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The Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School District is pleased to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2023. Sabra Flanagan, of Franklin, has been named Valedictorian, and Jennifer Kalick, of North Attleboro, has been named Salutatorian.
Tri-County’s Valedictorian, Sabra, is a Legal and Protective Services student and maintains the highest cumulative GPA of 4.457. Sabra has challenged herself throughout her high school career by including both Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in her academic schedule. Since her junior year, she her schedule has included one-hundred percent honors and AP level classes. During her junior year, Sabra was awarded with the Certificate for Academic Excellence in Science and a Certificate in Vocational Excellence in Legal and Protective Services.
In addition to mastering rigorous academic classes, Sabra can be found playing Varsity Soccer in the fall and as the Captain of the Varsity Lacrosse team in the spring. She also interns at the Clerk’s Office at the Wrentham District Court to gain hands-on experience in the Legal and Protective Field.
Sabra is looking forward to pursuing a degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Tri-County’s Salutatorian, Jennifer Kalick, maintains a cumulative 4.43 GPA as a Health Careers student. Jennifer secured her spot on the High Honor Roll for both freshman and sophomore year and the Honor Roll her junior year. She also serves as a National Honor Society member since her junior year. Jennifer received the Certificate for Academic Excellence in Social Studies her junior year.
While maintaining a demanding academic schedule, Jennifer has earned real-world experience at The Village at Willow Crossings as a Resident Care Associate in Mansfield, MA. Here her numerous certifications which include: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), COVID-19 Caregiver, Alzheimer’s Association Person Centered Dementia Care, American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED help her excel in her position.
Jennifer plans to pursue a degree in Nursing from Penn State University.
“Sabra and Jennifer embody the Tri-County motto, ‘Work Hard, Today Counts.’ They strive for excellence each day whether in the classroom or in the community. We are proud to recognize their hard work and dedication which has earned them top spots in their class,” said Karen Maguire, Superintendent.
As Valedictorian and Salutatorian, Sabra and Jennifer will lead the graduation procession and are scheduled to address their classmates at the Commencement Ceremony scheduled for Thursday, June 8, 2023.
Tri-County RVTHS Engineering Students participated in a 2022 STEM Week Challenge, a collaborative effort between the Mass STEM Hub and PBLWorks, which tasked students to research an in-demand STEM career that interests them and connect with professionals in those fields. The objective of the challenge was to help students understand how demand for careers changes and what types of opportunities may be available in the future. “The most valuable outcome of the STEM Week Challenge project is that our engineering students, through contacting a STEM professional, conducting an interview, creating a presentation and delivering an oral pitch, were able to develop highly transferable networking skills,” said Angela Batt, Engineering Instructor.
Sophomores Kaleigh Stenstrom of Walpole and Gavin Cataldo of Franklin won six 100-hour internships valued at $9,000 for their “hard work, impressive presentations, and polished pitches,” said Jacob Barry, Partnerships and Communication Director at the Mass STEM Hub. The internships awarded grant students 100-hour paid virtual internships available Spring or Summer of 2023. These internships are designed to help students develop real-world skills and professional connections while receiving feedback from industry experts. To select the students who would be awarded the scholarships, Engineering instructors tasked students with writing a persuasive essay describing why this opportunity was important and what they would like to gain from the experience.
The six students selected are Kaleigh Stenstrom of Walpole, Jaimin Farrington Leet of Franklin, Leonardo Oliveira of Plainville, Noah Hurley of Plainville, William Chenette of Medway, and Gavin Cataldo of Franklin. These sophomores have the opportunity to work virtually during the Spring or Summer of 2023 at a paid internship facilitated by the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Alliance. “Having the opportunity to work on an internship is a glimpse into the life of upperclassmen on co-op. I look forward to having this experience before my junior year,” commented William Chenette.
Thermo Fisher Scientific recently opened a 290,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Plainville, MA. The new facility will be used for manufacturing life-saving gene therapy products that will impact patients all over the world. In order to decorate the Quality Control (QC) testing hallway, Thermo Fisher created a SmART Contest open to students ages 13-18 and our students answered the call.
