Schools
Excellent Night at the Swampscott Middle School
The annual "Night of Excellence" was held at the Swampscott Middle School Thursday with the students' projects and the school itself both on display.
Wide-eyed fourth graders and their parents, as well as middle school students showing off their projects roamed the halls and rooms of the Thursday evening.
The annual “Night of Excellence” was held to showcase the middle school students work from the 2010-2011 school year, and give fourth graders who will become fifth graders in the fall a glimpse of what they can expect.
“I think I’m more nervous than the kids are,” dad Glenn Paster said as he walked around the middle school with his twin boys Russell and Freddie.
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“I’m excited for them, but nervous too, it’s a big leap from fourth grade to fifth grade for sure,” Paster said.
Paster graduated from Swampscott High School in 1981, the first freshman class that would graduate from what was then the “new” Swampscott High School. Paster spent seventh and eight grade in the building when it was the Alice Shaw Junior High, then finished up in the same spot when he completed his senior year.
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“Oh I died and went to heaven when I came to Swampscott,” eighth grade English teacher Elizabeth Flynn said. “I’ve been teaching for 35 years, the last 17 here in Swampscott and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Flynn’s classroom, Room 213, was filled with her student’s projects and she beamed from ear to ear as her current students and their moms and dads and next year’s fifth graders passed through her room.
One of Flynn’s students, Olivia Forman, wrote a poem that was read and recognized for merit by Congressman John Tierney (D-MA).
“The fourth graders are so excited when they come in to see the building, the classrooms and the teachers,” Principal Ralph Watson said. “The parents are usually more apprehensive than the students, the kids really just want to know when they can get a locker and if the food is any good.”
This is the fifth year they’ve held the "Night of Excellence" at the middle school.
“We used to have the kids come in in September, but this gives them much more time to get adjusted, to find out about their new teachers, what the new school will be like and how to get around,” Watson said.
“This open house is a great opportunity for parents and students to see what the next year will bring, showcasing the current students' work and what will be happening for everyone in the fall,” Watson said.
“It’s much more nerve-wracking for the parents than the kids, but it’s a great chance to showcase what the Middle School has to offer, to showcase the teachers and the entire school, it’s really a great night,” Watson said.
