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Leominster Public Schools

Helping kids look their best going back to school

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LEOMINSTER – A special back-to-school event is being planned for children in need, to help them look and feel their best heading back to school this year.

A team of six stylists from Mnandi Salon and Spa will be on hand to provide 100 free haircuts, along with face-painting, and back-to-school supplies to the children in the area that could use it the most.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, at Mnandi Salon and Spa, located at 580 North Main St.

Amanda Barnett, hairstylist at Mnandi Salon and Spa, has purchased 100 backpacks to give out to the children, first-come, first-serve, and is asking help from the community to fill these backpacks with school supplies.

For more information, call the salon at 978-401-1428.

Second annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk a success

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LEOMINSTER – The second annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk at Doyle Conservation Area last weekend raised $1,000 more than the inaugural event last year.

It was smiles all around at Doyle Conservation Area in Leominster last weekend, where dozens gathered for the second annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk and Picnic. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
It was smiles all around at Doyle Conservation Area in Leominster last weekend, where dozens gathered for the second annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk and Picnic. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

The June 10 event centered around a leisurely walk around the conservation area, but had activities including face painting and lawn games, crafts and sensory activities courtesy of Project Apples Leominster CFCE & PCHP, and a potluck picnic spread.

The walk was the final Leominster Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) event of the school year, a parent-run organization that supports special education students and families. Organized by SEPAC board members including President Angela Thomas, Development Director Shannon LeClair, and Family Resource Director Mary Caskins, the day came off with many other helpers including Leominster Public Schools Special Education Director Laura VanDorn, whom LeClair said, “was hands-on and helpful on Saturday from start to finish.”

Three of the four Leominster Special Education Parent Advisory Council board members -- (l. to r.) Family Resource Director Mary Caskins, President Angela Thomas, and Development Director Shannon LeClair -- with 7-year-old Jayden Tavilla at the Best Buddies Walk held on June 10 at Doyle Conservation Area. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Three of the four Leominster Special Education Parent Advisory Council board members — (l. to r.) Family Resource Director Mary Caskins, President Angela Thomas, and Development Director Shannon LeClair — with 7-year-old Jayden Tavilla at the Best Buddies Walk held on June 10 at Doyle Conservation Area. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

LeClair characterized the Best Buddies walk with one word: “Amazing.”

“Last year was our first go at this event and I am beyond pleased with how quickly it’s blossoming,” she said. “Our participation numbers more than doubled from last year, going from 35 to 75 individuals, and we were also able to fundraise $1,000 more than last year, putting us just shy of $3,500.”

Funds raised benefit Best Buddies, the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Fitchburg and Leominster high schools both have Best Buddies chapter classrooms that host special education program students and Peer Buddies students who assist them.

According to the Best Buddies website, the majority of donations are used “directly used towards the enrichment of our Friendship, Jobs, Leadership Development, and Living programs.” Five people raised $500 or more for this year’s walk including Jessica Hazard, John Ballou, Diana Payne, Natalie Pelletier, and LeClair’s 9-year-old son Cameron.

Five people raised $500 or more for this year's Best Buddies Walk -- (l. to r.) Jessica Hazard, John Ballou, Cameron LeClair, Diana Payne, and Natalie Pelletier. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Five people raised $500 or more for this year’s Best Buddies Walk — (l. to r.) Jessica Hazard, John Ballou, Cameron LeClair, Diana Payne, and Natalie Pelletier. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

LeClair has been active with Best Buddies and SEPAC for years. Her son Cameron, who is autistic, joined her for the walk. She has a blog and Facebook group, The Advocacy Partnership, Team TAP for short, with the mission to support “local parents of kiddos with neurodiversities.”

The enjoyment she gets from being part of the organizations is twofold.

“On one hand we are fundraising money for programs that help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My son, Cameron, and several of his friends fall under that umbrella, so for personal reasons it is near and dear to my heart,” LeClair said. “Secondly, this year the SEPAC promoted this walk as our end-of-year community event. Very often parents and caregivers of individuals with special needs self-isolate. They may not have people in their lives who live close by that understand that family dynamic. Some challenges can make it near impossible to access typical events. Our mission as a SEPAC is not only to provide educational workshops and resources for our district families, but to offer support and rapport building within our community. Watching the kids play together and the adults making connections, that’s what it’s all about.”

