RMS Budget Discussions Continue

on

The Rochester Memorial School budget subcommittee is meeting regularly to figure out how to handle unanticipated expenses and state reimbursement cuts that are putting a strain on the school budget. At the RMS School Committee’s December 1 meeting, the committee said that the budget – which currently is frozen except for emergency expenses – has been hit with unforeseen utility and special education costs and less state aid.

“We know we have challenges with this budget. We are strategizing and working together. Stay tuned – more discussions are to come,” said Committee Chairperson Tina Rood, who serves on the subcommittee.

Even with the receipt of the rural education grant, school officials are “being cautious in the steps we are taking” in handling the budget, Superintendent Doug White said.

District Business Administrator Katie Isernio said, for instance, that the school is working with District Facilities Manager Steve Murphy on modifying schedules for boilers, the HVAC system, etc to ensure they are only used when needed. “It is an A-number one priority,” Ms. Isernio said.

In the meantime, the subcommittee is soon expected to present formal recommendations on how to handle shortfalls in the budget to the full committee.

In other business, the school committee presented a recognition award to Rochester Facilities Manager Mike Meunier for his contribution to the recently completed RMS expansion and renovation project. Chairperson Tina Rood recalled his contribution on the project since day one, and that his efforts serve as a strong example to students.

“[Mr. Meunier] is always looking to improve and increase expertise and that is an important lesson for our kids,” she said, adding that his research contributed to the use of certain pre-cast material – which has never been utilized in Massachusetts before.

The committee donated Everything on It to the RMS library and gave Mr. Meunier a copy of The Giving Tree – both by Shel Silverstein – in honor of his work.

“Thank you to the school committee. The project was about the team we had, a team that worked a lot of hours. The staff was great, the letters the kids wrote while we were doing construction, which at times is hard, was great. It was a success,” said Mr. Meunier.

At RMS and across the district, the Food Service program is continuing to show significant financial gains compared to last year. During the month of October, Food Service Director Caitlyn Meagher reported that RMS brought in a $1,342 in profit compared to $198 last year. District-wide in October the profit ran at $18,589 compared to $2,997 last year.

Ms. Meagher said she intends to augment these gains by getting more feedback from students on what they like or dislike about food and/or service. She hopes to increase RMS food service participation to 47 percent this year – currently it is 40 percent.

“The lines are going a lot faster now. Kids are excited to learn numbers and put them in,” she added on NutriKids, RMS’s new point-of-sale system that allows parents to pre-purchase lunch for their kids.

The committee acknowledged the change in direction of the food service, which until recently has been running in the red. Ms. Meagher assumed her post in September.

“It’s amazing and wonderful. Thanks for your hard work,” said Ms. Rood.

School Principal Jay Ryan also spent some time discussing the challenges of running RMS, 550 students strong, without an Assistant Principal. The school cut the assistant principal position from its budget two years ago.

He said his attendance at district-wide meetings, teacher observations, and student disciplinary practices have suffered by the lack of an assistant.

He said two school adjustment counselors are handling disciplinary occurrences, but no Assistant Principal is on hand to administer “more cut and dry disciplinary action.” He said the school has received a lot of help from teachers and administrators who have taken on additional responsibilities to help with the workload.

“The biggest area is not giving as much academic guidance and leadership as I want to,” he said. “The ability for a half-time Assistant Principal would allow the building to function more smoothly and efficiently given the things I have to let go on a daily basis.”

Mr. Ryan said, though, he has aligned his expectations with the reality that there is no assistant. “You can’t look at it as a problem, otherwise you’ll drown,” he said.

The committee acknowledged the need for an assistant, and Ms. Rood said despite recent budget challenges “FY 13 is on the horizon.”

In other activities:

• The committee noted that the fourth grade is hard at work rehearsing its production of Alice in Wonderful, which will be performed in January.

• The committee appointed Tim Scholz and Sharon Hartley to serve on the food service committee.

• Ms. Isernio and Principal Ryan decided to draft a memo explaining to groups using the school after hours that leaving the door ajar is prohibited. Doors are programmed to unlock 15 minutes before a scheduled meeting/activity begins.