Science themed art work created by contest winner Sinead Bergeron of Medway and runner-ups Catriona Keefe of Wrentham, Morgan Fleury of North Attleboro, and Alexander Vasilyev of Walpole line the QC Hallway and have also been utilized as decals to add color throughout the lab. The students were tasked with creating either computer generated graphics or hand-drawn images and explaining how the artwork displays “science” to them. “You have some amazingly talented students!” commented Marcia Goff, Director of External Communications for Pharma Services at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The students and their guardians were invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony in August to celebrate the official opening of the new facility. Attendance at the ribbon cutting included: former Gov. Charlie Baker, Attleboro area Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Senator Becca Rausch, and State Representative Shawn Dooley. During the ceremony the four Tri-County students were honored for their works of art which reflect the company’s research efforts.
“Our students utilized the skills they have gained from Graphic Communications to clearly portray their idea of ‘science.’ It is interesting to see the range of ideas that were born for the open-ended contest,” said Linda Thompson, Graphic Communications instructor.
The state-of-the-art site was purpose-built for large-scale manufacturing. It will offer a flexible and scalable configuration of laboratory and production suites co-located with adjacent warehousing and office space.
“All 16 of the Career Majors offered at Tri-County have a foundation in STEAM education. The incorporation of critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving helps prepare our students to be innovators and combine left and right brain thinking. It is an honor to have our students’ artwork hanging in the halls of a state-of-the-art facility for a worldwide leader in the pharmaceutical industry,” said Dr. Karen Maguire, Superintendent/Director, Tri-County RVTHS.
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School CIS sophomores and juniors competed in the state round of the CyberPatriot competition in December. CyberPatriot is an educational program created by the Air & Space Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines that are critical to our nation’s future. At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation’s largest cyber defense competition that tasks middle and high school students nationwide to secure virtual networks.
The statewide competition was held on December 9, 2022 and two teams from Tri-County RVTHS placed in the Silver and Gold Level of the State Competition. The Competition is comprised of several rounds and teams are slotted into Silver, Gold, or Platinum tiers after the first two rounds. Sophomores: Conor Cadorette from Franklin, Corey Ball from Medway, William Godfrey from Seekonk, John Raymond from Franklin, and Cayden Bourassa from Seekonk placed 1st in the Silver Level and will move onto semi-final regionals to be held January 20th and 21st. Juniors: Tristan Poirier from North Attleboro, James O’Brien from North Attleboro, Noah Renner from Norfolk, Troy Casto of Seekonk, Sean Vengren of Walpole, and Cameron Jones of Plainville placed 8th in the Gold Level.
The CyberPatriot competition allows students to gain hands-on experience of securing a virtual network. Students are asked to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems then using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system. “The CyberPatriot Competition is an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have gained in the classroom to a simulated real-world situation. Students gain experience and confidence through the program which is invaluable,” stated Kimberly Zogalis, CIS Instructor.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) worked in collaboration with several students in the Tri-County RVTHS Legal and Protective Services Career Major to introduce interested juniors and seniors to the variety of employment options available to them after graduation. Students in Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, Electrical Wiring Technology, Plumbing & Hydronic Heating, Engineering, HVAC&R, and Metal Fabrication were welcome to sit for a brief conversation with Director of Recruitment Jennithan Cortez and Recruitment Specialist Jevon Brown-Simpson.
Cortez and Brown-Simpson spoke to the students about the opportunities available in the fifteen different DOC facilities throughout the state as an excellent way to get started in a state job after graduation. The students learned what a typical day would consist of, the benefits available, including pension and tuition reimbursement, union membership, salary, and work culture. The students and instructors were able to ask questions and were encouraged to reach out for assistance with the application process if necessary. Brown-Simpson commented, “This was by far the best experience I have had recruiting. Your students were great, and the entire format was very conducive to our objective of meeting all the programs. I want to highlight how impressed Director Cortes and I were with the entire experience.”