The QR code that brings you to the Leominster Special Education Parent Advisory Council website, the parent run organization that provides support to special education students and families. (COURTESY LEOMINTER SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL)
The QR code that brings you to the Leominster Special Education Parent Advisory Council website, the parent run organization that provides support to special education students and families. (COURTESY LEOMINTER SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL)

An ice cream truck came towards the end of the event delighted children and adults.

LeClair said she and the other members of SEPAC are grateful to all involved in making it a success.

“Many folks offered to come early or stay late to help with set up and clean up,” she said. “Project Apples provided wonderful activities for the kids, and the staff at Doyle Conservation is amazing to work with. Myself and all the SEPAC board members could not be more thrilled with how everything came together.”

Moody’s Lucky Ducks marching alongside PE teacher going through chemo

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LEOMINSTER — The Fall Brook Elementary School community is rallying around longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody in a big way as the beloved educator battles cancer.

Longtime Fall Brook Elementary School physical education teacher Lorna Moody is feeling the love from the Leominster school community and beyond as she goes through chemo treatments. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)
Longtime Fall Brook Elementary School physical education teacher Lorna Moody is feeling the love from the Leominster school community and beyond as she goes through chemo treatments. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)

Moody has been teaching at Fall Brook for 26 years and was diagnosed with uterine cancer at the end of January. When people found out, they wanted to do what they could to show support for her so the school community — including students, families, colleagues, and alumni — came up with the idea to make t-shirts imprinted with the words “Moody’s Lucky Ducks” in all caps with a picture of a rubber duck, a favorite of the teacher.

“Students from the past and present were so intent on doing whatever we could to help her on her journey,” Assistant Principal Lynn Fiandaca said of the inspiration behind the t-shirts.

Once the idea was planted, everyone rallied together to order, organize, and deliver an astounding 700 t-shirts to community members.

Mondays have officially been deemed as Moody Mondays at Leominster's Fall Brook Elementary School, where students and staff don Moody's Lucky Ducks t-shirts in support of longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody as she battles cancer. (COURTESY TESS DAVIS)
Mondays have officially been deemed as Moody Mondays at Leominster’s Fall Brook Elementary School, where students and staff don Moody’s Lucky Ducks t-shirts in support of longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody as she battles cancer. (COURTESY TESS DAVIS)

“We had enough donations so that every student at Fall Brook was given a t-shirt,” Fall Brook Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization President Katie McNamara proudly shared. “The theme was created by a Fall Brook teacher, as Ms. Moody loves rubber ducks and would often have rubber duck hunts in the building for staff. She would award prizes to teachers who found a duck hidden in some creative space, somewhere in the building. Some of the prizes were an extra gym class for students or a scratch ticket for the teacher. All of this was done as a way to have a little bit of fun before school and help to build a strong, positive culture in the building.”

The t-shirts have been faithfully sported over the last several months on the days when Moody has had surgery or chemotherapy treatments — and then someone came up with the idea to wear them weekly.

“At Fall Brook, and for the outside community, we have officially deemed Mondays as Moody Mondays,” Fiandaca said. “On this day we wear our shirts to show a sense of unity and community for our teacher. We all wear our shirts to let her know we are thinking of her. We take pictures throughout the day and send them to her as a way to show her how much we love and care about her. Students love that they are able to find a way to show Moody how much they care.”

Fall Brook Elementary School second grade teacher Katie Oldfield and two students sport Moody's Lucky Ducks t-shirts in support of longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody as she battles cancer. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)
Fall Brook Elementary School second grade teacher Katie Oldfield and two students sport Moody’s Lucky Ducks t-shirts in support of longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody as she battles cancer. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)

McNamara, a longtime city resident who has two children attending Fall Brook, echoed her sentiments and stated that “words cannot express how much Ms. Moody represents the spirit and culture of our school.”

“Ms. Moody is a staple in our school community,” McNamara said. “She has worked with literally thousands of students at Fall Brook and as a physical education teacher, she always, always goes above and beyond. Moody, as we like to call her, has organized so many incredible opportunities for our students to practice their academic and physical skills.”

McNamara noted some of the enjoyable educational programs the dedicated PE teacher has implemented at the school, including creating a school-wide climbing program for students in grade three, four, and five; the Amazing Math Race for multiple grade levels to practice math skills in conjunction with physical skills; field day which occurs every spring; and even district wide events such as Fifth Grade Survivor, where all fifth-grade students in the district to come together for a fun day filled with physical and learning activities.

