by Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The annual meeting of the Medfield Coalition for Public Education (MCPE) was held recently in the comfortable Zullo Gallery. Outgoing co-presidents Jenn Sroka and Danielle Tata welcomed everyone to the meeting, thanked Superintendent Jeff Marsden for his support through the year and the administrators for lending their help with grant work for the year. Then Sroka and Tata recognized the outgoing board members for their work on fundraising, representing MCPE at community events, and work on obtaining grants to fund innovative and exciting programs in the schools.
In reviewing 2023-2024, MCPE’s 35th year, Sroka and Tata noted that the group donated $100,000 to the Medfield schools. MCPE’s outreach and fundraising efforts included their Medfield Day Booth, Fall Fest event at the Boylston Schul-Verein German Club in Walpole, March Madness bracket challenge, Chipotle fundraiser, Trivia Night at the American Legion in Dover, annual Spelling Bee with 335 spellers from the Ralph Wheelock School and Dale Street School, Mother’s Day Wine and Charcuterie fundraiser, and the Blue Ribbon appreciation campaign.
Mary MacInnes then spoke about the Blue Ribbon program that allowed community members to honor 201 teachers and school staff for making a difference in students’ lives during the year. MacInnes introduced three educators who received a high number of recognition emails: Blake Middle School’s seventh grade English teacher Nathan Walkowicz, who was praised for being supportive of students and their work; Medfield High School’s business teacher Karen Shaffer, who was described as an enthusiastic teacher and role model who makes learning exciting; and Memorial School’s librarian Ane Farrahar, who was described as “a tour guide for knowledge” who encourages children’s love of reading and helps them learn new things.
Next, Bob Weisse thanked corporate sponsors who supported MCPE events, including Needham Bank, Medfield Orthodontics, Perez Martial Arts, Corcoran & Havlin Insurance Group, Brothers Marketplace, Shaw’s, Costco Wholesale, and Wegmans Food Markets.
Sroka and Tata then announced that MCPE funded over $82,000 toward 15 grants in the 2003-2004 year, including stationary bikes for the Dale Street School library to encourage students to read while moving, a new video studio at Medfield High School, new water bottle filling stations at Blake Middle School, interactive science lessons focused on the environment at Dale Street School, new robotics for the maker spaces within the three elementary schools, flexible seating at the Ralph Wheelock School, and bocce and basketball equipment for preschoolers at Memorial School.
The Reis Award is given annually to a grant that exemplifies at least one of the qualities that former Medfield Superintendent and co-founder of MCPE believed in:
• Promoting cooperation among schools and community
• Developing new programs of study
• Highlighting creativity and innovation in the classroom
This year the Reis Award was presented to Chris Faust, Katie Jones, and Robert Parga, for their grant for a new video studio at Medfield High School. The new studio will be used to create content that will be shared with the community in the Town of Medfield.
The Robert C. Maguire Global Perspectives in Education Award is given annually to a staff member whose effort embodies Maguire’s vision for further developing students’ global understanding and inspiring them to look beyond the Town of Medfield to learn more about the global community through innovative programs.
This year the award was presented to Elementary and Middle School Band Director Ryan Dexter. Under Dexter’s leadership, the Blake Middle School bands performed at Symphony Hall in Boston and Mechanics Hall in Worcester, and they participated in the Music in the Parks and Great East festivals.
Finally, Katie Morray and Rachel Day (2023-2024 vice president and treasurer and 2024-2025 co-presidents) thanked outgoing MCPE board members Jess Harney, Alison Perisic, Isabelle Neuringer, Mary MacInnes, Jennifer Sroka, and Danielle Tata and introduced incoming MCPE board members Sarah Cole, Katie Connolly, Amanda Macbeth, Lauren Soder, and Marias Wigozki.
At the conclusion of the meeting, MCPE members and attendees mingled, enjoyed refreshments, and posed for photos.
