NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL45 YEAR COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLETMOVING FORWARD SINCE 1969

NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL: 45 YEAR COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLETBOOKLET PLANNING TEAM

Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz, SuperintententDenise Page Pigeon, PrincipalNathan Meharg, Design & Visual Communications InstructorAnn Hadley, Marketing ConsultantDan Phelps, Public Relations Consultant

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BOOKLET CREDITS

WRITTEN BY: Nathan Meharg and Dan Phelps (Introduction by Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz)LAYOUT & DESIGN BY: Nathan MehargORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Nathan Meharg and Dan Phelps (Front Cover Photos by Jeff Scheminger)ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP SUPERVISION: Ann Hadley and Denise Page Pigeon3D MODELS BY: Nathan MehargPRINTING BY: Ledgeview Printing—Westford, Massachusetts

All photos and artwork not property of Nashoba Valley Technical High School used with permission.

The Nashoba Valley Technical High School CampusGeorge Kalarites: Overseeing GrowthRobert Walker (Class of 1982)Augustine Kish: In on the Ground FloorVictor Kiloski: A View from Every AngleJohn MacDonald (Class of 1989)Barbara Whitney: Teaching for the Long TermMatt Ricard (Class of 1995)Steve Whiting: Cooking Up a CareerJennifer Bates (Class of 2005)

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SPOTLIGHTS

Introduction1962—1979: In the Beginning1979—1996: Growing Pains1996—2005: A New Direction2005—2014: Expanding Opportunities2014—2059: Reaching the “Neglected Majority”

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CHAPTERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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SPECIAL THANKS TO:2013—2014 NVTHS DISTRICT SCHOOL COMMITTEETed Januskiewicz (Ayer)Christine Logan (Ayer), AlternateDonald Ayer (Chelmsford) Sam Poulten (Chelmsford), Secretary Maria Karafelis (Chelmsford), Alternate Kristian Gentile (Groton) Charlie Ellis (Littleton) Carl Melberg (Littleton), Alternate Al Buckley (Pepperell), Vice Chair Jessica Cobleigh (Pepperell), Alternate Sandra Proctor (Pepperell)Janet Young (Pepperell)Tanya Clark (Shirley), Alternate Jennifer Rhodes (Shirley), Chair Karen Chapman (Townsend) Sheldon Chapman (Townsend) Ronald Deschenes (Westford), AlternateMark Desrochers (Westford) Raymond Riddick (Westford)

2013—2014 NVTHS ADMINISTRATIONDr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz, Superintendent Denise Page Pigeon, Principal Matthew Ricard, Assistant PrincipalJeanne Savoie, Business ManagerDr. Carol Heidenrich, Director of TechnologyMelissa LeRay, Director of Special EducationGabriella White, Academic/Testing CoordinatorPaul Jussaume, Voc-Tec/Co-Operative Education CoordinatorBernard McCann, Guidance/Admissions Coordinator

AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HELPED ON THE BOOKLETTimothy McDonald, Facilities ManagerJoanna Carpentier, Executive AssistantSue Salvaggio, Executive SecretaryTheresa Judge, Student Services SecretaryDerik Rochon, Design & Visual Communicatons InstructorJeff Scheminger, Engineering Technology InstructorEric Stevenson, TV Media Production/Theatre Arts InstructorRebecca Maher, Design & Visual Communications StudentCarl Marzolini, Design & Visual Communciations StudentMegan DeSalvo, Design & Visual Communciatons StudentTristan Khim, Design & Visual Communications StudentCasey Jones, Design & Visual Communications Student

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Littleton Road (Route 110)

St. Mary’s DriveNASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOLCAMPUS & FACILITIES AS OF SEPTEMBER 2014

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21. Original Building : Completed 1969, Renovations 1980, Complete Renovation 20052. Early Learning Center : Part of Original Campus, Complete Renovation 2000, Remodel 20123. Enclosed Courtyard (Library, Cafeteria, Classrooms) : Completed 1980, Complete Renovation 20034. New Wing for Technical Areas and Restaurant : Completed 1980, Complete Renovation 2003—20055. Science & Technology Wing : Completed 20056. Performing Arts Center & Viking Forum : Completed 20057. Electronic Sign : Added 20058. Solar Panels : Phase I - 2006, Phase II - 20129. Concession Stand : Completed 200710. Sports Complex : New Athletic Fields - 2013, Renovated Baseball Field - 2013, Tennis Courts & Track - 201411. Lowell Five Drive-up ATM : Installed 201412. Dance & Art Studio : Completed 2014

South Chelmsford Drive

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Stated simply, the core mission of a vocational-technical school is to impart to its students knowledge and skills that will be valuable for securing, and having success in, future employment. In order to achieve this goal, Nashoba Valley Technical High School, like any successful technical school, must constantly look to the future in order to determine what sorts of training will still have value in an economy yet to come.

Though Nashoba Tech is firmly focused on the present, as seen through the lens of the future, it is also important to look backwards from time to time. There are many lessons to be learned from the past; but more than that there is a valuable sense of perspective that can be gained from considering history. This book is such a look back.

The very first students of Nashoba Valley Technical High School walked through the front doors in 1969. In Septem-ber of 2014, its 45th class of students will do the same.

The idea of a regional technical high school in this area was actually conceived several years before 1969. School officials and residents from the towns of Chelmsford, Groton, Lit-tleton, and Westford began meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Education about the matter starting in 1962.

In 1963, the Massachusetts Regional Vocational School Act was passed, dividing the state into 26 regions and establish-ing the framework for creating and administering regional vocational schools. This gave additional structure to the regional meetings, and expanded the committee to include

INTRODUCTION

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ABOVE: In 1996, the Nashoba Valley District School Committee select-ed Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz to succeed Frederick Green as superin-tendent. She has served in that capacity for 18 years, making her the longest-serving superintendent in the school’s history.

22 people, who ultimately made a formal public proposal for the creation of the school that was almost named Tadmuck Vocational Technical High School.

From those early discussions amongst a dedicated group of forward-thinking individuals came a technical high school that has produced graduates who have gone on to attend Bos-ton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Penn State, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and many other presti-

gious colleges and universities.

Professionally, Nashoba Tech gradu-ates have gone on to work for NASA, build companies that have developed more than 40 commercial real-es-tate projects in the Nashoba Valley area and beyond, and entered public service jobs in a variety of capacities. Some graduates have returned to the school, dedicated to continuing its tradition of molding young men and women into responsible citizens, entrepreneurs, and successful workers in an ever more dynamic economy.In the 45 years that have passed since Nashoba Valley Technical High School opened its doors in September

BELOW: An aerial photograph of Nashoba Valley Technical High School and its grounds, taken shortly following the building’s completion. Note the open courtyard in the center, which would be enclosed in the 1979—1980 expansion project. That project would also add a wing to house Culinary Arts and its restaurant, Auto Body Repair, Painting & Decorating, Horticulture, and a new instruction room for Plumbing and Heating.

In the 45 years that have passed since Nashoba Valley Technical High School opened its doors in September 1969, in-demand skills have changed along with career paths and technology. Nashoba Tech has adapted, as well; not just to keep pace, but to stay ahead of the changing landscape in today’s technical and educational environments.

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George Kalarites started at Nashoba Valley Technical High School in February 1974 as a groundskeeper and maintenance worker. He retired 38 years later, in 2012, as the Facilities Manager. In those nearly four decades, he was in-volved in every major repair, renovation and addition done to the building. Even in retirement he continues to provide his expertise to Nashoba Tech as a consultant on major building and renovation projects.

