By Chloe Nash, Managing Editor
January 18, 2024
ROCKLAND- Mr. Fred Damon and Mr. Richard Little enjoy working on Dog Block with each other and getting to see students learn about where they live.
They both grew up in Rockland with family so it has helped them learn all the information they know today.
Mr. Damon, RHS Dean, says, “A lot of kids would be really surprised and impressed with the amount of history that the town of Rockland has from businesses to sports to a number of things that Rockland was known for back in the day.”
Mr. Damon has learned a lot from Mr. LIttle like some of the famous people from Rockland and the things they have done.
Something he has learned while doing this Dog Block is how much of a hub of activities Rockland used to be.
He says, “It’s incredible when you think back, and I saw a part of it when I was growing up but I’m talking about even before that. It’s amazing how much of a center of activities Rockland was.”
He hopes to learn more about the businesses and the history of how Rockland became Rockland because he knows that it used to be part of Abington and Whitman.
Mr. Little, Math MCAS teacher for 10th graders has lived in Rockland and Abington all his life and has learned all of the things he knows now from that.
His favorite part about this Dog Block is gettting to see old photographs of Rockland and comparing them to what they look like today.
“One of the things that I have learned is how much Mr. Damon knows about Rockland and how interestingly enough, his mother and I graduated in the same class” he said.
Something he has learned from Mr. Damon is how many people Mr. Damon knows that Mr. Little did not think he would know about.
Mrs. Julie Dore, an RHS French teacher, did not grow up in Rockland but lives here with her family now. She knows about the town's old factories and what some have become now.
Growing up in Braintree, she has realized that Rockland is a smaller town but she likes that because she enjoys seeing everyone together.
“I like that people know each other and see each other out and about. I think it has a lot of pride and I think people in this town care about each other and help one another out in times of need,” Ms. Dore said.
Ms. Dore has seen that people in the town are willing to help each other out in times of need and the town in general has a lot of pride.
Other than the little that she knows, Ms. Dore is interested in learning more about the town's history because she doesn’t know much about its background.
She said, “[The town] was an industrious town and it always had a small-town feel and I think it had more of a thriving downtown area many years ago.”
Ms. Dore is willing to learn about the town because she knows it used to be combined with another town but she would like to know how it is what it is now.
“I also really like the facility and the leadership here. I feel fortunate to be a teacher here in Rockland and hope to be here for many many years,” she also wanted to add.