Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to share that Pentucket Regional High School students will participate in the German American Partnership Program (GAPP).
The German American Partnership Program (GAPP), supported by the United States State Department, allows students from the U.S. and Germany to visit a secondary school in the other country. More than 400,000 American and German students have participated in the program since its establishment nearly 50 years ago.
Pentucket’s last GAPP exchange took place in 2014. For the past two years, German Teacher Stephen Petersen and Pentucket German IV students participated in a virtual exchange program, the German American Virtual Exchange (GAVE), with students from Stadtgymnasium Emsland in Rheine, Germany.
Pentucket students will finally meet their virtual exchange partners in person this year, as they engage in the GAPP. Students from Germany will visit Pentucket from Oct. 2-15, where they will live with host families to experience American family life firsthand.
Throughout their visit, students will also have the opportunity to get a feel for the Massachusetts educational system through shadowing a Pentucket student who is learning German at the high school, and visiting a district elementary school, Whittier Tech, and Boston University. Students will also get to take a trip to Boston, Newburyport, a local farm, and the beaches on Plum Island.
“In the past, life-long connections have been made between Pentucket and German students through this program,” said Pentucket Regional Middle High School Foreign Language Department Chair Linda Hackett. “We are excited to be bringing back the GAPP to Pentucket and are confident that our students will benefit from the connections made with the students from Germany.”
The Pentucket School Committee approved the program for the 2023-24 school year last spring.
Plans are being made to take Pentucket students to Rheine in June 2024.
German GAPP Coordinator Christophe Kotte, left, and the students who will visit Pentucket this fall. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
WEST NEWBURY — Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Principal Brenda Erhardt invite the Pentucket Regional School District community to attend the opening of the district’s new stadium on Friday.
The new stadium will host its first football game at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, when the Pentucket Regional Middle-High School Panthers host Hamilton-Wenham. It will be the first night football home game in school history.
The opening of the stadium is part of the three-phase construction project to replace the district’s middle and high schools and reimagine the school campus. The new field, built on the site of the former middle school, will host football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey games.
“We are very excited to show off one of the crown jewels of our school buildings project,” Principal Erhardt said. “Our school community has been patient for the past several years as the new campus unfolded. We’re eager to show off this new, amazing facility, and we hope parents, students and supporters will celebrate Opening Night.”
All members of the school community are welcome. Admission is free.
“This has been years in the making, and we want to make sure as many people as possible can attend,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “The new stadium is one of the last pieces of our school building project. We want our community to celebrate the progress we’ve made.”
Click here to learn more about Pentucket’s athletic teams.
GROVELAND — Town Administrator Rebecca Oldham and Superintendent Justin Bartholomew report that the Uptack Road project has been delayed, which will impact the school bus commute for Pentucket Regional School District students.
Pentucket Regional Middle andHigh Schools and the Bagnall Elementary School will be affected by this delay, and school bus companies have been notified.
Click here to view the updated bus route information.
Uptack Road will be reopened for travel Sept.13.
Uptack Road was closed due to culvert demolition. To learn more about the Uptack Road project, click here.
Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to share that the District welcomed its new staff members at New Teacher Orientation last week.
Orientation, held on Aug. 23-24 at Pentucket Regional Middle-High School, was designed to welcome new teachers to the District, discuss the District’s core values and beliefs, and become energized for the coming school year. Special Education Literacy Teacher Laura Coakley facilitated for about 30 new staff members.
The orientation began with a welcome address and introductions from Superintendent Bartholomew, Payroll/Benefits Coordinator Brandy Perusse, Human Resources Specialist Lisa Giampietro, Human Resources Coordinator Sabrina Simone, and Coakley.
Coakley then provided an overview of the orientation schedule, goals, and materials. Assistant Superintendent Brent Conway jumped into a discussion about Pentucket’s core values, inclusivity practices, and curriculum and instruction.
Assistant Superintendent Conway also facilitated an educator evaluation session, where teachers engaged in the goal setting process which serves as the foundation for the educator evaluation system.
