sports facilities upgrades in the works new...

Assabet Valley Tech student athleteshave demonstrated their Aztec Pride onthe playing fields on Fitchburg Street formore than four decades and the fieldsand stadium have taken quite a beatingover all those years. Several years ago,former superintendent, Patrick Collins,requested School Committee approvalto pursue upgrading the various sportsfields at the school. Collins andBusiness Director Kris Luoto met witharchitects and designed a plan thatwould phase in renovations of the base-ball, softball and football fields, as wellas the tennis courts.

With a $62.4M school renovation pro-ject underway at the time, outsideimprovements were phased in slowly.New dugouts, fencing, and backstopsfor the baseball and softball fields werethe easiest and least costly. Next camenew tennis courts and a basketball court.

Luoto has continued to spearhead theeffort, and new superintendent ErnieHoule is in full agreement that it is timeto continue moving forward.

The School Committee unanimouslyapproved a feasibility study a year agoto determine the scope and potential costof renovating the stadium on FitchburgStreet, and a new architect, ChrisHuntress of Huntress Sports, wasengaged. “We don’t want to go back toour sending towns for financial help onthis,” said Luoto. In forty years, Assabethas only reached out twice for specialassessments, and both involved majorroofing and infrastructure repairs andupdates. “We are looking for otheroptions for the financing on this, andhave no plans to hit our sending com-munities with a bill,” added Luoto.

The current plan is to replace theexisting grass field with turf, and the

cinder track with a rubberized, safer,track. In addition, the bleachers andpress box will be updated with a modu-lar set. “We have already cut the poten-tial cost in half by paring down the orig-inal plans, and we are utilizing ourschool talent where we can,” notedLuoto. Carpentry teacher, WayneCoulson, has drawn the plans for theticket booth and Assabet students willbe able to complete that work and builda new concession stand.

The architect has begun talks with theCity of Marlborough to begin the per-mitting process, and bid specs areexpected to go out soon. “We havelearned that if we can start the project inApril, before the traditional summerbuild season on school fields, we can geta much better price,” said Luoto. “Our

SPORTS FACILITIES UPGRADES IN THE WORKSSome improvements have been completed, new turf field is on the drawing board

Continued on page B5



By the fall of 2017, students entering Assabetas ninth graders will have the opportunity toexplore a new technical offering when aRadio/TV Broadcasting Program will joinAssabet’s seventeen current programs. The movecomes after extensive examination of possiblenew offerings.

The amount of work that goes in to deter-mining need, interest, staffing, curriculum, andcost is quite significant, according to RussMangsen, Director of Technical Programs atAssabet. “We have to research a lot of criteriabefore making the commitment to add a pro-gram,” he said. Assabet considered a fewChapter 74 approved CTE (Career andTechnical Education) programs, and followingthis review of existing programs and discussionwith members of the administrative team, visitswere made to technical schools that offered theprograms under consideration. The list wasnarrowed to three, including Dental Assisting,

NEW PROGRAM COMINGRadio/TV Broadcasting to be added

This year, the Assabet Hall of FameCommittee inducted eight individual newmembers, and one group. The individual hon-ors went to Rick Edelman, Steve Ross, JohnWhite, David Cullinane, Lynne Fox, RichardTataronis, George Anastas, Bryan Garrity, withthe Assabet Valley Athletic Booster Clubinducted as a group.

Edelman graduated in 1977, Assabet’s firstgraduating class, and was an outstanding threesport athlete from Marlborough, playing bas-ketball, and running cross country and trackand field. He went on to be one of Assabet’sfirst college players in any sport. Edelman, aCarpentry Program graduate, moved on toDean Junior College for Building Construction,and has been a self-employed contractor forover twenty-five years.

Ross, also Class of 1977, was an outstandingbasketball and baseball athlete from Hudson,and also served as the manager/statistician for

NINE HALL INDUCTEESEight individuals and one group

WINTER 2016 • ASSABET TECH’S OFFICIAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2

Training for a career in nursing

Fifty students enrolled in AssabetValley Tech’s Practical NursingProgram this past fall, the largestclass ever. Graduates have immedi-ate access to a wide range of jobopportunities. Shown in picture,Angelica Heredia, Cassandra Arno,Uchenna Ogbu, Gladys Urzua andEdith Sarfo-Forson are learningabout IV solutions. See story onpage B10 for more details.

Aztec PressPage B2 Winter 2016

Aztec Press Page B3Winter 2016

Aztec Press is published twice a year in the spring/summer and fall/winter by Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in partnership with the Main Street Journal.

The school serves students from Berlin, Clinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Southborough, Northborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Boylston, Leicester, and Maynard.

For advertising information, contact Cindy Zomar at 508-485-9430 or Jim Ash at 508-460-1166.

Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School215 Fitchburg Street, Marlborough, MA 01752

Phone: 508-485-9430 • Fax: 508-460-3472www.assabettech.com

Auto Collision ................................................................ B16Automotive Technology ................................................. B16Biotechnology ............................................................... B17Business Technology ...................................................... B18Carpentry ....................................................................... B18Cosmetology .................................................................. B19Culinary Arts .......................................................... B19Design and Visual Communications .............................. B20Drafting ........................................................................ B20Electricity ....................................................................... B21Health Assisting .............................................................. B22HVAC-R ......................................................................... B24Machine Tool Technology ........................................... B24Metal Fabrication and Joint Technologies ....................... B26Painting and Design ........................................................ B28Plumbing ........................................................................ B28Programming and Web Development ............................ B30

Assabet Valley Technical Programs

The Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District herebynotifies all students, parents, employees and members of the public that all school programs, activities and employment opportunities are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessstatus. These assurances are made in compliance with federalstandards: TitleVI, Title IX, and Section 504.

Fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Ernest F. Houle - Superintendent/DirectorKris Luoto - Director of Business Operations

Mark Hollick - PrincipalPatrick O’Rourke - Assistant Principal/Dean of Students

Russ Mangsen - Director of Technical ProgramsRob McCann III - Director of Academics

Alyssia Berghaus - Director of Pupil Personnel ServicesJerry Gahagan - Assistant Principal/Dean of Students

School CommitteeChair William Charbonneau, Hudson

Vice Chair Virginia Simms George, NorthboroughSecretary Laura Ross, Maynard

Lynn G. Ryan, BerlinPaul L. George, Westborough

Peggy Ayres, Marlborough Christopher Evers, Southborough

As we head into the holiday season, I am remind-ed of the many options that we have, as a society,become accustomed to being able to choose from.We now live in a world where we demand options orchoices in knowing that we want the best product orservice and the ultimate ability to choose what wefeel is best for ourselves or our family.

Let me provide you with some examples.Technology is prevalent everywhere and we desirethe choice of different electronics such as the manyavailable brands of cell phones, personal and desktopcomputers, and tablets. We also can now shop inmany different types of clothing stores, electronicstores, grocery stores and “superstores” for food,clothing, housewares, etc. We are looking for thebest deal, the best product and the best warranty orguarantee that we can get, and it seems that ouroptions are endless!

I think that most people would agree with mythinking so far, however, there is one choice thatseems to have no option in collective minds of oursociety, specifically that the only educational optionis college. Well, as a product of a career and tech-nical education, I have to disagree with that mind-set. Of course, one may say that I have a biasedopinion because of my path in education, but Iwould like to simply explain the many opportuni-ties that a career and technical education can bringto a high school student. First, is the preconceivednotion that you cannot go on to college if youattend a career and technical high school. As livingproof that you can go to college, whether it be a twoor four-year degree track, you will have that option.During your high school years, you will be able togain a better understanding of how you want yourcareer to develop. You will be well prepared to suc-ceed after high school as you will have discoveredyour passion and determined your focus duringyour high school experience.

Another option that a career and technical educa-tion offers is lifelong learning through advancedtechnical training in order to further one’s knowledgeof their career major. During a student’s experience

WHY NOT CONSIDER THE OPTIONS?Conventional wisdom undervalues the worth of a technical education

By Ernest F. HouleSuperintendent/Director

in a career and technical setting, they have the abil-ity to work with industry experts either with theirtechnical teacher, working on a cooperative jobplacement or interacting with one of two-hundred-fifty business and industry program advisory mem-bers. As we all know, learning doesn’t stop aftergraduating from high school and it doesn’t stop forthose folks working in their career fields either. Weuse the term “professional development” eventhough it is still learning, just with a specific focuson your work in your profession.

The other three options that a career and techni-cal education offers a student include direct entryinto the workforce, becoming an entrepreneur andstarting their own business or deciding to serve ourcountry by entering into the military. Regardless ofthese three options, a student has the opportunity tostudy and earn industry recognized credentials dur-ing their high school career that will raise their intel-lect, technical skill and employability worth in theminds of their potential employer, customer orcommander. I haven’t provided too much detail onthese options as most folks know that these areattainable through a career and technical education.

So you can see, college is not the only educa-tional option available to students after high school.We provide our students with more in that theydevelop self-confidence by using state-of-the-artequipment and technology to hone their technicalskills, improve their critical-thinking skills throughreal world problem solving, and understand theconcepts of employability skills, soft skills, andteamwork which they must display and practice ona daily basis. This educational option also providesextracurricular activities that help develop thewhole child in order to provide them with a well-rounded education.

In closing, I will ask one simple question; in thisworld of options, why wouldn’t you want to expe-rience the opportunities in education that a careerand technical education can provide? As an individ-ual, and as a parent, I have always desired for thevery best, through my selection of options or choic-es, in order to provide for a quality of life for meand my family. Whether you are a student or a par-ent I would ask that you at least explore the careerand technical education option before you decidethat college is the only option.

May you and yours enjoy the very best of fami-ly, friends and traditions this holiday season withhopes of a very prosperous New Year to come!


By Cindy ZomarAdmissions/Public Relations

It is the (somewhat) official admissions season atAssabet, when eighth grade students from our send-ing towns begin to think about where they willattend four years of high school. I say ‘somewhat’because as far as our In-District communities areconcerned, there really aren’t any deadlines. Out-of-District applicants do have a March 15th dead-line by which they must submit a form signed bytheir superintendent.

However, knowing that we send out our decisionletters in April, and that there is quite the time-con-suming process to go through all the applicationsand conduct the interviews, we generally requestthat we get the bulk of applications before the holi-day break. Our In-District communities are Berlin,Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, Northborough,Southborough, and Westborough. Any others areconsidered Out-of-District.

Throughout the fall, I had the privilege of visit-ing many of our local middle schools, and evenAMSA and Immaculate Conception School here inMarlborough. The eighth graders watched a videowhich realistically depicts the opportunities avail-able here at Assabet, and certainly brings home thefeeling that Assabet is a family. That video can beseen on our website, www.assabet.org, - just clickon Virtual Tour of Assabet under the “news” sectionon the front page.

I often took our own Assabet students with meto speak to the eighth graders, knowing that hear-ing about the Assabet experience from someoneclose to their age who had recently made the bigdecision to apply would carry more credibilitythan hearing it from me. Many schools then senttheir students on a tour of the school as a group,while some encouraged parents to bring their ownchildren at their convenience. We held an OpenHouse in October, and our annualExhibit/Admissions Night in December. We havedone all this to give local eighth graders and theirparents ample knowledge about what we offer soas to be able to make an informed decision, and todispel many of the old rumors about just who ben-efits from a technical education.

The short answer to that question is anyone ...which is why every technical high school in thearea has a wait list. In a recent publication by theRennie Center for Education Research and Policy,Colin Jones, of the Massachusetts Budget andPolicy Center wrote, “Overall, the best currentresearch suggests that high-quality CVTE (Career,Vocational, and Technical Education) programs canhave a range of benefits for young people, includ-ing increased earnings, greater engagement inschool, higher rates of college enrollment, and

SOMETHING DIFFERENT HEREWhat parent would not find these to be desirable opportunities?

enhanced career skills.” What parent would notfind these to be desirable opportunities in theirchild’s high school?

Combine those findings with the fact that theacademics in a technical high school must adhereto the same state standards, even though half thestudent’s time is spent in technical training andhalf in the academic core, and the tech schools areclearly offering the best of both worlds. Studentsgraduate with both a diploma and a Certificate ofProficiency in their field, and are well prepared forhigher education or a direct move to a career.

These students have already filtered out theirlikes and dislikes, and often found their passion, sothat they are not wasting time (or money!) in col-lege taking basic courses while they ‘find them-selves.’ Students who go on to college from techschools generally graduate in four years, not fiveor six. They often can get basic courses waivedbecause their curriculum in their technical pro-gram already covered the material, or because theyhave third party certifications (as in, being nation-ally certified in Microsoft, for example) that pro-nounce them an expert already. All of that trans-lates to savings, and less loans to pay back even-tually. Add to that the fact that most tech schoolsoffer cooperative education programs, giving stu-dents a taste of their industry or field while payingthem decent wages during the school day, everyother week, and the financial advantages becomeeven more obvious.

But while the parents may be especially inter-ested in the financial aspect, and the career train-ing, there are other reasons that eighth graders findus an attractive alternative to a traditional highschool. It’s because the feeling of a tight knit com-munity, a family of sorts, is actually palpable. Thecamaraderie and fellowship that is evident inevery technical program just speaks volumes.There is a sense of belonging, of being part of alarger entity, and of being accepted. There is thecool sense of control, in that they actually get tochoose how they spend half of their high schooltime. It’s not all sitting in a seat listening to a lec-ture, it’s about using their creativity, expandingtheir innate talents, and seeing the results of theirefforts in a tangible sense. It’s about experiencingthe swell of pride when a fender is repaired, a sinkis installed, a design is spitting out of the 3D print-er, or a sculpture is welded out of copper. It’s play-ing a new sport, performing in a musical, taking amusic lesson, building a robot, or competing witha drone, just because they can. It’s being part of anEngineering Academy or a JROTC program,learning CPR, or producing a TV show.

Watching our video, or taking a walk throughour school, eighth graders can feel that AztecPride. It’s an atmosphere they aspire to join, anadventure they want to experience. Dr. Seussprobably said it best when he penned, “Oh, theplaces you’ll go.” I wonder if he was talking abouttechnical education, or maybe Assabet in particu-lar? Application season is upon us. Don’t delay!

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Mon - Sat 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. To place an order call 508-485-8884

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Legal and Protective Services, andRadio/TV Broadcasting.

“The purpose of the visits was to reviewstudent interest and gain better under-standing of the facility, staffing and equip-ment needs for these programs,”explained Mangsen. In addition, the cur-rent freshman class was surveyed onAdmissions Night in the spring of 2016.Students were asked to select seven pro-grams for which they would have interest.They were given twenty choices whichincluded Assabet’s seventeen existing pro-grams along with the three new offeringsunder consideration. The results clearlyshowed a strong interest for Radio/TVBroadcasting as a career option.

Assabet’s current Design and VisualCommunications Program is broken intothree components. Dennis Whitney teachesthe Adobe platform, with students testingfor certification in programs like Photoshopand InDesign; Deb Harper handles webdesign, marketing, and a lot of the photog-raphy instruction; Bill May teaches videoproduction and film editing.

With the addition of Radio/TVBroadcasting as a stand-alone program,May will move over to that area, and asecond instructor will have to be hired.Students will rotate through the tworemaining areas in Design and Visual, andwill explore TV/Radio Broadcasting as a

separate program. As far as current stu-dents in the existing program, decisionswill have to be made as to how to populatethe seats.

There is still work to be done. A ProgramAdvisory Committee has been chosen, withexperts in the field who have already donatedtime and materials to the new program. Thejob market trend studies have been complet-ed, and new equipment needs are being deter-mined. The Program of Study and Methods

of Instruction are partially completed as ofthis writing. The list of requirements thatneed to be met before the school gets finalapproval from the Department of Elementaryand Secondary Education to awardCertificates of Proficiency gets shorter andshorter, and Mangsen is confident approvalwill be forthcoming.

“I feel very fortunate to be at groundzero of this new program launch. We’vehad so much great feedback from our com-

munity connections, and they’ve been sohelpful. Karen Henderson at WestboroughTV, for example, already gives scholar-ships to two of our students at the end ofeach school year, and hosts two studentson co-op as well. She has agreed to be amember of our new Program AdvisoryBoard. We have had nothing but positivevibes coming from our partners and advi-sory members. This is an exciting time atAssabet,” commented May.

Zach Baldino and Sean Fiske, both from Shrewsbury, Rai McCarthy from Marlborough, and Connor O'Hare from Hudson, are shown above working with some of the equipment that will be part of the new Radio/TV Broadcasting program.

Shown above is a rendering of the planned upgrade to Assabet’s Fitchburg Street stadium.

Radio/TV BroadcastingProgram coming to AssabetContinued from front page

athletic director, Terry Riley, has been verycooperative and scheduled all spring track andfield competitions at away locations in thespring so we can get right to it.”

The school will be looking for partners inthis project, offering naming rights to thewhole project, or to the field, scoreboard, pressbox, and entrance signs for various contribu-tions. Banners of different sizes for the fence,and color advertisements in the event programswill also be a way to secure funding andinvolve local firms.

“We have a lot of alumni out there with suc-cessful businesses who basically got their startright here at Assabet, so they are excited abouthaving their company name on something tan-gible and lasting at their alma mater,” saidLuoto. “We will even be offering a chance topurchase and label walkway bricks of varioussizes. This is an all-out effort to complete theupgrades in a fiscally responsible manner, andgive our friends and graduates a chance to giveback to the school. We are all very excited tounveil the finished product as soon as possi-ble.”