• The committee approved Principal Ryan’s student goals – which pertain to greater communication between home/school, behavior by students showing Cooperation, Appreciation, Responsibility and Excellence, academic excellence, and teacher training and regular use of new technologies.

• Mr. White said a policy on concussions in under development and should be approved by the state deadline of March 15.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Rochester Water Bill Makes Progress

on

Earlier this year, State Representative William Straus promised to take Rochester Board of Selectmen’s assertion that New Bedford is unfairly profiting from the Assawompset/Quittacas Pond Complex – which in part encompasses Rochester – to the state House of Representatives.

Now a bill (HR-3672) is progressing through the House that will alter a century-old agreement to require New Bedford to pay ten cents for every 1,000 gallons it sells to neighboring towns, namely Dartmouth, Acushnet and Fairhaven. Under the old agreement, New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton are entitled to water from the pond complex – but the city’s practice of selling water to other towns, namely Dartmouth and Acushnet, is prompting Rochester officials to pursue legislation to ensure some of that money comes back to the town.

“I’ve been working with the [House Steering, Policy and Scheduling] committee chairman and the house counsel’s office on the details of the bill. The reality of the bill is that it would change what has been the law for about 100 years in terms of New Bedford water withdrawals… There are some complex legal issues about water rights and property law that we are working on,” explained Rep. Straus.

The fact that New Bedford’s $28 million water treatment plant is located in Rochester further upsets town officials, who don’t feel they are getting the fair end of the bargain.

According to Rep. Straus, the city of New Bedford sells about 40 percent of the water it receives to other towns. At an October Selectmen meeting, Rochester resident Fred Underhill said that the town is losing out on approximately $350,000 annually in lost tax revenue.

Rep. Straus said the bill is important also because it could set a precedent with other communities that draw water. “Because of that, it is complicated,” he said.

Once reviewed by the House’s legal counsel, it will move forward for a full House vote. If approved, it will move to the Senate, where co-sponsor Sen. Michael Rodrigues will advocate on its behalf.

As with all legislation, the pace of the bill moving through the political system remains unknown at this point.

“I wish there was a single rule of thumb. It could take one week, or it could take many, many weeks,” Rep. Straus said. The particularly complex “moving parts of the proposal” due to the age of the agreement will slow things down, he added.

So far, Rep. Straus said New Bedford officials have not officially contested the bill or spoken out against it.

            The following is the latest text of House Bill 3670:

To require the City of New Bedford to remit payment of the Town of Rochester in the amount of ten cents ($0.10) for each one thousand (1,000) gallons of water it sells, or provide by agreement including any compensation, to other communities; and to take all actions necessary for adoption of such Special Act and for implementation of any Special Act adopted in connection therewith, or take any action relative thereto.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Knights’ Shrine Comes Out of Dark

on

For longtime Mattapoisett residents, the recent display of blue and white lights adorning the Wayside Shrine at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Route 6 may stir up some old memories.

That is because for the first time in more than 10 years, the shrine is lit up again, thanks to the efforts of one family to resurrect an old tradition.

When he was a boy, Mattapoisett resident Anthony Days spent every weekend after Thanksgiving with his father, Edward Days, decorating the shrine. Under the direction of craftsman Ray Fleurent, the shrine was built in 1960 – and as a member of the Knights of Columbus, his father spent 30 years decorating it.

“I remember no matter if it was snowing, raining, or if there were gale force winds, we’d be out there putting up the lights,” Mr. Days. He said it was just “my father and I”, although occasionally friends would come and help out.

“I was raised decorating it with my father until 1991. After that he passed away, and I continued with his grandchildren,” he said. But the responsibilities of raising a young family and other distractions unceremoniously ended the longtime tradition – until this year.

“We just decided that with the 20th anniversary of him being gone – it would be appropriate to light it up again,” Mr. Days explained. “It was great doing it for him.”

