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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEPTEMbER 4, 2026 Page 7 ELECTION | FROM PAGE 2 U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey won the Saugus Democratic vote in his primary battle with Congressman Seth Moulton, 1,743 to 1,122. Dan Koh dominated the field of six candidates who were vying to fill the Sixth District Massachusetts Congressional seat vacated by SCHOOL | FROM PAGE 5 Veterans Early Learning Center Principal Mike Mondello are equally enthused about the start of the new school year, while also understanding the need to show results for the town’s commitment to an improved education system. As the three principals prepared for the start of a new school year, The Saugus Advocate reached out to them to share their expectations and to introduce their new staff. Saugus Middle-High School Principal Carla A. Scuzzarella said she expects the enrollment in grades 6-12 to be similar to last year: about 1,300 students. The principal said there are 13 new teachers and staff at the school, but that she expects to fill a few positions because of recent resignations. Principal Scuzzarella said she is most excited about these new programs: “We have a new norm-referenced testing program going into place which will allow teachers to collaborate using common assignments and assessments, as well as benchmark assessments to monitor growth and areas for improvement. SMHS will have release time at least 1 Wednesday per month to allow for teacher collaboration. We are also very excited to have a comprehensive tutoring program being implemented to support middle and high school students during the school day and after school.” The new teachers and staff include: • Taylor Bogdanski: MS Special Education teacher, transfer from Belmonte, SHS grad. • Robert Calla: HS Life Skills Special Education teacher, coming from the private sector with a lot of relevant experience, SHS grad. • Gurpreet Kaur Gidda: 7th Grade Mathematics, experienced teacher coming from Moulton. Koh received 1,142 votes, about 42 percent of the votes cast in the race. He outdistanced his opponents throughout the district. Koh, of Andover, worked as the White House senior aide to President Joseph Biden. He also worked as chief of staff to former U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and as his chief of staff when Walsh Lynn Public Schools. • Rachel Virgin: HS English Language Learning and English teacher, experienced teacher coming from Everett Public Schools, SHS grad. • Olra Casey: 6th Grade English, experienced teacher, longterm substitute in 6th grade English last school year. • Nicole Parziale: HS Special Education teacher, experienced teacher coming from Lynnfield, SHS grad. • Brian Dunn: HS Wellness teacher, experienced teacher coming from Malden Catholic. • Kylie Phillips: MS Wellness teacher, SHS grad. • Brooke Daley, Special Education ABA. • Sydney Imbrescia, Special Education ABA. • Melinda Curran, Special Education paraprofessional, transfer from VELC. • Mary Bertocchi, SMHS Nurse. • Frank Kowalski, SMHS Assistant Principal (Grades 10 & 12). Belmonte STEAM Academy Belmonte STEAM Academy Principal Christopher Blair said the recent enrollment in grades 2-5 was 856 students, about 50 more than a year ago. The principal said there will be 20 new teachers and staff at the school. Five of them are filling new positions (one STEAM teacher, four general education paras), the rest replacing staff who have left Belmonte (departures, retirements, etc.) or paraprofessionals who serve students who are on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). This year’s current staff is 104, with 32 classroom teachers. Last year’s total staff was 95. Blair said most of the new faces belong to paraprofessionals, and most of them help students who have serious to profound disabilities. He said the school has added four general education paras to help teachers and administrators with support and supervisions tasks, student instruction served as mayor of Boston. Koh currently serves as an Andover Select Board member. He will face Republican candidate Micah Quinney Jones in November. Jones was unopposed in this week’s primary election. John A. Beccia III finished second to Koh with 615 votes, followed by Tram T. Nguyen, 417; Jamie M. Belsiand other activities. Principal Blair said he is most excited about these new programs: “I’m excited about all of it, but the area where we’re going to burn the most calories will be in the return of our Project Lead the Way STEAM curriculum, coupled with our new Belmonte STEAM Fair. Students will start thinking about their projects from Day 1 and then start planning and working on them seriously sometime after Jan. 1. They will show their work off the week of Memorial Day, one day per grade. Every student will participate. We’re talking real science, technology, and so on. I’m going to want well-planned, rigorous stuff, without a single papier-macher volcano in sight. It’s going to be a lot of work for everybody. Either the PLTW or the STEAM Fair separately would be a lot to handle, but if our school has ‘STEAM’ in the name, we need to deliver the goods.” The new teachers and staff include: • Amanda O’Brien, assistant principal • Quinn Miller, Grade 5 teacher • Sydney Rosensweig, Grade to, 236; Bethan Andres-Beck, 164; and Mariah L. Lancaster, 144. In the Democratic Primary for the Sixth District Governor’s Council representative, the incumbent Councillor, Terrence W. Kennedy, beat challenger Diann Mary Baylis of Marblehead, 1,660 to 806. Kennedy won by 58 percent across the district. 5 teacher • Gabriella Marchese, Grade 4 teacher • Ashley Cinelli, STEAM teacher • Mikayla Montemurro, special education teacher • William Sullivan, special education teacher • Stephanie Bluestein, special education teacher • Carlie Pogue, ABA • Miryam Allison, general education para • education para • Maureen Gromley, general education para • Sabrina Chaves, general education para • Julianna Marulli, special education para • Giovanna Braido, special education para • Stephanie Griffin, special education para • Lindsay Smith, special education para • Catherine Reale, speech and language pathologist assistant • Sherley Tobar, assistant occupational therapist Veterans Early Learning Center In the only contested Republican race on the Saugus ballot, Michael Roger Minogue beat Brian Shortsleeve, 1,317 to 285. Minogue won 76 percent of the vote in the Republican Primary statewide. He will face Gov. Maura Healey in the Nov. 3 General Election. Minogue, a Hamilton resident, is a former CEO of the medical device company Abiomed. Veterans Early Learning CenSandandeep Kaur, general ter Principal Mike Mondello said he expects the school enrollment to be the same as past years for the Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grade classes: between 500 and 525 students. He said the school will have one new teacher and three new paraprofessionals this year. “We have been fortunate to remain fully staffed and we have about 100 staff members (teachers, paras, nurses, clerks, social workers and kitchen staff),” he said. Principal Mondello said he is most excited about these new programs: “We are excited to continue building our capacity to deliver high quality small group instruction, develop student discourse and oral language and supporting our special education programming.” The new teachers and staff include: • Cassandra DeMille, PK teacher • Georgia Fire, PK para • Abigail Wallace, Special Education para • Emma Doherty, Special Education para Law Offices of JOSEPH D. CATALDO, P.C. “ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW” • ESTATE/MEDICAID PLANNING • WILLS/TRUSTS/ESTATES • INCOME TAX PREPARATION • WEALTH MANAGEMENT • RETIREMENT PLANNING • ELDER LAW 369 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 (617)381-9600 JOSEPH D. CATALDO, CPA, CFP, MST, ESQUIRE. AICPA Personal Financial Specialist Designee

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