Eleven students went to the national !nals for Skills USA in Kansas City, Mo. on Monday, June 22. Michael Flores, a junior from Wilmington, earned a prestigious gold medal for his e"orts in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) competition. Flores was honored at an awards ceremony at the Kemper Arena and stands to earns thousands of dollars in tools from his !rst-place performance. After wins at the district and state events, Flores also received several scholarships. While Flores was the only medal winner from Shawsheen, the rest of the group also did well. Sophomore Kristen Callanan of Billerica !nished fourth in medical terminology, a tremendous showing for the lone 10th grader that represented the school. Other individuals that partcipated included junior Steven Simas of Tewksbury, who competed in technical drafting, and junior Matthew Daloia of Billerica, a competitor in diesel equipment technology. Simas and Daloia both !nished in the top 20 of their respective contests. Shawsheen Tech also sent two teams to Kansas City. The three-person Occupational Health and Safety team !nished in seventh place with an impressive scrapbook about safety at school. Members of that trio

Shawsheen Valley Technical High School prides itself on preparing its students for the future, whether it’s helping graduates move on to a four-year or two-year college or giving its students the skills and knowledge to enter the workforce right after graduation. Recently, a group of almost 30 Shawsheen Tech juniors took advantage of quite an opportunity. In all, 26 students in the health technology program at the school completed a nursing assistant course through Massachusetts Public Health and all 26 students passed. “We’re pretty excited,” said Dianne Norkiewicz, a health teacher at Shawsheen Tech. “This is a big accomplishment.” The students are all o#cially Certi!ed Nurse’s Asssitants (CNAs), an acronym that is important when it comes to getting a job at a hospital or, better yet, enrolling in nursing school. “Most post-secondary nursing programs require it,” Norkiewicz said. In order to pass the test, students had to take a written exam and a performance exam where they were given a particular scenario. Norkiewicz said some of those scenarios included transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, taking vital signs and administering range-of-motion exercises. Norkiewicz praised the e"orts of !rst-year teacher Ronald Megna and the recently-retired Diane Cortese, who both played a signi!cant role in preparing the students for the course. “It really is exciting,” Norkiewicz added. Tewksbury residents that passed the course include Julia DiDonato, Kayley Fleming, Lindsey Gonsalves,

included senior Nicole Iosue of Wilmington, junior Allison Little of Billerica and junior Stephen Mulloy of Billerica. The Health Knowledge Bowl group of senior Elizabeth Ryan of Billerica, senior Kristina Zacchini of Billerica, junior Alyssa Martucci of Tewksbury and junior Rachel Blanchard of Billerica also competed and !nished in the top 20. The foursome participated in a quiz-show type format that had students answering questions pulled from various professional journals. While Shawsheen Tech’s Skills USA advisor Heidi Lloyd was thrilled with the performance of the students, she was equally pleased at the prospect of what the 2011 Skills USA competition might be like. “Considering the fact that so many of the students were juniors, 2011 is looking very promising,” added Lloyd.

Kelsey Lynch, Rileigh MacMurdo, Kristen Madur, Taylor Marshall, Alyssa Martucci, Ashley Medeiros, Stephanie Sawicki, Amanda Schumaker, Gabrille Trodella, Amanda Vocell, Breanne Vocell and Catherin Vultaggio. Billerica students that earned their CNAs were Rachel Blanchard, Stephanie Capodilupo, Kayla Cotreau, Kayla Galante, Kayla Pineau, Vanessa Riley and Paola Torres. Nicole Brown and Alisha Du"y of Wilmington passed the course as did Kayla Soule of Burlington.

