~ Excellence in the EPS ~

A Huge ‘Thank You’ to Nick Nuzzo!

Webster Custodian Makes a Generous Donation

Representatives from the Everett Public Schools (EPS) and the City of Everett gathered at the Webster School on Friday, November 17, 2023, to extend their sincerest gratitude to custodian Nick Nuzzo for purchasing 10 Market Basket gift cards to deserving families for Thanksgiving.

“Mr. Nuzzo has been making an annual donation to our students for several years, and I couldn’t let this holiday season pass without properly thanking him,” said Ward 1 School Committee Member Millie Cardello, a Webster grandparent who organized the event. “My thanks to the EPS and the City for joining me in recognizing this tremendous act of kindness.”

Interim Superintendent William Hart presented a formal letter of thanks to Nuzzo, while Director of Veterans Affairs Antoine Coleman presented the 16-year EPS veteran with an official citation from the City of Everett. School Committee Chairperson Mike Mangan and Ward 3 School Committee Member Jeanne Cristiano also attended the special ceremony.

“You can’t beat the combination of community and compassion, and this thoughtful and helpful donation encapsulates both,” said Interim Superintendent Hart. “It was my privilege to join the School Committee and the city in recognizing and thanking Mr. Nuzzo.”

From left: School Committee Chairperson Mike Mangan, Interim Superintendent William Hart, Ward 1 School Committee Member Millie Cardello, Director of Veterans Affairs Antoine Coleman, custodian Nick Nuzzo, Webster School administrators Devon Abruzzese and Samantha Grant, Ward 3 School Committee Member Jeanne Cristiano and Webster School Principal Christopher Barrett.

The Kiwanis Has Us Covered!

Club Makes Annual Donation of Gloves and Hats

Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Everett for donating 40 dozen hats and 40 dozen gloves to the Webster School. School Committee Members and Kiwanians joined Interim Superintendent William Hart and Webster School Principal Christopher Barrett for a formal presentation on Friday, November 17. Webster staff will distribute the gloves and hats to students and include them in the New Student Welcome Package. The Kiwanis Club of Everett makes this donation to a different EPS school every autumn, in time for the arrival of cold New England weather. Thank you, Kiwanians!

Pictured from left to right: Back row: Ward 3 School Committee Member Jeanne Cristiano, School Committee Chairperson Mike Mangan, Ward 1 School Committee Member Millie Cardello, Webster School Principal Christopher Barrett and Interim Superintendent William Hart; middle row: Kiwanis Club of Everett President Fred Capone, Secretary Matthew Alphen, Kiwanian John Mattuchio and Director of Veterans Affairs Antoine Coleman. Same order, in front, with Webster School educators Samantha Grant and Devon Abruzzese are students Charlotte Carback, Bailey Estrada Escobar, Cameron Ramirez, Samuel Cardello, Declan Clinch, Kenneth Ferullo and Franklin David.

The Thanksgiving Spirit

Zonta Club Donates Gift Cards to the EPS

Thanks to the Zonta Club of Chelsea and the North Shore for donating six $50 Market Basket gift cards to deserving EPS families at the Lafayette School and Madeline English School. Zonta Club member Pam Miller made the donation on Monday, November 20, 2023, at the Administration Building on Vine Street.

From left: Lafayette School Principal David Brady, Madeline English School Principal Theresa Tringale, Ms. Pam Miller and Interim Superintendent William D. Hart.

 From the Arts Department

Famous Puppeteer Dazzles Kindergartners

Renowned puppeteer Leigh Baltzer performed for more than 70 kindergartners at the Whittier School on Thursday, November 16, 2023. She performed imaginative and engaging renditions of “Owl Babies,” “Little Blue Truck” and “Caps For Sale,” all featuring a variety of puppets and other visuals. Afterwards she answered questions about the stories and her puppets. She also gave every student coloring pages with images of her puppets to take home.

 Be The Change

EHS Students Immerse Themselves in Outdoor Art Exhibit

Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts) Executive Director Laura Mandel led Everett High School students on a lively tour of the outdoor art exhibit, Be The Change, on Friday, November 17, 2023. JArts brought the exhibit to Everett’s Glendale Park through a grant award to Art Lab Everett. Mandel guided EHS students through the exhibit and helped them analyze and interpret the meanings of the sculptures, which included: “Free To Learn” by Ruth Kathryn Henry, “In Other Eyes” by Wen Hao Tien, “The Power of the Vote” by Dana Woolf, “Wishing Well” by Cicily Carew, and “Transcending Borders” by Julia Czeko. (Many students noted that “Transcending Borders” was their favorite piece.)

Mandel led a meaningful academic discourse with the students, who shared their emotions and the memories the sculptures elicited. It made for a thought-provoking discussion on what was a picturesque fall afternoon.

JArts is a Boston-based organization devoted to connecting people through the power of arts and culture; Mandel is an artist, social entrepreneur and public art advocate.

Thanks to JArts and the Everett Art Lab for creating this engaging opportunity for our students.

 Educator’s Work Featured at Lesley University

Everett High School art educator Josephine Dougan’s work is currently featured in an exhibit at the Roberts Gallery at Lesley University. The exhibition, Then and Now, celebrates more than 30 years of printmaking at Lesley Art + Design. The exhibition, which runs through December 17, 2023, highlights the work of 15 selected alumni, including Dougan. The pieces showcase their previous contributions to Lesley Art + Design’s annual print portfolio, as well as a selection of each artist’s current work in various media.

 Lesley Professor and Noted Artist Visits Everett High

Acclaimed artist and Lesley University Professor Michelle Lougee was a guest lecturer in Everett High School’s Fiber Arts class on Monday, November 20, 2023. Lougee’s work centers on sustainability and the environment. Specifically, she uses crochet techniques and plastic to create forms representative of sea life and ecosystems. She inspires students and fiber artists to be resourceful and innovative with their materials and processes. At Everett High, she showed students how to create their own yarn out of plastic bags. Students used single crochet techniques with their hooks, chaining their “plarn” (plastic yarn) six times, to create their own forms.