Seniors Learn the Importance of Voter Registration
Massachusetts State Senator Joan M. Menard (D-Fall River) visited Old Colony on March 27, 2006, and addressed the senior class on the importance of registering to vote and participating in the democratic process. Superintendent-Director David J. Ferreira opened the assembly by noting that seniors face new responsibilities as they prepare for the next phase of their lives, including registering to vote and helping to make a difference.
Senator Menard explained that every vote matters. She gave several examples of close elections where candidates won or lost by a few votes.
After voter registration forms were distributed, Patrick Richards (from the Commonwealth’s Secretary of State office) spoke about the democratic process and helped the seniors complete the voting forms.
If you need to register to vote or have moved and need to change your voter registration, you may do so in three ways. First, you can register by mail by calling 617-727-2828 to get a registration form and mailing the completed form to your local city or town hall. Second, you can register in person at a voter registration event or at your local city or town hall. You will be asked to complete an affidavit of registration. Questions include your name, residence, and date of birth. Third, you may register at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
although you may not register on-line, you can read the “How To Register To Vote” information on the Massachusetts Elections Division web page at www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howreg.htm
Moving Forward Means Coming Back
The speeches at this year’s graduation focused on success, taking risks, and venturing into the future. Because Old Colony is a school that seeks to achieve these goals, it is not surprising that eight of our current teachers are helping Old Colony move forward by coming back.Douglas Desrochers (Welding and Metal Fabrication), Heather Darcy (History), Kristoffer Garcia (Welding and Metal Fabrication), Tammy Hoyle (Cosmetology), Kimberly Lopes (Cosmetology), Fran Mello (Machine and Tool Technology), Kathy Peterson (Graphic Communications), and Paul Sleight (Graphic Communications) were once students here.
Some teachers always wanted to return, while others were encouraged to return by teachers at Old Colony. What all of them have in common, though, is their enjoyment of the students and watching them succeed. To watch a student really learn something from your teaching and to know you could have a great effect on that student’s life, is what Mr. Garcia enjoys about teaching. Mr. Mello enjoys passing on knowledge that [he] received at Old Colony back to a new generation. Mr. Mello certainly came full circle. During his senior year, he left Old Colony to take a co-op position and stayed with that employment until he joined the Old Colony faculty.
Not only have these alumni teachers been involved in the classroom, but they have served on committees, in the sports program, and as class advisors. Each teacher is an asset in his or her prospective field and a benefit to the education of our youths.
CIT Students Build Website for Rochester Senior Center
Four sophomores from the Computer Information Technology Department recently completed a website for the Rochester Council on Aging (COA) Senior Center. The student web design team consisted of: Matthew Willett (Carver), Zachary Card (Carver), Adam Veary(Freetown), and Michael Poland (Lakville). The students visited the Senior Center in April and met with Director Sharon Lally and her staff. The sophomores toured the facility, took digital photos, and compiled the information and content for the website. They gained valuable real world experience by meeting with Mrs. Lally and her staff and discussing the objectives and goals of the website. The CIT students completed the design and development of the website in May and presented the new website at the Rochester Council on Aging Senior Center’s Annual Meeting on June 7, 2006. The new Rochester Senior Center website can be viewed online atwww.rochestermaseniorcenter.com
Old Colony Baseball Team Enjoys Successful Season
The 2006 Old Colony baseball team, under the direction of Coach Derek Domingos and his coaching staff, is one of the school’s most successful ever. This year’s Cougars are the Mayflower League co-champions and Massachusetts State Vocational champions. At this writing, the team has already won two games in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 3 South Sectional Semi-Finals. The current record of the baseball team is 18 wins and 4 losses.
Old Colony Captures Gold & Silver Medals in SkillsUSA State Competition
Old Colony’s Chapter of SkillsUSA participated in the Massachusetts Skills Championships and Leadership Conference in Marlboro, Massachusetts, on April 27-29, 2006. Twenty-seven students represented OC and competed against the finest vocational students in the state. In the Web Design competition, the sophomore team of Adam Veary (Freetown) and Matthew Willett (Carver) took the Gold Medal. The two state champions will now compete for national recognition at the Skills USA National Skills Championships and Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, from June 19-24, 2006. Senior Steven Cleary (Rochester) won a Silver Medal in Precision Machining. Congratulations to all the medal winners and participants!
