The Harbinger

The Harbinger The Harbinger is the student newspaper of Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, MA.

Junior Connor Lester stands out in the ice cream business not just as a scooper, but as the owner and operator of Sperry...
11/18/2025

Junior Connor Lester stands out in the ice cream business not just as a scooper, but as the owner and operator of Sperry’s Ice Cream Shop in Southborough. Previously a Uhlman’s employee, the teen business owner is fueled not only by passion but also by a genuine desire to bring joy to his community.

Lester faced a challenging journey to start his business. Initially, he earned enough money from investing in the stock market to secure a rental space. Unfortunately, though, Lester faced significant roadblocks when negotiating with realtors.

“I was talking to realtors, and nobody took me seriously — regardless of financials, which were really difficult to process,” Lester said.

Fortunately, Lester’s support from others along the way contributed to his success. He recalls one important figure, Anthony Speranzella, the owner of Sperry’s Country Market, a liquor store. Together, they worked out a deal that jump-started Lester’s business.

“He was looking to expand his liquor store because it was really dead and really slow,” Lester said. “So, I was like, ‘Let’s open an ice cream stand,’ because I was tired of working in my old ice cream place.”

Read more:

Junior Connor Lester stands out in the ice cream business not just as a scooper, but as the owner and operator of Sperry’s Ice Cream Shop in Southborough. Previously a Uhlman’s employee, the teen business owner is fueled not only by passion but also by a genuine desire to bring joy to his commun...

When senior Jaxson Kwan walks into the gym, everything else fades away. The noise of classmates, homework and college ap...
11/17/2025

When senior Jaxson Kwan walks into the gym, everything else fades away. The noise of classmates, homework and college applications disappears when his hands hit the chalk. For Kwan, gymnastics isn’t just a sport; it’s a passion for motion.

Kwan has been a gymnast nearly his whole life. His parents enrolled him in classes at Gymnastics Learning Center in Shrewsbury when he was three to keep their energetic child busy. He quickly found that flipping, jumping and pushing his body to new limits came naturally, and he learned a lot from it over time.

“What I love most is that gymnastics teaches you accountability,” Kwan said. “When you compete, whatever happens is all on you. If I fall or if I stick, it’s because of the work I put in.”

Today, Kwan trains at Sterling Academy of Gymnastics. He trains 16 hours a week during the school year, usually from 6 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. He has enjoyed his time at Sterling and is looking forward to continue practicing there.

“Sterling is like my second home,” Kwan said. “I’ve gotten to meet amazing people– even Olympic champion Stephen Nedoroscik stops by sometimes to coach. You realize these incredible athletes are just normal people who love what they do.”

Read more:

When senior Jaxson Kwan walks into the gym, everything else fades away. The noise of classmates, homework and college applications disappears when his hands hit the chalk. For Kwan, gymnastics isn’t just a sport; it’s a passion for motion. Kwan has been a gymnast nearly his whole life. His paren...

Newly elected freshman class president Tommy O’Hearn looks forward to a great year of both fun and accomplishments along...
11/14/2025

Newly elected freshman class president Tommy O’Hearn looks forward to a great year of both fun and accomplishments alongside his dedicated and bright-minded steering committee.

O’Hearn, who was elected class president this past September, plans to bring efficiency, readiness, responsibility and most importantly, fun to the steering committee while also keeping costs low and expectations high. Other class officers include vice president Anthony Chacharone, secretary Thomas Garcia and treasurer Avery Logan.

“I’m excited to connect with the freshman class and hear their amazing ideas while also working with my wonderful steering committee,” O’Hearn said.

Read more:

Newly elected freshman class president Tommy O’Hearn looks forward to a great year of both fun and accomplishments alongside his dedicated and bright-minded steering committee. O’Hearn, who was elected class president this past September, plans to bring efficiency, readiness, responsibility and ...

New athletic trainer Corinne Carbone has quickly become a key figure for student-athletes, guiding them through the chal...
11/14/2025

New athletic trainer Corinne Carbone has quickly become a key figure for student-athletes, guiding them through the challenges of sports and injury recovery.

Carbone graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s in Athletic Training and received a master’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of South Carolina. As a member of the UNH swim team, she has worked in both high schools, including Westborough High School and collegiate athletic programs.

Carbone hopes to leave a lasting impact on students’ well-being and how they care for their bodies.

“Learn to take care of your body now [and] your future self will be thankful, but also enjoy the time you have now because it flies,” Carbone said.

Since starting her new role, Carbone has acknowledged both the excitement as well as new challenges it has brought. After two years of working with Westborough High School, she was eager to join Algonquin Athletics this past spring and take on new responsibilities.

“It’s not what I expected; it’s better than what I expected,” Carbone said.

Read more:

New athletic trainer Corinne Carbone has quickly become a key figure for student-athletes, guiding them through the challenges of sports and injury recovery. Carbone graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s in Athletic Training and received a master’s degree in Athletic T...

They have been by each other’s side every step of the way. For freshmen Kyra and Sabrina Brossi, cross country has been ...
11/13/2025

They have been by each other’s side every step of the way. For freshmen Kyra and Sabrina Brossi, cross country has been a shared success, as the identical twins are the first and second place runners on the team, respectively.

The Brossi twins have always been into sports, playing soccer throughout middle school and enjoying the competitive aspect of the game. As they reached high school, though, their love for the sport started to wane, and they wanted to try something else.

“I played town soccer throughout middle school, and the reason I switched to cross country is because I thought I could be more competitive with running,” Sabrina Brossi said.

The transition to cross-country was easy, as running had always been something they enjoyed throughout their childhood.

“I always loved running the Turkey Trot [Thanksgiving 5k race] when I was little, and over middle school, I started to get more into running,” Kyra Brossi said.