He was involved in the 1979-80 addition that added the wing that currently holds the Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing, Cosmetology, Banking/Marketing/Retail, Culinary Arts, and Hotel & Restaurant Management pro-grams, and that also added a cafeteria, two lecture halls and the small gymna-sium. Then, in 2003-05, Dr. Klimkiewicz named Kalarites Clerk of the Works, on the largest expansion project since the school opened—the $25 million ren-ovation/expansion that saw the school add a Science & Technology Wing, the

Performing Arts Cen-ter and Viking Forum, and renovate every classroom and techni-cal program. Follow-ing his retirement, he became a key advisor to Tim McDon-ald—Nashoba Tech’s current Facilities Man-ager—in the recent, $3 million project to build a new athletic complex, and will con-tinue to consult on the project to replace a portion of the school’s roof in Summer 2014.

Of the evolution of the facilities at Nashoba Tech Kalarites said, “We had buildings that were built in 1968 and were outdated by 1979. There was no technology. There were no en-ergy-efficient devices. There was no such thing as wireless. There was no such thing as the Internet. That all came to fruition in the early 2000s. We took a building that was built to 1968 standards, updated to meet current standards in 1979, and then we did it all again starting in 2002.”

Kalarites said that while the school should be proud of those accomplishments, it should not underestimate the positive aspects of the current upgrades to the entire sports complex. “Now, we’ve got these fabulous upgrades to the athletic complex. We’ve got a brand-new track, football-soccer-lacrosse field with synthetic surface, softball field, baseball field, bleachers, press box and scoreboard, and tennis courts. As far as I’m concerned, it’s everything you could want in a high school athletic complex.”

GEORGE KALARITES: Overseeing Growth

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ABOVE: George Kalarites in 1979, as a member of the Nashoba Valley Technical High School maintenance crew.

“For 45 years Nashoba Valley Technical High School has served its students by providing a comprehensive technical education. As we move forward into future decades, I anticipate Nashoba will continue to expand what it offers our students, and more importantly provide the most comprehensive education possible to help our students prosper, now and into the future.”

1969, in-demand skills have changed along with career paths and technology. Nashoba Tech has adapted, as well; not just to keep pace, but to stay ahead of the changing landscape in today’s technical and educational environments.. Nashoba Tech’s history is one of near-constant adaptation; not just to keep pace with a rapidly-changing world, but to anticipate those changes and keep the skills its students were learning relevant.

Several of the most sought after technical programs of the past, like Drafting, have changed so considerably over the last five decades that they have been phased out. Now, that program’s skill set is covered by Nashoba Tech’s Engineering Academy, the only such program in Massachusetts. Students in that program learn Computer Aided Drafting, the mod-ern analog of drafting, as well as its direct application in the various engineering pathways. In addition to that skill set, however, the Engineering Academy imparts to future engi-neers of all sorts—civil, architectural, geophysical, mechani-cal, bio-technical, environmental, etc.—vital skills in design, planning, application, and problem-solving.

Similarly, in a span of 45 years, Data Processing evolved into Business Automation Technology, which in turn was replaced by Programming & Web Development. Commer-cial Art and Printing, both popular programs in the school’s early years, merged and became Graphic Arts. That program eventually became Design & Visual Communications, to reflect the ever more digital nature of the world. The story of Nashoba Tech is full of these kinds of changes, every one of them a response to changes in the economic landscape.

Even a relatively short look back reveals a remarkable amount of change. Programs added or updated to meet more contemporary needs since then are Cosmetology, TV & Me-dia Production/Theatre Arts, Hotel & Restaurant Manage-ment, Dental Assisting, Health Assisting, Early Childhood Education, Banking/Marketing/Retail, and the prestigious Engineering Academy. Programs phased out during that period include Upholstery, Painting & Decorating, Horticul-ture, and Metal Fabrication.

LEFT: One of the original building plans for Nashoba Valley Technical High School. The entire set consists of over 50 sheets of 30 inch by 42 inch onionskin paper and weighs over 2 pounds. It includes diagrams for every imaginable component or system in the school.

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- Jennifer Rhodes, Nashoba Valley Technical School District Committee Vice-chair (April 2011—April 2013), Chair (April 2013—Present)

Of course, many programs remain from the earliest days of the school: Plumbing & Heating, Electrical Technology, Carpentry, Machine Tool Technology, Auto Repair and Auto Body Repair. That is not to say, however, that they have not also changed since Nashoba Tech first opened its doors. Each of these fields has seen significant advances in equipment, safety, regulations, techniques, and codes.

The District has not only kept up with those changes, but has been anticipating new ones that are still only on the horizon. Those programs today provide our students with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills—everything they need to be successful in their chosen fields.

As the vocational-technical landscape changed over the first 45 years of Nashoba Valley’s existence, so has the school’s physical plant. This brief history illustrates how Nashoba Valley Technical High School has grown, not only in terms of students and programs, but in size and facilities.

The most notable expansions —a 65,000-square-foot addi-tion completed in 1980 and a massive, $25 million addition and renovation from 2003 to 2005. The latter project updated every program to current industrial standards and added two entirely new wings, Science & Technology and the 450-seat, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center.

This spring, work will be completed on our Dance and Art Studio, which will complement our fine arts programs. Those

currently include Theatre Arts, Design & Visual Commu-nications, as well as Music, Drama, Chorus, and Band. The roof will be also be repaired and modernized during the summer months.

Nashoba Tech student-athletes have not been overlooked through all this. Athletics help students develop valuable life skills, in addition to providing regular physical exercise. Our athletes are now competing in the recently completed, $3-million Athletic Complex. This facility includes a new, all-purpose turf football/soccer/lacrosse field, running track, , lighting systems, scoreboards, four brand-new tennis courts, and a new softball and newly renovated baseball field.

As Nashoba Valley Technical High School prepares to embark on its 45th year in September 2014, we hope that you will take a few moments to read this Commemorative Booklet to learn a little about the history of Nashoba Valley Technical High School, how it all started, the great strides we have made along the way, and where we plan to go in the next 45 years.

Thank you.

Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz

Superintendent of SchoolsNashoba Valley Technical School District

This brief history illustrates how Nashoba Valley Technical High School has grown, not only in terms of students and programs, but in size and facilities.

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Robert Walker graduated from the Electronics program in 1982 and immediately started building an empire.

Walker, then Littleton resident, then became interested in electri-cal technology. After graduation, he apprenticed with an Acton elec-

trical contractor, and earned his journeyman’s license when he was 19. He started his own electrical business in 1987 and is still operating it to this day. That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg.

In 1994, Walker started making waves in the real-estate development busi-ness; including retail, commercial, industrial, office, hotel, as well as research and development. Today, he is the principal of Westford-based RA Ventures,

ROBERT WALKER (Class of 1982)

“I appreciate everything Nashoba Valley did for me. The biggest advantage in my career is that it allowed me to go out and work at an early age. I always had a driving ambition to go out and build things, and Nashoba Valley allowed me to put my best foot forward.”

BELOW: At 238,000 square feet, Cornerstone Square in Westford is one of Walker’s company’s most ambitious recent projects. It is one of more than 40 properties RA Ventures has developed along 495.

which has developed more than 40 buildings along the Interstate-495 corri-dor, from Beverly to Falmouth.

Perhaps most noteworthy of his recent developments is the 238,000-square-foot Cornerstone Square complex in Westford that opened in November 2012. He also developed the Residence and Hampton Inns, both in Westford. He has also had a hand in developing much of downtown Devens, and owns or has investements in numerous Primrose Car Washes and several restaurants in the area.

Walker, who now lives in Westford, says that after graduating from Nashoba Val-ley he hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped yet. “It’s been a roller-coaster ride. I appreciate everything Nashoba Valley did for me. The biggest advantage

in my career is that it allowed me to go out and work at an early age.”

“I always had a driving ambition to go out and build things, and Nashoba Valley allowed me to put my best foot forward. The Co-op program gave me a chance to get out and work in my field. This gave me a good, solid understanding of what it takes to succeed.”

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The idea of regional vocational schools in Massachu-setts is generally credited to Walter J. Markham, who was the director of the Department of Education’s Division of Occupational Education starting in 1954. Markham, previously the director of the Lowell Trade School, was a fierce advocate of vocational-technical education. He firmly believed that,“too few people are being trained in schools for jobs that are open today,” as he said in a commencement address to the Lynn Trade High School Class of 1963.

