Kelley’s ShamRockin’ Spellers get a “thumbs up” from Southington’s language arts coordinator Stephanie Lawlor during the opening round of the annual SEF spelling bee. On Thursday, April 20, 18 local trios battled for the coveted crown. For the story, see page 5.
Photos by JOHN GORALSKI and JEN CARDINES
Superintendent of schools Timothy Connellan gives a “thumbs up” to The Rotary Club, the eventual winners, during an early round success.
More photos, visit:
www.southingtonobserver.com/2017/04/26/there-will-be-an-answer-let-it-bee
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
The stakes were high during the Southington Education Foundation’s seventh annual spelling bee. Eighteen three-person teams participated in four, single-elimination rounds in order to crown one winning team at the high school auditorium on Thursday, April 20.
Who would claim first place? Could last year’s champions be defeated?
Bee Master Stephen Proffitt recited words and their definitions while Southington’s superintendent of schools Tim Connellan and language arts coordinator Stephanie Lawlor evaluated the spelling with a cartoon cutout “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”
“I love doing this kind of thing,” said Proffitt, a first-year Bee Master. “It’s fun to interact with the audience, and it’s all for a terrific cause.”
Although he was a novice, Proffitt kept the audience entertained with jokes about how quickly some teams’ “claim to fame” was, and he offered good-natured jokes about the colorful costumes seen on stage—whether it was formal gowns with tiaras, matching tee-shirts, witches hats, or 1980s apparel—each team brought a unique sense of fashion to the competition.
Southington High School students from the CyberKnights robotics Team 195 opened up the show with a presentation of the 2017 robot “Knightro.” Students demonstrated how the robot operates, driving it across the stage and shooting balls into a basket that mimicked this year’s robotic competition.
The Wanna Bees enjoy a moment in the spotlight during the fun event.
Then, came the main event…
It’s no ordinary spelling bee. Teams of three work together to spell out words, which were written on white boards instead of verbally recited. Participants proudly raised the boards over their heads when time was up, hoping to receive a thumbs up from Connellan or Lawlor.
In round one, the Queen Bees came out on top, followed by the SEA-BC’s in round two. Last year’s champions, the Rotary Club, continued their success when they were named round three winners. In the fourth round, South End Spells found victory. The four teams then faced off in the final round.
Team Rotary Club, comprised of Kate Sirignano, Gloria Brown, and Kristine Noli , fought to defend their championship title. In the end, they carried their first place trophy off the stage for the second consecutive year.
The Rotary Club receives the trophy for the second straight year. Can they “three-peat”?
The winning women joked about how they studied before coming to the competition. “It was a lot of pressure,” one said.
The trio first entered the SEF spelling bee three years ago and finished in second place. Now with two trophies under their belt, they said they are already planning for a “three-peat” next year.
Money raised from the Spelling Bee will continue to support grant opportunities and the mission of the SEF. Since its inception in 2009, the Southington Education Foundation has awarded over $200,000 in grants.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email us at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
A group of CyberKnights display their silver medals and plaque for placing second overall in the Carson division at the FIRST Robotics international championship in St. Louis.
After 10 hard-fought qualification matches, Knightro took on some heavy damage at the FIRST Robotics international championship in St. Louis. The Southington robot swung during a rope climb and suffered a direct hit to its shooting turret.
The damage was monumental, but the Southing-ton crew jumped into action.
Most teams would have been seriously derailed by such a hard break, but this is exactly the kind of skills that a FIRST Robotics competition is designed to test.
A small army of Southington High School engineers swarmed the broken robot, and repairs were ultimately successful. Southington’s Team 195 dropped to fifth place in the qualification rounds, but the team was far from finished on the world stage.
The season began with over 3,300 teams from around the world, but the CyberKnights were among 406 of the world’s best when the damage took place. Still, Southington survived to reach the playoff rounds.
Knightro, above, performed well at the international robotics championship.
To continue their run at a world title, the CyberKnights partnered with another Connecticut squad, Team 177 Bobcat Robotics from South Windsor, along with Team 1073 The Force Team from Hollis, N.H. and Team 1080 Resurgence Robotics from Henrico, Va.
