Tuesday, November 29, 2022 | |
Superintendent Dr. Dawson Announces Parent Town Hall Meetings in All Nine District Towns | |
To Listen, Observe, Learn | |
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Dear Minuteman Community,
It’s hard to believe it has already been five months since I started as the new superintendent of the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District – and what awesome five months they have been.
Since our teachers and students returned to school in late August, they have not stopped at being amazing. Every day, they continue to demonstrate why Minuteman has the reputation of being one of the premier technical districts in the state. Through my “L.O.L. engagements” — Listen, Observe & Learn — as part of my entry plan, I’ve been fortunate to witness our district’s greatness. .
Thus far, I have listened and learned from students, teachers, community, and higher education partners. I’ve met with local and state elected officials, alumni, business partners, and industry Advisory Committee members. I’ve attended a number of student activities and district events. All this is part of my entry plan and effort to learn about where Minuteman has been and where we are now, so that we can determine where we want to go.
Principal Clement and I met with the Minuteman Parents Association (MPA) in early October, and I continue to seek to listen and learn from additional parents/families in our towns. That’s why we will hold town hall meetings for current Minuteman High School parents and guardians in each of the nine towns in our regional school district: Acton, Arlington, Bolton, Concord, Dover, Lancaster, Lexington, Needham, and Stow.
View the Parent Town Hall Dates and Locations, and RSVP, on minuteman.org.
Not only is it essential for me to hear from you, but it is also important for me to see and experience all of our district communities, which all have unique characteristics and histories. I want to listen to your perspectives, concerns, and aspirations; observe what’s happening in our district; and learn from your feedback and experiences with Minuteman.
Most of all, I want you to share with me what is working well at Minuteman and what you think needs improvement. What do you see as the most important aspects of a Minuteman experience that every graduate should come away with?
I share my deepest appreciation and gratitude to our staff, students, families, communities, business partners and to all those who support Minuteman. We cannot do what we do and be what we are without each and every one of you. Thank you!
Respectfully,
Dr. Kathleen A. Dawson
Superintendent
Minuteman Regional Technical School District
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Spot the Robot from Boston Dynamics Visits Minuteman's Engineering & Robotics Classes | (Photos by Nathan Zwirn, a junior Multimedia student from Arlington) | |
Aaron Saunders of Arlington (pictured here), the Chief Technology Officer of Boston Dynamics, who is also the parent of a Minuteman student, recently brought Spot the Robot to the Engineering Technology and Robotics Automation classes for STEM Week.
Boston Dynamics has become world famous for its incredible YouTube videos of Spot, a dog-like robot, along with Atlas, which mimics the actions of a person. Here are a recent article and video in the Boston Globe.
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Spot is being used in many different industries and the list continues to grow. According to the Boston Globe, Spot was used by the Massachusetts State Police to handle a suspicious object this fall. It was also used by Anheuser-Busch and BP Oil to walk around its factories and facilities and inspect for product leaks, including potentially dangerous gas leaks.
According to the Boston Dynamics website, Spot is used in a wide range of industries, including entertainment, research, power and utilities, construction, and manufacturing.
We thank Mr. Saunders for taking time to show this impressive product to our students!
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Minuteman Student Accomplishments | |
Six Named CAC Soccer All Stars! | |
Congratulations to six Minuteman High School soccer players who were named Commonwealth Athletic Conference League All Stars!
Both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at Minuteman qualified for their respective tournaments; the girls’ team earned a home game in the state tournament. The girls’ ended the season with an impressive 12-5-1 record while the boys’ accomplished a 10-4-4 record.
Read more
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Students Earn Medals at Fall SkillsUSA Conference | |
All of the Minuteman High School students who participated in the recent SkillsUSA Fall State Leadership Conference received awards in their respective categories.
SkillsUSA is a national organization that teaches workplace, personal, and technical skills to high school and post-secondary students.
Read more
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Learn why Minuteman High School was the right choice for these students
and a recent graduate
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River Araujo
Class of 2024
Engineering Technology
Acton
River has excelled in the Engineering Technology career major and he helped launch the FIRST Robotics after-school club.
Watch the video!
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Alice Dalton
Class of 2023
Electrical Wiring
Arlington
A star soccer player, Alice said Minuteman has inspired her to pursue a career in a trade traditionally dominated by men. "I'm very proud to be a female in Electrical."
Watch the video!
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Henry Blackburn
Class of 2022
Biotechnology
Needham
Henry attends Rochester Institute of Technology and worked at the Abcam biopharma company his senior year. "I love how hands-on biotechnology is," he said.
Watch the video!
