Destination Imagination Teams Honored by School Committee

Creative problem solving, teamwork, and application of knowledge.

Those are some of the qualities needed to be successful as Destination ImagiNation (DI) team.

At its meeting this week, the Tewksbury School Committee honored the members of 11 DI teams, which took part recently in regional competitions.

Two teams from the Wynn School performed especially well at the regionals. "Animal Crackers," led by managers Kelly Satterfield and Roberta Silk, and "Ctl, Alt, Del," led by manager Susan Fallon, each placed second at the regionals.

"The Bizzarly Twisted Sox," a team out of the Ryan School, managed by Nancy Moore and Jen Thompson, placed third at regionals.

Speaking on behalf of the entire committee, School Committee member Jayne Miller read a resolution presented to each of the teams. She read, in part:

"Whereas the students and volunteers have brought great pride, recognition, enthusiasm and honor to themselves, to their parents and families, to the Tewksbury Public Schools and to the Town of Tewksbury,

"Now therefore be it resolved that the Tewksbury School Committee applauds, honors and recognizes the outstanding teamwork, problem solving, creativity and dedication of all Destination ImagiNation teams in Tewksbury Public Schools, their managers, volunteers and parents."

The following is a list of the Destination ImagiNation teams and their members:

The Bunnies

Manager Cheryl Edwards

Abagail Hayes, Sarah Hunt, Kaitlyn Oates, True Rappold

The Sneaky Spiders

Manager Jamie Cotter

Zachary Cotter, Ryan Edwards, Will Forbes, Joel Jablonowski, Jack Stadtman

Team Spirit

Manager Sarbjeet Kauer

Dylan Crowley, Nataly Daly, Suyash More, Harleen Kauer

Twisters Rule

Managers Maria Rappold, Christina Lighburn

Nathanial Buskey, Paige Krzesinski, Scott Lighburn, Jonah Rappold, Hunter Woolfrey

7 Agents

Manager Debbie Donahoe

Matthew Donahoe, Matthew Edwards, Elayna Hunt, Michael Reppucci, Barrett Hodgson, Marissa Ladderbush, Danielle Howe

 Rock Stars

Manager Renee Spinale

Haley Spinale, Mitt Bhalani, Bobby O’Hearn, Emily Hankins, Pranav Hari

Imaginary Buddies

Managers Jeannie Carrillo, Teresa Molea

Anthony Lentz, Jason Molea, Domenic Carrillo

The Brilliant Buffet Bunch

Managers John Dunn, Jeanie Pettengill

Kelsey Dunn, Steven Bevilarqua, Erin McGinley, Lauren Pettengill, Robert Pothier

The Bizzarly Twisted Socks

Managers Nancy Moore, Jen Thompson

Alicia Moore, Claire Thompson, Lisa Devito, Mikayla, Sydney Dinunzio, Eryka Gray, Ariana Margios

 Animal Crackers

Managers Kelly Satterfield and Roberta Silk

Calvin Satterfield, Cori Coleman, Seth Auger, Kathleen Silk, Valerie Fischer & Jared Martin.

 In other School Committee business:

• Superintendent of Schools Dr. John O'Connor outlined a plan he will be presenting to the High School Building Committee that features two design modifications. According to O'Connor, the changes would involve a new industrial strength dishwasher added to the kitchen area of the cafeteria and the establishment of a copy center. O'Connor said the dishwasher is tied to a recommendation to replace disposable Styrofoam trays with reusable plastic ones. He said the copy center would be located at one end of the building, near the gymnasium, where the extended day program had been going to be located. O'Connor said a new home would need to be found for the extended day program.
• O'Connor lauded the performance of teachers and administrators during the recent North Street School bomb scare. In particular, he recognized the efforts of business manager Jack Quinn, who took charge of the situation with O'Connor out of town. "It showed our (emergency) system works and it works well," said O'Connor.
• School Committee members had mixed reactions to O'Connor's plan to reorganize the School Department Business Office in Fiscal Year 2012. Key members of the office, including Quinn, will be retiring at the end of the year and O'Connor is looking to streamline some of the operations and continue to increase "transparency." O'Connor will be coming back to the committee with additional information.
• The committee voted to continue the school district's tradition of not participating in School Choice.