Just two weeks ago, Southington paired with Team 1073 during their New England regional championship run. Could lightning strike twice?
The alliance fought through the Carson Division playoffs, reaching the final four and advancing to the championship match. It was there that the CyberKnight rally finally came to an end.
In a battle of New England powers, the CyberKnight alliance fell to an alliance which included Team 125, the Nutrons, from Boston.
“We were sad to see the CyberKnight’s run end, however still very happy to see them with the silver medals after such a hard-fought week,” CyberKnight officials said in a press release.
In fact, Southington’s defeat was tempered by the fact that a former CyberKnight team member—Bailey Kahl—was a mentor for the Boston-led winners. Kahl is currently attending college in the Boston area, and he continues to stay involved with robotics.
Kahl is one of more than 10 CyberKnight alumni that are currently mentoring FIRST teams from all over the country, and many have developed their squads into high ranking, top teams.
Kahl tipped his cap to his former teammates, sending a condolence message to the CyberKnights that applauded their run at the finals.
“You gave us a crazy run for our money,” Kahl wrote to the locals. “You guys have an amazing robot, and a hell of a season to boot.”
Kahl wrote that what really hit home was the support he received from his former teammates who were still smarting from the loss.
“You very easily could have been upset,” he wrote, “but instead all I got was hugs, high fives, and congratulations.”
Team officials said that the show of sportsmanship is a credit to FIRST Robotics. Sure, it’s a competition, but “it’s more about gracious professionalism, helping all teams succeed and inspiring STEM leaders along the way.”
The St. Louis event marked the end of the official FIRST robotics season, but it’s not the end to Southington’s competitive year.
The team will still have chances to compete at a pair of upcoming local events.
On Saturday, May 13, the CyberKnights will take on the state at a Connecticut championship, sponsored by the CIAC. The competition will only include a field of Connecticut teams.
The following weekend, the CyberKnights will venture to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts for the annual WPI Battlecry competition.
Rhonda M. Glover will be the keynote speaker at Lincoln College of New England’s 50th anniversary commencement event on May 12.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
This year marks the 50th annual Commencement exercises for Lincoln College of New England (LCNE). On Friday, May 12, the school formerly known as Briarwood College will honor its mid-century mark with 150 graduates receiving degrees or certificates.
The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. at the college’s campus at 2279 Mount Vernon Rd.
On the half-century occasion, the graduation event will feature the school’s first female keynote speaker, Rhonda M. Glover.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., Glover went on to receive a master’s degree in management from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. That began her career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in August 1984.
She was later appointed to the position of special agent in 1988, and in March 2000 Glover was promoted to supervisory special agent assigned to FBIHQ, Criminal Investigative Division, Drug Section, Colombian-Caribbean unit.
Glover spent years working her way through the Bureau’s ranks, and she continues to work with them today. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.
“She’s very accomplished,” said LCNE regional director of financial aid Gina Swenton.
Keynote speakers are chosen through a committee after recommendations are made. Glover’s recommendation came from last year’s keynote speaker, Curtis Robinson, and was later voted on by a committee.
“She came highly recommended from Curtis,” said Swenton. “When we gave her a call, she was very excited because we have a large criminal justice program.”
Glover has also received the FBI Director’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity in recognition of her leadership, training, recruitment, and significant contributions to enhance employment opportunities for women and minorities within the FBI. It is one of the highest forms of recognition for an FBI employee.
LCNE Registrar Stephanie Crombie said that the valedictorian speaker is not yet known because students are still taking final exams over the next week.
In the event of inclement weather, the commencement will be held indoors at Southington High School, but officials are hoping for good weather.
“When it’s outdoors, it is really nice,” said Crombie. “It’s a very well-attended event.”
For more information about LCNE, visit www.lincolncollegene.edu.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
Alphonse D’Angelo has been teaching foreign languages to locals since the 1960s.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
Southington UNICO named Alphonse D’Angelo as the 2016 Gold Medal Award recipient, the club’s most prestigious honor that has been awarded annually to a town resident since 1945. He will be honored during the Gold Medal Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 17, at 6 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club.
