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Crocker Elementary School

Ground broken for new Crocker Elementary School

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FITCHBURG — Excitement was in the air on the morning of Tuesday, May 9, at Crocker Elementary School as the ground was officially broken for the new school at 200 Bigelow Road.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Elizabeth Walsh — representing state Sen. John Cronin — City Council President Anthony Zarella and Council Vice President Andy Van Hazinga, state Rep. Michael Kushmerek, Fitchburg Public Schools Superintendent Robert Jokela and Crocker Elementary Principal Casey Beaulac all said a few words during the ceremony.

“This school is for (the students),” Jokela said. “I hope in some number of years for our students that one of you has the opportunity to make an impact on the city that you grew up in. It’s important. You are the future of Fitchburg. In a couple of years, we are going to have a state-of-the-art facility that will meet your educational needs and just blend right into the beauty here out on Bigelow Road.

“This project is for you, our teachers and the community.”

Nothing says fun like second graders, shovels, and a big pile of dirt to highlight the official groundbreaking. Beaulac noted that those second graders will be fifth graders when the new school is slated to open.

Crocker Elementary students have the ‘write’ stuff

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FITCHBURG — There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing students beaming with pride because of a job well done.

At Crocker Elementary School, fourth-graders Adrionis Brito and Vivienne Rosinski were sporting ear-to-ear smiles after finding out they were named Honorable Mention in the prestigious 2023 Will McDonough Writing Contest.

“They love to learn about anything and everything,” said fourth-grade teacher Dora Lomme. “I’m very proud. They are both very talented writers.”

Crocker Elementary School Literacy Coach Debbie Jeffries couldn’t hide her excitement, knowing two Crocker students were recognized for their outstanding writing.

“Great things happen here daily whether they’re getting recognized publicly for something or not,” said Jeffries, adding that Principal Casey Beaulac found out about the contest and quickly shared the information with her. “That was icing on the cake with this. I think I was acting like a first grader with excitement, but it was nice to know that these kids took this project seriously and they did it on their own and followed the guidelines on what they needed to include. I’m so proud.”

McDonough was an award-winning and popular journalist for the Boston Globe, and also worked as a football reporter for NBC and CBS. He passed away in 2003.

Crocker Elementary School fourth-graders Vivienne Rosinski, left, and Adrionis Brito were named Honorable Mention in the prestigious 2023 Will McDonough Writing Contest. (COURTESY FITCHBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS)
Crocker Elementary School fourth-graders Vivienne Rosinski, left, and Adrionis Brito were named Honorable Mention in the prestigious 2023 Will McDonough Writing Contest. (COURTESY FITCHBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS)

Students were asked to create a fiction or nonfiction essay on sports, or choose from a topic that included: great moments in sports, game changers, think positive or sports in society.

Entries were judged on how well they express and support ideas, opinions and claims. They were also judged on creativity, writing style and how well they hold the readers’ attention. Maximum essay length for students in grades 4-5 were 400 words. This contest was open to students in grades 4-12.

Brito wrote about Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente, who had 3,000 career hits and a .317 batting average.

“I wrote about him because he inspired me because he was one of the first Puerto Rican baseball players to play baseball and he won a bunch of awards,” said Brito.

Brito added: “My mom wrote about Roberto Clemente when she was in sixth grade.”

Brito doesn’t play baseball, but said he wants to.

Since she likes to ice skate, Rosinski wrote her essay about Tenley Albright, who became the first women’s figure skater from the United States to win a gold medal at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games.

Albright, born in Newton, was an Olympic champion in 1956 and later became a surgeon.

“I’m learning to ice skate and I really like it,” said Rosinski.

Rosinski said she also likes “writing in general.”

Both students found out in class that they were chosen as Honorable Mention.

“Our teacher told us and I got happy,” Brito said.

A job well done at Crocker.