In the News 2009-2010

For Classical's John Grocki, the hard work paid off !

By Jerry DiStefano / For The Item             

Agganis Scholar John Grocki of Classical says, "All those long nights of studying and doing homework really paid off." (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

Ivanna Solano, Class of 2010, Visits the White House

  A Girls Inc. alumna and current Girls Inc. participant celebrated the exceptional women in their lives at the 2010 White House Mother’s Day Tea in Washington D.C., hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. They were joined by the First Lady’s mother, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and President Eisenhower’s two granddaughters, among many other women and girls. The event was held to recognize the positive effect women and girls have on guiding families and communities.
Ivanna Solano, a member of Girls Inc. of Lynn and this year’s Strong, Smart, and Bold scholarship award winner, attended the tea with her mother, Edia Pujols. Ivanna was seated next to Mrs. Carter, with whom she had the opportunity to share her interests and activities.

“She was actually very interested in what I do here at Girls Inc.,” said Ivanna. “She was really impressed with all the workshops we have at Girls Inc.”

Ivanna also had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Obama.  
“She said ‘As long as you keep doing what you’re doing, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing,’ and she smiled,” said Ivanna of Mrs. Obama.
Bianca Bailey, an alumna and former National Scholar who attended programming at Girls Inc. of Metro Dallas, brought her mother figure, Fredia Evans, to the tea and was inspired by the First Lady’s speech.
“She approached the podium and started to talk about the importance of mothers and female role models in our lives because some of us usually don’t have mothers all the time,” said Bianca. “I felt like that was a very powerful speech.”
Like Ivanna, Bianca also spoke with Mrs. Obama.
“I told her ‘You know, I just have to stand up and hug you, and just tell you how much we appreciate you becoming the Honorary National Chair for Girls Incorporated,’” said Bianca. “Just to see her in person and to feel her personality throughout the room was very exciting.”

For Bianca, Mrs. Obama is a role model because through everything, “she still stayed strong, smart, and bold.”
Ivanna and Bianca expressed that they felt lucky to have the opportunity to attend the tea and to celebrate and meet so many empowered women.
“It was just a wonderful experience,” said Ivanna.
“Anybody can do anything as long as you stay focused in life and you keep the right people around you—people like at Girls Inc.,” said Bianca

Larry Cheung Named Agganis Scholar / Athlete

Lawrence Cheung learned valuable lessons in multi-tasking juggling his classroom and athletic responsibilities at Lynn Classical. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

By Matthew Roy / For The Item
 

Though it's not considered to be one of the more glamorous sports around, tennis provides its players with plenty of exercise and a very big workout of the mind.

It was that mental discipline and ability to balance things that Agganis scholarship recipient Lawrence Cheung of Lynn Classical used during his time on the Rams tennis team and in the classroom on Holyoke Street.

The Northeastern-bound Cheung helped lead the Rams to a pair of state tournament appearances in his four years while also excelling in the classroom and balancing two part time jobs during the day. Keeping that delicate balance was something that Cheung found to be challenging and fun.

"There were a lot of afternoon activities to juggle with the two jobs," Cheung said. "But I needed the money because my financial aid package wasn't as big as expected. But it taught me how to be disciplined and plenty of responsibility."

Coming into the sport thanks to his father and coach, Cheung learned quickly that formulating a plan of attack on the tennis court was a lot like how to handle all the schoolwork and jobs along with the responsibilities that came with them.

"In tennis, it takes a lot of hand-eye coordination to be successful," Cheung said. "You also have to be able to keep your composure and execute your shots. You also have to start to develop a game plan as things go along and be able to count on it."

Being a student at Lynn Classical -- one of four Rams to receive an Agganis scholarship this year -- gives Cheung a keen awareness of exactly what being chosen as an Agganis scholar means.

"I was a little surprised when I found out but very excited. Harry Agganis was such a great athlete and an excellent student," Cheung said. "So to receive this award is a great honor."

Cheung also was quick to credit his parents for giving him the solid base to be able to find success in his calling.

"My parents have done a tremendous job helping me throughout high school," Cheung said. "My dad was the one who was always driving me but also was the reason I did so well on standardized tests. My mother taught me how to control my emotions and helped relieve some of the pressure."

Come September, Cheung will call Huntington Avenue in Boston home and he knew almost right away that Northeastern was going to be a place for him to attend college.

