Education - Marblehead Current

30 May

MHS student honored for essay on antisemitism

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Nonprofit corner

Marblehead High School student Jeremy Sorkin won third place in the Israel Arbeiter Essay Contest from the Jewish Community Relations Council and will be traveling to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with other winners. MHS student Jeremy Sorkin wrote about antisemitism and how it hits home in Marblehead. COURTESY PHOTO Sorkin wrote about the persecution of Jewish people throughout history — and the antisemitism that still exists today. “Many swastikas have been found at my school and even on some of the sidewalks in…

30 May

‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ Class of 2023’s top grads offer advice

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Marblehead High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian will both miss the ocean when they leave for college in Indiana and Colorado at the end of the summer, but they are looking forward to the next chapters in their lives. MHS Valedictorian Yasen Colón, right, and Salutatorian Cate Trautman organized a blood drive at school recently. COURTESY PHOTO Valedictorian Yasen Colón is heading to Purdue University to study aerospace engineering. Salutatorian Cate Trautman is going to University of Colorado Boulder and its engineering honors program. They’re both…

29 May

Local vets share their war stories at MHS

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Just a few days before Memorial Day, five Vietnam veterans from Marblehead, some with Purple Heart medals, came to speak to students at the high school about their experiences and how war changed their lives. ‘War is an absurdity’ said veteran Buck Grader. CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER The MHS juniors had just finished reading “The Things They Carried,” a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by Tim O’Brien about a platoon of American soldiers fighting in Vietnam. The students asked the veterans dozens of questions ranging…

28 May

Village students return from Bournedale adventure

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Environment, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

More than 180 Village School sixth-graders are back from the traditional four-day excursion to Camp Bournedale in Plymouth— the first time since 2019 that students have been able to go. The program is called VillageXperience. “Students missed out on so many social opportunities over the past few years. We hope that this Xperience will be one that they will remember for a lifetime,” said Village teacher Jonathan Heller, who helped lead the trip. Village students have been going to Bournedale for at least three decades.…

27 May

Arthur Epstein, beloved Marblehead benefactor, dies at 86

Will Dowd1 CommentEducation, Local News, Obituaries, Top Stories

The Marblehead community is lamenting the loss of Arthur Joseph Epstein, a business executive, philanthropist and all-around mensch who leaves behind a legacy of transformative contributions to mental and behavioral health care and Jewish education on the North Shore. Epstein died on May 21. He was 86. Arthur Epstein in front of Epstein Hillel School in 2017 shortly after the school was renamed in his honor. COURTESY PHOTO / EPSTEIN HILLEL SCHOOL Hailing from Malden, Epstein grew up to become a successful entrepreneur and investor,…

25 May

Marblehead to celebrate Pride Month with art, flag raising, tea dance

Leigh Blander0 CommentsCommunity Resources, Culture, Education, Life Style, Local News, Municipal Matters, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories

To kick off Pride Month in June, Marblehead businesses Creative Spirit and MacRae’s Sustainable Goods will host a public reception on Friday, June 2, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., for the opening of their next non-juried art exhibit, “Love Wins.” The reception will be held at MacRae’s Sustainable Goods,108 Washington St. Learn more and register artwork at creativespiritma.com. Families celebrate at the Pride flag raising in 2022. COURTESY PHOTO On Saturday, June 3, at 3 p.m., the town of Marblehead will celebrate Pride Month with…

24 May

Discord among Select Board aired over COVID relief funds

Will Dowd0 CommentsEducation, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics

Members of the Marblehead Select Board recently expressed conflicting views regarding its allocation of the town's remaining $3.3 million in federal COVID relief funds from the American Reinvestment Plan Act (ARPA). During a public meeting on May 10, these contrasting opinions arose as the Select Board considered, and ultimately approved, two ARPA funding requests worth $93,513 for the Marblehead Public Schools. These proposals were the most recent recommendations from an ARPA working group chaired by Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. Marblehead Select Board members Alexa Singer…

24 May

Abbot Hall art exhibit showcases MHS student artists

Will Dowd0 CommentsCulture, Education, Local News, Top Stories

The Marblehead High School Spring Art Exhibition in the auditorium of Abbot Hall unifies 400 artworks, putting on display a labyrinth of creativity for the public until June 2. For their senior project, Anita Gaunt, Julia Potvin, Cait Mullins and Keira Sweetnam curated the sprawling show, a six-week endeavor that culminated with an opening reception on the evening of May 23. For their senior project, Marblehead High School students Keira Sweetnam, Anita Gaunt, Cait Mullins and Julia Potvin (not pictured) organized the school's Spring Art…

23 May

Parent group pushing for $2.5 million override

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Sports, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

Local parents who support the $2.5 million permanent tax override on the ballot in the June 20 election are launching a “Vote Yes for Marblehead” campaign. “'Vote Yes for Marblehead' will be working in the coming weeks to advocate for the successful passage of the override,” the committee said in a statement to the Marblehead Current. “As residents, taxpayers and parents, we simply could not stand by silently while critical public safety and education services are at risk of being drastically reduced.” The override, which…

17 May

Town to pick new School Committee members amid budget crisis

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters

The race for School Committee is one of the hottest contests in the town’s June election, with four people vying for two seats. A fifth candidate, Karen Tal-Makhluf, dropped out last week. She was the first person to announce a run back in March.“Since then, I have been encouraged to see four other candidates enter the race. Since I have no wish to detract from these candidates’ efforts and because I will also need to be traveling during much of the campaign season, I am…