Sydnie Lopolito admits the idea to start her own blog started out of pure boredom one day last January while she was $ipping through some of her favorite reading material, a fashion magazine. “It was just something to do,” said the junior. “But then, people started to like it.” The Tewksbury resident enjoys fashion. The only proof a person needs is to simply watch her walk down the halls of Shawsheen Tech. “Yes,” said Kristin Sciacca, a teacher that has Lopolito for honors-level American Literature. “She is certainly known for her fashion sense.” “I wear crazy heels and all kinds of stu" like that,” Sydnie said with a laugh. “I de!nitely like to shop.” It was only natural, then, that Sydnie combined three of her passions, fashion, shopping and writing, into a blog called “Take me out to the runway.” A cosmetology student who has hopes to study communications in college, Sydnie found a website that o"ered free blogging and even helped set up a homepage. “It helps you out step by step,” she said. From there, Sydnie’s creative juices took over, and they haven’t stopped. “As a kid, I was obsessed with shoes,” she said. “I always wanted the light-up sneakers and things like that.” Sydnie shares many of her opinions on shoes,

clothes, jewelry, sunglasses and just about everything else on her blog, which she named partly out of her love for the Boston Red Sox. The blog, which recently celebrated its 100th o#cial post by Sydnie, can also be educational. In one post, she provides de!nitions of “shoe lingo” with some terms from www.shoe-design.com. At !rst, the blog seemed to keep Sydnie and several of her friends entertained. But then, word started spreading. Through vehicles such as Internet searches, people from all over the world would end up visiting her website. A few have even posted information from Sydnie’s blog onto their own websites. Before long, even online fashion magazines were visiting her sight. One asked her to write an article for them; another asked if she would do a few “giveaways,” one for a fancy Chandelier. “I follow her blog,” admitted Sciacca. “She hasn’t let me win any of the contests yet, though. I’m trying not to let it a"ect her grade.” Lopolito’s little project isn’t so little anymore. She now has a Facebook page that has

attracted more than 140 fans and it’s likely to keep growing. “I de!nitely want to keep doing it for as long as I can,” said Sydnie, who works a part-time job at TJ Maxx, of course. “It so much fun to write about something you like.” Sydnie has some opinions. She likes entertainer Lady Gaga’s style and also gives a thumbs-up to actress Emma Watson. And Sydnie admits, she doesn’t always agree with what Jessica Simpson pulls out of the closet.“I like a lot of unique stu",” said Sydnie, “like 10 inch heels.” An excerpt from Sydnie’s blog shows the way her personality comes out in her writing, “I made a recent purchase: a pair of six-inch Blake Scott nude pumps. They’re gorgeous, but I haven’t mustered up the courage to wear them to school yet, where I’m easily already !ve inches taller than the average-sized girl in my grade. Oh, well; it’s not like I haven’t worn tall heels to school before.”“She has a really unique voice,” added Sciacca. “She just comes across so well.” The address for Sydnie’s blog is http://www.takemeouttotherunway.blogspot.com

Shawsheen Tech kicked o" its !rst-ever summer kids program this July. The children ages 7-12 enjoyed a jammed-packed week of fun-!lled adventures with Shawsheen sta". Week one explored the bakery with Mr. Perriello learning how to make sweet treats, while week two made stone deco trivets in the masonry shop with Mr. Bradley. Both weeks rotated through two additional areas of athletics with Mr. Tildsley and arts/crafts with Mr. Bendel. Friday was a celebration where parents were invited to applaud, shout and encourage their children in our Kids Talent Show followed by a fun-on-the-!eld day. Children also enjoyed Mr. Tildsley’s version of the old Simon Says game “Jay Says” but when a real challenge was needed to stump the experts, Mrs. Karakaedos literally jumped right in with “Miss Carissa Says”. All kids received a t-shirt and certi!cate on their last day. Other fun activities included themed days of crazy hat day, inside-out day, and super fan sports day. Children of this initial year will help the sta" name the kids summer program which hopes to be even bigger and better next year. The sta" is hoping to expand the number of participants next year and o"er additional weeks. Currently the program runs 8:30am-12:30pm Monday – Friday with a cost of $100.00.

Steven Lopez and Elizabeth Ann Ryan were named the Seniors of the Month for March at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School.

