Set in medieval times, the set design consists of suits of armor, a
throne room and a bed, stacked high with mattresses. Actors wore plastic
armor and crowns of red velvet while actresses donned a variety of
medieval dresses. Grace Wakefield, 13, plays the role of Queen
Aggravain. "She's kind of very selfish," Wakefield said. "She's full
of herself and she likes to ramble and talk a lot." Wakefield said
this is the third show she has done with Sinerate. "They're really
fun to do," she said. "It's a fun atmosphere."
Matt Engel, 14, plays the "nerdy" Prince Dauntless, "who's trying to
find a wife but is overshadowed by his mom."
Students have been practicing several times a week after school for
about three months, Sinerate said.
"I was in the past play so I learned how the schedule works," said
Lydia Burns, 14, who plays Winnifred, the princess who has to pass the
queen's test to marry Dauntless. "Singing-wise, I made CDs and I learned
(the songs) from that. The way I memorize lines is I look at a scene as a
whole and then I base my responses on that. I definitely feel that by the
end of it is when I get into character, so there's really no preparing for
that."
McDevitt Middle School music teacher Kevin Coyne provided the
soundtrack. He played guitar and helped orchestrate a small group of
musicians, including students from Waltham High School.
Burns said the best part about acting is the final product.
"Having all the costumes and all the set together (is the best)," Burns
said. "It feels really nice to do plays and it's just a lot of fun."
The show opens tomorrow at 7 p.m. and runs through Saturday. Friday's
show is at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. All shows are in the McDevitt
Middle School auditorium, 75 Church St. Tickets for tomorrow's and
Friday's shows are $5 for children, seniors and students and $7 for
adults. All tickets for Saturday's show are $5.
Let's
get digital: McDevitt students use MIT computer program to compose
Photo and article by
Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, May 14, 2008.
An
MIT computer program is scoring big points with McDevitt Middle School
students. Hyperscore, a musical composition
program created by Tod Machover of Waltham and a team of music and
computer experts, is the newest addition to the music curriculum for
seventh- and eighth-graders. "It's pretty simple. It draws (music)
in colors," said student Molly McDonald, 12. "I thought it was pretty cool
that we could use a bunch of instruments and write our own songs."
The PC-based program uses visual aids to help define musical notation.
Bright colors and shapes representing different sounds allow the user to
easily map out and create a song. The program makes music accessible to
newcomers and experienced musicians without any training. "It's
pretty easy to work with and it has a lot of different instruments and you
can get a lot of different varieties with sounds," said student Thomas
Waddick, 13. "I liked hearing the final song after it was done and it's
cool to know I created that."
Music teacher Kevin Coyne and technology teacher Peggy
Cohen introduced the program earlier this year. Coyne said about 200
students have used Hyperscore so far. Machover,
professor of music and media at MIT's media lab, moved from Belmont to
Waltham in 2003. He has two daughters, one of whom, Hana, is a McDevitt
eighth-grader. Tod Machover studied to be a
composer at Julliard Music School in New York and runs a group called
Hyper Instruments and Opera of the Future at MIT. He says music runs in
his family. "My mom is a piano player and teacher. My dad was one of
the people that started the field of computer graphics. He was also very
interested in making computers intuitive to people. He worked for
Information Displays Incorporated," he said.
Machover said he's worked at the MIT lab for over 20 years and has helped
design musical instruments for world renowned musicians such as Prince,
Peter Gabriel and Yo Yo Ma. Machover helps design the instruments and a
team at MIT helps construct them. "Ever since I've been at MIT we've
been making all sorts of technology to make music accessible to everyone,"
he said. "One thing we do is make new kinds of instruments for some of the
world's best musicians." Machover said a group
of his students went on to form the Cambridge company Harmonix, which
developed the popular video game series "Guitar Hero." "What we've
been interested in is making things that are cool like 'Guitar Hero' but
also making educational (music related products)," Machover said. "Hyperscore
started in about 2000 or 2001. We invented it here as a group in the media
lab and it was part of a larger project called Toy Symphony."
