ORANGE — The Ralph C. Mahar Regional School cafeteria will serve two types of seniors this year — seniors in high school and senior citizens.
Mahar has partnered with LifePath and the Orange Council on Aging to create the Senior Dining Club so that, starting Sept. 15, area residents 60 and older can get a meal every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tracey Gaudet, director of the Orange Council on Aging, said that any senior — regardless of where they live — can visit between noon and 1 p.m. for a nutritious meal. There is a suggested $3.50 donation per meal, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Gaudet said. “I am very excited about it and very happy about it.”
Gaudet explained that visiting seniors will enter the same lunch lines and eat from the same menu as students. She said the older folks will have a separate seating area “but are free to mingle with students if they would like to.”
Gaudet said LifePath approached her with this idea.
“It sounded like a match, for the three programs to get together to meet the needs of the community,” she said.
Elizabeth Zielinski, superintendent of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union 73 school districts, said there will be no lunches offered on half-days.
Zielinski also said Mahar is teaming with the Athol Area YMCA to open a preschool program early next year. This program will dovetail with Mahar’s current early college program and provide the opportunity for students to earn an associate degree in early education.
Phil Saisa, director of pupil services, said the hope is to open the preschool program in January, when winter break ends.
“Right now, we’re definitely just in the planning process,” he said. “It’s a multi-step process.”
Saisa said he has spoken with the Athol Area YMCA’s board of directors and is expected to make a presentation before the Mahar School Committee.
He said the program will likely start as one classroom, and there are a few potential spots being eyed right now. He mentioned there are many available state grants associated with early education and care, “because parents don’t have access to high-quality childcare.”
Saisa said the program will be open to anyone, though on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I think it’s going to be a really awesome program for our kids and our community,” he said.
Mahar is also implementing a cellphone ban that the School Committee adopted in June. Principal Scott Hemlin said students’ phones will be placed in secure boxes in classrooms from first bell to final bell, at 2:05 p.m.
There is no statewide law banning cellphones in Massachusetts public schools, but both the state Senate and House have advanced legislation to create a mandatory bell-to-bell ban. Both chambers have passed versions of legislation to prohibit personal electronic devices from arrival to dismissal, and lawmakers are working to reconcile differences between the proposals before sending a final bill to Gov. Maura Healey.
Hemlin said cellphones are a huge distraction for young students.
“It’s going to be a learning curve,” he said on Aug. 26, the first day of school. “But we’ll get through it.”