New turf field among the sportsfacilities upgrades in the worksContinued from front page


RECENT GRADUATES RETURN TO OFFER WORDS OF WISDOMIt’s become an Assabet tradition for alumni to visit during Thanksgiving break to share useful information about college

A decade ago, Mark Hollick, Principal atAssabet, decided to take advantage of thefact that many of the school’s graduateswere returning home from college forThanksgiving with their families, andoften stopped in to the high school to visittheir Assabet family, too. For the last tenyears, Assabet has hosted a panel discus-sion entitled “What’s Happening onCollege Campuses” for the juniors andseniors at the school.

“We invite recent graduates to comeback to share their experiences, talk aboutwhat they did to prepare themselves forcollege while they were here, and answerquestions about college life,” explainedHollick. “A lot of them are home for theThanksgiving break, so the timing worksout well. Our students ask questions abouteverything from the mysteries of financialaid to getting along with randomly chosenroommates. It’s great that they get a chanceto ask students who just recently navigatedthose waters. It’s an event I personally lookforward to each year.” Hollick noted thatguidance counselors and career counselorsmay say the exact same thing, but hearingit firsthand from a student who sat in theseseats just a year or so ago seems to give themessage more credibility.

This year, returning alumni includedMegan Hollick of Hudson; StephaniProvince (Clinton); Megan Fields (May -nard); Andre Colleoni-Pimenta (Hudson);Brianna Regonini, Mitchell Lutz, andBrittney Lutz, all from Marlborough; andJosie Burlingame (Leicester).

Hollick is currently a sophomore atFramingham State University after gradu-ating from Cosmetology, and is majoring

in Psychology. Province and Fields are bothseniors at Nichols College, and both gradu-ated from Assabet’s Business Technologyprogram. Both are majoring in Marketing,with Province specializing in Hospitality,while Fields is pursuing Psychology.

Colleoni-Pimenta is a sophomore atBryant University, having graduated fromBusiness Tech, and is majoring in Finance,

Global Supply Chain Management, andData Analytics. Painting and DesignTechnologies graduate Regonini is now afreshman at Framingham State Universityand is majoring in Marketing with a minorin Sociology.

Both of the Lutz siblings are at FranklinPierce University. Mitchell, who graduatedfrom the HVAC-R program, is a freshman

majoring in Finance, while his older sister,Brittney, from Health Technologies, is asenior majoring in Occupational Therapy.

Burlingham also graduated from HealthTechnologies, and is now a freshman atMass College of Liberal Arts, majoring inAthletic Training.

Shown in picture are Megan Hollick, Megan Fields, Andre Colleoni-Pimenta, Brianna Regonini, Mitchell Lutz, Josie Burlingame, and Brittney Lutz. Missing from photo was Stephani Province.

She was a member of the 1984-85 and1985-86 Colonial Athletic LeagueChampionship basketball team. Shereceived the Hustle Award from the BayState Games in 1985 and the United StatesArmy Reserve National Scholar/AthleteAward in 1986. Additionally, she receivedthe Coaches Award for field hockey in1984, for basketball in 1986, and the TenthPlayer Award for softball for 1986. Shealso received the District E AthleticDirectors Award in 1986. Fox graduatedfrom Mount Ida College with an InteriorDesign Associates Degree. She moved toCape Cod in 1992, where she has workedin retail and hospitality, and where shenow operates an oyster aquaculture farm.

Tataronis served thirty-three years as acoach, the longest tenure as a coach in thehistory of the school. He started his careeras a cross country coach in 1976 and ledhis teams to eight Colonial AthleticLeague Championships and one undefeat-ed season. In 1980, he began coaching

track and field as well, and his teamsearned fourteen Colonial Athletic LeagueChampionships and three MassachusettsVocational Championships.

Anastas began his coaching career atAssabet as an assistant football coach in1976, and also served as an assistant base-ball coach and varsity field hockey coach.He was instrumental in starting the first icehockey program at the school, and servedas head coach for eleven years. His icehockey teams qualified for district tourna-ment play ten years in a row, and wereColonial Athletic League Champions inthe 1994-95 season. The 2004 team wonthe Central MA Sportsmanship Award.During his tenure as a field hockey coach,he brought his team to four district tourna-ments. He has been honored by the CentralMA Hockey Association. In 2011 he wasinducted into the Hudson High SchoolAthletic Hall of Fame, and in 2009, his

the football team. He was selected to theEnterprise Sun Basketball All-Star FirstTeam in 1975-76. Ross received the Aztecof the Year Award in his senior year. Heearned a Business Management degreefrom Plymouth State College and followedthat with an MBA from Robbins Collegein Winter Park, Florida. He has worked forLockheed Martin for thirty-two years, andlives in Pennsylvania with his wife andtwo children.

White hailed from Hudson as well, andgraduated with the Class of 1982. Heplayed football and baseball, and wasnamed to the Worcester Telegram andGazette and the Marlborough EnterpriseAll Offensive Teams in his senior year. Heled the team in rushing yardage his senioryear, and also was named Offensive Player

of the Week on multiple occasions. He isco-owner of Ultra Shine Collision inMarlborough.

Cullinane graduated in 1984 and is anative of Marlborough. He excelled infootball and track and field. He rushed for1,000 yards on the team that won the 1983Division III Super Bowl. Cullinane wasselected for the Colonial Athletic LeagueFootball and Track and Field All-StarTeams, the Worcester Telegram andGazette Class C Honor Team, and waschosen as the Middlesex News andWorcester Telegram Player of the Weekfor football. He received the NationalFootball Foundation Hall of Fame Awardfor excellence on the field and in the class-room. He and his wife live in Floridawhere he is employed as a nuclear con-tractor currently working in the cybersecu-rity field.

In 1986, Fox, a native of Hudson, grad-uated after an accomplished athletic careerin field hockey, basketball and softball.

Eight individuals and onegroup inducted into HallContinued from front page

Continued on next page



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We are pleased to support the Collision Tech Program throughAdvisory Board participation

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Service Providers. Many of our technicians are

graduates of the Collision Program and we continue to work with the students through part time and co-op opportunities!

Recent graduates return to offer words of wisdomContinued from previous page

The college students explained howthe class schedules work at their col-leges, and noted that in most cases afterthe freshman first semester, there isgreat freedom in choosing courses.Most of the college group had taken APcourses at Assabet and felt that theworkload in those classes was the bestpreparation for what they are now fac-ing at college.

“I felt almost over-prepared after myAP Literature and Composition classbecause the workload at college wasactually less, but now I am a paid tutorat college to help other students writetheir papers, so it really paid off forme,” said Fields. Colleoni-Pimentaagreed that his writing class in collegewas a breeze after that AP course atAssabet. “It’s also about time manage-ment at college, particularly becauseyou don’t have the same classes eachday. Assabet certainly helped prepareme for that balance.”

College visits starting the summerbefore senior year were highly recom-mended, and most suggested visitingmany colleges. “You will know whenyou hit the right match, you will justfeel at home on that campus, with thosepeople. It hit me at Bryant,” admittedColleoni-Pimenta. Often applicationfees are waived if the student actuallyvisited the campus before applying.

All the students agreed that gettinginvolved in clubs, sports, and organiza-tions is the best way to begin bondingwith other students with like interests

and that it helps one to feel comfortableright from the start. Balancing theextra-curricular activities while main-taining strong academics takes a littleeffort, however, and, as Mitchell Lutzput it, “The Library is your best friend.”Sister, Brittney, agreed, adding, “Justlike at Assabet, everyone there wantsyou to succeed, so take advantage ofthe extra help available, find out whenprofessors have office hours, and lookinto peer tutoring as well. Don’t letyourself fall behind!”

As far as the finances are concerned,Hollick mentioned the John and AbigailAdams scholarships which covertuition at all Massachusetts stateschools. (Seventy current seniors wererecently notified about those scholar-ships this month.) “That scholarshipcovers tuition at any state college oruniversity, and that really helps a lot,”Hollick remarked.

Another big point was to apply for asmany scholarships as possible.“There’s a file cabinet (in the GuidanceOffice) with so many scholarships, andyou can look for others online, orthrough your college of choice. Apply,apply, apply,” urged Brittney Lutz. Shefinished up by suggesting students asktheir teachers for those recommenda-tion letters early, and also remindedthem that graduating from a tech schoolhas given them a huge advantage. “Bygoing through Assabet’s exploratoryprocess, you already know what youlike and what you don’t. So many ofmy college friends have changedmajors multiple times, but I found whatI loved and have stayed in the HealthSciences.”

Eight individuals and onegroup inducted into HallContinued from previous page

1967-68 ice hockey team was inductedinto the UMass Boston Athletic Hall ofFame.

The Assabet Athletic Booster Club wasstarted by a group of dedicated parents in1974, only a year after Assabet opened itsdoors to students. With the early begin-nings primarily selling concessions atfootball and basketball games, they even-tually saved enough to purchase a hot dogsteamer and then built a concession stand.After adding in a flea market/craft showannually, there was enough income to con-struct a press box, and to give every seniorathlete a windbreaker before graduation.The group reimbursed coaches for foodand drinks for end of season break-up din-ners, hosted a banquet for the 1983 SuperBowl champs, and bought each team

member a Super Bowl jacket. They werededicated, humble, and unselfish in theirefforts to enhance the athletic program.The crowning achievement of the groupwas the formation of an athletic scholar-ship, awarded annually to a deservingfemale and male athlete. The scholarshipis named in honor of Francis Fortin, whobrought the idea to the group.

Special accolades go to founding mem-bers Tom and Sheila Brecken, William andPatricia Donahue, Richard and AnnEdelman, Frank and Grace Fortin, Dickand Millie Milton, Stuart and Joanne Ross,Leonard and Gloria Sarsfield, ElizabethStukonis, and Janice Verdone. A specialthank you as well was extended to PaulaBall, Maureen Berry, Gail Callahan, RuthCole, Jean Cullinane, Ruth Eaton, JeanneFondas, Herb and Kathy Gould, FrankGriffin, Pauline Hollick, Beverly Wales,Beverly Weaver, Ruth Baj GriffinWhitney, and Bob and Priscilla Wood.

Five years running!


YOUTHFUL INNOVATIONDrafting student designs his own 3D printer

Clearly, 3D printing has takenthe manufacturing world bystorm, with daily news articlesreporting the latest 3D printedobject, whether it be a prosthetichand or a drone, a race car or achild’s table. Begun back in the1980’s as a method for quick pro-totyping, the newest phase of thismanufacturing tool has reachedthe stage of printing end-resultobjects. Called “additive manu-facturing,” the 3D printerextrudes filament by basicallymelting it and pushing it througha nozzle, creating a design layerby layer, hence, the word ‘addi-tive.’ Initially printing only inplastics, newer machines are nowcapable of printing in alloy met-als, concrete, and even food.

Though Matt Marinelli, ajunior in Assabet’s DraftingProgram, had never even seen a3D printer prior to high school,his attention was certainly caughtby the ones he saw at Assabet.“Without coming to Assabet, Iam not sure if I would have everhad the opportunity to use a 3Dprinter before I went off to col-lege,” stated Marinelli. He was

so taken by the possibilities thatduring his freshman year hebought a kit and made his ownprinter.

While that was fun, and itworked, someone else haddesigned it. By that time,Marinelli was familiar with sev-eral types of 3D printers throughboth his technical program andthe robotics club, so he began todesign his own. He wanted onethat would be small enough totravel with, fun to show off, andeasy to take along on roboticsoutreach activities, if asked.

Marinelli found some opensource software, in particular,Repetier Host, and spent lastspring designing it. He was ableto cut the wooden frame on thelaser cutter in the Drafting Shopbefore school closed in June, andhas been tweaking it ever since,but it is, for all intents and pur-poses, complete. Now he is mov-ing on to design one about fourtimes the size in order to be ableto print larger objects. In fact, heis printing most of the parts forhis new 3D printer on other 3Dprinters. At this point, he has the

highest percentage of 3D printedparts in any printer in the world,at just under 85%. The formerrecord stands at 83%, accordingto Snappy RepRap, a site for 3Dprinter gurus. Marinelli’s designis published online at the site heand twin brother, Jake, devel-oped and maintain, 4Me3D.xyz.

Marinelli will use his knowl-edge and talent to compete in the

SkillsUSA competition thisspring in the “AdditiveManufacturing” category. Hisrobotics team will also be utiliz-ing both brothers’ talents (Jake isin Automotive Technology)when their design and build sea-son gets underway on January7th. As for the future,Engineering, particularlyMechan ical Engineering, (until

there is a 3D specialty majoravailable somewhere), will be hisgoal.

“RIT has a very expensive 3Dprinting lab that I am lookinginto, so we’ll see how that goes,”he said. From the way things aremoving along for Marinelli,maybe he can sell RIT a few ofhis printers in exchange fortuition payments!

used melted crayons to decorate their ownframe.

The results were spectacular, and wereall assembled and wrapped for each childto give to their parents as a holiday sur-prise. “Such a fun project, and this is agreat place to find people who are willingto help build ideas into extraordinary pro-jects,” exclaimed Design and Visualinstructor Deb Harper.

Assabet co-op students aregaining valuable experience

A distinct advantage for students intechnical schools is the opportunity to goto work and earn high school credit for it.Third term juniors and the seniors atAssabet look forward to qualifying forcooperative placement, or co-op. Throughthis program, students actually go to a realjob every other week instead of coming toschool for their technical program. Theycontinue with their academics on schedule.

The job must associate directly withtheir technical program, allowing theirskill level to advance and their hours tocontinue to accrue towards theirCertificate of Proficiency when they grad-uate from Assabet. The Commonwealth

has approved the program as a uniqueopportunity for students to earn moneyduring high school, and to experience whatit’s like to work in their chosen field.

With the help of Cooperative PlacementSupervisor Bryant LaFlamme, students arematched to jobs based on their skill leveland expertise. To qualify, students musthave met or exceeded Assabet’s atten-dance expectations of no more than twoabsences per term. Additionally, a juniormust be in the third trimester of the junioryear, and must have a “B” average in bothacademics and their technical program.Once the senior year has started, the qual-ifications change to a “C” or better in aca-demics, with a “B” or better in the techni-cal program. While they are working, thestudents are graded by both the employerand Assabet, particularly on their produc-tivity and performance.

Students are required to work a mini-mum of thirty hours per week, but onlyduring their shop week. They also have tohave their own transportation to and fromthe place of employment. Since they rep-resent the school, they are expected to con-duct themselves in a professional manner.

Aside from the obvious advantages ofexperiencing the real world and earning

Special gift for parents of preschool children

For twenty-five years, the EarlyChildhood Center (ECC) at Assabet hasbeen providing quality day care servicesfor Assabet staff and families from thearea. Infants and children from as youngas two months, to those not yet in firstgrade, are cared for in a safe and stimulat-ing environment and atmosphere, fosteringself-motivated learning.

Emphasis is placed on meeting individ-ual needs through carefully chosen activi-ties for ages of the children involved.Social, emotional, cognitive, and physicaldevelopment is enhanced through unifiedthemes in all curriculum areas. “We feelthat the process is more important than theproduct in children’s work,” explainedlead teacher Charlene Bishop. “It isextremely important to us that each childfeel safe and is allowed to progress athis/her own pace, with support and guid-

ance from our caring staff. Some days theywill not have ‘work’ to take home, becausethey were busy at so many other creativeplay areas. They have the opportunity todo both individual and group play to buildtheir socialization skills, too.”

Although the ECC is not directly con-nected to any of the school’s technical pro-grams, the little ones can often be seen inthe enclosed courtyard play area, in thegymnasium, and are a treat as they comearound to classrooms and offices beforeHalloween in their costumes. The studentsin Health Assisting do occasionally inter-act with the children, doing appropriateunits from their curriculum, such as teach-ing good hand-washing techniques. Theseare always fun events for everyone.

Recently, Design and Visual, Carpentry,and Painting and Design students puttogether an effort to create a wonderfulpersonalized framed photo for the parentsof each of the ECC children. Design andVisual students used their photographyskills to take pictures of each of the littleones, both inside and outdoors, and chosethe best portrait of each child. Carpentrystudents then made wooden frames, andpassed them on to the Painting and Designstudents, who painted each one with a cus-tom color, and added the child’s name. Forthe finishing creative touch, each child Continued on B10

Aztec PressNews Briefs


Mark Perna is a well-respected,well-renowned education consultantwho has been traveling theProfessional Development forEducators circuit for years. His moti-vational speeches are not just perti-nent, interesting, and educational, theyare also fun.

His remarks often hit home, andeveryone self-identifies with one of hisoften hilarious scenarios, but he makesstrong points about the value of a mar-ketable education, the type that carriesthe student through to a successfulcareer.

Here is an update from his mostrecent blog, titled “An Open Letter toParents of High School Students,”dated December 13, 2016.

If you’re worried about the cost ofcollege, you’re not alone. 2016 col-lege graduates average a record$37,000 in student loan debt. It’sstaggering. What’s even more dis-turbing is the reality that only 25% ofthose entering a four-year institutionwill complete their bachelor’s degree(see notes below). What is wrongwith our educational system?

Much of the problem stems fromthe lack of career exploration duringthe high school years. We wait untilcollege to guide our young peopletoward their areas of interest, andthen, with the financial clock ticking,the pressure is on.

