THE NEW
Uxbridge Times Established in 1991 Vol. 29 • Issue 6
Over 21,000 Copies Mailed Free
UxbrIdge • North UxbrIdge • LINwood • doUgLas • NorthbrIdge • whItINsVILLe • sUttoN • MaNchaUg
JUNe 2020
Focusing on Joy during Pandemic By Christine Beauchaine The Covid-19 virus has changed many things for people. Lots of events have been postponed or cancelled entirely. People are looking to find new ways of working, shopping and learning. We’re all working to adjust to a new normal. Despite all this, one local couple continues to work toward their dream of growing their family through international adoption. Colleen and James Wierenga of Grafton (formerly of Uxbridge) are planning to adopt a little girl with Down Syndrome from an orphanage in Eastern Europe. The baby, who the couple has named Joy, will turn one in October. Wierenga says that when they saw Joy they just knew she was their child. “We couldn’t get her out of our hearts,” she explained. The couple adopted their son through international adoption in 2016. Colleen Wierenga said, “with him, we have seen so much progress and what can occur when children are in a family and what love can do.” Wierenga says he is the light of their lives. When they decided to grow their family even more, they knew that they wanted to choose international adoption again. Wierenga said she knew she wanted to adopt a child with Down Syndrome since she was a little girl. Several years ago, she discovered an organization called Reece’s Rainbow which “advocates and finds families for orphans internationally with Down Syndrome and other special needs.” The Wierengas committed to adopting Joy just as the Covid-19 virus was beginning to shut down travel and limit communication. Their home study agency did give them all of their paperwork to fill out. As of this writing, they were hoping they would be able to complete their home study visits as soon as the state of Massachusetts reopened. Colleen Wierenga says she always encourages people to “find their tribe.” She stated that there are a lot of families who are in similar circumstances and that these families really support one another. She adds that they regularly communicate continued on page 10
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DISTANCE DANCING - Area ballerinas enjoy lessons safe at home.
See related story on page 20
Uxbridge High School’s Rubin is 2020 Principal of the Year What has been known in town for some time has now been made official; the top high school principal in Massachusetts works at Uxbridge High School. Last month a representative from the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) notified Uxbridge High Principal Michael Rubin that he had been named High School Principal of the Year. The honor recognizes one middle school and one high school principal “who have succeeded in providing highquality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.” As Principal of the Year, Mr. Rubin’s name will be submitted for consideration for National Principal of the Year. “It is both humbling and overwhelming to have been selected for this most prestigious award,” Mr. Rubin said. “I am grateful for the support of many people along the way, including many great colleagues and mentors, who have contributed to our successes at UHS, be it as part of our community or from afar. I am also quite blessed to have an incredibly patient, understanding, and supportive family who understands the many sacrifices that come with school leadership.” In his fifth year at the helm of Uxbridge High, Mr. Rubin has shepherded in changes that have not only garnered local, state, and national recogPRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
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nition, but have also provided opportunities for students not typically available in a small high school. Under his leadership, Uxbridge High School was named one of only four schools in the Commonwealth in 2018 to earn initial distinction as an Innovation Pathway school. In the time since, UHS has earned membership to the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools and the CAPS Network, both affiliated with merging expanded and authentic outcomes for students in terms of career and post-secondary success. The school has earned more than $1 million in grant funding and has been named a Project Lead the Way commended school while being one of the top 25% of all high schools in the nation, according to US News and World Report. In addition, the school’s guidance and engineering programs have been recognized at the state level for its accomplishments. Uxbridge High School has hosted more than 50 schools over the past two years on various professional development tours and panels that intend to share learning experiences across the Commonwealth. The UHS administration has presented at the national level on building strategic community partnerships to enhance curricular outcomes for students, and, in the past year, has shared its post-secondary programs as part of pilot consortiums with other
schools in the region, in addition to partnering with the Blackstone Valley Ed Hub to build technical programs. Mr. Rubin also supports the Gateway to College program at Quinsigamond Community College, for which Uxbridge is the diploma-granting institution. In addition to his work for UHS, Mr. Rubin serves on various committees across the state, including the Project Lead the Way Conference Committee, the Central Massachusetts STEM Ecosystem, the National Honor Society state committee, and the MIAA Softball committee. For Mr. Rubin, it’s not about the accolades, it’s about creating a school culture in which students and staff can work collaboratively to explore curriculum opportunities that lead to personal learning and growth that have real world application. “We want everyone who sets foot at UHS to leave feeling inspired, to move beyond complacency, and to truly value the balance between essential content and skills,” said Mr. Rubin. “We commit to everyone: all students, all families, all staff, and we focus every day on empowering that spirit of community and collegiality. “There is a quote I have used as the signature of my email that comes from Mark Herzlich, who played football at Boston College and for the New continued on page 8
Sutton plans meeting & election The Sutton Annual Spring Town Meeting will be held Monday, June 22nd at the Sutton High School, located at 383 Boston Road, Sutton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts promptly at 7 p.m. Registration deadline to be eligible to participate in town meeting is June 2nd.
The town election will be held on Tuesday, June 23rd from 12 to 4 p.m. Precinct 1 & 3 location is the Sutton H/M School Gym. Precint 2 location is the Manchaug Fire Station. Registration deadline is June 11th. Early Voter & Absen-tee ballots available by contacting the Town Clerk at 508-
~ INDEX ~ Town News............Page 4 Senior Corner…………17 Society……………Page 19 School News……Page 21 Business News....Page 23 Sports…………… Page 25 Classified.............Page 27