The Harbinger

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

After four years of teaching at Algonquin and building connections with students through language, Spanish teacher Pauli...
06/23/2026

After four years of teaching at Algonquin and building connections with students through language, Spanish teacher Pauliny Smith has decided to switch careers in order to become a state police officer.

Citing her Brazilian identity and her fluency in multiple languages, Smith says that her priority has always been to uplift those around her and to foster appreciation of people from different backgrounds. As a child, she was very drawn to teaching, and was impressed by the Algonquin community after her student placement there.

“Being a teacher is something that I think was always going to be in my path for the future, ever since I was younger,” Smith said. “Honestly, the Algonquin community, it was and still is amazing. Everyone continues to be super kind in the community; I feel like what we have here really is something special.”

Smith grew up speaking Portuguese and also attended a Spanish immersion school until eighth grade. While these experiences drove her to become a language teacher, she also wanted to ensure that her students developed a full understanding of different languages instead of relying on just surface-level vocabulary.

“I was just used to being around different cultures [and being] immersed in different languages,” Smith said. “I really value the connections I was able to make being able to communicate with someone else, or just being able to be a part of a different culture. Everyone’s always saying, ‘I wish I was able to use the language, not just a few buzzwords here and there.’ And I want to try to be the teacher that actually teaches kids to use the language, not just learn a couple phrases just to get by.”

However, Smith also had a long-standing desire to work in law enforcement, and was inspired by her father, who is a police officer.

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After four years of teaching at Algonquin and building connections with students through language, Spanish teacher Pauliny Smith has decided to switch careers in order to become a state police officer. Citing her Brazilian identity and her fluency in multiple languages, Smith says that her priority....

Algonquin’s Portuguese Heritage class is being removed for the upcoming school year due to its low enrollment, staffing ...
06/23/2026

Algonquin’s Portuguese Heritage class is being removed for the upcoming school year due to its low enrollment, staffing concerns and budget limitations.

World Language department head Emily Squires said the decision was difficult, but hopes that the course will return in the future.

“I recognize that this is a temporary loss and I do hope, and anticipate that after next year, [the class will] be back,” Squires said.

Squires explained the reasons the class won’t be offered again anytime soon, since the decision came down to staffing and funding.

“It just has to do with staffing and budget, and I was not able to make it work, as hard as I tried,” Squires said. “The whole district and even our superintendent and assistant superintendent really value all of our multilingual learners in the district and they support them very much.”

Portuguese Heritage teacher Jennifer Sousa said she was excited to teach the course because of her personal connection to the language.

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Algonquin’s Portuguese Heritage class is being removed for the upcoming school year due to its low enrollment, staffing concerns and budget limitations. World Language department head Emily Squires said the decision was difficult, but hopes that the course will return in the future. “I recognize...

It now appears almost certain that the state will pass a bell-to-bell phone ban soon. What plans are being made for a ph...
06/23/2026

It now appears almost certain that the state will pass a bell-to-bell phone ban soon. What plans are being made for a phone ban at Algonquin, and what can students expect?

“I feel very strongly, and I’ll say this to anybody who listens, that teenagers have been victimized by how phones are designed and how social media is designed to keep them attentive and to build algorithms. We are trying to come up with a plan that is reasonable, affordable and sustainable. We are looking at a few different products. [Yondr pouches are] a very difficult product to pull off in a building our size with multiple entrances and teenage independent thinking. There’s some app-based solutions that are out there that we were looking at closely. There’s a product called Doorman that we are looking at really closely. [Doorman] delivers a lot of features that are attractive.”

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It now appears almost certain that the state will pass a bell-to-bell phone ban soon. What plans are being made for a phone ban at Algonquin, and what can students expect? “I feel very strongly, and I’ll say this to anybody who listens, that teenagers have been victimized by how phones are desig...

Applied arts teacher Mary Beth Pappas is retiring after 22 years, leaving behind a legacy of authentic connections with ...
06/21/2026

Applied arts teacher Mary Beth Pappas is retiring after 22 years, leaving behind a legacy of authentic connections with students and colleagues while looking forward to pursuing her personal interests.