Frankly, this strategy (or lackthereof) can waste time, resources,and energy, not to mention that it canput our students at a significant dis-advantage. There’s a much betterway that I call Education withPurpose®, a philosophy that empow-ers high school students to find theircareer passion and direction sooner.Then, when they graduate highschool, they can invest in further edu-cation wisely and purposefully, witha specific career goal in mind. It’ssimple — and it’s effective.

Education with Purpose most oftentakes place through the self-discov-ery and career exploration of careerand technical education (CTE).Today’s CTE is a far cry from thevocational education of the past.Driven by technology and centeringon high-paying, in-demand careerfields, CTE is the unsung hero of thefully rounded high school education.CTE wakens the passion for achieve-ment through hands-on experiencesthat capture the imagination of our

young people. It’s also highly relevantto academics. CTE students graduatehigh school in greater numbers (93%,over the national average of 80%) andreport higher levels of engagement inthe learning process.

“Contrary to popular opinion, CTEexpands rather than limits your stu-dent’s opportunities. Say your childcompletes a career-tech program inhigh school. Now, he can go to collegewhile using his career-tech skills toearn a higher wage; or pursueadvanced post-secondary training inhis chosen field; or jump right into hiscareer and start working his way up.CTE is not about making one choicefor the rest of your life; rather, it’s agateway to more and better choicesand opportunities.”

Perna goes on to say that discoveringwhat makes your student happy andengages him/her in their own education,is the key to eventual success. “I haveobserved countless students who, ratherthan meandering through the collegeexperience hoping to find a spark ofdirection, have pursued their highereducation with energy and excitementfor what lies ahead,” said Perna.“They’ve experienced Education withPurpose in high school and are focused,eager, and motivated to do the work andreach their dream career. They have avision of what that career and lifestylewill be like, and they’re hungry toachieve it. Your student can be one ofthis dynamic and highly sought-aftercohort of individuals.”

Perna’s blog in its entirety and otherinteresting pieces can be found on hiswebsite at MarkPerna.com.

Horn & Berger. (2005). College per-sistence on the rise? Changes in five-year degree completion and postsec-ondary persistence rates between 1994and 2000. Washington DC: NationalCenter for Educational Statistics.

Symonds, W., Schwartz, R., andFerguson, R. (February 2011).Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting theChallenge of Preparing YoungAmericans for the 21st Century.

Report issued by the Pathways toProsperity Project, Harvard GraduateSchool of Education.

Gray, K. and Herr, E. (2006). OtherWays to Win: Creating Alternatives forHigh School Graduates. Third Edition.Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

WISDOM FROM AN EXPERTDon’t let your child make this costly mistake about college

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Assabet co-op students aregaining valuable experienceContinued from page B8

PROMOTING A GOOD VIBECreating proactive kindness with positive messages

Recently, Assabet’s Design andVisual Communications Programwas awarded a mini-grant fromthe Corridor Nine Chamber ofCommerce for a project theycalled “The Good Vibe Tribe.” Asit turns out, there was a wholeprocess behind the scenes beforethat particular project was chosenfor submission.

Instructor Deb Harper workedwith both sophomores and juniorsin the program to brainstorm andcreate a campaign using tradition-al marketing methods and socialmedia to promote peace andunderstanding between studentsand teachers. The plan for thecampaign was to set into motion awave of proactive kindness usingsocial media and positive messag-ing throughout the school.

The junior class presented theirconcepts to three members of theschool’s administrative team,Superintendent Ernest Houle,along with assistant principalsJerry Gahagan and PatrickO'Rourke. Three concepts wereidentified: Dump the Label;Branch Out Above Bullying; andGood Vibe Tribe. The administra-tors would choose which projectwould be on the mini-grant appli-cation.

Dump the Label promotedactivities that bring awareness to

people about labeling others. Atrash can would hold all of thenegative labels written on brightpieces of construction paper andcrumpled up. A clear heart wouldbe cut into the side of the trash canand covered with plastic. As thelabels get dumped, the trash fillsup to reveal a brightly coloredheart on the side of the trash can.

Branch Out Above Bullyingpromoted the creation of a club topropagate mindfulness trainingduring lunch, including creatinggreeting cards, adding inspira-tional quotes on cards, andposters.

Good Vibe Tribe, which ulti-mately was chosen by the groupof administrators as having themost potential, created a move-ment of peace and understanding.This campaign included a socialmedia blitz, including Instagram,Twitter and Facebook.

Personalized letters could beordered and filled out electroni-cally and addressed to a student(or teacher). The intention of theletter is to create happiness as itdetails the many nice things thatothers say about them. These let-ters would be printed out on highquality stationery with a beautifulgolden envelope and deliveredpersonally to the recipient with asweet treat.

Sticky notes with complimentswill be placed on mirrors andbathrooms with the Instagram andTwitter account addresses.Spontaneous sharing of candywith the social media informationattached will be given out to thestudents randomly in hopes thatthey will follow the Good VibeTribe.

Each campaign was required todevelop a logo (brand image) thatcould be applied to T-shirts, stick-ers, social media and include aPSA (Public Service Announce -ment) video. The funds from the

mini-grant will be used to pur-chase materials to produce theseitems.

“Above all, the Good VibeTribe has enlightened me to thefact that showing someone eventhe smallest bit of kindness canpositively affect them in such asignificant way,” explained JohnRussel, Co-Project Manager,Good Vibe Tribe. “I truly believethat this campaign has brought outthe best in all of us.”

Meanwhile, the sophomoreclass developed their ideas to pre-pare for a similar initiative that

would take place next year. Theyhad great ideas as well, but theydid not present them to theadministration and they will notbe using the grant to producematerials. They are receiving agrade for their work as a classproject, and are now better pre-pared for next year.

Shown in picture (l-r) JohnRussell of Hudson, Skylar Pakusof Marlborough, Holly Van Wieof Shrewsbury, Luis Contreras ofHudson and Hailey Marzselek ofWest Boylston.


Wearing a fire suit, helmet, and HansHead/Neck Restraint, it’s hard to pickMikitarian out of the field, but his brightred number nine on the white suit is all hisfamily needs to see to cheer him on to thefinish line.

Training students for a career in nursing

The demand for Licensed PracticalNurses (LPNs) is growing and Assabet con-tinues to prepare students to enter a verystrong job market. The forty-two graduatesof the Assabet Valley Practical NurseProgram Class of 2016 took the NCLEXexam in the summer with a 95% first timepass rate. The graduates are working inmedical offices, urgent care, long-term care,sub-acute care facilities, homecare, rehabili-tation facilities, and substance abuse rehabfacilities, in the public schools with med-ically fragile children and in the MADepartment of Corrections. Many graduateshave started taking courses at a variety of

bridge programs for registered nursing thatare affiliated with the school.

Assabet Valley PN Class of 2017 studentshave had a very busy fall. Fifty studentsstarted the program on August 31st. This isthe largest class ever. They started first termclinical practice on September 27th.Students in this fast-paced program spendhalf of their program hours caring forpatients in clinical facilities.

The seventh annual Aging WellAssessment Day took place on October 27thwith eighteen active seniors volunteering toparticipate. Many of the volunteers havebeen coming every year since the inception.The seniors put on a johnnie and climb intobed to be examined by students with guid-ance from the faculty and nurse practitionervolunteers. The senior volunteers feelstrongly about well-educated nurses and arehappy to do their part to help. The studentshave the opportunity to practice their assess-ment skills in a relaxed and supportive set-ting before they head out to the fast pacedenvironment of acute care. The seniors were

money, students often find that they areasked to stay on the job the summer aftergraduation and even through their collegeyears. Currently, seventy-four students areenjoying the co-op opportunity, at overfifty local companies, including such well-known places as Avidia Bank,Marlborough Savings Bank, the Marriott,Christopher Heights, Giombetti Electric,and Westborough TV. Assabet is gratefulto all the companies who have openedtheir doors to our students.

Mikitarian enjoys racing midget cars

Benjamin Mikitarian, a Northboroughsophomore student in the MetalFabrication program, has a passion for rac-ing Midget Lites and competes in the

Northeastern Midget Association(NEMA). With a Hawk Chassis and a 185horsepower engine, these little race carscan travel between 90 and 130 MPH,depending on the track conditions.

Mikitarian’s passion apparently isgenetic, as his grandfather, “Boston”Louie Seymour, began the interest in thesport, and passed it along. Mikitarian actu-ally started racing quarter midgets at theage of four and a half, and is now, at six-teen, the youngest grandson to be racing atthis level.

In this, his rookie season at this level, heis competing against as many as eighteento thirty drivers who range in age fromthirteen to fifty. “What I like best aboutthis sport is that it’s competitive and Ialways want to win,” said Mikitarian.

He chose the Metal Fabrication Programat Assabet because he can easily connectwelding with the racing he loves so much.Having the knowledge to make his ownrepairs and build his own chassis to hisspecifications will put him far ahead ofmost of his competitors, and hopefullyhelp him achieve his goal of winning.



them, and they can always fallback on them as necessary. Heshared stories of his career afterthe service, explaining that hisfather wanted him to be aplumber, but he wanted to be aforester.

He used his GI Bill to continuehis education. The sergeant man-aged to intertwine his variousskills and talents, working forsuch big names as Pratt andWhitney, Honeywell, andElectric Boat. He brought a roundof cheers when he announced thatat age eighty-eight, he still walksdaily and visits the gym threetimes a week. “A trade plus a col-lege education equals dynamite,”were his final words of advice tothe packed gymnasium.

Two students, StephanieTorchio, a senior from Hudson,and Elianna Davis, a senior fromShrewsbury, read personal essaysdescribing what Veterans Daymeans to them, and how theyeach have family members whohave been an inspiration to themthrough their service to the coun-try.

After Superintendent ErnestHoule presented the guests withCertificates of Appreciation, theColors were retired, and TimothyAgnew, a sophomore fromShrewsbury, played a moving ren-dition of TAPS, before PrincipalMark Hollick gave the finalremarks. Many staff members and

students made it a point to comeforward and reach out to SergeantCarr, shaking his hand and thank-ing him for his service. Studentsenjoyed taking selfies with him,and he seemed to enjoy it as well.

Assabet hosts LEGORobotics Qualifier

At the recent FIRST LEGOLeague (FLL) Qualifier held atAssabet, hosted by the school’srobotics team, the AZTECHS 157,twenty-three teams of middleschool students vied for honorswith their LEGO Mindstorm cre-ations, as well as with their projectpresentations. Teams from as faraway as Mendon and NorthAttleboro, Weymouth andWakefield, brought their coaches,their parents and siblings, and con-verged upon Assabet for a day fullof fun and excitement.

The teams had to meet the chal-lenge for this year’s game, AnimalAllies, and had been workingsince September to build and pro-gram a small robot to completevarious missions, while also com-ing up with a project depictinghow animals and humans caninteract with positive results.

A link to the video explainingthis year’s challenge can be foundat firstinspiresst01.blob.core.windows.net/fll/welcome-to-the-

season-robot-game.mp4 and moreinformation can be found on theFIRST website, www.firstin-spires.org.

“These middle school aged stu-dents had to use their creativity,problem-solving skills, and lots ofteamwork, to finish their robot andproject,” announced MarcusFletcher, Project Leader for thehigh school’s robotics team. “Thestudents were so excited to be try-ing out their robots.”

This was the first qualifyingevent for the competition, soteams were all a bit nervous thateverything would work perfectlythe first time out. All of the judgeswere impressed with the teams,and, in particular, with some of theprojects that they had done. “Onejudge mentioned that he wasblown away by the confidence thestudents exhibited, and how pro-fessional they were with their pre-sentations,” continued Fletcher. “Itwas hard to believe that some ofthese students were only in fourthor fifth grade.”

The overall champions of thecompetition were the Big RedLightning Crocobots from NorthAttleboro. Seven teams in allmoved on to the next level of com-petition, earning their GoldenTicket at Assabet. The other sixqualifiers includes KennedyCougar from Natick; We are Robo

Training students for a career in nursingContinued from previous page

treated to a delicious lunch in theAssabet Epicurean RoomRestaurant as a thank you for theirtime and wisdom.

Testing is underway and appli-cations are being accepted for theClass of 2018. Those who may beinterested in nursing or interestedin a career change are encouragedto visit www.assabetvalleylpn.orgto sign up for an information ses-sion and entrance exam. ContactProgram Director Ellen Santos,MSN, RN, CNE @ [email protected] with any questions.

Women in ScienceTechnology Forum

Recently, female students inAssabet’s engineering classes andon the school’s robotics team wereinvited to attend the 2016 FIRSTWomen in Science andTechnology Forum, presented byFIRST Place and the University ofNew Hampshire (UNH)Manchester. Donald Bossi,President of FIRST (ForInspiration and Recognition ofScience and Technology),addressed the assembled partici-pants, explaining that the need forwomen to pursue careers in any ofthe STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering and Math) fields is atan all-time high.

“Recent research shows thatwomen in STEM occupationsearn thirty-three percent more thanthose in non-STEM positions,” hesaid. “Not only do careers inSTEM fields offer women morelucrative positions, more impor-tantly, they offer an opportunity tochoose a career that deliversimpact and promises to be on thecutting edge of new frontiers. Theopportunities are as broad and var-ied as NASA scientist, mechanicalengineer, software developer, andclimatologist. However, to pursuethese aspirations, young womenmust be encouraged to explore thepossibilities.”

The attendees chose from aprogram of various seminars,including topics like MaterialsScience, Engineering,Environmental Science,Pharmaceutical Sciences,Physics and Space, Biology, andComputer Science. There was

also a college student panel and asection on planning for college.As an added bonus, attendeeswere treated to both breakfastand lunch.

“Our students chose their semi-nars with regard to their currenttechnical program for the mostpart,” commented Cindy Zomar,one of the chaperones from theschool, and a former math teacherthere. “Coming from a technicalschool that has been offeringSTEM courses and programs foryears, events like this are more forvalidation of their career choicesas opposed to exploration ofsuch.”

Zomar added, “The importantthing is that they were able to seethemselves maybe five or tenyears down the road, alreadyaccomplished in their field andwith the same kinds of credentialsand successes that these speakershad. The Assabet students arealready so focused that it is nicefor them to see how their chosenpaths could clearly place them inlucrative positions after college.”

Traditional VeteransDay tribute at Assabet

The annual Veterans Dayassembly at Assabet was assolemn and moving as always.The entire student body sat inrespectful silence as several localveterans spoke to them aboutchoices, challenges, and careers.Patriotic music played by theAssabet band welcomed theguests, the Marine Corps JROTCColor Guard marched in with theflags, and Ryan Bennett, a juniorfrom Hudson, sang the NationalAnthem.

Sergeant William Carr, aUnited States Marine CorpsWorld War II veteran, StaffMaster Sergeant (retired) DavidHassan, and United States AirForce Tech Sergeant (retired)Leo Foster, each spoke to thestaff and students.

They reminded students thatthey are in a unique place in theirlives where they have manychoices ahead of them, andemphasized that the expertisethey will have when they gradu-ate from Assabet will serve themwell whether in the military, incollege, or in the workforce.

Sergeant Carr remarked thatthe skills students learn atAssabet will always be with

The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Qualifier was held recently at Assabet Tech. Twenty-three teams of middle school students competed in the event.

Shown above, AZTECHS 157 junior mentor Kayleigh Stevens provides instructions to the Florence Sawyer LEGO robotics team. See story below.


was a three year stint in StateCollege, PA, at Penn State, as arecruitment officer, but they thenheaded south to North Carolina.Camp Lejeune had enough assign-ments in the area that their boys(now 27 and 23) were able to fin-ish high school without movingagain, until Linch was assigned toNew England at Fort Devens. Hissouthern accent belies hisPennsylvania roots, but, as he says,“Twenty years in the south and Isound like a southern preacher!”

The JROTC program atAssabet is now comprised of one-hundred-eleven cadets and Linchhas hopes that it will continue togrow. “I’m enjoying this, and Ifind the staff and administrationto be very supportive,” he said.“Many of the staff embrace theprogram and ask how they canhelp.”

Steve Pleau, Programminginstructor, and former Air Force,has helped cadets with cybersecu-rity and the drones. NeilMansfield, Metal Fab instructorand retired Navy, joins in with thePT (physical training sessions),urging the cadets to work hardand represent Assabet well. “Ireally appreciate their expertiseand assistance,” said Linch.

The Assabet unit has offeredtheir services as Color Guard,Toys for Tots, parades, the LEGOcompetition at Assabet, 5K runs,and the like this fall, doing over a

dozen outside activities. Linchwants to continue to reach out toall of Assabet’s sending commu-nities to make requests for ser-vice, either by contacting himdirectly or through a cadet in theneighborhood.

Sergeant Major Linch isthrilled in how far the programhas come along in its short threeyears of existence and is extreme-ly excited for the future of theprogram and where it can go fromhere.

Assabet holds MarineCorps Birthday Ball

On November 10, 1775, a reso-lution of the ContinentalCongress established a Corps ofMarines, and on or near that dateevery year, Marines everywherepause to reflect upon and cele-brate the esprit de corps that con-tinues today. They honor thememories of those who haveserved with valor and excellence,and reconnect with their com-rades in arms, vowing to carry thelegacy forward to the next gener-ations.