"The first time I visited there, I saw a lot of the students and I liked the people and the campus," Cheung said. "It was a place that I knew I could feel comfortable going to."

The Agganis Foundation has awarded $1,375,525 in scholarships to 829 student-athletes since its inception in 1955.

Tragic End for Classical Graduate Marinna Khon    

By David Liscio / The Daily Item

LYNN - State and local authorities halted the search late Wednesday afternoon for a 22-year-old Lynn woman missing since she was swept off a sandbar Tuesday near Plum Island in Newburyport.

The victim, identified as Marinna Khon, was a 2006 Lynn Classical grad.

U.S. Coast Guard crews had ceased rescue operations earlier Wednesday, but Newburyport Harbormaster Paul Hogg said local authorities would resume the search today with sonar instruments being utilized.

According to at least one published report, Newburyport police Marshal Thomas Howard said Thursday’s search was considered a recovery effort not a rescue effort, indicating that Kohn is dead.

The group of Khon's friends, mostly from Lynn and Revere, were apparently caught unaware by the rising tide at approximately 5 p.m. Good Samaritan boaters in small vessels, an area harbormaster and local police were able to rescue seven others washed off the treacherous sand bar.

Those rescued included Hoya Nguyen, 22, of Revere; Rahtha Saygnarath, 24, of Lynn, co-owner of the Foot Traffik athletic shoe store in Saugus; Thanada Saygnarath, 21, of Lynn; Calvin Keo, 20, of Lynn; a 21 year old from Lynn and a 20 year old from Revere. All but two of those rescued were carried off in stretchers to waiting ambulances. Two were able to walk but witnesses said one was unconscious.

The young men and women had planned a day of fishing from the beach and touch football on the sand, hoping to enjoy the unseasonably warm day that pushed temperatures into the 90s. A woman who identified herself as Rahtana Ny, 27, of Lynn, said she was among the group when the tide began rising quickly and people started screaming.

"All of a sudden, everyone was screaming," said Ny, who was on the beach fishing with three others and tried to help, but the current was powerful in the narrows where the Merrimack River races into the Atlantic Ocean.

Newburyport Police Sgt. Peter Finnegan said the friends were in knee-deep water amid calm seas when the conditions changed, pulling them into the rush of water and out to sea.

Khon's mother, Sokhan Khon of Lynn, told news reporters at the scene Wednesday morning that her daughter just graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in computer science and had returned home a few days ago to look for jobs. "I still hope that my kid is still alive," she said.

The missing young woman told her mother she was headed to the beach to beat the heat. "She told me she was going to the beach. I though she would go to Lynn Beach or to Nahant," the distraught mother told NECN television news.

Khon took two advanced-placement and two honors classes in her senior year. She also participated in the Upward Bound program for students headed to college.

"She was an excellent student," said Classical High Principal Gene Constantino.

Social studies teacher Andrew Fogarty, who had Khon in his class, recalled she was "very smart and very outgoing."

Before attending Classical High, Khon was a student at the Tracy and Connery elementary schools, and Breed Middle School, according to School Department records.

Keo, glad to be alive, used his mobile phone to post a Facebook message thanking those who came to their aid. Responding to a Facebook message from The Daily Item, Keo said, "I was one of the many that was rescued at Plum Island but I'm sorry, I'd rather not discuss this whole incident at all. I'm still in awe of what happened. I send my condolences to the Khon family. I'm still trying to deny the truth."

Earlier Tuesday, Ny posted a message to her Facebook account, telling all she was going to the beach to soak up the sun and get tan. That was at 4:18 p.m., less than an hour before the emergency unfolded. Ny was the only member of her group who didn't enter the water Tuesday.

The Good Samaritans - on a jet ski and gaggle of small boats - took the seven survivors to the Captain Lady Dock near the town pier on Plum Island where emergency medical personnel were standing by.

The Coast Guard has advised staying away from the sandbar, which was sculpted over the winter by ferocious tides and the river current. Petty Officer Connie Terrell said the victims were taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport.

The search for Khon, who was wearing white shorts and a teal bathing suit, continued until late Wednesday afternoon. It involved a Coast Guard Falcon jet, HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter assigned to the Cape Cod Air Station and a rescue boat stationed at the Merrimack River.

