Thursday, March 7, 2024

Essex Elementary Principal Search Update

I am pleased to announce that Kim Provost has been chosen to serve as our next Essex Elementary Principal beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

Ms. Provost joined the District in 2012 as a special education teacher and currently serves as the Middle School Dean of Students and the K-8 Social Emotional Learning Coordinator. Ms. Provost is an expert behavioral specialist and has a demonstrated commitment to cultivating an authentic learning environment and supporting staff in developing differentiated pedagogy and instructional practice. An experienced teacher and instructional leader at both the elementary and middle school levels, Ms. Provost brings to this position a student-centered philosophy, strong communication skills, and a collaborative leadership style. 

As part of the transition, Ms. Provost will create an entry plan that will be shared with the community. The plan will include opportunities for her to meet with stakeholder groups beginning this summer and throughout the Fall of 2024.

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Provost to the Essex Elementary learning community!

Sincerely,

Pam

Pamela Beaudoin
Superintendent
Manchester Essex Regional Schools

Seal


Monday, March 4, 2024

MERSD Seeking Resident Representatives for the Essex Elementary Building Committee

The Manchester Essex School Committee is seeking residents from both Essex and Manchester to serve on the Essex School Building Committee (ESBC).  The ESBC will oversee the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process for all phases of the Essex elementary building project including feasibility, design, and construction.  In addition to school and town officials, the MSBA requires the School Building Committee to include citizen representatives with backgrounds in construction, architecture, landscape, and education.  Interested residents from Essex and Manchester are encouraged to apply.   

  • Applications for the Essex School Building Committee are being accepted through March 22nd.   
  • To apply please submit a letter of interest via email to LeJeuneA@mersd.org

This is an exciting time for MERSD, and I hope you will consider volunteering for ESBC.

Sincerely,

Pam


Pamela Beaudoin

Superintendent 

Manchester Essex Regional Schools






Friday, March 1, 2024

Information About Police Activity at the Middle High School

Good Afternoon MERSD Community, 

At about 2 p.m. this afternoon, a parent found four projectiles in a lost and found bin at the Middle School.  The administrative team, following policies and procedures, notified the Manchester and Essex Police Departments immediately.

A preliminary investigation determined that the projectiles did not have casing or primer, and therefore could not be fired. It is not clear when the projectiles may have been placed there. The afternoon open play rehearsal was canceled out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a search of the building.

Manchester and Essex Police officers and the Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit have concluded a search of the building and determined there was no threat to the school community.

The District has reopened the building to the public, and tonight's basketball game will go on as planned.

I wish to thank the Essex and Manchester police departments as well as the Massachusetts State Police and its K-9 unit for their swift and professional response.

Sincerely, 

Pam


Pamela Beaudoin

Superintendent 

Manchester Essex Regional Schools






Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Manchester Essex Schools Invite Community to An Evening of Jazz with Award-Winning Composer and Alumnus

 

Composer and MERHS graduate George Darrah. (Photo Courtesy George Darrah)

Superintendent Pam Beaudoin, Principal Julie Sgroi and Principal Joanne Maino extend an invitation to the Manchester Essex community to attend an Evening of Jazz next month headlined by an award-winning composer and student alumnus.

At the event, the District will "welcome home" George Darrah, a Class of 2007 graduate, and a Boston-based composer, drummer and music teacher, at the event scheduled for March 14 at 6 p.m. at the Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School Auditorium. 

Darrah specializes in a variety of styles including jazz, pop, funk, big bands, and symphonic orchestras. Darrah has performed with and composed and arranged music for numerous performing artists. He appeared on "The Today Show" and performed for President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden.

In 2022 and 2023, he performed on drums with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Invitation to the 2024 Evening of Jazz. (Photo Courtesy Manchester Essex Regional School District)

"It's no secret that graduates of Manchester Essex Schools go places far and wide, but it's always special when they 'make it' in the highly competitive creative industries," Superintendent Beaudoin said.

"I know that many of our parents and caregivers have enjoyed a career in the creative industries, and I have a feeling that – through George's work – they may very well see a younger version of themselves. I encourage the community to join George and our artists at the 2024 Evening of Jazz," Superintendent Beaudoin said.

The first half of the concert will consist of performances by Middle School and High School jazz bands, followed by Darah leading a combo of up-and-coming musicians from the North Shore.

Music Teacher Joe Janack welcomed Darrah and encouraged the community to attend, saying that, “I am so happy to welcome George to the stage and share his talents with our students and community. The Evening of Jazz is a great way for our students and their families to experience the genre for free.”

