Haverhill Promise

Haverhill Promise Partners With Pentucket Medical to Foster Early Literacy Citywide

By |

Pentucket Medical is fostering early literacy efforts citywide through a relationship with Haverhill Promise. (File photograph)

City healthcare provider Pentucket Medical is pledging to support early literacy through its partnership with Haverhill Promise. Through the new partnership, Pentucket aims to expand the Reach Out and Read initiative across the city, providing young patients a new book as part of each annual well-child visit until age 5. The program also provides parents with tips and tricks on how to encourage literacy at home. Pentucket Medical physicians, including Dr. Paula W. Boulanger and Dr. Sherwood Lee, along with Haverhill Promise’s Dr. John Maddox and Rep. Andy Vargas, will formally tout the partnership and announce next steps at a Thursday ceremony in Haverhill.

Education

Haverhill Promise Hosts Focus Group With Springfield Early Literacy Leader Fuller

By |

(Left to right) Haverhill School Committee Member Richard Rosa, State Rep. Andy Vargas, School Committee Member Gail Sullivan, The Irene E. & George A. David Foundation Project Head Sally Fuller and school pediatrician Dr. John Maddox discussed the importance of having children achieve full literacy by third grade. (WHAV News photograph)

Haverhill is continuing its effort to have all city students reading at grade level by the end of third grade, calling in assistance from a group who has been in its shoes: Springfield-based Reading Success by 4th Grade. On Monday, educators and members of the Haverhill School Committee gathered at the Haverhill Public Library for a presentation on the community initiative funded by The Irene E. & George A. David Foundation with the goal of having all children in Springfield reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Several Haverhill city and state leaders, including state Rep. Andy Vargas and school pediatrician Dr. John Maddox, hope to replicate the success of the group closer to home through a cross-sector collaborative called Haverhill Promise. According to Sally Fuller, the Springfield group’s project director, the inspiration for their local initiative began after John Davis, a trustee for the foundation, learned that only 33 percent of city third graders could read at or above grade level.

Haverhill Promise

Haverhill Schools to Use $89K in Early Literacy Grants for Teacher Development

By |

An expert to review district early literacy materials will be hired using grant money, Superintendent Marotta told School Committee members Thursday. (File photograph)

More money is on the way for Haverhill Public Schools to further the district-wide effort to get all students reading at grade level by the conclusion of third grade. At Thursday’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent Margaret Marotta said the school system received $89,000 in grant money to support literacy-related professional development at area elementary schools. Funds courtesy of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be shared between Bartlett, Bradford Elementary, Crowell, Golden Hill, Hunking, Silver Hill, Tilton and Walnut Square, Marotta said. “That money will include some professional development for teachers, where we’ll have an expert and consultant come in and support us during the school day, and look at the curriculum and curriculum implementation, so that we won’t be pulling teachers out of class,” Marotta said.

Haverhill Promise

Vargas to Offer Update on Haverhill Promise Literacy Effort at iHub Tuesday

By |

Rep. Andy Vargas (speaking at the March 19 launch of the Haverhill Promise literacy effort) calls for volunteers to donate books to young readers. (WHAV News photograph)

Haverhill is prepared to get all students reading at grade level by third grade—that’s a promise! The city’s formal campaign to encourage early literacy kicked off in March and state Rep. Andy Vargas is gathering local stakeholders to offer a status update to the community Tuesday at the downtown iHub. The program centers around three pillars of school readiness, attendance and summer learning, with Haverhill businesses, school department staff and other community partners banding together to prioritize success, said Vargas. Over the past several months, Haverhill Promise enlisted Brandeis MBA students Gabriela Corbera and Cody Smith, along with Patrick O’Connor of the nonprofit Leadership of Educational Equity, to gather research and proven strategies that could translate in Haverhill.

Haverhill Promise

Patriots Star Malcolm Mitchell Touts Youth Literacy During Haverhill ‘Reading Rally’

By |

New England Patriots star Malcolm Mitchell reads to Haverhill students from his book “The Magician’s Hat” during a Monday “reading rally” at the YMCA. (WHAV News photograph)

With just days to go before school’s out for the summer, New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell appeared before a crowd of nearly 300 Monday at Haverhill’s YMCA to stress that there’s no off-season when it comes to literacy. Hosting a “Reading Rally” complete with a magic show, Mitchell hyped up the crowd of children, parents and local leaders before reading from his self-published book, “The Magician’s Hat.”

As youth in Patriots jerseys looked on, Mitchell made students “pinky-promise” to keep up their reading—even while school’s out. Summer reading is a must for students to avoid the dreaded “summer slide” that often happens when school’s out, Mitchell told WHAV. “I view reading as exercise for the brain, so similar to football, if I want to be conditioned to run longer, I have to run.

Haverhill Promise

J.F Maddox Foundation Donates $10K to Support Haverhill YMCA’s Summer Reading Program

By |

YMCA Regional Executive Director Tracy Fuller (left) celebrated the Summer Readers’ Camp donation alongside Pentucket Lake Principal Dianne Connolly, School Committeeman Richard J. Rosa and donor Dr. John Maddox. (WHAV News photograph)

Summer slide? Not in Haverhill! In the city’s latest effort to have all students reading at grade level by the end of third grade, the YMCA has doubled the amount of spaces available for their summer literacy program thanks to a $10,000 donation from the J.F Maddox Foundation. The donation matches another $10,000 contributed by Haverhill Public Schools.

Haverhill Promise

Patriots Star Mitchell Reading to First-Graders Monday at Haverhill YMCA

By |

New England Patriots Super Bowl champ Malcolm Mitchell appears in Haverhill on Monday, June 18. (Courtesy photograph)

New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is taking a break from his NFL duties Monday to kick off summer with elementary schoolers during an interactive “Reading Rally” at Haverhill’s YMCA, 81 Winter St. An afternoon of free, family-friendly activities kicks off after school at 3 p.m., when children are welcome to use the Y facilities at no cost. Students can also enjoy a bounce house, face painting and arts and crafts before pizza is served at 5 p.m.

Twenty-four-year-old Mitchell is scheduled to read his self-published story, “The Magician’s Hat,” to students at 6 p.m. A magic show by John Logan is also planned before Carter’s Ice Cream serves dessert for attendees. Staged in conjunction with Mitchell’s Share the Magic Foundation and the Haverhill Education Coalition, the Haverhill Reading Rally is an event parents can enjoy alongside their kids, says Share the Magic’s Executive Director Beth Pann.

Haverhill Promise

Haverhill Teacher Guertin Signs Second Book Deal, Lands Agent

By |

Tilton teacher Annemarie Guertin has scored a second book deal and a literary agent. (Courtesy photograph)

Two months after the release of her debut picture book, Haverhill elementary school teacher Annemarie Guertin has inked a deal for her second book—and nabbed an agent. Tilton second-grade teacher Guertin tells WHAV she was approached by Familius Publishing, who issued her debut “How the Finch Got His Colors” in March, to option a second folktale for children. “’Finch’ is doing exceptionally well and selling out all over the place,” Guertin tells WHAV, adding that her debut is now in its second printing. “Since it is doing so well, my publisher reached out and asked if I would collaborate with them on another folktale.