The helicopter is fitted with night vision equipment and thermal imaging devices. Several police departments also joined the search, including State Police Air Wing.

The search area extended from the mouth of the Merrimack River to nearly four miles outside of the river and up to the Interstate 95 bridge.

Newburyport police said belongings left behind by the group of friends included fishing tackle, food, a portable barbecue grill and towels, noting there was no sign of alcohol.

(Item reporters Laura Paine and Thor Jourgensen contributed to this report.)

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13 Classical Seniors Honored at Scholars Banquet 

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The Kennedy family had a stake in Lynn's Student Government Day Tuesday. Here, Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy stands beside her niece and Mayor For The Day Melissa Kennedy as she sits at the mayor's desk in her City Hall office. Item photo / Owen O'Rourke Lynn Students Take Over the City By Thor Jourgensen and Laura Paine / The Daily Item, April 28, 2010 LYNN - Students in the Lynn school system had the opportunity to see what their futures would hold if they chose to take on city roles, such as mayor, superintendent or school committee member during the annual Student Government Day. For the last 13 years, School Committee Secretary Thomas Iarrobino has been educating the selected students about the way in which administrations function, from legislature right down to how the school department, city council and school committees work. They discuss extensively roles of each elected official and put together a series of items to be discussed at meetings. They spent the day paired up with city officials and then spent a little time walking around in their shoes. Student City Council members debated proposals ranging from muzzling pit bulls to hosting a concert at Fraser Field Monday night. Councilor and Lynn Vocational Technical Institute student Cindy Deleon proposed hosting a youth night at High Rock Tower while Councilor and Classical High School student Casey Johnson proposed the Fraser Field concert. Councilor at large and English High School student Brendan Carritte offered a motion revising the City Charter to include gender-neutral language and Councilor and Classical student Courtney Speropoulos suggested allowing the Police Department to open a substation. Councilor and St. Mary's High School student Kristen Ferrari proposed muzzling pit bulls while Classical student and Councilor Rosalynn Lim proposed installing basketball hoops at Strawberry Playground. Councilor and English High School student Jack Carter called for the city to form an anti-bullying task force and Councilor and English student Christian Cyr offered a motion to have convenience stores place trash cans on their premises. Councilor and St. Mary's student Rachel Faieta called on the public schools to include community service in school curriculum and Councilor and English student Anjeza Beharaj suggested the School Committee study the feasibility of allowing students to leave school grounds during lunch periods. Councilor and Classical student Abigail Field offered a motion to make Lynn a green community as defined by state law. Students at the School Committee meeting included Melissa Kennedy, of St. Mary's as mayor, Alison Brauner of Lynn English as the deputy superintendent, Shawnee Haynes of Lynn Technical Vocational Technical Institute as the superintendent, Lizet Medina of Lynn Classical, Shanel Bird of LVTI, and Joe Chau, Corina Pinto and Aimee Nunez of St. Mary's as school committee members. During the meeting, members discussed reforming the health curriculum to cover safe sex practices in addition to abstinence programs, open campus for responsible seniors, reforming Physical Education classes to include nutrition, first aid and CPR training. They also addressed revising the Secondary School Suspension Policies to reduce the number of suspensions and to host suspensions in school. There was discussion about revising the cell phone policy, allowing students to check their phones during class in case of an emergency. They touched upon the Food Services menu, asking that the committee consider requesting vendors to offer more menu items and to change the menu semi-annually. All motions were approved. Students who participated said that they would consider taking part in school committee and city council as adults and that it also helped the real school committee to see what was on the minds of the students. "I think it was helpful because it showed us a bunch of problems in school that we need to work on. I think it helped the school committee too because they know what's on our minds," Chau said. Students also thought that it was nice to know who was helping to orchestrate their education. "It was nice to see someone is trying to take care of us. The only way to promote change is if people are vocal about it. Its nice to see that even in a huge school, like Lynn English High School, people are actually focusing on your personal needs, on my personal education," Brauner said. Nunez agreed, saying that she learned how the elected officials responsibilities really do have an impact and it is nice to be familiarized with those people. "Kids are really impacted by what happens in their schools and it is important to see who is in charge of making those changes and improving their school. It was interesting. It's important for kids to get involved in things like this," she said. Kennedy said that it was fun and that she was really excited about seeing what the Mayor does, and that Student Government Day is important. "We are going to be doing this someday. We are going to be the basis of the school committee and the government. I think it's good to know what you're going to be doing and how important you are to everything that goes on. I thought it was a really good experience," Kennedy said. "It has been a very, very enjoyable day for me and a great way to really sit down with the kids," Iarrobino said. "They are great, they're diverse, they're full of ideas and they're full of energy."