Tickets are still available for the event.
D’Angelo is a life-long member of the Southington community. In fact, the D’Angelo’s were the third Italian family to settle in Southington when Alphonse’s maternal grandmother came to town from Italy in 1875 and his father in 1911. His family grew up on Bristol Street.
“We were honored to nominate Alphonse D’Angelo for the 2016 Gold Medal,” said UNICO gold medal selection committee chair Mark Sciota. “He has worked tirelessly with many Italian-American organizations in Southington and is always ready to volunteer for any project, especially those including Southington’s youth.”
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, D’ Angelo taught French, Italian, and eventually Spanish at Southington High School, where he was employed for over 30 years. Along the way, he continued his education at Central Connecticut State University in the master’s program for teaching. He then received a sixth-year degree in Spanish from the University of Arizona.
Though he retired in 1997, he continues to teach languages and volunteer throughout the Southington community. D’Angelo held many volunteer positions at St. Thomas church, and he currently volunteers his time with the Sons of Italy where he teaches Italian classes twice a week to both beginners and more seasoned linguistic learners.
“Over the years, he has worked tirelessly with Southington children as well as St. Thomas church and other community organizations,” Sciota said.
D’Angelo didn’t just teach Southington’s youth. He also taught English to immigrants in the town’s Adult Education Program, along with teaching Italian classes at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Torrington. D’Angelo even tutored a group of Suffield priests in Spanish, among others.
He is a longtime member of the Southington Historical Society.
Tickets for the dinner cost $55 and can be obtained at Fasulo & Albini CPAs, 16 Cornerstone Ct. in Plantsville; Simply Wireless, 750 Queen St. in Southington; or Southington Insurance, 85 Liberty St. inSouthington.
The UNICO mission is to contribute to the well-being of local communities by making significant contributions to deserving local and national charities. UNICO strives to honor, perpetuate and disseminate the culture and ethnic heritage of our Italian immigrant ancestors, by supporting higher education and by educating and informing our members, local communities and our nation.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
Earlier this month, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that 2016 graduation rates across the state increased for the sixth consecutive year, reaching a record high. According to his report, the national average was 83.2 percent and Connecticut’s state average was 87.4 percent last year.
But how did Southington students do? The state numbers have Southington’s graduation hovering around 98 percent. Southington High School was ranked 37th out of 203 public, private, and magnet schools.
Superintendent of schools Tim Connellan said that the actual number could be even higher.
While some students do not finish their graduation requirements in time for the June commencement date, most finish their degree requirements by the conclusion of summer school. Connellan said that, because of that, just about every Southington student earns a diploma by late August.
“For us, that’s 100 percent, whether or not the state says that,” he said.
Connellan said administrators, faculty, and staff aren’t as concerned with the state data, which tracks students over their four year high school careers and across districts. Instead, Southington’s focus is set squarely on students in the system.
“The biggest difference is the cohort [measurement] versus a senior class,” Connellan said.
Data from the State Department of Education tracks groups of students in the same graduating class that are working on the same curriculum (cohorts). Their numbers track students over four years through various formulas and calculations. The data includes students that move between districts, don’t graduate on time, transfer to private school, etc.
To calculate their graduation rate, Southington compares the number of seniors that enter in the fall compared to those that actually earn a degree—whether it takes them summer school or alternate programs to complete their quest.
Connellan said that the town has early intervention programs, and ongoing support. The goal is always 100 percent graduation. Even when students are expelled, there are programs in place to keep them on pace to earn a high school degree.
“Right from grade 9, teams focus on students having difficulty moving to the next grade level,” Connellan said. “They intervene in an effective way to meet the criteria.”
Southington High School principal Brian Stranieri said there are presently 490 seniors in the 2017 class, and he expects about a 99 percent graduation rate, which would put Southington well into the top 10 percent of state and national graduation rates. He even noted the school’s recent perfect record.
“The class of 2015 had 508 students and 503 received diplomas at commencement ceremonies in June,” said Stranieri. “Five seniors went to summer school and received their diplomas in July, so 100 percent of the class graduated that year. I cannot think of another time that this occurred in my 15 year administrative career.”