At Assabet, the Marine CorpsJROTC cadets held their tradi-tional Birthday Ball, celebratingthe 241st anniversary of theCorps. The Color Guard present-ed the colors, and Ryan Bennett, a

junior in Metal Fabrication, sangthe National Anthem. Chief PettyOfficer Neil Mansfield, UnitedStates Navy (retired), gave theblessing. Senior MilitaryInstructor, Sergeant Major TracyLinch (retired) introduced theevening’s guest of honor, FirstSergeant Paul Jornet (retired),who is the Senior MilitaryInstructor at Montachusetts Tech.Jornet was instrumental in gettingAssabet’s program off the groundinitially, and reminded the stu-dents of the honor and responsi-bility they carry as they wear theuniform of the Marine Corps.

After a buffet dinner preparedby the Assabet Food Servicesstaff, it was time for dessert.Under the arch created by theunit’s Sword Detail, a group ofcadets ceremoniously broughtforward a huge birthday cake. Astradition has it, the SeniorMilitary Instructor cuts the cakewith a sword, and the first piecesgo to the oldest cadet in the room(Cadet Captain Fredy Linares),and the youngest cadet in theroom (Cadet PFC Ryan Mikeils).

Several presentations of HonorStones were made to the AssabetJROTC, and to Mansfield andJornet. Following the ceremonies,dancing continued throughout theevening. Cadets, their guests, par-ents, and the JROTC Auxiliarymembers are already looking for-ward to next year’s event.

Assabet hosts LEGORobotics QualifierContinued from previous page

Girls from Wakefield; LEGONinjas from Shrewsbury; theSuper Cubs from Mendon; theMADD LEGO Queens fromDouglas; and Horandes-Rev fromMendon.

Additionally, the LEGO Ninjaswon an award for Robot Design,the Squirtle Squad from Mendonwon the Core Value Award, andMadd LEGO Queens won theRobot Performance Award. Nutsand Bolts, from Ashland, tookhome the award for the best pro-ject.

“Our volunteers put in a lot ofmanhours making this event go offwithout a hitch, too,” remarkedCindy Zomar, Corporate Liaisonfor the robotics team at Assabet.“We had folks from BostonScientific, Raytheon, CurtisIndustries, and, of course, Assabetstaff, parents, and JROTC cadets,along with our own robotics stu-dents. We would also like to thankPolar Beverages and Pepsi,Worcester, and the Assabet FoodServices for helping us out withfood and drinks for the day. It wascertainly one of those ‘It Takes aVillage’ kind of days and we arealready making plans for nextyear’s event.”

For additional informationabout the event, contact Fletcher [email protected] or callZomar at 508-485-9430, x1250.

Game Club brings students together

Assabet has many after schoolactivities, but arguably amongone of the most popular is theGame Club that meets twice eachmonth. This club, under the direc-tion of English Lead Teacher JohnDeMember, is a place where stu-dents of like interests in leisuregames can meet and engage eachother in conversation and compe-tition. With Assabet comprised ofstudents from twelve differentcommunities, it’s a great way tospend time after school with afriend from another town.

As part of the club, students areafforded the opportunity to playgames in a controlled and moni-tored environment, bringing theirown games and systems or usingthe school’s moderators. Whilemodern games are played, there

has been a renewed interest inplaying the NES and Sega sys-tems from the golden era of elec-tronic gaming. The social aspectof this club is perhaps its greatestbenefit. Social growth occurswhile students interact with theirpeers instead of playing aloneover the Internet. The Game Clubis also a place where the Assabetstudent community becomesstronger, and it’s just a fun wayfor them to end a busy school day.

JROTC Programwelcomes new leader

Assabet’s new Senior MilitaryOfficer in charge of the school’sMarine Corps JROTC program isSergeant Major (retired) TracyLinch. The new JROTC leaderretired from the 25th MarineRegiment, where he was theRegimental Sergeant Major, atFort Devens, in July, after thirtyyears in the Corps. Retirementwas not really the plan, however,as he had been keeping his eyesopen for a JROTC unit. “Afterworking with local JROTC unitsat a formal leadership academyfor two weeks in the summers, Iknew that when I retired fromactive service, it would be reallycool to lead a unit of cadets,” heexplained.

Linch had been living in thisarea with his wife, Jennifer, hishigh school sweetheart, so thenews that Assabet was hiring wasa welcome development.

He grew up in York, Penn -sylvania, but didn’t stay therelong after high school graduation.“My grandfather was a verystrong influence in my life as mymother was a single mom,” hesaid. “I remember when he sat medown and talked about my choic-es after high school. He had threethings written on a slip of paper,and told me I had to choose. Helisted college, but at my ownexpense, a job, or the service.Well, I was a decent basketballplayer, but knew there would beno free-ride scholarship, so Iopted for the service.”

He and Jennifer were engagedright after his Boot Camp at ParrisIsland in South Carolina, and aftershe finished her CosmetologyProgram, she joined him on hisfirst assignment to Guam. Fromthere they traveled to CampPendleton, California, then back toParris Island as an instructor. There

As has become a tradition, Assabet Valley Tech hosted a Birthday Ball to commemorate the anniversary date on which the Marine Corps was established. See story below.


Drama Club adds two short plays to fall scheduleThe Assabet Drama Club expanded upon their recent successes on stage and

added in two fall performances. Besides this year’s high school musical (to beannounced), several in the club performed in a spoof on Sherlock Holmes, pre-senting two short episodes titled, “The Last of Sherlock Holmes,” and “Sherlock,the Near Case of Murder.”

Filling roles in the two short plays were the following students: Nick Houle andElizabeth Brodeur from Clinton, Ryan Bennett and Brianna Williams fromHudson, Brianna Condry, Amber Thetonia, Lilliana Sullivan and SamanthaRenaud from Marlborough, Megan Richardson from Shrewsbury, and Alex Zuckerfrom Southborough. “I am still searching for just the right musical to showcase afew of our incredibly strong voices, but we will be announcing it soon,” com-mented Drama Club Advisor Katie Trippi. “The students had so much fun with thisproduction that the spring event should be awesome.”

Shown in picture, Ryan Bennett, Lilliana Sullivan, Amber Thetonia, AlexZucker, and Nick Houle in a scene from “Sherlock Holmes, The Near Case ofMurder.”

Assabet wins new 3D printerFrank Thetonia, a junior from Marlborough in the Machine Tool

Technology Program at Assabet, was recently honored for his out-standing performance on level-one and level-two MACWIC(Manufacturing Advancement Center Workforce InnovationCollaborative) exams. There were three hundred students tested thisyear and Thetonia was the only student in the state from a technicalhigh school to pass both levels with a 90% or better.

MACWIC is made up of both manufacturers and educationproviders to spark training and development initiatives to fill the manymanufacturing openings available across the Commonwealth. To thatend, MACWIC tests students level-one and level-two credentials formachine tool technology.

In addition, MACWIC promised a new 3D printer to the school withthe most coins awarded during the 2015-16 school year, and Assabetclaimed the top prize. Shown in the picture are senior and sophomorestudents accepting the new 3D printer from Wendy Storm, represent-ing MACWIC.

Five Corridor Nine mini-grants awardedAt a recent meeting of the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, five

mini-grants were awarded to Assabet staff. The Mini-Grant Programprovides funds for creative project ideas submitted by educators fromschools serving the towns of Westborough, Northborough,Southborough, and Shrewsbury.

Shown in picture (l-r), Kim Stencel, who was awarded money for herproject, “Laboratory Applications of Environmental Science,” in theBiotech Program; Design and Visual instructor, Deb Harper, who wasawarded a grant for “Creating Peace and Understanding Using SocialMedia;” English educator Stephanie Weinfurt, who was awardedmoney for her project, “Read with Me;” Paul Airoldi from the AutoTechnology Program who received a grant for his project, “ControllerArea Network (CAN) Training for Auto Tech Students;” and HealthAssisting teacher Mary Miller, who received money for “ClinicalMedical Assistant Phlebotomy and Injection.”


Having spent years in the military sincehis 2002 graduation from Assabet’s MetalFabrication program, Jason Elder has finallycome home and is trying to embrace, or atleast adjust to, civilian life. “I am lookingforward to this next phase of my life, with ajob in my field, welding, thanks to my weld-ing instructor at Assabet, Neil Mansfield,”said Elder. “The Chief (Mansfield’s nick-name as a retired Navy Chief before histeaching career) has been terrific, allowingme to come in to get some recertificationsand get the rust off, and he even helped mefind a job. The school has just been awesomewith helping me get back on my feet nowthat I am home.”

After Elder graduated, he was in theMarine infantry in a matter of weeks. In2003, he was part of the 2nd Battalion, 6thMarines, providing support for EnduringFreedom, and deployed to Okinawa. In 2005and 2006, it was on to Iraq and Fallujah.After his four years were up, he came homefor about five months, but he missed the mil-itary life. He then joined the Navy as aCorpsman, supporting Marines at CampPendleton. From there, the list just goes onand on – the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unitin Asia, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unitin Africa, deployed to Afghanistan in 2010,with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines as NavalSpecial Warfare supporting the SEALS inpre-deployment training. There was even atime in Coronado doing SERE training(Survive-Evade-Resist-Escape). Throughout

his time, Elder also taught trauma andadvanced trauma procedures, and has been afirearms instructor.

“Getting back into welding and metal fab-rication is like riding a bike, it comes backpretty naturally, and I am so grateful to Mr.Mansfield for his help,” said Elder. “My nextgoal is to study hard and take the test to jointhe Marlborough Police Department. Theopioid crisis facing Massachusetts, and inmy home town, has motivated me to becomean officer here in Marlborough. I am lookingforward to helping out Assabet’s JROTCprogram as well, to support my communityany way I can.”

Elder apparently is taking it a step further,however, because as of this writing, he hasalso enlisted in the National Guard.

In 2007, Anthony Wassel entered Assabetas a freshman, and was hoping for a freshstart after being bullied a lot in earlier grades.He found Assabet to be welcoming, and afterhis fourth week of exploring technical pro-grams, he narrowed his choices to FacilitiesManagement and Business Technology. Hislove for the environment and his passion forworking with his hands led him to choose theFacilities Management program, where hedefinitely found his niche. While still a stu-dent at Assabet, he was hired for summerwork with the Assabet Maintenance staff,and proved himself to be capable, gregari-ous, and hard working.

Upon graduation, Wassel enrolled atFitchburg State where he initially chosetheir Facilities Management major, but theschool soon changed that to EnergyManagement, reflecting a wider curricu-lum. Wassel found that to be perfect, andadded in a minor in BusinessAdministration. Just three months afterreceiving his Bachelors in EnergyManagement, Wassel enrolled in aMaster’s of Science program, with a con-centration in Facilities Management, atWentworth Institute of Technology. “This

is an online program, and I find it muchharder because I am a social person, but Iam maintaining a 3.0 GPA, and I’ll bestarting my capstone project in the spring,”commented Wassel.

While working on that degree, he has beenemployed as a Maintenance Technician atShrewsbury Crossings Assisted LivingHome, and teaches kick-boxing at America’sBest Defense in Shrewsbury. “My experi-ence at Assabet gave me the drive to do whatI wanted, to pursue my dreams, and to havethe right mindset to want to make a differ-ence in myself and have a better life,” hesaid. “Now I want to inspire others to do thesame, if I can.”

Alexa Hamilton-Decker (Lexi), graduatedfrom Assabet’s Auto Collision Repair andRefinishing program in 2012, and knew for afact that the military was the best place forher, so she enrolled in the United StatesNavy. When her four years were recentlycompleted, she decided to re-enlist for anoth-er two years, and will probably take it twoyears at a time.

Her first stop was boot camp outside ofChicago at Naval Station Great Lakes, whereshe attended engineering school, and as amechanic honed her skills on small boatengines, diesel engines, equipment for airconditioning and refrigeration plants, eleva-tors and hydraulics. “It was the work ethic Ilearned at Assabet that helped me succeedthere,” she explained. “Even though I wasnow working primarily on seagoing vessels,the tools I was used to from Auto Collisionwere basically the same.”

As part of the Naval Support Activity,Hamilton-Decker spent her first two yearsoverseas in Bahrain, working on boatengines. Next stop was the USS Oak HillLSD 51, called by many, the “Nations'Protector - the finest amphibious ship in theUnited States Navy.”

She was deployed to the Middle East forseven months, and then in May, hers was one

of the first US Navy ships to go through thenewly expanded Panama Canal.

“This career has been a good choice forme for a variety of reasons,” she said. “Myfather, a retired Marine, had talked to meabout it, and then I met with the recruiter atAssabet. I was so impressed when I visitedthe Naval Academy, and I knew that therewere no Hamilton males to carry on the fam-ily military tradition. Assabet gave me thetools - the work ethic - to transition directlyto my career. I will always have my skills tofall back on, as you never know when you’regoing to need or use them.”

Driving through the Holden area, it wouldnot be uncommon to spot a truck bearing thename “Perrone Landscaping,” or even sever-al trucks, as that is home base for a 2006House Carpentry graduate’s company. BrettPerrone graduated with full intention of tak-ing his skills and heading off to WentworthInstitute of Technology to get a degree, butafter three weeks, he knew college wasn’tthe right choice for him. “I missed my lawn-mower,” he laughed.

One lawnmower led to more, andPerrone decided to open his own business,Perrone Landscaping. But that’s not theend of the story, as there are many smalllandscaping businesses out there. In thiscase, Perrone has expanded over and overagain, now reaching a fleet of thirteentrucks, employing twenty-three people,including his older brother, Jeff,(Assabet, ’04) as his vice president. WhenWashington DC was hit with a monsterstorm this past winter, Perrone sent hisequipment and nine employees down tohelp clear the roadways. “We worked inshifts, twenty-four hours straight, forseven days, to get DC back up and run-ning,” he explained.

Perrone doesn’t stick strictly to landscap-ing, as he also offers paving, seal coating,walkways, etc., while serving CentralMassachusetts, Metrowest, and parts of New

Where Arethey now?

Check out what these Assabet alumni are doing

Anthony WasselClass of 2011

Jason ElderClass of 2002

Alexa Hamilton-DeckerClass of 2012

Brett PerroneClass of 2006


Hampshire. The clients are 70% commer-cial, and 30% residential, including all theShell stations from Rhode Island to Maine.

“I always knew I was happiest whenworking with my hands,” he said. “Assabettaught me that you don’t have to have adegree to make a good living, it’s okay towear work boots every day. I remember myteacher, Mr. Vanzini, telling us that everyoneis not a suit and tie guy, but there are stillhonest ways to make a living.”

Kerry Kendall graduated from theDrafting and Design TechnologiesProgram in 2005, and began her collegecareer at the University of Hartford.However, it wasn’t long before she real-ized that she wanted to join an ROTC pro-gram, and Holy Cross was the perfectschool for the transfer. At Holy Cross,Kendall majored in history, and graduatedas a second lieutenant in the Army. Hernext stop was Air Defense ArtilleryTraining in Fort Campbell, Tennessee,where she ultimately volunteered for theSpecial Operations Cultural Support Teammission. Her selected deployment toAfghanistan came about in 2012. Kendallwas one of only two hundred women everselected for that part of the Special Forcesteam.

She ended her military career with theArmy in 2015, and is currently employedas a program manager at the Billericahome office of MorphoTrust USA, anindustry leader in providing credential andauthentication solutions for over fiftyyears. Kendall has joined the company’sVeterans Outreach Council, volunteeringat Worcester’s Veterans, Inc., and trying toraise awareness of the plight of veteranswho have returned home.

When asked if she felt prepared for therigors of her college and military choices,she laughed and said that it was one of herDrafting instructors and robotics mentorsat Assabet, Mike Faticanti, who actually

gave her a necessary wake up call. “Hegave me a B! I didn’t get B’s, I got A’s! Buthe said that even though the work I turnedin might have been an A for someone else,he knew I wasn’t working up to my per-sonal potential, so he gave me a B. Hetaught me to stop looking at the minimumrequirements and to always push myself tothe limits of my ability, and that has madeall the difference for me.”

Andrew and Ashley Holmes are twinsfrom Marlborough who graduated fromAssabet in 2012 and followed differentpaths to the same place, Mass Maritime.Andrew began his career at Assabet in thePainting and Design Program until heswitched to Programming and WebDevelopment for his junior and senioryears. He matriculated directly to MassMaritime where he is majoring in MarineTransportation, learning how to steer andnavigate ships. He currently has a ThirdMate’s license and knows he has found theright career. He will be prepared to work inthe private sector, working out of any kindof shipping company, usually with sixmonths on and a month off in betweenassignments. He will eventually beupgraded to Second Mate, then First Mate,and finally be able to captain his own ship.

Sister, Ashley, who spent four years inthe Painting and Design Program, took aslightly more circuitous route to MassMaritime. She started off at WentworthInstitute of Technology in an interiordesign and architecture program, but soonrealized that this was more of a hobby forher than a profession. Holmes toyed withthe idea of joining the military, but decid-ed to follow her brother’s advice and trans-ferred to Mass Maritime as a junior. She ismajoring in Marine Safety andEnvironment Protection with a minor inEmergency Management. Her ultimategoal after graduation is to join the CoastGuard and become a Marine Inspector,

under the Prevention Division of the CoastGuard.

Both twins are excited about the manyopportunities that are available in themarine industry, with or without a collegeeducation. They give Assabet credit forencouraging them to try new things and toexplore what makes them happy.

