max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
A North Attleborough Middle School teacher has been honored with two awards from the Daughters of the American Revolution recognizing his commitment to teaching history, according to an announcement.
Matthew Lacasse, an eighth-grade civics teacher, was honored by both the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter and the Massachusetts Society Daughters of the American Revolution (MDAR) with the Teacher of the Year and Massachusetts Outstanding Teacher of American History 2023 awards, respectively.
Lacasse was first named Teacher of the Year by the local DAR Attleboro Chapter, making him eligible to compete in the Massachusetts Outstanding Teacher of American History Contest.
The Outstanding Teacher of American History Contest is one of several programs the National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution (NSDAR) offers as part of its mission to promote patriotism, preserve American history and secure America’s future through better education and understanding. The purpose of this contest is to recognize and honor a full-time teacher of American History (and related fields, such as social studies, government, and citizenship education) in public, private and parochial schools, grades 5-12.
As a state winner, Lacasse is now eligible to participate in the NDAR (national) competition. The dossiers of all the state winners are submitted and judged by three non-DAR judges who select the national winner. The national winner is honored with a check for $5,000, a special certificate and a book. The second-place winner is awarded $2,500, and the third-place winner receives $1,000 along with a certificate and book.
“On behalf of the entire district, I want to congratulate Matthew Lacasse for his accomplishment in receiving both of these awards,” said North Attleborough Middle School Principal Brianne Kelleher. “Over the course of his career, Matthew has impacted countless lives through his classroom lessons, the value he places on social-emotional learning and growth, and the relationships he has built with students and colleagues alike. When thinking of these awards, I couldn’t imagine someone more deserving than Matthew.”
Throughout his 23-year career at the middle school, Lacasse worked to create a classroom where there are high academic expectations along with a strong sense of community, according to the announcement. In his classroom, he adheres to and follows the philosophy of “Teach not Preach.”
To ensure that students will stay actively engaged in the classroom, Lacasse often splits his lessons into three different activities, giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of a subject by choosing a format that best fits their learning style.
He also served as co-chair of the North Attleborough Social-Emotional Committee for three years and stresses the importance of social-emotional learning
In his classroom. In this role, he was responsible for creating the agenda and activities for the district’s Social and Emotional Committee, which creates resources for staff, students and parents to assist students with social-emotional competencies.
Lacasse currently serves as board director for the North Attleborough Scholarship Committee and as a North Attleborough Middle School senate member.
“I am truly honored to be receiving these awards,” said Lacasse. “A great deal of my success here at North Attleborough Middle School is a reflection of the incredible students and faculty that I am fortunate enough to work alongside every day.”
Lacasse was honored locally by the Attleborough Chapter DAR as the 2022-2023 Outstanding Teacher of American History on Wednesday, March 1, at the Good New Bible Chapel in Attleboro.