“This program showcased state-level public service employment opportunities available in many trades. It exposed students to jobs they may not have considered otherwise. Whether they are looking for employment directly after high school graduation or want to attend college first, the DOC offers a range of careers that fit well with many of the Career Majors Tri-County offers,” said Brenna Ferrick, Legal & Protective Services Instructor and organizer of this event.
We are so excited to present Tri-County employees who have dedicated 25+ years to our school community with this very special acknowledgment!
Melissa Beckmann
Nancy Haney
Luci-Anne Jones
Tara Lane
Chris Senior
The presentation was held at the December 21st School Committee Meeting
“Let’s Glow Crazy” HoCo 2022 in the books!!! Over 600 kids came out to dance and party! Thanks to everyone who helped to make this a success – students, staff, custodians, police, parents and volunteers – we couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help!!!
November 28th-December 2nd
Spirit Week ended with an awesome pep-rally! There was a very impressive student/teacher dance-off, the seniors won the prize to shave Mr. Alden’s mustache, the Dance Team performed for the first time in front of the school, the cheer team performed before heading to the national championships! We held the largest game of hungry, hungry hippos! The student relay race was hilarious! Sophomores won the egg toss! Seniors won the Cougar Cup!!! Special thanks to Mr. Alden for being the host and for saying goodbye to his mustache (for a great cause!)!!!
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.
Did Tri-County help shape your career aspirations and plans? If so, how?
When I selected Legal and Protective Services I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. The co-op experience made me realize how much I enjoyed the court system and realize I wanted to work within in system as something other than a lawyer.
What is your favorite memory of studying at Tri-County?
Going on field trips in shop. We would go to courthouses and jailhouses and it was interesting to see what happens at each location. I also enjoyed studying forensics my senior year.
Imagine you were going to start high school over again- with the benefit of hindsight- what advice would you give yourself?
Pay better attention and study harder. Don’t care what other people think of you.
Would you recommend studying at Tri-County, why?
Yes, it was a great experience. Being able to explore the different shops Freshman year helped because you experience many aspects of each career option to see if it is the line of work you are interested in.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our current students?
Take full advantage of co-op. It is the best option to figure out what you’d like to do in your field.
Program at Tri-County: Legal and Protective Services
Year of Graduation: 2019
Further Education/Training: Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Cape Cod Community 2021
Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire Online College anticipated graduation 2024
Current Employer: Wrentham District Court
Current Job Title: Case Specialist
Current Location: Plymouth, MA
Hometown: Wrentham, MA
Sports/Activities at TC: Varsity Soccer Freshman and Sophomore Year
Tell us what you have done since graduation.
I attended Cape Cod Community College and graduated in May of 2021 with an Associates Degree in Criminal justice. I am currently enrolled at Southern New Hampshire Online for a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice and plan to graduate in May of 2024.
I started my job as a case specialist at the Wrentham District Court in July of 2021.
Has your career path changed since graduation?
No, I have wanted to work at the court since my co-op position Senior Year.
How well did Tri-County prepare/support you for the challenges that you have faced, or will face, in your career?
Tri-County helped me by teaching me how to handle interviews and what to expect in the workforce. During shop we focused on what court would be like and my co-op allowed me to make connections, gain real-world experience, and figure out what in the Legal and Protective Services field I would like to do.
What is the most exciting element of your career?
Working in the civil office. It is interesting to sit in on cases and listen. I handle restraining orders and the mental health section and enjoy being able to help people do what is best for them.
What is the most difficult thing you have faced in your career?
I am the youngest person in the court office and while my co-workers respect me and my work, some of the people I encounter within the system do not take me seriously.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to enter your line of work?
It is difficult process getting hired into the court system. Try to get an internship before you apply to help you make connections. From a pool of over 200 candidates, I was selected due to my prior knowledge of the Wrentham District Court and the work I had done while on co-op there.