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First Lane – Classical swim star Katelyn Kidney will attend Bryant University

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

By  the Lynn Journal Staff

Katelyn Kidney is destined for the Lynn Classical High School Hall of Fame one day but she’s still adding to her legacy as one of the city’s greatest female swimmers/athletes of all time. 

Kidney, the 2010 Lynn Female Swimmer of the Year, will be competing at the highest level of collegiate swimming when she heads to Bryant University in Rhode Island this fall. Kidney made her intention official during a signing ceremony and press conference Friday afternoon at Classical. Bryant is a Division 1 school that competes in the Northeast Conference.

“This is a great achievement for Katelyn and it shows that if you work hard, you can attain your goals,” said Classical Principal Gene Constantino. “Katelyn has been a great role model in our school and a goodwill ambassador for our athletic program and our swimming program. The Classical community is very proud of her.”

Also present for the ceremony were Katelyn’s parents, Kevin and Judy; Classical swim coach Denise Silva; YMCA of the North Shore coach Jim Houlihan; and Classical Athletic Director Bill Devin.

Silva said her star athlete improved her times each season, earned the respect of everyone in the program, and was selected as a captain in her junior and senior seasons.

“Katelyn’s been truly dedicated to the sport of swimming for a lot of years and it’s nice to watch her maturity and her abilities be recognized through numerous accomplishments,” said Silva. “She used to walk around the deck as a youngster when her sister Heather swam for Classical. She truly excels at long distance but she excels at any event. She’s been a blessing to our program and will be very difficult to replace.”

Houlihan also extended his congratulations to Kidney.

“I just want to say, congratulations on your accomplishments and your acceptance into your first choice, Bryant University,” said Houlihan. “I know the best is yet to come. Her last year was her best year and I know she has four more good years ahead. Her college coach is going to see that he has a great young lady.”

Katelyn Kidney began swimming at the age of 3 at the Lynn YMCA, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Heather, a former Classical swimmer. She moved on to the YMCA of the North Shore program in Salem. She has found a permanent home at the new YMCA of the North Shore, Marblehead, as a member of the YNS team.

“It was in middle school when I really started to reach my potential in swimming,” said Kidney. “My best event was the butterfly.”

Kidney switched to the freestyle event and joined forces with Houlihan, who has been her YNS coach for the past six years.

Kidney participates in seven to eight practices a week, often preceding her day at Classical with a swimming session at the Marblehead YMCA pool.

The additional work and fine tuning under the direction of coaches Silva and Houlihan paid dividends. Silva began to drop time from her 200-meter and 500-meter freestyle events, setting several school records in the process.

The pretty 5-foot-6-inch senior has also been a regular at the YMCA Nationals, most recently competing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Kidney will compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 butterfly event at Bryant.

“I met the coaches at Bryant and I just like the whole school environment,” said Kidney. “I’m excited to be going to Bryant, but I know I’ll miss Classical, especially the swim team.”

Judy Kidney summed up the feelings of everyone who has watched her daughter Katelyn develop into a superb high school athlete and all-around student.

“She’s a good kid and I’m very proud of her,” said Mrs. Kidney. “I’m excited that she’s going to be in a Division 1 school. She’s smart, bright, amazingly fast in swimming and I love her.”

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More repairs on tap for Classical this Summer

By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item

Donovan explained that contractors sealed the joints on a cold day without tenting off sections of the wall and heating the tented area to create ideal temperatures for applying the sealant.

"The stucco has to be cut out then replaced. It's deteriorating in sections," Donovan said.

He said airflow grills below and above windows in the school were installed incorrectly and must be replaced.

"The way it was put together allows water to leak into the room below."