“She also helped to organize Fall Brook’s Tree Farm for Charity, coached middle school sports throughout her career, and even at times offered her assistance in math classes as extra support,” McNamara said of Moody. “She does whatever it takes to make sure there is a sense of community in the building that extends far beyond the four walls of her gym. Everyone in our building agrees that she is Fall Brook.”

Leominster's Fall Brook Elementary School community is showing their support for longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody, who is going through chemo treatments for cancer, by donning Moody's Lucky Ducks t-shirts. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)
Leominster’s Fall Brook Elementary School community is showing their support for longtime physical education teacher Lorna Moody, who is going through chemo treatments for cancer, by donning Moody’s Lucky Ducks t-shirts. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)

When asked what she loves most about her job, Moody expressed why she enjoys it.

“I love the desire of all the students wanting to learn and be healthy,” she said. “PE is important for everyone’s health, and it can be a lot of fun! Climbing is my favorite, and challenging students mentally and physically.”

She said her “favorite day of the year,” Field Day, is coming up at the beginning of June and that the Fall Brook community “is joining forces to keep the fun day going” in her absence as she goes through treatment.

Leominster Public Schools Superintendent Paula Deacon has been spotted wearing the now iconic Moody’s Lucky Ducks t-shirt and McNamara said that Moody “consistently shares how she is overwhelmed by all of the support.”

“She has shared her gratitude by communicating to families through videos, texts, and emails,” McNamara said. “She has even surprised students taking the MCAS with a video cheering them on and giving them a little extra boost of confidence.”

Beloved Fall Brook Elementary School physical education teacher Lorna Moody has been teaching at the Leominster school for 26 years. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)
Beloved Fall Brook Elementary School physical education teacher Lorna Moody, pictured here with her students, has been teaching at the Leominster school for 26 years. (COURTESY FALL BROOK ELEMENTARY PTO)

Moody said that while going through chemo “is tiring physically” and that she misses being with everyone, she truly appreciates the students, teachers, families, staff and more lifting her up.

“It means the world to me,” Moody revealed, adding that Fall Brook “has been my family for 26 years.”

“I love all of Fall Brook, past and present. I have some of my students’ kids now, as well as a few as co-teachers’ [kids]. I miss seeing my students every day. Having them and my peers supporting me keeps me going with a positive attitude.”

Leominster Public Schools celebrates students’ art, creativity

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LEOMINSTER — The Leominster Public Schools Art Department celebrated its annual Student Art Exhibit with an opening reception on Thursday, March 9, inside City Hall’s Tata Auditorium.

The reception was well attended by students, proud families and school administration. Music during the event was provided by Matson Chiafardoni-Hawkes, a sixth-grade student at Sky View Middle School.

Mayor Dean Mazzarella also attended the reception and interviewed students for his weekly TV segment which will air on LTV this coming week. Mazzarella was thrilled to celebrate the students’ colorful artwork.

“The students, parents and teachers were so excited to see the artwork on display,” Mazzarella said. “It was great to see the students all dressed up for the occasion, to show off their talent and show their pride in their artwork.”

The artwork was created by students in grades K-12, representing all Leominster public schools, as well as St. Anna’s and St. Leo’s catholic schools.

The exhibit will be on display during City Hall hours now through Thursday, March 16.

Anticipating heavy snow, Fitchburg and Leominster cancel school Tuesday

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Schools will be closed in Fitchburg and Leominster on Tuesday as the North Central region anticipates a considerable amount of snow overnight Monday and throughout the day Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service forecast, 1-3 inches of snow is expected to land mostly after midnight on Monday. An additional 3-7 inches of snow accumulation is possible throughout the day Tuesday, with most of the snow falling before 5 p.m. Throughout Tuesday, wind gusts could reach as high as 24 mph.

Parking bans will be in place for Fitchburg and Leominster, with Fitchburg’s set to be in place from 7 p.m. Monday until midnight Wednesday.

While the parking ban is in effect, the public can park at seven locations throughout the city including: The Hastings Lot at Pleasant and High Streets, the Coolidge Park Lot at the Townsend Street entrance, the ground floor of the Putnam Street Garage, the upper deck center section of the Main Street Municipal Lot, Park Hill Park at the Pratt Street entrance, and Park Hill Park at the Beech Street entrance. Additionally, parking is available at the metered spaces on the ground floor of the Fitchburg Intermodal Garage.