The transition to high school has been smooth thanks to their teammates, who welcomed them with open arms.

Read more:

They have been by each other’s side every step of the way. For freshmen Kyra and Sabrina Brossi, cross country has been a shared success, as the identical twins are the first and second place runners on the team, respectively. The Brossi twins have always been into sports, playing soccer throughou...

New math teacher Matt Joachim, who aims to exude positivity and promote understanding, has jumped into his new position ...
11/12/2025

New math teacher Matt Joachim, who aims to exude positivity and promote understanding, has jumped into his new position with the enthusiasm of a track star.

Joachim, who teaches Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in mathematics and economics. Whether it’s as a teacher, an athlete or as a camp counselor, Joachim’s goal has always been to be positive and he strives to create a welcoming learning environment for his class, while ensuring students understand the curriculum.

Joachim wants his students to see math as more than just a subject, but rather as a lifelong lesson that can help anyone navigate through challenges in life.

“Teaching math is more than just math; it’s teaching you how to be a problem solver,” Joachim said.

Read more:

New math teacher Matt Joachim, who aims to exude positivity and promote understanding, has jumped into his new position with the enthusiasm of a track star. Joachim, who teaches Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in mathematics an...

As students rolled into the cafeteria for lunch on the first day of school they were surprised to be welcomed by myriad ...
11/10/2025

As students rolled into the cafeteria for lunch on the first day of school they were surprised to be welcomed by myriad new choices with food court-like signage: World Market, La Cuchina, Miss Ruby’s Grill, Coyote Grill, Real Meal Express and Healthy Harvest. From nachos and burrito bowls to smoothies and fruity parfaits, the new cafeteria options have made many students happy, but have brought many challenges for the cafeteria workers.

The many changes came with Whitson’s, the district’s new food service provider. Implementing and drafting a new food service in the Northborough-Southborough school district has been in the works since COVID-19, when free meals were originally established. Assistant Superintendent of Operations Keith Lavoie has played a key role in this process and believes that once free meals were established, some changes were necessary.

“When the free meals started to really take off…we had to look at it a little differently to see if we could continue to operate in the self-operating model,” Lavoie said. “What a lot of school districts do is they contract with a food services management company, and in that contract, you can decide how much of it remains self-operation and how much you turn over to the company to provide that service.”

Read more: https://arhsharbinger.com/44232/news/new-food-provider-brings-variety-and-challenges-to-school-cafeteria/ #

As students rolled into the cafeteria for lunch on the first day of school they were surprised to be welcomed by myriad new choices with food court-like signage: World Market, La Cuchina, Miss Ruby’s Grill, Coyote Grill, Real Meal Express and Healthy Harvest. From nachos and burrito bowls to smoot...

The Algonquin greenhouse has a hopeful future thanks to junior Mara Nelson’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, which aims t...
11/07/2025

The Algonquin greenhouse has a hopeful future thanks to junior Mara Nelson’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, which aims to restore the space into an environment for growth and learning.

The greenhouse was built during Algonquin’s renovation about 20 years ago and is accessed through science teachers Christina Connolly and Christine Thompson’s classrooms. However, it never fully got up-and-running due to its temperature problems, and eventually, people stopped growing plants there.

Connolly, an Environmental Science and Biology teacher, has a door to the greenhouse and was there when it was first built.

“One of my hopes with a fellow colleague was to get the greenhouse up and running as an actual greenhouse…we had hoped we could grow [ plants] year round,” Connolly said.

Unfortunately, the greenhouse was built more like a sunroom, and with no way to control the temperature, it proved extremely difficult to keep the plants alive.

“We tried plants out there,” Connolly said. “But unfortunately, it would be one hot weekend that you didn’t know was going to be hot. You’d come back on Monday, and they’re all dead.”

Nelson, who has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, is now working to get the greenhouse running again for her Girl Scout Gold Award. A requirement for receiving this award is planning and completing a community project that must continue to run when she leaves the school. She specifically chose the renovation of the greenhouse because of her passion for environmental science.

Read more:

The Algonquin greenhouse has a hopeful future thanks to junior Mara Nelson’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, which aims to restore the space into an environment for growth and learning. The greenhouse was built during Algonquin’s renovation about 20 years ago and is accessed through science teach...

Sachem, Algonquin’s literary and art magazine, recently won the first-place All-New England award in the New England Sch...
11/04/2025

Sachem, Algonquin’s literary and art magazine, recently won the first-place All-New England award in the New England Scholastic Press Association’s literary magazine contest.

New England Scholastic Press Association, also known as NESPA, is an organization that provides workshops and contests for student publications. While the yearbook and newspaper awards were announced last May (The Harbinger was a recipient of the newspaper and news website All-New England awards in May of 2025), the literary magazine award winners were announced at a writing workshop and awards ceremony on Sept. 27.

Junior Lily Spezzano, Sachem’s Managing Editor, is happy with the publication’s accomplishment and enjoyed the workshop and ceremony.

“I liked that we were able to talk to other people doing the same things at other schools; it was a really fun experience for us,” Spezzano said.

Read more:

Sachem, Algonquin’s literary and art magazine, recently won the first-place All-New England award in the New England Scholastic Press Association’s literary magazine contest. New England Scholastic Press Association, also known as NESPA, is an organization that provides workshops and contests fo...

What department did online editor Altea Mehillaj say had the best group costumes on Halloween? Read & find out!
11/03/2025

What department did online editor Altea Mehillaj say had the best group costumes on Halloween? Read & find out!

As all students know, department costumes can get very creative, and teachers go all out to show their spirit for Halloween. It is something that many students look forward to, and teachers seem to have a great time putting it all together. Although it’s all fun and games, there are still some cos...

Address

Northborough, MA
01532

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Harbinger posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Harbinger:

Shortcuts

Share

Category