Catherine Page, Sam Kwong, and John Kwiatek, members of Pentucket’s IT team, gave a technology overview, including details about Google Classroom, Infinite Campus, and logging into Chromebooks and the PRSD website.
The orientation also covered a variety of other important topics including special education, student safety, professional growth, keys to success at Pentucket, and more.
The two-day orientation closed the with a luncheon provided by the Pentucket Association of Teachers. New staff met their mentor teachers at the luncheon, who will support them throughout the year in a book study and other collaborative meetings.
New teachers will participate in follow-up orientation meetings in September, October, and December to keep track of their progress throughout the fall.
“New Teacher Orientation is a great welcome to our tight-knit district,” said Superintendent Bartholomew. “We believe it is important that new teachers get to know their colleagues and become familiar with the values within our schools. We are excited to see what the new year brings for everyone at Pentucket!”
The Pentucket Regional School District welcomed its new staff members at New Teacher Orientation. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Principal Jim Day are pleased to welcome multiple new hires and two new members of the leadership team at Bagnall School.
The Pentucket Regional School District has hired five new teachers at Bagnall School. Hannah Gohr has been hired to the role of kindergarten teacher, Madi Codair to the role of Grade 4 teacher, Korri Finn to the role of Grade 6 teacher, Laurel Chabib to the role of life skills teacher, and Camille Torres to the Therapeutic Intervention Program (Grades 3-6).
Bagnall School also welcomes four more staff members who have been hired for a variety of roles including Library and Media Staff Member Lisa Pitella, and Paraprofessionals Oliver Bucco, Molly Casey, and Nicole Freeman.
There are also two new members to Bagnall’s leadership team.
Jennifer Barreto will join the District as Bagnall’s new Assistant Principal. Caitlin Guilfoil, who has been Bagnall’s Special Education Coordinator for four years, will expand her role as an official administrator within the school’s leadership team.
“We are thrilled to have these qualified individuals join our team,” said Superintendent Bartholomew. “They each bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to Bagnall School, and I am confident they will be valuable assets within our District. Welcome to you all!”
MERRIMAC – The Pentucket Regional School District invites interested Merrimac residents to apply to fill a vacancy on the Whittier Tech School Committee.
The board member serves to represent the best educational interests of children from the Town of Merrimac. Applicants will be interviewed in public session by the Pentucket Regional School Committee, which is the appointing authority. The selected applicant commits to serving a three-year term, ending March 31, 2026.
The Whittier Tech School Committee establishes purposes, policies, programs, and procedures which will best produce educational opportunities for all students.
School Committee members have four responsibilities:
Create and adopt District policies.
Select a Superintendent-Director to implement those policies.
Evaluate the Superintendent-Director.
Budget for adequate resources for the District.
Whittier Tech School Committee members are expected to maintain effective communication with the public, staff, and students, and to maintain awareness of attitudes, opinions, desires, and ideas. All Committee meetings are held in adherence to the Open Meeting Law, except where a closed executive session is permitted by the law.
Merrimac residents who are interested in serving are asked to send a letter of interest to Marianne Naffah, Office of the Superintendent, 22 Main St., West Newbury 01985 or to mnaffah@prsd.org, no later than Friday, Sept. 1.
WEST NEWBURY — Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to share that Pentucket Regional School District, with the assistance of the Police and Fire Departments of Groveland, Merrimack, and West Newbury, has received funding to improve school security within the District.
The state’s Safer Schools and Communities Initiative, managed by the Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, awarded the District $71,406.79 for two projects:
The district will use $28,118.83 to purchase 45 interoperable radios and a repeater system. The radios will link police, fire, and emergency medical services in the three communities when they respond to Pentucket Middle High School in a mutual aid situation.
The district will use $43,287.96 to purchase and install cameras and a secure-entry system at Donaghue School in Merrimac.
These projects were identified as District priorities through ongoing safety and security reviews with public safety leaders in all three sending communities.
Pentucket was among 42 grant recipients, who were chosen through a competitive application process.
