5/12/2021
Chelminski, Kasbarian, Richard top Smithfield High School Class of 2021
Smithfield High School’s top three students this year include a tie for valedictorians between Maximilian Chelminski, left, and Cameron Kasbarian, right. Salutatorian Victoria Richard rounds out the top three Sentinels in the Class of 2021. (Breeze photo by Jacquelyn Moorehead)
SMITHFIELD – Three students will share the top of the class this year with two co-valedictorians, Maximilian Chelminski and Cameron Kasbarian, and a salutatorian, Victoria Richard, as Smithfield High School transitions out of its traditional class ranking system.
SHS Principal Dan Kelley said the year was already challenging enough, and students kept the competition tight for top rankings. He said he was proud of the school’s top three, who persevered among a class of 165 students.
SMITHFIELD – Any student in the past 11 years who took computer science courses at Smithfield High School has Michael Deslauriers to thank, and the Smithfield School Department has extended its own thanks and recognition to the math teacher in naming him the 2021 Smithfield Teacher of the Year.
During a presentation at Monday’s meeting, Supt. Judy Paolucci said Deslauriers began teaching in 2001, and soon after recognized a need for students to learn computer science, beginning classes in 2010.
After years of teaching all-male computer science classes, Deslauriers began exploring ways to bring girls into the computer science classroom and other courses.
Paolucci said Deslauriers brought in grants to create two new programs, computer science and information technology, focused on bridging the disparity of females in computer science and technology.