Heroes of Sept. 11 inspire McGrath's art

September 9, 2010
Cranston Herald
All text and photos by Jen Cowart

REMEMBERING THE HEROES: Marion McGrath poses next to her depiction of Father Myke Judge being carried out of the wreckage on Sept. 11, 2001. The painting has been on display in several states since its completion.

Generations of families have known Marion McGrath as the director of Carriage House Day Care center, which is located on Shaw Avenue in the Edgewood section of Cranston. Thousands of children have passed through the center’s doors since it opened.


Still, more residents know McGrath for all of her hard work and advocacy as an Edgewood resident.

However, few people realize that McGrath is a talented painter whose paintings have been featured in exhibits up and down the east coast.

Having grown up in the World War II era, with two sons who were policemen, McGrath was drawn to the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001 in a very personal way.

“I was watching the Today Show and saw those planes crash. I saw the people jumping out of the towers,” she said. “I was drawn to every image at that time. I couldn’t leave the television set sometimes. I’d turn it on in the middle of the night. This was such a tragic event for our country.”

McGrath was struck by the fact that the policemen and firefighters at Ground Zero were “ordinary men doing extraordinary things.”

She saw a photo of several firefighters pulling the lifeless body of chaplain Father Myke Judge out of the wreckage and knew she had to paint that image. The priest had been ministering to the injured and dying firefighters when he suffered a heart attack and died.

McGrath said she visualized what she wanted to do for her painting and asked her art instructor, Delores LaCassio, if she thought it could be done.

“She said I could do it,” McGrath said, and with that, she began painting.

From the start, McGrath felt the images flowed easily onto her canvas. Although she never knew Father Myke, McGrath said she’s learned so much about him since she began her painting.

She painted the images of the exhausted men carrying Father Myke Judge, and then in the shadows behind, a cross can be seen and a ray of light shines through the smoke and soot. McGrath purposely left the background gray, never adding any colors to the rest of the painting.

“That ray of light touches each and every one of them in the picture,” McGrath said. “I wanted to depict that even in this wicked tragedy, we still have faith that something better will come along.”

As word got out about McGrath’s painting, people stopped in to watch her progress. When the painting was done, she kept it on exhibit in Fort Meyers where she spends her winters.

As the anniversary of the tragedy approached, however, McGrath wanted to take her painting to New York City and show it to the Franciscans and the firefighters who had known Father Myke.

“One of my fears was that it would be so reminding of the event, that I had great anxiety about how it would be received. I didn’t know if it’d be received well or if it would be too emotional, too reminding,” she said.

“It was a very emotional meeting,” she recalled of her visit to Ground Zero, the Franciscans and the firehouse. “They looked at the painting in the trunk of my car and said, “This is not like all the rest.”

Word of the painting traveled and McGrath was asked to display her painting again, this time in Boston at the St. Anthony Shrine for the Sept. 11 commemorative prayer service being held there in 2002. She was also featured in a documentary out of England.

Currently, the painting is in McGrath’s home here in Cranston, where she keeps it in between exhibitions.

McGrath had no interest in learning to paint until she took her very first painting class in October 1999.

“My sister-in-law, Barbara was bringing this artist to Fort Meyers for a class. She needed 10 people to sign up for the class in order for it to run, so I signed up,” McGrath said.

McGrath remembers some frayed nerves at the thought of going to a painting class with no prior painting experience.

“I had nightmares for three nights before,” she said.

Once in the class, there was a great deal of information and technique to take in, but McGrath was a fast learner.

She has since completed several more paintings, which are displayed in her home and at Carriage House. Although she’s proud of all her work, few have the emotion and meaning that her 9/11 paintings have.

“By having done this painting, it’s brought so many people into my life that I wouldn’t have known before,” said McGrath. “I honestly believe that things were meant to be and this is what I was meant to be doing.”

Cranston schools set the bar for energy conservation

September 2, 2010
Cranston Herald
All text and photos by Jen Cowart

EAST HAS ENERGY: Cranston High School East is one of 12 school buildings in the city that has received the Energy Star Conservation award for 2010. Thanks to the school department’s work in energy conservation, many school buildings are receiving updates from $400,000 in federal funding.

All eyes are on the Cranston Public Schools energy program as the new school year begins.


Thanks to the work of the energy management program run by Karen Verrengia and carried out by the custodial staff across the district, CPS has been hailed as a leader in the area of energy conservation, since showing the district a cost savings of more than $2 million from the time the program began in 2006.

Cranston recently received word that 12 CPS buildings have gone through a rigorous qualification and selection process and are slated to receive the prestigious Energy Star Conservation award for 2010.

Those school and district buildings are: Chester W. Barrows, Edgewood Highland, Norwood Avenue, the William A. Briggs building, Sprague School, Edward S. Rhodes, Stone Hill, Daniel Waterman, Western Hills and Park View middle schools; as well as Cranston High Schools East and West.

