Hillside Avery Crossing Partnership

Grades K and 5 Buddy classes of Mrs. Strakosh and Ms. Hsu are partnering with Avery Crossing to provide some holiday cheer to the senior residents. The classrooms plan to make several trips during the school year (just a walk up the hill) in order to present a song, poem or cards with seasonal or holiday themes. 

Their first visit to Avery Crossing was for Thanksgiving, on November 26th. The children recited some Thanksgiving poems and sang a Thanksgiving song to the residents. The children also gave the residents handmade cards. In the future, Mrs. Strakosh and Ms. Hsu hope to actually assign "senior" buddies to their children in order to develop more meaningful and personal relationships.

High School Student Evaluated the Bay Colony Rail

Photographs and comments by Andrew Noble, who trekked the proposed bike trail to evaluate obstructions and concerns. 


These pictures were taken along the proposed Bay Colony Rail Trail path, starting at the end near Needham center and heading away finishing near Charles River Street. Overall the main issues with the path at this point are obstructions: trees, downed limbs, shrub growth, etc. The growth becomes denser the further it is from the Needham end (most likely due to less foot traffic). The growth will most likely need to be cleaned out before any construction of the path can be started. Most of this growth is small scale though, and should be easy to remove with a few exceptions that may call for the usage of equipment. Furthermore, there are many houses along the proposed path which may cause some friction with town residents. Many of the houses are set back and away from the trail, but a few are close to the trail and would be able to clearly see the trail. None the less there should be no problem with the land itself. With the exception of a few slightly sloped parts, the trail would have fourteen feet (seven on both sides from center of flat land for construction. (There is one stretch that could cause concern with the width as immediately at seven feet from center the land steeply drops off on both sides)

High Rock Overpass

Nearby Residences

Fallen Branches Obstructing Trail

Pollard Book Drive

Over several weeks and along with seven other 8th grade students, this student collected, sorted, packed, and delivered over 3,000 gently used books donated by the Pollard Middle School community. This project fulfilled what the students needed to do as part of the Grade 8 Community Service Learning Program.  The social issue that these students focused on during this project was illiteracy.  They researched and read articles about illiteracy and then focused on an action plan of how they could do their part to help stop illiteracy by collecting books for schools who were in need of these resources.  As seen here, she read some of the books she delivered to the students at Kennedy Elementary School in Brockton, MA.

Pollard Middle School students have just finished carrying in all the boxes of gently used books that they will be donating to Dearborn Middle School in Roxbury, MA.  Here they stand in Dearborn Middle School's library.  This school receives books from us on an annual basis and the books are read by students both in and outside of school.

Two eighth grade students read to kindergarteners at Winthrop Elementary School in Dorchester, MA.  As a result of their book drive, hundreds of books were donated to this school to help to fill up their new library.

Service Learning at Broadmeadow

In the weeks following Halloween, students in grades 1 - 5 participated in a Letter Writing Campaign to American soldiers serving overseas.  Students at each grade level read about Veteran's Day, used maps to locate the many countries abroad where American military personnel are currently stationed, and worked with buddies to write friendly letters to soldiers.  5th graders in Mrs. McCarthy's class enjoyed a visit from an active member of the military, also a Broadmeadow parent, who spoke to the importance of maintaining communication with soldiers while they are away from home. The Broadmeadow community was able to send over 20 boxes filled with donated Halloween candy, letters written by 4th and 5th graders and pictures drawn by 1st-3rd graders.  Around the first of December we received a letter in the mail from a soldier serving in Afghanistan.  It said,"Mrs. McCarthy, I just wanted to write you a quick note of thanks from the soldiers of CTF-2-23.  You brightened our spirits with your letters, drawings, and of course the candy.  We shared most of it with the local children and I distributed the letters to my soldiers."

A group of  3rd, 4th and 5th graders worked on a service learning project as part of Broadmeadow's afterschool Service Learning Group.  After hearing about 3 amazing organizations, students researched, then voted on the cause they felt was most worthy.  The animals won!  The first project benefitted the Animal Rescue League.  Students researched what the immediate need was for this organization and discovered that it was blankets, towels, toys, and monetary donations.  Working in teams, students made flyers & posters, wrote announcements, (one for the PA and one to be read at our monthly All-School Gathering) and did some online research on how to make pet toys.  For the next few weeks, donations came in and toys were made.  Parents then drove the group to the Dedham shelter of the Animal Rescue League where they delivered the donations.  The following week, a representative from the shelter came to Broadmeadow (with 2 friends - a kitten and a snake!) and talked to the children about what the organization does and how their service helped. 

Mitchell 4th Graders Read to Feed

Mitchell Students Conclude "Read to Feed" Read-a-thon

Students vote which animal to purchase for Heifer International

    During the month of May, Mitchell Elementary School 4th grade students read their hearts out to reach each of their individual reading goals, and in the process of doing so, raised over $3,500 for Heifer International. Heifer, as it is known, is dedicated to helping alleviate hunger and poverty in undeveloped countries around the world. It sponsors the annual read-a-thon both to raise funds, as well as to educate students about the needs of people living in rural poverty.

    At the end of the month-long read-a-thon, students in each of the four Grade 4 classes voted on what farm animals to purchase with their classes' contributions. (See photo.) The Mitchell students used their money to purchase:
    • 2 cows,
    • 2 water buffalo,
    • 8 goats -- whose number will be tripled because of a contributor's matching funds!
    • 4 llamas,
    • 1 pig,
    • 1 sheep,
    • 8 sets of chicks, and
    • 2 sets of rabbits

    Equally important, the possibility of helping others through reading led many students to accelerate their reading efforts.  One parent put it this way:

"What a success this program has been in my home.  I literally had to take his book away from (him) a few times to get him to go to bed... This program has changed my boy into a passionate reader!" Lisa Bagshaw, Mitchell parent

Congratulations to everybody involved -- teachers, students, and parents -- for their tremendous effort and generosity!