News and Notes from Blanding Library

By Leslie Patterson

No Fines in February

Now is the time to look for those overdue books and other library items and return them during the month of February, when no fines will be charged for any overdue library items you return this month. Please note that this applies only to currently overdue items, not to lost or damaged items.

Blind Date with a Book

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Blanding is again offering its Blind Date with a Book. Books will be colorfully wrapped and displayed at the circulation desk and readers are encouraged to pick one to check out. There will be a hint as to the type of book inside but no author or title given. This is a fun way to find a new book or author.

Legos at the Library Feb. 18

Legos are back at the library! Drop in between 11 and 2 on Sat. Feb. 18. You supply the imagination and the Blanding will supply the Legos. No registration is needed and young children may work with a parent.

Meet the Author on Feb. 21

Celebrate “author month” in February. Come to the library on Tues. Feb. 21 at 6:30 to welcome local author W.S. Childress. Scott Childress lives in Dighton and has been teaching English at Sandwich High School for 10 years. He will talk about his new young adult novel, “Ronnie Willow and the Silver Mask”. This is a mystery that takes place among the sand dunes and kettle ponds, schooners and skiffs of Cape Cod. This novel is geared to ages 10 to adult. No registration is needed and books will be available for purchase and signing.

Story Times in February

There will be a special story time on Thurs, Feb. 23 at 10:30. Come hear a “purr-fect” story time with author/illustrator Carla Marrero. Can cats grant wishes? What happens when a cat loses a favorite toy? Carla will share some of her magical cat stories, followed by a craft. All ages welcome. No registration needed. Each Tuesday at 10:30 there will be a baby/toddler story time for those under age 4. Children and caregivers are invited to come to the hall for a fun, interactive program of music, books, games and more. Siblings are welcome.

On Thursdays Feb. 2, 9 and 16, there will be story and craft times for children ages 3 and up. Siblings are welcome. Please register ahead so that we can provide ample craft supplies.

South Asian Celebration March 1

The Blanding will be featuring a celebration of South Asian culture on Wed. March 1 from 6 to 8 pm. Enjoy a Bollywood film along with some tasty hot snacks, delicious sweets, and temporary tattoos from Henna by Ruhi. This program is free and all ages are welcome.

History Discussion Group

The History Discussion Group led by Hank Coleman meets at the library on Wednesdays from 11 to noon. The group, which is now discussing various aspects of the Civil War, is open to all with an interest in history.

Join the Friends

Thanks to all the members of the Friends of the Blanding Library who have renewed their membership for 2023 recently. If you enjoy all that the library offers, you can show your appreciation by becoming a member of this all-volunteer group. Among other things, the Friends provides funding for a number of programs so that the library may then offer them for free to people in the community.

The Friends raise funds to pay for items outside of the library’s annual budget such as new shelving and new furniture for the young adult room. We support activities such as puppet shows, Storywalks, craft projects, the summer reading program, and the holiday gingerbread house program. Look for more Friends programs to be announced soon.

Annual membership is $10 per household, $25 for contributing members, and $50 for supporting members. You can pick up a membership form at the Blanding circulation desk or send your contribution to Friends of the Blanding Library, PO Box 464, Rehoboth MA 02769. Thank you.

The Blanding Public Library (www.blandinglibrary.net) is located at 124 Bay State Rd., Rehoboth. Phone 502-252-4236. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10am to 8pm and on Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4. Closed Sundays and holidays, including Monday Feb. 20 for Presidents’ Day.

DRRSD Preschool Screenings

Dighton Elementary and Palmer River Elementary School will be taking appointments for preschool screenings for the 2023-2024 school year. Residents of Dighton who have a three or four-year-old and are interested in the screening may call Dighton Elementary School at 508-669-4245. Residents of Rehoboth who have a three or four-year-old and are interested may call Palmer River Elementary School at 508-252-5100. Please call between the hours of 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM.

This screening process is for NEW applicants who live in either the town of Dighton or Rehoboth and whose child will be at least 3 years of age by August 31, 2023. These screenings serve two purposes. First, students will be eligible to enter a lottery for available openings in the Integrated Preschool Program at their respective schools. This program integrates typically developing children to serve as role models for children in need of special education services through a play-centered, interactive, curriculum-rich preschool experience. Secondly, the screenings serve to identify students who may need further evaluations and/or special education services.

Please call the elementary school associated with your residence to arrange an appointment. Screenings will take place the week of February 27. The developmental and social skills screening takes approximately 45 minutes. Please bring the following to the appointment:

• Proof of residency (recent utility or tax statement, mortgage or lease statement, etc .. )

• Child’s original birth certificate and/or certified copy

• Drivers license

*** Copies of these documents will be made at the time of the appointment

A screening can NOT be completed if an appointment time was not secured and/or needed documents are not available at the time of the appointment.

