SOPHOMORES, from left, Maggie Hatzis, Katie McGuinness, Ella Price and Sophia Tramontozzi proudly displayed the recommendations they developed for improving Town Meeting during Lynnfield High School’s fourth annual Civics Action Projects Showcase on March 19. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A number of issues impacting the community took center stage during Lynnfield High School’s fourth annual Civics Action Projects Showcase in the gym on March 19.
The high school’s Civic Action Projects involve having sophomores undertake a project that raises awareness about different issues in the community, state, country and world. The showcase featured groups of sophomores displaying their projects on tables. Over the course of the hour-long showcase, sophomores answered questions from their peers, educators, town officials, residents and House Minority Leader Brad H. Jones (R-North Reading) about their respective projects.
“We saw a lot of passion for different issues this year,” said LHS history/social science teacher Jen Goguen. “Students definitely did their research and talked to a lot of influencers and decision makers, and had a lot of enthusiasm for their projects. They definitely stepped up.”
LHS history/social science teacher David Forster said he was “really impressed” with the groups’ projects this year.
“The students really went above and beyond,” said Forster. “There were so many good ideas that the students developed, and the students cared deeply about their topics.”
Goguen said a lot of groups undertook projects focusing on “local issues in the community this year.”
“The topics were really awesome,” said Goguen.
Sophomores Maggie Hatzis, Katie McGuinness, Ella Price and Sophia Tramontozzi undertook a project that entails improving Town Meeting.
“We would like to improve Town Meeting by creating more publicity around it, enhancing babysitting, promoting an informed citizenry, involving high school students and improving transportation for senior citizens,” said Sophia.
Ella said it’s important for local officials to enhance babysitting and the publicity around Town Meeting in order to make sure working families are able to attend.
“I know it is important for working parents to be able to go because these issues directly affect them and their kids more so than other populations,” said Ella.
Katie agreed.
“What was most important to me was promoting an informed citizenry to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on,” said Katie.
Maggie said it’s important to have more publicity about Town Meeting because “a lot of people don’t know” it is occurring.
“It’s important to let people know Town Meeting is happening,” said Maggie.
Sophomores Giada Antidormi, Hannah Doherty, Lilli McSweeney and Charlotte Rose undertook a project that seeks to improve counselor connections at Lynnfield Middle School.
Hannah said the sophomores did not did not personally know their guidance counselors when they attended LMS.
“Our action is to possibility add another guidance counselor at the middle school,” said Hannah.
Charlotte added: “We feel that it is important for students to have those relationships with their guidance counselors.”
Giada echoed Hannah and Charlotte’s sentiment.
“When you get to high school, it is much more independent and you have to seek out your guidance counselor,” said Giada. “A lot of kids have anxiety doing that in middle school. We feel that it would be easier if the middle school had another guidance counselor.”
Lilli said hiring another guidance counselor for LMS is important because “students need someone to talk to” who will make them feel comfortable.
Sophomores Richard Federico, Nate McQueen, Jad Tannous and Jason Tran and undertook a project called “STEM is a Gem.”
“We are trying to get more STEM classes, particularly biomedical, into the Lynnfield High School curriculum,” said Richard. “We don’t think the curriculum has enough focus on any of the four areas of STEM, and we want to get more of that into the curriculum.”
Jason noted that “a lot of parents in Lynnfield work in the medical field,” and there are students who “want to follow in their parents’ footsteps.”
“I think expanding STEM and starting with a biomedical class is a good start,” said Jason.
Jad said, “There is a lot of interest in the STEM field and the medical field” at LHS. However, he said there is a lack of opportunities for students to study biomedical sciences and STEM at the high school.
“I want to give students more opportunities,” said Jad.
Nate noted that the group worked with “a lot of people” at LHS as well as Harvard MEDscience, which is a biology course for high school students offered at Harvard Medical School, while undertaking the project.
“We are trying to make connections with Harvard MEDscience,” said Nate.
Sophomores Nour Al-Mamori, Adrian Marton, Ethan DeFrietas and Joe Rosa undertook a project in support of a bill that seeks to improve the METCO program and would allow another bus to be funded by the state. Director Curtis Blyden informed the Villager that the program currently has one main bus for METCO students and a late bus for students who do extracurricular activities.
Joe said he and Adrian are both METCO students.
“It’s important to me because my buddy Adrian and I have been on the bus since we were in kindergarten,” said Joe. “The bus is very crowded and we get home late.”
Adrian said METCO students have to wake up earlier than their Lynnfield peers because the bus has to pick up students from a variety of different neighborhoods in Boston.
“It’s a little stressful because you have to wake up very early in the morning, and that has affects on a student’s mental health,” said Adrian. “We are still growing, and we need all of the sleep and rest that we can get. Getting home late impacts that.”
Ethan said METCO students have a “far commute” when going to and from school.
“The bus has about 45 kids with students in grades K-12,” said Ethan. “There is a big age gap. The bus doesn’t just go to Downtown Boston. It goes to all parts of Boston such as Dorchester, Hyde Park and Roxbury. That is the main reason why we wanted to do this project.”
Nour said adding a second bus would allow METCO students to get home sooner.
“A second bus would help address that issue,” said Nour.
There were sophomores who undertook other projects such as alcohol education, cellphone addiction, jobs for teens, creating a snow shoveling program for older adults and installing solar panels on the LHS roof
The Civics Action Projects that sophomores undertook blew LHS Principal Tricia Puglisi away.
“I love this type of learning because students really follow their passions,” said Puglisi. “As they are doing that, they are really learning valuable skills as we define in the Vision of the Graduate such as communication and resilience when they hit an obstacle. They are going to remember this long after they graduate from Lynnfield High School. These are the types of learning opportunities that really have an impact on kids.”
LHS Assistant Principal Mike McLeod said he was impressed with sophomores’ “excitement” while undertaking their respective Civics Action Projects.
“I was interviewed by a couple of groups, and their main concern was making this last long-term,” said McLeod.
Assistant Superintendent Adam Federico said he was “impressed with the topics that the students chose.”
“I think they will be really impactful for life at LHS,” said Federico. “The students’ presentation skills were fantastic. I am so impressed with the depth of the topics the kids have been researching.”
House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading) said the Civics Action Projects that sophomores undertook were “fantastic.”
“It’s a great way for young people to get involved with a wide variety of issues,” said Jones. “I think it is a great way for people in public office and parents to get an idea about what young people are thinking about.”
Goguen noted that sophomores will continue working on their respective Civics Action Projects.
“These kids are going to follow through on their actions,” said Goguen.