Schools

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...
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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...

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...

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...

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...

Marion sixth graders to host car wash funraiser

MARION — The Sippican School sixth grade mountain field trip is set to return in 2022, and the sixth grade class is kicking off fundraising for the trip with a car wash on Sept. 18. Mountain classroom is a three-day trip in New Hampshire mountains...

School officials highlight reopening successes in Rochester

ROCHESTER — Despite an unexpected day off brought by the remnants of Hurricane Ida two days after school opened, Rochester Memorial School officials said the year has been off to a great start. At a Sept. 2 Rochester School Committee meeting,...

School starts: ORR has ‘tools in our toolbox’ for tackling covid

The start of the school year looked a bit more normal in the Old Rochester Regional School District, as students poured into their classrooms on the first day of school Aug. 31. “The first day of school is always the best day,” said Rochester...

Space still available for Project GROW

MARION — Openings are still available in the Sippican School's Project GROW preschool program. Project GROW was established in an effort to provide high-quality preschooling to children in Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. The goal of the program...

Mattapoisett first to approve revised Tri-Town student handbooks

The first of three revised student handbooks was approved at a Mattapoisett School Committee meeting on Aug. 30, after principals of the Tri-Town elementary schools gathered to update each of their handbooks to become nearly identical. “We thought...

Joint School Committee announces covid procedures for new school year

The Old Rochester Joint School Committee met on Aug. 26 to discuss reopening plans for Tri-Town schools as the new academic year quickly approaches. The Committee planned to address the question of masking in schools but a recent Department of...

School district prepares for DESE mask mandate

Masks will most likely be mandatory in the Old Rochester Regional School District for the beginning of the school year. Following a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education decision to allow Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to mandate masks for...

Former Mattapoisett School Committee member appointed to fill vacancy

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Select Board and School Committee met jointly on Aug. 24 to choose and appoint a new member to the School Committee, filling a seat vacated by former member Shannon Finning on July 20. After interviewing four...

Mattapoisett student awarded Blue Cross & Blue Shield scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) Employees’ Scholarship Foundation awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Ella Meninno of Mattapoisett. The company’s 32nd annual awards ceremony was held virtually, continuing a tradition...

OR celebrates students for AP achievement

Five students at Old Rochester Regional High School have earned the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma and four have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate for the 2020-21 school year. The capstone diploma awardees are Rachael Fantoni (...

OR Student receives Congressional Award Gold Medal

After three years of effort, Old Rochester Senior Edward Gonet IV was awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal. Now that he is finally finished, Gonet said that he feels relieved. “About a year-and-a-half in, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be...

Marion resident chosen as Bishop Stang assistant principal

MARION — Bishop Stang High School has chosen a Marion resident as its new assistant principal of academics for the upcoming school year. The Catholic school announced Aug. 6 that Dan Dias will take over the role. “I am both humbled and honored to...

OR student awarded SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarship

Jayce Kouta of Old Rochester Regional High School received a $700 scholarship from the SouthCoast Community Foundation at its award ceremony on July 28. The recent graduate was awarded the Ladies' Branch of the New Bedford Port Society. At the...

School district appoints new treasurer

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional School District has appointed a new treasurer in Michael Perrone. "Michael has extensive experience in financial management and operations within schools, having spent his entire career in the educational...

ORR High School DECA club to hold clothing and textile drive

Out with the old and in with the new! ORR High School’s DECA club is holding a clothing drive and is looking for donations of unwanted textiles. The entrepreneurship club has a partnership with Bay State Textiles to motivate future business leaders...

OR student elected President Pro Tempore at national mock government event

Edward Gonet IV, a rising senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, was elected President Pro Tempore of American Legion Boys Nation on Saturday, July 24. Gonet emerged victorious from a field of 11 candidates for the position of President Pro...

Mattapoisett in search of School Committee applications

MATTAPOISETT — The town is seeking letters of interest to fill the School Committee seat recently resigned by Shannon Finning. The vacancy will be filled by appointment by the Select Board. The appointed member will finish the current term, expiring...

Mattapoisett School Committee member tenders resignation

MATTAPOISETT — Shannon Finning, a Mattapoisett School Committee and Joint School Committee member, tendered her resignation from both boards in a written statement read by Selectman Jordan Collyer during the Mattapoisett Select Board meeting on July...

Meet Tabor Academy’s new Head of School

MARION — O Captain! My Captain! Tabor Academy has a new Head of School who is excited to take the helm and guide the historic school through the coming years. Tony Jaccaci is a seasoned school official who most recently served as the Head of School...

OR student makes American Legion national mock government event

Old Rochester Regional High School rising senior Eddie Gonet has been selected as a senator for American Legion Boys Nation in the Washington, D.C. area, from July 23 to 30. Boys Nation is an annual American Legion program that includes civic...

Rochester appoints Tri-Town Against Racism director to School Committee

ROCHESTER — After a failure to elect a Rochester School Committee member in the May Town Election, a seven-person selection committee comprising the Selectmen and School Committee members appointed Jason Chisolm to the position on July 19. Chisholm...

Audits, term lengths highlight Tri-Town meeting with OR district

Town and school officials are working toward revisions to a decades-old regional agreement with an eye on fall Town Meetings. Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester’s governing boards met with Old Rochester Regional School District Officials on July 13...

Tri-Town officials mull over enrollment study

Bueller? As enrollment declines in the Old Rochester Regional School District, Tri-Town officials at a July 13 joint meeting of Marion and Mattapoisett’s Select Boards and Rochester’s Board of Selectmen called for an enrollment study on the OR high...

Mattapoisett School Committee member takes Mass Maritime administration position

MATTAPOISETT — Mattapoisett School Committee member Dr. Shannon Finning has been hired as vice president of student services at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In her new role, Finning will be responsible for the direction, leadership and...

ORR superintendent releases annual progress report

First year Superintendent Michael Nelson gave his first annual progress report on Tuesday, July 6 during the Old Rochester Regional School District Joint School Committee meeting. The report, which assessed the superintendent’s performance according...

ORR Joint School Committee lets increased substitute pay expire

The ORR District Joint School Committee briefly discussed the expiration of a motion made last year that increased pay to substitute teachers and staff in order to attract qualified candidates during the pandemic. District Superintendent Michael...

Tri-Town students make Falmouth Academy Head of School list

MARION — Fifteen students from the Tri-Town made the Head of School list for the winter trimester at Falmouth Academy. From Rochester, Howard Keeler, Aubryn Dubois, Camden Jeppson and Eva Muldoon made the list. Benjamin Giumetti, Athena Kettner and...

Superintendent thanks school community for work in covid year

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Michael Nelson issued a message of thanks to the school community for their work during the 2020-21 school year. "Like every year, our faculty and staff are the lifeblood of our...

Mad Science comes to Center School

MATTAPOISETT — Don’t try this at home. instead, try it at Center School. The Mad Scientist, Jolting Jonathan, joined Mattapoisett Seahorse Camp on July 2. But Jonathan is not your typical scientist — he is a “magic” scientist who performs illusions...

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