Machover said the group he worked with on Hyperscore wanted
to make a series of educational music products for children. The program
was released in fall 2004 and is used across the world, Machover said.
"We have made rhythm instruments called 'Beat Bugs' and we made this
software called Hyperscore," he said. "I think making your own music is
the coolest thing. In general, it's such a great way to experiment and be
creative." Machover said the program was
designed for children ages 7 to 12. "You don't need to know anything
about music theory. You don't have to know anything about music notation,"
he said. "It's very open-ended. You can make any style of music."
Coyne said they began to use the program in February and
he's seen an increased interest in musical scoring from his students.
"A lot of the music classes include special education students and
students that are English language learners," he said. "It's especially
difficult to teach traditional music notation to (ESL) students ... since
the program itself is all visual, it's very easy to use and to learn. Most
students can figure it out and it's very easy for them to be involved and
to know what's going on." Coyne said the program has allowed many of
his students to be more confident in exploring music. "A lot of kids
tried playing music instruments and didn't succeed," he said. "They now
have a way to experience music where they maybe had failed in previous
years." The program also allows students' musical compositions to be
converted into traditional musical notation with the click of a button.
Coyne said he intends to take some of the student's Hyperscore
compositions and use them in a concert before the school year ends.
Coyne said he plans to hire friends who are musicians to read and play the
music in the school's auditorium. "For a long time I wanted to
include students' compositions into a concert and I had seen a very cool
similar program called the Vermont MIDI Project," Coyne said. "They have
students in schools work on songs and then they bring in musicians to play
them."
Machover said his dream is for Hyperscore to be used in
as many schools as possible. "One of the places we're most
interested in is to see it in schools. A lot of schools have less and less
music in them and in general, Hyperscore is a minimal program," he said. "Hyperscore
is a fantastic way to augment a music curriculum. We can work with (Coyne)
to find out what works and what doesn't. It's the best possible way to
reach more people in more schools. That's a real dream."
Agricultural
Endeavour: Space seeds take root in Waltham school
Photo By Bear
Cieri, article by Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, May 6, 2008.
An
eighth-grade classroom can be a tough place to grow plants, but the seeds
being planted yesterday at McDevitt Middle School have seen a much
harsher environment - space. Earth science teacher Heidi Sardina and
her 20 students will be studying the cinnamon basil seeds to see if the
exposure to zero gravity and radiation aboard the international space
station will affect the seeds’ growth.
After receiving a grant from the Waltham West Suburban
Chamber of Commerce, Sardina spent six weeks studying at the Christa
Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Teaching Excellence at Framingham State
College this summer. There, she discovered a NASA program in which
seeds sent from Earth to the international space station are distributed
to science teachers and classrooms across the country. Sardina received
the seeds earlier this month. "These seeds were not only on the
international space center in zero gravity, they actually put these seeds
outside and into space," she said.
According to a NASA Web site, it’s important for NASA to
learn how seeds endure space conditions and germinate in low gravity
because astronauts on future missions are going to take plants along for
food, oxygen and even companionship. Sardina said NASA’s interest in
determining space’s effects on seeds is related to the space program’s
focus on someday sending explorers to Mars. "For us to go to Mars it
takes about six months one way," Sardina told her class yesterday. "It is
almost impossible to bring plants with us. We have to have the ability to
grow seeds in space."
A total of 10 million seeds were carried into space on
the space shuttle Endeavour during the STS-118 mission last August. The
crew of that mission included astronaut Barbara Morgan, a former school
teacher. A portion of the seeds are still on the space station. Most
of them were returned to Earth on the shuttle and divided into kits for
students to grow and study.
"We’ve been learning about the planets and oceanography
and some astronauts lately," said student Jessica Fernandez, 14. "It’s
interesting. I’ve never seen a seed that small. I think they will grow."
Students planted seeds in plastic soda bottles yesterday. For the next
several weeks, they will rotate the seeds approximately 90 degrees every
day. "We really don’t know how this is going to turn out," Sardina
said. "It’s a good review for the MCAS, incorporating all the sciences. I
especially like to motivate girls in math and science too. By this age, a
lot of (girls) are not as interested." Students will measure seed
germination rates, specifically how fast space basil plants grow compared
to Earth basil. They will then send the results to NASA. "It’s kind
of cool to see what space seeds look like," said student Ryan Pelletier,
14. "I think the seeds will grow as high as they can." Sardina said
the experiment is an economical way for NASA to gather information.