The family also jumpstarted the tradition in honor of the original craftsman, Mr. Fleurent of Fairhaven, who passed away this year. Along with Mr. Days’ father, he was among the group of Knights of Columbus members who was a part of its ceremonial opening in 1960. The younger Mr. Days recalls that that the group invited President John F. Kennedy to the opening, but received a letter from the White House declining the invitation.

On the Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving this year, Mr. Days brought together his children, siblings and grandchildren to bring the shrine out of the dark again. This time, things were a bit different, he said.

“I can remember [in the past] we used big blue light bulbs, the kind that broke when you bumped into them… This time we had fun with the technology with the LED lights because you don’t have to worry about tapping glass,” Mr. Days said.

He also said long ago, you could see Buzzards Bay and the islands from on top of the shrine – but now the trees have all grown and obstructed the view.

Mr. Days’ wife, Meredith, said the children were delighted to partake in the old tradition. “It was great!” She said people have been commenting on how they remember the shrine lit up in the past.

For now, the family hopes to illuminate the shrine in future years.

“We’ll try to start the tradition again,” Mr. Days said.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Women Minister in SouthCoast

on

The ladies are joining the leadership of the Congregational Churches in the Tri-Town area.

The First Congregational Church of Marion recently announced that the Reverend Sheila Rubdi was selected, out of 165 applicants, to serve as their settled pastor.

“I’d say approximately two-thirds of the applicants were women,” said Phyllis Washburn, a member of the search committee for the First Congregational Church of Marion.

Applicants, both men and women, often as their second career, decide to go into ministry after retirement, being laid off, or as a new start. According to Ms. Washburn, the new Marion minister is a “lifetime” minister – meaning that ministry is her only career choice. Ms. Rubdi is currently serving as Pastor of the First Congregational Church in Milford, NH and will join the church in late January.

Ms. Rubdi joins several other nearby female congregational ministers at their churches in Mattapoisett and Fairhaven. The Reverend Amy Lignitz Harken is the pastor in Mattapoisett and Bette McClure in Fairhaven.

Bette McClure, pastor of the Fairhaven Congregational Church, has been in her position over 10 years. “I was ordained into ministry in 1999,” said Ms. McClure. “It is a second career for me… I was a social worker before that.” Ms. McClure estimates that 60 percent of her graduating class at Andover Newton Theological School were women. “And of that, most of us were over 40 [years old] and entering ministry as a second career,” said Ms. McClure.

When asked why more young people weren’t entering the ministry out of college, Ms. McClure said, “my guess is that it isn’t lucrative… the pay isn’t good and for a young man or woman thinking of supporting a family… it isn’t attractive from a financial standpoint.”

Ms. McClure was raised as a Roman Catholic but later joined a Congregational Church to meet new friends after moving into a new town. “I fell in love with the church and its mission and the rest is history,” she said, adding that joining the ministry wasn’t an option in the Catholic Church.

“Changes in our society in general, allowed women to enter what was traditionally a man’s field,” said Dale Thackery, a Marion native and an ordained minister. Ms. Thackery is a Chaplain at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth. According to Ms. Thackery, earning a Master of Divinity takes three years on a full time basis, but many attend part time while working and attend part-time for several years before graduating.

“Women have always felt the call and served the church through mission work and other ways, but now this opportunity has presented itself and women are taking advantage of it,” said Mr. Thackery. “Ministry is a nurturing profession and women are drawn to it,” she said, adding that the profession can be demanding and is a round-the-clock, on-call position.

“Ministry isn’t something you choose. It chooses you,” said Rev. Amy Lignitz Harken, who became the pastor of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church in March of 2011. “I’m a former journalist… This is my second career.”

“I think women are very intuitive and perceptive and can see beyond the obvious… probably due to social conditioning,” said Rev. Harken, who received her Master of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School. “More and more women are being called to serve and are able to provide a depth of spirit to their congregation,” said Ms. Harken.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Plumb Library Knits for Kids

on

When library patrons aren’t keeping their hands busy turning the pages of books, many are occupied with another favorite pastime: knitting.