In 2012, Jacob Wright walked acrossAssabet’s graduation stage, already set forhis first goal, to join Local 537, Pipefittersand Welders, as he had already been intro-duced to aspects of pipefitting, pipe weld-ing, layout, and blueprint reading.According to Wright, his time in the MetalFabrication program at Assabet served himwell. He was taught and encouraged byexpert instructors, and even had opportuni-ties to talk with Fay Butler, a renownedwelder in the area, about advancing hisskills.

Wright’s job has kept him busy, recentlycompleting work at Brigham and Women’sHospital and also Logan Airport, where heused many of the skills he learned atAssabet. He has been doing side work aswell, working on boat motors, installing asink for a restaurant, and welding motorcy-cles.

After buying an old motorcycle onCraigslist last winter, Wright took it down tothe frame and began to use his creative tal-ents to give it a new look. He made a specialmount for a rear fender, and is really enjoy-ing watching it come alive. Once it is com-pleted, he plans to buy another, and contin-ue the customization work.

Wright has plans to expand his skills andrepertoire, and will use other Assabet gradsin the process. His brother, Nick, whoattended Assabet’s Metal Fabrication pro-gram as a post-grad student, may join him inthe custom fabrication of motorcycles. Hewants to make sure they also include a com-fortable ride, so he is planning on learningthe upholstery trade, and has reached out to

John Tidman, an Auto Collision graduate, topick up some motor skills as well.

Wright visited his Alma Mater in thespring to speak to the current students inMetal Fab, telling them that Assabet basical-ly gave him a new outlook on life. Usinghimself as an example, he urged them to dowhat they want, to follow their dreams andgoals.

In 2004, Julio Alessio graduated from theAssabet Carpentry program, pleased to haveset the school record in Cross Country, andhaving been instrumental in expandingAssabet’s art program. Alessio knew hisforte was his artistic talent, and that he wasa visual learner, so he first enrolled in MassBay Community College where he hoped tohone his skills at designing and producinghigh end furniture.

From there he spent three years at MassCollege of Art, and eventually one of hisprofessors there helped him secure a fullscholarship to grad school. He studiedFurniture Design at UMass Dartmouth,and finished in 2012. Following a threemonth road trip across the United States,he got into construction, painting, andhandyman work, with art still his passion.He currently owns Works in Wood, a one-man company, where he does both finishwork and rough carpentry, flooring, tile,customized cabinet installation, and cus-tom furnishings. “Life is good,” he says.

Alessio recently returned to Assabet toset up a scholarship for graduating stu-dents who want to continue in an artisticfield, perhaps from Metal Fabrication,Carpentry, or Design and VisualCommunications. “I had a dream, and Mr.Mansfield, (Metal Fabrication), Mr.Coulson, (Carpentry) and Mr. Tataronis(Math) all backed me up and encouragedme, and helped me realize that dream,” hesaid. “I want to give someone else achance, and hopefully a scholarship to anart school will do just that.”

Andrew and Ashley HolmesClass of 2012

Jacob WrightClass of 2012 Julio Alessio

Class of 2004Kerry KendallClass of 2005



After a complete renovation, Assabet’sAuto Collision Repair and RefinishingDepartment is up and running with newequipment, a special BlowTherm DownDraft Spray Booth, and new ventilationsystems.

Auto Collision Technology is an increas-ingly technical and continually changingfield and Assabet students are given train-ing in all aspects of vehicle repair andreconditioning, including sheet metalwork, unibody alignment, MIG welding,collision repair, computerized estimatingand finish paint. The shop is equipped withthe latest technology and state-of-the-artmachinery and tools, including severalpaint booths, and can match paint for anyvehicle ten years old or less.

Younger students begin work on donatedvehicles and parts, while the older students,as they master various skills, work on ‘livejobs’ that may come in from staff or from thecommunity. The program is NATEF(National Automotive Technician’sEducational Foundation) certified in the fol-lowing areas: Painting and Refinishing;Non-Structural Analysis and DamageRepair; and Structural Analysis and Repair.

Students graduating from the AutoCollision program may earn a certificationfrom MACS (Mobile Air ConditioningSociety), an OSHA Ten-Hour GeneralIndustry Certificate, and one-year tradecredit toward the two-year requirement forASE (Automotive Service Excellence)Certification. There are many careeropportunities available immediately tothese graduates, including, but not limitedto, Paint Technician, Auto Body RepairTechnician, Frame Repair Technician,Parts Person, Insurance Estimating,Automotive Detailing, and Dealer PrepPerson. Students are also prepared andencouraged to go on to post-secondaryeducation at two and four-year colleges,primarily majoring in Collision RepairTechnology and/or Business, in prepara-tion for becoming an owner/operator of arepair shop.

“We are continually upgrading equip-ment and curriculum to stay abreast of theindustry,” noted Lead Teacher KenStukonis. “Our students have to be able tohit the ground running when they gradu-ate, so we use all the latest training tools,like the SimSpray which uses virtual real-ity to simulate spray painting techniques inthe shop classroom. By not actually usingpaint while teaching various methods andskills, there is no need for ventilation,there are no hazardous materials, and thus

no consumable expenses. It’s a win-winfor the students, the environment, and thebudget.”

The Assabet Auto Collision Program isdemonstrating a commitment to helpingthe environment in the communities itserves by using water-based paint, and tak-ing a proactive stand in going green. Thisenables the program to benefit in produc-tion efficiency as well as to better serve thecustomers and environment. This, com-bined with the addition of a fresh air sys-tem, also ensures better working and learn-ing conditions for the students.

In a fast-paced society, vehicles aremore and more becoming indispensablepossessions for most families. Keeping avehicle in top running condition is a must.Taking care of the car’s body, getting rid ofrust, fixing dents, and repairing damagewill also do a lot to lengthen a vehicle’suseful life. Whether or not a fresh, shinycoat of paint can make that vehicle looklike new may be debatable, but the stu-dents in Assabet Valley’s Auto CollisionProgram will leave the school prepared toprovide the best body service around.

As the automotive industry becomesmore and more sophisticated and con-sumers demand more and more from theirvehicles, the need for equally sophisticatedand savvy auto technicians increases expo-nentially. With the new car price tag some-times soaring into six figures, owners wantto know that their vehicles are in capablehands when it is time for maintenance andrepairs. In fact, anyone owning a car,truck, or SUV will certainly agree thatkeeping a vehicle in top running conditionand dependable is crucial to peace ofmind, regardless of the age, model or makeof their ‘daily driver.’ Fortunately, theAssabet Auto Technology Program is inthe business of preparing well-trained andqualified automotive technicians.

The program is NATEF MasterCertified through the National AutomotiveTechnicians Education Foundation.NATEF is the educational division of ASE,the international organization that certifiesautomotive professionals. The programalso provides certifications in ServiceInformation Systems through AllData,Refrigerant Recycling and Rechargingthrough the Mobile Air ConditioningSociety, (MACS) and the NationalInstitute for Automotive ServiceExcellence (ASE) and Hazardous Wasteand Environmental issues through theCoordinated Committee for AutomotiveRepair (CCAR).

An on-line training course for all stu-dents through Delco and Timken isoffered. Graduates of the department are

consistently sought out and recruited bylocal automotive businesses and hold avariety of positions in the automotiveindustry. The Automotive TechnologyProgram includes a state-of-the-art lab anda modern, fully equipped and operationalshop that is open to the public for automo-tive service, diagnosis and repairs.

In the related classroom/lab, studentsare introduced to the theories behind eachof the eight areas of a vehicle includingbrake systems, fuel systems and more.During that related theory time, studentsuse a modern and up-to-date textbook,take required notes, and receive handoutmaterials. At the end of each week a testis administered on the material covered.The students are also exposed to actualautomotive parts and components, usesimulators and system mock-ups and ref-erence video and PowerPoint materials tostrengthen their retention of the material.

When a student is competent enough, heor she is exposed to the material in a real-life environment by performing tasks oncustomer vehicles in a ‘live’ work area.Students are assessed in the shop on adaily basis and have access to on-line pro-grams specific to the automotive field tostrengthen their knowledge base.

From day one of their career at Assabet,Auto Tech students become familiar withfar more than the tools necessary to per-form their jobs. Students learn howdiverse the various careers in the automo-tive business are. Graduates can gainemployment in dozens of different jobs intheir field. They are exposed to ethicalbusiness practices, how to bill customersand order parts, reviewing and purchasingshop equipment and supplies, how todesign an effective and efficient shop andmuch more. They are introduced to thelatest automotive technology availabletoday including hybrid and flex fuel vehi-cles.

The primary goal is to produce entrylevel automotive professionals, young menand women who can enter a wide varietyof positions in the field from technicians toparts professionals to shop supervisors orowners to service managers or advisorsand much more. Assabet trains Auto Techgraduates to enjoy successful life-longcareers.

As recently as 2015, two Auto Techseniors, Nathan Rand, from Westborough,and Jonathan Sherman, from Shrewsbury,received special recognition as they wonthe FordAAA Automotive SkillsCompetition, Massachusetts State Hands-On Finals. The event was held at UniversalTechnical Institute in Norwood, MA.

Rand and Sherman, competing againstnine other teams of students from acrossMassachusetts, had to diagnose and repair anumber of problems on a 2015 Ford Fiesta.The scoring was based on the proficiency

Auto Collision

Automotive Technology

Austin Mann of Marlborough is shown preparing to weld a piece to theframe of a customer’s vehicle in Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing.

Welding is just one of the skill sets these students must master.


and efficiency of the work done onthe vehicle. To get to the hands-onlevel, students were required toachieve a high score on an exten-sive written examination that theytook in February.

Hundreds of automotive stu-dents from across theCommonwealth took the writtentest with hopes of being one ofthe ten teams that moved on tothe hands-on finals. Rand andSherman won tens of thousandsof dollars’ worth of tools, equip-ment, gift cards and scholarships.

From the Massachusetts finals,they then competed againstteams from all fifty states at theNational Ford/AAA event held atFord Headquarters in Dearborn,MI in June, and were delighted toplace ninth overall. Paul Airoldi,the lead teacher in the program,was ecstatic.

“These two guys have workedso hard and done such a terrificjob all year that we were confi-dent that they would make usproud, and they certainly didthat! We’ll take top ten in thecountry any day,” beamedAiroldi. “We would also like tothank both Don Pasternak ofImperial Ford in Mendon, andJerry Chase from FraminghamFord for helping us out with ourpreparation.”

Airoldi was recently awarded amini-grant from the CorridorNine Chamber of Commerce forautomotive specific CAN Bus(Controller Area Network) train-ing boards. “We are revampingour CAN Bus curriculum byincluding this hands-on compo-nent,” he explained.

Last fall the program receiveda special honor when WIXFilters and O’Reilly Auto Parts,partnering with Tomorrow’sTech to sponsor the 2015 Schoolof the Year competition,announced Assabet Valley to bein the top twenty schools select-ed from seventy-seven entrantsacross the country. Theseentrants included both highschool and post-secondary pro-grams. Assabet was competingwith technical institutes andcommunity colleges, and placedsecond in the Northeast district.

The tour guide refers to theBiotech Lab as CSI Assabet, andvisitors can easily see why thatreference is made. A visit toAssabet Valley’s BiotechnologyLab on any given day couldreveal crime scene tape securingan area with a chalk outline in thecenter, or students pulling theDNA from plant leaves.Sometimes there is frothy smoke

pouring out of a bowl as the classuses liquid nitrogen to make icecream. Students in lab coats,safety glasses, and blue latexgloves scurry about, usingpipettes, microscopes, and gelphoresis. Other days, they mightbe dissecting, or examiningmicrobes under the hoods.

Assabet’s BiotechnologyProgram prepares students forentry level work in a biotechnol-ogy company or for higher edu-cation in life sciences and engi-neering. Students learn many labtechniques, from basic to moreadvanced, and also carry outtheir own independent research.All students prepare a project fora school science fair, and fromthose, some are selected to go onto the Worcester RegionalScience and Engineering Fair.Students also attend field trips toWorcester Polytechnic Institute,Worcester State University, theMassachusetts Crime Lab, andAriad Pharmaceuticals inCambridge where they learnimportant lab skills and moreabout different career pathways.

A 2013 graduate of theBiotechnology program,Samantha Sawyer of Marl -borough, has already been livingher dream in college. As a sopho-more, she was the youngestmember of her research team atBridgewater State. For her initialscience fair project at AssabetValley, she had researched howlong it would take for a pig’shead to decompose. She did itwith a group her junior year, andthey were awarded fifth place atthe Worcester Regional Scienceand Engineering Fair. Sawyerthen revamped the project on herown for her senior science fairproject, observing colonizationof insects associated withdecomposition in order to set atimeline to predict the time ofdeath. She earned second placehonors at the MassachusettsState Science and EngineeringFair. She attributes landing twoexciting research positions incollege to this experience atAssabet. “I showed my researchprofessor what I had done inBiotech, and what I had donewith the science fair, and that ishow I was chosen over somesenior students,” she explained.

The first assignment came nearthe end of her freshman year,when she started doing paid eco-logical research by trackingdown coyote tracks at Duxbury

beach to determine the size of thepack and the location of the denin order to preserve the PipingPlover population. She also didAsian Shore Crab research, try-ing to find correlations in thedeclines of other species. Afterfurther discussion with her pro-fessor, she persuaded him toallow her to apply for a researchgrant over the summer to doentomology research. She wasawarded $500 for research sup-plies and a $4,000 stipend tostudy the effect decompositionhas on local insect populationsnot normally associated with car-rion. Only forty-eight grantswere issued throughout the entireuniversity. Receiving one as asophomore is quite rare.

Assabet was selected as aMassBioEd Foundation Bio -Teach school in 2008 and hassuccessfully integrated biotech-nology into the curriculum,incorporating BioTeach labs intoother STEM courses, reachingstudents at all grade levels.Students and faculty have active-ly participated in teacher profes-sional development and biotech-nology lab experiences offeredthrough MassBioEd program-ming. Assabet has enriched itsscience program through exter-nal partnerships, such as withMIT and UPenn, by introducingstudent-driven research projects,

and by encouraging student peer-teaching experiences. As oneexample, Assabet junior biotech-nology students helped teachbacterial transformation andother concepts to sophomorebiology students.

"Assabet Valley RegionalTechnical High School has donea remarkable job fosteringSTEM education and encourag-ing students to pursue careers inbiotechnology as they looktoward their futures," said LanceHartford, Executive Director ofthe MassBioEd Foundation."Assabet has demonstrated com-mitment to enhancing its scienceprogram by developing externalpartnerships, encouraging stu-dent-driven research and promot-ing student teaching to youngerclasses. The judging panel wasalso very impressed with theSTEM Alliance Team Assabethas created to bridge the academ-ic and vocational curriculumdivide; it is a model we hopeother schools will replicate."

The Massachusetts Biotech -nology Education Foundation(MassBioEd), founded in 2001, isa nonprofit charitable organizationcommitted to supporting scienceand biotechnology education inMassachusetts through schoolprograms, workforce training, and

Andrew Hall of Westborough and Brandon Peck (Marlborough) areshown working on a science experiment in the Biotechnology Lab.

Evan Mancini of Shrewsbury and Mike Boyle (Westborough) areshown checking a customer vehicle in Automotive Technology. The program offers services to the community by appointment.


AutomotiveTechnologyContinued from previous page

Biotechnology


lifelong learning. Serving as a link betweeneducation, industry, and government,MassBioEd is working to ensureMassachusetts' biotechnology sector has anappropriately trained workforce to meet thegrowing employment needs. MassBioEd'sBioTeach program provides professionaldevelopment to more than 750 teachers intheir biotechnology curricula and providesgrants and lab equipment to 189 schoolsacross the Commonwealth. In addition,MassBioEd's Biotech Learning Centeroffers professional development courses foremployees in the biotech sector to advancetheir professional skills.

In recent news, Kim Stencel, leadteacher in the program, was recentlyawarded a mini-grant from the CorridorNine Chamber of Commerce for the pur-chase of Vernier probes to teach waterquality testing and environmental sciencetechniques to the students using a hands-on approach. “The use of Vernier probes ina science classroom allows students tomake connections to abstract scientifictheories that may otherwise be difficult tograsp,” explained Stencel.

The students will also gain proficiencyin gathering and graphing environmentaldata through the use of this technology.“Our goal is to enhance current lab tech-niques and to add new technology in theareas of water quality and environmentalscience,” said Stencel. “The probes will beused by students for self-driven research

pleasant memories, or the excitement of aconstruction project. Most visitors stepinside Assabet’s Carpentry Program, pause,smile, and then comment on the sheer sizeof the room and the amount of equipment.When you think “wood shop” in most highschools, think again, or picture wood shopon steroids.

This program encompasses HouseCarpentry as well as Cabinet Making andMillwork curriculum, so at any time therecould be sheds in various stages of construc-tion in one end, and rows of brand new, fresh-ly built kitchen cabinets in another, while stu-dents put finishing touches on smaller pro-jects in still another area. The shop is wellequipped with state-of-the-art equipment,including a Striebig Panel Saw, Wide BeltSander, and boring equipment adapted toEuropean hardware for custom cabinetry. Allof this high tech machinery enhances the stu-dent's ability to perform technical skills relat-ed to industry standard casework.

