Principal Jason Finnie collects raffle tickets from JR. HS effort award winners at their recognition breakfast. (Photo submitted)
HUNTINGTON– Students attending Gateway Regional Jr. High School had breakfast with the principal on Friday, November 30th as a reward for earning good or excellent effort in the first marking period.
Students were also recognized by their guidance counselor, teachers and peers at a special assembly earlier that week. Among seventh graders, 72% earned a good or excellent effort award and 45% of eighth graders earned the honor. Students who have earned the School Effort Recognition Award have received comments from their teachers on their report cards which indicate that they display positive work habits, complete their work consistently on time, are prepared and attentive in class and are motivated to achieve.
Special recognition was given at the assembly to Brian Neveu who earned a perfect 280 score in the mathematics MCAS exam last spring, while a 7th grader. Davis Britland, now attending the high school, was recognized for earning a perfect MCAS score on the 2012 Science/Technology/
Engineering exam.
Also recognized were those junior high school students who participated in fall sports for Gateway high school, staff who coached during the fall sports season, band members and chorus members. Having the Junior High School under the same principal as the high school enables students to take part in the high school athletic program as 7th and 8th graders.
Principal Jason Finnie, 7th grade student Chloe Otterbeck and Guidance Counselor Richard White at the recognition assembly for Gateway Jr. High students. (Photo submitted)
A special recognition was announced for seventh grade student Chloe Otterbeck, who was nominated by Principal Jason Finnie for a Prudential Spirit of Community Award for raising funds and caring for two abandoned dogs found near her home. Otterbeck and her siblings—Sarah and Zachary—also received the Dakin Youth Award at the Dakin Humane Awards Celebration on October 19.
“I was definitely impressed by the number of students who were recognized today,” noted the school’s new principal, Jason Finnie.
On Friday, the seventh and eighth graders who had earned effort awards were treated to breakfast with Finnie, Assistant Principal Celeste Malvezzi and Guidance Counselor Richard White. Food Services Director Wendy McCaul and her staff provided juice (100 percent fruit, of course!) and breakfast rolls (whole grain, naturally!). In welcoming and congratulating the students, Finnie said, “I ask that you encourage and inspire others to do their best, as well.”
His sentiments were echoed by Malvezzi in her opening remarks. “It is still a long school year remaining,” Malvezzi said. “You have to keep striving to maintain your best effort.”
Students were given index cards and asked to write down the name of someone in their lives who had made a difference.
White then introduced a guest speaker—Mike Mazeika, an admissions counselor from Westfield State University.
“I think it’s a really important thing to do well in the classroom,” Mazeika said. “My teachers and parents pushed me to do well as a student, too.” He added that, while he didn’t appreciate it at the time, they were right all along.
Mazeika encouraged students to begin planning for a successful future, which included keeping their grades up; taking part in early college awareness activities; volunteering in their school and community; and taking full advantage of the opportunities available to them at Gateway.
“As a university, we are not just looking at student grades when we decide who to accept,” he said. “We look at what their interests are and what they participated in at school.”
Three raffle tickets were drawn for gift certificates to the Huntington Country Store. Winners were Larry Henry, Audrey Gamble and Henry Sarafin.
White announced that Mazeika’s email address would be posted on the guidance website, and that students should feel free to email specific questions about college and WSU to him.
Photo (below): Principal Jason Finnie collects raffle tickets from JR. HS effort award winners at their recognition breakfast.
2nd photo: Principal Jason Finnie, 7th grade student Chloe Otterbeck and Guidance Counselor Richard White at the recognition assembly for Gateway Jr. High students.
