Schools

New school year to be filled with opportunity for junior high students

MATTAPOISETT — As the 2025-26 school year approaches, educators at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School are gearing up to help kids transition from elementary school to junior high. “I think parents and kids are in good hands at the junior high...

Back to the books: Old Rochester elementary schools begin school year with unified curriculum, staff changes

Old Rochester Regional District elementary schools are entering the 2025-26 school year as a unified front, with all schools establishing a new math curriculum and emphasizing an eagerness to empower students. “It’s the first time in possibly ever...
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Consistency will be key at Old Rochester Regional High School this school year

MATTAPOISETT — For Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Michael Devoll, the theme of the 2025-2026 school year will be consistency. “Kids will recognize the school they return to,” he said. Of the few changes coming to the high school, the...

Old Colony welcomes new school year alongside 50th anniversary

ROCHESTER — As Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School eagerly enters its 2025-’26 school year, it is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. “Our goal is to educate well-rounded citizens and to instill in each of our students the power...

Donate to a school supply drive

ROCHESTER — As costs rise for everyday needs and the new school year approaches, the Rochester Democratic Town Committee is collecting supplies for students and staff at Rochester Memorial School. Collection boxes will be at Rochester Town Hall,...

Old Colony awarded Career Technical Initiative grant

ROCHESTER — On Tuesday, Aug. 5, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School was awarded a $335,000 grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to provide training to 40 participants for Welding and Advanced Manufacturing positions. As...

School away from home: Learning center helps teach homeschoolers

ROCHESTER — For three days a week, home-schooled kids from seven school districts across the South Coast come together at one of just 24 Christian learning centers in Massachusetts. Rochester resident Michael Costa opened the Rochester Christian...

Attend the Old Rochester Class of 1985 reunion

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional Class of 1985 is hosting its 40 year Class Reunion on Aug. 2 at The Ponderosa Sportsman’s Club. The event will kick off at 6:30 p.m. and is open to Old Rochester alumni who graduated from the high school or...

New panel shares the story of Center School

MATTAPOISETT — A panel describing the history of the Center School was recently installed in front of the building by the Mattapoisett Historical Commission. The panel tells the story of the school’s founding and includes pictures depicting what the...

Old Colony student wins award for electrical construction wiring

ROCHESTER — Calvin Payne, a Rochester resident and student at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Electrical Construction Wiring. More than 6,500 students competed in the 2025 SkillsUSA...

Students awarded scholarships to pursue careers in healthcare

MATTAPOISETT — Four recent Old Rochester high school graduates who intend to pursue careers in healthcare received scholarships from the Southcoast Health Ambassadors. These students are Ella Bartholomew, Elizabeth Houdelette, Caitlin O’Donnell and...

Learning Center celebrates graduates, five-year anniversary

ROCHESTER — Dancing to “Shake It Off,” “Barbie Girl” and “That’s Who I Praise,” three girls wearing light pink robes waltzed down the aisle during their preschool graduation from Learning Tree Family Daycare. Learning Tree Family Daycare is a...

Old Colony students qualify for SkillsUSA National Championships

ROCHESTER — Three Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School students qualified for the SkillsUSA National Championships where they will compete in Atlanta, Georgia from June 23 to June 27. The SkillsUSA Championships showcase “America’s...

Marion residents make the Upper Cape honor role

MARION — Several Marion residents made the honor role at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in the fourth quarter. Ninth grader Holden Campbell received high honors while ninth graders Cameron Estabrooks and Karley Pinto received honors...

Old Rochester Cares club sees positive first year

MATTAPOISETT — As the school year comes to an end at Old Rochester Regional High School, the newly established student-led club ORR Cares has had “great success.” ORR Cares is a club dedicated to fostering a positive and supportive environment for...

Bishop Stang student receives Blanche B. Perry Scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — Mattapoisett resident and Bishop Stang High School student Lowell Copps received the $1,000 Blanche B. Perry Scholarship from the Mattapoisett Land Trust. Copp will use the fund to study civil and environmental engineering at Case...

Marion residents awarded Sippican Woman’s Club scholarships

MARION — The Sippican Woman’s Club of Marion recently awarded $11,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors who live in Marion and an additional $3,000 in continuing education scholarships to Marion residents in post-secondary education...

