Medford High School senior Erica Budina earned a first place award at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair held at MIT for her project entitled “Vascular Differentiation of C-kit+ Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Extra-celluar Matrix-Fibrin Hybrid Hydrogel-Scaffolds.” She received the 2014 Genzyme Science Award. This award is the highest level award given at the fair. Ms. Budina was awarded a $100,000 grant plus a paid internship valued at $2,500 for her research and exceptional science fair presentation. Additionally, her teacher Jodie Driscoll will receive $5,000 and the Medford Science Department will receive a cash award of $10,000.
The new Medford High School Science labs are nearing completion. There will be 17 state of the art facilities to further expand the STEM learning opportunities for our students starting in the the upcoming school year. Stay tuned for the grand opening date.
Congratulations to Medford Vocational Electrical Student Issac Cardoso, who was recently elected a state officer representing Massachusetts to the national SkillsUSA. Issac will be attending the 50th National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City this June.
Congratulations to Medford Vocational Graphic Communications student Sukharan Saggi, who won the Gold Medal at the Massachusetts SkillsUSA competition. He will also go to Kansas City to compete in the Nationals this June.
Congratulations to the Medford Vocational Carpentry program for winning the “Peoples’ Choice” Award at the Massachusetts Furniture Trust competition in April. This competition challenges students to use existing furniture and re-create it into another usable product. This earned the program a $5,500 award.
The first round of the new PARCC exams went well in our schools this spring. We are now testing out the second phase of the program. We have been meeting with state officials and colleagues from other school districts to review this new exam and we will be reporting our preliminary findings to the Medford School Committee in June.
Stay tuned… Lots more good news and information to follow.
- Supt. Belson