Markham began advocating for regional schools in the late ‘50s as a way to expand the opportunity for technical training. At the time, the biggest obstacle to the expansion of vocational education was the variation in the number of students who “required” vocational-technical education in any given town compared to the cost of that education. Few individual communities could afford the extensive—and expensive—facilities that this kind of education need-ed to function.

Without a consistent and sizable student body, a vocational-technical facility was an expense that

1962—1979: IN THE BEGINNING

few towns could justify investing in. Establishing regional schools would allow several towns to pool resources and students while sharing the costs proportionally amongst themselves. Furthermore, Markham felt, regions that built these schools would be providing their areas with a large, skilled labor pool which would attract new industries and thereby broaden the regional tax base.

Markham’s ideas gained a lot of attention, and interest in his ideas grew for the remainder of the ‘50s and into the ‘60s. Then, in 1962, several forward thinking school officials and citizens from Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton, and Westford They wanted to explore the potential in this educational model, and approached the Massachusetts Department of Education about the advisability of creating such a regional vocational school in the area. The Division of Occupational Education, still under the direction of Markham, initiated a comprehensive study of the suitability of the idea.

In 1963, in the midst of this suitability study, Markham’s ideas reached the mainstream when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed the Regional Vocational School Act,

RIGHT: Pages from the official report issued by the Chelmsford/Groton/Littleton/Westford Regional District Planning Committee on April 27, 1965. The fifteen page document outlines the proposal for building a Regional Vocational Technical School following the guidelines set by the Regional Vocational School Act of 1963. The report stipulates that the new school “shall be located within a one and one-half mile radius of the junction of Tadmuck Road and Route 110 and within the Town of Westford.”

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essentially writing Markham’s proposals into law and divid-ing the state into 26 regional school districts for the purpose of establishing vocational-technical high schools that served the needs of the entire state.

The act was created to address the demand for skilled laborers in such trades as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, construction and drafting during the home construction boom of the early 60s. The Department of Education’s study was released in May of 1964, strongly recommending that a school such as Nashoba Valley Technical be established.

In accordance with the Act of 1963, each town in an estab-lished vocational-technical region needed to agree to be a

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LEFT: The building that originally held the Auto Body Repair, Plumbing & Heating, and Painting & Decorating programs, all of which were added in the late 1970s. The facility was located on Powers Road, a full mile away from the main campus. This arrangement only lasted a few years, as the 1979 expansion plan for the main building included a new wing which would house all three programs. This additional wing would also contain a new restaurant for the Culinary Arts program, since the original one was located in a separate building, at the west end of the main building grounds.

“National statistics show that currently almost a third of the nation’s unemployed are found among unskilled workers and persons without previous work experience. If an effort is not made to provide additional vocational training facilities, most of our youth will find themselves thrown on the unskilled job market, thus compounding current unemployment problems. Furthermore, a Vocational Technical School will provide a skilled labor pool, attract new industry, revitalize our area and broaden our tax base.”- Excerpt from the 1965 Planning Committee Report

Augustine “Whitey” Kish got in on on the ground floor of Nashoba Valley Technical High School. He was part of the original group that planned the school in the 1960s, serving on the Planning and Building committees. He then joined the School Committee in 1977, and served the district tirelessly until he stepped down from that position in 2009.

He served on all three of the School’s Building Committees—the original, the ones set up for the 1979-80 expansion, and the 2002—05 renovations and additions—and probably has more institutional knowledge of the school than any other person.

“They were looking for somebody with a technical background to sit on the Planning Committee, and I was a systems engineer for MITRE. I had graduated from a techni-cal high school in Ohio, and I was interest-ed from the standpoint of having a school similar the Ohio schools, where you leave high school with a high school and techni-cal diploma.”

This region, in particular, was seen by many to be in need of a regional voca-

tional school. “There was a lot of construction going on, and many housing complexes were being constructed in our district towns at that time. It seemed

to be the consensus that some youngsters would benefit technical or trade education. Some of them needed a place like that to work with their hands and their heads.”

Kish’s involvement in subsequent renovation and expansion projects gave him a good perspective on how the school facilities were adapting to meet the needs of the students and the labor market. In addition witnessing to the many physical changes the school has undergone, his more than two decades on the school committee has given him a valuable perspective on how Nasho-ba Tech has constantly modified its’ programs to keep up with the times. “I think the school has done that and more. They’ve changed the curriculum and moved courses around—cutting some and adding a ton of others—in order to

meet the needs of the student population.”

He doesn’t expect that process of adaptation has ended, either. “I believe, in the near future, we’ll have to look at all the curricula and deter-mine the way we want to move the school in the coming decades.”

AUGUSTINE KISH: In on the Ground Floor

“They’ve changed the curriculum and moved courses around—cutting some and adding a ton of others— in order to meet the needs of the student population.”

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BELOW: The facade of Nashoba Valley Technical High School’s main building as it appeared in the mid 1970s. The original proposal for the school planned on a building that could accommodate around 540 students, about 70 of which were expected to be post-grads.

LEFT: The original plans for the construction of Nashoba Valley Technical High School. Classrooms for post-graduate Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting programs were originally intended for the second floor of the building, but those programs were never actually created. The school, as originally designed, had only five designated academic classrooms. The school, as currently conf-gured, has 31 classrooms designated for academic subjects.

contributor/beneficiary of the regional school and its re-sources. That same year, the towns of Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton and Westford agreed to create a new regional tech-nical high school. A 50-acre lot of land on Littleton Road in Westford was purchased at a cost of approximately $150,000, and Nashoba Valley Technical School District was created. Deciding the name for the new school district was the first order of business. Among the names considered were Stoney Brook Vocational High School, Tadmuck Vocational Tech-nical High School, and Suburban Vocational Technical High School; none of which were ultimately chosen.

Nashoba Valley Technical High School was selected, and on September 3, 1969, the school opened its’ doors, with Thom-as Lafionaitis as the first superintendent. The administrative structure of the school did not include the position of princi-pal at the time, however Bernholdt Nystrom—officially titled

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LEFT: Drafting was one of the original programs at Nashoba Valley Technical High School. Graduates of this program could expect a career drawing up technical blueprints and plans, like the ones seen throughout this book. By the early 2000s, the recently created Pre-Engineering program had made Drafting superfluous, since its skills and curriculum included large portions of the previous pro-gram. It was phased out along with Horticulture, Metal Fabrication & Welding, and Painting & Decorating.

Deputy Director—served that function in practice, if not in name. The school initially offered nine programs—Automotive, Com-mercial Art, Drafting, Electrical, Electronics, Graphic Arts, Machine, Metal Fabrication, and Mill & House Carpentry.

A year later, in 1970, Community Service Aides was added, which encompassed the Community Health Aide and Kindergarten Nursery Aide programs. The main program area was located in the main building, but the Kindergarten Nursery Aide section was located in the Blaisdale House, which the School District acquired for that purpose. This house, located on the west side of the Nashoba Tech campus on South Chelmsford Road, is the building that currently houses the Early Childhood Education and Care program, as well as the current Early Learning Center.

As the school’s population grew throughout the mid-1970s, the number of technical programs was increased further. During those years, the school added Distributive Educa-tion, Building & Grounds, Auto Body Repair, Plumbing & Heating, and Painting & Decorating—the latter three being housed a mile away from the campus, on Powers Road.

In 1977, the Community Service Aides program changed to Health Services, and the Kindergarten Nursery section was phased out of the program. The house where Kindergarten Nursery program had been located was converted into space

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Word of the kind of education being offered at Nashoba Valley Technical High School was getting around, and the increase in enrollment and course offerings proved that there was a definite desire for technical education in the surrounding area.