A group of knitters at Plumb Library in Rochester has been especially busy the past few months, but with a good cause in mind. Every year, the group knits items for those in need. In 2010, they knit 185 scarves for soldiers – which required them to follow strict patterns to adhere to military dress code.

This year – they changed the beneficiaries of their knitted creations to preemies and children.

According to Plumb Library Director Gail Roberts, the knitters donated 46 caps for preemies to Charlton Hospital in conjunction with Lakeville Public Library, which also donated some caps. In addition, the group knitted 19 pairs of mittens, 40 hats, 23 scarves, one sweater, and one pair of socks for Gifts to Give in New Bedford, a non-profit organization that collects gently used and new clothing and goods for homeless and at-risk children.

“I told them to go berserk, to do whatever [they] wanted to do. With soldiers you had to be pickier,” Ms. Roberts said.

The library director also said that people have reacted well to the generosity – which happened behind the closed doors of knitters’ homes. Some began knitting as early as last April.

“People think it was a very positive thing to have done,” she said.

About 15 people signed up to participate, but it is impossible to tell the true number of participants as many of the do-gooders opted to remain anonymous.

“They left stuff and took off. They didn’t stay,” she said. “My group tends to want to stay home and do some something in their house.” Ms. Roberts herself knitted five mittens. She said when uninterrupted, the mittens take about one weekend to make.

Already the library knitters are thinking about next year’s theme. Ms. Roberts thinks the groups will create items, such as shawls and blankets, for older residents in nursing homes.

With its latest philanthropy effort wrapping up, the library now is preparing for its Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 3 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

As part of the event, the Friends of Plumb Library are raising money for the library by selling wreaths: 12-inch double sided wreaths without a bow for $11 and with a red bow for $13.

The group now is taking orders for the wreaths – available for pick up at the open house – and forms are available at the library or through its website, www.plumblibrary.com.

The Friends are also seeking items for the Silent Auction: handmade goods, gift certificates, or other items. Call the library at 508-763-8600 for more details.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Remembering Seniors During Holidays

on

            Holidays are supposed to be a time of celebration and joy – but the expectation of good tidings may create the opposite feelings of depression and sadness. These feelings tend to be higher among the elderly, especially older seniors or those with no nearby family – local Council of Aging directors say.

            “There is a high rate of depression among the elderly during the holiday season, because they are remembering times past, and old loved ones,” said Sharon Lally, director of Rochester’s Council on Aging.

“There is a loss of roles in their life. They may have been the matriarch or patriarch of the family, and they are no longer in the situation to gather the people. Sometimes it’s a tough time for seniors. Not to mention the cost of it. Living with fixed incomes, they can’t do as much as they like,” she said, noting that many seniors find solace through their churches or spiritual practices.

Jackie Ashley, Rochester COA’s Outreach Worker, said many seniors with family around cope well, but some of the more isolated people suffer. “Those who are really the elderly of the elderly, they are depressed. I do whatever to cheer them up. Laughter is the best medicine,” she said.

In addition to regular outreach services, the council works with the Rochester Lions Club to deliver Christmas Baskets with food and gift items to seniors.

“It gets me into houses I normally don’t get into… It’s chance to see some of the seniors who don’t go [to the Senior Center],” Ms. Ashley said, who serves 300 of the more than 1,000 seniors ages 60 and over residing in Rochester.

“There are a lot of seniors not on our radar, who don’t call and don’t come in. We want to tell them, ‘Make yourself known, stop by and see what we offer,’” she said. The Rochester COA’s phone number is 508-763-8723.

Jacqueline Coucci, the Director of Mattapoisett’s COA, said that although she has not witnessed changes in the functionality of seniors this holiday season, she knows the need to connect is there.

“We don’t hear about concerns. Those who are not being connected with as often, we don’t necessarily hear from them, maybe because they are ashamed they don’t have any connections,” Ms. Coucci said.

To help bridge isolated seniors with services and companionship, the council runs a number of programs which she encourages seniors to check out.