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Minuteman In The Community | |
Students Volunteer at Veterans' Breakfast at Lexington Rotary | Students from the Interact Community Service Club volunteered at the annual Veterans' Breakfast with the Lexington Rotary Club on Monday, Nov. 7. Pictured here (left to right) are: Elsa Crotty of Bolton; Sage Johnson of Concord; Emily Krstyen of Concord; Lexington Rotary President Veronica Tamburrini-Ciara; Minuteman Guidance Counselor Lisa Camagna; Mars Clark-Gaby of Bolton; Andiman Cassin of Arlington; Rose Cohen of Watertown. | Minuteman At Battlegreen Run in Lexington | Forty Minuteman students, staff, and family members ran, walked, or volunteered with food and medical aid at the annual Battlegreen Run in Lexington on Nov. 6, raising funds for numerous local organizations and student scholarships. More photos on Facebook and Instagram. | | |
Students Helping Build Home in Acton with Habitat for Humanity | |
Students from Minuteman High School’s Carpentry, Electrical Wiring, and Plumbing career majors are helping to construct a three-bedroom, 1,100-square foot house in Acton through Habitat for Humanity. The project will take the next few months to complete.
Pictured above, Carpentry teacher Frank LaRosa recently brought eleventh-grade students (from left) Joshua Schindelman of Winchester, Brianna Novak of Lancaster, David Abu-Absi of Lexington, and Carolina Brito of Stow to the job site to stand up the wooden framing of the rear wall of the house.
Habitat for Humanity works in more than 70 countries to build homes for low-income people.
Minuteman has a long history of having students build homes as part of community service projects over the past several years.
More photos on Facebook and Instagram.
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Seniors Named Student Representatives to Minuteman School Committee | Congratulations to Minuteman High School seniors Lyra Saucier, a Design and Visual Communications student from Acton, and Lili Bottan, an Engineering Technology student from Lexington, for being named Student Representatives to the Minuteman School Committee. The addition of student representatives was brought forward by Superintendent-Director Kathleen A. Dawson to better include student voices in the Committee's ongoing work. Lyra and Lili are pictured above at the Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives' Student Delegate Assembly, where they attended workshops on topics such as "turning ideas into action," defining student achievement, communications and networking, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in school. | | |
Hall of Fame Honors Accomplished Alumni, Trailblazing Team, Late Teacher | |
Minuteman High School in Lexington honored six accomplished alumni, a trailblazing female athletic team, and the memory of an inspirational teacher at the 2022 Hall of Fame Celebration on Friday, November 4, 2022.
The Minuteman Hall of Fame honors alumni and former teachers, staff, coaches or teams who have gone above and beyond to exemplify the spirit of Minuteman High School – whether it be in the classroom, on the athletic field, in their community, or in the world of business and industry.
Read more on the inductees and view the event photos at minuteman.org
The 2022 inductees are:
- Kristin Lopez Cooper '97, of Billerica, originally of Belmont, Distinguished Alumna
- Erin (Meister) Dalzell '05 of Newbury, originally of Arlington, Distinguished Alumna
- Tyler Faulkner '10 of Alton Bay, N.H., originally of Boxboro, Outstanding Athlete
- Bruce Flood of Woburn, posthumously awarded Service to Minuteman
- Hannah Leahy '03 of Germany, originally of Needham, Distinguished Alumna
- James Phelan '03 of Woburn, originally of Hudson, Distinguished Alumnus
- Andy Rodenhiser '83 of Medway, originally of Framingham, Distinguished Alumnus
- 1984 Girls' Field Hockey Team
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Students Attend Future Farmers of America Convention in Indianapolis | |
Students in the FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) chapter at Minuteman High School just attended the FFA National Convention and Expo in Indianapolis.
The National FFA Convention & Expo is all about growing the next generation of agriculture leaders. At the event, students attend workshops and learn more about potential career paths.
Allison Smith of Lexington (grade 11, Horticulture) and Carolyn Ward of Stow (grade 11, Horticulture) received first-place awards at the Massachusetts state competition last spring for their exhibit showcasing various aspects of Massachusetts agriculture, including a greenhouse with bedding plants, bee box, cranberries, wool, seafood, maple syrup, and dairy.
The pair showcased their work at the national convention with fellow students Amarah Clark Gaby of Bolton (grade 10, Horticulture), Talia Levitt of Lexington (grade 10, Horticulture), and Blaise Anderson of Concord (grade 12, Horticulture) along with students from all over the United States.
|  | The students were chaperoned by Sarah Ard, Minuteman Horticulture teacher and FFA advisor. Minuteman would like to thank the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for donating Mass. agriculture swag. | | |
About Minuteman
Minuteman is an award-winning regional career and technical high school and continuing education institution that integrates robust academic and technical learning. As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman challenges all students to aspire to their full potential, accelerate their learning, and achieve success in the 21st-century global community. Located in Lexington in a new state-of-the-art facility, Minuteman’s member towns are Acton, Arlington, Bolton, Concord, Dover, Lancaster, Lexington, Needham, and Stow. Learn more at minuteman.org.
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Minuteman High School | www.minuteman.org |
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