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Lynn High Schools Narcotics and Weapons Safety Check Comes up Clean

By Britt Braudo / The Daily Item

Turner Lynn Teens Seek Peace By Robin Kaminski / The Daily Item of Lynn, March 2, 2010 LYNN - Lynn teen Ashley Turner has mounted an effort to wipe out crime in the city and is starting with its youngest residents to get to the root of the problem. Following the stabbing death of her friend Huy Le, 19, at Gallagher Park last month, Turner said the violent incident hit her on a personal level, prompting her to organize a group called Progress for Reform in Lynn, which met Feb. 27 and drew a crowd of nearly 60 people. The group met for nearly two hours where they swapped stories and advice for reaching the city's youth to prevent crime and make the city a safer place. "It was a great turnout and I'm extremely pleased," Turner said. "My goal (with the group) is not to retaliate, but to prevent crime by progressing from the incident (Le's death), although it was a terrible and horrible thing that never should have happened." A student at Harvard, Turner, 18, said the group brainstormed the possibility of holding a community service fair to make residents aware of what is offered in the city and to get teens involved. "A lot of people are not aware of what's available to them," she said. "We're also talking about getting a Web site going and making the Ford School more community based." Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy attended Turner's meeting, along with Ward 5 City Councilor Brendan Crighton, Ward 6 City Councilor Peter Capano, State Rep. Mark Falzone, School Committee member Rick Starbard and Joe Picano, director of music and fine arts at the Lynn Public Schools. One group of teenagers from Beverly, who worked with the Food Project, struck Turner as an industrious group that is taking an alternate path from crime. "They spoke about spending their entire summer working with agriculture and video taping each other to be more comfortable with public speaking, it was fantastic," she said. "One kid said he would never have considered going to college prior to this (Food Project) and it completely changed his perspective. So the question now is, how do we show the city's youth that they are capable of the same thing?" Turner said she plans on holding another meeting in April, although the date and location have yet to be determined. For more information contact Turner at 617-240-3454 or send an e-mail to: turner7810@gmail.com

Parents, public safety officials and concerned citizens turned out Thursday along with Boston television reporters and cameramen for the cyberbullying workshop given by Dr. Elizabeth Englander at the Essex District Attorney's office in Salem. Item photo / Owen O'Rourke Cyberbullying Problem Soars in Area Schools By David Liscio / The Daily Item, Thursday, February 25, 2010 LYNN - Millions of schoolchildren across the country admit feeling anxious when not in contact with friends by cell phone or computer. Members of a generation dubbed "digital natives," their online interactions represent a significant portion of their existence, a place as real as any classroom or city street. "The emotional ties children have to online life today are profound, but adults behave as though it doesn't exist," said Dr. Elizabeth Englander, an expert in cyberbullying and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College. "It's easy for us to underestimate its impact." Englander was a guest speaker Thursday at a cyberbullying workshop at the Essex District Attorney's Office. "We're seeing a dramatic increase in bullying behavior," she said. "And we're seeing a decline in social coping skills, which contributes to the problem." According to Englander, "Children today see being a little bit mean as being socially successful. Often the most popular kids in school are the ones doing the most bullying." Studies have shown that cyberbullying is more prevalent among girls than boys. Boys tend to play online games that offer structure and rules, so that when another player "kills" them it's usually brushed off as a joke perpetrated by a friend," Englander said. Girls typically use the Internet for its social networking capabilities, as a means to gossip and spread rumors about former friends, with revenge as the motive, she said, adding, "Girls perpetuate cyberbullying at a higher rate." The incidents of cyberbullying have doubled in Massachusetts since 2006, yet many parents remain unaware of whether their children are victims. "In order for this to happen, adults must be ignorant, indifferent or absent. Academic success has a lot to do with social and emotional health," Englander said. "What their children are doing online has to count, just like any other place in the world." Englander has encouraged parents to open free accounts on social networking sites like FaceBook to both glimpse at what their children are doing and be able to report immediately should anyone attempt to open an account using their name. Cyberbullying occurs on popular mainstream social networking sites like FaceBook, which has more than 350 million members, but more often on user-generated sites such as YouTube that have less content monitoring, she said. "Kids think they're anonymous online, but nothing is truly private," said Englander, deriding FaceBook for its assurances of privacy. "On FaceBook, your 'wall' is marketed as private and kids have fallen for it." Anyone designated as a 'friend' on FaceBook can view the member's profile and other information. If that "friend" takes a screen shot of the profile, it can be e-mailed to anyone as a photo file. Some children on FaceBook brag of having hundreds of friends and that only increases the chance that private information will spread. Englander also warned about the use of free, third-party applications, usually games, offered through FaceBook. In order to activate these games, users are required to input private information and click the electronic contract form. Many do so, not realizing the contract allows the third-party application owners to collect and use their private information. Englander asked rhetorically whether these third-party companies are gathering massive amounts of information with intentions of later mining the data and selling it? She also called attention to a third-party application called Friend Facts, which generates poll questions from FaceBook friends about other online friends. Users must answer the questions to earn virtual silver points that can be spent to learn who is saying what about them on the application. "Teens can't opt out of this kind of application because they need to know what is being said about them," Englander said. Englander also took issue with FaceBook because once created; an account cannot be deleted, merely deactivated. "The information stays there," she said. "It's archived." She urged teachers to make children aware that less is more and not to post private information without thinking first about the possible ramifications. She offered the example of a teenage girl telling hundreds of Facebook friends about an upcoming family trip to the Caribbean when nobody will be at home on these specific dates and the dog will be in a kennel. There's a chance that the family's plasma TV will be missing when they get back home, Englander said. "Forty percent of the kids surveyed said they had done something online to jeopardize their future," she said, emphasizing again that less is more. Girls have posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves online, only to have friends victimize them by e-mailing the photographs to a wider audience. Educators and law enforcement officers must be prepared when cases of cyberbullying arise. "Cyberbullying is an extremely emotional issue. You must never say there's nothing I can do about that. That's why you want to learn what you can do," Englander said. Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said online threats are not a joke taken lightly under the law. "Ten years ago, people might have thought this was a rite of passage, but it's not anymore," he said, noting that the U.S. Secret Service came to a startling conclusion after interviewing students who had tried to harm classmates or destroy their school buildings. Albeit the infamous shooting at Columbine High or similar incidents in Mississippi and Alaska, one common denominator emerged among the shooters or bombers who survived. "All of them said they had been bullied," Blodgett said.