“We encourage people to call and say, ‘I’d love to have someone come visit.’ We are available. They don’t have to be shy if they just want someone to come over,” she said.

Right now, she is trying to jumpstart the Friendly Visitor program – which pairs volunteers with Mattapoisett seniors in need of a home visit or more personal human connection.

“We are trying to reach out to seniors who are homebound or who just want to have a visitor, and we are trying to encourage other people to step up to the plate and volunteer their services,” she said, requesting that prospective seniors or volunteers contact the council at 508-758-4110.

In the meantime, she encourages neighbors and families to make an extra effort to connect with older residents, whether by placing a phone call or making a visit.

Also, the cold weather places additional financial strain on seniors who survive off of small fixed incomes.

During the holidays, Marion’s COA Director Susan Schwager said that many seniors without family, or those who don’t have children, suffer. However, she said the biggest issue facing seniors is the ability to pay for oil to warm their homes.

“I hear about it every day. It’s a big concern. We’ve been doing a lot of PACE applications,” she said, noting that the nonprofit is cutting back on financial assistance.

“They live in small ranch houses or rentals. I’m not talking about the larger homes. They are keeping the heat at 60 degrees and I don’t blame them,” she said, noting that requests for assistance have increased this year.

To help seniors heat their homes and handle other emergencies on a “last ditch effort” basis, Ms. Schwager said she has developed an emergency fund.

“Anyone could donate to that. It is money that stays in town. It stays local and goes entirely to those in need. It is used for someone who comes across hard times – whether for rent, food, oil, medical bills, drug prescription costs, or who all the sudden need medicine,” she said, noting that Social Security has provided no cost of living increases in three years.

To learn more about the Marion COA or help with the fund, call 508-748-3570.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

BBC Conservation Restriction Approved

on

The Conservation Commission unanimously approved a Conservation Restriction for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay for an 18-acre parcel of land off Wolf Island Road during its Monday, November 28 meeting.

The commission had withheld an approval at their last meeting pending a go-ahead from Water and Sewer Superintendent Nick Nicholson.

“The Conservation Restriction is pretty comprehensive. A positive recommendation was wanted to make sure there were no objectionable prohibitions,” said Chairman Peter Newton, who said Mr. Nicholson supported it although beforehand he had no knowledge of it.

With Brendan Annett of the Coalition on hand to answer any last minute questions, the board approved the conversation restriction for aquifer and wildlife protection of that property. The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen also approved the restriction at their November 22 meeting – which gives the Coalition the approvals required to move forward.

In other business, the commission approved:

• A Notice of Intent for a single-family house at 32 Prince Snow Circle (Sitec Inc)

• A Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) with a negative 2 determination for applicant William Durbin who sought to raze/rebuild an accessory building to meet flood zone requirements

• A Notice of Intent by applicant Brandt Island Realty Trust for a single-family home at Brandt Point Village Lot 18. The applicant had submitted the appropriate permit from the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program

In addition, the commission tabled an RDA application by Carlos Pacheco for a porch and garage additions and a septic upgrade for a residence at 133 Brandt Island Road.

After some conversation about possibly meeting regularly to review properties prior to public hearings, the commission decided to conduct site visits only if special circumstances require it but not as a matter of course.

The next Conservation Commission meeting is scheduled for December 12.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Marion Continues Green Quest

on

A round table discussion regarding the possibility of Marion becoming a Green Community, as defined by the State of Massachusetts, was held at a meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee at the Marion Music Hall on Monday.

The committee is charged with investigating ways to help Marion create clean, renewable energy for the future and reduce current energy waste in the town. The Green Communities Act, passed in 2008, encourages towns in the state to reduce electric bills, promote the development of renewable energy and stimulate the clean energy industry.

If the town were to qualify under the Green Communities Act it could possibly qualify for a $150,000 grant to assist the town in improving energy efficiency.

At issue were five criteria, which the town would have to meet to qualify under the state designation.

“This clearly involves the Planning Board and the 2015 Committee,” said member Bill Saltonstall, who discussed the first criteria which calls for siting of designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research and development , or manufacturing facilities.

