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8 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, April 16, 2010 www.webstertimes.net LEARNING Slow but steady wins the race for Nichols valedictorian DUDLEY — Gloria Harvey traveled to Walt Disney World in February with her daughter Kim Kondek, son-in-law Tony, and grandsons, Nick, Peter, and Owen, for the joy of experiencing the resort’s theme: What will you celebrate? “I went to celebrate my Nichols graduation with the people I love,” says the Thompson, Conn., resident, who’s proud that she never gave up on her personal goal for a bachelor’s in business administration. Three days after she returned from vacation, Harvey got a phone call from Registrar Betin Robichaud telling her that she was named valedictorian of the Nichols College Class of 2010. For Robichaud, such conversations are a joyous part of her job: “When I told Gloria the good news on Feb. 25, she was delighted and truly modest,” she said. Harvey, who earned her remarkable grade point average of 3.961 and 90 credits, will be addressing her class, a little scary and ironic considering her very last class for the Spring 2010 semester is Effective Public Speaking. Harvey graduated from high school in 1965, went to work at American Optical, got married and gave birth to her daughter and son. She dreamed of going to college, but life simply got in the way as she helped her family financially by working in a variety of administrative positions. It wasn’t until Harvey got a job at Riley Construction Co., with its tuition reimbursement program, that she began working towards her associate’s in Executive Secretarial Management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. Her biggest cheerleader was husband Earl, a skilled machinist, who pitched in at home so she could take two or three classes all day Saturday. “Opportunities happen when you go back to school and continue your education,” says Harvey, who kept plugging away. “Tuition reimbursement has been a huge motivator in my getting both my associate’s and bachelor’s.” Today, Harvey works as an underwriting and premium accounting services administrative assistant for Assistant Vice President Steve Clark at The Commerce Insurance/Maphre USA. Through its renowned, generous tuition reimbursement program, several of the company’s 1,900 Webster employees are enrolled in degree programs at Nichols College. However, it was really the business faculty that made the difference for Harvey. “I have always felt that life’s the best teacher,” said Harvey. “I like a traditional classroom setting, where I can listen to professors’ stories about their life experiences as business executives.” Harvey is quick to rattle off some of her favorites, including: Robert Fleming, Edward Romano, John Glenn, Sheila Mehta-Green and Marcia Behrens. Harvey’s achievement of earning a bachelor’s degree took more than a decade, and like Aesop’s tale of Tortoise and the Hare, slow and steady won the race. After retirement, Harvey may consider substitute teaching, but for now, she’s just looking forward to seeing her family and friends out there in the audience Gloria Harvey with manager, AVP Steve Clark. under the big white tent, as she gives a graduation speech that took a lifetime to make. - Submitted by Nichols College Courtesy photos St. Joseph takes first in Lego competition AGAWAM — In December 2009, St. Joseph School FLL team “The Bottle Droids” coached by Mr. Mike Mamro competed in Agawam against 31 other teams from the region during the annual Lego Robot event. The 2009 theme of the competition was Smart Moves as it related to the transportation problems. Worldwide there were 14,725 teams consisting of 147,250 students ages 9 to 16 from 56 countries. FIRST, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” was founded in 1989 by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. The mission of FLL is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentorbased programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. The robots are built using “Lego Mindstorms” technologies and they need to be programmed to complete chosen tasks/missions in two minutes time. Each mission is worth a different number of points and the team who scores the highest number of points in the playoffs wins the competition. We are proud to report that St. Joseph’s “Bottle Droids” won the 2009 Robot Game in Agawam. Congratulations to the team leader Mr. Mamro and the members Tomasz Mamro (Gr. 4), Suzanne Ellis (Gr. 5), Kyle Herbst (Gr. 6), Gordon Ellis (Gr. 6) and Alex Gardner (Gr. 8). The team received a memorable trophy for their efforts and certainly represented St. Joseph School admirably. Job well done! - Submitted by St. Joseph School POTTING SOIL • LARGE PLANTER POTS • BARK MULCH • COCOA MULCH • OPEN FOR THE SEASON FRUIT TREES Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries Pre-Season Spring Sale 20% Off Purchase of $500 or more thru April 15th ❁Pansies Flowering Trees & Shrubs❁ New Nursery Stock Arriving Daily 33% to 50% OFF ALL 3” Caliber Bradford Fountains/Birdbaths/Statuary In stock thru April Cemetery Crosses & Arrangements for The Spring Season No Waste w/Ad, All Natural Mulch, Cedar-Hemlock Blend No Dyes - Insect Resistant • Picked-up or Delivered Pear Tree Available $ 179 00 7 days Open Wed. - Sat. • 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. ~ Sun, Mon, Tues 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Retail • Wholesale 872 Southbridge Street • Across from Ronnies • Auburn • (508) 832-8739 • FRUIT TREES • PEATMOSS • POTTING SOILS • Call Us At 3AM! Well, it doesn’t have to be 3 AM, but it could be. Call our “Sound Off” line 24 hours a day to get your comments in the paper. To reach “Sound Off,” call the number listed below You May Remain Anonymous if you wish. We’d Love To Hear From You! (508)909-4079 “If it’s important to you, it’s important to us!” CHECK OUR WEEKLY SPECIALS • MULCH WEBSTER POLICE REPORT MONDAY, MARCH 29 David Robert Allen, of 6 Elm St., Webster, was charged with domestic assault and battery. