SROs, Attendance Officer Honored at School Committee Meeting

By Adam Swift

The Chelsea Police Department’s school resource officers and a long-time Chelsea High School attendance officer were honored with this month’s Name, Strength, and Story recognitions at last week’s school committee meeting.

The Name, Strength, and Story honors recognize school district staff and community members who build close connections with students, staff, and families in the Chelsea school system.

The school district’s SROs – Ofc. Garrison Daniel, Ofc. Matthew DiNicola, Ofc. Joseph Stutto, Ofc. Jaime Robles, and Ofc. Jonathan Maldonado, were all recognized with the honors.

“It’s so important that our young people see officers who care about them, who know them, who are reaching out, wanting to help every single day,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta. “I am so incredibly grateful of our partnership with you.”

Chelsea Public Schools Chief of Staff Dr. Aaron Jennings thanked the officers on behalf of the Superintendent and Superintendent’s Executive Team.

“Thank you for knowing us by name, story and strength, but more importantly knowing our students by name, story and strength,” said Jennings.

CPS’ Attendance Supervisor Phil Carangelo was also recognized with a Name, Strength and Story Award. A CPS staff member of over 20 years, Carangelo’s role is critical in keeping students’ attendance on track to ensure they obtain academic success. Past students have credited Mr. Carangelo for keeping them in school and helping them graduate.

At the meeting, Dr. Abeyta referenced a story about a former Chelsea High School student who now works with youth in the community. This student credited Carangelo for helping them while they were at CHS, and expressed that they now want to do for youth what Carangelo did for them.

In other business at last week’s school committee meeting, Dr. Tamara Blake-Canty, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, gave a presentation on the implementation of new high quality instructional materials in the schools over the past three years. The learning materials were introduced at the elementary school level first, followed closely the next year at the middle and high schools.

Thanks in part to Covid relief funds, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta said the district has been able to invest $1.7 million in the new high quality instructional materials over the past several years.

Blake-Canty said the high quality instructional materials are research-based, scientifically sound, and that this is a rigorous rubric to determine what materials can be used. She said district teachers were part of special councils to review the materials and select the ones they believed were best for their schools.

“If you look at MCAS, where you are seeing the most growth … in our elementary grades,” said Abeyta. “That’s no surprise because we are in year three of implementing high quality instructional materials.”

Abeyta said she expects to see growth in the MCAS in the higher grade levels as there has been more time to implement the new instructional materials.