Time for Schools to Stop the Fighting

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item of Lynn

Honestly, this is like dealing with first-grade recess ... Come on, now, children ... let's play nice.

Really. It's sunk down to this level. Ever since the beginning of the school year, we've seen a plethora of games where either the postgame handshake has been eliminated altogether, or there have been unfortunate incidents stemming from this oh-so-obvious attempt by the MIAA to reinforce the notion that sportsmanship trumps all.

It has to stop. And stop now. Otherwise, there might as well not even be a postgame handshake -- which, come to think of it, might not be such a bad idea if it's going to serve as an opportunity for kids to take cheap shots or adults to transfer their frustrations onto the rest of us.

I don't advocate eliminating this simple exercise. But I am in favor of making penalties for those who violate it so severe that it might deter one or two hotheads from ruining everything.

What happened with the St. Mary's hockey team after the handshake fracas is a good start. Five of the players deemed most responsible for escalating the incident were ejected -- and suspended -- and the Spartans had to forfeit their next game. In addition, there's a very good chance they won't be taking part in the MIAA tournament even if their record qualifies them.

The English-Winthrop situation is a little more difficult to assess because players didn't start this. It was basically a free-for-all, and sometimes it's tough to get to the root of what causes those melees. It all depends on what you saw, when you saw it, who you talked to, and what side they were on. They disintegrate into "he said/she said" situations.

But clearly something needs to be done ... and this is one of those times where the brush has to be pretty broad. You simply cannot have this.

If any of the coaches or assistants on either team are judged to have been a catalyst to spark this melee, then they should be either suspended or simply fired outright. There are, of course, degrees of culpability in these things, but generally, I'd say, coaches have no business instigating postgame melees.

And if one does happen to break out, the only thing a coach (or athletic director, or principal, or any other responsible adult) should be doing is trying to get their own people under control so that an entire army of police don't have to be called to the gym (like they have nothing better to do, either).

That doesn't mean mouthing off to their counterparts from the other school. At a point like that, they should be working in concert with each other to put a lid on what has the potential to be a very serious situation.

The most responsible guy in the entire English gym Tuesday night was coach Buzzy Barton, who set records for getting his players out of the gym and downstairs to the locker room. It would have been nice had a few other adults exercised the same judgment.

The problem I have with doing to English and Winthrop what was done with St. Mary's and Arlington Catholic is that kids didn't cause this. Adults did. It was a tough, tense, hard-fought, physical game and tempers certainly flared during it (and anyone who seriously thinks that's not going to happen doesn't understand competitive sports). But as far as they were concerned, when it was over, it was over.

