Hope you are having a wonderful Summer !

It’s class reunion time. Some have taken place. Some are upcoming or are still in the planning stages.

Class of 1960 is celebrating a big one on August 14^th and 15^th. Dinner at the Peabody Mariott on Saturday and a cookout at Winter Island on Sunday.

There are still some missing classmates. If you have contact information for any of that class, please pass it along to Mary Ellen Cullen ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Class of 2000 is working on plans for their reunion.

Jillian Patterson is on the committee ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

If you are wondering about your class’s plans, the website includes a list of Class Agents. A good place to start.

Please send us your reunion pictures so that we can post them on the website.

( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

In addition, please share our website with classmates so that they can sign on as members. Or if you are a committee, pass along classmates contact information to us and we will initiate contact.

Finally we get questions from reunion planning committees regularly about what other classes have done for their reunions. Some locations, formats, timing, activities, etc. work well, some do not. If you have advice ( where, when, budgets, etc. ) for committees that are just doing the groundwork, please pass it along and we will publish it.

Upcoming events in the City:

August 6^th to August15th : It’s Heritage Week !!

(http://www.salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_News/02B8223B-000F8513)

Take your pick: Maritime Festival….Ford Edsels….Road races…Concerts…Bike Races….Pizza Night…Ice Cream Night… Movies…Art. Just a jam packed week.

The daily schedule is as follows:

(http://www.salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_WebDocs/2010%20Heritage%20Days.pdf)

Salem Farmers Market is every Thursday, 3:00 to 7:00 PM, Derby Sq., Front Street. (http://salemfarmersmarket.org/)

August 21^st and 22^nd : Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

(http://www.salemjazzsoul.com/)

Plus all kinds of activities available through Park & Rec this month: free golf instructions, running clinics, Swim Lessons, Yoga, Line Dancing, etc, etc. (http://salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_RecCal/?formid=158)

And don’t forget to check out Salem Theatre Company now in their new home on Lafayette Street. In August, they are offering free Improv Comedy on the 14^th and 15^th at Derby Square on Front Street. (www.salemtheatre.com)

Do you know where the best place is to get a burrito and glass of sangria now ??

Howling Wolf Taqueria , 76 Lafayette Street
, Salem (across from the Fire Station). Owner, Patrick Schultz , former teacher at Salem High and family are serving a full Mexican menu and wine/beer. Be hungry and thirsty, my friend. (www.feedyourwolf.com)

Finally: The Salem Public Schools Alumni Association Events Planning Committee continues to host the Monday Funday 5K ( or less) Run/Walk every Monday from the Black Lobster at Stromberg's Cove on Bridge Street for Alumni, friends and family. Everyone is welcome to join for easy and fun jaunts. It starts and finishes at the Black Lobster. We have runners and walkers. There have been up to 20 over the weeks since June 14th

Afterwards we generally head into the Black Lobster for more socializing. They have great food and drinks and a nice outdoor patio.

Oh and School starts on September 9^th !!!

What a great month in the schools May has been!

Hope you made it to the All-City Concert /Arts in the Evening on May 5^th. The excellent SHS  a cappella group, Witch Pitch greeted us in the lobby. The music was outstanding through out the evening. The displays of various art forms from elementary to high school were impressive.

We also attended the Service Learning Class Showcase on May 6^th. This was the 9^th annual celebration. This is a teaching methodology that combines academic content with community service, enhancing the student’s knowledge of the curriculum. A Community Board mentors students and helps advise on projects. Student project teams came from Bates, Bowditch, Collins, Saltonstall, Witchcraft, Salem Academy and Salem High. 40 Projects in all including fundraising for Haiti; clothing drives for homeless; a mentoring program; producing an iMovie on abuse and teen dating; as well as insightful green projects. So incredibly valuable for the students and the community. Former Governor Dukakis was guest speaker and lauded the students on their community involvement.

The After-Prom Party, May 14 was once again a huge success. Fun and safe for almost 300 kids.

Salem Education Foundation awarded $ 45,000 on May 20th to very deserving teachers for use in programs for the next school year. This year awards included several large collaborative awards for district wide or grade level programs including $5,000 for K-8 anti-bullying curricula.   Interested in getting involved with SEF? http://www.salemeducationfoundation.org/

Upcoming June evening/weekend events in the Schools:

May 28^th “Witch Pitch” Goes Green 7:00PM SHS Auditorium.

Great, great a cappella singing. 25% of proceeds goes to Salem Coastwatch. Alex Grover, SHS 05 directs.