Club Team Leader: Mr. Lang
Meets: Once a week on Thursday, 2:30pm-3:10pm
Location: N203
The Anime Club welcomes anyone who loves to watch or draw anime. Anime (pronounced AH-nee-may ) is a term for a style of Japanese comic book and video cartoon animation in which the main characters have large doe-like eyes.
During meetings, we watch school-appropriate anime episodes together and those who draw anime are welcome to showcase their work whether it be pen and pencil or digital drawings.
The club has a manga library that members can read and borrow from and then discuss with the rest of the group.
If you are interested in more information, email lang@tri-county.us or join us for a meeting.
The sophomore Medical Assisting class had an active day at the Franklin Senior Center earlier this week. Students were on site to check blood pressures and then presented to an audience about Thyroid function. They were able to handle multiple questions by the audience. Students also worked with the Town Nurse and epidemiologist and learned about the Maven system, practiced using an epi pen and tourniquet.
Tri-County Culinary students participated in a fun-filled Skills-USA challenge!
The SkillsUSA Massachusetts MRE Challenge is a TEAM Culinary Event for Teams of 3 Culinary students in which contestants will demonstrate using their culinary knowledge and sanitation as well their ability to utilize and be creative with Military issue MREs. Using 6 randomly selected MREs the contestants will produce 2 each of the following: appetizer, entrée, dessert, 12 oz. beverage (hot or cold). A. Contestants will be given a total of 30 minutes to plan, 90 minutes to execute the food and 5 minutes to present to judges and with a Q & A.
Kim Fontaine from Animal Assisted Therapy Services (http://www.aatsma.org/) visited Early Education with Tomo in January. She shared with the students her role, and Tomo’s role, in schools and in communities. Students were able to ask questions, and learn about the impact that interactions with animals have on the brain, which supports the students’ learning about brain development. We are hoping for a continued relationship with Kim and Tomo, and that they will be able to come back during a preschool session so that our students can have the experience of working with young children who are sharing time with an animal therapy dog.
Ms J. and the Ski/Snowboard Club students had a blast at Mt. Wachusett!
In Mrs. LaPlante’s Speech and Debate elective, seniors are learning and practicing the art of rhetoric and debate, specifically Parliamentary debate. This form of debate is extemporaneous debating on a wide variety of topics drawn from current events, controversial ideas, contemporary culture, domestic and international issues, politics and philosophy.
In this image, Jackson, the Leader of Government, delivers his first constructive speech on the motion that hot dogs are not a sandwich. Marco, the member of government, Brianna, the leader of opposition, and Aurelija, the member of opposition, listen attentively and flow notes to prepare for the delivery of their own speech. Using ballots, the judges ruled that the Government proved their case and thus ruled in favor of the affirmative: Hot dogs are indeed NOT a sandwich. Food for thought?
Medical Assisting Sophomores are teaming up with the Franklin Senior Center to be a part of the Supportive Day Program.
The students will be working on: critical skills, patient interaction, presenting a monthly presentation on the disease of the month, getting trained on “stop the bleed”, learning about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and having the opportunity to interact with seniors who have experience in their medical field of interest. We are looking forward to watching their growth and expanding their experience as opportunities arise.
Practical Nursing and Medical Assisting Students teamed up to perform annual screenings of the Tri-County Students. These screenings test vision and hearing as well as record the student’s height, weight, and BMI.
We love when our adult education and high school students can work together to gain valuable on-the-job experience.
What a great time for Cosmetology Sophomores who hosted their family/friends to complimentary hair and facial services.
The SkillsUSA officers attended the Fall State Leadership Conference in Marlborough, MA. Award winners included a Silver Medal for Jake Houlihan for Technical Presentation, MVP for Community Service Lizzie LaFleur, Gold Medal for Personal Skills Presentation Ava Membreno, Silver Medal for Workplace Skills Presentation Savana Martinsen, Silver Medal for Community Service Presentation Ayden Rzewuski, Bronze Medal for Community Service Lizzie LaFleur and Brady O’Connor.