Elizabeth Ann Ryan of Billerica, is a student in the school’s health technology department. While her career at Shawsheen has been full of academic excellence and accomplishments, the future looks even brighter. Elizabeth will major in nursing at Rivier College in Nashua, N.H. and eventually hopes to work in the !eld. She has gained valuable experience already through the school’s cooperative education program, working at the Sunrise Senior Living in Burlington. Elizabeth, a Certi!ed Nursing Assistant (CNA), was well-prepared for her duties at Sunrise thanks to Shawsheen Tech. At school, Elizabeth has been able to successfully mix athletics and academics. For the Ram sports teams, Elizabeth has played basketball and softball and has also run cross country. She played varsity basketball for her !nal two years. Thanks to her 3.9 grade-point average and a class rank within the top 10, Elizabeth has also earned a spot on both the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. She’s been an honor-roll student for all four years at Shawsheen.

Steven Lopez a Billerica resident, is one of the school’s top electrical students. Steven recently advanced to the Skills USA state !nals in Residential Wiring and, at the end of April, will be competing for a spot in the national !nals. A National Honor Society member who has also won Citizenship Awards for his excellence in his studies, Steven will attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall and plans to major in business. Steven put his electrical skills from Shawsheen to good use through the school’s cooperative education program as he was employed by Caron Electric, which is located in Burlington. Steven is ranked 12th academically in the senior class and has maintained an outstanding grade-point average of 3.86.

Julia Keating and Dean Sousa were recently recognized as Shawsheen Technical High School’s seniors of the month for April.

Dean Sousa, a Billerica resident, is a standout in the school’s plumbing department. Ranked within the top 20 of the senior class academically and carrying a 3.81 grade point average, Dean will attend the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in the fall to major in engineering.

Four students at Shawsheen Valley Tech were recognized for their citizenship and their accomplishments as March and April “Seniors of the Month.” Criteria for the award, presented by the Billerica Elks, included scholastic achievement, vocational technical ability, character, leadership and community service.

In four years at Shawsheen Tech, Dean built quite a resume. He recently participated in the annual Skills USA competition, helping Shawsheen Tech’s Team Build squad reach the state !nals. A member of the National Honor Society, Dean was an honor roll student all four years and earned three Citizenship Awards for academic excellence. Additionally, he was a John Abigail Adams scholarship recipient. Dean also enjoyed the distinction of having perfect attendance throughout his time at the school. Dean spends a great deal of time volunteering. Every month, he goes to Stoneham and helps mail packages to US troops. He also volunteers at St. Mary’s church regularly and helps throughout his neighborhood with shoveling snow and cutting grass. Through Shawsheen’s cooperative education program, Dean works for Creesy Plumbing and Heating in Beverly as a plumber’s apprentice. Julia Keating, of Burlington, is an outstanding student in Shawsheen Tech’s Design and Visual Communications department. Julia has a long list of extracurricular activities. She was a member of the school’s swim team for four years and also participated in volleyball for two seasons. In school, she keeps busy with the Teen Dating Violence Awareness Program, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), the National Honor Society and Project 540, which was created for students who hope to spark improvement in their schools and communities. With Project 540, Julia and her classmates helped institute a salad bar in Shawsheen Tech’s cafeteria. Julia has been the vice president of the GSA for the past two years. She is also Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) certi!ed. Julia’s hobbies outside of school are interesting. She enjoys photographing nature, participating in martial arts and fencing. Julia also volunteered for the Town of Burlington at Camp Simonds and has done 30 hours of course work at Mass Art College in Boston, where she earned half of a college credit. In what she called the “best summer of my life,” Julia also traveled to Australia through the People to People Student Ambassadors Program. She stayed with a host family while seeing another part of the world, a trip that was so memorable that she wrote her college essay about it. Julia raised $3,000 to help make the trip possible. In the fall, Julia will attend the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and hopes to major in visual performing arts. She hopes to work in graphic design when she completes her degree and credits Shawsheen Tech with both creating and enhancing her love for design. “It’s been great,” she said. “The best decision I’ve ever made was going to Shawsheen Tech.”

