Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 29, 2024 Saugus High receives national award for improving computer science opportunities for female students Saugus Birthday Celebrations MARCH 2024 BIRTHDAYS: The Senior Center celebrated the collective birthdays of Saugonians for this month last Friday (March 22). Pictured from left to right are the 10 seniors: Dawn Lorthrop, Joan Joyce, Betty Desimone, Ed Lyons, Lorraine Lewis, Joanne Genzale, Sandra Milano, Simone Sarnie, Linda Dall and Barbara Stone. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) A COMMENDATION FOR SAUGUS HIGH: the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. S augus High School recently received national recognition for its efforts during the 2022-23 academic year for expanding young women’s access to advanced placement study in Computer Science. The school was one of 834 in the country to earn the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. “Your leadership in creating more equitable access to computer science courses is helping to prepare more young women for the high-paying, in-demand jobs of the future, and giving them the opportunity to solve some of society’s greatest challenges,” Advanced Placement Program Head Trevor Packer wrote in a letter to Saugus High School Principal Brendon Sullivan. Packer also recognized Saugus High Computer Science teacher Derek Serino “for contributing to this great achievement.” “This honor acknowledges the amazing work your school is doing to close the gender representation gap in computer science,” Packer wrote. “Research shows that female students who take AP computer science are more likely to major in computer science in college compared to fePRICE | FROM PAGE 2 eraged it to get high-quality educational material so we’re aligned with the state standards,” Hashem said. “These curriculum materials are now what districts are being forced to do. They’re now being told they have to start using these high curriculum instructional materials,” he said. But Saugus Public Schools has already spent two years male students of similar background and academic preparation,” he said. Saugus Superintendent of Schools Michael Hashem announced the award at last week’s School Committee meeting. “He’s doing great things with that program,” Hashem told the committee. “It’s a program that’s really starting to take off,” he said. Saugus High School Principal Sullivan posted on the school website lauding the accomplishment. “Additionally, I want to thank all of our computer science, digital literacy, and STEM teachers throughout the Saugus Public Schools,” Sullivan wrote. “From elementary through high school, we have committed educators who spark the love and interest in computer science among our students. And, of course, we are tremendously proud of our female AP Computer Science students who are also recognized by this award.” “Obviously, we are incredibly proud of this achievement,” Sullivan said in an email to The Saugus Advocate. “We have spent time and effort to increase student access to Advanced Placement courses, and this is evidence of that work,” he said. trying to integrate the new curriculum into the school system, so it is in better shape than the school districts that are being ordered to obtain the new curriculum. Saugus obtained a new curriculum for math, English Language, history and science that matches up to state standards, according to Hashem, who described the new curriculum as “very intensive.” Finance Committee Member T he Senior Center hosted a special party on March 22, honoring 10 Saugus residents who shared March as their birthday month. Birthdays are always special occasions at the Saugus Senior Center. The center likes to recognize the seniors’ birthdays on the last Friday of the month with a collective birthday celebration. They receive a free lunch, cake, ice cream and a souvenir group photo. This Week on Saugus TV • Sunday, March 31 from 9 to 11 p.m. on Channel 8 – “Sunday Night Stooges” (The Three Stooges). • Monday, April 1 all day on Channel 8 – “Movie Monday” (classic movies). • Tuesday, April 2 at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 9 – Board of Health from April 1. COUNTDOWN | FROM PAGE 4 Brent Spencer: I’m not working on any articles for this year’s town meeting. Any amendments would come after the Town warrant is finalized. Ronald M. Wallace: I do not have any articles planned at the moment. Question Four: Please feel free to share any other views about the upcoming Town Meeting. Pamela J. Goodwin: I’m extremely grateful to continue to represent the residents of Precinct 5. It has always been my Steven DiVirgilio recalled that as a student of the 90s, he received “a very good education.” “It was efficient and effective,” he said. DiVirgilio asked Hashem whether he thought the new curriculum “you’re describing is efficient and effective as opposed to before?” Hashem said he believes the curriculum will be “efficient” and “effective,” once implemented. • Wednesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. on Channel 9 – Finance Committee live. • Thursday, April 4 at 3 p.m. on Channel 9 – Board of Appeals from March 28. • Friday, April 5 at 4 p.m. on Channel 22 – Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Somerville live. • Saturday, April 6 at 8:30 honor, and I appreciate your confidence by allowing me to continue to represent you at Town Meeting. I’m also excited and eagerly looking forward to working with all the Town Meeting members to continue to make Saugus the best that it can be! Jaclyn Hickman: I look forward to working with the other Town Meeting Members to help move Saugus forward in a positive and productive manner. Brent Spencer: I would like to thank Peter Manoogian, Carla Scuzzarella, and Steve Doherty for holding informaBut DiVirgilio noted that the public perception remains negative. “What the community thinks is that the educational product coming out is not as good as it used to be,” he said. “We’re spending a lot more money and it sounds like it’s more about administration,” he said. Finance Committee Member Theresa Katsos asked Hashem whether he feels the capacity of the current school buildp.m. on Channel 22 – Girls’ Lacrosse vs. Winthrop from April 4. Saugus TV can be seen on Comcast Channels 8 (Public), 9 (Government) & 22 (Educational) ***programming may be subject to change without notice*** For complete schedules, please visit www.saugustv.org tive meetings at the Library. These meetings are helpful for the new town meeting members. It helps them learn about the workings of Town Meeting. I would also like to thank all town meeting members for serving their town. If any resident has any concerns about their neighborhood or town, they should feel free to contact one of their town meeting members. Thank you and Happy Easter! Ronald M. Wallace: I feel some of the new Town Meeting Members will bring fresh ideas to the table which is a good thing. ings is adequate. “Are we running out of room in the schools with all these influxes of people coming in?” Katsos asked Hashem. “Not yet, but it’s tough to know. It’s really difficult to know” Hashem answered. Katsos wanted to know whether any one school was more crowded than another. “It’s the Vets school that’s more crowded than the others,” Hashem said.
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