Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (FOCRLS)

We at Friends of Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (FOCRLS), an independent nonprofit expanding opportunities at our city’s public high school, are delighted to announce our 2025 Faculty Innovation Grant awardees:

Dana Gauthier, CRLS Librarian and Nikki Walter, English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher – “Partners in Rhyme: An Intergenerational Poetry Exploration with Poetry Therapist Patti Russo”

Allison Wade, School Social Worker – “Here for Our Hair & Bodies Care Supplies Pantry”

Kathryn Copley, Special Education Teacher & Drag Club Advisor – “Identity Affirming Clothing Upcycling Project”

Matt Hochkeppel, American Sign Language (ASL) Teacher – “Paid ASL Video Actors”

Jason Evers, English Teacher & Black Student Union (BSU) Advisor – “Black Student Union Museum Visits”

Leah Beidler, General Education Social Worker (GESW) LCC; Susie Espinosa, Dean of Students LCC; Dawn Heartwell, GESW LCL; Reyita Ramos, GESW LCS; Vera Duarte, TIC Multilingual /Int’l Ed; Laura Montoya, Enroot Prog Dir; Diecline Bazile-Dorvil, Family Liaison Coordinator Haitian Creole – “Parent Community Outreach & Engagement”

Dr. Sunny Gupta, Science Teacher & Hiking Club Advisor – “Community Building, Social Development, and Wellness Advancement through Hiking in New Hampshire Nature”

Sasha Featherspoons, School to Work Specialist – “Professional Attire for Work-Based Learning Experiences”

Dr. Norbert Hootsmans, Math Teacher & Model United Nations (MUN) Club Advisor – “RindgeMUN Conference”

Jennifer Sloan Green, RSTA Business Educator & Business Club (DECA) Advisor – “Credit for Life-Financial Literacy Fair for All CRLS Students”

Zachary Mino, Physics Teacher – “Expanding the Scope of Project-Based Physics with 3D Printing”

Thank you and congratulations to our grantees!

Please join FOCRLS in welcoming Rhiana from the Mayor's Program! She's been helping us with media projects, including a beautiful new FOCRLS flyer and a display promoting our upcoming Faculty Innovation Grants.

We asked her to tell us a bit about herself:

My name is Rhiana. I'm a rising 9th grader and working at FOCRLS this summer through the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. This is the best job I've ever had! (This is my first job ever.) At FOCRLS we're working on our digital, social, and print media. I’m looking forward to taking the different opportunities there are at CRLS, such as joining Club 4, and I've started to prepare for volleyball tryouts. I was born in Cambridge but raised in an immigrant household, so I'm bilingual in Nepali and English. In the future, I'd like to be in the medical field because I'd like to help others and make them feel that someone cares for their health.

Images: Staff lunch , flyer front, flyer back


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FOCRLS Recognizes Distinctive CRLS Faculty Members

Friends of Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (FOCRLS), a nonprofit that supports opportunities at our city’s public high school, is recognizing four teachers who have had especially positive influences on students. This is the 18th year FOCRLS has sponsored the Faculty Distinction Awards, and the 2024 recipients bring the total since 2007 to 72 awardees.

Members of the CRLS Class of 2024 nominated teachers, guidance counselors, and other staff for being shining examples among educators. FOCRLS designed and framed the certificates, which Principal Damon Smith presented during the commencement ceremony on the first Thursday in June.

Congratulations to our Faculty Distinction Awardees:

Ms. Caroline Berz has taught high school students in the Boston area for two decades. For almost half of that time, she’s been at CRLS, teaching World History to ninth graders and Women & Gender Studies to eleventh and twelfth graders. Additionally, Ms. Berz collaborates with student peer-leaders to deepen and expand consent education, building a safer and more empowered generation. She instills in her students that when they believe in themselves their potential is limitless. One student noted, “In our class Ms. Berz works extremely hard both to educate us on current and past events and to relate them to our own personal experiences in a way that makes us want to create change in our community.”