Last spring, just before its game against Greater Lawrence, the softball program celebrated another bright idea at the school. At an o#cial ribbon-cutting ceremony, a new scoreboard was unveiled and going forward, one of the best Div. 3 softball squads in the state will make it a lot easier for its fans to keep track of the team’s victories. The scoreboard was made possible by a donation from Good Sports Inc. and the “Score with Local 103” program sponsored by the Local 103 IBEW, which serves New England’s electricians. “It is vitally important for Local 103 IBEW to reach out to our vocational schools to get the next generation of our membership,” said Mike Calder of the IBEW. “The ‘Score with Local 103’ program is a great way for us to stay involved with the schools and keep our relationship with the students and community in a positive light. ‘Score with Local 103’ was a huge success in its !rst year and we are thrilled to award the scoreboard to Shawsheen Vocational High School.”

Good Sports was equally pleased to do its part in helping make the scoreboard at Shawsheen a reality. “Good Sports is thrilled to work with Entercom and Local 103 IBEW on this donation,” said Christy Keswick, Chief Operating O#cer at Good Sports. “This scoreboard will really help raise the pro!le of softball at the school and hopefully encourage more young girls to try the sport.” Good Sports makes playing sports a reality for thousands of youth. Its mission is to increase the participation of disadvantaged youth in sports, !tness and recreational activities by overcoming a key barrier – the high cost of equipment. Good Sports strives to overcome this barrier by matching donations from manufacturers and retailers to the needs of the community organizations serving these children. Those e"orts are making an impact – since 2003 Good Sports has donated more than $4 million worth of equipment, impacting more than 220,000 youth.The scoreboard’s installing had many helping hands, including Jodie Construction. The company provided its front-end loader to assist

the maintenance department in picking up the scoreboard and the 16-foot steel legs and dropping it into the four-foot holes in the ground. A crew from Jodie Construction also rigged the unit and set it in the hole and leveled it before the concrete was poured. Meanwhile, Shawsheen Tech continues to add to its already-impressive athletic resume. A winner of the Boston Globe’s prestigious Markham Award, based on the winning-percentage of school-wide athletic programs throughout the state, Shawsheen Tech is one of the only vocational schools in the state that boasts 21 varsity sports including girls hockey. Now, the Ram softball team will be one of the few programs around to play with an o#cial scoreboard as it marches toward yet another state tournament appearance under the direction of coach Maureen Buckley and the supervision of athletic director Al Costabile. “The new scoreboard is a great addition to our athletic complex,” Costabile said. “I’d really like to thank all that were involved for all of their e"orts.”

It was the ultimate compliment. And, it was a true indicator of how successful Jessica Cook’s Outdoor Club at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School had become. “At the end of the trip,” Jessicasaid with a laugh. “I heard one of the kids say, ‘This is better than TV.’” Jessica, a !rst-year history teacher at Shawsheen Tech, didn’t waste any time making an impact at the school. A veteran of the camping and hiking world, she received permission to start an Outdoor Club at Shawsheen Tech and led groups of students on two separate trips to New Hampshire this spring. The club had its !rst trip April 9 & 10 and the second one on May 1 & 2. In all, 16 students participated in the group, with eight going on the !rst trip and the other eight going to the second trip. Both excursions went to Bristol, N.H. where the group climbed Mount Firescrew and stayed at the Cardigan Lodge. The trips cost each student less than $40. “All of the kids were excited about it,” said Jessica. “Some had hiked before and others had never done it, but really wanted to challenge themselves. They all came out of it saying, ‘When is the next trip?’” “This is what makes Shawsheen signi!-cantly di"erent from most systems,” said Superintendent/Director Charles Lyons. “We have teachers that dedicate themselves, sometimes on weekends, to work with the young people and make sure they experience all types of activities.” Jessica was joined by Shawsheen teacher Todd Karkane, another outdoor enthusiast. “Just absolutely phenomenal,” said Karkane of the trips. “The fact that Jessica did this in her !rst

