THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Page 11 State Representative Donald Wong, Superintendent David DiBarri, DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez, teachers and students pose in a world language classroom in front of a bulletin board featuring the Mexican fl ag. (Photo Courtesy Northeast Metro Tech) the energy and joy of the students and staff at Northeast Metro Tech,” said Commissioner Martinez. “It was a pleasure to hear them speak about all the programs that their school off ers.” Alongside Superintendent David DiBarri and other faculty members, Commissioner Martinez greeted the students with a warm welcome as they entered the school. Students presented the Commissioner with a Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) poster, which highlights the diff erent geographic divisions of school districts statewide, as well as unique divisions, such as urban and vocational-technical districts, the latter being the home for Northest Metro Tech. The Commissioner’s visit did not end there. Once students entered the building and settled into their fi rst classes, Commissioner Martinez got to experience a taste of the educational programs the school has to off er by visiting dental assisting, cosmetology and world language classrooms. In each classroom, Commissioner Martinez connected with teachers and students about their respective programs and learned about the unique learning opportunities provided to students to prepare them for post-graduate experiences. While visiting the cosmetology classroom, he advised students of the loyal bond between hairdressers and their customers that they would experience as post-graduate professionals. In the world language classroom, Commissioner Martinez, a native of Mexico, engaged with students and staff in Spanish and took a photo with them in front of the Mexican fl ag, which was displayed on a bulletin board in the classroom. While the Commissioner’s visit to Northeast Metro Tech was a bright start to the 2025-26 school year, it was also a bittersweet day for all, as it marked the school building’s last fi rst day. The current school building, which is over 50 years old and has taught alumni like Superintendent DiBarri himself, will be demolished following the completion of the brand-new school building project, which is expected to be fi nished in the spring of 2026. “Commissioner Martinez’s visit was a wonderful start to a new school year, and we were honored to have him come to our school,” said Assistant Superintendent Tracey O’Brien. “While it is bittersweet that we are moving out of our current school building, we are excited to extend Northeast Metro Tech’s history and tradition to a new building that upgrades learning environments and opportunities for students.” DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez engages with cosmetology students. (Photo Courtesy Northeast Metro Tech)
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