North Adams School Committee Recognizes Achievers, Honors Departing Members
Mayor Thomas Bernard displays an engraved clock given to him on the end of his term on the School Committee. Also receiving clocks were departing members Heather Boulger, James Holmes and Ian Bergeron.
Elli Miles, the daughter of Maria Bartini and Ronald Miles of Clarksburg, was named this year's recipient of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Certificate of Academic Excellence. This honor is conferred annually to the highest ranking high school senior in the district who has distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence.
Superintendent Barbara Malkas described Miles as "dedicated, disciplined and always reaching for excellence."
Miles has completed her high school requirements in three years by taking honors classes, seven Advanced Placement classes and one college course. She is valedictorian of the class of 2022 and currently taking courses at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
She was inducted into the Nu Sigma Honor Society and received the Math Department Award and the Principal's Award, given to the top five students in the class. She started playing for the soccer team in eighth grade and was captain in her junior and senior year. This year, she also completed 100 points in soccer and has played for the local Black Rock Football Club since 2017.
Miles has been a member of Student Council for three years and was a Project 351 Ambassador. She plans to major in art and has already created illustrations for a small business developing a children's book, and receives requests from individuals for drawings.
"This has not been an easy time for anybody to be able to focus and to achieve, with I'm sure challenges and obstacles and adjustments," said Mayor Thomas Bernard, chairman of the School Committee. "You deserve to be proud of yourself. I know your folks are proud of you. I really wish you all the best going forward."
Other committee members also expressed their pride and congratulations for Miles' efforts.
"Elli is a leader, role model, and example to others what can be accomplished through planning, hard work, and self-motivation," said Malkas.
Also recognized for their academic work were Faith Christian, Zachary Davignon, Heaven Mazza and Madeline Nesbit, as well as Miles, for being named John and Abigail Adams Scholars.
Malkas pointed out that the students were not required to take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests in 2020 because of the pandemic but took it in another year to qualify for the scholarship.
Principal Timothy Callahan said these students spent much of their time in remote and had to score exceptionally well on both English language arts and math to qualify.
"They came in on their own accord because they wanted to have an opportunity to qualify for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. ... These were the only five juniors who came in," he said. "We're extremely proud of them. We're proud of their efforts to come in when they didn't have to, to challenge their abilities and to prove that they had what it takes to qualify as scholarship winners."
The scholarships provide credit toward tuition at state schools for students who achieve high levels on the Grade 10 MCAS.
The committee took time to say farewell to members attending their final meeting. Bernard, Heather Boulger, Ian Bergeron and James Holmes did not run for another term and will be replaced by incoming Mayor-elect Jennifer Macksey, Richard Alcombright, Joshua Vallieres and David Sookey. Vallieres will be completing the final two years of an unexpired term currently filled by Emily Daunis, who won a full four-year term in November.
"I've said this before, we've done good work, we've done meaningful work, we've done tough work over the last two years," said Bernard. "And we've done it always with the focus on our students, our educators, and the future of this community in mind and heart."
He also thanked Malkas for her time the past four years. "I could not have asked for a better partner, guide and co-chair in my time," he said.
"It has been the privilege of my lifetime to have served as chair of the School Committee in the district where my parents gave so many, many years of service."
Boulger is the longest serving member, having first been elected in 1998, and has served as vice chairman for "as long as anyone can remember."
"She has served uninterrupted for six four-year terms of tenure representing three mayors and three superintendents. She was also the appointed North Adams Public Schools rep on the McCann School Committee for eight years," Malkas said. "She has served on every subcommittee of the School Committee except the negotiation subcommittee for professional staff, as she was limited in her ability to participate in that particular committee due to familial ties."
It was a privilege to serve for 24 years, said Boulger, "and I wish the current committee and the new committee the best going forward. It's all about the kids and the students and administrators and the faculty."
Bergeron and Holmes were both elected in 2017, with Holmes joining the committee upon his retirement as a teacher the school system.
The meeting was hybrid, with Malkas and Bernard at City Hall to present Miles and her parents with her certificate. The departing committee members were presented with clocks engraved with their terms and thanks that Bernard showed to those attending virtually.
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