The Energy Star standard certifies an energy-efficient facility and rates those buildings in the top 25 percent of all facilities nationally, based on the EPA’s National Energy Performance Rating system.

According to Verrengia, two buildings per year received the sought-after award in 2008 and 2009. At the time, the buildings were the first school buildings ever to qualify for the award in Rhode Island.

The buildings that received the awards at that time were Daniel D. Waterman, Chester Barrows and Edgewood Highland Elementary Schools.

“People across the country are tracking what we are doing here in Cranston and they want to know how we’re doing it so that they can do it in their districts too,” said Verrengia, noting that she frequently receives e-mails and phone calls asking for advice on energy management.

Verrengia herself was recently recognized with a merit award for her work in Cranston by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This past summer, six different school buildings across the city qualified for and received needed energy updates from more than $400,000 in federal stimulus money. The buildings are Western Hills Middle School, Cranston High School West, Hugh B. Bain Middle School, George J. Peters Elementary School, Glen Hills Elementary School and Hope Highlands Elementary School.

Some of the projects included lighting system retrofits, and the installation of energy efficient sensors, which regulate heat and electricity. Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School also received a lighting retrofit as part of a separate financing agreement with National Grid.

These updates will show immediate payback in the form of energy cost savings across the district.

In total, 16 buildings will be receiving lighting retrofits with two more on the horizon, utilizing a variety of financing options and grants from National Grid and HUD.

Verrengia noted that Building Operator Certification (BOC) training focuses heavily on energy star qualifications and tracks buildings to make sure they are in line with those qualifications.

“Everything they teach [in BOC] parallels everything I do and try to achieve,” said Verrengia.

Last year, Cranston hosted a Building Operator Certification training class in which several of the district’s building foremen participated along with building operators from outside of Cranston. Verrengia sat in on the trainings.

This year the Rhode Island Association of School Maintenance has asked Cranston to host a re-certification class.

In turn, National Grid has agreed to sponsor the class, which will be held at the Park Cinema. CPS is utilizing an agreement that the city has with the cinema, which allows them to use the cinema for free for events.

The course will take place on Friday, Oct. 29.

Welcome back, Cranston

Cranston Herald
September 2, 2010

All text and photos by Jen Cowart

A WARM WELCOME: Sixth-grader Chris Shorey, a new student at Glen Hills, walks down to his classroom with Commissioner Gist and Principal DeCristofaro.

Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist loves the first week of school.


“The first week of school is my absolute favorite time of the year. It’d be impossible for me to stay away from classrooms during the first week,” she said on Tuesday as she toured Glen Hills Elementary School.

Gist said she wanted to be in the Cranston schools for the first day of school, and that Superintendent Peter Nero was very welcoming when she phoned and asked him if she could spend some time with the Cranston students.

Chester Barrows first-grader Claire Dancause and her big sister, Annemarie Dancause in third grade, had the opportunity, along with their mother, to walk to school with Commissioner Gist and Superintendent Nero.

Gist met the family at their home and took the daily walk to school with them. Once at Barrows, she spent nearly an hour in the schoolyard, greeting Barrows students and their families on their first morning back.

“She spent about 45 minutes visiting with parents and talking to them,” said Principal Paul Heatherton. “It was a great way to start off the school year.”

From there, Gist and Nero headed over to join the Glen Hills Elementary School community as their families began the school day. Gist spent time greeting the families in the lobby and then took a tour of the building, stopping into several classrooms along the way.

As she walked, she spoke to Principal Jay DeCristofaro about several of the school’s programs, including the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports program (PBIS), which integrates positive school behaviors with the prevention of bullying. Many of the school’s teachers participated in intensive PBIS training over the summer.

Gist stopped to speak to classrooms and visited with individual students, kneeling down next to them and asking about what they were working on. She also made time to meet and greet some of the students who were new to the school in each of the classrooms they visited, asking them where they were from and if they were excited about the new school year.

As she walked from room to room, Gist would stop and introduce herself to teachers and students who were passing in the hallways, complimenting them on their behavior or wishing them a good first day of school.

When she visited Jody Joseph’s first grade classroom, Gist told the students how lucky they were to be in a classroom filled with books, as she loves to read.

As she spoke to the third-graders in Michelle Cornelia’s class, Gist was sure to spread the word though, about what she considers to be the most important job of all: being a teacher.

“Most importantly, I used to be a fifth grade teacher,” she told them.

Both Nero and DeCristofaro, who are former CPS teachers, welcomed Gist to join them in any one of the Cranston classrooms, any time she gets the urge to teach a lesson in the future.