ABOVE: A Vikings football game from the mid-1970s. Through 1979 Nashoba Tech had several active sports programs; football, boys and girls basketball, hockey, cross-country, cheerleading, and even fencing—which was co-ed. By the mid-1980s, athletics at the school would also include baseball, softball, wrestling, as well as co-ed soccer and track teams. In 1983 the cross country team went from being males-only to co-educational.

for a new Culinary Arts program and its working restaurant, The Country Kitchen. Data Processing was also added to the offerings at Nashoba Tech that year, bringing the total number of technical programs to seventeen. Word of the kind of education being offered at Nashoba Valley Technical High School was getting around and the

increase in enrollment proved that there was a definite desire for technical education in the surrounding area. The relative suddenness and degree of this success, however, created new issues for the school to deal with—problems that the existing facilities simply weren’t designed to handle.

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Nashoba Tech’s growth and success throughout the 70s gained positive attention from some of the surrounding communities. The promise of vocational-technical educa-tion, as originally championed by Walter Markham some two decades earlier, seemed to be delivering. Nashoba Tech, and schools like it, were proving that it was possible to train reliable and skilled workers for the future, while simultane-ously producing high school graduates.

Discussions with these communities concluded in 1979, when the Nashoba Valley Technical School Committee voted to expand the District to include Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Ayer. A large expansion project was also approved in order to make room for the expected new stu-dents; one that would add to the school’s campus, infrastruc-ture, and facilities. For the four new towns, acceptance into the District was conditional upon each agreeing to help fund the building project. Ayer refused the buy-in, and ended up not joining the district at that time.

Adding Pepperell, Shirley, and Townsend nearly doubled the size of the District, and the student population at the school

LEFT: Nashoba Valley Technical High School as it looked following the expansion and renovation of 1979-1980. The open courtyard in the middle was enclosed to house a new library, cafeteria, and classrooms. Several technical programs, old and new, were assigned space in a brand-new wing in the back of the building.

ABOVE: The original library was converted into the Conference Room in the 1979—1980 expansion. The current library was built in the courtyard of the school when it was enclosed during that project.

1979—1996: GROWING PAINS

Adding Pepperell, Shirley, and Townsend nearly doubled the size of the District, and the student population at the school was expected to double right along with it.

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was expected to double right along with it. The planned building project would expand the building to a size that could handle the expected higher enrollment numbers, while providing the opportunity to make some important changes to the existing facilities.

This expansion would include a wing to house the Auto Body Repair, Plumbing & Heating, and Painting & Decorat-ing programs—all of which were still over a mile away at the Powers Road facility. The decision to end that inconvenient arrangement was, understandably, quite popular.

The District also chose to expand the number of technical programs that would be available to students, so instruction rooms for new Horticulture and Upholstery programs were included in the new wing. Before plans were finalized, a new restaurant—to be named The Chef ’s Apprentice—and new kitchens for the Culinary Arts program were included in the designs.

In addition to the new wing, the existing building would have the courtyard enclosed. The space created wold be used for classrooms, a new cafeteria, and a library. All told the project would add 65,000 square feet of new space to the facility; all of which it would need to handle the new influx of students.

BELOW: A view of the original courtyard from the top of the main staircase in the lobby. The top of the gymnasium is visible in the upper-left corner of the windows. The space seen here will become the new cafeteria when the courtyard is enclosed in 1979.

The fact that a school less than a decade old needed such an extensive expansion pointed squarely at the success of Nashoba Tech’s model of education.

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Victor Kiloski dedicated 30 years to Nashoba Valley Technical High School, act-ing in several different capacities in that time. He started out as a math teach-er in 1979, eventually serving as Math Department chair before transition-ing to an administrative role. His first administrative position was academic coordinator/disciplinarian, and in time was made assistant superintendent/principal, the position he retired from in 2009. Over his years at Nashoba he worked under all four of the school’s superintendents, and played a large role in both major renovation/expansion projects.

Having started his career in a traditional school system—he taught in the Low-ell Public Schools for several years before coming to Nashoba Valley—Kiloski has a valuable point of view when it comes to technical schools in general, and Nashoba Valley in particular. “Vocational-technical education is more of

a chameleon than traditional education,” he said. “It has to change with the workforce. Regional vocational-technical schools have to evolve over time, and Nashoba Valley has changed as well as any technical school in the state. Nashoba has to be close to, if not the, leading technical school in the state in introducing new technical programs.”

“The purpose of technical schools is twofold: Students can go directly into the workforce and into a career environment, or they can go on to continue their education, and that’s something you can’t get in a traditional high school. It’s a combination of applied learning and academics. It’s a shame that many cit-ies and towns don’t value the vocational-technical system that Massachusetts has, because kids can choose whichever path they want, and there’s nothing better than that. I wish more people would come visit and see what’s going on at Nashoba Tech.”

“Nashoba has certainly changed with the times. I’m proud of the fact that they’ve completed an upgrade to the athletic complex, as well. Now all of our athletes can compete on a field that is the equivalent to a field that profes-sionals play on.”

“Any student who comes from Nashoba Valley is truly very proud of the school they’re graduating from. Students who graduated 40 or 45 years ago wouldn’t recognize the school today. It continues to change and evolve. It’s truly a school that the entire district should really value.”

VICTOR KILOSKI: A View from Every Angle

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“Students who graduated 40 or 45 years ago wouldn’t recognize the school today. And it continues to change and evolve. It’s truly a school that the entire district should really value.”

LEFT: The dedication page from the 2009 yearbook, honoring Kiloski for his many years service to the school.

RIGHT: Kiloski in 1985 as a math teacher. He would eventually become Academic Coordinator, then Assistant Superin-tendent/Principal.

John MacDonald says he chose Nashoba Valley Tech instead of Chelmsford High because it seemed to better fit the work ethic he learned from his father. He graduated from the Plumbing & Heating program in 1989, and though he didn’t continue in the plumbing field he feels Nashoba Valley pre-pared him well for the career he did eventually choose. “The school teaches you how to multitask, with a week on the academic side and a week in your technical program. It was like two different worlds that you had to juggle.”

Following graduation, MacDonald joined the U.S. Air Force and served in Operation Desert Storm (he still remembers being touched when he received a care package in Iraq from Nashoba Valley). After his tour with the military, he was hired to start the plumbing department at The Home Depot in Tewks-bury in 1993, thanks to skills developed during his Nashoba Valley educa-tion. From there, he went to school nights and started working for the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) as Vice President of Communications.

He received his construction supervisor’s license and started working, through CUNA, with restaurateur Sal Lupoli; who had a vision to redevel-op a run-down mill property in Lawrence. Lupoli offered him a job, and MacDonald worked with Lupoli for seven years, helping him develop the site into what is now the highly successful Riverwalk Properties. He also was by Lupoli’s side when he bought the Hampton Beach Casino in Hampton, N.H.

In 2013, MacDonald struck out on his own, starting his own marketing/public-relations/media-training company called Big Decisions, LLC. He says his first “big decision” was to attend Nashoba Valley. “Nashoba Tech taught me responsibility, loyalty and work ethic. It took the fear out of a lot of the unknowns, out of trying something new and tackling a hard project. The Cooperative Education program taught me that when you go to work for somebody, there are certain things you have to do, the basics of life that really aren’t taught at traditional high schools.”

The value of what he learned in high school went well beyond simply learn-ing the technical skills of any program. “Having started my own business 20-plus years later, I can say Nashoba Tech gave me a foundation—to this day—of what the elements of a successful business are.”

JOHN MacDONALD (Class of 1989)

“Having started my own business 20-plus years later, I can say Nashoba Tech gave me a foundation—to this day—of what the elements of a successful business are.”

LEFT: MacDonald in 2014

BELOW: MacDonald in 1989

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selected Bernholdt Nystrom, Lafionatis’s assistant, to take on the position of Superin-tendent-Director of Nashoba Tech.