Leadership Awards were presented to Brady O’Connor, Jake Houlihan and Amelia Reitz. Congratulations to these SkillsUSA Officers who left Tri-County as students and came back as student leaders.
The Fall State Leadership Conference is designed for Chapter Advisors and Chapter leaders to assist them in building strong SkillsUSA programs at their schools. Participants engage through intensive training focused on the elements of the SkillsUSA Framework of personal, workplace and technical skills while having opportunities to earn the SkillsUSA Massachusetts Leader Award.
The National Honor Society induction was held at the end of January where Sara Martin was the keynote speaker. NHS Advisor, Brenna Ferrick put on a wonderful evening recognizing these amazing students.
Tri-County’s very own Gerry’s Place Restaurant rated top in the town!
Dining Where the Future Chefs Are
Come to Gerry’s Place for a fantastic dining experience! Our restaurant is located inside of Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School and is student-run. Enjoy delicious, affordable meals from talented future chefs. Rated the top restaurant in Franklin, Massachusetts by Yelp, Gerry’s Place will not disappoint!
Tuesday to Friday 10:30am to 12:30pm
Call ahead to check for changes to hours.
Order online and pick up at TC: https://olo.spoton.com/5fcecea29adef366f5da520b
Seniors in the Carpentry program installed a mural in the play space of the Tri-County Children’s Center, our on-site laboratory preschool for our Early Education program. The mural was designed and painted by Erin Hutchinson, a grade 11 student in the Early Education program.
Tri-County Robotics Team competed in the VEX Robotics Southern New England Competition in January in Hopkinton with a freshmen and veteran team.
They showed true spirit with their mascot,”Hank The Unicorn”, who became a popular fixture in the stands. People came over to meet Hank and take pictures with him.
Making it to playoff matches Tri-County,
After forming an alliance with with Chicopee High School, they qualified and advanced to the quarterfinals ultimately losing to two Framingham teams. An amazing finish out of 28 teams and a Tri-County Vex Robotics best finish.
Vex Robotics-Hopkinton High School
Veteran Team:
Thomas Ford-Scout
Ryan Blanchette- Scout & Unicorn Handler
Brady O’Conner-Pit Captain & Lead Driver
Jaimin Farrington Leet-Mechanical Captain
Nick Daday-Team Captain
Ephraim James Aday: Lead Programmer
William Redfearn-Lead Robot Operator
Emily Mager-Scout
Caiden Parisi-Match Scheduling Manager
Amelia Rietz- Scout & Lead Counsel
Aiden Juhl-Mountain Dew Distribution Scientist
Freshmen Team:
Sophie Anderson- Team Captain
Alex Blando-Creative Lead
Kylie McDonald-Mechanical Captain
Max Guaman-Match Scheduling Manager
Letterman jackets are in! Juniors and Seniors who have earned varsity credit in four seasons receive a FREE jacket thanks to the TC Boosters!
TC Cougars Boys Basketball team got to teach some hoops to the Preschoolers that attend the school in the Early Education Department.
Automotive Technology had guests speakers from Dover Speed Shop, Stow, MA (Dover Speed Shop) which specialize in purchase, sales, service and restoration of classics, muscle, collectible, street rods, truck, and many other vehicles. Adam and Jared spoke to the students about following their passion
Sometimes it takes a little time to take off, but when it does, it pays off to do something you love!
Tri-County Robotics Team competed in the Vex Robotics-Southern New England Competition in Framingham in November.
The team showed true sportsmanship and preparedness with their “travel workshop” consisting of a portable workbench, all tools necessary for Robotics and of course plenty of people fuel. The TC pit area became the go to stop for others as our team showed true TC pride by sharing knowledge and tools.