The board focused on solar energy as a starting point.

According to committee members, a two-acre parcel is the minimum area for a solar installation. Committee members agreed that a property with an existing business could qualify. The board discussed whether the Planning Board would accept the “as-of-right siting” as described in the Green Communities Act or if the wording of the criteria would prompt the Planning Board to require a site plan review. The committee agreed that it was worth taking the issue to the Planning Board and discussing it.

Members attending included Chairman David Pierce, Norman Hills, Jennifer Francis and Bill Saltonstall.

In discussion of various town owned parcels, Mr. Hills said that solar panels shading vegetation on top of a bog or even a landfill could be a problem. “You can’t kill the vegetation on a landfill… that’s what keeps it covered,” said Mr. Hills.  Ms. Francis asked about shade plants, such as Swedish ivy, being used beneath the shadow of a solar panel.

Various ideas, including the use of roof membranes on top of schools or town buildings could be used to negate any ill effects of positioning solar panels atop existing town structures. The use of conservation restricted land and Sippican Lands Trust properties was also discussed.

Other criteria discussed included the adoption, by the town, of an expedited application and permit process for qualifying energy facilities and establishing a benchmark for energy use and developing a plan to reduce baseline use by 20 percent within five years.

Ms. Francis said that Tabor Academy, the Kittansett Club, and others in town have requested energy audits from NStar to assist in reducing their energy costs. NStar will not audit a municipality – however, a software package could be purchased by the town and energy use per building could be monitored and show which buildings are the least efficient.

The last two criteria included the purchase of only fuel-efficient vehicles for town use and setting requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction. Most town vehicles are excluded, including police cars and large trucks. To help with meeting standards for new construction, the code advocates adopting the new Board of Building Regulations and Standards Stretch Code.

“In the next few years, this code will probably be adopted by the Commonwealth anyway,” said Mr. Saltonstall.

Matthew Meyer, a Marion resident, attended with his young son and said that the energy policy in the United States is far behind Great Britain’s. “I’ve seen it firsthand and was surprised at the economic savings in industry as well as the benefit to the environment,” said Mr. Meyer. “I was a bit of a skeptic at first, but now see the substantial cost efficiencies in energy conservation,” said Mr. Meyer.

The next meeting will be on Monday, January 23 at the Marion Music Hall at 7:00 pm.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

Jr. High Gets a Taste of the Sr. High

on

Many classrooms in Old Rochester Regional High School entertained groups of eighth grade students visiting from the adjoining junior high on Wednesday, November 23, which was also a half-day for them. The visit was scheduled so that the eight grade students, who will soon be facing the decision of which area high school or vocational school to attend, might get to see what the high school is like during school hours, as well as get to talk to current students and ask questions about activities, classes, and homework.

A week prior to the visit, Assistant-Principal Mr. Parker called the high school students who had volunteered with this year’s freshmen orientation down to his office for a quick meeting.  Almost the entire group – minus a few students who couldn’t miss one or more of their classes to conduct the tours – agreed to act as tour guides for the eighth graders. Mr. Parker and Mr. Devoll were adamant that students could only participate in the tours if they did not have a test in the classes that they would be missing, and other than that, it was up to the students to decide whether it was worth the missed class or not (some students had quizzes or presentations that they couldn’t miss, either.)

The student tour guides met in the high school’s auditorium for 8:15 am so that Mr. Devoll could give everyone a briefing on the schedule for the event. Each tour, he explained, would last twenty minutes, and student tour guides could take their groups anywhere in the building that they deemed relevant to the eighth graders. He warned the tour guides that they only could go into classrooms that had open doors, since the teachers had been told that morning that if they didn’t want to be disturbed, they should keep their doors closed for the day. Mr. Devoll stressed that the tour guides do visit at least one classroom (and to not visit health teacher Mr. Jenkins and let him talk about the high school experience for all twenty minutes) and some of the more “remote” sections of the building, such as the television production room. Mr. Devoll told his tour guides that having television production was a big draw for some of the eighth grade students.