The buildings and grounds of Nashoba Tech changed little during Nystrom’s 12 years as Superintendent, with renovation of individual classrooms and instruction areas to accommodate new technical programs being the only real physical changes. Nystrom did, however, work hard to expand opportunities for students in terms of courses offered and extracurricular options.

Nystrom’s first full school year, that of 1981-1982, saw the addition of Horticulture as a technical program, although its creation had been planned for prior to the completion of the 1979—1980 building project. It’s classroom was located in the recently completed Auto Body/Culinary wing of the school, which included a greenhouse that had been part of the addition. Athletic options for Nashoba Tech students were also expanded; with new baseball, softball, and track teams added that year.

The fact that a school less than a decade old needed such an extensive expansion pointed squarely at the success of Nashoba Tech’s model of education. The project itself forms a sort of milestone along the road of the school’s development, or at least the need for it does.

Undertaking such a major project also offered the oppor-tunity to make significant technical improvements to the

existing offices and program areas. Nashoba Valley Technical High School was conceptualized in the early- to mid-1960s, and con-struction began in 1968. Technology, as we use the term today, was still in its infancy in 1979; but it had already

brought significant changes to both schools and workplaces since the sixties. It was also clearly growing by leaps and bounds, both in terms of its sophistication and its impact on our lives.

In 1981, almost immediately following the completion of the expansion project, Superintendent-Director Thomas La-fionatis retired after nearly 12 years in the position. During his tenure, Nashoba Valley Technical High School almost doubled both its physical size and the number of technical programs that it offered. The District School Committee

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RIGHT: This portrait of Tom Lafionatis hangs in the library.

ABOVE: The new library, occupying what was once an open courtyard, was dedicated to Tom Lafionatis upon its completion.

The very next year, Air Conditioning and Upholstery pro-grams were created—although within two years Air Con-ditioning would be clustered with the existing Plumbing & Heating program. A co-ed soccer team was also created that year, and the cross-country team—which had previously been open only to male students—was opened to allow fe-males to join. By the time the 1980s ended, a wrestling team had been added to the athletic opportunities available to Nashoba Tech students.

A golf team was created in 1991, which would be the last sport added to the school until the 2000s. That year was also a comeback for the Building & Grounds Maintenance technical program, which had been available for a few years

in the early 1970s, as well as a Desktop Publishing program that was clustered with the Printing program. Upholstery was eliminated as a program, also in the early 1980s.

By the end of Nystrom’s years as superintendent, the ath-letic landscape of Nashoba Tech was very different than it was in the beginning of the school’s existence. The school started out with only three sports teams, all boys-only, and cheerleading. By the mid-1990s there were twelve teams, the only team dropped along the way being fencing-although some sports would suffer seasons where they couldn’t field a team due to lack of student interest.

Superintendent Nystrom served until 1993, leaving his mark on Nashoba Valley Technical High School in the form of new programs and activities to benefit the student popula-tion. As his successor, the School Committee named Fred-erick Green Nystrom’s as superintendent. Green’s years saw few changes, to the school or its offerings, and his time in the position was short-just over three years. In the fall of the 1996—1997 school year, the District School Committee ap-pointed Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz to replace him as Nashoba Valley Technical School District’s fourth superintendent, and she had her own vision for the school’s future. To realize it, though, there would need to be some big changes made.

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ABOVE: Concept art of the Auto Body/Culinary Arts wing, as it was planned before the 1979—1980 project. The greenhouse, part of the planned new Horticulture program, can be seen on the end.

ABOVE: Nystom in 1985, as superintendent.

Barbara Whitney began her teaching career in September 1980 at Nashoba Valley Technical High School after graduating from the University of Lowell — though she was known by her maiden name of Coppinger back then — and she never left. When she began, academic teachers taught multiple disci-plines, and Whitney taught English, U.S. History, Introduction to American Government, and General Math. Today, she teaches Math.

When she began Nashoba Valley was reopening its doors after the first major addition and renovation, and she was here for the even larger construction of 2002—2005. In addition to the physical changes, Whitney has witnessed significant curricular changes at Nashoba Valley, and she believes a technical education is the right way to go for many students.

“I love it. It’s a balance. There has to be a career pathway that will lead to college and a way to make money if that’s the pathway you choose. I love when I run into an old student; whether they’ve formed a business or their kids have come to the school—or whether they’ve come back to work here. When the children of graduates come to school here, it means their parents thought so much of their time and education here that this is where they wanted their kids to go. That’s exciting.”

Matt Ricard graduated from Nashoba Valley Technical High School in 1995 from the Medical Occupations program (now called Health Assisting). He came back to the school a few years later as a substitute teacher while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Following his graduation, he served as a probation officer for the state Division of Youth Services, where he realized that he really liked working with kids. This brought him back to Nashoba Tech.

In 2001, Ricard was named the school’s Assistant Dean. He served in that position until 2011, when he was promoted to the position of Dean of Students.

“When I graduated, Nashoba Valley was what most people might think of as a traditional vocational-tech-nical school. When I came back six years later to work here full-time, if found programs such as Engineering and Dental Assisting. The school then created TV & Media Production/Theatre Arts; Banking, Marketing & Retail; and Cosmetology, amongst other. These programs have become very successful, and the types of student the school attracts has expanded dramatically.”

“Now we have a auditorium and many other state-of-the-art technical areas. Because of our programs and classrooms, we continue to draw quality students, and the school always tries to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Many of the technological advancements that this school has had for years are just showing up at other schools.”

“I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t think it was a great school.”

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MATT RICARD (Class of 1995)BARBARA WHITNEY: Teaching for the Long Term

ABOVE: Whitney in 1994.LEFT: Whitney in 2014.

ABOVE: Ricard’s senior photo from the 1995 yearbook.

Like most technical high schools, Nashoba Tech ex-perienced a decline in enrollment during the early 1990s. In 1994, the school’s graduating class-who came through the doors as freshmen in 1990-consisted of 94 seniors. In 1995, that number dropped to 74. Vocational-Technical education, including Nashoba Valley Technical High School, needed to address this dip in interest before it became a trend.

In the lead-up to her selection as superintendent, Dr. Klimkiewicz made clear her view that the economy and job market were undergoing fundamental changes; and that vocational-technical education needed to adapt to this new

reality, quickly. The building boom of the mid- to late-1980s—which had ended right before the years of

declining enrollment—was over. This suppressed job-creation in many fields that had prospered during those years. At the same time, technology was making monumental changes in how jobs, businesses, and society operated.

1996—2005: A NEW DIRECTION

both parents and children. The percentage of families needing child care would increase. This time-crunch would also lead to less time for daily and household tasks. More demand for service sector jobs.

Many predictions for the future of the economy and workforce, taking these trends into consid-eration, identified three broad fields that were set to become the dominant components of future job markets: technology, health care, and entertainment. It was in these three areas that Dr. Klimkiewicz wanted to focus much of Nashoba Tech’s attention; along with pursuing a renewed interest in service- hospitality- and care-related programs.

Immediately following her installation as superintendent, Klimkiewicz set to work reshaping the school to fit into this new future. School administration, under her direction, conducted a series of intensive studies into which technical programs the school could offer that would best transition students into long-lasting careers in fields that had been marked for particular attention.

Those programs would then either be created—along with any facilities and capital equipment needed in order for

In Klimkiewicz’s view this trend was not going to stop,or even slow down, any time soon—and it needed tobe addressed quickly. Through the very nature of the tech-nology driving this shift, things would likely change very fast.

Skilled engineers, drafters, and designers would be in great demand to keep the technology train rolling. Coders and programmers would be needed to develop the complex operational systems that ran these new machines, as well as fuel the growth of the then-adolescent internet. Since a large percentage of these new technologies would center around providing data and content, especially entertainment, there would be a demand for professionals trained in how to pro-duce and deliver it.

