Boston Latin School Bids Farewell to Headmaster Kelley…
Cornelia A. Kelley, Boston Latin School’s first female headmaster, will retire as of June 30, 2007. After serving as headmaster for just nine years, Ms. Kelley is stepping down in order to make room for the next generation. According to an interview published in the BLS Bulletin, Ms. Kelley says about her departure, ”When I leave, I’ve left the school in the best possible shape I could and then hand it over to someone whom I would hope make it better.”
A big part of Ms. Kelley’s legacy is the work she has done with the school alumni. She has attended numerous alumni events in Boston and beyond. BPS Superintendent, Michael Contompasis, BLS class of ‘57 and Ms. Kelley’s predecessor, is now heading the search to find her replacement.
On Thursday, June 21, the Boston Latin School community will host an evening of appreciation for Cornelia Kelley. The event will take place at the school’s dining hall. Tickets are available at the BLSA website.
75th Anniversary of Charles Sumner School–Those were the days…
The Knights of Columbus Hall in Roslindale recently hosted a gala dinner program to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Charles Sumner School. Food was provided by the Outback Steakhouse, with music and dancing to the sounds of Ty dePass. It was a delightful evening for many teachers and former students of the school.
The original Charles Sumner School was located on Ashland Street (now Cummins Highway,) in the spot now occupied by the United States Post Office. In 1931, the Sumner School was renamed the Anne Hutchinson School and a new Charles Sumner, designed by Dana Somes, was built in it’s current location at 15 Basile Street.
I attended the Sumner from kindergarten until the 6th grade and graduated with the class of 1949. I sat in the first row, first seat all through school because I was the smallest in class. I”ll never forget taking my first sewing class and making a gingham apron, all hand stitched. I have fond memories of many of my teachers, including Miss Macomber, who taught 1st grade, Miss Dunn, who taught 2nd grade, Mr. Pine, who was my 6th grade teacher, Miss O’Keefe and Miss Butler.
The oldest alum in attendance at the gala was Bill Lannon, 89, who went to the original Sumner. Bill gave a delightful talk, reminiscing about his days at the Charles Sumner on Ashland Street.
Micheal Contompasis was honored as a distinguished alumnus. Other alums in attendance, many of whom will be instantly recognizable to long-time Rossie residents, included Beverly Basile, whose father built the homes on Basile Street, and Mary Pagliarulo, whose parents had a bakery on Washington Street and used to hand out bread to Sumner students on their way home from school.
Ah, those were the days.
Read more about Charles Sumner
Other Links: 75th Anniversary
K-8: A Preferred Model for Boston Public Schools
The kindergarten through 8th grade (K-8) model is a preferred model for most parents that have kids in the Boston Public Schools (BPS). The biggest reason for the preference is that the K-8 model avoids the dreaded move in 6th grade to a middle school where there are new students, teachers and. administrators for students to have get used to all over again. Parents also like the continuity of the K-8 model, which allows relationships that were made between students, teachers and administrators to continue through the middle school grades.
With a tremendous amount of parental support the Joyce Kilmer School in West Roxbury will become a K-8. In September, the school will use the BPS building on Russett Road, which was the former Lyndon School (the only other K-8 in West Roxbury) which is now at the Shaw building on Mount Vernon Street. The Kilmer School will use the Russett Road building for the upper school (6th,7th,8th ), keeping the Baker St. location for the lower school (K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th). In the 2006/07 school year, the Kilmer added a 6th grade and will add a 7th and 8th grade in the next two years.
The K-8 model benefits the students, their families as well as the teachers. Parents and students feel more a part of school community and everybody is already familiar with each other. For the parents and student, there is a sense of security in knowing the teachers, the rules, and what the expectations are.
Considering that many BPS students attend 3 different school in 3 years, how can you not agree that this is an improvement. Many students attend 5th grade at their elementary school, attend 6th grade at a city middle school and most hope to begin 7th grade at one of the cities exam schools.
Most important, it offers Boston parents more choice for their children’s education without having to move from the city.
Free Fun for All at Castle Island in South Boston
Hi All,
My name is Maureen O’Keefe. My husband Tom and I both grew up in West Roxbury. We have two (2) sons: Paul age 12 and Sean age 10. Both of our parents are also Bostonians and they taught us to truly appreciate the benefits of this wonderful city. I will be blogging on free or inexpensive family-friendly field trips in and around Boston. At times members of our extended family or friends may also tag along.
Our first field trip…one of my all time favorite places…Castle Island, South Boston, a 24 acre urban park on the waterfront. There is so much to do there we could never get to it all in one day, therefore we will be taking a few trips over the summer.
We went on Saturday evening of the Memorial Day Weekend. Having such a busy weekend with chores, yard-work, errands, etc., we weren’t able to do something special for the kids and the guilt was setting in. So we threw a blanket in the trunk, gave my mother and sister a call and took the short 10 minute drive to Castle Island. Paul’s friend Joey was around so he joined us. It was around 6:30 and still brutally hot but there is always a gorgeous sea breeze and we remembered to bring sweat shirts. First we stopped at Sullivans, a famous fast food place which has been around for as long as I can remember. The Cost of dinner for two adults and three children: $30.
