March 26, 2024
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 17
EHS Earns Three Honors at METG Finals
Theatre Co. Wraps Up an Historic Run
Theatre Co. Wraps Up an Historic Run
Everett High School (EHS) received three awards following its performance of “Augusta and Noble” in the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild (METG) 2024 Drama Festival Finals. Recognized for their excellence in the various aspects of a theatrical production were:
Gia Price: Excellence in Acting Award for the role of El Coyote
Isabella Vaz, Cecia Troches Cruz, Anne Souza, Na'Tayeja Robinson, and Milton Garcia Gonzalez:
Technical Excellence in Costume Design
Milton Garcia Gonzalez, Keyly Ortega, Ace Donnelly, and Sarah Jasmin:
Technical Excellence in Scenic Painting
Isabella Vaz, Cecia Troches Cruz, Anne Souza, Na'Tayeja Robinson, and Milton Garcia Gonzalez:
Technical Excellence in Costume Design
Milton Garcia Gonzalez, Keyly Ortega, Ace Donnelly, and Sarah Jasmin:
Technical Excellence in Scenic Painting
EHS was one of 14 schools to perform in the three-day festival, held from March 21-23, 2024, at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston. It was Everett’s first appearance in the METG finals in several decades, and it concluded one of the most successful festival runs in the history of the EHS theatre program.
“Participating in the Festival Finals is a memory of a lifetime, one our students and teachers made the absolute most of,” said Superintendent William Hart. “They performed with confidence and style and showed their peers and theater educators from around the Commonwealth why they belong on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights.”
The production of “Augusta and Noble” was directed by the faculty-led team of Artistic Director Evan DeMarzo, Scenic Director Briana Pierce, Costume Director Josephine Dougan, Theatrical Advisor Britt Mitchell, and Scenic Construction Advisor Eric Pierce.
In a description of the performance of “Augusta and Noble” prepared by members of the other state finalists, the EHS actors and crew were praised for “featuring deep emotions and staying true to character and family connections” and for its “use of a detailed and versatile set to create a beautiful portrayal of folklore.”
EHS’s cast and crew included: Gabrielle DeGouveia, Gia Price, Eva Pappas, Gianna Rodriguez-Sanchez, Anthony Santizo, Kawanne Marins, Nilabhro Pal, Dannie Foster, Rebecca Louine, Sophia Melo, Ace Donnelly, Cecia Troches Cruz, Milton Garcia Gonzalez, Anne Souza, Jack Whiting, Yasmine Laabadla, Alanna O'Brien, Joao Vitor Demo, Randy Maldonado, Isabella Vaz, Na'Tayeja Robinson, Shane Fitzgibbon, Melodie Ghiraldelli, Apollo Blatt, Keyly Ortega Estrada, and Sarah Jasmin.
While the festival season is over, the EHS Theatre Co. is far from finished. Students and faculty are hard at work on a spring production of “Chicago,” set for June 6 and 7, 2024, in the EHS Center for Performing Arts.
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Spotlight on Self-Recognition
EHS Holds Latest VOG Awards Ceremony
Everett High School (EHS) held the third of five ceremonies in its year-long Vision of the Graduate (VOG) Recognition Awards program, held on Friday, March 22, 2024, in the EHS Library.
Superintendent William Hart joined Principal Dennis Lynch and Vice Principals James Murphy and John Sutera at the ceremony, which, as always, was organized and hosted by Health and Wellness Coordinator Julie Ann Whitson and English Language Arts Department Chair Ryan McGowan.
Ten (10) EHS students were presented with VOG Recognition Awards for Self-Awareness during a ceremony inside the EHS Library on Friday, March 22, 2024. They were nominated by one of their teachers for demonstrating “Integrity, Self-Management, Responsibility, Thoughtfulness, and Open-Mindedness.”
