Congrats to Natick’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

September 14, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Three high school seniors in Natick have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

Two Natick High School students and one Walnut Hill School students are among the 16,000 academically accomplished semifinalists eligible for part of some $28 million in scholarships to be awarded next spring.

Those qualifying scored high on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and met other requirements. About 95% of semifinalists will likely make it to the finalist round, and about half of them will earn scholarships, according to the National Merit organization.

Scholarships are underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., as we as as hundreds of businesses and higher education institutions. Among the scholarships are 2,500 awards worth $2,500 apiece. Winners will be announced between April and July next year.

Congrats to all of the semifinalists.

Natick High School

Aviva Harman
Akshaya Ravi

Walnut Hill School for the Arts

Susan Meng

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First day of school in Natick—we stop by Johnson Elementary School

August 31, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

The last day of August was the first day of school for Natick kids who seemed to leave summer behind with hardly a backward glance as they hustled up the hill to Johnson Elementary School.

With temperatures expected to rise into the mid-80s on day one, there wasn’t a fall jacket or sweater to be seen. Most kids opted for a casual back-to-school look of shorts, skirts, and t-shirts, attire that should keep them comfortable in the 73-year old Johnson School building that isn’t exactly air conditioned. (Fans do their darndest to keep everyone cool, though).

Crossing guard, Johnson School, Natick — Bob the crossing guard keeps everyone safe on busy Route 27.

It was also a first day at Johnson School for Principal John Jordan, who was named to the top job in an interim role earlier this summer. Meanwhile, across the border in Wellesley, former Johnson School principal Jordan Hoffman logged a first day of her own as principal at Schofield Elementary School. Got all those J-words straight? Good.

Welcome to all newcomers in town, whether faculty, staff, or families, and welcome back to all you seasoned veterans.

Got any classic Opening Day photos to share from today? Feel free: natickreport@gmail.com

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Purple flags in Natick are an unsettling visualization of lives lost to opioids

August 31, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

The lawn of First Church Natick once again is the site the Purple Flag Project, a striking installation of thousands of flags placed in remembrance of the number of lives lost to opioid overdose in Massachusetts in 2021. The sobering number this year has been confirmed at 2,290 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. That’s up by 186 from 2021. The display was put into place yesterday by volunteers working with SOAR (Supporting Outreach and Addiction Recovery), a Natick-based support group for those with a loved one suffering with substance abuse.

Purple Flag Project, SOAR, Natick — Volunteers working with SOAR, a Natick-based support group, placed thousands of purple flags in Natick Center to draw attention to the numbers of lives lost to opioid overdose in 2021.

Eileen Collett, one of SOAR’s founders, said each flag “represents a person and that’s how we think about them. Every one of these people had someone who cared about them. When you see all the flags, you see the depth of how many there are and the despair of the numbers.”

Collett considers herself one of the lucky ones. Her son is in long-term recovery, married and expecting a baby soon. “A lot of my friends in this group don’t have that luxury. It’s alarming that there’s not more being done.”

In addition to the purple flags, red flags are also placed by family members and friends to remember the lives lost in any year to substance use. Red flags are available in a bin for anyone to personalize and add to the display.

The Purple Flag Project will be on display in Natick Center through September 11. From there it will go to the property of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where it will be visible along busy Route 16 September 12 – 26. Next the project will go to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where it will be on view October 2-8.

Not only do Natick Public Schools reopen Wednesday, but School Committee returns, too

August 30, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick School Committee returns for its first regular meeting since the end of June to kick off the new school year on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 6:3opm at Town Hall and online.

Among the agenda items:

An executive session (at the start of the meeting) to talk strategy regarding negotiations or collective bargaining with custodians, food service, and administrative assistants.
An evaluation of Supt. Dr. Anna Nolin

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Multicultural Day brought food, fun, and celebration to Natick

August 29, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

A celebration of the many cultures within Natick brought dance, music, and dramatic performances, food, and a spirit of camaraderie to the Common Street Spiritual Center and Natick Common on Saturday. Multicultural Day 2022, presented by the Natick Center Cultural District, showcased the song and dance talents of the Natick India Group; traditional Irish dancing; a classical Chinese dance and story presentation by the Minghui Academy Boston; and more.

The free event brought Natick residents and visitors from beyond the town to enjoy a day of education, entertainment, and fun.