MCPE announces Education Award recipients...

The following information submitted by Susan Maritan, MCPE Chair of Publicity. Images submitted by Susan Maritan and Kerry Cowell. Image #1 MCPE Co-President Michelle Barette, Nominator Diane Smith, MCPE Co-President Minta Hissong, MHS Principal Robert Parga - Image #2 Steve Grenham, Kerry Cowell, Claire Shield, and the Busconi Committee (Christopher Busconi, Jeff Busconi, Regina Morris and Jan Interrante - Image #3 Claire Shield, Randi Groden, Missy Bilsborough, Marissa Foley, Steve Grenham, Orla Berry and Rudy Cassidy. They were the joint recipients of the Thomas Reis Award - Image #4 Kerry Cowell and Marissa Foley.

Robert C. Maguire Global Perspectives in Education Award

Last week the Medfield Coalition for Public Education (MCPE) held their Annual Meeting at the Zullo Gallery where a number of teachers, administrators and students received recognition.

The first award presented was the Robert C. Maguire Global Perspectives in Education Award. This award, honoring the recently retired Superintendent, is given to a Medfield Public School staff member whose efforts embody Bob’s vision for further developing students’ global understanding and readiness to engage in the expanding global economy. The recipient is someone who inspires students to look beyond the town of Medfield and learn more about the global community through innovative programs and technologies. After reviewing the applications received, the award committee came to a consensus that Robert Parga, Principal of Medfield High School (MHS), best exemplifies the characteristics of this award.

Mr. Parga was nominated for this award because of his leadership, work behind the scenes, and openness to new programs. “He creates and supports an environment that gives teachers and administrators the latitude and resources to present students with a variety of international study opportunities,” said Medfield parent, Diane Smith, who nominated Mr. Parga.

“He works behind the scenes meeting and speaking with other school leaders in other countries to make international travel and education possible,” said an award committee member. “International development and understanding are important to him, and he personally has put infrastructure in place to help make international learning a reality in the high school curriculum.”

Mr. Parga traveled to China in November 2011. He was asked to speak at a conference in Shanghai that focused on establishing school-to-school partnerships. He also traveled to Bengbu on this trip to further develop MHS’s partnership with this community. In 2013, he traveled to the Dominican Republic with the hope of establishing a community service experience for our students, and in February 2015, a group of MHS students and two teachers spent a week in the Dominican Republic working on various community service projects.

In 2009, Mr. Parga also set up a partnership with Bengbu Middle School. As a result of the relationship that he forged, Medfield students have traveled to China in 2010, 2012 and 2016. Furthermore, MHS hosted students from Bengbu in 2009, 2011 and 2013. More Chinese exchange students are expected in 2016. Ms. Li from the Bengbu Middle School taught Mandarin at MHS in 2011, and Richard DeSorgher taught English in Bengbu for four weeks in 2011.

The following are classes available at Medfield High School that expose students to other cultures: AP Art History, World Literature, Modern World Conflicts, International Foods, Spanish, French, Latin and Mandarin. Also available to Medfield students are the following international experiences: Language trip to Spain, Language trip to France, Language trip to China, Latin/Art trip to Italy and the Community service trip to the Dominican Republic.

In 2013, Mr. Parga set up the current exchange program which allows for several students from China each year to attend MHS for a full year, typically three per year. In addition, MHS has accepted exchange students over the past several years from Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Ireland.

Finally, Mr. Parga and Katie Nunes established a Global Citizenship Program for students at MHS. The MHS GCP is designed to foster students' global awareness, and through the program students gain interdisciplinary experience and knowledge of the world and concurrently develop the communication and self awareness skills to be flexible, respectful and creative as participants in, and contributors to, a globalized society. To learn more please visit: sites.google.com/a/email.medfield.net/gcp/

The second award that was handed out at the MCPE Annual Meeting was the Elizabeth Busconi Memorial Education Award. The Elizabeth Busconi Memorial Education Fund was established in memory of Liz Busconi, a beloved second grade teacher at Wheelock School, who passed away in 2007. Each year, a grant is awarded to a winning submission by a Medfield Public School teacher. This year’s award winners were Kerry Cowell and Steve Grenham for a grant proposal to create a graphic novel section at the Dale Street School library dedicated to Mrs. Busconi.

The third award handed out at the annual meeting was the Thomas Reis Award. This award is in honor of former Superintendent Thomas Reis, who supported volunteerism and encouraged the formation of MCPE in 1987. The criteria for the award is for a grant which promotes cooperation among schools, develops new programs of study and highlights creativity and innovation in the classroom.

This year, for the first time, three of the five grants that were nominated within MCPE for this award were related to the robotics field, and interestingly, they spanned from pre-K students to high school students. MCPE Board members chose to have these three grants share the Thomas Reis Award because together they demonstrate how the robotics learning process is continuing throughout the Medfield schools.

The award winners were from Memorial School: Randie Groden and Missy Billsborough; from Dale Street School: Marissa Foley and Steve Grenham; from Medfield High School: Orla Berry, Phil Brown, and Rudy Cassidy, and also from the high school: Juniors Kyle Keegan and John Stewart.

Following the award ceremony the new Board of MCPE was sworn in and the retiring members were recognized.

The Medfield Coalition for Public Education (MCPE) is an independent, non-profit organization funded to provide system-wide support and academic enrichment for the Medfield Public Schools, with particular attention to academic needs that exceed the parameters of the school budget.