Events
September 2008
September was a busy and happy month at the Holden School! The month started with the second annual Scavenger Hunt which took students and staff all over the neighborhood in their effort to find clues such as historical monuments, smiling elderly people, and extremely small cars. This event helps students and staff, especially new staff members, get to know one another and the area surrounding the school.
The trip to Connor Farm for apple picking gave everyone a full day in the sunshine. In addition to picking apples, students and staff members learned about the workings of the farm and its farm stand. Everyone came back with bags of apples and other fruit to bring home. The pies prepared at school were excellent too!
Students and staff are all so pleased with the school's new lavatories, which include up-to-date facilities for males and females and a unisex facility for physically handicapped individuals. COMPASS' hiring of Sid Kumins, Inc. for construction and Studio G for designs made for a smooth process and an outstanding result!
June 2008 - Graduation
Graduation 2008 was the first time students from the Compass School in Jamaica Plain, and the Holden School in Charlestown, were honored together. The ceremonies were well attended by staff, family members, service providers, and members of the Board of Directors and Advisory Committees. Following opening remarks by John Lydon, Executive Director, and Janice Brenner, Director of Holden School, the group enjoyed a Keynote Speech by Ms. Joan Landers, Superintendent of Public Schools in Weymouth. Ms. Landers supported the students' perseverance to earn their diplomas and celebrated their success.
In addition to diplomas, traditional Holden School awards were given. Awards include a check and the placement of the winning students' names on plaques posted at the school. This year's winners were:
Nicholas Brown for the Bob Heard Community Award
Gevens Mayala for the Dr. Tom Frank Personal Growth Award
Anastashia Daily for the John P. Santry Sportsmanship Award
In addition to diplomas, the students were awarded Citations from the Massachusetts Legislature signed by Senator Richard R. Tisei. The congratulatory citations recognized the students' hard work. Diplomas were awarded by Terry Belli, Clinical Director of Compass School and Deidre O'Connor, Transition Specialist for Holden School. This year's graduates from both schools were:
Jeffery Anitus
Corey Eaton
Jessica Firicano
Carlos Fuentes
Deoman Hamilton
Jeffery Jones
Tony (TJ) Rodriguez
Following the ceremonies, everyone enjoyed a lavish buffet at the Holden School. The food was made by parents, staff members and the chefs of the Compass Café.
Congratulations and thanks to all who made the day possible.
Events
May 2008 - Annual Spring Fundraiser
With over $20,000 raised, funds will now be available to provide our students with services that are not included in the publicly funded tuition. Students will participate in classes in the arts, field trips and competitive basketball. The funds will also support our efforts to help students prepare for life beyond high school.
The event was well attended and the sound of laughter and lively conversation was everywhere. Competition at the silent auction tables was keen with lots of bidding on the week in France, the VIP passes to the Jon Stewart show and all of the sports memorabilia and tickets. The volunteer Development Committee did an excellent job with good humor and cooperation. The addition of help from Sandy Skinner of COMPASS was also a great benefit.
March 2008 - Greater Boston Basketball League Tournament
The combined COMPASS/Holden School basketball team has worked well together all season. Obviously, their work paid off as they won the North Tournament! Their successful merger is a symbol of the agency's merger; working together for a shared goal. In addition to the Tournament win, team members were also recognized. Staya won the Most Valuable Player and Nick and Miguel shared awards for All Stars.
March 2008 - Holden School Basketball Rally
The annual Holden School basketball rally was held on March 31, 2008. For the first time, the student team won over the staff team with a score of 50 - 41. Congratulations to the team and the student coach, Staya. After the rally students and staff enjoyed a feast of chili, hot dogs, nachos, cookies and cupcakes. The food was cooked by staff members, Denise and Bonnie, and enjoyed by all!
December 2007 - Holiday Party
Students and staff draw names for Secret Santa shopping. The spirit of giving is made real as we all shop for one another buying low-priced items entered on our "wish lists." The highlight of the party is giving the gifts. Ramon Berberena did a wonderful job as Santa, with a gift and "HO, HO, HO" for each of us. Another highlight of the party, of course, is the food: pizza and cake augmented by home made cookies and more from cooking class and parents.
Students were also happy to receive personalized gifts from the generous employees of Talbot's. Employees choose students' names and, again, respond to wish lists. A big Thank You goes out to Talbot's!
COMPASS provided each student with a warm "hoodie" embossed with the school name and staff received COMPASS jackets delivered by John Lydon, our Executive Director.
November 2007 - Thanksgiving Family Dinner
As always, students, staff and volunteers spent the morning preparing for Holden School's twentieth annual Thanksgiving dinner, cooking the meal and transforming a classroom into a dining room complete with candles and holiday decorations. Everyone gave thanks by posting a gratitude leaf on our Thanksgiving tree, where thoughts from everyone who attended were displayed. As usual, it was a multi-cultural feast. We are grateful to Johnnie's Foodmaster for the donation of two big turkeys, to parents for rice and beans and pastellitos, and to staff members for home made desserts.
This year we were happy to share our meal with representatives from our new partners, COMPASS. We were joined by John Marston, Board Chair and John Lydon, Executive Director, as well as Terry Belli, Clinical Director and Sandy Skinner, Director of Development for Special Events. Our thanks go to all who shared the day with us!