Students also experience a wide range ofresidential and commercial skills taughtboth within a shop environment and also atoff-campus work sites. These jobs haveincluded house and garage construction,open pavilions, sheds, gazebos, and a vari-ety of light commercial projects for localtown halls, police and fire stations, etc. Mostnotable was the refurbishing of the Old FireHouse on Main Street in Marlborough, andthe recent house build project on EmmettStreet in Marlborough. Currently, WayneCoulson, lead teacher in the program, and anAssabet alumni, is working with Habitat forHumanity in Northborough, to do somereconstruction on an old home to providecondo units.

Students who graduate from Carpentry areprepared to work in the following fields:Finish Carpentry; Remodeling; CustomCabinet Making, etc. They are also encour-


BiotechnologyContinued from previous page

based projects (science fair projects andsenior projects) and for lessons providedby teachers. This technology will also pro-vide students with knowledge and experi-ence in lab techniques that are used in theindustry. This experience will prepare stu-dents for possible employment opportuni-ties in the area of environmental scienceand water quality testing.”

Currently almost the entire BusinessTech senior class at Assabet tech is out onco-op jobs in local communities, earningcold hard cash every other week, only com-ing back to Assabet on their academicweeks. Preparing students for careers in thebusiness field starts with a strong connec-tion to the business world, and a curriculumthat is continually evolving and improving.According to many studies, there will bemore jobs in the accounting and auditingfields in the next ten years, and these stu-dents will be trained and ready.

In keeping with the project-based learn-ing focus, the students run the Aztec Wishesprogram during the holiday season. AztecWishes is the Business Technology commu-nity service program which collects dona-tions of toys and gifts from Assabet stu-dents, staff, and the surrounding communi-ty to donate to children who otherwise maynot receive any presents during the holidayseason. The gifts are delivered before the

holiday season to the SMOC Head Startprogram in Marlborough. This is a greatlesson in communication, organization,database use, word processing, teamwork,and charitable giving for the BusinessTechnology students and a wonderful gift tothe community. This year, one hundredlocal children will enjoy the holidays a littlemore because of the generosity and hardwork of the Assabet family.

The Business Technology Departmentcontinues to improve the curriculum offer-ings which include accounting (with theaddition of QuickBooks Pro), HTML cod-ing for web site development and manage-ment, business ethics, personal effective-ness, customer service, entrepreneurship,and office administration. As juniors, thestudents will develop and present their ownbusiness plans, so that they will be wellequipped with the basics, should theydecide to become entrepreneurs and go intobusiness for themselves.

The students will also gain a solid foun-dation in computers and Microsoft Officecomputer applications such as MicrosoftWord, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. Allof the seniors are tested for MicrosoftCertification in the use of Microsoft Wordand PowerPoint, and many obtain Excelcertification as well. Students are beingtested at each grade level on MicrosoftOffice products and receiving certificationas they progress through the BusinessTechnology Program, which will be anasset to them in their college and/or busi-ness career.

There is just something comforting andfamiliar about the distinctive smell of saw-dust and fresh wood, usually conjuring up

Using database management skills, students in the Business Technology Programmatched staff members with needy local children identified by SMOC and provided a happier holiday for them through their Aztec Wishes program.

Carpentry student James Sommerville of Westborough is shown drilling a new railing on a Habitat for Humanity renovation in Northborough

while Joseph Chalmers (Marlborough) is ready to add assistance.

Business Technology

Carpentry


aged to seek further post graduate educationto expand their goals. Many students haveenrolled in Construction Management,Architectural Design, and Civil Engineeringprograms. Carpentry currently has articula-tion agreements with Central MassCommunity College, New England Instituteof Technology, and Wentworth Institute ofTechnology, whereby students can earn any-where from three to eight college creditswhile still in high school.

Students graduating from the CarpentryProgram receive a Ten-Hour OSHA SafetyTraining Certificate. In order to take theConstruction Supervisors' License exam,one needs to prove three years of employ-ment in the carpentry field. The students'training at Assabet can be applied towardone of the three years required, giving thema head start over others joining the industry.

A week in the Assabet ValleyCosmetology Program is the highlight of thefreshman exploratory sessions for many ofthe new ninth graders as this program con-tinues to be one of the most popular atAssabet. Of course, that is no surprise whenstudents (and parents!) realize that the grad-uates will have their MassachusettsCosmetology License before they walkacross the commencement stage, represent-ing a significant savings to family members.

The Cosmetology Program at Assabet iscertified by the Commonwealth ofMassachusetts Board of Licensure. Uponcompletion of 1,000 hours, students areprepared to take their exam and pursue acareer in the areas of hairstyling, mani-curist, skin care specialist, color techni-cian, or make-up artist.

During their high school years, the stu-dents have a variety of experiences. Theyare fully trained in haircutting, coloring,giving manicures and pedicures, skin care,relaxers, permanent waving, and braiding. Continued on next page

CarpentryContinued from previous page

Carmen Barrios, from Marlborough, and Samantha Davolio, from Shrewsbury, are shown practicing on mannequin heads as part of their curriculum,

as they work their way to an eventual state cosmetology license.

Sanitation and sterilization are a very largepart of the curriculum, as the safety and well-being of the client is critical.

An active on-site clinic on Wednesdays,Thursdays and Fridays provides the studentsthe opportunity to refine their skills in a fullyequipped salon. In order to simulate a realspa experience, very popular in the industryright now, students perform facials, mani-cures and pedicures in a quiet setting withrelaxation music.

Traveling frequently to hair shows provid-ed by mentors and Advisory Board members(e.g., Paul Mitchell, Hairlines), studentsreceive advanced education, keeping themcurrent with the latest industry trends.

The students truly enjoy the clientele thatcome in when Assabet’s Shear TechniquesSalon is open to the public each week. “Wehave a wonderful group of regular clientelewho visit the salon for shampoos, sets, andperms and the like,” commented Sue Viens,the lead instructor in the program. Somecome on the elder care bus, but many makeit a special day by staying for lunch in theEpicurean Room restaurant. “We onlycharge a small fee to defray the cost of theproduct used, so it really is a terrific deal,”added Viens. “We can take walk-ins, but wewould prefer appointments to make sure weare not over booked at any particular time.

Cosmetology students are also involved inmany aspects of community service through-out their four years. They can often be foundbraiding hair and painting nails at local festi-vals, and each year at Christmas they have afundraiser for cancer awareness. Haircuts forstudents in the JROTC program, and mani-cures and facials for the LPN students are afew other services they provide at no cost.These activities provide a real salon experi-ence for the recipient as well as a learningexperience for the student.

The success rate of the cosmetology stu-dents is very high. All graduates earn theirMA State Cosmetology license, so they areable to immediately find employment at areasalons. Besides their state license, studentsare also certified by Hair Max – UniversalSalon Software, and earn the OSHA Ten-Hour General Industry Certificate. Many ofthe students choose to go on to two and four-year colleges, particularly majoring in

Business Management, so that they can opentheir own salons.

Last September, the Worcester BusinessJournal recognized a recent Cosmetologygraduate, Ashley (Johnson) Gauthier, as oneof the “40 Under Forty” up and coming busi-ness leaders in the area. Gauthier is theowner and stylist at Salon Exquisite inWorcester, which she opened in 2011. She isa board member for the Young ProfessionalWomen’s Association of Worcester, themembership coordinator for The Profes -sional Women’s Networking Group ofCentral MA, and an active member of theWorcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

As tours come through the building andhead towards the science wing at Assabet,they invariably ask what smells so won-

derful, and are surprised to find out thatAssabet has a full-service, student-runrestaurant on the campus. Once consid-ered a hidden gem in the community, therestaurant is getting busier as more andmore local residents have decided to tryout the lunch buffet on Thursdays or thespecial Breakfast Buffet the firstWednesday of each month. With its ownparking lot at the rear of the facility, theEpicurean Restaurant offers delicious foodat extremely reasonable prices in a relax-ing bistro atmosphere.

Students in professional restaurant garbgreet, seat, and serve patrons while othersin the huge kitchen are preparing the food.As soon as the kitchen door opens, thetaste buds are stimulated by the aromas ofthe latest succulent offerings. From soups,stews and sauces, Boston baked scrod orgrilled salmon, to chicken cordon bleu,carved meats, or the always popular Philly

Celebrating twenty-five years servingMarlborough and the surrounding townsDora Naves

& Associates

32 Hosmer St.Marlboro, MA 01725

508-624-4858www.doranaves.com

Ray GiglioPhil CarrollDonna LongJeff LongJoe Navin

Al RioMarsha St. JeanDavid ClarkMarisa MahonVictoria Dehesa

Betty PeltekisSandhya SathyarajMichael ScoppaStefanie Naves FerrecchiaDora Naves

REALTOR

The Real Estate Specialists

Best of luck to all Assabet athletes!

Cosmetology

Culinary Arts


cheese steak with homemade fries, tomouthwatering and diet-defeatingdesserts, the menu has something foreveryone. Besides the traditional diningexperience, patrons can order food to go,or even have a meeting or event catered.

The restaurant is open to the public forlunch from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM,Wednesday through Friday, with the wellrenowned Buffet Day on Thursday, wherean All-You-Can-Eat, soup/salad to dessert,full course buffet is priced at $9.00,including beverage. The first Wednesdayof the month is the Breakfast Buffet, openfrom 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. Reservationsare suggested, as the restaurant often isfilled to capacity, and occasionally isclosed for private functions. Call 508-485-9430, x1119, to make reservations.

The program prepares students in foodtechnology skills and customer relationswhile maintaining strict local sanitationcodes in a safe working environment.Students use the latest computer technolo-gy and work with state of the art equip-ment in the kitchen, restaurant, and bakeryareas. The focus is on curriculum develop-ment and standardized learning with theemphasis on performance objectives, avariety of learning activities, and studentassessment. Students engage in hands-on

learning, related theory, and industry relat-ed field trips driven by industry standards.

The incorporation of applied mathemat-ics, English, science, technology, employ-ability skills, management and entrepre-neurship, and career and professionaldevelopment into the curriculum preparesstudents for both immediate employmentand higher education. The department goalis to help students become responsible,competent, and productive members ofsociety who continue to learn, participatein, and contribute to a changing communi-ty and workplace. Besides the on-siterestaurant, students cater a variety of com-munity functions, giving them the oppor-tunity to learn all aspects of the trade, andlearn that giving back to the communityshould be the rule, not the exception.

Throughout their three-and-a-half yearsin the program, students go beyond sand-wich making, baking, and stock, sauce andsoup preparation, or salad, meat andseafood fabrication. They are also taughtfood cost management, sanitation, nutri-tion, table service, customer relations, din-ing room operation, hospitality andtourism, health and safety, inventory con-trol, and supervisory development. Theprogram is certified in the following areas:Third Party Validation from the AmericanCulinary Association; ServSafeCertification from the National RestaurantAssociation; Nutrition for Food Service

and Culinary Professionals; andSupervision in the Hospitality Industry.

Upon graduation, students will haveearned the following certifications: OSHATen-Hour General Industry Certificate;ServSafe Certification, valid for fiveyears; and a Certificate of Completion forthe S.T.A.R.T. Program through theAmerican Hotel and Lodging EducationalFoundation.

Not everyone leaves the program des-tined to become an executive chef, or apastry chef, as there are a multitude ofcareer possibilities for students with thisbackground. Although many do choose togo into the food service industry, from linecooks and banquet servers to bakers andrestaurant managers, others opt for thehospitality industry in a variety of othercareers. Event managers, cruise ship per-sonnel, catering managers, restaurantequipment/product salespersons, hotelowners, hotel general managers, and hoteldirectors of sales are all potential careersfor these graduates.

Upon completion of this program, stu-dents will be better prepared to jump starttheir post-secondary education in degreeprograms in Culinary Arts and HospitalityManagement.

The students and staff are also hoping toentice local organizations and businessesto schedule breakfast or brunch meetingsin the Epicurean Room. The price isextremely competitive, there is a screen,microphone, and media cart available forpresentations, and the atmosphere isupscale bistro. A full catering menu is alsoavailable on request, and food can bedelivered, or served, to surrounding busi-nesses. Call for details and pricing.

Just as in the actual marketing anddesign industry, the Design and VisualCommunications Program at Assabet mustcontinually upgrade tools, equipment andsoftware in order to prepare students for avery competitive field. Last year, thedepartment added a new photo studio andnew DSLR cameras. They have alsoacquired a new full frame, professionalstudio camera, a new 4K video camera,and GoPro cameras. On the software plat-form, they have a new 3D rendering cur-riculum using Photoshop. In addition, thedepartment has added the latest AdobeSoftware and is engaged in Web designcurriculum utilizing the latest in Adobesoftware (Adobe Muse).

“It is imperative that we stay abreast ofindustry trends in infographics and socialmedia, and use the most advanced toolsand software out there, so that our gradu-ates can exceed career and college require-ments with a portfolio that absolutely

wows and demands attention,” explainedLead Instructor Dennis Whitney. “For ourgraduates to end up owning their ownadvertising agencies or photography stu-dios is definitely within the realm of ourexpectations.”

On any given day, Design and VisualCommunications (DVC) students can befound engaged in a variety of learningactivities. You might see a team of videostudents around the building videotapingevents and classroom activities for theschool or getting on a bus to work atWMCT Marlborough and SMCShrewsbury to create a show. Studentsmight be dressed in business attire, greet-ing local business professionals and pre-senting logo designs or greeting card con-cepts to them.

Tucked away in a corner of the class-room, students sometimes engage in aphoto shoot equipped with professionalstudio lights, digital cameras and tripods.What everyone expects to see is a studentsitting at his or her workstation creating acool looking design, and that's there also.The students are always on the go andworking on several things at once. Theprogram reflects the real world aspect ofrunning a creative-service business.

The DVC program emphasizes learningdesign and video skills while buildingcommunication skills through the creativeprocess. This program includes research,analysis, concept development, and story-boarding and production management. Allof these skills lead to the creation of inno-vative visual communications solutionsfor contemporary design problems andvideo and television broadcasting.

Students integrate visual training andsoftware skills to develop comprehensivedesigns and visual communication materi-als such as posters, brochures, books,packaging, websites, and animation forfilm and video. They use their camera han-dling skills and technical expertise to setup multi-camera shoots at events. Buddingvideographers and film editors work oncorporate videos and all the techniquesinvolved, including a production onClinton Savings Bank CSB ChampionsProgram and, even more recently, a train-ing video for EMC Corporation.

The career pathway for studentsincludes attending a two or four-year col-lege, majoring in Fine Arts, Photography,Communications, etc.

Drafting and/or design drawings com-prise the inception of just about everypiece of machinery, automobile, house,bridge, and even every-day objects as


Culinary ArtsContinued from previous page

Design and VisualCommunications

Jenna Dickie, a junior from Leicester, is shown practicing carrot cake toppers with frosting in the Culinary Arts pastry shop.

Drafting


Cassie May of Shrewsbury is shown posing, while Katie Kasputis (also from Shrewsbury)makes adjustments on one of the newer cameras in the Design and Visual photo studio.

Corey Daly, a senior in the Drafting Program, used his talents on Solidworks and 3D printers to design and build a replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, an eclectic house located in Mill Run, PA.

manufacturing or constructiononly happens after the set ofblueprints or modeling was pre-pared by an expert on a comput-er. Working on double monitors,designing using 2D and 3D mod-eling programs, drafting studentsat Assabet Valley are being pre-pared for lucrative careers,before or after college.

According to the United StatesBureau of Labor Statistics,employment in professional, sci-entific, and technical services isprojected to grow by twenty-ninepercent, adding about 2.1 millionnew jobs between 2010 and 2020.Science, Technology, Engineer -ing, Art, and Math (STEAM)careers are in demand and draftingencompasses many of the skillsrequired in those disciplines.

Drafting is a diverse careerwith many branches. Areas ofemphasis include mechanical,structural steel, architectural,civil, and electrical/electronicdesign and drafting. Those whowant to work in this area mayconsider supporting disciplinessuch as piping drafting, descrip-tive geometry, land surveying,plate layout, and rendering. Thismakes it easy to choose a career

path suited to one's interests.Drafting can be an outstandingoccupation, as drafters play a keyrole in the success of any con-struction project. Experts agreethat a career in drafting is anattractive choice for many rea-sons, including comfortableworking conditions, regularhours, and plenty of room foradvancement in most industries.

The Assabet Valley DraftingProgram offers training in the lat-est industry software(Solidworks, Inventor, Revit,AutoCAD, and specialty pro-grams for Interior Design andlarge building projects). TheDrafting Program is part ofAssabet Valley’s EngineeringAcademy.

The curriculum complementsthe engineering courses availableto students on their academiccycle (i.e. Introduction toEngineering Design (IED), andCivil Engineering and Archi -tecture (CEA). 3D printing is socommonplace in Drafting thattwo students won Bronze Medalsat the national level of SkillsUSAin June. Corey Daly and JoaoGarcia, both from Marlboroughcompeted in the “AdditiveManufacturing,” category. As hissenior project, Daly designed andbuilt his model of Frank Lloyd

Wright’s Falling Water, an eclec-tic home featuring a waterfallinside, with the house actuallybuilt around the natural environ-ment.

As a graduate of AssabetValley's Drafting Program, stu-

dents are already employable inentry level positions, and the skyis the limit as they hone theirskills and add in some collegecredits. Recent graduates of theDrafting Program have foundfurther success at WorcesterPolytechnic Institute (WPI),University of MassachusettsLowell, and Wentworth Instituteof Technology, to name a few.Obviously there are many engi-neering paths that can start with asolid background in drafting anddesign, but drafting as a profes-sion is often attractive to thoseinterested in combining technol-ogy, computers, art, and prob-lem-solving skills.