It's just too bad the adults -- and please understand I use the term loosely in this situation -- couldn't have acted the same way.
 

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Yeoman Seaman Somnang Danh has won the Navy Blue Jacket Sailor of the Year Award, Hawaii Region. He is a Lynn Classical HS 2007 graduate. This award is for Navy personnel who have made outstanding contributions, above and beyond their station, to their ship and the US Navy. Somnang is stationed on the  USS O'KANE, a newer class of Navy Destroyer. The ship is over 500' long and carries more than 300 officers and crew. It's home port is Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Somnang enjoys living in Hawaii but likes to keep in touch with his friends in Lynn.

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Note: the Classical Webmaster feels this story should be published on our website, despite the fact that Jarell Byrd transferred to English HS for his Senior year. Jarell was an exciting and integral player at Classical for the past few years. We wish him well in the future.

English's Jarell Byrd, right, had a big night for the Bulldogs, scoring 17 points. He needed only 14 to hit the 1,000 career-point milestone. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

Byrd nets 1,000th career point in English win

By Jonathan Weiner/For The Item

Byrd, who had 17 points in the Bulldogs' championship win in the Boverini Tourney, wasn't concerned about hitting the milestone last night.

"It was just another game. I knew I would get the points before the end of the season," he said.

The Bulldogs (7-0), who hadn't played since December 29, got off to a rusty start, as English battled a tough Falcons' club. English was sloppy in the second period, missing plenty of shots and throwing the ball away. "We were sloppy, and it did take us a while to get going," said Barton. "Danvers played us very tough."

The game was tied at 35 midway through the third quarter before guard Ryan Woumn, who led all scorers with 25 and who is now just 35 points away from the 1,000 mark as well, took over. He netted a pair of short jumpers which bookended a dunk by Byrd to open a 41-35 Bulldogs edge.

The Falcons (2-4) closed the gap to 41-39 on baskets by Mike Warren (17) and Brad LeBlanc (4), but a 9-2 Bulldog run gave the team a 50-41 lead after the period.

Danvers got to within 56-49 midway through the final quarter on buckets by Warren and Dan Skinner, but English closed the game on a 17-7 run. Woumn had six of those points, while teammate Travonne Berry-Rogers chipped in with four (he had 12 overall) during that span.

Another Teen Charged in Lynn school Weapons Ban

By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item

LYNN - A 16-year-old Fecteau-Leary Junior-Senior High student is the second charged under a city ordinance banning weapons in school.

School Attendance and Discipline Specialist Rick Iarrobino said information obtained by Fecteau-Leary's Principal Maura Durgin-Scully prompted an inspection of the student's locker where officials discovered a knife shortly after noon on Monday.

The Lynn boy pleaded not delinquent to the ordinance violation Tuesday in Juvenile Court. Iarrobino said Durgin-Scully will schedule a disciplinary hearing on the charge sometime this week.

A 13-year-old Breed Middle School student who brought an unloaded paintball gun to school was arrested and suspended under the ordinance on Nov. 4. The boy did not threaten anyone with the paintball gun. Iarrobino said he was suspended for 10 days and has since returned to school.

The weapons ban became official on Oct. 13. It bans anyone except law enforcement officials from bringing "any weapon or instrument so fashioned to be a weapon or any article or instrument to potentially cause harm" from being brought into a school or onto school property.

The City Council approved the weapons prohibition ordinance in August after police detailed 57 police responses over the last three years to disturbances in local public schools. They also told councilors officers were called 30 times to weapons-related incidents in schools. Those calls resulted in six arrests.

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 Courtesy of Nurse June

Lynn Schools to Uphold Dress Code

By Laura Paine / For The Item

LYNN - Students attending Lynn public schools will be expected to follow the dress code that was implemented by the School Committee in 2006.

These guidelines were put in place to prevent any distractions or disruptions from entering the classroom in regards to both safety and aesthetics.

"It's within the discretion of the principal, if something is determined to be a distraction or disruptive it could be deemed a violation of the dress code," said Tom Iarrobino, the secretary of the school committee.