October 2007 - Haunted Hallway Party
September 2007 - Scavenger Hunt
During the first week of school, students and staff got ready to learn by participating in a Scavenger Hunt devised by Assistant Director, Alice Dorant. Four groups of staff and students competed for points to win the grand prize - a breakfast at Dunkin Donuts later in the week.
Each team was given a disposable camera and a dollar. They were given a list of photos and a list of items needed to earn points toward winning. Sample photos included: a firefighter, the team becoming a work of art, an elderly person smiling, and something that represents America. Samples of items included a library schedule, 3 business cards, a political poster, and a coin with the date of 1976.
At the close of the hunt, everyone had to meet at the Friendly's at Bunker Hill Mall where they all got ice cream. Their "collections" were submitted to Alice who determined that Team 4, Jake, Wesley, Emily, Angel and Lloyd, won the prize.
While people were skeptical about this activity at first, everyone enjoyed themselves and learned things along the way. It just goes to show how valuable it is to try new things!
June 2007 - Graduation Day
Graduation was a wonderful day! Joseph Doss, Dilip Jaghoo and Jacques Preval were awarded state-approved high school diplomas. Thanks to the help of our Transition Programming and our Scholarship Benefactors, each of the graduates is attending post-secondary education. D.J. is attending Bunker Hill Community College where he is studying Business; Jacques is attending Northeastern University to earn licensure as an Emergency Medical Technician and Joe is attending RETS Technical Center where he will study to be an electrician. We are so proud of our graduates, we could just bust!
In addition to the graduates, students received awards from their teachers for specific accomplishments in classes. The Holden School presents three annual awards as well. The John P. Santry Sportsmanship Award is given to a senior member of the Basketball Team who has not only played skillfully but has also shown respect for himself, his team, his opponents and the game. This year's winner was Dilip Jaghoo. The Bob Heard Community Award is given to a student who has worked to make the community and the school better places. That award was given to Ramon Berberena.
Following the ceremonies, a fine feast was enjoyed by all at a multicultural buffet provided by staff members and parents. It was a beautiful day and inspires us to keep working toward our goals.
May 2007 - Spring Fundraising Event
Thank you to all who made this event another great success! The members of our volunteer Development Committee, under the leadership of Mr. J.J. Gilmartin, did an excellent job of securing the venue, publicizing the event, soliciting raffle and auction items, selling tickets and organizing everything. This is no small task for people who work long hours at their own jobs! Still, the Committee managed everything - and cheerfully! The Board of Directors also helped to solicit raffle and auction items and to sell tickets.
Many kind businesses and individuals donated items and financial support. Most of all, the event was a lot of fun! Three lucky people won autographed baseballs and one person got an autographed soccer ball! In addition, there were night-out packages of entertainment and dinner, museum passes, spa days, gift certificates and more. All in all, the event raised over $12,000 to be spent directly on our kids for arts, sports, computer classes, cooking and other activities that make school a great place to be.
September 2006 - Trip to Frog Pond Farm
On September 21st, a small group of students and staff ventured out to the Frog Pond Organic Farm in Harvard, MA to learn about the difference between organic and store-bought vegetables and fruits. We discussed the importance of snakes, insects, rats (yuck) and fertilizing the grounds for planting. Through tasting products such as raspberries, apples, fresh carrots and tomatoes, the students learned that organic foods are as safe to consume as any other kind of food. The difference in taste and consistency was apparent to all.
The students enjoyed the ride from the city into the country. One student even commented on how he would love to live in the country to avoid the conflicts he faces daily, living in the inner city.
They also learned about some Native American Traditions, such as the History of the Prayer Vigil for the Earth. Our hosts, Linda and Blaze, invited us to come back in the early spring to help fertilize the grounds for planting.
Reported by Denise McCall
Summer 2006 - Completion of the Accessibility Project
The project to add an exterior ramp and lift between the first and lower floor, was completed during the summer of 2006 by Sid Kumins, Inc., contractor, and Gail Sullivan Associates, architect.
Full accessibility has been a goal for the school for several years. Private donations at the 2005 Spring fundraising event, Ramp Up for Summer, kicked off the capital campaign. Grant funds were also received from the Clippership Foundation and another, anonymous foundation. A loan from the Wainwright Bank rounded out the financing for the project.
The school is pleased to be able to welcome students and guests who are dealing with physical handicaps. In addition, the school hopes that its facility may serve other purposes for the community. Organizations that would like to discuss such possibilities should email the school's director, Janice Brenner, or call at 617-242-3940.
June 2006 - Graduation Day
Graduation, as always, was a great day! Two students received High School Diplomas: Adilson Gomes Centeio and Michael Ortiz. Both students passed the MCAS exams and earned sufficient credits to merit diplomas from both the Holden School and the Boston School Department.
The ceremony was held at the Warren Prescott School auditorium and was well attended. Two new awards were instituted. An award was named in memory of Bob Heard who dedicated his life to the service of others at Pine Street Inn. That award was given to Adilson Centeio who amassed the most community service hours of any student. The Tom Frank Award for Social Growth was given to Tony Rodriguez who was chosen by a vote of the staff. Dr. Frank, a child psychiatrist pictured here with his wife, has helped the school in many ways for over 20 years. The John Santry Award for Sportsmanship was given to Ronny Morales for his participation on the Basketball Team. Teachers also presented awards to students who had excelled in specific courses.
May 2006 - Fifth Annual Spring Fundraiser