"First it’s to foster hands-on experience to their studies because it’s
much more real if they can touch what’s been in space," Sardina said.
"There’s a new trend in science to use classroom teachers to do certain
experiments."
For more information on participating in growing seeds
from space, visit
www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plantgrowth/home/index.html
Students in
tune with 7th period
Article and photo By Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, February 7, 2008
Grab
your iPod, it's time for "7th Period." Students at McDevitt
Middle School are sharing news, reviews and updates in a 10-minute
digital format. "It's like a radio show and kids are using original
pieces of work," English teacher Laura Scalese said.
"The 7th Period," the school's first podcast, debuted
last year and is the brainchild of music teacher Kevin Coyne, English
teacher Laura Scalese, media center teacher Lucy Clerkin and technology
teacher Peggy Keohane. "It was a kind of combined effort," Scalese
said. "We were all sort of working with different technologies in our
classrooms and podcasts were something we stumbled on." The podcast
- digital recordings that can be downloaded, or heard on a Web site - is a
mix of news, music and features which appear on the Web site
http://mcdevitt.podomatic.com.
For each episode, students write original scripts or use
material from their classes and bring it to Coyne. "It's like a
forum for them to share their work," Scalese said "Some are writing music,
some are doing poetry. There's top 10 lists, music and video game
reviews." Coyne then uses a microphone to record the material in a
classroom on the third floor after school. Coyne said he uses Audacity, a
recording software, to record the students. With the same software, Coyne
mixes the material into a 10-minute show. "The 7th Period" is then
uploaded to a Web site for students to download.
"We have so many kids that do such creative work, but
they don't have a place to show it off outside the classroom," Coyne said.
"I like working with kids in a different manner. You work with them in a
different light and you get to see another side of them."
The second edition of "The 7th Period" was recorded at
the end of January. Students say they will begin producing the program in
monthly installments starting in March. The first episode aired Nov. 6,
2007. There are currently about 10 eighth-graders involved in the
program. Students can access the podcast from different computers at the
school or at home.
Brandon Spencer, 14, is an interactive correspondent for
"The 7th Period." He has incorporated many of his school projects into the
show since its inception. "The first one I had to write a rap for my
English class ... then I shadowed the principal for a day," he said about
his submissions. "I try to integrate things kids are interested in and are
listening to. I'm sure everyone wants to know what the principal's day is
like."
Brendon Fay, 13, not only has integrated aspects of his
schoolwork, but has created original audio pieces to promote school
activities and spirit. "In the first podcast I did an ad for the
winter production of 'A Christmas Story,' " Fay said. "You can kind of
bring out some school spirit ... you can have everyone listening and
cheering on."
Jody Grifone, 13 and Lydia Burns, 13, are the anchors of
the 7th Period, announcing the material to listeners. "We introduce
people. We tell them what's going to happen and what's coming up next,"
Burns said. "(I like) people getting to know you around the school more
because if they've never heard you, they get to know you (through
podcasts)." "I like interacting with the other students and getting
to know them a little better," Grifone added.
McDevitt
Middle School Assistant Principal retires
By Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, January 20, 2008
Daily News Tribune
Photo by Lisa Cassidy, Daily News Staff
Michael
McGovern never stopped going to school. A lifelong Waltham resident,
McGovern worked in each of the three schools he attended as a child -
Whittemore Elementary School, the former South Middle School and most
recently, as assistant principal at McDevitt Middle School. McDevitt
was the former Waltham High School where McGovern attended as a teenager.
On Friday, after 35 years of work, and at the age of 56, McGovern said
goodbye to the halls of his youth.