Ms. Molly Roach has taught English and literature, including Greek Mythology, at CRLS for five years. Her favorite part of her job is seeing students grow into their authentic selves, and she points out that no high school students have ever experienced more personal growth than those who had their first year online, as the Class of 2024 did when they entered the ninth grade in September 2020. Ms. Roach is known for her kindness and patience as well as her energy and enthusiasm. Students are motivated by the joy she radiates while teaching. One expressed, “There were mornings when I wanted to stay in bed, but the thought of coming into Ms. Roach’s English class woke me right up!”
Ms. Anna Considine is originally from Poland, and before joining the CRLS faculty, she had a varied career that included coaching Boston University rowers to championships. As an instructional aide to CRLS’s English Language Learners, she specializes in giving immigrant students the support they need to become confident, eager scholars with strong language and literacy skills. Ms. Anna, as her students call her, is known for her sincere warmth and welcoming smile. One student described her as “incomparable,” and all who nominated her praised her helpfulness. One said, “Ms. Anna always helps me. She always encourages me, and for that I really appreciate her.”
Dr. Eric Wu has been teaching Information Technology and Computer Science in the Rindge School of Technical Arts (RSTA) department at CRLS since 2015. Along with his PhD from MIT, he deeply values the ongoing education he receives from his CRLS students about what it’s like to grow up today. He takes those lessons to heart and brings humor to the classroom. One student commented: “Dr. Wu is the funniest teacher in the building and always super supportive. Most of my best memories of CRLS are from his classes.” Another stated, “Without him, I never would have known what I wanted to do with my life and I probably wouldn't be going to college. He helped me more than anyone else this school year to prepare for my future, and I will really miss him when I'm gone.”
FOCRLS thanks the awardees and nominating students as well as Principal Damon Smith, Assistant Principal Allan Gehant, and executive clerks Yemisi Oluwole and Rebeca Matos for presenting, organizing, and facilitating the awards.
In 2024, FOCRLS presented a total of nearly $87,000 in higher education scholarships and financially assisted six members of the Traveling Chorus to attend workshops and perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. FOCRLS also granted a total of $5,000 to faculty members with creative ideas to enhance curriculum, clubs, and services. FOCRLS is a 501c3 nonprofit. For information about the organization’s programs, donating, sponsoring, or volunteering, please visit focrls.org or email [email protected].

Happy Graduation Day to the CRLS Class of 2024! Among the graduates are recipients of 50 college scholarships and other awards presented by FOCRLS. These scholarships and awards, totaling close to $87,000, are funded by generous donors, sponsors, and grantors, whom we thank for supporting student success. Thank you also to the CRLS faculty and staff members who helped these graduating seniors prepare for everything that comes their way. The Class of 2024 had the extra challenge of attending their first year of high school remotely, making them especially adaptable and digitally proficient. These students have bright futures and will make the future brighter for all of us!

We at FOCRLS are saddened by the passing of Rhoda Rifkin Spiegelman, mother of our co-founder Donna Spiegelman and inspiration for the Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship. The Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship is presented annually to graduating CRLS seniors who are immigrants and/or children of immigrants and/or from low income families and who are pursuing higher education and professional careers. Rhoda earned a master's degree and became an educator, specializing in teaching students remedial reading. You can read more and find out about donating in memory of Rhoda at this link: https://focrls.org/rifkin-scholarship/

Best Buddies Club Advisor Lynette R. Belle finally got a chance to pick up her Faculty Innovation Grant check for her project, “Spread the Word Inclusion Campaign.” Best Buddies club members will hang posters around the school to promote a more inclusive school environment by challenging more general population students to engage with and advocate for students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Congratulations to Friends of CRLS’s 2024 Faculty Innovation Grantees! We recently awarded five Faculty Innovation Grants up to $1,000 each to enable teachers, advisors, and other staff members to implement ideas that will energize learning and expand services to CRLS students. The following educators impressed our review committee with their plans and solutions:

Jeannie Martin and Casey Crosby, Teachers in the Special Education Post-Grad Program — “Post Grad Adaptive Kitchen” to create a program where students who have disabilities will learn life skills in an inclusive kitchen using adaptive tools and appliances, empowering them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

Anays Baez, Math Teacher at the High School Extension Program (HSEP) — “Math Game Night” to bring joy and awareness through math in the HSEP community by inviting caregivers to engage in problem-solving games with their children.

