Schools

Lego donation to bolster STEAM programs at Mattapoisett schools

MATTAPOISETT _ Center School and Old Hammondtown School have received LEGO Spike educational sets to enhance elementary STEAM learning, Principal Rose Bowman and Superintendent Michael S. Nelson have announced. The schools’ technology programs...

Mattapoisett Lions Club offers two scholarships

The Mattapoisett Lions Club will be offering two $2,500 scholarships this year to a graduating high school senior or home-schooled student living in Marion, Mattapoisett or Rochester. Funds for the Peter Hodges Memorial Scholarship are raised...
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No school in ORR district Friday

All schools will be closed Friday, Jan. 7 within the Old Rochester Regional School District & MA Superintendency Union #55 due to the inclement weather forecast. This decision was made taking into consideration the projected snow accumulation,...

Next stop, the North Pole: Mr. and Mrs. Claus fill in as bus drivers

MATTAPOISETT — Students taking the bus to school from Mattapoisett got a festive surprise on Thursday morning, Dec. 23 when their usual bus drivers were replaced with Jolly Old Saint Nicholas and his wonderful wife, Mrs. Claus. “It was so cute,”...

Rochester Memorial bids farewell to longtime maintenance supervisor

ROCHESTER — After nearly four decades of dedicated service to Rochester Memorial School, Maintenance Supervisor Brian Ouellette was celebrated on Wednesday, Dec. 22 with a “clap out” ceremony in honor of his retirement. Students from kindergarten to...

OR senior Amaya McLeod picked for superintendent’s award

Old Rochester High School senior Amaya McLeod was presented with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Award of Academic Excellence on Dec. 8, according to school officials. "Amaya is an exceptional student and role model within...

Assistant superintendent to depart ORR School District

MATTAPOISETT — Superintendent Michael S. Nelson announced on Monday, Dec. 20 that Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Jannell Pearson-Campbell will be departing her position at the end of the school year. "Assistant Superintendent...

Old Rochester okays overnight field trips for DECA club

The Old Rochester School Committee approved two overnight field trips for students in the DECA entrepreneurship club at OR who qualify for spring competitions. The first of the two trips, the State Career Development Conference, or SCDC, will take...

MCAS data shows OR High School ahead, Junior High slipping slightly

Principals Silas Coellner, of ORR Junior High, and Mike Devoll, of ORR High School, presented last year’s MCAS results for their respective schools at an Old Rochester School Committee meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 8. Overall, the results were mixed...

Old Rochester approves Rhode Island venue for Senior Prom

The Old Rochester School Committee approved a request from the senior class to hold its senior prom at Belle Mer on Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island. Old Rochester High School Principal Mike Devoll said that the school has held its prom at the...

Rochester School Committee approves solar contract

ROCHESTER — A solar canopy that would be installed above the rear parking lot of Rochester Memorial School moved another step towards construction on Thursday, Dec. 2 after the Rochester School Committee voted to approve a contract for the project...

Rochester Memorial posts strong MCAS results

ROCHESTER — Despite some slight dips in certain test scores, Rochester Memorial School’s 2021 MCAS results stayed mostly consistent in the first round of standardized testing since the pandemic began. Superintendent Michael Nelson emphasized that...

Mattapoisett MCAS scores steady, despite pandemic

MATTAPOISETT — For the Old Rochester Regional School District’s third school to present its MCAS results, consistency was key, and administrators found several things to be proud of despite pandemic disruptions. Superintendent of Schools Michael...

Old Hammondtown, Center School Principal to retire

MATTAPOISETT — Rose Bowman, who has been the principal of both Center School and Old Hammondtown School since 2014, will retire from the role at the end of this school year. Bowman started her teaching career in New Bedford in 1971. She was first...

ORR High School announces personal finance program

ORR High School has partnered with Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts to bring a series of personal finance lessons to students. Students will be able to attend the program beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1 during their "Bulldog Block" flex...

Recycle plastic film to help Rochester Memorial School win a bench

The Rochester Memorial School’s 6th grade is competing with other schools across the country to collect the most plastic film in an effort to clean up the environment and to win a composite bench from NexTrex, a company that makes eco-friendly...