At the same time, the population was aging, which would have its own major influence on the in-demand jobs of the future. Health care would soon become a much larger portion of the econo-my, and the demand for skilled professionals along with it. Families would need to devote more resources to elder care; with adult sons and daughters juggling time to attend the needs of

RIGHT: The first listing of Pre-Engineering in Nashoba Tech’s Program of Studies.

ABOVE: The plaque commemorating the completion of the 2002—2005 expansion project and renovation.

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them to function properly—or, if it was an already existing program, overhauled and refitted. Since significant technical advancements would have been made in all of the existing fields since the last school renovation, sixteen years previous, this investment in facilities and equipment was going to be an expensive and complex one.

As a public school with limited resources, the space and money to make these changes would have to come from somewhere, and that meant closing some old programs to make way for the new. Running simultaneously to the pro-gram creation studies was an effort to identify programs to phase out; based on either declining student enrollment or a predicted decline in that area’s job prospects in the future.

Though the large building expansion was an important part of the overall plan, Dr. Klimkiewicz did not want to wait for the new facilities to start making program changes. The first of the new programs became available in 1999, when Pre-Engineering was created. The program was based on Project Lead the Way—a national educational consortium that provides frameworks for schools to model in the cre-ation of leading-edge STEM (science, technology, engineer-ing, and math) programs.

This was the leading edge of a wave of new or retooled programs; and a focus on the areas of technology, health care, service, and entertainment are plainly evident. Between 1999 and 2000—in addition to Pre-Engineering—Banking, Marketing & Retail, Early Childhood Education, and Dental Assisting were new additions to the school. Graphic Com-munications, Health Assisting, and Office Technology were recreated in updated form out of similar, previously existing programs.

In order for the Banking, Marketing & Retail program to have appropriate facilities, a minor building project was undertaken in 1998-1999. Most of the old Horticulture program area was converted into a classroom, a retail area which would be called The Viking Village Mall, and space for a banking business partner to open a functional branch

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ABOVE: Original plans for the Performing Arts Center and the Viking Forum portions of the 2002—2005 expansion project.

“This [the Pre-Engineering Program] was the leading edge of a wave of new or retooled programs; and a focus on the areas of technology, health care, service, and entertainment are plainly evident.”

businesspeople and have the students learn how to make more up-to-date types of food.”

It took the $25 million renovation/expansion project of 2002—2005 to finally modernize the kitchen and restaurant, “the school spent $1 million on just the kitchen alone. We saw the old machinery go and be replaced by new, state-of-the-art equipment that made it more of a teaching kitchen with a generous amount of space in which to teach the kids. So if a student were to get hired by the Westford Regency, for instance, they already know how to use the equipment. It made all our graduates more employable.

“In the renovation, the dining room was completely scrapped. The old, dark wood gave way to clean lines, bright colors and a formal dining area. Now we have employees from IBM and Juniper coming in for lunch. We went from making hot dogs and beans to making chicken cordon bleu, which also made the students more marketable.”

In 2012, he took over the Hotel & Restaurant Management program, working hand-in-hand with Culinary Arts to lead the school restaurant, The Elegant Chef. Whiting’s direction helped lead the program to five of the last seven Best Entrée Awards in the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Taste of Nashoba competition.

Whiting’s long tenure at Nashoba Tech has given him a strong perspective on the role of the school in the region, “I’m extremely proud of the school and all it does for the community.”

ABOVE: Nashoba Tech’s restaurant, The Chef’s Apprentice, as it appeared before the 2002 remodeling project.

Steve Whiting started as a chef-instructor at Nashoba Valley in October 1983, coming from the position of Executive Chef at the popular Windsor Restau-rant in Dracut. He immediately found many differences between the world of a working kitchen and the high school classroom. “Back then, the Culinary teachers were always called ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ Coming from my background as

an adjunct professor at Newbury College, I had the students call all the teachers ‘Chef.’ It brought more of a professionalism to the kitchen. And I started making the students wear uniforms of the same color to better repre-sent chefs in industry.”

While the changes in attitude were quick to implement, improvements in the equipment and facilities took a bit longer. “The kitchen equipment was all used, all Army surplus. It was a complete hodgepodge of different-era equipment. We were constantly blowing fuses, and we didn’t have good refrigeration. The equipment we used was no longer being used in industry, so the kids weren’t using the latest equipment.”

The school restaurant, where Culinary students get to really apply what they learn, wasn’t much better. “When I came in, the dining room was old, dark wood. It looked like a men’s hunting lodge. One hundred percent of our customers in the dining room were elderly. We had a $1.50 special dinner every day.” While Whiting couldn’t initially do much about the equipment and facilities, he did all he could to advance the program, “I decided to change my audience and bring in

STEVE WHITING: Cooking up a Career

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in. Jean D’Arc Credit Union set up in the space, becoming Nashoba Tech’s first banking partner.

To make way for these advances, some programs needed to be closed in order to free up space and resources. Metal Fabrication & Welding, one of the school’s original pro-grams, was ended. Drafting, another original program, was absorbed into the new Pre-Engineering program around 2000, since its curriculum was largely replicated by the new-er program’s. Horticulture and Painting & Decorating were phased out over the next few years.

Nashoba Valley Technical High School had made some de-cisive changes by the early 2000s, but it was starting to strain against the confines of its existing facilities. In 2002, howev-er, another part of Klimkiwiecz’s plan started to pay off.

The District School Committee had accepted the recommen-dation of Dr. Klimkiewicz in 1999, and voted to expand the existing facilities on an even greater scale than the project of 1979. Shortly after, the Massachusetts School Building Authority approved the school’s proposal for the project, and agreed to fund nearly 70% of the overall cost. The remainder would be funded by the district towns. Everything was final-ly set for Nashoba Tech to take a big step forward.

In July of 2002, ground was broken on the $25.5 million renovation and expansion project. All told, it would add two new wings to the existing building, as well as complete-ly renovate and update all technical program areas, critical infrastructure, and completely modernize the academic classrooms.

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In July of 2002, ground was broken on the $25.5 million renovation and expansion project. All told, it would add two new wings to the existing building, as well as completely renovate and update all technical program areas, critical infrastructure, and completely modernize the academic classrooms.”

RIGHT: In 1999, the new Pre-Engineering program included many of the skills taught by the Drafting program—especially the Computer Assisted Drafting (CAD) related components, amongst other engineering technology skills. Here, a current Engineering Academy student uses a CAD-generated 3D model to program a computer operated mill to create a component for a project.

The new Science & Technology Wing, at the front of the building, would have six completely modern science class-rooms and associated lab space. There would also be new technical classrooms for the Electronics/Robotics, newly renamed Engineering Technology programs. Together, these would form the core of the cutting-edge Engineering Acade-my some five years later.

In back, the new Performing Arts Center would be built behind the gymnasium. Consisting of a complete theatrical stage area and 450-plus seats in an acoustically sound audito-rium, it would be part of the home of the soon-to-be-created TV Media Production/Theatre Arts program. That program would also get a state-of-the-art television recording studio, sound room, and over twenty computer editing stations. The old Painting & Decorating area would become a workroom for the Theatre Arts program to craft the sets and props for their performances.

Connecting the Performing Arts Center to the rest of the building would be the Viking Forum. This would be a skylit open space, where workshops, dances, meetings, and re-ceptions can be held. It would also act as a lobby for perfor-mances and events in the Theater.

The Auto Body/Culinary Arts wing-the addition built the 1979—1980 project-would undergo some major alterations to expand Nashoba Tech’s service-related programs. A class-room and salon—which we know today as Cosmo Cuts-would be built for a planned Cosmetology program. Instruc-tion rooms would be installed for a new Hotel/Restaurant Management program. The old Chef ’s Apprentice Restaurant would be completely rebuilt and updated; emerging from the renovation project as The Elegant Chef, a thoroughly mod-ern restaurant and bistro.

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ABOVE: The Elegant Chef emerged from the renovation project a completely modern restaurant, both in terms of atmosphere and menu.