Districts could apply for funding for up to three buildings.
Superintendent Bartholomew wishes to thank Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen, Groveland Fire Chief Robert Valentine, Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shears, Merrimac Fire Chief Larry Fisher, and West Newbury Police and Fire Chief Michael Dwyer for their expertise and support during this process.
MERRIMAC —The Town of Merrimac is pleased to announce the launch of its new website.
The new website, https://townofmerrimac.com, now features a user-friendly design and modern features to ensure that residents can easily access resources and important information.
New features of the site include:
Community Calendar to stay up to date with town events
Social media integration with Merrimac’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.
New staff directory that features new phone numbers to easily contact town leaders, department heads and committee members
Agendas and Minutes Library
Online Payments and Forms
Expansive Search Feature
The homepage features an expansive menu that allows users and visitors to access
Town Government Offices, Online Bill Payments, Elections and Voting information, and community resources.
Residents can now subscribe to the site to receive email alerts of news updates and events posted on the website. Users can also apply for open municipal positions within Merrimac directly on the site.
“The Select Board was looking to actively pursue ways to increase service levels throughout the Town of Merrimac, and our new website offers a way to provide better communication to our residents,” said Select Board Chairperson Chris Manni. “We encourage residents to explore our new site, as they can now access vital information with unlimited accessibility and ease.”
The new website was created and designed by John Guilfoil Public Relations.
MERRIMAC — Chief Larry Fisher reports that the Merrimac Fire Department extinguished a garage fire on Monday morning.
On Monday, July 10, at 5:10 a.m., Merrimac Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 45 West Shore Road, in a garage with a recreational vehicle parked beside it.
The garage was determined to be fully involved upon arrival. There were no reported injuries.
Mutual aid was provided by the Amesbury, Plaistow, N.H., Newton, N.H., East Kingston, N.H., and Kingston, N.H., Fire Departments. Station coverage was provided by West Newbury and Kensington, N.H., Fire Departments. A Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) was provided by the Salisbury Fire Department.
The Merrimac Department of Public Works assisted on scene with debris removal.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Merrimac Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
“While the exact cause of this fire is undetermined, investigators believe it may have involved an electrical event. Having a licensed electrician review your home’s electrical system every 10 years can help to identify potential problems before they become hazards,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “Issues like loose sockets, frequently blown fuses or tripped circuits, and dim or flickering lights suggest issues that need to be addressed soon. When charging phones, laptops, power tools, or mobility devices with lithium-ion batteries, always use the charging devices provided by the manufacturer, and never leave them charging overnight. These batteries store a lot of power in a small package, and they can create a serious fire hazard if abused or misused.”
“In light of this incident, we want to remind our residents of the importance of electrical safety. Always follow operational manuals and instruction guidelines when using devices with lithium-ion batteries or working with electrical. You should consider consulting with trained professionals and installing an advanced circuit breaker, which can shut off electricity when a problem is detected. It only takes a second for electrical devices to cause a fire, so acting with care is crucial to keep your family safe,” Chief Fisher said. “I also would like to thank all of the departments that provided mutual aid during this incident. We greatly appreciate your assistance in protecting the residents of Merrimac.”
The Pentucket Regional School District’s elementary schools all are named after local historical figures: Dr. Elmer S. Bagnall in Groveland, Dr. John C. Page in West Newbury, and Helen R. Donaghue and Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir in Merrimac.
Pentucket Regional High School German Instructor Stephen Petersen, who has some interest in the history of the District, noticed that all of the elementary schools displayed a portrait of their namesake except for Sweetsir School.
And the search for the missing portrait began.
The District contacted the Merrimac Historical Museum in hopes it might have one. With the help of Historical Museum members, the portrait was found within the Museum archives.
Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir was born in Merrimac in 1911, and after attending Bowdoin College and Tufts Medical School, became a local doctor who served Merrimac residents. Soon after Dr. Sweetsir started his general practice in Merrimac, he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Force and served from 1942 to 1946. He was discharged as a Major. Sweetsir went on to serve in the medical service of the U.S. Army Air Force until his return to Merrimac in 1946, where he would engage in general practice until 1977.