"The kids are all upset because I'm leaving which is
good because that means they'll miss me," he said. "I've just been very
fortunate ... I'm the luckiest guy in the world ... it's the most
rewarding profession I've ever had." McGovern spent his last week
sorting through piles of papers and cleaning out his office. He said he
planned to go to each room on his last day to say goodbye to each and
every student and teacher. "I've had so many fantastic memories.
I've had the opportunity to be in weddings of former students," he said.
"I just retired from coaching hockey, too, and my two assistant coaches
were former students."
In addition to coaching hockey in Watertown most
recently, McGovern also coached football at Waltham High School for 12
years. McGovern got his first brush with teaching when he was 16.
"When I was in high school and going to college, I was a playground
instructor at one of the schools here," he said. At age 21, McGovern
began working as a sixth-grade teacher at Whittemore Elementary School.
"The first kids I taught ... some are 45, 46 years old now," he said.
"I've been to weddings with some of them." A few years later, he
moved on to the former South Middle School where he taught a variety of
subjects for more than 20 years before becoming assistant principal.
When asked what mark he's left within Waltham's schools,
McGovern said it's been inspiring students. "I honestly feel that
I've definitely helped a lot of young people," he said. "I have so many
people that come back to me and say 'I wouldn't be this or I wouldn't be
that' without you." McDevitt Middle School Principal Brad Morgan
said McGovern is a testament to the quality of education in Waltham.
"I think people like Mike are few and far between and I say that because
he's been in this district since he was born," Morgan said. "I think it's
his 35th year and to me, I think that's a testament to how much he cares
about this community."
With retirement, McGovern said he plans to take some
time off to relax and enjoy life. "I plan on playing a lot of golf,"
he said. "I also have a house down on White Horse Beach (in Plymouth) ...
I will be down there as much as I can."
Morgan said McGovern's presence will be irreplaceable at
McDevitt in more ways than one. "I find that with a lot of people in
Waltham, they tend to come here and stay. They like to give something back
and Mike is definitley one of those people," Morgan said. "We definitely
had our share of laughs and he's going to be missed. There's no doubt
about that." According to Morgan, another candidate will not take
his place. Rather a new position is being created in which an assistant
principal will spend half of his time at McDevitt, the other half at
Kennedy Middle School. "It will be a little less contact with
students and more contact with the teachers ... we begin interviewing
(this) Wednesday," Morgan said.
McDevitt
celebrates civil rights activist's birthday
By Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, January 16, 2008
Daily News Tribune
Photo by Lisa Cassidy, Daily News Staff
The
events of April 4, 1968, are fresh in Elane Neddie's mind. "I
remember it like it was yesterday. It was such a sad day. We cried," she
told a group of McDevitt Middle School sixth-graders yesterday. The
day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was chaotic, said Neddie,
a guidance counselor. "They were burning buildings down ... people were
very, very hurt," Neddie said.
Celebrating the birthday of the civil rights activist,
Neddie answered questions about King, the civil rights movement and her
own experiences with racism. Neddie, 54, was born and raised in
Morgan City, La. "When I was your age I didn't know what it was like
to eat in a restaurant," she said. "I remember always being so curious to
what the white people had. We heard so many stories ... we wanted to see
for ourselves."
Neddie attended the Sumpter Williams Elementary School
in the late 1950s before moving on to Morgan City High School, a
multiracial school in 1968. "We had one school in my town and that
was entirely for black children," she said about Sumpter Williams. "When I
was a little girl and I was out playing with white children and their
parents saw them playing with us, they would call them in(side)."
In a classroom made up of children of various races,
Neddie read aloud from an illustrated book depicting King's life. She
offered an oral history of the civil rights movement, interjecting her
personal experiences as a young girl. She said when she was young
she saw a black man hanging from a tree, killed for whistling at a white
woman. At one point she stopped to point out a sign in the book that
read "Whites Only." "This is exactly what I saw when I played at the
playground," she said. "I saw signs like this when I drank from a public
water fountain."
During her lesson, Neddie covered tough topics from bus
protests, bombings and even the Ku Klux Klan, responsible for much of the
terror during the civil rights era. "I didn't know about the Ku Klux
Klan," said student Stephanie Marks, 11. "She is an honorary source. She
was there and it gives you the pizzazz of being there." "It was
actually really interesting. It was nice," said Christine Magill, 11.