Recently, an eighth grade stu-dent touring Assabet Tech pausedat the doorway to ElectricalWiring and commented to hermother, “Look, this one has awhole house inside!” It certainlyappears that way, with work sta-tions on two levels, and exposedtwo-by-fours and plywood walls.With one of the largest shop foot-prints in the school, theElectricity Department can simu-late residential, industrial andcommercial wiring scenarios,preparing the students for what

they will encounter when theyenter the workforce.

At any given time, visitors willsee lights flashing, hear firealarms blaring or observe stu-dents hammering away at workstations, laying out wiring fromblueprints and diagrams.Students may be working aloneor in teams, but there is always aninstructor hovering nearby,coaching, correcting, or simplyencouraging the work ethic andlevel of expertise.

The program at Assabet Valleyis a training station for entry levelpositions into the electricalwiring field. The program places78% of its students directly intothe field, and these students areon their way toward their quest ofelectrical licensure. Studentsbecome proficient in installingelectrical equipment for light,heat, power, data and residentialbuildings according to theMassachusetts Electrical Code.Instruction includes blueprintreading, schematics, wiring dia-grams, layout, installation, costestimation and safety concerns.Students learn in shop simula-tions, laboratory experiments,and live on-site jobs with theirinstructor.

This year has been anothervery successful school year forthe EW work extension program


DraftingContinued from previous page

Electricity


as it continues to play an impor-tant role in preparing students forco-op employment and beyond.The work extension programallows underclassmen to performvarious electrical projects inAssabet’s sending communitieswithin the school district. Thestudents work under the closesupervision of their instructorand continue to learn new wiringmethods and skills, with anemphasis on professionalism andwork ethic.

Some of the projects last yearincluded the wiring of new com-mercial office spaces at theMarlborough DPW and WalkerBuilding, and the installation of anew underground electrical ser-vice to the pool pump house atWard Park. Other work hasincluded the installation of newoutside lights and a new emer-gency lighting system at theMaynard Boys and Girls Club. InBerlin, Electrical Wiring studentsinstalled a new automatic trans-fer switch connected to the 30Kwemergency back-up power gener-ator at the Town Hall.

The students are presentlynearing completion of a newtwenty-panel 5Kw photovoltaic(solar) system located outside theelectrical shop at the rear of theschool. The EW students haveplayed a key role in the design of

the photovoltaic system and did atremendous job representing theschool and meeting with HudsonLight and Power to successfullygain interconnection approval tothe utility grid power.

The students and instructorsare enjoying this year’s workextension projects, includingwiring of four condo units work-ing with Habitat for Humanity inthe town of Northborough and anew concession stand at WardPark in Marlborough.

Within the building, theElectrical Wiring Departmenthas added new instructionaltrainers to the curriculum. Thesetrainers provide students theopportunity to learn progressivetrends and methods found inindustry. These trainers include anetworking fundamentals stationdemonstrating the infrastructureand installation of Local AreaNetworks, a programmable secu-rity system, along with a micro-processor based addressable firealarm control panel. The depart-ment also provides instructionfor the installation of solar ener-gy (photovoltaic systems).

New to the department is anautomated PLC controlled con-veyor system, which includes afifteen-inch touch-screen andprogrammable logic controller,all control cabinet and motorwiring, graphics, and controllogic, all developed, installedand programmed by the students.

These trainers help provide eachstudent with the state-of-the-artskills necessary in today’s elec-trical trade.

The program at Assabet Valleyis certified by the Common -wealth of Massachusetts/Division of Professional Licen -sure (Registered JourneymanElectrician ApprenticeshipProgram). This program awards1,500 hours of work experiencetoward the 8,000 hour require-ment and three-hundred hours ofrelated instruction toward thesix-hundred hour requirement.Students also earn the OSHATen-Hour Construction Safetyand Health Training Certificate.

After graduating from Assabet,students may work as an appren-tice with union and merit shopemployers, as safety security andfire alarm technicians, data andtelecom technicians, energymanagement and HVAC controltechnicians, or as industrialmachine tool wiring technicians,among other things. Students arealso well prepared for post-sec-ondary education in the NJATCIBEW Electrical ApprenticeshipProgram, Local 96 and 103,Local 104 IBEW apprenticeLineman Training, and NSTARLocal 369 two-year AssociateScience Degree with a focus onElectric Power UtilityTechnology at Bunker HillCommunity College. Some stu-dents may choose to pursue a

four-year electrical engineeringdegree, perhaps at WorcesterPolytechnic Institute, or BenFranklin Institute. National Gridalso has a connection withUMASS and QuinsigamondCommunity College thatincludes internships that help paycollege tuition. These programsare very competitive.

With an aging workforce outthere, there is a growing need forqualified electricians. AssabetValley hopes to be a constantprovider of bright, hard-workingcandidates, having instilled inthem not only the technicalknowledge, but the problemsolving and communicationskills they’ll need to become suc-cessful, contributing members ofsociety.

Health Assisting is one of themost popular programs atAssabet, preparing students forcareers in the nursing field, butalso becoming a springboard toany medical field. The number ofthird party certifications that thestudents earn over their fouryears gives them a distinctadvantage when it comes tobeing accepted into pre-medicalprograms in college as well asbeing qualified for employmentstraight from high school.

Students in the HealthAssisting Program at Assabethave had a very active fall, withmany milestones reached andpreparations underway for evenmore. As the freshmen explorethe Heath Program, they learnmany first aid skills, includingthe Heimlich maneuver and basicCPR, and they work closely withthe current junior class.

The juniors are also busy withtheir clinical internship atColeman House in North -borough, and are trainingtowards their ARC (AmericanRed Cross) Nurse Aid eligibility.Sophomore students havealready completed theAlzheimer’s HabilitationTraining curriculum.

Seniors in the program havebeen taken on college visits toAnna Maria, QuinsigamondCommunity College, WorcesterState University and FitchburgState University for tours of themedical programs at those insti-

tutions. The seniors are activelyworking on preparing to sit forboth the EKG TechnicianCertification (CET) and theNational Healthcareer Asso -ciation Certified MedicalAdministrative Assistant(CMAA) exam.

Additionally, during the over-all course of four years of studyin the Health Assisting Program,students will also earn theirbabysitting course completioncertificate (American RedCross), Talking SafetyCompletion Certificate (NationalInstitute for Occupational Safetyand Health), AlzheimerCaretaker Certification (Alz -heimer’s Association), andAmerican Heart AssociationHealthcare Provider CPR andFirst Aid Certification.

The Health Department usesan online curriculum for healthprofessions. With the over-whelming approval by students,faculty and the ProgramAdvisory Committee, it is nowan integral part of the instructionof Health Assisting. The instruc-tors present lessons through avariety of techniques includingPower Point presentations, lec-tures, videos, class discussions,group projects and independentwork. The program, calledAllied Educational Systems, con-tains modules that pertain to allaspects of Assabet’s program,including medical terminology,medical math, anatomy andphysiology, nursing assistant,medical assistant, EKG, andhuman growth and development,as well as several others.

Students have the ability totake notes either by computer ina Word document or on theirschool Google drive, or written,whichever is preferred. Studentsthen have the opportunity toenter the online site with theirlogins, put on their headphones,and see/hear presentations of thesame information but formatteddifferently. Intermittently, theprogram provides ‘check-for-understanding’ quizzes (not grad-ed, for formative assessmentsonly), before it goes further intothe material. At that time the stu-dent can go back and review theinformation for further compre-hension.

The program also providesonline activities such as labelingand matching to enhance further

ElectricityContinued from previous page

Juniors in Assabet’s Electricity Program visited the National Grid training facility in Millbury, which is used to train all National Grid employees with the career skills needed to install,

maintain and perform emergency repairs working as an electrical utility lineman.


Health Assisting


understanding. At the end ofeach module, there is an onlinequiz. All coursework, progressand grades from this online cur-riculum are immediately postedand available to the student andinstructor. This program allowsstudents to complete work athome if they are absent, and thusthey are able to do make up workwherever they have a computer.Some students even access thisprogram on their phones.

Assabet Valley is fortunate tobe immersed in a community thathas extended their arms andopened their doors to students.Beginning with the freshmancurriculum, students have hadthe opportunity to gain experi-ences working with the public inactivities such as infection con-trol and hand washing with day-care students, to making beds in along-term care facility.Sophomore students are able toperform non-patient care skills ina variety of assisted-living andlong-term care facilities such asassisting with activities on anAlzheimer’s unit. Continued on next page

Health AssistingContinued from previous page

explained. Students will be ableto actually feel the different typesof veins and learn how to judgewhere to draw blood. They willget to know different puncturesites and where to place a needle.These skills need to be practicedover and over to become compe-tent. This training equipment willhelp to do this. Many studentsare afraid to draw blood or givean injection; this equipment willhelp them overcome this fearbefore drawing blood or givingan injection to a real person inthe clinical setting.

For any student interested inalmost any aspect of the medicalfield, whether it be to pursue acareer as a nurse or physician, anathletic trainer or physical thera-pist, or even a veterinarian, or acareer in the office of a medicalprofessional, the HealthAssisting Program at AssabetValley will provide a pathway forultimate success, and a head startover anyone attending a tradi-tional high school before college.

One of the program’s 2011graduates, Amelia Kulik, fromMaynard, went on to graduate

Junior students participate in aclinical practicum at long-termcare facilities necessary to pre-pare them for the ARC NurseAide exam. There, students per-form a variety of basic nursingskills on residents in long-termcare. Senior year studentsenhance their nurse aide skillswith the additional knowledgefrom the EKG and CMAA cur-riculum. Seniors continue theirpracticum at a variety of health-care facilities such as in an acutecare hospital. Assabet’s HealthAssisting students expand theirclinical experiences to communi-ty service projects such as Visionand Hearing Screenings withlocal Lions Clubs and hostingblood drives through theAmerican Red Cross.

Recently, Mary Miller, one ofthe instructors, was awarded amini-grant from the CorridorNine Chamber of Commerce forPhlebotomy testing equipmentand an injection simulator. “AsClinical Medical Assisting is newcurriculum this year, it willenhance the hands on learningneeded to learn and performphlebotomy skills and how togive proper injections,” Miller

221 Washington St.Hudson

42 Main St.Hudson

256 Maple St.Marlborough

Health Assisting Instructor Kathy Faddoul is shown teaching Emily Cristobal of Hudson and Rebecca Medeiros (Shrewsbury)

on how to use the Gait belt to help transfer a sitting patient.


from Northeastern University, summacum laude, with a degree in RehabilitationScience. She will complete her six-yearDoctorate in Physical Therapy in May,clearly showing that Assabet can and willprovide the launching pad to a rewardingcollege experience and career.

Multi-faceted learning is commonplacein the HVAC-R program, as students mustlearn their own curriculum, as well as a bitof electrical wiring and plumbing. And,according to lead teacher, Mike Gilchrest,the program is also the coolest in the build-


Health AssistingContinued from previous page

ing. “That’s my joke, we do air condition-ing,” he laughed. The skills these studentsmust master are no laughing matter, how-ever, as they will learn about installation,maintenance, and repair of heating andcooling systems, for both residential andcommercial use.

Students in the Heating, Ventilation,Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration(HVAC-R) program are initially intro-duced to basic safety practices of the pro-fession. Once they have passed safetytests, students are taught techniques forworking with copper tubing. Thisinvolves learning installation practicessuch as soldering, brazing and bendingcopper tubing for all types of equipment.Basic refrigeration systems are exploredwhile enrolled in the program.

Students will study the theory of sizingrefrigeration equipment and build their ownsystem as a lab exercise. Several differenttypes of refrigeration systems, freezers and

specialized refrigeration equipment will bepart of the course of studies. Eleventh gradestudents will study and take the EPA 608certification exam to handle refrigerantsrequired under the Federal Clean Air Act.Students will also learn the fundamentals ofelectricity, while interpreting electricalwiring diagrams and the operations of seriesand parallel circuits.

The heating portion of the program willintroduce each student to different fuel burn-ing equipment, combustion properties andthe concepts of gas and oil heating systems.Student lab projects will include gas, oil andelectric hot air systems and their properties.Oil and gas fired boilers and hydronic prin-ciples will also be covered during their timein this program. At the conclusion of thisprogram, a student is prepared to enter thework force with a wide range of knowledgeor to further their education in the HVAC/Rfield.

The normal pathway to a career wouldstart with an entry level position, an appren-ticeship. After a few years in the field, andsome post-secondary training, an apprenticecould advance to a service technician and,with five years in the field and an associates’degree, then on to service management. Bypursuing project management or entrepre-neurship at a four year college, however, asix figure income is not out of the question.Chemical or Mechanical DesignEngineering careers, particularly in environ-mental areas, would be the end goal of stu-dents choosing this career pathway to suc-cess through HVAC/R training.

Some of the courses offered by NewEngland Tech in Warwick, RI, for example,that would lead to a Bachelor in Sciencedegree would be Fluid Power,Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer,Mechatronics, and Design for Manufactureand Assembly. Students at Assabet wouldwant to elect the Honors and AdvancedPlacement math and science courses, andpotentially the pre-engineering courses, toeffectively prepare for the college chal-lenges ahead.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts istrying to standardize the names of technicalprograms across the state to avoid confusionwhen students transfer, and, in so doing, hasre-named Assabet’s AdvancedManufacturing Program back to MachineTool Technology nomenclature. The namemay have reverted back, but the type of highend technology now used in the program isalways advancing, always state of the art.

“We still give the students some time onthe older, hand-operated machining equip-ment to let them get the feel for the differentproperties of various metals or plastic, butwhen they really get into it, they’re using

state-of the-art software to design parts andthen programming the CNC machines, asthey would in a high tech manufacturingenvironment,” explained John Allard, leadteacher in the program.

Machining and manufacturing affects awide range of products used in the home andbusiness. From anchors to the Mars Rover, asewing needle to surgical tools, machiningis instrumental in their creation and produc-tion. The electrical power produced inhomes and the light switch to turn it on weremade possible by manufacturing.

Assabet's Machine Tool TechnologyProgram prepares students to be part ofthis high tech field. Students are taughtthrough an engaging curriculum how todesign and interpret blue prints, select rawmaterials and create products from metals,plastics, composites and even wood. Plus,students are exposed to many disciplineswithin manufacturing, such as ComputerNumerical Control (CNC) machining andprogramming, Computer AutomatedDesign and Computer AutomatedManufacturing (CAD/CAM), quality con-trol, machine maintenance, production,assembly, mechanical design and robotics.

Students are taught all aspects withhands-on learning, related theory and on-line interactive training; the program hasmodern equipment and a dedicated comput-er lab with industry standard software.Students are trained on software such asMasterCam and SolidWorks and train onhigh tech equipment like HAAS, Matsuura,Kitamura, Clausing, and Prototrak. The stu-dents produce projects utilizing lathes,milling machines, surface grinders, drillpresses and other equipment found in theshop. A sample of some projects that a stu-dent will make while in the program wouldbe a compressed-air engine, a propellerpowered car, and hand tools.

Robotics is an integral part of theMachine Tool Program. Students design,manufacture, assemble and test theirrobots and enter National Robotics Leaguecompetitions against other high schools.These are “combat” type competitions thattest every aspect of the student's skills andwork ethic. The National Robotics League(NRL) is sponsored by the NationalTooling and Machining Association(NTMA) to ensure students have theopportunity to display their design andadvanced manufacturing skills.

SkillsUSA is an organization that pro-motes technical student skills and providesstate and national recognition. Studentswho compete in SkillsUSA events can alsowin scholarships, tools for their trade andcan obtain job opportunities or internshipswhile attending college. Students areencouraged to compete each year in CNCTurning, CNC Milling and PrecisionMachining.

HVAC-R

Machine Tool Technology

Austin Bonnell, from Hudson, is shown braising a copper connection while learning how to repair a cooling system in the Heating, Ventilation,

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) Program.


All aspects of the shop prepare thegraduate with skills and knowledge topursue post-secondary education or enterthe manufacturing work force. The train-ing provides a pathway for college witharticulated college credit earned from thetraining students receive. Students alsohave an opportunity to enter an apprenticeprogram that provides competitive hourlywage, medical and dental benefits and fullcollege tuition reimbursement, or a directpathway to full time employment withvery good starting wages and benefitsprovided by the large local manufacturingbase.

Walking past a five-foot tall metaldinosaur, or a four foot copper rose, in fullbloom, visitors to the Metal Fab programare immediately assailed with sensory over-load. Sparks may be flying, the music isrocking out country tunes, and amazing cre-ations of metal artwork are prominently dis-played everywhere. Students bustle backand forth, getting additional materials orlooking for a critique of their latest master-piece. Add to this scenario, three charis-matic and passionate instructors who moveeasily among the various work areas, over-seeing perhaps forging in one end, or theplasma cutting machine, or some arc weld-ing behind the orange curtains, and it is

quite easy to understand why MetalFabrication is one of the most popular pro-grams in the building.