The whole project took two-and-a-half years to complete, and completely changed the school-adding as much new space as the 1979—1980 expansion. The Cosmetology and TV Media Production/Theatre Arts programs made their debut in 2004.

As the new programs settled into their technical instruction and work spaces, and the older programs got used to new equipment and classrooms, Nashoba Tech was poised to take great strides into the future—and it couldn’t wait to see what it would find there.

The major changes made during the 2002—2005 renovation had revitalized the school. The new wings, classrooms, and equipment had given every technical program a reason for enthusiasm. New clubs and activities were being rapidly created, giving students opportunities to further pursue their interests—technical or otherwise.

A music room, originally planned for by Klimkiewicz in 2002, was the impetus for a newly created Music program; as well as Band and Chorus clubs. These groups perform at school events and other functions as well as give their own seasonal concerts. These acitivties have been immensely popular; and the 2014 Spring Concert had over 75 students participating. Nashoba Tech students are also well represent-ed in Tri-M, a music-related analog to the National Honor Society for academics.

The newly created TV Media/Theatre Arts program proved to be quite popular with students, and would see excel-lent freshmen enrollment numbers in every year. A daily morning news broadcast was created—and more and more

2005—2014: EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIESNashoba Tech events, athletic games, and func-tions were being filmed, broadcast, or webcast. This program was also the hub for a new Drama

club, which has performed major musical productions for each of the past several years.

These events—which have recently included “Shrek the Musical,” “Seussical,” and “Grease”—are major collaborative efforts between many different areas of the school. Band and Chorus play a large role in these productions, and many technical programs provide technical assistance. Cosmetol-ogy designs the hair and makeup, Carpentry constructs the sets, and Design & Visual Communications provides tickets, posters, and programs for the performances.

This sort of collaborative learning project—whether that col-laboration is with other programs and clubs in the school, or with businesses and institutions of higher education—would become ever more common in the years following 2005. Some long-time partnerships were strengthened.

One new example of this kind of collaboration: Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank—the Banking, Marketing & Retail program’s current on-site banking partner—decided to open a drive-up ATM on the school campus; open to the public twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It opened in early 2014. That’s a first for a public school in Massachusetts.

Currently, no area of the school embodies this spirit more than the Engineering Academy. Organized differently from other technical programs, the Engineering Academy is a cluster of the Engineering Technology program, the elec-tronics, robotics, and bio-technology areas. It also includes a predetermined sequence of science and mathematics

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LEFT: The Nashoba Valley Technical High School Athletic Complex will be fully completed by the end of the 2013—2014 school year. The Complex includes a new artificial turf field, track, throwing areas for field events, bleachers, lighting, softball and practice fields,tennis courts, and a renovated baseball field. The field was finished in time to host home games in the fall of 2013. The final step, adding a rubberized sur-face to the track, will be complete just prior to the 2014 Commencement.

This image has been altered to simulate the appearance of the finished track.

courses; intentionally designed to expand Nashoba Tech’s of-ferings in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Modeled on Project Lead-the-Way, the Academy’s curriculum unifies different elements from all parts of the program, with the goal of offering the strongest possible background for entry into the various branches of

engineering and technology. This also includes many oppor-tunities to work on partnership projects.

Through a partnership with the UMass Lowell, the En-gineering program designed, built, and competed with a solar-powered car in 2008. A little later, the Boston College Educational Seismology Project, located at Weston Obser-vatory, provided the program with a fully-functional seis-mograph—which the students are trained to use in order to identify seismic activity throughout the world.

The original Pre-Engineering program started a FIRST

LEFT: A member of the FIRST Robotics team inspects the workings of the team’s competitive robot. The team won the Rookie All-Star Award and a spot in the national competition in 2011.

Robotics team in 1999, but it ended shortly after when membership waned. Nashoba Tech’s current team has had much greater success in the national program’s annual tour-naments. In the 2011 competitions, Nashoba’s team won the Rookie All-Star Award; and a berth in the FIRST Robotics National Competition later that year. These activities have attracted some notice, and recent years have seen some outside investments being made in the program. Over the past three years, The Engineering Acad-emy has received grants totaling nearly $200,000.00 from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center—to support edu-cation in bio-technology. Less than two weeks prior to this book’s publication, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration & Finance awarded the Academy nearly $30,000.00 for its work in the 2014 Vocational Oppor-tunity Challenge.

Alongside this boom of innovation and productivity among clubs, activities, and the technical programs, have been Nashoba Tech’s recent academic achievements. Each year, every school

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BELOW: A 2008 school initiative to modernize all academic classrooms led to the installation of SmartBoards™ in every classroom in the building. These boards allow teachers to program interactive games and problems for students to complete, show videos or interactive programs, export the teacher’s lecture notes in printed or digital form.

Jennifer Bates graduated in 2005 from the Dental Assisting program and never looked back. A school-choice student from Methuen, Jennifer came to Nashoba Valley specifically for the Dental Assisting program. She spent her senior year, through Dual Enrollment, studying at Middlesex Community Col-lege, then transferred to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health

Sciences’ Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists.

Bates graduated with her Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene in 2008. Today, she is office manager for three dental offices: Dentistry By Design in Andover, Shrewsbury Village Dental in Shrews-bury, and Stiles Family Dentistry in Salem, N.H.

“When I applied to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, there were 5,700 applicants and they only accepted 30. They told me they

accepted me because of my techni-cal education and because I knew everything about dentistry and had already been working in the field.”

“I was involved in a lot of things at Nashoba Valley, and it was a wonderful foundation to jump-start my future. I became involved in so much there, like Student Council and National Honor Society, being the student representative to the School Committee. I got to see all sides of everything. The more you do, the better you’ll do.”

“Nashoba Valley taught me that if you have something in mind for the future, don’t stop. Keep going for it. I was a school-choice student, so I chose to go there, and I chose it because it was a smaller environment, almost like a family environment.”

JENNIFER BATES (Class of 2005)

LEFT: Bates’ seniorphoto and messagefrom the 2005yearbook.

ABOVE: Jennifer Bates in 2014.

“When I applied to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, there were 5,700 applicants and they only accepted 30. They told me they accepted me because of my technical education and because I knew everything about dentistry and had already been working in the field.”

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would be necessary to plan ahead for future improvements to the school and its programs. Sustainability—in financial, physical, and environmental terms—needed to be a priority for the school.

In 2007, the School District implemented a Go Green initiative, in an effort to increase the school’s financial and environmental sustainability. This started with the addition of roof-mounted solar panels on both the main building and concession stand in an effort to lower energy costs; as well as initiatives to reduce paper usage. The Auto Collision Repair & Refinishing program transitioned to more environmental-ly-friendly waterborne paints in 2008. A second set of solar panels was added to the main building in 2012, increasing the school’s energy independence.

In an effort to establish a solid financial future for Nashoba Tech, the School District voted to establish a second 10-year Capital Plan in 2006; aimed at keeping the school’s vital equipment up-to-date. To provide additional support, a Stabilization Fund was approved in 2010. A framework for keeping the programs’ curricula and instruction methods current, Model Technology School and Professional Learn-ing Community initiatives were also implemented.

In terms of facilities, it was important to make sure that they were suitable for students to pursue their activities and inter-ests—as well as their chosen career. Technical programs could benefit from some basic improvements that hadn’t found their way into the 2002—2005 expansion. The athletic fields, with a baseball diamond from the early 1980s, were in need of some updating. Also, given the tremendous success of the arts programs, a new way for students to engage in their interests creatively would be a great benefit to the school.

in the Commonwealth is ranked according to their students’ performance on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assess-ment System (MCAS). Nashoba Tech has been ranked a Level 1 school—the highest category on the scale—by the Massachusetts Department of Education for three years in a row, with a possible fourth in 2014.