"(King's birthday) is just a great monument to this country and everyone
celebrating what he did."
Inside the class Neddie placed a picture of King,
illuminated by a candle and accompanied by a plastic birthday party favor,
near the door. "Since his birthday is today I thought this was a
good chance to talk a little bit about his accomplishments," she said. "I
wouldn't be here today without him." She concluded the lesson by
playing Stevie Wonder's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. on a CD player,
to which she passed out lyrics to the song on pieces of paper. The entire
class sang along.
After-school
classes grow in fourth year
By Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, January 8, 2008
Daily News Tribune
Photo by Lisa Cassidy, Daily News Staff
Tracy
Dung is only 14 but is ready to try her hand at diplomacy. As part
of the after-school program Mall Mania, the McDevitt Middle School
student is taking a class called Model UN, based on the workings of the
United Nations. "It's kind of a program that helps solve world
problems like the war in Iraq," she said. "We're trying to think of ways
to stop the war."
Another McDevitt student, Brendan Fay, 13, is also
taking part in the Model UN class. "You learn about a certain
country and we research and then in March, you get to go to Bentley
College and have a big debate," he said. "I like politics and I like
learning about different countries so it's a good fit."
Starting today, Mall Mania will allow middle school
students across the city to explore the finer points of subjects ranging
from cooking to robotics. Last year, Dung won an award for having
the best attendance. "I haven't missed a single day of it," she said
with pride. "I take cooking classes, I take Project Adventure, which is a
program that involves active sports. We play dodgeball and kickball ...
I'm also doing scrapbooking, which I'm kind of behind in." Scrapbooking
tries to help kids stay organized.
Funded by a grant from 21st Century Community Learning
Centers, Mall Mania is designed to increase a student's sense of community
and improve their study and organization skills. "All the programs
are taught by certified teachers and experts in their field," said Patrick
Daly, coordinator of the program. "They are meant to reinforce what (the
students) are learning during the school day." In its fourth year,
Mall Mania has grown from its roots at the McDevitt Middle School to
include students from the McDevitt and Kennedy middle schools, hosting
classes in both locations. Middle school students can attend
programs at either school. A bus gets them between schools and home after
classes. With Kennedy Middle School, Daly said he expects an
additional 60 students to join the program, bringing the total this year
to about 125. "It's a great program for free. It's really exciting,"
Daly said. "We work with the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club too."
According to Daly, one of the most-popular classes is
the cooking class taught by Leslie Glynn. Students learn the basics of
cooking and put on a large dinner for family members at the end of the
program. "In June I found out the children were losing cooking in
their curriculum. They lost a home economics teacher. I was looking for a
part-time job so it worked out great," Glynn said. "I have a lot of fun
with the children. I enjoy teaching the children that don't have many
skills ... teaching them the fundamentals. I also like encouraging
children that already have skills to keep on going ... Anyone can cook."
Other classes include "Games People Play," where
students will learn by playing strategic games like backgammon and chess,
"Muscles Lungs and Blood," where students will study the human body,
science and nutrition and a wildlife program entitled "The Nature Store."
Heidi Sardina, an eighth-grade earth science teacher at McDevitt Middle
School, is leading The Nature Store class, which she has taught for the
past three years. "In the spring Boston College is kind enough to
loan us bio-acoustic equipment and we go outside and record bird songs to
see if birds are singing louder because of urban pollution or if they are
changing their pitch," she said. "You get a chance to really get to know
the students that you might not be able to have in a normal classroom
setting."
Programs will be offered after school Monday through
Thursday at Kennedy and McDevitt middle schools from either 2:45 to 4:00
p.m. or 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Mall Mania classes end April 17.
For a complete list of programs, visit the Waltham
Public Schools' Web site at
http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/SCHOOL/WebPAge/tofc.htm.
