Above: A tot from Assabet’s daycare program visited with Santa today and a 35-year cafeteria employee recently left in good spirits after a rousing goodbye. (contributed photos)
I don’t always get a chance to share Assabet news. But the holiday spirit and good cheer in five school news releases from today and yesterday prompted me to make the time. (Click thumbnails below to enlarge contributed photos.)
Christine Achilles Retires from Assabet Valley
The newly renovated Assabet Valley cafeteria lost just a bit if its luster, as one smiling face will be missing from now on. Chrissie Achilles officially finished 35 years on Friday, December 18th, and is hanging up her apron and putting down the peanut butter spreader. Although she will be honored in June at an annual All-Staff Retirees Celebration, she was delighted when so many staff members popped into the cafeteria to wish her well and made a bit of a fuss over her! (read more)
Local Woman Crochets for Aztec Wishes
Each year the students in the Business Technology program at Assabet Valley put their database management skills to work in a rather unique project – they organize, manage, and distribute toys and clothes to needy children through the Aztec Wishes program. . .
“We try to take care of at least 100 children, and their families. The Assabet Valley staff and students are very generous and warm-hearted, with many individuals ‘adopting’ more than one child.
Although almost all of the gifts are donated by the Assabet Valley school community, there is one special person in particular who has joined in since about 2010, donating dolls with handmade crocheted doll clothes. . .
“This way the kids get not just a doll, but one that has stuff to play with once they open the gift,” explains [Christine Ledder of Marlborough]. (read more)
AZTECHS 157 Expands Outreach
The release covers the Robotics Team’s past accomplishments and popularity. But then it goes on to cover its extensive public outreach, including:
Visits to several pre-schools with the robot were well-received over the summer, as was a demonstration at the Boston Children’s Museum. Team members brought the robot to Marlborough’s Heritage Fair, Northborough’s Applefest, Assabet’s Grand Re-opening in October, the Assabet at Solomon Pond Mall day in November, and the school’s Exhibit/Admissions Night in December. Additionally, they demonstrated at a Providence Bruin’s game as part of the entertainment there, entertained the children at the Dana Farber Jimmy Fund holiday party, hosted a FIRST LEGO League competition, did a food drive at the Hudson Stop N Shop which gathered over a 1,000 pounds of food, and a Toys for Tots drive at the Hudson Wal-Mart. (read more)
Assabet Hosts Annual Alumni Panel
Traditionally the day before the Thanksgiving break, Principal Mark Hollick hosts a panel discussion for the juniors and seniors, reaching out to several Assabet Valley alumni to come in and discuss their experiences at college to better prepare the current students for life after Assabet. This year was no exception, as six former graduates talked about their personal decisions with regard to college and majors, and fielded questions from the audience. . .
“Having these suggestions come directly from the students who are currently in college carries far more weight than anything we as educators (or even as parents) can say. This is why we enjoy doing these panel discussions year after year, and encourage our students to ask as many questions as they can,” said Hollick.(read more)
Christmas at Assabet Valley’s Childcare
Santa Claus visited the Assabet Valley Childcare today….and little Cailyn Bengtson, the daughter of one of our chefs in the Culinary Arts program, Jessica Bengtson, just seemed to get that wonder in her eye as she reached up to pet Santa’s beard! (Hopefully she wasn’t trying to pull it off!)
