By Grace Sewell, Audrey Lynch (Class of 2017), and Caitlin Cooper (Class of 2015)
Some students select electives purely for the sake of fulfilling the Walpole High graduation requirements; however, many of these courses, such as Engineering the Future and Manufacturing Technology, provide beneficial, real-world skills that students can use for the rest of their lives. While these electives have historically been taught by longtime Walpole teachers such as Mr. McCluskey or Mr. Weeden, students enrolled noticed an unfamiliar name on their schedules this September: Mr. Salvatore Reale.
Mr. Reale is a native of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and he graduated from East Bridgewater High School. It was in a high school shop class that he first decided to pursue carpentry in an educational environment, as he learned a lot of important skills in the class.
“Personally, I think the most important thing a fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid can learn is how to work with his or her hands,” said Mr. Reale.
He later attended Fitchburg State University, where he majored in Manufacturing and Engineering and received a degree in Industrial Technology. Prior to accepting his current position at Walpole High School, Mr. Reale used his manufacturing experience in the real world. Specifically, he built ice rinks at the DCU Center for the Worcester Sharks, an American Hockey League team.
“I would assemble the actual boards, put up the glass, make the ice, and paint all of the logos,” said Mr. Reale. He also had the opportunity to work at the hockey games played in the arena.
Since joining the staff this September, Mr. Reale has found Walpole High to be a welcoming environment full of motivated students and faculty. Inside the classroom, Mr. Reale protects the students from any risks by making safety his number one priority. He instructs students on necessary precautions in case of an emergency and takes action immediately should a problem occur. In response to whether he has injured himself in the shop, Mr. Reale said, “Not yet — knock on wood.”
Outside of school, Mr. Reale has various hobbies and interests: he plays for a rugby team called the South Shore Anchors, rides his 1983 Honda Shadow 500 cc motorcycle, and snowboards at Mount Sunapee.
On the mountains or in the classroom, Mr. Reale presents Walpole High School with a diverse background of knowledge and a wide range of experience. Mr. Reale offers students hands-on classes in which they learn many important skills to use in their lives. Whether it be Engineering the Future or Manufacturing Technology, the formerly unfamiliar name on students’ schedules belongs to a man with a passion for educating students about handy skills and safety procedures.