Recycling and reporting: students blend subjects in Rochester Memorial project

Sixth grade students at Rochester Memorial School are putting the skills they learn in their classes to real-world use during the launch of a new recycling initiative. The school is participating in the NexTrex plastic film recycling challenge — a...

Sippican School math MCAS scores show impact of pandemic, more so than English

MARION — Sippican School experienced some dips in its 2021 MCAS scores due to pandemic disruptions, but overall most of its scores were still above the state average. It also appeared that the math scores were more impacted than the English Language...

Toys for Tots collection at ORR Dec. 10

The Old Rochester Regional High School Learning Club is hosting a Toys for Tots drive from 7 to 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 10. The club is asking for donations of new, unwrapped toys for local children. For more information, contact karenbrowning@...

University officials celebrate more than a decade of UMass law with renovated atrium

DARTMOUTH — A newly renovated atrium dedicated to two women who made significant contributions to the creation of UMass Law was unveiled Nov. 16 as part of the celebration of the tenth year anniversary of the school. The lobby was dedicated to...

Mattapoisett classroom goes fully remote after spike in covid-19 cases

MATTAPOISETT — After seeing a sharp increase in covid cases, one Center School classroom will begin to learn remotely, the Old Rochester Regional School District announced Thursday, Nov. 18. The school’s participation in the state’s Symptomatic and...

Anti-maskers protest OR’s enforcement of state mask mandates

A group of Old Rochester Regional parents has hosted periodic protests at the school, speaking out against requiring students to wear masks. “We don’t want the government or the school system to mandate anything that affects the health and well-...

ORR/Fairhaven hockey team member hazed by multiple teammates

A student athlete on the Old Rochester Regional and Fairhaven joint varsity hockey team was hazed by multiple teammates during a parent-organized event in Bourne on Oct. 17, according to the district. The incident, which occurred in the locker room...

OR High School to host soup dinner to combat hunger

The art department and art students of ORR High School invite the Tri-Town community to come together on Thursday, Nov. 18 from 6 - 7:30 pm for some soup and a handmade artisan bowl. For a $20 donation, attendees will get soup from Blount Fine Foods...

OR math team receives trophy for conference title

The award presentation was delayed by more than a year, but the accomplishment still added up to a sweet victory for the Old Rochester Regional High School math team. The team won the conference title for the Southeastern Massachusetts Mathematics...

OR pep rally returns after two-year pause

Better late than never! ORR High School held its annual pep rally for the first time in two years on Friday, Nov. 5, one week after the event was delayed by a nor’easter that battered the region. The event traditionally takes place in the high...

Tri-Town public schools closed again, outages continue

The Old Rochester School District and Old Colony Vocational Technical High School cancelled classes for the second straight day on Thursday, Oct. 28 in the wake of Tuesday night’s nor’easter while Marion’s Tabor Academy reopened after taking...

DESE extends mask mandate

As the Old Rochester Regional High School’s vaccination rate closes in on 80%, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has once again extended its mask mandate for schools. The original mask mandate for this year, issued Aug. 25, had...

OR seniors host Trunk-or-treat

Trunk-or-Treat! OR seniors dressed up in costumes and handed out candy to children from around the Tri-Town on Oct. 23 at the high school’s second annual Trunk-or-treat event. In addition to providing a festive evening for the local children, the...

Gender-neutral pronouns, tweaked rules in new ORR handbooks

The Old Rochester School committee voted at a Oct. 20 meeting to approve changes to the student handbooks of ORR High School and Junior High, making their language more inclusive and tweaking certain school rules. Both handbooks will change “she/he...

Cultural club learns about Latinx and Hispanic culture

To celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, the Old Rochester Regional cultural club attended the Brazilian Grille in Dartmouth. The group learned the differences between Hispanic and Latinx cultures and heard from guest speaker Ibby Bobola...

Rochester Memorial hosts trunk-or-treat

ROCHESTER — Halloween came to town a bit early this year, with a trunk-or-treat hosted by the Rochester Memorial School Parent Teacher Organization on Oct. 16. From monsters, to CandyLand, to the Peanuts, there was no small variety of trunks for...

Covid cases remain near last week’s peak, schools issue warning

New covid cases topped 55 in the Tri-Town for the second straight week in the week leading up to Oct. 14, sustaining a peak not seen since last year’s holiday surge, before vaccinations became widespread. Marion led the three towns with 29 new cases...