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 Diego Dias, of 22 Mcalee Ave., Framingham, was charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. SATURDAY, APRIL 3 Ashley L. Denham, of 6 Veteran’s Way, Webster, was charged with operating motor vehicle without suspended license and miscellaneous motor vehicle equipment violation. Wood Pellet Fuel (Bayou 100% Hardwoods Still Available!) Our 2010 pricing programs starting this year at $240.00 per ton. Please call for details or visit us on our website! National Pellet Located at 1405 Riverside Drive, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255 For More Info Visit Us At www.nationalcompanies.biz Call Today: 860-935-9922 Is this the year you stop paying high oil heat and electric bills? Talk to us today about a Jamestown Pellet Stove! Payment Options: Full Payment We accept Personal Checks or Cash! TONY PIETTE WELL TESTING • Install & Repair Water Pumps, Tanks & Filters • Water Pump Service 508-949-1771 or 860-974-2512 National Stove • Water Quality & Quantity Testing • Fully Insured
www.webstertimes.net Friday, April 16, 2010 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • 9 LEARNING Worcester Polytechnic Institute WORCESTER — Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Robert Puishys, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Puishys Jr., of Oxford, a first-year student majoring in Biology and Biotechnology, has been named a Charles O. Thompson Scholar for the 2009-2010 academic year. Named in honor of the first president of WPI, this honor recognizes outstanding performance by first-year students. To be eligible for membership, students must receive all A's and B's (with a minimum of six As) in their academic subjects during their first three terms at WPI. Curry College MILTON — Curry College Theatre is pleased to announce that Oxford resident Paige Turcotte, daughter of Robert and Donna Turcotte, will be playing the role of Madame Peanute in the New England premiere of Steve Longmuir’s “The Peanute Galleria.” Turcotte, a 2006 graduate of Oxford High School, is a senior at the college, majoring in communication with a theatre concentration. A member of Screen Actor’s Guild, Turcotte has delighted Curry Theatre audiences in To See the Stars, A Shayna Maidel, Games and Puzzles, The Madwoman of Challiot and in last spring’s musical premiere of Gail Phaneuf ’s “The Love Note.” Ms. Turcotte’s original script of The Number 9 premiered last month during Curry Theatre’s Fourth Annual New Plays Festival. “The Peanute Galleria” is a wild romp of a comedy. The show takes place in the fictional Havershall Museum in Boston, where a cast of crazy characters and art thieves prepare for the homecoming of a world-famous artist, the great Peanute. But what happens when the folks at old Havershall realize the artist is not what he is cracked up to be? The Peanute Galleria will run Saturday, April 24 through Tuesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m., in the Keith Auditorium at Curry Milliner presents a lesson on electricity EDUCATION NOTEBOOK College, 1071 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, MA. Tickets are $10 and may be ordered by phone, (617)-333-2259 or purchased at the door. Basic Combat Training LAWTON, Okla. — Army National Guard Pvt. Eric M. Chrzanowski has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics. He is the son of Tracy Chrzanowski of Harris Ave., Brooklyn, Conn., and Ronald Chrzanowski of Elm St., Webster. Chrzanowski is a 2006 graduate of HH Ellis Technical High School, Danielson, Conn. Park Ave. Kindergarten Registration Kindergarten registration for the 2010-2011 school year will be held at Park Ave. Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following days: Tuesday, April 20; Wednesday, April 21; Thursday, April 22. Any child 5 years of age on or before Aug. 31, is eligible for kindergarten. They should be enrolled on one of these dates. It is not necessary for your child to be present at registration; however, the child’s birth certificate and proof of residency must be presented at the time of registration. A recent physical and up-to-date immunizations are necessary before your child is allowed to enter kindergarten. The deadline date for submitting this medical information is Wednesday, May 12. It is important that you take care of this matter between now and May 12. Under Massachusetts law, no child Students in Mrs. Elaine Goulas’ fifth grade science classes have started their final unit on energy and currently, are exploring magnetism and electricity. Assistant Principal Ben Milliner was asked to present a lesson showing different ways we can produce electricity. In preparation for Mr. Milliner’s visit, students wrote questions that were personally answered by him to each of the 51 students. The answers to these questions will assist students as they continue to explore magnetism and electricity. Mr. Milliner conducted various experiments to show students how electricity is generated. Using a small model generator, he showed students how chemical energy