The School Committee and school staff use decency, neatness, cleanliness and suitability for school as guidelines when determining what is or is not appropriate school attire. Disruptive clothing can include any article of clothing that showcases obscenities, fighting words, incitement or defamation written on it.

Clothing that the principal considers to be gang related or in gang-related colors or any item that could potentially cause harm or put a fellow student in danger, such as studs or chains on gloves, clothing, or shoes and footwear that contain metal cleats, taps, or wheels are not permissible.

As with any set of rules or guidelines that require an individual to use their best judgment, there have been some complaints placed by parents and students alike about the dress code since it was put in place.

"There may be some disagreements about interpretations of what is appropriate and sometimes it includes parents. It is important to be consistent about what is appropriate," Iarrobino said. "The staff is pretty accommodating to styles and cultures while making sure that a line isn't crossed in regards to the policy."

Explicitly forbidden clothing, listed in the Student Appearance section of the Student Discipline Code on the Lynn Public Schools Web site, include hats, bandannas, headbands, scarves, gloves, wristbands, doo-rags, skullcaps, hoods and wave caps.

Also prohibited are tank tops, halter tops and halter dresses, shoulder-less tops, tube tops or any top that bares the midriff, see-through, spandex or skin-tight clothes regardless of length and any shirt that advertises tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or advocates drug use or has obscene printing, violence of any kind or printing the principal may consider to be inappropriate.

Non-prescribed dark glasses are not allowed in schools without a doctor's note, which is to be filed with the school nurse or principal. Use of all electronic devices, including but not limited to, cell phones and iPods, are not allowed to be used on school property during school hours and must remain off and out of sight.

Lynn all ready for start of school Wednesday

By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item, September 8, 2009

LYNN - Classical High School students are all under one roof again and hall monitors are back in schools Wednesday as educators look to a smooth start for the 2009-10 academic year.

“The Classical work has been completed and freshmen are back in the building,” said School Superintendent Catherine Latham.

Major structural reconstruction in the O’Callaghan Way school forced the relocation of freshmen to Fecteau-Leary School on North Common Street. With the work completed, Classical starts a new year with new Principal Gene Constantino at the helm.

“The building looks wonderful,” Latham said.

School starting times are the same as last year but Latham urged parents of students attending Fecteau-Leary to double check start times.

Latham and principals kept an eye in August on last-minute enrollment numbers. In past years one or two schools saw an influx of new students.

This year new enrollments are spread across the public school system with English High seeing a particularly large enrollment spike: Over 1,700 students are expected to start school there.

Despite shifting enrollments and other concerns, Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said only six out of 316 public school classrooms will have as many as 30 students to a class. City and school budget makers overcame financial problems to restore hall monitors to schools.

Local schools launch a new year even as public education across the state earns high marks with recent results on the state’s comprehensive assessment tests.

Massachusetts students scored higher on the MCAS exam in most grades and across all subgroups, improving on several years of flat or lower test scores in elementary and middle schools, state officials announced last week.

Four-fifths of 10th graders scored “proficient” on the English/Language Arts test, and three-fourths earned proficient marks on the math test.

Ninety percent of this year’s high school seniors have posted MCAS scores sufficient to allow them to graduate. But achievements gaps for minorities and low-income students still persist: only about half of seniors with limited English proficiency, two thirds of seniors with disabilities and about three-quarters of Hispanic or Latino students are among those on track to graduate.

State officials highlighted the performance of students now entering their junior year, telling reporters at a press conference that their across-the-board improvements indicate “significant and persistent progress.”

The 10th-graders made gains in math and science, and gains were recorded among African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino and white students, along with students with disabilities, limited-English students and low-income students.

But fewer than half of students in seventh and eighth grades earned proficient grades on the MCAS math test, which state officials highlighted as “an area of concern.”

The MCAS results buoyed state education leaders, who expressed confidence that even when federal stimulus funds for education dry up, educators were poised to continue fostering strong results. State officials frontloaded $412 million of federal education aid, originally intended for use next fiscal year, to help balance the fiscal 2009 budget.

The move ensures that a so-called funding cliff n when federal aid runs out — will materialize quicker.

The announcement, the earliest-ever release of statewide results for a test that’s been administered annually since 1998, comes as the Patrick administration prepares to vouch for bills to enable the state to more proactively intervene in underperforming school districts and to lift the cap on charter schools around the state.

District and school results are still being compiled and will be released publicly later in September.