The event is made possible by a grant from the nonprofit organization Friends of Manchester Essex Performing Arts, the purpose of which is to ensure that Performing Arts are a vital part of both the Manchester Essex Regional School District as well as the communities of Manchester and Essex.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Great Kindness Challenge held at Manchester Memorial Elementary School

 

The 2024 Great Kindness Challenge at Manchester Memorial Elementary School (“MMES”). (Photo Courtesy MMES)

Manchester Memorial Elementary School students have participated in the 2024 Great Kindness Challenge, a week-long initiative aimed at promoting kindness and compassion.

Started in 2012 by the nonprofit Kids for Peace, the initiative asks students to engage in acts of kindness to promote peace among both individuals and nations.

The theme of the 2024 challenge is “created kindness”, which involves students taking the initiative to create their own acts or objects of kindness toward others.

The challenge at MMES, from Feb. 5 - 9, consisted of three key milestones:

  1. A presentation by Grade 5 Ambassadors on the basics of the challenge, and a brainstorming session about how students can express kindness;

  2. A kick-off event, where students were asked to ‘shine bright’ and wear either yellow or bright neon colors; and

  3. A school-wide pajama day, where students were encouraged to dream of acts or objects of kindness that they would like to either gift or receive.

MMES Principal John Willis delivers a presentation during the 2024 Great Kindness Challenge at MMES. (Photo Courtesy MMES)

Manchester Memorial School Principal John Willis supported the challenge saying that, “Kindness matters. A random act of kindness, no matter how big or small, has the potential to change someone’s day. I was delighted to see our elementary students take up this year’s challenge with such energy and enthusiasm.”

Throughout the week, classrooms also engaged in their own activities such as reading books centered around the promotion of kindness, and even ‘bucket filling’.

Bucket filling involves students filling each other's buckets using snowballs of kind messages. The activity is meant to demonstrate how our interactions with others can make someone feel good, or achieve the opposite.

Principal Willis credited the concept to three very kind MMES teachers: Mrs. Kelly LeStage, Ms. Rebecca Xiarhos, and Mrs. Maggie Tomaiolo.  He also congratulated the students on their efforts, and thanked both school staff and parents for their participation in this year’s challenge.  

(Photo Courtesy MMES)

Students of MMES during the 2024 Great Kindness Challenge. (Photo Courtesy MMES)


Thursday, February 15, 2024

Emerging young artists 2024 juried exhibition


 

Manchester Essex Regional High School artists had their works selected for the Emerging Young Artists 2024 Juried Exhibition. Left, Miles Takayesu’s “Anatomy of a Father,” and right, Aubrey Frisch’s “The Gilded Age.”

Superintendent Pam Beaudoin, Principal Julie Sgroi, and Art Educator Tamera Burns are pleased to share that three Manchester Essex Regional High School students had their works displayed in the Emerging Young Artists (EYA) 2024 Juried Exhibition. 

The EYA is hosted annually by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Emerging Young Artists and Designers is a highly competitive online juried exhibition celebrating the exceptional artistic merit of New England’s high school students.

EYA 2024 received submissions from more than 800 young artists. CVPA’s Associate Dean Ann Kim, the juror, selected 200 works for the exhibition.

Manchester Essex students whose works were selected are:

  • Aubrey Frisch, for “The Gilded Age.” Frisch said, I wanted to capture both perspectives of how politics has influenced history and the fashion people wore throughout history. I focused on monopolization and political wealth. My inspiration was the saying “rich get richer and the poor stay poor” as created in the Gilded age.

  • Ava Rizzico for “What do we go through to look like ourselves?” Rizzico said, “This piece is based on chest binding, a method which transmasculine people often use to bind and hide their breasts to portray a more masculine figure. However, the basic concept can be applied to all people, because everyone changes their bodies in one way or another to look like who they feel they are on the inside.”

  • Miles Takayesu for “Anatomy of a Father.” Takayesu said, “The vision for my piece was to be able to tell the story of my dad’s life, because he is such an inspiration to me. I wanted to incorporate parts of his past and parts of what makes him so unique because he is such a fascinating person who’s story still goes untold.”

“Congratulations to our students, whose accomplishments reflect a commitment to the arts by MERSD and to our core beliefs in the Vision of the Graduate, specific to critical thinking, effective communication, and as innovators and creators,” Burns said.

All EYA student artist exhibitors receive a Certificate of Recognition for their selection.

“The creativity, innovation, and talent of these students is impressive,” Principal Sgroi said. “We are proud to have them represent MERHS for this exhibition.”

The EYA 2024 opening reception and awards presentation was held virtually on January 26. All selected works may be seen in this video.

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  • Manchester Essex Regional High School artists had their works selected for the Emerging Young Artists 2024 Juried Exhibition. Above, Ava Rizzico’s “What do we go through to look like ourselves?”