transformed to thermal energy, thermal energy transformed to mechanical energy, and lastly mechanical energy transformed to electrical energy when the bulb was lit. Students learned about the parts of a battery: anode, electrolyte and cathode. Through his experiment, Mr. Milliner showed students that with two dissimilar metals and an electrolyte, energy could be produced. Using a nail, copper, and different electrolytes, (e.g., water, lemons, potatoes, baking soda, Styrofoam), he illustrated either the electrolytes were good conductors or insulators. Lastly, he showed students how circuits worked. He explained what a direct current was and had numerous illustrations on the board showing math formulas that were used to find the missing variable. Students learned a great deal about these concepts. Mr. Milliner served as a resource person and enhanced students’ learning beyond the classroom. His lessons also served to peak students’ curiosity and prepare them for future lessons that Mrs. Goulas was introducing. Mr. Milliner provided Mrs. Goulas with handouts that she distributed in her classroom. These handouts contained math formulas and served as a great interdisciplinary lesson between science and math. Mrs. Goulas’ students soon will be making persuasive brochures based on an alternative energy topic. They are looking forward to Mr. Milliner’s last presentation this year, where he will discuss nuclear power to the entire fifth grade. - Submitted by Oxford Middle School Elaine Goulas may be admitted without this documentation. Submitting information after May 12 may delay when your child may be kindergarten in the fall. If you have any questions about registration, please call Park Ave. Elementary school at 508-943-4554. 1955 Bartlett High School Class Reunion The Bartlett High School Class of 1955 is planning a reunion to be held on Oct. 9, 2010. The committee is attempting to locate the following classmates — Marcella (Skrzypczak) Taskopoulos, Bernice (Jaskolski) Lavallee, Richard Heath, John E. Hyland and John S. Boland. If you can help locate these classmates, please call Elaine (Pehoviak) Jean at 508-943-5713. St. Andrew Bobola Holy Rosary Sodality 2010 Scholarship The Holy Rosary Sodality of St. Andrew Bobola Church is offering a $500 scholarship to a current high school senior whose mother, grandmother or great-grandmother is in good standing as an active member of the Holy Rosary Sodality. This scholarship is not limited to local students, but open to any senior meeting the above requirements. Applications are available at the church rectory and should be submitted to: St. Andrew Bobola Church, Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 98, Dudley, MA 01571. The scholarship will be presented to the student upon receipt of a college transcript after successful completion of the first semester and continuation on to the second. The scholarship guidelines and applications may be picked up at the church rectory Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Deadline for scholarship applications is April 30. ST. LOUIS STUDENTS SUCCEED IN LETTER WRITING CONTEST 1965 Bartlett High School Class Reunion The Bartlett High School Class of 1965 will hold its 45th Class Re-union Aug. 14 at Indian Ranch in Webster. If you have not already received your invitation or if you can help us locate missing classmates please visit our Web site at www.er3.com/bhs65. 1960 Bartlett High School Class Reunion The Bartlett High School Class of 1960 is planning a 50th reunion to be held on Aug. 21. The committee is currently looking for the following classmates: Judith Bruneau, Carol Corson, Loretta Daskowski, Adelaide Dumouchel, Michael Fiddes, Dr. James Hannah, Brian Johnson, James Johnson, Iris Meekins, Stanley Mroczek, Edward Piotrowski and Bernard Welton. If you can help locate these classmates please call Shirley Bergeron Minarik at 508- 943-0308. Preschool Registration and Screening The Webster Public Preschool is now accepting names for the 2010-2011 school year. To be eligible, your child must be 4 years of age by Aug. 31. Transportation to and from school is the responsibility of the parents. Registration deadline is April 16. Please call the preschool at (508) 943-5055 to register. In addition, a preschool screening will be held on May 20 and 21, 2010 for 3- and 4-yearold children. Assessments in the areas of speech, cognitive skills and fine and gross motor skills will be conducted. If you suspect that your child may have a disability in one of these areas and would like your child to attend the screening, please call the Special Education Office at (508) 943-3646 exts. 20 or 25. Courtesy photo WEBSTER — Students in grades six through eight at Saint Louis participated in this year’s “Letters About Literature” program, sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book and the Calderwood Writing Initiative in cooperation with the Library of Congress. This year more than 4,100 letters were written by young readers in Massachusetts. Students are grappling with real-life issues: life and death, belonging and isolation, happiness and depression, all while linking the books that they read in meaningful ways to their efforts succeed in the complex world in which they live. Three students from Saint Louis have been selected as semi-finalists and placed in the top 10 percent of letters written: Brianna Millett (Grade 8), Ryan Canty (Grade 7) and Katherine Gatto (Grade 6). They will be listed as semifinalists at the Massachusetts LAL Web site.
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