Two Old Rochester graduates receive SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarships

MATTAPOISETT — Two recently graduated seniors from Old Rochester Regional High School were among the 120 local students honored with scholarships by the SouthCoast Community Foundation. Mars Castro Colaj and Xavier Pateakos were awarded scholarships...

Old Rochester School District adopts new AI policy

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional School District adopted a new policy regarding usage of artificial intelligence tools for educational purposes at a joint committee meeting on Thursday, June 12. The approved policy emphasizes transparency...

Marion residents graduate from Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School

Marion residents Haley Jaymes Lawrence and Shaun Michael Miranda graduated from Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School on Saturday, June 8. Both Miranda and Lawrence were part of the National Honor Society and Lawrence also made the Honor...

Honoring 20 years of service on the School Committee

ROCHESTER — After serving 20 years on the Rochester School Committee, Sharon Hartley was recognized for her elected service and longtime career as a respected educator. On Monday, May 12 a celebration of service recognizing Hartley as a member of...

Old Rochester senior receives Arthur Scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School senior Elizabeth Houdelette received the Sippican Lands Trust Helen A. Arthur Scholarship. The lands trust seeks scholarship applicants with an interest in environmental studies, conservation or a...

Fun-draising and fitness at Rochester Memorial School

ROCHESTER — As the school year winds to an end, Rochester Memorial School cut classes for a day and traded books for basketballs. Students and faculty broke out of their usual classroom routines to enjoy the annual Fitness Fun Day and Boosterthon...

Old Rochester Regional’s 50th reunion is coming up

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional High School Class of 1975’s 50th reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Reservation Golf and Beach Club at 10 Reservation Road. To help the Reunion Planning Committee contact...

Meet the top 10 Old Rochester graduates in the Class of 2025

Ten Old Rochester Regional High School seniors graduated at the top of their class on Saturday, May 31. These students are: Caitlin O’Donnell, Owen Osterday, Emily Wyman, Scarlett Sylvia, Aubrey Sylvia-Everett, Scarlet Patnaude, David Fredette,...

Marion Social Club awards scholarships to three students

MARION — Three students have been awarded scholarships from the Marion Social Club. Old Rochester Regional High School senior Matthew Hunt was awarded the William H Claflin, Jr. Scholarship for $2,500. Old Rochester Regional High School senior Ella...

Students have a whale of a good time learning about marine life

MATTAPOISETT — Pairs of small shoes piled up in the Center School gym as second graders slid into a life-sized, inflatable humpback whale. Sitting inside the whale’s belly, students learned about its internal organs, how they were similar to the...

‘We are ready to lead’: Old Colony class of 2025 graduates

ROCHESTER — The Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School class of 2025 reminisced over years of tests, trials and triumphs at their commencement ceremony on June 5, finally saying goodbye to “this little gem in the woods.” “As you leave...

‘Mamma Mia!’: Old Colony embraces ABBA in upcoming musical

ROCHESTER — Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School is throwing on their bell bottoms and wedding veils to put on a production of the musical “Mamma Mia!” Directed by Old Colony English teacher Amber Roderick, the musical is entirely...

Students learn about women’s rights

MATTAPOISETT — Fifth graders at Old Hammondtown School celebrated “Women’s Rights Day” on Tuesday, May 20 in collaboration with the Mattapoisett Museum. The day began with a presentation from Sandy Dawson and Sandy Galavotti of Dawson Real Estate,...

United we stand: Old Rochester students engage with civic issues

MATTAPOISETT — Over the course of four weeks, Old Rochester Regional Junior High School eighth graders researched topics that they believed would help their community if understood better. Environmental issues, mental health problems, underage...

Old Rochester seniors cap off their four years

MATTAPOISETT — The 147 seniors at Old Rochester Regional High School had much to celebrate as they paraded past friends and family to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance” in red caps and gowns. Some have taken 10 AP courses, others have earned a Seal...

‘We became luminous’: Tabor Academy celebrates class of 2025 graduates

MARION — At Tabor Academy’s 2025 commencement ceremony, Co-Head of School and Florida native Elizabeth Livaditis described the graduates as stars, “burning intensely and eager to be seen.” “We became luminous, whether that was on the theater stage,...

Champions of health: Old Rochester recognized for new student health initiative

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional School District has been recognized for achieving Massachusetts School Wellness Champion status by meeting the requirements of the School Wellness Initiative for Thriving Community Health. This program is a...