year here is absolutely amazing to me. I felt safe and prepared the whole time. She always kept safety in mind.” Jessica actually ran safety classes for club members after school and reviewed aspects of the trip such as hydration, map reading and keeping warm during the courses. “Jessica and Todd really demonstrate what the word teaching is all about,” said Lyons. “It’s consistent to what many other educators do here at Shawsheen Tech. They give of themselves to make our school what it is.” The trips ended up bene!ting several groups of students. When Jessica, who also helped out with an outdoor club in her previous teaching job in Cambridge, started planning things in September, she called on Shawsheen’s technical illustration students to draw up posters and the graphic arts students to make laminated copies that were spread throughout the hallways. She also had the club promoted on the morning announcements. Even on the hiking trips, Shawsheen Tech students were able to put their academic skills to good use. “We stayed in the lodge,” said Jessica. “[The students] cooked and cleaned and did everything themselves basically. It really was their trip, and we ate a lot of food.” Jessica has a few rules that wouldn’t generally

seem popular to teenagers, including no cell phones and no televisions (the one device that is allowed, of course, is a camera), but the students never complained. They just had fun. “We get there early on a Saturday and hike all day,” she said. “And then we come home on Sunday. I don’t think ‘1,500 feet in elevation’ means anything to people until they experience it.” Through her relationship with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Jessica is also able to provide boots and rain gear to the students. “The kids really appreciate what she’s done,” Karkane said. “Both groups had di"erent successes and handled it in a completely di"erent way, and both ways were an incredible experience.”

Jack Landers is a husband of 39 years, a father of two married sons with a grandson on the way, and a teacher of 33 years. Thirty of those teaching years were spent here at Shawsheen. After graduating from Central Catholic in ‘68 as an electrical apprentice he went on to obtain his journeyman’s and master’s electrical licenses in Massachusetts and a master’s license in New Hampshire. He then joined the local 103 Electrical Union. After that he attended Fitchburg State in ‘88 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Education. For the last 20 years, Mr. Landers has taught Design at Northeastern University and has been the wiring inspector for the town of Bedford. Mr. Landers is getting ready “to put the belt back on” and go to work in the electrical trade after years of teaching. In addition to working he’s going to be playing lots of golf, which is his favorite sport to play. His !nal words of advice are, “Do something you really want with your life and enjoy what you’re doing.”

For the past 22 years, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School has been honored to have had an employee as diligent and respected as Mr. Gary Baker. Mr. Baker got his start here in the Carpentry Shop after spending seven years teaching in Whittier Technical High School’s Carpentry program. His 13 years as a shop teacher were the most rewarding of his many years at Shawsheen. He then became the shop’s related teacher followed by becoming the Department Head of the Construction Cluster before settling in as our Co-op Placement Counselor. Now his time to step down has come and unfortunately he is saying goodbye to his co-workers and to his students that look up to him and respect everything that he does for them. Mr. Baker appreciates the family atmosphere that the faculty possesses and wishes them all the best. As for the students at Shawsheen, he knows that they will all land on their feet and become the wonderful members of society that he knows they can be. After retiring, Mr. Baker plans to continue his work in the construction trade. We all wish Mr. Baker the best of luck in the years ahead and know that he will be forever remembered by those he has helped along the way.