Old Rochester to offer preschool screenings

The Old Rochester Regional School District will be holding its annual screening clinic for three and four year olds on the following dates and locations: Oct. 19 at Rochester Memorial School, Jan. 26 at Center School and March 10 at Sippican School...

Rochester approves new student handbook

ROCHESTER — The Rochester School Committee approved a revised student handbook on Oct. 7. Rochester’s approval of the handbook — similar to one adopted by Mattapoisett elementary schools — is the second of three such approvals to be considered by...

OR schools to take ‘accelerated’ approach to combat learning loss

The Old Rochester Regional School District is showing no signs of slowing down in educating its students. As Tri-Town schools forge into an in-person school year following a year of largely remote learning, the district is opting to take an “...

One Center School class to be held remotely after covid outbreak

MATTAPOISETT — After seeing a sharp increase in covid cases, one Center School classroom will begin to learn remotely, the Old Rochester Regional School District announced Friday. A high number of covid cases has been identified among students in a...

OR senior class celebrates start of last year with picnic, class photo

ORR High School’s senior class got a day off to enjoy the sunshine on Oct. 1 as the school held its annual Senior Picture Day Picnic at Ned’s Point. Students took pictures of each other in front of the lighthouse, enjoyed a spread of snacks and...

First responders visit OR to talk about public service careers

First responders from around the state gathered at ORR High School on Sept. 30 to meet with the school’s Lifeskills class, a special education course, and discuss public service career paths with the students. Police cruisers from local and State...

Spots still open in Project GROW

MARION — There are still openings left in Sippican School’s Project GROW preschool program. According to the district's policy regarding Project GROW enrollment, if any general education openings remain unfilled, one opening will be reserved for a...

DESE extends school mask mandate to at least Nov. 1

After consulting with medical experts and state health officials, DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced Monday, Sept. 27 that the state will extend the school mask mandate through at least Nov. 1. The previous mask mandate, issued Aug. 25, had...

First cultural club meeting draws 50 students

The Old Rochester Cultural Club held its inaugural meeting on Sept. 23, and it was a hit. The meeting brought more than 50 students, and the club looks to expand from there. An affiliate chapter of the Cultural Clubs of America, Inc. the group seeks...

ORR ‘Boosterthon’ raises $17,000 for student activities

Old Rochester Regional Junior High School held a school-wide celebration last week to mark the end of a successful two-week fundraising effort. The school took part in "Booster Bash 2021" on Thursday, Sept. 23 marking the end of its Boosterthon...

Fred Underhill to be inducted to Old Colony Wall of Achievement

ROCHESTER — He was there for its founding, and now he’ll be a fixture on the school’s Wall of Achievement immemorial. Rochester’s own Fred Underhill will be inducted to the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School’s Wall of Achievement...

Marine bio class gets hands-on harbormaster experience

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester students got a small taste of the life of a harbormaster on Sept. 27. Lynn Connor’s marine biology class met Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jamie McIntosh for a hands-on oyster propagation lesson, during which students sorted...

Joint School Committee approves raise for substitute teachers

The ORR Joint School Committee voted at a Sept. 23 meeting to raise wages for substitute teachers at OR schools in order to attract more candidates for the positions. The raise follows a similar action taken last year which the committee decided was...

OR recognized as Special Olympics Champion School

The Old Rochester Regional High School has been recognized as an official Special Olympics Massachusetts Unified Champion School following the 2020-2021 school year. The school received the designation for “embodying what it means to be a Unified...

MCAS data show Tri-Town schools in top percentiles

Despite an overall drop in achievement scores as schools struggled with the challenge of teaching through a pandemic last year, students at Tri-Town schools outperformed the state average in standardized tests, according to state MCAS data released...

OR School Committee approves regional agreement addendum

A vote to update the Old Rochester Regional School District’s regional agreement will likely come with an addendum at Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester’s Fall Town Meetings. The Old Rochester School Committee voted to approve an addendum to the...

High school, junior high principals applaud start to school year

After the first couple weeks of the school year, officials at Old Rochester Regional High School and Junior High had nothing to sing but praises about the return to classes. “To see kids moving and mixing it up,” Junior High Principal Silas Coellner...

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