Onwards and upwards: Tri-town high school graduations approach

It’s almost time for graduating Tri-town high school seniors to receive the tassel that was worth the hassle. Here are the details of upcoming graduation ceremonies for Old Rochester Regional High School, Tabor Academy and Old Colony Regional...

Back to school: First alumni reflect on Old Rochester’s early days

MATTAPOISETT — When Old Rochester Regional High School opened its doors in September of 1961, students met for the first time, teachers, many in their early 20s, were at the beginning of their careers, and the school was a blank slate, traditions...

Marion resident receives award for exceptional compassion

MARION — On Wednesday, May 14, Marion resident Shaun Miranda, a horticulture senior at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, received the Dolema D. “Dolly” Carmen Memorial Award for demonstrating exceptional compassion and concern for others...

Student musicians put on a noteworthy performance

MATTAPOISETT — The blast of trumpets, whispering flutes and crashing cymbals filled the Old Rochester Junior High School auditorium as band students performed both familiar and never-heard before songs in a concert on Wednesday, May 21. Students...

No treble here: Old Rochester honored with music education award

MATTAPOISETT — For the third year in a row the Old Rochester Regional School District has earned the distinction of being one of the Best Communities for Music Education, which is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for...

Grants spur new growth in Old Rochester science education

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Land Trust Education Committee awarded more than $8,000 in grants to nine educator initiatives to the Old Rochester Regional School District and Superintendency Union #55 for the second year in a row. The grants,...

Wheelie good times at Old Rochester’s Touch A Truck event

MATTAPOISETT — Face painting, bubble blowing and a ton of trucks took center stage at Old Rochester Regional High School’s first ever Touch A Truck event on Saturday, May 17. Families from across the South Coast climbed into trucks, school buses and...

Curiosity meets discovery in element-ary science fair

ROCHESTER — A baking soda volcano, two guinea pigs, a chicken and more filled the Rochester Memorial School cafeteria Thursday, May 15 as kids shared their experiments in a science fair during the school’s third annual STEAMapalooza. Six days before...

Old Colony fuels a car-efully crafted fundraiser

ROCHESTER — Cars with popped hoods to display their engines, a tractor and a handful of old pickup trucks lined the parking lot at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School on Saturday, May 10 despite a gray and rainy morning. Car...

High school musicians hit all the right notes

MATTAPOISETT — Students in the Old Rochester Regional High School chorus and concert band earned high ratings at the Great East Music Festival on Friday, May 2. The chorus ensemble received a gold rating and the concert band received a platinum...

First Old Rochester alumni honored with a picture-perfect display

MATTAPOISETT — In September 1961, 718 students from Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester came together for the first time, establishing the bulldog tradition at Old Rochester Regional High School. Over 15 alumni from the classes of 1962 through 1965...

True colors: Old Rochester students honored at congressional art show

PLYMOUTH — There’s nothing abstract about Old Rochester Regional High School receiving recognition for student artwork at the Ninth Congressional District Art Show, hosted by the Plymouth Center for the Arts on Friday, April 4. Three Old Rochester...

Old Rochester alumna to take the stage as student commencement speaker

MATTAPOISETT — When Old Rochester Regional High School alumna and Rochester native Carly Drew graduated from high school in 2021, her siblings gifted her a bracelet with the saying “great things never come from comfort zones.” Drew carried this...

Old Rochester seniors recognized as South Coast Conference Academic All-Stars

MATTAPOISETT — Five Old Rochester Regional High School seniors were recognized as South Coast Conference Academic All-Stars during a recognition banquet on Thursday, April 17. Nolan Bushnell, Dillon Furtado, Caitlin O’Donnell, Xavier Pateakos and...

A stroke of genius: Sippican School displays over 1000 student art pieces

MARION — More than 1,000 pieces of student artwork decorated Sippican Elementary School for their annual “Arts in Action” show on Wednesday, April 16. Weaving, printmaking, pottery and painting were among the art pieces showcased at the event,...

Not far-fetched: Comfort dog awards su-paw-star students

MARION — Who has four legs, one tail and his own set of awards at Sippican Elementary? Norman does! Although, Norman isn’t the one choosing the recipients. Students are nominated each month by teachers for the recently introduced Norman Award when...

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