical direction by David Horne, technical direction by Richard Van Voris, choreography by Danielle LaTulippe, lighting design by junior James Barton-Souza and set design by senior Greta Wilsterman.

To order tickets, email wintermusicaltix@taboracademy.org. Preordered tickets are $9 while tickets at the door are $10.