Welcome back! I hope everyone is relaxed and refreshed from the summer and looking forward to our best year yet!
Our freshmen summer and welcome week programs went well and helped successfully acclimate our new class to the campus and culture of Tri-County.
Changes come with the start of a new year, and we are excited to welcome new staff and faculty members to the Tri-County family. The newest members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that will benefit the TC Community. Thank you to our talented and dedicated staff and faculty who worked diligently to prepare for the students’ arrival.
Whether your child is just starting at Tri-County or is going to graduate in the spring, we are excited for a year of growth and achievement. We can do amazing things both in the classroom and out, and I look forward to seeing the incredible things this new year brings.
Teachers were thrilled to be welcomed back to school by our students! Students lined up outside the front and back doors as well as lined the cafeteria- both upper and lower levels.
| Stephanie Barstow | Director of Food Services |
| Serena Benages | Special Education Teacher |
| Melissa Chartoff | Cafeteria Worker |
| Erin Christiano-Mordarski | School Adjustment Counselor |
| Brittney Colón (Olson) | Culinary Arts Instructor |
| Melissa (Missy) Farrow | Director of Human Resources |
| Robert (Bob) Foley | Director of Adult Education |
| Edward (Ed) Henderson | Administrative Assistant- Security |
| Stephanie Johnson | Health Careers Instructor |
| Jennifer Jones | Cafeteria Worker |
| Michelle Madden | Cafeteria Worker |
| Michael (Mike) Monteiro | Metal Fabrication Instructor |
| Caitlyn (Cate) Nesbitt | Guidance Counselor |
| Pamela (Pam) Olsen | Director of Vocational Programs |
| David Sienko | History Teacher |
| Leslie Preston | Special Education Paraprofessional |
| Lynn Thibeault | Medical Assisting Instructor |
| Richard (Rick) Tomasello | Metal Fabrication Instructor |
| Natalie Dunnirvine | Student Support Center Liaison |
We are excited to announce our Second Annual Middle School Open House on Saturday, November 5th. The Tri-County Open House is an excellent time for eighth-grade students to get hands-on experience with our career programs. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions of current students and work on an interactive project.
Middle School students and their families are invited to tour both academic and vocational classrooms while visiting the campus. Learn about our award-winning academics, sports, extra-curriculars, and what makes Tri-County unique.
We’ll be serving delicious refreshments prepared by our culinary students, and you’ll have a chance to win cool prizes! Registration Required.
Antonio Morabito reached out to Tri-County last year for a new display case to house their Pearl Harbor memorabilia. The cabinet showcases an article about the Pearl Harbor Bombings and photos taken at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, by Edward “Shorty” Ruest, a North Attleboro resident serving in the Navy as a Seaman 1st Class aboard the USS Independence during World War II. Ruest had 10-battle stars denoting his combat battles with enemy forces and was a Purple Heart Recipient.
The case is flanked by the American Flag and a POW/MIA Flag. It hangs above an empty memorial chair in honor of POW/MIAs. The project was worked on throughout the 2021-2022 school year and was built using solid wood and a glass sliding door purchased from local small business, Franklin Glass Company. Seniors Israel Pereira of Blackstone and Connor Bertram of Franklin built the cabinet between projects with the guidance of their teachers, Mark Spillane and Jeremy Barstow, and finished days before graduation. Conner Jackson of North Attleboro, Sam Sepulveda of Medway, and Justin DeMarino of Plainville (Class of 2023) helped deliver the new case to the North Attleboro Town Hall, where it is installed in the lobby. “It was an absolute pleasure working with the Tri County students. We were impressed with their enthusiasm and their pride in craftsmanship. We are pleased to have their work house an important piece of North Attleboro history prominently displayed in our Town Hall,” commented Antonio Morabito, Assistant Town Manager of North Attleboro.
Kyle Snyder, the youngest Olympic Gold medalist, the youngest World Champion in American wrestling history, three-time NCAA champion, and three-time World Championship gold medalist, will hold a wrestling camp at Tri-County on Sunday, October 23rd, 2022. This will be the first of his five-state tour.
Harry Takesian, Tri-County Wrestling Coach, has been friends with Snyder and has worked with him hosting wrestling camps at his previous school. “Any age youth to college will benefit from this amazing opportunity. It is an experience they will never forget,” says Takesian about the Snyder Wrestling Camp.
The Snyder Wrestling Series teaches a high-level technique that is effective at all levels of the sport. Students will receive instruction from the world’s best wrestlers and learn valuable drills that make athletes successful at even the highest level of the sport.
For more information or to register an athlete, please visit: https://www.snyderwrestling.com/register/p/boston-clinic
Order refrigerated prepared food you can heat for lunch or dinner at home. Same-day ordering online and curbside pick-up available.
We look forward to opening the restaurant in October.