The students who had assembled to lead the tours broke up into groups of two or three, while a group of about seven students agreed to remain in the auditorium for a question and answer session with the eighth grade students. Mr. Devoll said that one of the eighth grade teams would go on tours while the other got to ask questions, and then the two would switch. Mr. Devoll facilitated the question and answer session, as well as counted off the eighth grade homerooms into smaller tour groups.

In the question and answer session, the questions mainly revolved around the length of classes, the amount of homework, and what a typical freshman schedule would look like. Mr. Devoll explained what the directed studies are like for students, and the question and answer panel attested that the workload is not unreasonable. When one eighth grade student asked if the honors classes involve more work, the panel chuckled and responded with a singular “YES!” while a few of the high school students added that it was doable, because “our teachers understand… they were kids once, too.” Mr. Devoll intercepted a question that one eighth grade student asked (which was about capping the amount of honors classes a student can take), saying that the school will never cap honors classes and that students are encouraged to sign up for what they think they can handle, and then cut back later if they need to do so. The eighth grade students were a little alarmed when they heard that the classes are 90 minutes long, compared to their rather short 45 minutes per class, but the panel unanimously agreed that the 90 minutes are necessary for the classes and not at all unbearable – plus, as one high school student pointed out, the directed studies are 90 minutes long as well. Most of the students on the panel said that they were able to do all of their homework during freshmen year in their studies.

Mr. Devoll put special emphasis on electives and school extra-curricular activities during the session, referring to both myself and a fellow senior, Ms. Nicole Pruchnik, for having used a school elective to explore potential careers. In my case, the English electives that I have taken have allowed me to pursue my interest in writing, and in Ms. Pruchnik’s case, her Sports Nutrition class and internship with the school’s athletic trainer have let her explore the field of sports medicine and training while simultaneously getting work experience for her résumé.

The eighth grade students were naturally curious about the high school’s drama club; luckily, one of the panel members was senior Mr. Kurt Correia, who has been involved with drama club for his whole high school experience and is also the drama club’s president. Mr. Correia told the eighth graders about the typical drama season – a fall play and a spring musical – and the variety of ways that students can be involved. Mr. Correia stressed that a student doesn’t have to be on stage in order to participate in the drama club, and spoke about the number of “techie” positions that are available, gesturing to the stage and other areas of the auditorium as he did so.

Shortly after 9:30 am, the eighth grade students had to return to their own school. Mr. Devoll thanked his student volunteers for their service and allowed them to sit in the auditorium until the bell rang. They attended the last two of their four classes that day (having missed two) and went home following the 11:30 am dismissal.

By Anne Smith

Victorious Thanksgiving Game for ORR

on

            Old Rochester Football – The Bulldogs certainly had some bumps along the road this season, but the victory against Apponequet at the Thanksgiving game proved just what ORR is capable of. The score at the conclusion of the game stood at 20-13, marking the first time since 2005 that ORR has beaten Apponequet. DJ MacDonald had an outstanding game, setting the ORR record for the longest touchdown run from the scrimmage line at 98 yards. He also had 18 carries for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

With the final football game of the season having taken place, the fall season truly has concluded. Here is a recap of how the other fall sports teams fared this season. Photos of the game can be seen in The Wanderer photo gallery at www.wanderer.com/gallery

            Old Rochester Boys and Girls Cross Country – The boys finished a very successful season, only losing to New Bedford Voke in their regular season and placing second in the SCC meet. The girl’s team finished their season undefeated winning both the conference and the SCC meet.

            Old Rochester Field Hockey – The ORR girls finished their season undefeated with a record of 17-0-1 after being knocked out of the tournament by Harwich.

            Old Rochester Girls Soccer – The girls wrapped up a successful season last week, making it into the first found of the state tournament. Their record stands at 13-3-2.

            Old Rochester Boys Soccer – The Bulldogs had quite a lot to talk about this season from being undefeated at home to breaking Voke’s seven year home winning streak, but it all ultimately ended up in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. Their record now stands at 15-3-2.

By India Krawczyk