Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 Superintendent Michael S. Nelson, Principal Michael Devoll, and Interim Assistant Principal Lauren Millette are pleased to share updates on the Project 351 initiative, which includes students in grades 4-12 at Old Hammondtown School, Rochester Memorial School, Sippican Elementary School, Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, and Old Rochester Regional High School.
Project 351 seeks to develop the next generation of community-first service leaders through customized service learning, hands-on community-building, and values-based leadership training. Ambassadors from each of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts are selected by educators to attend workshops on leadership and community service. The program teams with the Celtics Playbook Initiative, which seeks to leverage the power of sport and, more specifically, the appeal of the Celtics to engage students on critical issues.
In total, 175 students from grades 4-12 have attended two districtwide workshops hosted at Old Rochester Regional High School (ORRHS) this year, and two more workshops are planned for the spring of 2025.
The first Celtics Playbook session at ORRHS on October 16 included traditional Playbook Initiative Workshop programming and additional lessons that focused on exploring the idea of “energy givers and takers” in relation to leadership. Students discussed Daniel Coyle’s “Good Apple” experiment from his book “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.”
On November 14, the second districtwide workshop through the Celtics Playbook program took place, and students participated in an additional leadership lesson as well. The leadership session focused on having an open dialogue with peers about safely intervening when they see or hear something that they know is not right and harmful to others.
Both workshops during the fall built upon the Celtics Playbook initiative with the addition of programming that focused on strengthening student voices and their relationship to building positive school cultures.
Two more workshops will take place on February 26 and March 19.
Students from ORRHS and Dartmouth High School will also develop joint workshops for junior high school students within the new year, allowing new perspectives to be shared as participants learn from each other.
On November 21, Interim Assistant Principal Lauren Millette and ORRHS sophomores Jack Czerkowicz and Olivia Thompson attended the Playbook Leadership Summit at The Auerbach Center in Boston.
Additionally, on December 2 and 6, they attended two virtual sessions, called “Train the Trainer” with Project 351 and the Celtics Playbook, which prepare individuals for leading the programming.
“I seek to empower every student and teach them the value of their voice. I want them to realize that leadership is not a copy-and-paste definition,” Olivia Thompson told Project 351 organizers. “It’s something that grows over time and is unique for each person. Anyone and everyone can be a leader.”
“I continue to be impressed with our student leaders who are eager to learn how to
be the best community members for all students,” Interim Assistant Principal Millette said. “I look forward to working closely with Dartmouth High School in the spring to take our workshops to the next level.”
Old Hammondtown School (OHS) had 36 students attend the workshops at ORRHS. To help fund community service projects promoted by Project 351, OHS has partnered with the Feinstein Leadership Program and the Sandy Hook Promise Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club.
Both foundations have given money for OHS initiatives such as an in-school pantry where students and families can both donate and access essential items as needed.
“Our students are learning how to organize events, raise awareness, and educate their peers on how to recognize warning signs and be upstanding citizens,” said OHS Principal Stephanie Wells. “Empowering our student leaders to foster a culture of kindness and safety within their school has proven to be an invaluable opportunity.”
Building upon the Celtics Playbook programming, students from Rochester Memorial School (RMS) brainstormed ways to celebrate and highlight different cultures, including doing so through the daily morning announcements and by creating posters that now hang throughout the school.
At Sippican Elementary School (SES), 37 students were selected to attend the workshops at ORRHS. In keeping with Project 351’s spirit of service, students contributed by bringing a donation of socks for “Socktober” to support the school’s Community Service-Learning Club. Additionally, students participated in collecting supplies for hurricane relief in partnership with the Tri-Town Nurses. Suggested donations included flashlights, pet food, toothbrushes, and canned soups. The school plans to incorporate a service component into each workshop this year, providing students with valuable learning experiences while giving back to their community.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our students who have demonstrated taking initiative in leading their peers and learning how to give back to their community in meaningful ways,” Superintendent Nelson said. “I’m confident that these students will develop into successful leaders and key contributors to their communities beyond their school years.”