June 4th SHS Graduation 6:00 PM

June 7^th Bowditch School Spring Concert 6:30 PM

June 8^th Collins Middle School Final Concert & Awards 7:00 PM

June 19^th Zaharias Leventis Scholarship Fund Fundraiser Volleyball Tournament at Noon at Salem High. $10 per person, minimum of 6 people per team. Winning team gets half of the total money raised up to $900. The tournament is open to Salem High Students, Alumni, Faculty, or Past Faculty Members Only. Space is limited to the first 16 teams that fully register. Contact George at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (978) 930-4577 for signups or questions

June 23^rd Last Day of School

Upcoming events in the City:

June 4, 5 & 6^th Salem Arts Festival: A Fun Family Friendly Free Festival in beautiful Downtown Salem, featuring over 75 artists and performers. http://salemartsfestival.com/

June 4th Rachel (Arthur) Sturma, Class of 1998, now assistant director of alumni affairs at Salem State, lets us know that Comedian Lenny Clarke is coming to the SSC campus on Friday night, June 4, 7:30PM for a comedy show. The event kicks off Alumni Weekend, but this comedy show is open to the public and she extends an invitation to us all.

Location: Mainstage Theatre, Salem State College  $25 per person. Tickets available at:  www.salemstate.edu/alumniweekend

June 17^th Salem Farmers Market starts again & every Thursday, 3:00 to 7:00 PM, Derby Sq., Front Street. http://salemfarmersmarket.org/

June 19^th Annual Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair, Old Town Hall, 10:00AM

June 20^th NSMC Cancer Walk, Salem Willows, 7:30 AM registration starts. Also a 5K run this year.

June All Month

All kinds of activities available through Park & Rec this month: golf tournaments, free golf instructions, running clinics, Yoga, Tap Dancing, etc, etc. http://salem.com/Pages/SalemMA_RecCal/?formid=158

And don’t forget to check out Salem Theatre Company in their new home on Lafayette Street. “Hair” is 6/3 to 6/12 and the hilarious “Rounding Third” 6/25 to 7/11. www.salemtheatre.com

Finally & saving the best for last:

The Salem Public Schools Alumni Association Events Planning Committee is hosting a Monday Funday 5K Run/Walk every Monday from the Black Lobster at Stromberg's Cove on Bridge Street for Alumni, friends and family. Everyone is welcome to join us for an easy and fun 5k jaunts. It starts and finishes at the Black Lobster. This will be a diverse group so don’t feel like you need to be an expert. If you don’t run we encourage you to come out and walk. Who knows by the end of the summer you might be running the 5k with the encouragement of great people. We are starting this to promote good health and to socialize with fellow alumni and friends, new and old. We start June 14^th at 7:00PM

Afterwards we will head into the Black Lobster for more socializing. They have great food and drinks. They also offer a ½ bar menu (at bar only) and for the warmer days they have a nice outdoor patio.

The Membership Committee has begun to reach out to reunion committees to share contact information and news on reunion events. If you are on a planning committee that has been established, let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A busy, busy spring in Salem, so right to the calendars:

Upcoming evening/weekend events in the Schools:

May 2^nd Bentley School 5K & Family Fun Walk 9:00AM

May 4th Bentley Chorus Concert 7:00PM

May 5th All-City Concert/ Arts in the Evening (more below)

May 7^th Saltonstall “Beauty & the Beast” 6:30PM

May 10^th Salem High Talent Show 7:00PM

May 14^th Salem High Senior Prom 7:00 PM & After-Prom (more below)

May 18^th Salem High Senior Awards Night 7:00PM

May 19^th Salem High Pops Concert 7:30PM

May 20^th Salem Education Foundation Grants Award Ceremony 4:00PM (more below)

June 4^th Salem High Graduation 6:00PM

Upcoming events in the City:

May 1^st Clean Salem, Green Salem 8:30 to Noon. Annual clean sweeps day.

Call 978-619-5676 for locations. Plus E-waste recycling program/ Bicycle collection for charity/ Plastic bag recycling/ Clothing donations: All at Salem Common

May 1^st Friends of Salem Woods

May 15^th Beautification Committee Plant Sale 8:30 to 12:30PM Salem Common

May 22^nd Jersey Boys Trip, Park & Recreation Dept.

June 4^th and June 5^th Salem Arts Festival 9:00AM

The All-City Concert /Arts in the Evening on May 5^th looks to be a wonderful night. The programs start at 5:00PM and runs until 9:00PM.

The Band Concert begins at 6:00. The Orchestra Concert begins at 6:45 and Chorus Concert starts at 7:30PM. There will be light refreshments provided by the Culinary Arts students and face painting/art activities throughout the night for visitors to participate in. The art displayed spans work from kindergarten through 12^th grade as well as recent grads. This year 2009, Alumna, Amanda Murley will be showing some of her work. If other alumni would like to display their work, contact Lynne Harrington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The Alumni Association will be there!