Pappas has been actively involved at the school as a previous Applied Arts and Technology department head of eight years and has taught Microeconomics and Finance, Accounting, Financial Literacy, Business Fundamentals and Marketing. Additionally, she helped construct a large portion of the Digital Literacy and Financial Literacy curricula, as well as started and co-advised the Algonquin Chapter of National Business Honor Society.

Pappas wanted to teach at Algonquin ever since she heard the praise surrounding Algonquin’s business program, so she was thrilled when a spot opened up.

“I have loved teaching all of my business classes, but what I love most is the fact that what I teach has real-world application,” Pappas said via email. “I like to keep up-to-date on newsworthy information and bring in current events and business examples that tie into our lessons. I also love teaching students pretty much anything dealing with money, whether it be about personal finance or how a business can manage their financial assets.”

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Applied arts teacher Mary Beth Pappas is retiring after 22 years, leaving behind a legacy of authentic connections with students and colleagues while looking forward to pursuing her personal interests. Pappas has been actively involved at the school as a previous Applied Arts and Technology departme...

After dedicating 20 years at Algonquin, math teacher Eileen Cronin is ready to retire and move on to the next chapter of...
06/19/2026

After dedicating 20 years at Algonquin, math teacher Eileen Cronin is ready to retire and move on to the next chapter of her life and enjoy the perks of having time to travel and spend time with family.

After two decades filled with fond memories of teaching, advising clubs and watching her own children graduate from Algonquin, Cronin is excited for the change coming with retirement. Although her exciting travel plans inch closer, she will miss connecting and building relationships with students through her classes and clubs.

“There are too many [memories] to think of,” Cronin said. “I have a lot of favorite memories here.”

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After dedicating 20 years at Algonquin, math teacher Eileen Cronin is ready to retire and move onto the next chapter of her life and enjoy the perks of having time to travel and spend time with family. After two decades filled with fond memories of teaching, advising clubs and watching her own child...

After 28 years, applied arts teacher Christine Ferreira will retire after fostering growth in students, making valuable ...
06/18/2026

After 28 years, applied arts teacher Christine Ferreira will retire after fostering growth in students, making valuable connections and contributing to the development of the Applied Arts department.

Ferreira began teaching at Algonquin in 1998 and has taught a plethora of classes in the Applied Arts department, ranging from Business Fundamentals, Business Law, Business Communications, Financial Literacy, Microeconomics, Digital Literacy and Marketing throughout the years. Outside the classroom, she also advised the National Business Honor Society.

Amongst it all, Ferreira enjoys creating meaningful experiences in and out of the classroom and connecting with her students.

In 2001, she wrote and started the Financial Literacy curriculum alongside applied arts teacher Mary Beth Pappas.

“I would say it’s my specialty,” Ferreira said. “I feel like it’s my [biggest] accomplishment.”

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After 28 years, applied arts teacher Christine Ferreira will retire after fostering growth in students, making valuable connections and contributing to the development of the Applied Arts department. Ferreira began teaching at Algonquin in 1998 and has taught a plethora of classes in the Applied Art...

Applied Arts department head George Clarke is retiring after 30 years of sharing his passion for working with his hands ...
06/18/2026

Applied Arts department head George Clarke is retiring after 30 years of sharing his passion for working with his hands and brightening peoples’ days.

Clarke joined Algonquin in 1996 and became the Applied Arts department head in 2023. He has taught a variety of classes ranging from Video Production, Engineering Graphics and Engineering with Metals. Within those classes, students make documentaries, car parts, tables, sheds, solar cells and more. Amongst it all, Clarke loves connecting and collaborating with students in hands-on environments.

“The real important thing to me is not the thing that the kids are making, but rather the connections I make with the kids,” Clarke said. “One of the most important things is the pride that I see in kids when they have created something that is pretty cool. That’s the win right there—that’s what I love. That’s what keeps me going.”

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Applied Arts department head George Clarke is retiring after 30 years of sharing his passion for working with his hands and brightening peoples’ days. Clarke joined Algonquin in 1996 and became the Applied Arts department head in 2023. He has taught a variety of classes ranging from Video Producti...

