Unified Arts Newsletter

Hello Dudley families!

This is Mr. Davis reaching out to you! As some of you may know, I am your child’s health and wellness teacher at Mason Road Elementary School and Dudley Elementary School. For those of you who do not know, my name is Mr. Davis and this is my fourth year here as a PE teacher in the DCRSD school district!

I grew up loving gym class, and am happy that I am able to create a fun environment and introduce new games and movements to the kids. I am looking forward to another fun filled year, with lots of great games and activities. I am in a special position between both schools, as I get to teach students for nearly 5 years of their life. I always enjoy meeting students at the kindergarten level and creating bonds with them over time.

Outside of school, I am usually spending time with loved ones, being outside with my dogs, or I am out on the golf course! And very exciting news from my family end, we are expecting a baby girl into our lives come the end of October! It will be our first child and we cannot wait for her to arrive!

If you have any questions about activities throughout the year, or if you would like some activities to try at home, please reach out to me by email: jdavis2@dcrsd.org.

Hello to our Dudley families, and welcome to the 2025-2026 school year. My name is Dawn Gravel, and I am the art teacher at Mason Road School and Dudley Elementary School. This is my eleventh year in the DCRSD, and I am grateful to be a part of your students' educational journey.

A little bit about me: My oldest son graduated in May with a degree in criminal justice. He hopes to become an officer, but in the meantime, we are thrilled to have him back living under our roof. Last year was a bit tricky with both kids being away and learning how to scale down my cooking for just my husband and me. My youngest son is in his sophomore year at Springfield College and has just made a change, dropping his major in athletic training and picking up criminal justice. I am beyond proud of my boys for wanting to spend their lives serving the community. My big baby Finn (135 lbs. of Bullmastiff love) keeps me busy and offers his emotional support and snuggles!

I look forward to a fantastic year, and thank you for sharing your kind and creative kiddos with me each week. If you have any questions throughout the year, please email me at dgravel@dcrsd.org.

Welcome to a new school year! I am Adam Peloquin, and I am new to Dudley Elementary School. I most recently taught at Leicester High School and prior to that worked for a dozen years in college athletics. I have coached football for 14 years, including this fall at Shepherd Hill. I am excited to be a part of the Dudley Elementary community, and I look forward to practicing the fundamental skills to live an active and healthy life!

Hello! My name is Michele Shorten and I will be your child’s Technology teacher this year! I live in Dudley, Massachusetts with my husband, Rich, our four sons, Jack, Colin, Ryan, Trevor and our yellow lab, Cooper! In my spare time I love to be with my family at the beach, around a campfire or in the mountains. This will be my 18th year teaching computers and my fifth in Dudley! I look forward to working with your child and helping them grow this year!

Hello, everyone! My name is Julie Winans and I have been a music teacher in the Dudley Charlton Regional School District for 31 years! I am very proud of that! I'm happy to welcome my students back to music classes this year and I'm looking forward to having lots of fun while learning about music!

A little about me... I started my musical journey at age 6 when I began taking piano lessons. I then added singing lessons into the "mix" at age 11. I enjoyed singing and was involved in different musical endeavors throughout my teen years (musical theater was a BIG part of my youth!). I decided to pursue studies in music education at Anna Maria College for my undergraduate studies. After securing my first teaching job, I began my post-graduate studies in Creative Arts in Learning through Lesley College (now Lesley University).

My husband and I moved to Dudley in 2003 and raised our children here. Both my daughter, Katie and my son, Greg, attended Mason Road School, Dudley Elementary School, Dudley Middle School and graduated from Shepherd Hill Regional High School. My daughter is a graduate of Suffolk University (2019 and 2023) and my son is currently a junior at Bentley University. While my husband and I are technically empty nesters, we do still have our "baby" - a mini Bernedoodle named Penny - home with us! She's the CUTEST dog in the world (in our opinion!).

I love my students, past and present. Once my student, ALWAYS my student! They brighten my days with their curiosity and laughter and it truly is a pleasure to watch them grow from kindergartners to fourth graders. Being a part of the early school years is an honor!

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns or stories - I'm just an email away! jwinans@dcrsd.org

Let's have a great school year!