Nashoba Tech began adding Advanced Placement classes in 2008, and now has AP classes in all core academic areas, seven in total: English Liter-ature and Composi-tion, English Lan-guage, Calculus, U.S. History, American Government, Physics, and Biology. Enroll-ment in both AP and Honors classes continues to grow. To help reinforce critical writing and language skills, Nashoba Tech has instituted a

comprehensive, four-year writing program for every student. Reports continue to show that these skills are essential in finding, and holding, employment.

With major building finished for the time being, resources could now be dedicated to upgrading other aspects of the schools infrastructure and facilities. At the same time, it

ABOVE: The South Chelmsford Road building that houses the Early Learning Center was completely renovated shortly after the 2002—2005 building project. It was remodeled again in 2012. The updated facility provides and ideal working environment for the Early Education program.

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The Early Childhood Center, in the building on South Chelmsford Road, was brought back under school manage-ment after years of having been under the operation of a corporate partner. An herb garden was planted just outside the entrance to The Elegant Chef restaurant, adjacent to the greenhouse used by the Horticulture Club, in order to com-pliment the Culinary Arts program.

In the early months of 2014, the school completed a massive, $3 million renovation of its athletic facilities; at no cost to taxpayers in the District. This project added an all-purpose turf field suitable for football, lacrosse and soccer. Around the field is a state-of-the-art track, new lighting, new bleach-ers, and a new press box. These, along with a renovation of the original baseball field and several more new facilities—practice field, softball field, and tennis courts—would make up Nashoba Valley Technical High School’s new Athletic Complex.

The project took nearly two years, partially slowed due to the necessity of addressing some protected marshland where the project was originally proposed. In another example of tech-nical program and industry partnerships, much of pre-con-

struction geological work on the project was performed by Engineering students with donated assistance from the engineering consulting firm Weston Geophysical. To expand expressive activities, Nashoba Tech’s new Dance & Art Studio will be a place where students interested in art, music, dance, theater, and design can engage their creativity and hone their talents. The building itself—formerly an old, unused campus building known as “The Barn”—will be com-pletely renovated through a collaboration of the Carpentry, Plumbing, and Electrical programs. The Dance & Art Studio is set to open later in 2014.

So now we’re here, and the question—as it always is—is where do we go from here?

LEFT: Plans for the new Dance & Art studio.

RIGHT: The nearly completed studio, due to be completed in mid- to late-2014.

In September 1985, educator Dale Parnell published a book titled “The Neglected Majority.” Parnell asserted that the majority of high school students—as many as 60% of them—were not being adequately prepared for their futures by the existing educational system. According to this view, there are two groups of students who benefit most from the current system by having the most resources allocated to their edu-cation.

The first group is the minority of the “gifted and talented;” students who will likely be successful no matter where they go to school, and have less need of extensive resources to achieve success. The second group is made up of those stu-dents with notable learning difficulties, whose need for extra assistance is quite clear.

In between those two groups is “neglected majority,” stu-dents who tend to get ignored as schools focus on the other two groups. What’s more, those students are often aware of their plight—and are at risk for tuning out in an educational environment that doesn’t address their needs. Unless these students remain engaged at the high school level—getting sufficient attention and learning skills they see as valuable—they will fall through society’s cracks and not live up to their potential.

LEFT: Cynthia Messina, graduate of the Design & Visual Communications program and Class of 2013 Salutatorian, addresses the attendees at Commencement. The Class of 2013 had 41 Adam’s Scholars, maxing out the 25% of a class that the State of Massachusetts allows.

2014—2059: REACHING “THE NEGLECTED MAJORITY”

Nashoba Tech’s superintendent, Dr. Klimkiewicz, has been a strong proponent of this viewpoint for many years. Accord-ing to her, it is the mission of technical high schools to make sure those particular students learn the skills they will need to succeed in the post high school world. “The neglected majority will continue to be unfocused, un-motivated and unlikely to finish college with anything but a general degree that will not offer any advantages in obtaining a job that requires specialized skills. The kinds of jobs that will be most in demand in the coming economic climate.” Klimkiewicz strongly feels that a technical education is the best way to prepare these students for either pathway to a career—through college or directly into the workforce. “Either way, these students will benefit from the acquisition of concrete skills and a work- and career-focused approach to education. “A technical education motivates students to find out what it is they want to do, and focus on that for future career options,” she said. “If you can create a passion in high school for whatever it is someone wants to do, it prepares them to accept the challenges they’ll face in the future when the road gets bumpy. What drives people in a passionate way enables them to be able to complete a goal.” In her view, this leaves Nashoba Tech in an ideal position, as students entering high school today and in the foreseeable future increasingly understand that technical skills will be not simply useful, but vital to their potential employment prospects. “I frankly foresee a future where technical edu-cation will be the preferred type of education for at least 50 percent of students,” Dr. Klimkiewicz said.

She believes Nashoba Tech is well poised to educate and train the current and future generations of students for the careers they desire. She praises the work that the staff at Nashoba Tech has been able to accomplish for a continuous 45 years. “The philosophy of working hard to improve is evident here, from the School Committee, to the administra-tion, to the teachers and support staff,” she said. Dr. Klimkiewicz firmly believes that technical schools must be proactive, rather that reactive, when deciding which programs to offer students. That is why the school has phased out certain technical programs over the course of its history—like Horticulture, Upholstery, Drafting, Painting & Decorating, and others—and added programs that research indicates will best prepare students for the most in-demand career pathways of the future. “How many school systems are preparing their students for an economy ten years down the road?” Dr. Klimkiewicz asked. “How many other approaches to education research future trends and employment needs many years in advance? That is what technical education does. The mission is not about the present, it’s focused on the future. The essence of what technical education is requires it to look ahead in a way that other kinds of education don’t.” This vision, and a matching drive to adapt, are what will keep Nashoba Tech a valued—if not vital—means of educating young people; so that they can succeed and thrive in the world they will find themselves in when they’re finally on their own. This school will continue to expect more of itself, and of its students, than we expected of ourselves yesterday. And it will accept no less.

39

Congratulations toNashoba Valley Technical High SchoolFor your 45 years of success.

SINCERE THANKS TO THE SPONSORS AND ADVERTISERSWHO HELPED MAKE THE CREATION OF THIS BOOK POSSIBLE.

GOLD SPONSOR

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SILVER SPONSORS

Sacca Electric 63 Jeremy Hill Road · Pelham, NH 03076 Phone: 603.635.3700

Chelmsford Lumber Company 203 Boston Rd Chelmsford · MA 01824 978.244.0222

Who are we?Friends of Nashoba is a group of parents, school leaders, community members, coaches, advisors and other interested volunteers that work together to support extra-curricular activities and the athletic program at Nashoba Valley Technical High School.

What is our mission? History has proven many of today’s Athletes and students involved in extra-curricular activities will emerge as tomorrow’s leaders. The mission of the Friends of Nashoba (FON) is to support the interest and development of Nashoba’s Future Leaders. By providing physical and �nancial support, we will enable our children to strive for excellence in pursuit of their interests and passions. Through example and experience, our children will gain knowledge of the bene�t provided by community, teamwork, and a strong work ethic.

Other Information • Serving the students of NVTHS since 2012 • Annually granting scholarships

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NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL100 Littleton Road • Westford, MA 01886978.692.4711 • WWW.NASHOBATECH.NETServing the towns of Ayer, Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend, and Westford

THIS IS THE STORY OFNASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL. Since 1969, Nashoba Tech has undergone tremendous changes—as abuilding, as an educational environment, and as an institution. The school that we know today started out as an early experiment in a different kind of education, one that focused on the future success of its students in the world of work. A place where skills were as highly prized as knowledge, and where there existed a genuine will to develop both.

This booklet is about the development that Nashoba Valley Technical High School has experienced in its first 45 years of existence—how it has changed in order to keep up with the demands of its mission—and the peo-ple and forces that have driven those changes. Nashoba Tech’s story will also be about—and told through the words of—alumni, past and present staff members, and others who were closest to these developments. This long, 45 year road has been a winding one; this is the tale of the journey.