John Havens has been a member of the Shawsheen family for 27 years as a Diesel Shop

teacher after working in his !eld for 10 years. He became a teacher because !xing engines became somewhat robotic, and he was after the challenge of working with young minds. For him, being a teacher has been a tremendous chall-enge, but absolutely worth it! He believes “if you have to work there is no better job!” In his experience at Shawsheen he has had many unforgettable memories. One that stands out to him is his graduating class of 1986. During this time, Mr. Havens was questioning if being a teacher was the right thing for him. He went from being his own boss and his job ending when he clocked out to being responsible for children, paperwork, and discipline. Because of the help from this tremendous class, Mr. Havens remained a teacher. He still knows every student from this class and is still in contact with many of them. When he leaves Shawsheen, Mr. Havens realizes that he also leaves behind his day-to-day routine, the professional conversations with sta" members, and his !nal graduating class. But for Mr. Havens, as one door closes another one will open. His plans for the future are to open his own metal recycling business, volunteer with veterans or his local library, and to stay in contact with Shawsheen. He has advice to share with both students and sta". For current and future students he says, “Get focused and take advantage of this amazing opportunity!” His words of wisdom for teachers are, “Remember to laugh!”

John Fusco has been the much loved welding instructor in the Metal Fabrication Shop for nearly 27 years, but unfortunately for Metal Fab, and Shawsheen, he is retiring at the end of this year. I can’t picture anyone but Mr. Fusco popping into my welding booth, calling me a hack welder, and challenging me to do better. He feels like a !xture of the shop, like one of the machines: dependable, loud, and a little scary if you aren’t accustomed to it. When asked what he was going to miss the most about teaching, Mr. Fusco said, “All of your smiling faces!” He hesitated and then burst into laughter. Personally, I’m going to miss that wry sense of humor the most. I asked the other juniors what they were going to miss about Fusco, and their responses would make Mr. Fusco proud. Tom Chandonnet said, “His mustache.”

Alex White reminded me that, “Fusco is the man, and no one will ever know more about welding than him.” Josie Sullivan-Taylor will miss, “His crazy Monday morning safety stories.” Joe Blanco loves Mr. Fusco for, “His mad funny war stories.” But Brian Good sums it up best by saying, “All he has to o"er is going to be missed.” Without fail, Mr. Fusco always seems to have some !rst-hand experience with any given situation. From Monday morning safety stories that make your skin crawl, to hilarious anecdotes about time spent in the Navy, Mr. Fusco has always had a story or two for his students. His stories, however, are not just amusing tales.

With her resume fully loaded, Ms. Paula Blanchette will be departing from Shawsheen after teaching in the Support Services program for the past 17 years. All together, Ms. Blanchette has acquired an outstanding total of 30 years in the teaching profession! When asked why she chose to work in the Support Services program with all of its unique challenges Ms. Blanchette stated, “My degree allowed me to teach in other areas, but I felt I enjoyed Special Education more, due to my patience.” Futhermore, her job was not limited to teaching; she involved herself with a variety of other activities, including the drama club. Without hesitation, she informed me her greatest memory in her teaching career would have to be her role as drama advisor during the student production of the play, Leader of the Pack. Ms. Blanchette also enjoys traveling, !tness, and reading, and says the number one part of Shawsheen she will miss most is surely its students. She would like to tell them to “enjoy your high school years now because you’ll miss them later!” After retiring from Shawsheen, Ms. Blanchette plans to continue job hunting in the teaching profession, closer to her New Hampshire home.

In this day and age, you would be hard-pressed to !nd someone who has the dedication and attitude needed to hold a team together. The fact is, Mr. Duane Cleak holds together not one, but two teams, his hockey players and his students. Coaching these kids, be it in hitting a puck or solving Punnett Squares, is certainly what Mr. Cleak will miss the most when he retires this year. Shawsheen Tech’s well-loved science teacher is !nally taking his leave after an astonishing 35 % years of teaching, 27 % at Shawsheen, and prior to that, 8 years in Woburn. Mr. Duane Cleak raves about Shawsheen, calling it a terri!c place to work and for students