He was an Executive Councilor of the Massachusetts Medical Society and numerous medical committees in northern Essex County. He was also a member of the committee that built the Helen R. Donaghue School. Overall, Dr. Sweetsir was known for his altruism and amiable care of his patients.
The former Red Oak School was renamed in his honor.
Like the Museum members today, Dr. Sweetsir was dedicated to preserving the Town’s history. He was chairman of the Merrimac Historical Museum, and around 1974, Sweetsir formed a historical commission that was dedicated to the preservation of town history.
“Dr. Sweetsir was best known as an advocate for the schools and Town of Merrimac,” said Museum Board Chair Larry Fisher. “He personally paid to have the old school landing next to the fire station moved in order to preserve the last standing schoolhouse in Merrimac. He also passed on a large amount of his personal historical collection to the Merrimac Historical Museum.”
The District’s close ties to town history have a deep impact on its students, who are greatly interested in the history of their schools. Sweetsir School, which educates students in Pre-K through Grade 2, is next door to Helen R. Donaghue School, which teaches students in Grades 3-6. Sweetsir students start by learning the facets that make up historical thinking – geography, civics, unity, and diversity – within their history classes.
Upon arriving at Donaghue, history lessons shift to focus on applying these elements to the history of Massachusetts and local communities. At the beginning of the year, Grade 3 students learn about town government, local geographic features and historical landmarks, and the demographic origins of Groveland, West Newbury, and Merrimac.
This year, Grade 3 teacher Kathleen Tercerio reached out to the Historical Museum about doing tours with students. Each class walked from Donaghue School to the Museum to take a tour with Fisher, where they learned about the history of Merrimac, as well as about the individuals for whom their schools were named.
“The students loved it so much that they brought their parents back to the Museum the following weekend and regurgitated the tour. They’re like sponges; they soak up all of the information. It was very exciting to see,” said Sweetsir and Donaghue School Principal Stephanie Dembro.
Fisher, who loves to add one-of-a-kind pieces of town history to his personal collection, has a deep passion for the preservation of local history and noted that students will be crucial in that effort moving forward.
“The kids were very engaged with the history and trying to preserve it. They say that you can win the hearts of people through the kids, and it’s true,” he said. “Our kids are our future because they place a different value on our history.”
“We’re doing this to make sure the town retains some of its history,” said Fisher. “This puts a spotlight on the school, but also on the role of the Museum in the town’s preservation.”
“The Pentucket Regional School District prides itself on getting our students involved in the greater community. Our students at all of our schools, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, have shown great interest in the history of their towns and schools,” said Superintendent Justin Bartholomew. “It’s amazing to see them go out into the world and exhibit an appreciation for where they come from.”
Fisher presented the portrait to Superintendent Bartholomew and Principal Dembro at the school on Tuesday, June 6. They hung the portrait in the lobby, where students will finally be able to put a face to the name of the man for whom Sweetsir School was named.
“The kids are going to be so excited to see this,” said Principal Dembro. “I know that when they come out (to the lobby) at dismissal, the portrait will be the first thing they notice.”
Pentucket students involved in the Pentucket Profile, “the voice of Pentucket students,” wrote an article that uncovers the history behind the namesakes of Pentucket’s elementary schools. The article can be found here.
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The portrait of Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir, created by Paula Dow, now hangs in the lobby of Sweetsir School. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
From left, Museum Board Chair Larry Fisher, Principal Stephanie Dembro, and Superintendent Justin Bartholomew hang the portrait of Dr. Sweetsir in Sweetsir school. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
The portrait of Helen R. Donaghue hangs in Donaghue School. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
The portrait of Dr. John C. Page hangs in Page School. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
The portrait of Dr. Elmer S. Bagnall hangs in Bagnall School. (Photo Courtesy Pentucket Regional School District)
MERRIMAC —The Town of Merrimac is pleased to announce the launch of its new website.
The new website, 
