Old Colony Welcomes Alumni Association
Old Colony is family. We are the students, faculty, and staff working for a positive and productive educational experience. After thirty-one years of operation, we find that our family is an extended family. Our current students learning a trade are the children, nieces, and nephews of many of our former students.
To keep us connected, Old Colony has established an Alumni Association. Those in the association have the opportunity to participate in activities and have a voice for positive change in the school.
Alumni members will receive a biannual newsletter in the mail and other messages through e-mail. Other benefits include:
- Keeping in touch with classmates and planning class reunions.
- Giving back to Old Colony through your ideas, participation, and assistance with projects.
- Adding your name to the Alumni Directory (listing your shop, year of graduation, city/town, and email address.
- Helping with fundraising for school activities and athletics.
- Reconnecting with Old Colony and our community.
Any former student, faculty member, or staff personnel can become a member by registering at no cost. Registration can be done in person, via the mail, or by completing an online form on the Old Colony website (www.oldcolony.us/alumni/alumni_contact.htm).
Contact Mr. Matt Trahan by phone at 508-763-8011 (ext. 143), or via email at mtrahan@oldcolony.us.
We encourage your participation in this worthwhile association. Through the Alumni Association, we can once again say, Welcome home. As a member, you can say, I’m home.
“Hats Off to” Old Colony National Honor Society
The Old Colony NHS chapter was awarded another national Outstanding Service Project Award at the National Honor Society Conference in Orlando, Florida, held from November 3-5, 2006. Old Colony was one of ten NHS Chapters that received national awards for outstanding service to their school and community. Old Colony’s NHS chapter is the only chapter in the country to have won seven Outstanding Service Project awards. They have won this award the past four years in a row.
This year the award was received for the service project Hats Off to You! This project involved making fleece hats that then were donated to local homeless/transition shelters. NHS members solicited donations of fleece and purchased additional material of various patterns. Hat-making workshops were held after school with staff and parents volunteering their time and expertise in demonstrating how to sew and also lending a hand in creating the hats. NHS members, with help from additional students, were able to complete 170 fleece hats.
Eighteen members of the Old Colony NHS chapter attended the fourteenth annual National Honor Society Conference. They were: Aaron Carvalho, Jeffrey Cormier, Brandon Deneault, Ryan Pimental, Kathryn Lawton (Acushnet); Neil Andre, Samantha Clarke, Richard Pemberton, Melissa Jones (Freetown); Nicholas DeBrum, Jennifer Lewis, Corey Beecher, Kerri Ann Kauranen, Michael Poland (Lakeville); Natalie Hazen, Daniel Hurd, Zachary Card (Carver); and Alex Buckley (Rochester). The NHS members were accompanied by four chaperones: Mrs. Christine Watling (Old Colony’s NHS advisor), Mrs. Rita Bretto, Mr. Paul Sleight, and Mr. Paul Brodeur.
Faculty members recogized for 30 years of service
Three faculty members have been recognized and awarded for completing 30 years of exemplary service to the students of the Old Colony School District. The teachers are:
- Donald Mosher (Automotive Department)
- Robert Francis (House & Mill Carpentry Department)
- A. Michael Sirrico (Business Department)
Around Old Colony
* The following students have been elected to lead the Old Colony Student Council for 2006-2007:
- Yahaira Robles-Ferro (Rochester) – President
- Victoria Fernandes (Freetown) – Vice President
- Robert Loesher (Carver) – Treasurer
- Baylee Ricci (Carver) – Secretary
* Janelle Gifford (Acushnet), a top-ranking senior class member at Old Colony, has been selected to receive the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents’ “Certificate of Academic Excellence.” Janelle has excelled in both her academic and vocational studies. Janelle is vice president of the school’s National Honor Society Chapter and a member of the Web Team, varsity softball team, and Student Advisory Committee.
* Robert Loesher (Carver), a member of the Class of 2007, has earned national certification from the Electronics Technicians Association. Robert received the Associate Level Electronics Technicians Certification, a credential that is required by the electronics industry across the United States.
* Congratulations to the 2006 Old Colony Golf Team and Coach John Abaray for winning the Mayflower League Championship once again!
* The following students were elected by the student body to serve a one-year term on the 2006-2007 Student Advisory Committee to the School Committee:
- Samantha Clarke (Freetown) – Class of 2007
- Janelle Gifford (Acushnet) – Class of 2007
- Jeffrey Cormier (Acushnet) – Class of 2007
- Adam Veary (Freetown) – Class of 2008
- Steven Verronneau (Acushnet) – Class of 2008
* Computer Information Technology (CIT) students at Old Colony are involved in a unique learning opportunity. The students are enrolled as distance learning students at Bristol Community College. In effect, they are earning college credits and participating in college online courses, while at school. The following CIT students are currently enrolled:
- Annie Bowen (Acushnet)
- Benjamin Dellarocco (Mattapoisett)
- Christopher Fisher (Carver)
- Michael Poland (Lakeville)
- Keith Vieira (Freetown)
- Zachary Card (Carver)
- Kyle DeSousa (Acushnet)
- Jared LaFreniere (Acushnet)
- Adam Veary (Freetown)
- Matthew Willett (Carver)
* The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) is implementing a new Student Ambassador Program. Janelle Gifford (Acushnet) and Steven Verronneau (Acushnet), have been nominated by Athletic Director Matthew Trahan.
* Congratulations to the 2006 Old Colony Boys’ Soccer Team and Coach Mary-Anne Walker for winning its first-ever Massachusetts Vocational Small Schools championship!
* Old Colony is very proud to announce that twenty-eight seniors are recipients of John and Abigail Adams Scholarships. This scholarship is available to students whose MCAS performance puts them at the top 25 percent in their district. Recipients are granted four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the nine state or 15 community colleges in Massachusetts. The seniors are:
|
|
* Senior Samantha Clarke (Freetown), has been selected to receive a 2006-2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Service Award and a Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award. Samantha was selected for these honors because of her work in both the community and school. She is the president of the Old Colony Chapter of the National Honor Society, chairperson of the Student Advisory Committee to the School Committee, and a member of the school’s Peer Leadership group and School Council.
* Recently, Mr. Brad VanDusen, a representative from Making High School Count, met with all ninth-grade students in an assembly at Old Colony. The program focused on time management in high school. The discussion included what colleges look for in an applicant, the importance of being involved in the overall school community, and a discussion of effective study habits. Students also participated in several exercises that reinforced these important topics.