Drury High Senior Recipient of Superintendent's Award
 Nicholas Trombley, center, is flanked by his parents, Daniel and Judith, and Mayor Richard Alcombright and Superintendent James Montepare. Trombley is the recipient of this year's Superintendent's Certificate of Excellence. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award was presented to Drury High senior Nicholas Trombley at Monday night's School Committee meeting.
"This singular honor is conferred annually on the highest ranking high school senior," Superintendent James Montepare explained in a communication to the committee. "A student who has distinguished himself or herself in the pursuit excellence.
"Nick is a worthy nominee."
Trombley, who is considering engineering schools including Rensselaer (N.Y.) and Worcester polytechnic institutes, holds a grade average of 102.8 for the past three years.
He is taking several classes in writing and calculus at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts this school year.
He is a member of the Pro Merito and Nu Sigma honor societies, and has been a class officer all four years, serving this year as treasurer. He has been in the golf team's starting lineup since Grade 8 and on the basketball team for four years.
The son of Daniel Trombley and of Judith Trombley, he has been an altar server and works part time at Taconic Golf Course.
"We're very proud of you and your accomplishments here as you move forward and just want to wish you continued success," Mayor Richard Alcombright said.
In other business, the committee was updated on the activities of the elementary school Parent-Teacher Groups.
"I wanted you to hear about some of the things they're doing," Montepare said in reviewing the lists of events and fundraisers. "These are just dynamic people."
All three principals said the PTGs provide significant support for the schools.
"There are activities that wouldn't be possible without the tireless efforts of the PTG," Principal John Franzoni of Brayton.
Greylock Principal Sandy Cote said the PTG funds field trips and provides classrooms needs for teachers.
"What they do is a lot more than what they've listed on here," she said.
"They really are great in doing activities that bring families into Sullivan," said Principal Shelley Fachini. "They are really good with making big things happen despite the tiny group that they are."
The committee, missing members Heather Boulger and Mark Moulton, voted to approve the PTG fundraising efforts. Alcombright asked that a letter be sent to the PTGs on the committee's behalf thanking them for their efforts.
"They save us thousands of dollars. ... Kids don't go without," said Montepare. "That's all the behind-the-scenes things that there's no fanfare of."
The committee also was informed seven new substitutes had been hired. The school district recently raised the rates for substitute teachers because of difficulty in hiring and keeping them.
"With 150 teachers a day in the system, inevitably someone's out so it's been very challenging to take in a sub and pay them what we do," Montepare said.
Also in personnel matters, Susan Gilman, Grade 2 teacher at Brayton, will retire at the end of January.
Gilman startd as a substitute in 1986 and played a major role in the North Adams Teachers Association, said Montepare.
"She's a really good teacher and someone I could count on for advice," he said.
The committee also approved changes to the student discipline policies, in large part because of extensive rewriting of those rules by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
Among the changes were additions to clarify that suspensions of more than 10 days either in or outside of school must have an education component to keep students from falling behind; language was added to a bullying policy to note it also includes faculty and staff and students out for more than three consecutive days or seven days total in a semester must have documentation for their absence.
Tags: academic award, North Adams School Committee,