We look forward to meeting with you and your child as part of this process. If you have any questions please reach out to:

Dighton Elementary School

Lynn Dessert, Principal

Katelyn Lima, Asst Principal 508-669-4245

Palmer River Elementary School

Kristine Kefor, Principal Cheryl Leandro, Asst Principal 508-252-5100

BankFive and SouthCoast Community Foundation Taking Applications For $1.2 Million President’s Scholarship Fund

(Fall River, Mass.) – Fall River-based community bank, BankFive, and the SouthCoast Community Foundation today announced it is accepting applications for its $1.2 million President’s Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was established to honor the memory of past presidents & CEOs of BankFive.

BankFive and its leadership value the importance education plays in an individual’s career. As an organization dedicated to serving and improving its community, the Board voted to allocate $1.2 Million to establish a scholarship fund. Scholarships will be available to students from BankFive communities that are pursuing a college education and provides a four-year scholarship to a graduating senior from Bristol County, MA, Bristol and Newport County, RI, to attend an accredited college or university. This scholarship is awarded with consideration of either academic achievement or financial need. The scholarship is renewable each year that the student is enrolled full-time and meets eligibility requirements.

Interested students can apply online by visiting www.southcoastcf.org/scholarships. The scholarship application period runs through March 1, 2023.

Beckwith News

Taking place each year on the third Monday of January, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday that is designated by Congress as a National Day of Service. To commemorate this day, Beckwith Middle School held a Can Drive from January 3rd through January 13th. The Student Council and ACE Community Group assisted with the Can Drive. As a result of this Can Drive, Beckwith Middle School donated 2,087 cans to the Rehoboth Food Pantry. Thank you to all who donated!

Palmer River Update

In January, students enjoyed the colder weather and snowflakes that fell. Our staff participated in professional development during the half-day. They had a choice of several different professional development opportunities that they could choose from. This allowed staff to have a customized learning experience tailored to their professional needs and interests. The staff was eager to bring back what they learned and implement it in their classrooms.

Palmer River staff and students also celebrated Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Students and staff created cards and banners for the Rehoboth Police Department. We were very fortunate to have some of the Rehoboth Police Department stop by to receive the cards and banners on behalf of the entire Rehoboth Police Department. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to thank them for keeping us safe every day.

Thanks to the most recent advances in laser dentistry, many dental procedures can now be completed without the need for anesthetics, vibration or the disconcerting whine of the dental drill. Dr. Alan Merchanthouse employs just such technology in a relaxing country setting in Rehoboth. For the highest quality dental care – furnished by a highly trained and friendly staff of dental professionals – call (508) 252-6121 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Alan Merchanthouse.

Hurley Middle School Raises Money for Dana Farber Cancer Institute

In Memory of Dr. Kevin Hurley and Assistant Principal Alan Thivierge

Seekonk -- Superintendent Rich Drolet and Principal Alexis Bouchard are pleased to share that the Hurley Middle School has raised $815 through numerous fundraising efforts for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

To raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Hurley Middle School hosted three events: its Pink Out Day, Hat Day and annual Thanksgiving Dunking Fundraiser.

Pink Out Day, which was held on Oct. 28, is dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness. On this day, stu - dents and staff had the opportunity to purchase and wear pink ribbons in honor of someone who has/had breast cancer. On Nov. 18, Hat Day was also held in which students could pay a dollar to wear a hat for the entire school day.

All the money raised from these two fundraisers was added to the school’s Dana Farber donation.

Fundraising efforts culminated with Hurley Middle School’s annual Thanksgiving Dunking Fundraiser that was held on Nov. 23, 2022. Prior to this event, students had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets that cost 25 cents to dunk a teacher or 50 cents to dunk an administrator. Raffle tickets that were purchased were then entered into a drawing for the opportunity for students to dunk a teacher or administrator.

This annual fundraiser began in the early 1990s under Dr. Kevin Hurley’s leadership at the Seekonk Intermediate School with the goal of raising money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Over the course of the next several years, the fundraiser continued as Dr. Hurley battled cancer himself. After Dr. Hurley’s passing in 2004, the Intermediate School was renamed the Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School, and then Assistant Principal Alan “Thiv” Thivierge took over the coordination of the fundraiser.

Thivierge, who also battled cancer, continued to donate the proceeds from the fundraiser to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. When Thivierge passed away in 2009, his daughter Keri Thivierge, who is now a teacher at the Hurley Middle School, continued the tradition in Hurley and Thivierge’s memory.