We set up our blanket at the top of a grassy hill by the castle and enjoyed the scenery and cool breeze while we ate. My sister Siobhan, her husband and five kids, Hannah 10, Caroline 9, Emma Jane 8, Patrick 5, Maeve 18 mos, and my mother Marion (who would never pass up an invite to Castle Island) met us there. The younger kids played tag and rolled down the hill while the older ones took a walk around the castle and checked out the fishing pier. They ran back out of breath and excited because a man had caught a giant crab and a ’monster size’ fish. We all enjoyed watching the planes land and take off from nearby Logan Airport. We then walked over to Sullivan’s for ice cream and shakes ($10 for one adult and three kids-I was good and passed on the extra calories, but my husband…). It was a fabulous evening…short ride, short money, and free parking. We arrived home refreshed and in good moods.
Other great things to do at Castle Island include Castle Tours (including a sunset tour which I hear is breath taking) conducted by The Castle Island Association (all volunteers), walking around the Sugar Bowl, swimming in the ocean (yes it’s clean and safe), biking, picnic area, playground area, fishing off the pier, flying kites. There are also special events held in the castle such as a haunted house on Halloween. For more info call the Castle Island Association @ 617-268-5744.
Let me know what you think:)
Maureen
Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain
Mother Nature got busy earlier than in years past for Lilac Sunday at Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain–which, coincidentally, was the same day as Mother’s Day this year! The weather was beautiful that day and the display was magnificent! What better day could there be for all the women in our lives than to spend it in Lilac Heaven?
I have never seen so many cars, bikes, strollers and visitors at that usually rather calm park. After struggling a bit, my husband, our 2 dogs and myself finally found a parking spot and went for a stroll. Right away, all our senses got tested and rewarded: the smell, the look, the touch…. It is incredible how so many varieties of lilacs can smell so different and look quite a bit different too. It was a feast: old, young, tall, small, human, dog or bug! It didn’t matter: everybody was having a ball!
I hope that lots of you had the chance to go and see by yourself. Some of the pictures that I have included only show a glimpse of the amazing show Mother Nature is offering us (free of charge).
If you haven’t had the chance, run to the Arboretum! You may still be lucky enough to get a last taste! And if not, then, mark your calendar for next year and treat yourself to something wonderful! You deserve it!
Anybody who already witnessed the beauty of the lilacs, I welcome any comments you may have. Let me know which ones were your favourites: was it the blue, purple, crimson, white, cream…?
Hello Boston! Welcome to Dahubbub.com…
“So, if a city has a personality, maybe it also has a soul. Maybe it dreams.”
No matter how many times I read this excerpt from the mystical musings of acclaimed science fiction writer Neil Gaiman in his book, “The Sandman–World’s End,” wherein the character of the old man contemplates whether a city is a living thing, I always seem to have the same reaction: First, I think of how elegant and noble this idea is (Gaiman’s a real philosopher-poet), but then my thoughts turn to Boston. Based upon the old man’s sage-like wisdom, I believe Boston is such a city–a city that inhales this rarified air–and thus qualifies to be among those living, breathing things. I, for one, can attest that the City of Boston is chockfull of personality. I can also claim with confidence the city possesses an historically deep and culturally rich soul (few would argue this point). And, finally, I would suggest if any city can dream, Boston can (unlike NYC which we all know never sleeps:)
Yes, I love Boston–so much so that I’m dedicating this blog in its honor. The name, dahubbub.com, is tribute to the native tongue spoken in this part of the country–and a dialectical derivative of the phrase “what’s-the-hubbub,” where the word “hubbub” means “the mingled din of a crowd.” The purpose, other than to pay homage to the greatest little city in America, is to create a virtual community wherein all who love Boston, live in Boston, or want to know more about Boston may merrily converge, interact and share their unique Boston experiences. Boston is our stage, and dahubbub.com is a place where all the men and women players may freely rehearse their part.
For those of you who may be geographically challenged, the anwer to the question of “where is Boston” is easy. It’s right here.
For those who seek the anwer to the deeper question of “what is Boston,” well, that’s a whole other story–one that certainly has a beginning, but which has no ending in site. Our job here at dahubbub.com is to tell the tale as it’s being written, and so far (IMHO) it’s been one of the greatest tales ever told.
So, Boston, what’s-da-hubbub?
This is the question the contributors of dahubbub.com will ask themselves daily, and finding the answers is the raison d’etre for this blog–to discover exactly what’s going on in this culturally rich, historically relevant, ethnically diverse, economically viable, intellectually stimulating, and fanatically sporty cradle of American liberties–oft referred to as the City on the Hill, the Hub of the Universe (solar system), the Athens of America, or just plain Beantown –that is our primary mission.
But, like all narratives, conversations and discussions–there must be a starting off point. So, my first (gulp) stab at explaining what Boston’s all about-and how the community of dahubbub bloggers intends to identify the heart, soul and dreams of this magnanimous city–goes something like this:
Boston is a City of Neighborhoods. Dahubbub.com is a blog that intends to explore these neighborhoods in detail and at street level, with an idea for initiating conversations with any and all interested parties. The neighborhoods of Boston we’ll begin to explore will include: Allson, Brighton, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Dorchester, Downtown, East Boston, Fort Hill, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, The Fenay, Waterfront and West Roxbury. Each of these neighborhoods is within Boston city limits, and each has its own unique identity which we intend to uncover and share with the world.
–end part 1–
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