After 21 years at Algonquin, English teacher Deborah Saltzman will retire at the end of this year, cementing a legacy of...
06/17/2026

After 21 years at Algonquin, English teacher Deborah Saltzman will retire at the end of this year, cementing a legacy of uplifting hundreds of students through literature.

Throughout her decades teaching, Saltzman has taught nearly every English class offered. However, she initially started her career as a product developer for IBM, and only moved to teaching after spending time as a stay-at-home mom once she had children.

“I decided in the midst of being home that I wanted to go back to work, but not back into high tech, and I had a lot of different ideas,” Saltzman said. “I’ve always loved reading and writing, and the idea of teaching was just appealing. My mother was a teacher, and I just kind of decided impulsively to try it.”

After attaining her teaching degree, Saltzman joined Algonquin in 2005, and taught courses ranging from British Literature to AP Language and Composition. Her distinctive teaching style has made her popular among students and endearing among colleagues.

“As a teacher, she’s so reflective,” English department head Jane Betar said. “She’s so resourceful, she reads so much, she’s so cultured and she brings so many angles of perspective into the way she teaches.”

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After 21 years at Algonquin, English teacher Deborah Saltzman will retire at the end of this year, cementing a legacy of uplifting hundreds of students through literature. Throughout her decades teaching, Saltzman has taught nearly every English class offered. However, she initially started her care...

Postgraduate Catie Campbell has been selected as one of two students to represent Massachusetts as a youth leader at the...
06/17/2026

Postgraduate Catie Campbell has been selected as one of two students to represent Massachusetts as a youth leader at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June.

Now in her first year of Algonquin’s Community Access Program (CAP), a postgraduate program for students with special needs that focuses on independent living skills, Campbell also participates in school activities like Best Buddies and Unified sports. After joining the Special Olympics in Marlborough as a volunteer and later becoming a Youth Activation Committee (YAC) member, she was selected for the Youth Leadership Experience at the Special Olympics USA Games.

The games, which take place every four years, will be hosted by the University of Minnesota from June 20-26 and include Unified games like soccer, gymnastics, golf and co****le. The Massachusetts team will send 82 athletes and coaches, as well as three members of the Youth Leadership Experience (YLE): Campbell, her Unified partner from Dracut High School, Abby Stebbins and their mentor, Meghan Bourbeau. Bourbeau, who also leads the YAC program, was one of two people who chose Campbell for the experience.

“Catie’s name was at the top of our list, because she has shown us that the idea of bringing opportunities to schools throughout Massachusetts is something that is important to her,” Bourbeau said. “…Inviting her along and having her come on this journey to learn more at the YLE was really not a hard decision for us.”

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Postgraduate Catie Campbell has been selected as one of two students to represent Massachusetts as a youth leader at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. Now in her first year of Algonquin’s Community Access Program (CAP), a postgraduate program for students with special needs...

Senior Liah Biran knows how demanding emergency medicine can be because she’s taken it on herself. She is training to be...
06/16/2026

Senior Liah Biran knows how demanding emergency medicine can be because she’s taken it on herself. She is training to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) while balancing long hours, intense coursework and the pressure of real-world situations with focus and determination.

Biran began pursuing her EMT certification and license in early January at A.D. Quality EMS Training. She was inspired by her father to join the medical field, as he was a combat medic in Israel, where her family previously lived. From hours on end of EMT certification and license classes to an internship with the Northborough Fire Department, Biran has continued to excel under this workload.

“I am from the Middle East, so I’ve seen how bad it can get,” Biran said. “Seeing the effect a good EMT has on a community or an individual was inspiring.”

Biran’s summer internship with the Northborough Fire Department EMTs was 8:30-12:30 daily. She would begin her day by checking the truck with the crew, making sure supplies were stocked and machines were working properly. If the crew was waiting for calls, she would learn extraneous skills from other EMTs and take online gen-ed classes for her own enjoyment, such as Physics 101.

“I would study with the new EMTs, and they would teach me certain things you have to know, like rapid trauma assessment, medical assessment, manual blood pressures and how to write a report,” Biran said.

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Senior Liah Biran knows how demanding emergency medicine can be because she’s taken it on herself. She is training to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) while balancing long hours, intense coursework and the pressure of real-world situations with focus and determination. Biran began purs...

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