After forming an alliance with Fitchburg High School, the team qualified and advanced to the elite 8, ultimately losing to Bancroft, an amazing finish out of 45 teams. A great start to the Vex Robotics season, stay tuned for more, we’re just getting started and “we’re gonna do it again, we just jump up, kick back, whip around and spin and then we jump back, do it again”
Vex Robotics-Southern New England
TC Team:
Thomas Ford-programming consultant
Ryan Blanchette- Lead Scout
Brady O’Conner-Pit Captain & Lead Driver
Jaimin Farrington Leet-Mechanical Captain
Nick Daday-Team Captain
Ephraim James Aday: Lead Programmer
Brendan Purvis: Energy Manager & Mechanic
Aiden O’Malley: Robot Strategy Scout
William Redfearn-Lead Robot Operator & Match Scheduling Manager
Emily Mager-Robot Strategy Scout
Teddy Connors, a grade 12 plumbing student, (who Co-Ops at alumni owned Aulenback Plumbing & Heating) captain of the wrestling team, received the Sportsmanship Award at the John D. Gorman tournament held in Cumberland, RI this weekend. He beat out 20 teams worth of wrestlers!
TC placed 9th out of 20 teams at this tournament.
Congratulations to our Winter Senior athletes! Our Graphic Communications Program has done another stellar job creating their banners!!!
Our grade 10 culinary students were able to experience a professional development day in Boston! They were provided a wonderful opportunity to hear speakers talk about wellness, fitness, how to support each other, knowing your worth, and many others! The keynote was by Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and Jenny Johnson.
Grade 10 Health Careers students learned how very important it is to be trained in CPR and AED use. They trained to get their American Heart Association First Aid CPR/AED certification.
As part of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s challenge to them, sophomores in the Legal and Protective Services program presented freshman health classes with information about marijuana-impaired driving.
Any students may watch this 16-minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ihZ1WvSWPI and take the questionnaire https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx in order to support the LPS students in their initiative to inform peers about these dangers.
For more information, visit:
https://northeast.aaa.com/…/Shifting-Gears/Overview.html
The course was put together by AAA Northeast and Brown University School of Public Health.
Computer case mods are a fun and creative way to add personality to your desktop. It involves covering your computer in a customized casing that adds style to the typically standard-looking PC. CIS Grade 10 students built computers and created Gingerbread House case mods.
Graphic Communication grade 10 students created custom seamless patterns in Adobe Illustrator. The designs were printed onto wide format paper to produce personalized wrapping paper for students to take home.
Congratulations to our alumni Jake on this recognition from the North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund! Congratulations to LU 346 member Jake Benton who has been recognized as the Apprentice of the Month by the NASCTF. Jake is a third-year apprentice.
Below are comments from his instructors.
“Very fast learner. Outstanding listener, and asks questions when necessary. Helpful to peers.”
“In the time we have been instructors here, Jake is one of the best apprentices we have had here- employability, attitude, skill set, work ethic, teamwork and he has the tolerance to work with anyone. He presents as a journey man when it comes to framing. Luis and I understand how advanced he is considering the small amount of time he has spent as an apprentice.”
Keep up the good work!
Juniors and seniors who are taking entrepreneurship this trimester were given the inside scoop and a lesson presented by Mr. Kanelos. Students learned about starting and owning a business, as well as the different types of business structures. All this relates to what they are currently learning about in class! Mr. K, a business owner himself was excited to give this presentation to our students and is looking forward to the presenting to the rest of the classes in trimester 3!
LPS sophomores held their first full criminal mock trial in the fictitious case against Andrew Madison, who was charged with “Disorderly conduct,” “Possession of implements of a crime,” and “Assault on a police officer.” The sophomores from Dental Assisting shop served as the jury, who attentively listened to six witness statements and analyzed evidence in the case. Ultimately the jury rendered NOT GUILTY verdicts on all counts.
Carpentry 9th & 11th graders visited the North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund at their Millbury Training Center. The students were able to see hands-on training and were able to hear first-hand accounts of the attending apprentices from LU 326 Archie Reid (Floor Coverer) and LU 327 Brittany Tonello. We thank NASCTF Instructor JT for showing them around.