Who's who and who's new in Cranston Public Schools

Cranston Herald
August 26, 2010
All text and photos by Jen Cowart

This year Cranston Public Schools has welcomed several new administrators to positions in Cranston. Taking the helm at Chester Barrows Elementary School is Principal Paul Heatherton, who took over mid-year last school year. Prior to arriving at Barrows, Heatherton was the assistant principal at Park View Middle School and a special education teacher at Hugh B. Bain Middle School for seven years before that.


Heatherton is excited to start his first full year at Barrows. He’s got a new PTO board and is hoping to tap into their enthusiasm as well.

“The PTO has ideas; I have ideas, so we’ll see all that we can do together,” said Heatherton. “We’re hoping to start a new school-wide theme of going green for our focus this year.”

Heatherton was excited that he has over $20,000 of new technology equipment coming into the building for students due to the fact that five of his staff members participated in the E2T2 technology training offered to the district this school year.

“We were in dire need of that,” he said.

Just down the road, over at Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School, Principal James Zanfini has come on board since the retirement of long-time principal Kenneth Blackman.

Zanfini has taught the past 10 years in Lincoln and brings with him a strong background in the elementary curriculum.

“I’m passionate about primary education,” he said. “It’s so important to reach elementary students in those first foundational years.”

Principal Zanfini is excited about continuing on with the work that Blackman began with his staff at Rhodes.

“I’m already impressed by the dedication of the teachers at Rhodes,” Zanfini said. “There’s a strong community of leaders on our staff. They’ve been working on science initiatives and technology training this summer.”

Zanfini is hoping to continue the momentum at Rhodes, moving forward doing what’s best for the children.

“When I lay my head on my pillow at night, I need to know each day that I did what’s best for the children. It’s not a job to me, it’s a gift,” he said.

After elementary school comes middle school, and there’s a new face over at Western Hills Middle School greeting the students this year.

Dr. Jacqueline Striano arrived at Western Hills in the late spring of 2010, finishing out the year there, after transitioning from Cranston High School West.

“I have been at Western Hills since last spring, and I love being a part of this colossal intellectual community,” said Striano. “From what I can see, Western Hills is a place that values inquisitive young minds, fostering an environment that is safe from bullying and intimidation and a building that continually strives for excellence.”

Striano has spent a large part of her summer working on scheduling, but has taken time out to travel on behalf of her students, visiting Lexington and Concord to do some research for the eighth-graders studying the American Revolution this year.

Prior to arriving in Cranston, Dr. Striano worked in both Connecticut and in Boston as a teacher and as an administrator, having taught special education, serving as a department head, and running an alternative school.

She enjoys connecting with her students, engaging in things they enjoy and connecting with their parents as well.

“I eat lunch with [the students], and they quiz me on historical trivia; usually, they win! I also try to keep up with another group of avid readers who come to my office and say, ‘We think you will like this book, read it with us,’” Striano said. “It is gratifying to see young people eager to learn and to work with parents who support their initiatives. I also enjoy talking to our Cobra Parents who inquire about curriculum, learning and how to work together to ensure that our students succeed.”

Park View Middle School welcomed a familiar face to a new position last spring. As the school’s former physical education instructor, Mike Crudale took over as assistant principal when then-Assistant Principal Christopher D’Ambrosio left the position to go to Cranston High School East.

Prior to arriving at Park View 15 years ago, Crudale was a faculty member at Western Hills Middle School for two years.

“I’m very excited about being in a new position in a school that I’ve been in for so many years,” said Crudale.

There is a time and place for everything, and Crudale, who is known for his antics on stage at school events, promises that he’ll continue to participate in school-wide activities.

Cranston High School West had the pleasure of welcoming Kim Magnelli as their new assistant principal this past spring. Magnelli began her teaching career when she student taught at Western Hills in 1991, and was hired there in 1994 as a math teacher. She worked at Bain briefly and then returned to WHMS in 1997. She was appointed assistant principal in 2005 and remained in that capacity until the spring of this year, when she moved over to Cranston West.

Magnelli is anticipating a great school year at West.

“I am looking forward to the challenge of the high school, and also being able to assist my former students from WHMS and their families,” said Magnelli.

West isn’t the only high school in town seeing a new face in administration.

Over at the New England Laborers/Cranston Public Schools charter high school, there is a new executive director as of Sept. 1.

Richard Pecorelli, former assistant director and recruitment coordinator since 2008, has taken over for Dr. Mike Silvia, who has now retired.

“I’m excited about taking on this position,” said Pecorelli.

Prior to arriving at NEL/CPS, Pecorelli was a math and science teacher in the Cranston middle schools.

“I also taught science here for one year before taking on the assistant director position,” said Pecorelli.

Central Administration, located in the Briggs Building on Park Avenue, has welcomed a new, but not so new, face to Cranston Public Schools this year as well.