Tri-County prepares our graduates for a wide variety of fulfilling career and education opportunities upon graduation. Our alumni apply their knowledge to make meaningful contributions to society. Take a look at our Alumni Spotlights to see where their education has taken them and the lessons they have learned along the way.
What is your favorite memory of studying at Tri-County?
Winning the Safety award for our Robotics team. Although I am not interested in industrial safety anymore, this was the first time I went all out on a big project and succeeded. I spent hours writing up and researching safety standards, researching event venues for fire escape plans and AED locations, and documenting every potentially hazardous material in our working environment. This helped me understand what it is like to become fully invested in a project, and helped motivate me to get start taking coding and game development seriously.
Would you recommend studying at Tri-County, why?
Yes! The ability to gain real work experience in your field, while challenging yourself with great project based extracurriculars and AP courses will make you an incredibly competitive applicant for both college and the workforce, especially if you need a break from the traditional high school classroom setting.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our current students?
If you hope to work on video games someday, whether in coding or a different area, feel free to shoot me an email at michaelvbarba@gmail.com. I had to randomly reach out to a bunch of people on LinkedIn to get advice when I was in high school, so I would like to make it easier for anyone at Tri who is interested in games.
Current Employer: Lightforge Games
Current Job Title: Associate Gameplay Programmer
Current Location: Amherst, MA
Hometown: Franklin
Career Program at TC: Computer Information Systems
Year of Graduation: 2019
Sports/Activities at TC: Robotics, NASA HUNCH, CyberPatriot, SkillsUSA
Tell us what you have done since graduation.
I have zoomed through a Bachelors in Computer Science at UMass Amherst in 5 semesters, and worked at three different game companies! I have worked on a dragon arena fighting game as a contractor between college classes, completed an 8-month student co-op at Blizzard Entertainment working on Diablo 2 Resurrected, and am currently working to change how the world plays Role Playing Games (RPGs) at Lightforge Games. I have also worked on lots of little indie projects in between.
Has your career path changed since graduation?
Nope! I have wanted to make video games since middle school.
How well did Tri-County prepare you for the challenges that you have faced, or will face, in your career?
Tri-County’s project based curriculum and extracurriculars, including but not limited to Senior Project, SkillsUSA, and HUNCH, all helped prepare me for the real work environment most software engineers are familiar with, where you could be working on and improving a single product for a very long time. Besides this, there was also a huge benefit of getting real work and interview experience through the co-op program. This made me a more competitive applicant for my first internship in college.
What is the most exciting element of your career?
I get to work with incredibly talented industry veterans from all around the world, on a game that I am truly excited and passionate about.
What is the most difficult thing you have faced in your career?
Interviewing. Although there are lots of resources available to help you study for an upcoming coding interview, no level of preparation can help your anxiety. I have totally frozen up in interviews before, and received many painful rejections due to my anxiety. Despite this, I believe I have landed in the best place I could possibly be.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to enter your line of work?
This is such a typical answer, but hear me out: network with people. There is so much advice I have for people trying to enter the games industry that I couldn’t possibly answer this in a single question. The best way to get started is to connect with people in the games industry, whether on LinkedIn or wherever else, and ask for advice. Not everyone is receptive to random messages from strangers, so try reaching out to people who might be excited to answer, like people new to the industry, or maybe an alumni who went to the same school as you 🙂 They won’t get you a job, but they will surely be able to provide you with some direction! I’m happy to mentor any TC students or grads looking to enter the gaming industry.
Distinguish yourself. Do your research and make your own projects. Companies want to see what you can do
and projects you’ve worked on independently help you showcase your skills. Senior Project is a great opportunity for you to start on your first game if you haven’t already. I made a VR Police Trainer game for my senior project which you can see here https://mbarba.com/project/police-trainer-vr/
Instead of just looking into different programs and degrees, try looking at job applications for your dream job, and search LinkedIn for people who have the job you want. What kind of people are they hiring for your dream gaming job? Do they have degrees in Game Design or Computer Science? What schools did they go to? What classes or projects did they work on during college that seem relevant to their current job?
Club Leader: Mrs. Magas & Mrs. Thompson
Meets: Once a week on Thursday, 2:10pm-4pm (more often closer to competitions)
Location: Engineering
All welcome!
The Robotics Club is collaborative club that welcomes students from all disciplines. The members participate in several competitions throughout the year including: VEX Robotics Competitions (VRC), SkillsUSA Robotics competitions, and various other competitions. Coming soon: Drone competitions!
Students work together to create robots that satisfy the requirements of each competition. Last year our robotics club won the silver medal at SkillsUSA States held at Blackstone-Valley Tech in the Mobile Robotics division and placed second in the WPI Savage Soccer tournament. This year, we are hoping to make it to the VRC World Championship will be held in Dallas, Texas.
If you have a passion for one or more of the following, Robotics Club could be a great fit for you!
If you are interested in more information, email magas@tri-county.us or thompson@tri-county.us or join us for a meeting.