Thivierge estimates about $10,000 has been raised and donated by Seekonk staff and students at Hurley Middle School to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute since the dunking event began about fifteen years ago. Donations are now made in honor of Dr. Hurley and Assistant Principal Thivierge.

“I would like to thank Keri Thivierge for coordinating this fundraiser, Principal Bouchard and Assistant Principal Matthew Maré for supporting it, and all staff dunking participants for being such good sports about getting dunked,” said Superintendent Drolet. “Besides the staff who volunteered to graciously get dunked, I would also like to thank all of our Hurley Middle School students who purchased tickets to get a chance to dunk staff for a good cause. Our fond and unforgettable memory of Mr. Alan Thivierge and Dr. Kevin Hurley lives on. I am so appreciative of Mrs. Thivierge for leading this fundraiser, as well as everyone for coming together to make it work, year after year.”

Tri-County Honor Roll

• Grade 9 High Honors: Riley Bodick, Sarah Escola, Alena King, Alexis Rego, Adison Sobczak

• Grade 9 Honors: Kylee Carr, Liam Goldsmith, Abby MacDonald, Nicholas Paquin, Savannah Poisson, Melanie Quin, Yassine Sadoki, Cian Shaw

• Grade 10 High Honors: Jack Pardi, Caitlyn Robbins

• Grade 10 Honors: Serena Avila, Cayden Bourassa, William

Godfrey, Grace Gordon, Alexander Gries, Seth Varhol

• Grade 11 High Honors: Troy Casto, Peyton Griffin, Samuel Marcotte

• Grade 11 Honors: Will Carlson, Andrew Ferri, Szymon Ferri, Dylan Lajoie, Travis Turner

• Grade 12 High Honors: Abigail Calamar

• Grade 12 Honors: Nicholas Aguiar, Laura Birch, Samantha Bourque, Faith Boutin, Alexis Correia, Cory George, Emmaline Lafleur, Corina Silva

Tri-County RVTHS Computer Information Systems Students

Win Gold and Silver Placement in Statewide CyberPatriot Competition

Computer Information Systems (CIS) Sophomore and Juniors Compete in National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air & Space Forces Association

Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School CIS sophomores and juniors competed in the state round of the CyberPatriot competition in December. CyberPatriot is an educational program created by the Air & Space Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines that are critical to our nation’s future. At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation’s largest cyber defense competition that tasks middle and high school students nationwide to secure virtual networks.

The statewide competition was held on December 9, 2022 and two teams from Tri-County RVTHS placed in the Silver and Gold Level of the State Competition. The Competition is comprised of several rounds and teams are slotted into Silver, Gold, or Platinum tiers after the first two rounds. Sophomores: Conor Cadorette from Franklin, Corey Ball from Medway, William Godfrey from Seekonk, John Raymond from Franklin, and Cayden Bourassa from Seekonk placed 1st in the Silver Level and will move onto semi-final regionals to be held January 20th and 21st. Juniors: Tristan Poirier from North Attleboro, James O’Brien from North Attleboro, Noah Renner from Norfolk, Troy Casto of Seekonk, Sean Vengren of Walpole, and Cameron Jones of Plainville placed 8th in the Gold Level.

The CyberPatriot competition allows students to gain hands-on experience of securing a virtual network. Students are asked to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems then using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system. “The CyberPatriot Competition is an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have gained in the classroom to a simulated real-world situation. Students gain experience and confidence through the program which is invaluable,” stated Kimberly Zogalis, CIS Instructor.

Tri-County RVTHS’ Early Education Program Opening Preschool Registration

Hands-on education is a critical part of vocational high schools and we are looking forward to welcoming a new group of children to the Tri-County Children’s Center.

The Early Education Program prepares high school students for various careers working with young children. The ability to work directly with preschool children within the on-campus facility located in Tri-County Regional High School in Franklin at 147 Pond Street allows students to acquire skills and confidence in teaching.

Tri-County Children’s Center is led by three highly qualified teachers in the Tri-County Early Education Program and assisted by students in the Early Education Major. The preschool sessions are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:50 to 11:20 a.m. for the three-day program. Class size is limited to 30 children and tuition is $36.00* per week (*subject to change).

Placement is limited to the residents of the 11 towns within the Tri-County District: Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham. Admission is decided through a random draw which will take place on Monday, March 6th, 2023. Names not selected in the drawing will be placed on a waiting list.

Registration begins on Monday, January 23, 2023. Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 3, 2023. Registration is limited to children who are at least 3 years of age by September 15, 2023. Birth certificates for children being registered must accompany all registration forms. Enrollment is limited to two years or part of two years for the preschool program, as long as the child is age eligible. For more information about Tri-County’s Preschool Registration, please visit https://tri-county.us/tri-county-childrens-center/