Students enrolling in the MetalFabrication program can expect to devel-op technical knowledge and learn basictrade skills in the following areas: weld-ing, pattern development, sheet metallayout, blueprint reading, trade math,computer plasma arc cutting, identifica-tion of metals, job site safety, shop safe-ty, proper use of metal working equip-ment, safe use of hand tools, owning asmall welding business and the study ofmetallurgy.

Since welding is the core of the pro-gram, students can expect to learn thefollowing welding processes: MIG weld-ing, TIG welding, stick welding, plasmaarc cutting, Oxy/fuel cutting and heating,brazing, arc gouging, and welding repairof cast iron and high carbon alloys. Inaddition to basic welding skills, studentsare prepared to pass a national level(AWS) professional welding license testin the following areas: structural steel,stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, andpipe welding.

As the technical areas develop, usingcomputers, machine programming anddigital cutting and bending machines, sodoes the approach to teaching. For exam-ple, today’s sheet metal industry has goneto full computerized bending and cuttingoperations. The students learn how to usecomputer-aided drafting (CAD) softwarein the cutting operations of standard sheet


Machine Tool TechnologyContinued from page B24

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Malik Ussi, from West Boylston, and Lila Rule, from Marlborough, are shown setting up a machine to make a part they had

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metal pattern developments, as well as cre-ative sheet metal designs. The 120-ton pressbrake is now fully digital, with a computerprogramming operation for students to pro-gram, adjust, and plan. This press brakeallows students to bend various thicknessesof metals, at different angles, and in compli-cated bend configurations.

In the past, the image of welding andmetal fabrication industries included dirtywelding jobs, smoke-filled shops, andunsafe work conditions. But today’s metalworking conditions are safe, clean, well-ventilated, and enjoyable. The demand forskilled welders and sheet metal fabricatorshas a good to excellent outlook, accordingto the Department of Labor and theAmerican Welding Society.

Students will be qualified to enter intoany one of the following metal workingtrade areas: structural steel welding; metalfabrication; heating, air-conditioning, andventilation; pipe welding; sheet metal cop-per roofing; hand railing fabrication; deco-rative ornamental blacksmithing; boilermaking; structural steel; iron working;mobile welding; small business owner;heavy equipment repair; and weldingsales. Today, welders and sheet metal fab-

ricators are required to be skilled and tech-nically knowledgeable in metals such ashigh carbon steel alloys, stainless steels,aluminum, titanium, and copper alloys.

Students are also taught the art of black-smithing, which includes basic techniquesin forging hot iron and copper into decora-tive shapes. Students are encouraged todevelop their creative talents in the metalartwork offered in the program. Upon grad-uation, students who demonstrate artistictalent are encouraged to pursue their educa-tion at local art colleges and universities.

Beyond the normal technical curricu-lum, Metal Fabrication students are givenmany opportunities to learn good citizen-ship and how to build character as theinstructors often encourage their participa-tion in extracurricular activities involvingcommunity service. Students can be foundin the shop all day on a Saturday, helpinga local Boy Scout troop earn a metal work-ing badge, or piling into a school van andheading off to do some creative work atVeteran’s Inc. in Shrewsbury, or theAssabet River Rail Trail in Hudson.

“Developing the whole student, includ-ing their sense of pride in their work andtheir willingness to give back to their com-munity, is something that we as instruc-tors feel is an equally important part ofour job as teachers of young adults,”

Metal Fabrication and Joint TechnologiesContinued from previous page

EUROPEAN CARSERVICE, INC.

European • Japanese Car Repair

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Owner: Christopher Carroll258 West Main St.,

Northboro, MA 01532Krista Rogers, a senior from Hudson, is shown above hard at work welding in one

of the special booths in the Metal Fabrication and Joint Technologies Shop.


explained Neil Mansfield, United StatesNavy Chief, (retired), the lead instructor inthe program.

In addition, Metal Fabrication studentsare encouraged to continue their educationat a two or four-year technical college pro-gram in any related field of engineering orart design. Students can expect to attendseveral field trips a year and have visitingprofessional craftsmen and women, aswell as professional engineers, explaincareer opportunities in the various metal-related fields.

Visitors to the Painting and DesignProgram usually stop to admire the beautifulgreen marble columns outside the hallwaydoor and then the tour guide taps on them toshow that they are actually wooden. “Fauxfinishing is just one of the skills that our stu-dents learn, along with various types ofpainting, wallpapering, murals, sign making,and interior design,” said John Hughes, thelead instructor in the program. “Most of ourstudents are extremely artistic, and this real-ly gives them a chance to tap into their cre-ative side every other week while they’re in

high school.” In fact, at the 2016 Paintingand Decorating Contractors of America’sannual Faux Finish contest at the MarriottRenaissance Hotel in DowntownProvidence, Assabet students competedagainst Painting and Design students fromfour other schools in the Northeast, two-hun-dred students in total. Assabet students wontwelve ribbons out of a possible twenty.

The awards consisted of three first placeribbons awarded to Sydney Myette, SeanMulvaney, and Alexis Martin-Braga, foursecond place ribbons awarded to AshleyLeconti, Rachel Lento, Brianna Fontes,and Bailey Doonan, while three students,Karyna Cummings, Bethany Ramsbottomand Janet Raymond, each earned thirdplace ribbons. Additionally, two fourthplace ribbons were awarded to ReyganAnderson and Ashley Pedohenko, and thefollowing three students were given hon-orable mentions: Rachael Bertrand,Alianis Aponte, and Alexandra Been.

Whether it is the banners on the schoolfence, the street signs in a community, theset designs for the school musicals, orlawn signs, there is a good chance thatmost people have encountered the work ofAssabet’s Painting and Design Program.The Solomon Pond Mall offers one exam-ple. Located near the children’s play areais a prime example of the work that thePainting and Design students can do. Thewall design was conceptualized in theshop, printed by Ready to Run inWorcester, and then applied and installedby Hughes and his crew of students.

“Depicting all the technical programs andsome of the extracurricular activities was ahuge goal, but I think the students nailed itin their design,” said Hughes.

During their exploratory experience,ninth grade students are introduced to shopsafety procedures and then participate inhands-on learning activities including inte-rior painting, faux finishing, mural paint-ing, sign making and air brushing tech-niques. They also have the opportunity tolearn basic wallpapering and an introduc-tion to interior design.

Once students have chosen Painting andDesign as their permanent program, morespecific safety training ensues, and theycontinue with the project-based curricu-lum. They learn application procedures fordecorative finishes, complete a theatricalset design, use architectural prints, and gothrough related theory instruction on com-municating for success, life skills, andmaintaining a portfolio.

By sophomore year, students learn prop-erties and functions of paints and coatings,how to operate the spray system, identifybasic wall coverings, and operate tools,equipment, adhesives and other materialsused in the industry. Students learn how tofinish and patch drywall, create decorativefaux finish panels, glazing, sponging, ragrolling and gilding. They use computeraided sign making, print reading and colortheory.

The junior year incorporates real-worldwork experiences as students go out intothe community and take part in live work

jobs. They learn estimating and planning,determine raw cost and overhead, anddevelop detailed schedules for completionof jobs. The interior design componentpicks up as students plan and design livingareas, prepare renderings, elevations, andsketches. This year they are looking for-ward to putting the finishing and estheti-cally pleasing touches on the Habitat forHumanity project in Northborough that isunder renovation by Assabet’s Carpentry,Plumbing and Electricity Programsalready.

By senior year, students master theirtechnical skills and comprehension levels,work on more community projects, usepower washing, airless spraying, plasterrepair, drywall finishing, and decorativepainting. They further their design abilitiesby becoming more knowledgeable inmaterials and functional requirements offabrics, window treatments and home tex-tiles.

Current statistics show that training tobe a plumber right now is one of the mostpromising construction career choices onecan make. “The average age of plumbersin the United States is fifty-five, meaningthat this is an aging workforce, and that


Metal Fabrication and Joint TechnologiesContinued from previous page

Painting and Design

Plumbing

Students in the Painting and Design Technologies Program recently were quite successful with their faux finish projects when they competed at the Painting and Design Contractors of America Contest. The Assabet team brought home a total of twelve out of a possible twenty ribbons.



jobs will be opening up by the dozens inthe very near future,” explained BrianAllard, lead teacher in Assabet’s PlumbingProgram. Anyone who has needed the ser-vices of a plumber lately knows that it is alucrative and fast-paced field of endeavor.While manufacturing and computer indus-tries persist in allowing the bottom line todictate plant sites out of the country, whena plumbing issue arises, local talent is anecessity. Assabet is a well-respectedsource for preparing the next generation ofqualified plumbers and gas fitters.

Plumbing is a licensed trade that requiresnot only strong technical knowledge andskill, but also a thorough understanding ofthe Massachusetts State Plumbing and FuelGas Code. The program at Assabet Valley isdesigned to feature both in-school and off-campus job site learning opportunities.Students will master the installation andrepair of water, waste, gas, and heating sys-tems in both residential homes and com-mercial buildings.

A visit to the Plumbing Shop is a stimu-lating sensory experience, with pounding,soldering, and pipe cutting all going onsimultaneously. The shop itself is parti-tioned into several different simulatedenvironments. There are the furnaces and

hot water heaters in an area that looks sus-piciously like a low-ceilinged basement.Students might be seen in individualizedwork areas, installing sinks and toilets,with actual running water. Visitors areadvised to watch their head as they curltheir way through while being cautiousabout the soldering being performed bystudents. Coming out on the other side,there’s an area with a double decker dis-play, preparing students to work on multi-ple levels of a dwelling, while pipe cuttingand threading machines are at the ready.

Other students work with blueprints anddiagrams, attempting to align pipes to var-ious angles, just as they would be requiredto do in homes and businesses. Studentsthread pipe, bend copper tubing, and sol-der with gas torches. Closer to the openbay door, students melt lead and pour themolten liquid into fittings around chunksof iron pipe. Freshmen struggle at a wallwith faucets of all types, mastering the artof stopping a leak in just the first few daysof the shop exploratory. Upstairs in a spe-cial area, tubs, whirlpools, and saunas pre-sent challenges to yet another group of stu-dents.

In the classroom next door, an instructorputs the students through their paces,learning the related theory content, in mathand science particularly. Geometry, alge-

PlumbingContinued from previous page

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William Rucho, a sophomore from West Boylston, is shown preparing his copper pipe project for inspection by an instructor in the Plumbing Program.

As part of their curriculum, students in the program must learn to read blueprints and follow geometric angles in order to properly install piping.


PlumbingContinued from previous page

bra, and trigonometric principals take onnew meanings as they are explained incontext of the plumbing operation, perhapsin a roof drain calculation, or the angles ina blueprint design of new construction.When it doesn’t come straight out of amath book, most students find the con-cepts much easier to grasp and understand.

By the time the students graduate fromPlumbing, they will have had the opportu-nity to earn the following certifications:OSHA Ten-Hour Construction Safety andHealth Training Certificate; three-hundredhours of related theory instruction towardsthe state licensure requirement of five--hundred-fifty hours; 1,200 hours of labinstruction towards the state licensurerequirement of 6,000 hours; installation ofPEX tubing; and installation of C.S.S.T.

The program at Assabet is certified bythe Massachusetts Board of Examiners ofPlumbers and Gasfitters. Among the dis-tinguished individuals sitting on theAdvisory Board for the shop are plumbingand heating inspectors, contractors, andthe department head for maintenance atUMass hospital. Another member, HenryPacific, is the former Plumbing Inspector

for the City of Marlborough, and it was athis suggestion that Plumbing was intro-duced as a Chapter 74 stand-alone pro-gram at Assabet. Since its beginning in1998, the program has continued to grow,and added a second teacher in 2000. In2006, there was a physical expansion ofthe shop and a third instructor was addedto accommodate the large number of stu-dents choosing this career path.

Brian Malone, a Master Plumber wholeads the work extension team for Assabet,takes students to actual job sites duringtheir school day. Under his direction, stu-dents recently installed new hydronic heat-ing pumps at the Walker Building inMarlborough and have also installed newfresh air piping for the boiler room atHildreth School, also in Marlborough.They will be installing the new plumbingat the Habitat for Humanity condo projectin Northborough, alongside fellow stu-dents from Carpentry, Electricity, andPainting and Design Technologies.

Through the Massachusetts Board ofPlumbers and Gasfitters Variance Process,Assabet’s plumbing shop has been autho-rized to install gas piping at the school tohook-up a generator for the electrical shop’scurriculum, and also been authorized toinstall all the plumbing for the City ofMarlborough’s new field house located at

Ward Park. The Plumbing Department isalso happy to announce a new businesspartnership with Curtis Septic.

This program is usually one of the firstto fill, both on the freshman level and thepost graduate training level as well.Everyone seems to agree that this is a jobthat will not end up overseas.

In the Programming and WebDevelopment Department at Assabet, visi-tors might be surprised to be greeted by atiny figure with bright blinking eyes doingTai Chi or introducing the program’sinstructors. The latest craze in the pro-grammable computer world is this friendlylooking little guy called the NAO robot,which was designed to become a compan-ion that will recognize its owner, followcommands, and even talk. The NAO,named DATA by Assabet’s instructors, isthe newest addition to the array of toolswith which the students in the ComputerProgramming and Web DevelopmentProgram will have a chance to work.

Steve Pleau, lead instructor in the pro-gram, was able to acquire the NAO andeven the NAO’s miniature BMW (completewith a key) through a grant, and is excited touse it. “Thinking about how to program himto stop walking before programming him towalk is just one of the little idiosyncrasies ofworking with a tool of this caliber,” saidPleau. “Of course, the students will proba-bly learn it quicker than I am, and that’sgood. We like to allow the students the free-dom to learn as much as they possibly can,even if it means they bypass the teachers insome areas.” The department has its ownnetwork. As a result, students are givenbroad latitude to experiment since there isno fear of creating problems for the schoolcommunity at large.

Prior to acquiring the NAO, Pleau hadintroduced drones to students, using thoseas incentive to program the Scribblerrobots. “I thought it would be fun to intro-duce Drones to the curriculum,” explainedPleau. “Once the students can make theScribbler robots follow commands and actout a story with their avatars, all by pro-gramming, not joysticks, they can learn toprogram the drones. They can be pro-grammed to follow an object for short dis-tances, but with some added coding, wecan get them to go much further and havemore fun with them. Keeping the fun inthe curriculum is what makes life interest-ing here at the Valley.” Apparently the phi-losophy is working, as last year a group ofJROTC students from the ProgrammingDepartment competed in Florida againstdrone teams from other JROTC groups,and brought home the Grand NationalChampion Trophy!

In the programming curriculum, stu-dents learn fundamental programming the-ory and how to plan and develop programsutilizing languages like Alice, Python, C#,and more. Students learn to programScribbler robots starting sophomore year.In addition, a 3D element has been addedto the program utilizing AutoDesk 3DSMax and Maya, along with 3D Connexion3D Space Explorer mouse.

The Web Development curriculum, ledby Michelle Parrella, trains students onHTML, JavaScript, CSS, XML, XHTML,Photoshop, PHP, and MYSQL. Addi -tionally, students have access to a Wacomtablet and still and video cameras to add totheir drawing and imaging talents for theirweb sites and programs. Students gain pro-ject management skills by planning andbuilding web sites for exercises and foractual business customers.

Students in this program participate inthe “Running Start” Program for NewHampshire Technical Institute by takingCisco Network Discovery Program class-es. The students will be pursuing theDiscovery I and the Discovery II coursesdesigned by Cisco. These courses arebeing taught by Chuck DuPont, an adjunctprofessor for the New HampshireTechnical Institute (NHTI). Because ofthis, students have an opportunity to earnsix college credits from NHTI, three foreach of the courses. They pay a fee of $100for three credits. They must maintain apassing grade for the course to receive thecredits. They will also be prepared to takethe Cisco CCENT certification exam.

The Programming and Web DevelopmentProgram offers three certifications for stu-dents. The first of these is the AdobeCertified Associate (ACA) – a global, vali-dated, standards-based training and certifi-cation program for DreamWeaver, Flash,and/or Photoshop. Secondly, they may earnan OSHA Ten-Hour General IndustryCertificate, and they may also earn the CiscoCCENT Certification.

With completion of this technical pro-gram, students may qualify for entry-levelWeb Development, Programming, IT sup-port, and/or sales positions. Students will beprepared for post-secondary education inWeb Development, Computer Science,Networking, Game Design, IT, and more.The Programming and Web DevelopmentProgram currently has articulation agree-ments with Quinsigamond CommunityCollege for Networking Technologies.

Upon leaving high school, there are avariety of opportunities available at entrylevel, but a bachelor’s degree or anadvanced degree in computer science or arelated field can yield an income in the six-figure range. Almost every industry, includ-ing the education field, requires projectmanagers and computer specialists, makingthis a lucrative field of study with a brightoutlook for the future.

Programming and Web Development

Seniors Daniel Mulherin of Marlborough and Ben Prentiss of Shrewsbury are shownrepairing a desktop computer in the Programming and Web Development Program.

The no-cut policy at Assabet Valley gives many students theopportunity to be involved with athletics and feel that schoolpride. Many studies have been done that show the correlationbetween school involvement and academic success.

With students coming to school from twelve communities, notmany have had prior experiences playing with each other as ateam, and yet, once again, the fall sports teams took it to the maxand had very successful seasons. Assabet coaches work witheach student at their own level and bring them along to reachvarsity status, sometimes even in the freshman year.

Sports at Assabet Valley Every interested athlete gets to play


sports facilities upgrades in the works new...

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