Top students from Business Technology, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School attended the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2010 National Leadership Conference, “Shoot for Success,” in Anaheim, CA, May 5-9, 2010. Shawsheen’s BPA chapter members, Alexa Diranian, Kristina Lees, Courtney Woods, Brittany Cremens, Alyssa Mooney. Molly Morris and Lyndsay Robinson joined over 5,000 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, workshops, general sessions, and the national o#cer candidate campaigns and elections. Besides having the opportunity to excel, they experienced the Anaheim area and visited exciting sites. “The conference is the culmination of a school year’s worth of business skills education and training which members of BPA at Shawsheen have received,” said chapter advisor, Linda Swasey, who teaches Business Technology. Lyndsay Robinson was elected BPA National Treasurer and will help to plan and preside over next year’s conference in Washington, DC. She was also the recipient of an Ambassador Torch Award and a $1,000 scholarship from the National Technical Honor Society. Courtney Woods attended the Leadership Academy and Molly Morris placed in the top 10 for Legal O#ce Procedures. Students also competed in Basic O#ce Systems & Procedures, Extemporaneous Speech, Integrated O#ce Applications, and Global Marketing Team. Business Professionals of America is a national organization for high school, college, and middle school students preparing for careers in business and information technology. The organization’s activities and programs complement classroom instruction by giving students practical experience through application of the skills learned at school. Business Professionals of America acts as a cohesive agent in the nation-wide networking of education and business and industry. BPA is contributing to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills. Business Professionals of America is assisted in this endeavor with !nancial support from corporations and companies including AICPA, Microsoft, Adobe, CIW-Certi!cation Partners, WeSeed, Shell and South-Western/Cengage, who sponsor BPA’s National Leadership Conference, and member career building programs and scholarships.

to attend. “They get the best of both worlds here,” he says about the students, referring to the privilege of learning a trade in addition to the typical academic courses. Duane Cleak is not only a fantastic teacher, but a deeply respected coach as well. His proudest moment of his entire career occurred this year with his JV hockey team. After two crushing defeats to Wilmington, the team’s morale was low. Hearing this, Mr. Cleak did what any good coach would do, he let them have it. It was a surprise to no one when the Rams won their !nal game. Mr. Cleak is still unsure as to what he will do after retirement. He may remain working part-time, and he will probably engage in some of his favorite hobbies, such as listening to music, playing golf (although not up to professional standards) and boating on Lake Winnipesaukee. Although room 302 will become home to a new teacher, Mr.Duane Cleak will never truly leave Shawsheen Tech. He will be sorely missed, and remembered vibrantly as one of the most dedicated, skilled, and kind teachers and coaches Shawsheen Tech has ever had.

Ms. Mary Brooks has been working at Shawsheen for !ve years, but is not new to the game of teaching. She has been an educator for 30 years. She instructed at “other” technical schools, a training center, and has even taught English to elementary level children in Japan, where she was born. When asked how Shawsheen has treated her, she proudly replied, “I am fortunate because I was able to end my career in a school that’s so welcoming and allows me to teach in a style I wanted.” Ms. Brooks then shared that what she’ll miss the most are the warm smiles from both students and teachers alike, as well as the walks through a school that possesses a “wonderful atmosphere.” After retiring, Ms. Brooks is planning on traveling to Florida and Japan to reconnect with family. Also, she hopes to expand on hobbies, which include origami, jewelry making, and bonsai. Although her retirement has been planned, she revealed that she has kept it a secret from her students. “One day, two students from Tech Ill came in to take retirement pictures during a class!” She laughed, “I had to explain to my class afterwards.” Those students, and all who have known her, will miss Ms. Brooks most for her high expectations and warm smile.

Shawsheen Valley Technical High School admits students and makes available to them its advantages, privileges and courses of study without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

• Tuesday, September 7 – First day of school (9th grade ONLY)

• Wednesday, September 8 – First day of school (all students)

• Week of September 13 – Fall Adult Education classes begin

• Tuesday, September 14 – 9th grade Parent Orientation

• Saturday, October 2 – Homecoming

• Monday, October 4 – Annual Shawsheen Golf Tournament

ShawsheenGolf TournamentScholarship Fundraiser

Monday, October 4th

Call 978-671-3604 for more information.