Superintendent John Buckey
Good people of Marblehead:
In the district strategic plan, “The Plan for Success,” one of our articulated core values is personal growth.
Specifically, we state, “We will provide students with opportunities to grow socially, emotionally, physically and academically, and to be respectful, contributing members of society.”
On March 1, our alpine ski team exceeded expectations when it came to modeling exemplary personal growth. At the championship at Berkshire East, they were named the state champions, only to have that changed as the result of a scoring error. I received a letter from the MIAA heralding their grace and sportsmanship.
MIAA Assistant Director Dr. Steven Dubzinski wrote that the members of the Marblehead team congratulated the actual winner, St. John’s Prep, with a “genuine tone.”
“The schools and the community that they represent should feel extremely proud of the student-athletes’ abilities as skiers but more importantly, the great young men they have become,” Dubzinski wrote. “They are class acts and a great example of what we are trying to promote at the MIAA.”
Kudos to the team and Coach John Thompson for making us Magicians proud. You are the true champions in our minds.
Benefit concert
The Marblehead High School Chorus and a cappella groups will join with the choral groups of Swampscott and Salem to celebrate the 20th year of Together in Harmony, a concert to benefit the music programs at all three high schools. Please join them this Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m. in the Swampscott High School auditorium. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors 65-plus, $12 for adults. Come out to celebrate and support these talented singers!
METCO swag for a good cause
Marblehead METCO swag can be ordered online through the Marblehead Sport Shop. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to the Marblehead METCO program and Tyrone Bumpurs Scholarship.
Bumpurs was a METCO student who graduated from Marblehead High School in 1989. He was a great athlete, playing football, basketball and running track. He was a lover of peace and harmony.
In September 1991, he was shot while breaking up a fight between two young men in the neighborhood. The bullet severed his spinal cord and left him a quadriplegic. Tyrone took this incident and traveled around the state talking about non-violence until his death of a heart attack in 2002.
Nominate an outstanding teacher
We have excellent educators in Marblehead. Each year, there is an opportunity to recognize one of our outstanding teachers with the Margaret Voss Howard Teacher Recognition Award. Please consider nominating someone.
Dollars for Scholars
In its 36th year, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars is sponsoring the third annual “Let’s Eat” during the month of March. Gift cards purchased at eight establishments (Shubie’s, Sea Salt, Caffe Italia, The Landing, Mino’s Roast Beef, Maria’s Gourmet, Soall and The Barrelman) will benefit Marblehead High School graduates. Ten percent of every gift card will go directly to need-based scholarships for undergraduate college students. Each year, close to $200,000 is awarded to graduating seniors and advanced standing students. Please participate.
Superintendent Coffee
The March Coffee will be held Thursday, March 23 at 8:30 a.m. at Marblehead Veterans Middle School. The focus of the coffee will be the FY24 budget. And, as always, it is an open forum for families and the community to bring topics of interest for the superintendent.
Preschools Day
As I end this week’s update, I want to give a “shout out” to our preschool students and teachers on this National Preschools Day. I had the privilege of being at both Brown and Glover Elementary Schools today to celebrate with our preschoolers and their exceptional teachers. You are the foundation of our district and play an integral role in developing our district’s future successes.