Lynette Belle, Best Buddies Club Advisor —“Spread the Word Inclusion Campaign” to increase awareness about isolation of students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs) and promote a more inclusive school environment by launching a ‘Pledge to Include’ poster campaign throughout the school, challenging more general population students to engage with and advocate for students with IDDs.

Dr. Norbert Hootsmans, Math Teacher and Model United Nations Team Advisor — “Cambridge Rindge & Latin’s MUN Team for Everyone” to reduce travel costs to the National High School MUN conferences in New York City for students, particularly those with significant financial concern

Kara Brown and Mary Shinkwin, Athletic Trainers — “Concussion Role Delineation: From Field to Classroom and Back Again” to create and document a concussion management manual for CRLS, including a return to school without a return to field component.

Since 2007, Friends of CRLS has had a total of 255 grantees, with many of the projects funded being collaborations by two or more faculty members.

We’re honored to be able to help these dedicated educators bring their plans to fruition. These grants are made possible by our donors and grantors.

Friends of CRLS is thrilled to be presenting $91K in scholarships and awards in 2024! We are pleased to welcome the sponsors of three new scholarships: Kathleen M. Kelly, Tarik Gessesse, and friends of Larry Rosenberg. We've listed all of the scholarships in this post and on our website, focrls.org. Seniors, please apply through CRLS's application portal by March 1.

We also have the Calvin Hicks Award for the Study of Music that can go to an awardee in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.

If you have questions, please email [email protected].

Join FOCRLS as a volunteer gift wrapper or shopper for our annual fundraiser at Henry Bear's Park! On Saturday, December 23 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., we'll be at the beloved toy store located in the Porter Square Shopping Center. Our volunteers will gift wrap customers' purchases for donations that will help fund College Scholarships, Faculty Innovation Grants, and Student Travel Fellowships.

Volunteer shifts are two hours (preferred, but even if you wrap for one hour, we'll be grateful.) We'll schedule 2 or 3 people per shift. Either sign up for just yourself, and we'll find somebody to join you -or- sign up for yourself and another person or two. Teams of CRLS students & parents are especially welcome!

CRLS students can earn community service hours. Please bring your form for us to sign. (If you forget your form, email [email protected] after winter break.)

To sign up please contact Jamie Sabino at 617-899-1878 or [email protected].

The CRLS Class of 2023 honored four Faculty Distinction Awardees at their graduation ceremony on June 8. The honorees, selected for their positive influences on the educations and personal growth of their students, gathered for a photo on June 21 for Friends of CRLS, sponsors of the Faculty Distinction Awards. Congratulations to (l-r) Mr. Tony Porreca, Ms. Rickteyzia Simmons, Ms. Natasha Labaze (holding Friends of CRLS mascot Friendly the Falcon), and Mr. Drew Kreuser! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and making connections with CRLS students as well as your encouragement, enthusiasm, inspiration, kindness, and humor.

Congratulations to our Scholarship Awardees! Thank You to our Scholarship Sponsors! Friends of Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (FOCRLS) is delighted and honored to be awarding a total of $86,250 in scholarships this year! Scholarship sponsors and reviewers pored over several hundred applications and after careful consideration selected the students who best met the various criteria for each scholarship. The deserving, determined, dynamic recipients include 40 college-bound members of the Class of 2023. Awardees were selected for their academic achievements, educational goals, professional aspirations, essays, and financial need. Reviewers also considered awardees’ extracurriculars, employment, internships, personal growth, and perseverance. Generous contributors made the 48 scholarships possible, with Bristol Myers Squibb being the newest addition to FOCRLS’s roster of sponsors while CambridgeSeven is in their sixth year of sponsoring their scholarship with FOCRLS. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, donors, reviewers, and awardees. See a full list of awardees and sponsors at focrls.org.

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