Jeannine Nota-Masse, a long-time Cranston Public Schools employee until 2008, has returned to Cranston, taking on the position of Executive Director of Educational Programs and Services.

Nota-Masse began at Cranston High School East in 2001 as assistant principal and worked in the area of discipline for five years. For the next two years she worked as assistant principal in the area of Guidance.

“I really liked seeing the other side of the job,” Nota-Masse said. “I really loved it.”

In 2008 she left Cranston to take a job as the principal of East Greenwich High School, where she worked for two years before seizing the opportunity to return to her hometown this year.

“I’m surrounded by a team of people looking to make Cranston the best possible school district it could be,” Nota-Masse said. “The job is going to be challenging and there are going to be times when I’ll be learning things I may not be familiar with, but there’s a certain comfort level of working with people I’ve worked with for almost 10 years.”

Nota-Masse acknowledges that CPS is going through its own struggles financially, but emphasizes that the administrators in the district truly want to see the school system succeed.

“This is not just a job for the people here, it’s a vocation,” she said. “I have a lot of faith in what we do here, and I believe that the people of Cranston deserve the very best.”

Bain staff hits the street to meet new students

Cranston Herald
August 26, 2010
All text and photos by Jen Cowart

HITTING THE STREETS: Bain Principal Tom Barbieri and his staff take a moment to pose for the camera before continuing on to the next house.

With summer winding down and September fast approaching, many teachers have begun setting up their classrooms. Others are enjoying the remaining carefree hours with their families.


But for many faculty members at Hugh B. Bain Middle School, it’s time to hit the streets and introduce themselves to the school’s new families.

For the second year in a row, Principal Tom Barbieri has asked for volunteers from his faculty and staff to accompany him on his walks through the neighborhoods of Stadium, Gladstone, Peters and Woodridge Elementary Schools.

For the second year in a row, the response has been overwhelming.

This year, Barbieri, along with 20 staffers and Family Center representative Grace Swinski, walked through the streets of Cranston for three nights in a row, three hours each night. They endured temperatures reaching almost 90 degrees.

“It’s what’s best for the kids,” Barbieri said. “A good principal reconnects with parents and students before school starts. It eases the transition so that there are no surprises.”

Barbieri knew he’d be embarking on the initiative, but was blown away that so many teachers offered to help.

“One teacher left her beach house in Charlestown to come up for one day to participate in these walks at night,” he said.

Doors opened to welcome Barbieri as he rang the bell at house after house. The new seventh graders were ready and waiting, having been given a head’s up by student council members.

“This gives them the chance to see that we care about them even outside of school,” said Bain +2 coordinator Brittany Sandbergen. “They see that we’re not just a part of the school.”

The exercise also allows teachers to get a first hand look at where their students are coming from.

“This gives us an appreciation of the walking distance these kids travel and the obstacles they might face on the way to school, before they’ve even gotten to me,” said reading teacher Kristie Butler.

Barbieri agreed.

“When you’ve walked these neighborhoods and then these kids are in front of you when you’re teaching them, you can advocate for them because you know, you have a good sense of what they’re going through,” he said.

At each house, Barbieri tried to connect with the students, asking them if they were ready for school, if they had completed their reading and math packets and read their two summer reading books.

Each family also received an invitation to Bain’s back-to-school hot dog roast which was scheduled to take place on Aug. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. Barbieri asks the faculty and staff to support that event as well, even though it too, is an unpaid event.

He knows from past experience that many staff members will be there, using the opportunity to connect with families and students.

“These walks will help us make connections even before next Wednesday’s hot dog roast,” said Butler.

The staff acknowledges that middle school is a different world than elementary school, which is all the more reason to make these connections prior to the start of the school year.

“When you send your child to middle school, you’re very apprehensive,” said Mary Hopkins, one of Bain’s seventh grade math teachers. “This shows families that we’re going to take care of their students, and that we really do care about them.”

Swinski has a dual role in the process. She has been a parent at Bain, and she walks to represent the Family Center.

“At the Family Center, parent involvement is our number one priority. This is so important to the families and to the children. They look forward to it, and during the school year, they remember these visits. It’s a nice opportunity to connect,” she said.

Last year, the staff members reached out to 90 families in the Bain community. This year, thanks to Swinski’s mapping skills, they surpassed that number on the second night out.

“Although we can’t get to every house, as much as we’d like to, we’re hoping to reach at least two-thirds of the families this year,” she said.

Principal Barbieri believes that pre-season initiatives such as the neighborhood walks and the upcoming hot dog roast are all part of building the school community and forming a school-to-home connection, even if it means volunteering one’s time.

“A major part of our school’s success is having a faculty and staff who are willing to go above and beyond,” Barbieri said. “To me that’s the definition of a professional.”