Education

Podcast: Haverhill Mayor Barrett Brings Listeners Behind the Scenes on School Decisions

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In a wide-ranging interview with WHAV this week, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett took listeners behind the scenes on recent moves affecting the futures of both the “big” and “little” Whittier schools. Barrett, in her fourth month working out of the corner office at City Hall, took some time Wednesday to appear on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. The mayor said she spoke with Gov. Maura T. Healey recently as plans took shape to explore a shared campus for Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and Northern Essex Community College. “So, the idea would be to build a Whittier Vo-Tech and align it with NECCO so they could capture some different dollars rather than just the 11 communities relying on (Massachusetts School Building Authority) and their own tax levy capacities. This would open up even more grant opportunities, some federal funding, take advantage of job training monies that might be out there from both the state and federal government to try to reduce the cost to the communities and produce a school that will produce workers for the future,” she said.

Education

Consentino School Construction to Begin Next Week; No Change to Traffic Flow

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It’s time. Construction of a new Dr. Albert B. Consentino School begins in earnest next week in back of the existing building, and the school department is alerting students and visitors about what to expect. In letters in English and Spanish distributed to families, school officials say there is no change in the traffic flow that has been in place since last September. “At the start of the school year, the administration at Consentino School implemented a revised traffic pattern in preparation for the anticipated construction. This was completed so there would not be any mid-year changes to our arrival and dismissal procedures.

Education

Reception Opens Haverhill High Fine Arts Academy Seniors’ Art Show

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A student art show opens in May with a reception celebrating seniors enrolled in Haverhill High School’s Fine Arts Academy. Participating students are Reem Balbesi, Mila Barbrick, Keira Bushey, Amara Ezeoke, Jay Faxon, Jorie McIrvin, Dean Reinoso, Elina Sam, Nico Vaillancourt and Vasiliki Vourtsas. The gallery reception takes place Thursday, May 9, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., at HC Media, 2 Merrimack St., Haverhill.

Education

Northern Essex Knights’ Reynoso Again Makes NJCAA Basketball All-America First Team

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Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball standout Luis Reynoso was named Tuesday to the NJCAA Basketball All-America First Team for the second consecutive year by the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Committee. Reynoso of Lawrence becomes the first player in the history of the Knights basketball program to be earn two All-American awards and is just the fourth athlete in the Northern Essex athletic program to earn to recognition twice. On the season, Reynoso appeared in 31 of the Knights 34 games, as he led the Knights to their second consecutive NJCAA Region 21/East District championship where the Knights returned to the national tournament where they finished in fifth place. The team ranked as high as number two in the national rankings during the season. He scored 614 points on the season and became the first Knight to score 1,000 career points since Joe Marshall in 2001 as her finished his two-year career on the Haverhill campus with 1,244 points

While averaging 26.6 minutes played per game, Reynoso led the team in scoring (19.8 ppg), rebounds (13.2 rbg), blocks (1.6 bpg) and assists (4.5apg).

Education

NAMM Names Pentucket Regional School District One of Best Communities for Music Education

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The Pentucket Regional School District was recently recognized by the NAMM Foundation as part of the Best Communities for Music Education list for the fourth consecutive year. Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair David Schumacher said the district is one of 23 schools across Massachusetts to receive the honor of being included on the list. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts nationwide that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. “Applying for this designation was a massive undertaking involving the coordination of K-12 music faculty, all our district principals and the Pentucket Music Boosters,” Schumacher said. Bartholomew added, “Our students are so passionate about music and the arts, and because of strong community support we are able to provide them with an outstanding music education program.”

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.

Education

As Reported Last Fall, Haverhill Considers Merging Tilton and JG Whittier Schools in State Application

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Haverhill is making formal its plans, first reported by WHAV in December, to consider merging the John Greenleaf Whittier and John C. Tilton Schools. The Haverhill School Committee last night voted at a special meeting to authorize Superintendent Margaret Marotta to submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The expected formality is the first required step toward having the 456-student Tilton elementary school considered. As WHAV reported, the John Greenleaf Whittier was already invited into a state eligibility period that involves a feasibility study and later steps to determine formally whether the school should be renovated or replaced and the amount of state reimbursement. Haverhill School Committee member Richard J. Rosa told WHAV last fall he met with members of the School Building Authority during an Oct.

Education

Gov. Healey Stops in at North Andover High School as Part of National Robotics Week

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Besides her visit to Amazon’s new distribution facility Monday, Gov. Maura T. Healey visited North Andover High School as part of National Robotics Week. The governor met with the high school robotics club and congratulated them ahead of the Vex Robotics World Championships, which they will compete in later this month. She saw their robotics projects and presented a proclamation for National Robotics Week. Healey also visited MassRobotics, described as the largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating innovation and adoption in the field of robotics. “Massachusetts is proud to be home to one of the lead robotics hubs in the world, and it’s essential that we continue to lengthen this lead through targeted investments like the Mass Leads Act,” said Healey.

Education

With Healey Blessing, Whittier Tech Explores New Building, Shared Campus with Northern Essex

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If tentative steps toward a “shared campus” with Northern Essex Community College continue, a new building may be on the horizon of Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. The high school and college will “explore ways to create a new, modern facility for Whittier Tech, … increase enrollment capacity at both institutions and make them more affordable. It will also open up new avenues for potential additional funding sources beyond cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley,” according to a press release issued Thursday by Gov. Maura T. Healey’s office. Northern Essex President Lane A. Glenn said the plan would increase collaboration already happening between the two schools, with Whittier Tech Superintendent Maureen Lynch praising the endeavor. To find a path forward, a representative of the governor’s office told WHAV, “we intend to convene legislators and municipal officials” from the 11 communities that send students to Whittier Tech.