Culinary
tradition at McDevitt Middle School
By Kerri Roche, The Daily News Tribune, December 13, 2007
Leslie
Glynn is head chef for two afternoons each week in the McDevitt Middle
School. Donning a white chef's coat and black pants, she instructs
21 middle school students in proper cutting techniques, measuring tactics
and how to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. Yesterday afternoon,
alongside guest teachers from Margarita's Mexican Restaurant, Glynn walked
around the large preparation table to assist students as they removed the
skins and pits from fresh avocados, preparing them to be mashed into
mouthwatering guacamole. As part of the Middle Schools' Mall Mania
program, in which free enrichment activities are offered to students until
5:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, Glynn has led a cooking class.
Because of the popularity it has generated in only one semester, a waiting
list has formed. Glynn will now be offering two additional sections of
cooking in the spring.
"I always wanted to teach," said Glynn, who has earned
her culinary degree from Newbury College and previously organized a
preschool cooking program after years in the restaurant business. When she
learned cooking classes were dropped from the curriculum this year, Glynn
contacted school officials and Mall Mania coordinator Patrick Daly.
Although Glynn is wrapping up only her first semester, the after-school
cooking class has become a facet of the middle school community. Students
baked loaves of pumpkin and banana bread to sell at the citywide spelling
bee. The profits were given to the McDevitt Parent Teacher Organization.
For sixth-grader Anwar Khanaizir, baking the loaves of bread proved to be
the hardest task. However, for a middle school student, he has some
at-home experience under his belt. The scrambled eggs the class made was
his favorite assignment because "it's something I make at home," he said.
In another community outreach effort, students baked
chocolate chip cookies to send to the Bristol Lodge Housing Services,
which helps the homeless. Learning to cook, besides providing
students with self-sufficiency skills, builds confidence, Glynn said.
"Some of these children have never stepped up to a stove before this
class," she said. Now, they move around the kitchen with confidence.
Student Aline Mardirossien said she always wanted to learn to cook. She
has not had a major mistake in the kitchen, but the hardest part is
"getting it in the oven and making sure it is perfectly cooked."
Besides learning the basics of cooking, students in the
class, who are responsible for measuring their own ingredients, are
unintentionally improving their math skills, specifically when it comes to
fractions, said Glynn. Although she has allowed cookies in the
classroom, from the start Glynn has taught her students how to make
healthier eating choices. On the first day, Glynn brought in a
5-pound slab of animal fat and a box of sugar. "These cannot be the
staples of our diet," she told her students. Glynn has taught
students to maker healthier pizza from wheat pita bread and low-fat
cheese. Students also prepared a salad one day with mixed greens, grapes,
apples and smoked turkey. "Children need to be prompted to taste
different things," said Glynn. Even still, for eighth-grader Kathryn
McGrath, "I liked baking the cupcakes and cookies (the best)."
Unlike a traditional school class, students will not
receive a report card for Glynn's class. Instead, to show off their
kitchen skills, on Dec. 17, students will prepare an Asian-themed dinner
for nearly 60 people, including family members, school staff and city
officials.
2,500 donated
food items and counting
By Kerri Roche, The Daily News Tribune, December 6, 2007
The
student council at the McDevitt Middle School is back in action after
almost a two-year hiatus and members have the boxes of noodles to prove
it. Wasting no time getting the ball rolling this school year, the
student council recently finished a food drive that began in November,
providing McDevitt with a jumpstart on the districtwide effort to collect
nonperishable foods throughout December.
As the adviser to the group for 10 years
prior to the break, teacher Debbie Gately has returned to the role after
students requested the council's comeback.
"There was a need and a want for an organization like
this," Gately said. "A lot of what we focus in on, and rightfully so ...
is how can we make our community a better place."
With 14 members on board, the council creates
opportunities for the student body to give back to their community.
"We do a lot of fun stuff. We do a lot of fundraisers," said student
Courtney Gaipo. But, "you have to make a commitment to be here."
On Dec. 19 the Salvation Army will receive the mountain
of cardboard boxes now lining the school's front foyer. Almost 2,500 cans,
jars and packets of food were collected in homerooms throughout last
month. After totaling the goods they had collected, the student council
dragged the boxes to the main entranceway. "They were really, really
heavy," said student Renee Leblanc.
