New faces at the Applewild School

Melinda Jaz, Richard (Dick) Membrino, Alexander Paul and Diane Toolin.

At Applewild School there is a school bell which, in timehonored tradition, rings to announce recess, team victories and the beginning of school.

Established in 1957 and located in Fitchburg, Applewild will open its doors for the new school year on Sept. 5, to 285 students in grades kindergarten through nine.

Ringing in the new school year are some new faces at Applewild. This year's students will be greeted by the following new teachers and staff:

 Melinda Jaz - Eighth Grade English teacher and Upper School Drama Teacher earned a BFA in Theater

and Art History from New York Ed. from Harvard Universitys Tisch School as well as a M.Ed. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

During the past four years, Melinda has organized and implemented a reading program in a Cambridge public school, directed a summer touring program for high school actors in greater Boston, and for the past two years, has been the lead teacher for both the Huntington/Codman Academy Charter School Humanities Partnership and the English and Arts Literacy program at Umana-Barnes Middle School in East Boston.

 Richard (Dick) Membrino - Lower School custodian retired from the Fitchburg Public School System, having served in a custodial/maintenance capacity for many years at the former high school and for six years in a Fitchburg elementary school.

 Alexander Paul - Sixth grade history teacher is a recent graduate of Bowdoin College, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a major in History and a minor in Education. An Eagle Scout, Alex currently serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster in Boy Scout Troop 477.

 Diane Toolin - Lower School and Middle School Physical Education and Health Teacher graduated from Fitchburg State College and comes to Applewild having taught for the past 10 years at Julie Country Day School. Diane and her family are long-time residents of Fitchburg, where she has played a leadership role in civic organizations.

These new members will join with the rest of Applewilds faculty and staff to provide a diverse and rich academic curriculum, in addition to breadth and depth in the Visual and Performing Arts, and a broad range of individual and team sports.

For more information about programs and curriculum at Applewild visit

www.applewild.org, or call our Admission Office at (978) 342-6053 x 110.

- Submitted to The Journal