March’s winners, and nominating teachers, are as follows:
Fernando Arias Garcia (Nominating Teacher: Adrian Curtain)
Hadassa Benjamin (Dana Lipper)
Bryan Oajaca Rojop (Amanda Pickowicz)
Melodie Ghiraldelli (Sarah Simmons)
Nicole Flores (Anastasia Kolokithas)
Miguel Silveira (Nhan Bang)
Christian Zamor (Steven Blake)
Adam Bousbaa (Carissa Thekaekara)
Diego Murcia Matute (Samantha Uga)
Na’Tayeja Robinson (Josephine Dougan)
Throughout 2023, EHS participated in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation process. While NEASC’s formal decision will be released and shared with the community later this year, the process has already yielded important results. Chief among them was the creation of the VOG, which states: “Everett High School graduates will be: Resilient, Innovative, Self-Aware, Empowered, and Service-Minded.” Earlier VOG reports are included in the Issue 15 (March 5, 2204) and Issue 11 (January 4, 2024)
Click HERE for more photos from the March Awards Ceremony.
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At the Madeline English School
Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day; Book Character Day
Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day; Book Character Day
The Madeline English School celebrated World Down Syndrome Day by rocking crazy socks and reading “You Are Enough,” a book about inclusion inspired by a little girl named Sofia with Down syndrome. In addition, third-grade teacher Molly O’Neill shared an image of her uncle who has Down syndrome and talked about the joy he has brought to her family. World Down Syndrome Day (March 21) is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.
Below is an eighth grader and the fifth-grade teaching team who, as you can clearly see, fully embraced the spirit of Book Character Day!
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State Rep. Joseph McGonagle (left) and State Sen. Sal DiDomenico (right) join Everett High School (EHS) computer science teacher Neil Plotnick and EHS cybersecurity students at the 2024 CSforMA Day at the Massachusetts State House.
Making a Statement — at the State Level
EHS Students Participate in Computer Science Event
Students in Mr. Neil Plotnick’s cybersecurity class had the chance to exhibit their work during a special showcase at the Massachusetts State House. Held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the event was hosted by the organization CSforMA, a leader in providing professional development for computer science educators in the Commonwealth.
“It was a great day for everyone, as the students got to showcase their work in our cybersecurity classes and the Computer Science Honor Society,” Mr. Plotnick said.
The Everett High School (EHS) students set up a table and laptops in the Great Hall of Flags, where they showed and talked about their work with Linux (a family of open-source operating systems), Bash (a command processor), and Python (a general-purpose programming language). The students interacted with their peers from around the state, as well as State Senator Sal DiDomenico and State Representative Joseph McGonagle.
Rep. McGonagle brought the EHS contingent to the Grand Staircase, where the official State House photographer took a group picture of the students and Mr. Plotnick. Sen. DiDomenico is one of the primary sponsors of proposed legislation that would mandate that all Massachusetts high school students take at least once computer science class to graduate.
CSforMA is the Massachusetts Computer Science Education Hub for passionate stakeholders dedicated to ensuring that all K-12 students have access to high-quality computer science coursework. Its priority is to broaden the participation of females, students of color, rural students, and other underserved populations.
Click HERE for more photos from CSforMA
“It was a great day for everyone, as the students got to showcase their work in our cybersecurity classes and the Computer Science Honor Society,” Mr. Plotnick said.
The Everett High School (EHS) students set up a table and laptops in the Great Hall of Flags, where they showed and talked about their work with Linux (a family of open-source operating systems), Bash (a command processor), and Python (a general-purpose programming language). The students interacted with their peers from around the state, as well as State Senator Sal DiDomenico and State Representative Joseph McGonagle.
Rep. McGonagle brought the EHS contingent to the Grand Staircase, where the official State House photographer took a group picture of the students and Mr. Plotnick. Sen. DiDomenico is one of the primary sponsors of proposed legislation that would mandate that all Massachusetts high school students take at least once computer science class to graduate.
CSforMA is the Massachusetts Computer Science Education Hub for passionate stakeholders dedicated to ensuring that all K-12 students have access to high-quality computer science coursework. Its priority is to broaden the participation of females, students of color, rural students, and other underserved populations.
Click HERE for more photos from CSforMA