Looking ahead, the 10^th After-Prom Party will be the night of May 14^th at the Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA. Hard to believe that 10 years have passed since this started. It has been 10 great years of keeping our prom attendees safe while making it a memorable night of music, entertainment and prizes. The dedicated group of parents that run this could use help in the form of contributions of gift card prizes. They will have Bingo and Texas Hold’em Tournaments. Typical prizes needed are I-Pods, a small flat screen TV, etc. They also always need volunteers to help chaperone, set-up, etc. Contact Wendy Blake at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone (978-745-6588).

This years Annual Salem Education Foundation Auction on April 1^st raised over $ 50,000 for the Salem Public Schools. Just an outstanding turnout by the people of Salem and exceptional results for these dedicated volunteers especially in light of the economic environment. It couldn’t be needed more. This event funds the annual grants to the teachers and administrators in the public schools. Grants will be announced on May 20^th.

The Events Planning Committee is working on a Monday Funday 5K Run/Walk every Monday from the Black Lobster on Bridge Street for Alumni, friends and family. Volunteers are needed. More details to follow. Expecting a June start.

The Membership Committee has begun to reach out to reunion committees to share contact information and news on reunion events. If you are on a planning committee that has been established, let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Hope you are staying warm. As for us, we are sending psychic energy to Punxsutawney Phil to ask him to predict an early spring.

Events

But there is nothing more warming than gathering with former school classmates and faculty to catch up and swap stories. That opportunity presents itself on Friday night, February 5^th at Salem High. Come at 6:00PM for our second annual Winter Alumni Social. Just follow the signs on the way inside from either the front or side entrances. Then, stay for either the Boys Varsity Basketball game at 7:00PM against next-door neighbor, Peabody or attend the acclaimed performance of “Sweeney Todd” by the Salem High Drama Club at 7:30PM. What a night! Some classes are making plans to meet later at local establishments.

The Alumni Association is also working on other events over the next several months. Stayed tuned to the website.

In November/December, the Alumni Association had a presence at the Thanksgiving Day Football game making website information and Alumni car window decals available. We also distributed hot chocolate, cider and candy canes to the great crowd awaiting Santa’s arrival from the roof of the Hawthorne Hotel. See Pictures below.

Alumni Committees

Of course, Alumni Events happen only through the planning and effort of our Events Planning Committee (Kristin Mielcarz, Melanie McKinnon, Melissa Perroni & Jessica Manning) in coordination with the school administration support of Dave Angeramo and Andy Wulf.

Our Membership Committee (Mike Cahill and Brian Taubeneck) is just starting up and has begun to contact Class Agents with the intention of gathering contact information for as many Alumni as we can. Currently we have well over 700 names and addresses, spanning classes 1948 through 2009, and the list grows by the day. You can help by forwarding the website address to classmates http://www.salemmassalumni.org/ishs/ with a request to sign on as members.

Speaking of the website, Joel McNamee and Ben Arlander of the Technology Committee are doing a great job of building it and a database. This is such a great means of communication and collection of member information, which will be hugely useful in the future to reunion committees. Finally, Payal (Patel) Cudia is getting our Communication Committee up and running.

All committees would welcome participation large or small.

Alumni News

You never know where Alumni lives will intersect like this report in the local press:

“Former Salem resident (and Alumnus and former SHS teacher) Scott Strainge - now the Humanities Curriculum Coordinator at Timberlane Regional High School located in Plaistow, NH - and his class are filming a documentary regarding the politics and people involved in the same-sex marriage debate in Massachusetts and around the nation. Rep. John Keenan D-Salem, Mass (and Alumnus) met recently with the class and was interviewed by students. Rep. Keenan will appear in the documentary, which is due to be finished some time later this year.”

School News

Also in the Press:

Collins Middle School students have been working on the Mass Audubon Society’s acclaimed Salt Marsh Science Project since 2003. This report on their activities was included in an article on the Project Leader, Liz Duff being the recipient of a “Visionary Award” from the Gulf of Maine Institute.

Fifteen Salem High students were competitively selected to participate in the Mass. Music Educators Association Northeastern District Senior Festival.

Congratulations to all.

School Calendar

Just as a heads-up, the next month brings such events as:

The All City 4^th Grade Winter Concert is on February 10^th at Salem High.

“Bye Bye Birdie” is performed by the Collins Middle School Drama Club on March 3^rd to 5^th in the CMS Auditorium.

See the full school calendar at:

http://www.trumba.com/calendars/salem_public_schools_calendar

We are hoping to see you all on the 5^th for the Winter Social. Think Spring !

Alumni at Santa's Arrival on the Common