A map shows seven available public parking locations in Fitchburg while the city has a parking ban in place. (COURTESY CITY OF FITCHBURG)
A map shows seven available public parking locations in Fitchburg while the city has a parking ban in place. (COURTESY CITY OF FITCHBURG)

Meanwhile, the parking ban in Leominster started at 6 p.m. and expire at 6 p.m. Tuesday. With the parking ban in place, the city is asking for the public to remove their cars from public streets so the Department of Public Works can plow and treat the roads. Additionally, the Leominster Police Department can tow vehicles obstructing snow removal under city ordinance 13-33.

On the city’s Facebook page, Mayor Dean Mazzarella said Montachusett Regional Transit Authority had offered space in the North Leominster Station Parking Garage on Nashua Street. The space is free starting tonight but all vehicles parked there must be out by 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Regional electricity and natural gas provider Unitil said in a press release that it would be monitoring the weather. The utility company said, “Wet, heavy snow can stick to surfaces and weigh down trees and branches, which in turn can lead to outages” in addition to there being a possibility for outages caused by motor vehicle accidents.

“We saw a number of outages caused by motor vehicle accidents throughout the weekend as snow fell off and on and created slick roads,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said in the press release. “With additional snowstorms in the forecast throughout the week, we urge drivers to take their time and remain safe while getting to their destination.”

To prepare for a possible outage, Unitil recommended its customers keep flashlights, fresh batteries, portable chargers and supplemental batteries for mobile devices on hand. The company also recommended having bottled water, canned foods, a manual can opener and a first aid kit available.

Throughout the snowstorm, Until said it would communicate through public service announcements, its website, customer call center and through the media. Real time information will be available on Facebook and Twitter, while unitil.com/map will have real-time outage information.

Anticipating heavy snow, Fitchburg and Leominster cancel school Tuesday

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Schools will be closed in Fitchburg and Leominster on Tuesday as the North Central region anticipates a considerable amount of snow overnight Monday and throughout the day Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service forecast, 1-3 inches of snow is expected to land mostly after midnight on Monday. An additional 3-7 inches of snow accumulation is possible throughout the day Tuesday, with most of the snow falling before 5 p.m. Throughout Tuesday, wind gusts could reach as high as 24 mph.

Parking bans will be in place for Fitchburg and Leominster, with Fitchburg’s set to be in place from 7 p.m. Monday until midnight Wednesday.

While the parking ban is in effect, the public can park at seven locations throughout the city including: The Hastings Lot at Pleasant and High Streets, the Coolidge Park Lot at the Townsend Street entrance, the ground floor of the Putnam Street Garage, the upper deck center section of the Main Street Municipal Lot, Park Hill Park at the Pratt Street entrance, and Park Hill Park at the Beech Street entrance. Additionally, parking is available at the metered spaces on the ground floor of the Fitchburg Intermodal Garage.

A map shows seven available public parking locations in Fitchburg while the city has a parking ban in place. (COURTESY CITY OF FITCHBURG)
A map shows seven available public parking locations in Fitchburg while the city has a parking ban in place. (COURTESY CITY OF FITCHBURG)

Meanwhile, the parking ban in Leominster started at 6 p.m. and expire at 6 p.m. Tuesday. With the parking ban in place, the city is asking for the public to remove their cars from public streets so the Department of Public Works can plow and treat the roads. Additionally, the Leominster Police Department can tow vehicles obstructing snow removal under city ordinance 13-33.

On the city’s Facebook page, Mayor Dean Mazzarella said Montachusett Regional Transit Authority had offered space in the North Leominster Station Parking Garage on Nashua Street. The space is free starting tonight but all vehicles parked there must be out by 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Regional electricity and natural gas provider Unitil said in a press release that it would be monitoring the weather. The utility company said, “Wet, heavy snow can stick to surfaces and weigh down trees and branches, which in turn can lead to outages” in addition to there being a possibility for outages caused by motor vehicle accidents.

“We saw a number of outages caused by motor vehicle accidents throughout the weekend as snow fell off and on and created slick roads,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said in the press release. “With additional snowstorms in the forecast throughout the week, we urge drivers to take their time and remain safe while getting to their destination.”

To prepare for a possible outage, Unitil recommended its customers keep flashlights, fresh batteries, portable chargers and supplemental batteries for mobile devices on hand. The company also recommended having bottled water, canned foods, a manual can opener and a first aid kit available.

Throughout the snowstorm, Until said it would communicate through public service announcements, its website, customer call center and through the media. Real time information will be available on Facebook and Twitter, while unitil.com/map will have real-time outage information.