Throughout the drive council members encouraged their
friends to bring in nonperishable items, said student Victoria Thompson.
For some of the teachers keeping tabs in their classrooms, the competition
grew fierce, especially in the eighth-grade. But, when it comes to
collecting food for those without, "it's kind of good to have
competition," Thompson said. The winning classrooms in each grade
will be rewarded with a pizza party in a few weeks.
Since coming back to life, the student council holds one
hour meetings on Friday afternoons. At these meetings, the students
brainstorm and organize monthly outreach events, Gately said. "They
did a fantastic job. They motivated each other and they motivated their
classes," Gately said. "The students really are the ones coming up with
the ideas." To keep the momentum going, the council is in the midst
of planning a New Year's school dance in early January. The revenue
generated from the dance will be put to good use, student Connor O'Brien
said. "We are making packages for soldiers - care packages," O'Brien
said.
McDevitt
takes on "A Christmas Story"
By Jeff Gilbride,
The Daily News Tribune, December 5, 2007
McDevitt
Middle School students are putting a new twist on Jean Shepherd's classic
tale of a boy's wish for an "official Red Ryder Carbine-Action, Two
Hundred Shot Range Model Air Riffle." Yesterday, students gathered
in the school's auditorium for a full-dress rehearsal for the stage
adaptation of the 1983 film "A Christmas Story." With just two days
left before opening night, McDevitt's drama teacher, Jesse Sinerate, was
frantically organizing her students yesterday, making use of
walkie-talkies to put the stars of the show in the right place.
One of the most challenging things is just
trying to get everything together while also trying to make sure the whole
group of kids has enough stage time," Sinerate said between directing
scenes. "We're trying to make sure they have fun while learning about
theater."
Out of 150 students who tried out, 65 students between
sixth and eighth grade made the final cut. Two Waltham high school
students, Ryan MacPherson and Jen Bourque, are also helping Sinerate
direct the play. The students began practicing in October and have
been rehearsing every weekday after school for several weeks. The
production includes added parts and dance numbers not in the film.
"Practices can get pretty intense. It just gets stressful near the end,"
said Catherine McQuestion, 13, who plays Helen, a schoolgirl in the play.
" It's such a big commitment toward the end and you don't have any time
for anything else."
To raise money for props and costumes, students sold ads
to local businesses and their parents. The ads appear in the program that
will be given out on opening night. Sinerate
said she organizes a play for the students in the both the spring and
winter. "The most rewarding thing is the final product," Sinerate
said. "Seeing the kids, how excited they are the night of the show. Even
if things don't go right, I'm so proud of it. I'm so proud of them."
The story centers around Ralphie, a 9-year-old boy growing up in the 1940s
who dreams of waking up on Christmas morning to find a Red Rider BB gun
under the tree. Yet every time Ralphie asks for the prized gift, he is
told, "You'll shoot your eye out."
Brandon Spencer, 14, plays the role of Ralphie's father.
"I watched the movie a couple of times and I read my script over and
over," he said. "The hardest part was probably remembering the order of
the scenes. So many are alike with so many (scenes with us) sitting in the
kitchen as a family." Lydia Burns, 13, plays Roxanne, a part that
Sinerate wrote into the play. Roxanne is one of Ralphie's classmates.
"Acting your part, you have to get into character. I can't be Lydia
anymore," Burns said. "The most fun is performing for your classmates and
friends. A lot of them come back the next year and try out."
The play takes place on Dec. 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. at the
McDevitt Middle School Auditorium, 75 Church St. Tickets are $5 for
children, students and seniors; $7 for adults.
Making
'cents' of math
By Jeff Gilbride,
published in the Daily News Tribune, October 12, 2007
On
the first day of business at the Mustang Lodge, a handful of McDevitt
Middle School students made a profit of more than $70 selling school
supplies to classmates. "We sold a lot of products and we all had a
chance to use the cash register," said Kevin Pineda, 11. "It was a lot of
fun."