Around the Colony
* Old Colony announced its annual Excellence In Effort Award winners at the Spring Advisory Board meeting on April 12, 2006. Winners were chosen by shop and related instructors on the basis of effort and motivation. Award winners (all members of the junior class) received a specially designed jacket with an Excellence In Effort logo and a framed certificate. A second award ceremony and school barbeque was held on June 5, 2006, for the entire student body. This year’s Excellence In Effort Award winners were:
| Shop | Name | Town |
| Automotive | James Randall | Mattapoisett |
| CAD Drafting | Michael Ricardo | Carver |
| Computer Info Tech | Michael Cormier | Mattapoisett |
| Cosmetology | Krystle Boulanger | Rochester |
| Culinary Arts | Nicole Thomas | Lakeville |
| Electrical | Spencer Harrison | Lakeville |
| Electronic Tech | Robert Loesher | Carver |
| Graphic Comm. | Melissa Almeida | Acushnet |
| Health Careers | Brianna Burke | Acushnet |
| House/Mill Carpentry | Richard Pemberton | Freetown |
| Machine & Tool | Jared Faherty | Freetown |
| Welding | Jakob Thuestad | Mattapoisett |
* The Old Colony administration recently received confirmation that three members of the junior class have been formally accepted into the Johnson & Wales University Access Program. Natalie Hazen (Carver – Electrical), Christopher Kirk (Acushnet – Computer Information Technology), and Rachel Tetrault (Acushnet – Cosmetology) will attend Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, during the 2006-2007 school year in lieu of their senior year of high school at Old Colony.
* A member of the boys basketball team and a member of the girls basketball team were recognized by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) for outstanding sportsmanship. Congratulations to seniors Mathew Hudon (Acushnet) and Kerrie Rousseau (Acushnet) for this recognition of their outstanding character and sportsmanship.
* Old Colony is pleased to announce that juniors Baylee Ricci (Carver) and Yahaira Robles-Ferro (Rochester) have been elected to the State Student Advisory Council. The students will represent OC in the Southeast Region and will serve from May 1, 2006 through May 1, 2007.
* The Second Annual Old Colony Golf Tournament, held at the Acushnet River Valley Golf Course on May 21, 2006, was a great success, as over $13,000 was raised for the Old Colony Scholarship Fund. There were 146 competing golfers in the tournament. The winning team consisted of Steve Bernat, David Bernat, Marc Bernat, and Marc Francis.
* Eight Old Colony student-athletes received Citizenship Awards on April 4, 2006, at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The ceremony, created in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day, is designed to recognize Massachusetts high school student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence in three disciplines: academics, athletics, and citizenship. The student-athletes were: Joseph Sargo (Lakeville), Janelle Gifford (Acushnet), Matthew Pacheco (Acushnet), Jonathan Delgado (Acushnet), Garrett Dunham (Lakeville), Nicole Thomas (Lakeville), Aubrey Catalfomo (Acushnet), and Yahaira Robles-Ferro (Rochester).
* Old Colony’s Chapter of the National Honor Society has been selected as a recipient of an Outstanding Chapter Award for the fifth year in a row. The Old Colony chapter is one of only three in the entire Commonwealth to have been selected for this distinction. This is the seventh Outstanding Chapter Award for Old Colony in the last nine years. The NHS has also received six National Service Awards. The Chapter received the award at the NHS State Leadership Conference in Worcester, MA, on April 4, 2006.
* The 5th Annual Mr. Cougar Competition, held on April 7, 2006, was a huge success! Over 650 people witnessed one of the most exciting and entertaining Mr. Cougar competitions ever. Ben Trahan (Culinary) was crowned Mr. Cougar 2006; first runner-up was Mathew Hudon (Machine & Tool) and the second runner-up was Josh Furtado (CIT).
* Students from the Computer Information Technology Department won first- and second-place trophies and prizes for their placement in the Fourth Annual Bristol Community College Website Contest, held on May 11, 2006, at the Fall River campus. Eighty students from 6 area high schools participated in the competition. The team of Jamie Pooler (Carver) and Jeffrey Cormier (Acushnet) won First Place and the team of Derek Valentim (Acushnet) and Nick DeBrum (Lakeville) won Second Place.
* Senior Nathan Deree (Acushnet) was selected as the 2006 recipient of the Acushnet Youth Athletic Association Scholarship.