UNH Celebrates 143rd Commencement

Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere '82 was the commencement speaker at Saturday's ceremony.

DURHAM, NH – University of New Hampshire commencement speaker Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere '82 challenged graduates to dare to live their lives and their dreams during the university’s 143rd commencement held Saturday, May 18, 2013, when more than 2,500 undergraduate and 522 graduate students, including 68 military veterans, ranging in age from 19 to 67 years old and representing 29 states and 23 foreign countries received degrees. “They say in life that we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give,” Legere said. “I urge you to leave this university with that in mind. The story of your life is going to be written as soon as you leave here.” She reminded students of the courageous acts shown at the Newtown tragedy and the …

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Get Ready to Help 'Fill-A-Truck' to Fight Hunger in Nashua

Weekend fundraiser benefits families of the Amherst Elementary School community.

Amherst Street Elementary School is holding a fundraiser in conjunction with UNOs to help address the need to help feed hungry families here in Nashua. From May 17-19 the community is invited to help "Fill A Truck," which will be a U-Haul parked in the parking lot of UNOs, 593 Amherst St. Non-perishable food items may be donated between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.  All food items donated will benefit the Amherst Street Elementary School Backpack Food Pantry Program.  The Amherst Street Elementary School in Nashua has one of the highest percentages of students receiving free and reduced school lunch in the district, at 75 percent.  Those who donate 10 non-perishable food items this weekend will receive a free mini dessert from …

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Honor Roll

Nashua North Students Earn Third Quarter Honors

Academics are the name of the game. Congratulations to these Nashua North students for their hard work.

Grade 9 Shannon Almeda, Jael Bourque, Sarah Cardullo, Yameley Crimlisk, Katherine Diamond, Cynthia-Jean Estabrooke, Shane Gagnon, Desiree Garcia, Diandra Jimenez, Karthik Korrapaty, Sarah Livermore, Connor Mullaly, Emma Muller, Adaeze Okorie, Rory O'Neil, Brianna Rittenberg, Shea Roe, Heather Roscoe, Ethan Rose, Donna-Gayle Shelton, Lara St. James, Kathryn Stoncius, Jordan Terilli, Kayla Terilli, Srilekha Vangavolu, Tyler Venturini, Devony Whiting. Grade 10 Brendan Barrett, William C. Barry, Christopher Barry, James Benoit, Alyssa Bottari, Devin Champagne, Aaron Cheng, Taylor Choate, Nicholas Cico, Thomas Claffey, Jocelyn Clancy, Richard Constant, Brett Delaney, Brian Dezurick, Anthony Di Sabatino, Emily Dion, Alyssa Dobens, Caitlyn …

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Got Ideas? Google Science Fair Deadline Looms

Ready to change the world? If you are 13-18, you still have time to submit your big idea.

I can still remember my dad helping me make a Morse Code transmitter using a D battery, a flashlight bulb, some electrical tape and wires, and a 2x4. I am not sure if it was my idea, or his, but together we created something that worked, and made me feel good about sending dots and dashes by way of a flashing light, to my sister on the other side of the room, who was there to decode my message. Probably something like "Drink More Ovaltine." Anyway, I didn't invent anything new, and I didn't win the science fair, but it's one of a limited number of childhood experiences I have carried with me all these years later, for one thing, because it was hands on. For another, because my dad and I worked it out together.  This is the joy of learning…

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Duane Rolfe Indicted for First-Degree Murder of Sister

A Grand Jury has indicted Duane Rolfe murder of his sister, Judith, in January.

Duane Rolfe was indicted April 16 by a Grand Jury on two counts of murder – first degree murder for purposely causing the death of his sister, Judith Rolfe, by striking her repeatedly with a blunt object; and second-degree murder for recklessly causing her death by "manifesting an extreme indifference to human life." "I'll be calling Superior Court in the morning to find out an arraignment date," said Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley. On January 19 Nashua Police Chief John Seusing and state Attorney General Michael Delaney announced the arrest of Duane Rolfe, initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of his sister, Judith, 66, who was found dead at the home on Belmont Street where the siblings had resided together …

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Is Public Education in Peril? Teaching a Lost Art?

A teacher's retirement letter goes viral on Facebook. Do you agree with Jerry Conti's take on the future of education?

A New York history teacher's retirement letter, posted two weeks ago on his Facebook, reads like a tribute to a dying friend. The profession of teaching, said retiring teacher Gerald Conti, "no longer exists." In his letter, shared nearly 2,000 times on Facebook so far (a pdf of the letter is uploaded here), Conti describes the passion that kept him in teaching for 40 years, 27 of them at Westhill High School in Syracuse, N.Y. He describes his approach of "teaching heavy" based on immersion, intensive research and obsessive attention to detail. He mentions the two signs that hang in his classroom, reading "Words Matter" and "Ideas Matter." "I have truly attempted to live John Dewey's famous quotation," Conti writes, "... that 'Education is…

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Lisa Gingras, NH 'Distinguished Math Educator'

Lauded for her passion for teaching.

Lisa Gingras, who teaches mathematics at Nashua High School South, was named named the 2013 recipient of The Richard C. Evans Distinguished Mathematics Educator Award by the New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics (NHTM).   Gingras received the award last week in recognition of her "philosophy, passion, and knowledge of mathematics education," according to the NHTM. In addition to a plaque and a $500 honorarium, Gingras receives one-year membership to NHTM as an honorary member of the Board of Directors. She is expected to contribute articles to Mathesis, the organization's quarterly newsletter, and will be encouraged to offer professional development opportunities for mathematics educators with the support of NHTM. Gingras, a Nashua Senior …

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Destination Imagination: Global Aspirations for 7 Nashua Teams

Saturday's State Finals at Salem High School will qualify teams for Destination Imagination Global Finals.

SALEM, NH - After weeks of creative problem solving tournaments and tough elimination rounds, 115 New Hampshire student-teams are just one competition away from representing the state at the ultimate “kids hands on, adults hands off” competition: Destination Imagination Global Finals. This Saturday at Salem High School, 44 Geremonty Drive in Salem, teams will compete at NH Destination Imagination State Finals. These teams started work in the fall, selecting a Challenge that combines research, teamwork and creativity with core school subjects and an emphasis in the arts, science, technology, engineering, math or service learning. Every aspects of the team solution must be strictly “owned” by the teams. These solutions are appraised for …

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