The store, located in the school's cafeteria, is the
idea of sixth-grade resource room teacher Arelene Velleman, who teaches
children with special needs. "We're trying to teach them math but in
a meaningful context," she said. "We're not only helping the children to
have a better understanding of math skills, but we're also giving them
skills for their entire life."
Patrick Ochoa, 11, said the store was named after their
school mascot, the Mustang. He said business was profitable on the first
day. "It's been good," he said. "We sold pencils, highlighters,
tissues and folders. Everybody can buy things, including us."
The goal of the store is not only to raise money, which
will be donated to a charitable cause at the end of the year, but also to
prepare students for the math portion of the MCAS exam which starts in
May. "Basically we have MCAS and you're required to pass and that's
even the special education class is required to take it and pass,"
Velleman said. "The idea was to offer these kids something more real, but
to still learn the curriculum." Velleman said she brought the idea
to McDevitt Principal Brad Morgan, who invested some money into the Lodge,
so students could buy some supplies. We're selling pencils,
notebooks and glue sticks because some kids need them," said Adiel
Alvarado, 12. "It's something fun. You work with math by counting the
money."
Since some of the students have speech and language
development delays, the store also serves as a lessons on human
interaction. Two classes of special needs students are working at
the store, including resource room students and students with a pervasive
development disorder. Kristyn Bonnyman, 26, of Mansfield, teaches
the development disorder class, which is made up of several autistic
students, along with four teacher's aides. "All of our kids have
(individual education plans). We work on each student to have and
individual objective," she said. "Our students are helping to sell all the
products and work on their math skills." Bonnyman said one of the
most important aspects of working at the store is developing social
skills. "A big part of autism is lacking in social skills," she said.
"This working and making change is a good interaction with peers."
According to Bonnyman, her students prepared for the real life sale of
school supplies by setting up a mock store in her class. "We
practiced making change," she said. "They practiced their greetings and
eye contact. All of the simple things that we take for granted, they have
to work so hard on."
Annie Tu, 11, is a student in Bonnyman's class.
Yesterday she said she learned a lot while working at the store. "I
think it's interesting that we have all the school supplies to buy for
everybody in the whole school." she said. "The teacher helped me count the
money and give it to the customers ... it's helping me learn my math."
McDevitt
sixth-graders gear up for the new school year
By Matt Perkins,
published in the Daily News Tribune, September 5, 2007
Sixth-graders
at McDevitt Middle School got a glimpse of their new life yesterday at the
first-ever orientation in this place of learning. About 180 incoming
students toured the halls, met their teachers and got their locker
assignments. "It takes a little bit of the tension or anxiety away
from the kids," said Assistant Principal Michael McGovern.
The new school year has Brianna Thompson excited and
Julianna Wiley somewhat nervous. "It was good, how we got to meet
all of our teachers and everything," an eager Thompson said of the
orientation as she looked forward to today. "You can go from class to
class and then you have you're locker." Wiley agreed, and said the
orientation calmed a few of her nerves, as it helped her "to know where
everything is and get used to it."
At yesterday's orientation, McGovern extended his
warnings on tardiness. Students are allowed 11 tardy notices each year
before suspension. But he stressed that staying alert is a small price to
pay for enjoying one's youth in school. "I just explained to them,
'This is your job, and its going to be the best job you've ever had,' "
McGovern said.
McDevitt PTO treasurer Karen Muise said in the past
students would visit the school on their last day of fifth-grade, but
administrators found that holding an orientation the day before school
officially starts is more effective with students already in the
back-to-school mind-set. "I'm really impressed," Muise said.
"Hopefully this will help a lot of the fist day jitters they may have.
Even though (lockers and homerooms of) most of the sixth-graders are on
the first floor, they have classes all over." Muise's son Dylan was
one of several McDevitt eighth-graders who gave the student newcomers a
tour of the school. In doing so, he recalled his days as a sixth-grader
and said giving the younger ones some guidance is a good thing. "It
was pretty tough at first," he said. "But you also become friends with the
teachers. As the years go by, you become good friends with a lot of
people."
The orientation ended with a large pizza party in the
cafeteria, supplied by the McDevitt PTO, and ice cream donated from
Lizzy's Homemade Ice Cream.
