The Maritime Gloucester Spring Lecture Series Leading Ladies: Defining the Discussion of Maritime Science and History starts Thursday April 11 at 7:00 pm.  The first in this series is Cara Pekarcik, 2018 Mass Teacher of the Year, 2019 NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence, and a marine educator and high school science teacher.  She will be presenting “When The Ocean Meets The Classroom: A science teacher’s experience in Antarctica.”  Cara took her curiosity and passion for ocean science on an unforgettable adventure to Antarctica and shares her thoughts on her research and appreciation for our blue planet.

The Rotary Club of Gloucester will host a Trivia Night on Friday, April 26, at the Gloucester House, located at 63 Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the game will begin at 7 p.m. Teams of four will compete for the title of Cape Ann Trivia Champions.

In 2019, there will be a special raffle for Early Bird Registrations:
Register before April 12 and receive 2 chances to win
Register before April 19 and receive 1 chance to win

All trivia fans are invited to this fun night of general knowledge and laughter. The registration fee is $100 for a team of four players. Proceeds from this event will support programs of the Gloucester Rotary Club. The night will also feature a 50/50 raffle, a cash bar, and light snacks for purchase. Registration forms may be obtained any Gloucester Rotary Club member or downloaded at www.gloucesterrotary.org.

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Come join us at Maritime Gloucester for 5 weeks of lectures. The Spring Lecture Series presents “Leading Ladies: Defining the Discussion of Maritime Science and History”. This series will tell stories of exploration, science, research, historical preservation, adventure and the working waterfront from the perspective of the women who engage and lead in these issues every day with a view to the maritime science and history.

WHERE: Maritime Gloucester’s Gorton Schooner Gallery, 23 Harbor Loop

WHEN: Thursday nights starting April 11.  Doors open at 6:45, lecture starts at 7pm.

INFO: visit maritimegloucester.org or info@maritimegloucester.org

Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann, SeniorCare Inc. and the four communities of Cape Ann will host “Aging Together,” a free summit to explore how Cape Ann can become a place where all residents–regardless of age or health status–can thrive.

The Aging Together Summit will take place on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 10am-2pm, at The Elks at Bass Rocks, located at 101 Atlantic Road in Gloucester, and will feature speakers on the topics of aging and dementia, lunch, and a resource fair. The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required for this event. To register, please visit www.ADFCA.org.

All Cape Ann residents are encouraged to attend, including people of all ages, older adults, caregivers, persons living with dementia, and professionals who work or live on Cape Ann.

The Aging Together Summit is made possible through a grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

To learn more about Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann or to register for the Summit, please visit our website www.ADFCA.org.

Are you, a friend or a loved one turning 65, or thinking about retiring? Are you confused about Medicare? You are not alone!

There will be an “Introduction to Medicare” informational session Wednesday evening, April 17, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., at SeniorCare, located at 49 Blackburn Circle in Gloucester. Learn about the structure of Medicare, when to enroll, and how to choose plans that suit you, your lifestyle and your overall health.

This session will be presented by a certified SHINE Counselor, providing free, unbiased, Medicare health insurance information, and is intended to guide participants through all of their options. Be an empowered, educated consumer!

To register for this event, call 978-281-1750 or register online at www.seniorcareinc.org.

Seventh graders from O’Maley Innovation Middle School took a walk Monday morning to read picture books they had created to kindergarten students at Beeman Elementary. The O’Maley students, under the guidance of their Phoenix House teachers LaRae Davis and Adrienne Marden, started their book making project with a visit to the Cape Ann Museum to examine the life and creative work of Virginia Lee Burton on display at the Museum’s special “Little House” exhibit.  With the help of the Museum’s staff, students learned about the whole process of picture book creation.

Following the model of project based learning, a part of the Innovation School approach, the seventh graders wrote children’s stories individually or in pairs.  Next, with the the collaboration of Art teacher Ashley Doke and retired O’Maley teacher and local artist J.P. Ware the students created the art work to illustrate their stories.  Retired O’Maley teacher Heidi McGrath then visited the Phoenix House classes to teach the students how to assemble their pages into a bound book.  Finally the young authors/illustrators were ready to share their books with the Beeman kindergarteners.

On April 1 the weather was finally warm and sunny enough for a walk up Cherry Street to read to the children in the classrooms of Ms. Sawyer, Mrs. LeBlanc, and Miss Polizzia.  Judging from their smiles, the younger students not only enjoyed the stories but also were inspired by the example of the older students.

Surely Virginia Lee Burton, author/illustrator of books such as “The Little House”, “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel”, and “Katie and the Big Snow”, and mentor of the Folly Cove Designers, would be glad to see her influence continue to nurture the creativity of her young neighbors and the ongoing work of creative collaboration in Gloucester.