Following graduation, Connecticut—and Southington—officials track the number of students that pursue higher education in the fall immediately following graduation. As of 2014, 75 percent of SHS graduates were enrolled in colleges and universities, compared to the state average of 68 percent.
“There are a pretty high percentage of students who go into higher education in one way, shape, or form,” said Connellan. “But the lines are blurred due to economics. Some students cannot afford school.”
Connellan also noted students that enter the military or start careers straight from high school might skew the overall number even though they might eventually pursue college at a later date. The superintendent said he wants to look into a graduate follow-up study of students in their first year out of SHS.
“I’m interested in creating a way to do that for us,” he said. “I want to reach all of our graduates.”
No matter what scale is used, Southington is above average in the state and the nation. This year’s graduation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20, at 5:30 p.m., and the goal is always the same: No child left behind.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
Kelley School students were hard at work creating these beautiful tote bags for the Department of Children and Family Services in New Britain. The efforts were done by the Art For A Cause club, which does monthly art projects to benefit the community. The bags were filled with personal care items, toys, stuffed animals, and more, provided by donations from the school community.
Tunxis Community College
271 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032
(860) 773-1300
Registration for summer 2017 credit courses is in progress at Tunxis Community College in Farmington. For information on how to apply and register, contact the Admissions Office at (860) 773-1490 or visit tunxis.edu/apply.
The school is offering approximately 140 traditional classroom and online courses during a trio of five-week and eight-week sessions: June 1 to July 6; June 6 to July 27; and July 10 to Aug. 10.
Students who attend other colleges may enroll in courses at Tunxis and transfer the credits earned during the summer to their baccalaureate or associate degree programs with savings averaging $800 or more per course.
Registration for summer credit courses can be completed by mail, email, fax, web or in person. Financial aid is available to those students who qualify, and eligible veterans can use the GI Bill for summer courses.
In addition, registration is ongoing for continuing education (non-credit) courses for training in skilled professions, including electrician license renewal training; registered medical assistant; certified nurse aide; EMT, phlebotomy technician certification; patient care technician; pharmacy technician; and digital photography certificate.
Choose from a variety of courses in career/workforce development; small business; health and motorcycle safety. For continuing education courses, there are a variety of convenient ways to register: tunxis.edu/cereg.
Tunxis Community College is located at the junction of Routes 6 and 177. For more information, call (860) 773-1300.
Local author and illustrator Bill Thomson recently visited a 3-year-old class at Plantsville Community Nursery School to answer questions about what an artist does. The visit was part of the school’s community helper program. Thomson is the author of a number of children’s books, including “Chalk,” “Karate Hour,” and “Building with Dad.”
The Southington Town-wide Effort to Promote Success (STEPS), the Southington Police Department and the Southington High School administration are sponsoring an information night to help families understand current drug trends, prevention efforts, and agencies that help with substance abuse.
Anyone from the community is invited to attend. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9 in the SHS auditorium.
With the current rise in drug use and reported overdoses, local organizations are taking action to prevent these trends and inform the community as much as they can. The program was originally scheduled for March, but frequent snow days caused officials to move the date.
Guest speakers will include SHS Principal Brian Stranieri; Chris Bartolotta from the State Police; Pat Rehmer, Sr. Vice President of Hartford Healthcare; Kevin Naranjo, SHS resource officer, and Kelly Leppard, Prevention Specialist with STEPS.
The presentation is aimed to educate parents and guardians about the connections between alcohol consumption and future substance abuse, how substance abuse begins, social host liability, and myths on specific drugs.
In addition, parent resource tables will be available in the cafeteria immediately after the presentation. Representatives are from MATCH, Rushford, Southington and State Police, Health Department, STEPS, Wheeler Clinic, Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals, and Southington Youth Services.
For more information contact SHS at (86) 628-3229 ext. 229 or the STEPS office at (860) 276-6285.
Heavy rains couldn’t deter Alta students on Friday when they released fish into the waters at YMCA Camp Sloper that were hatched and raised by the school’s biology class. The biology class raised the fish from larvae to fry (the stage when a fish has developed to the point where they are capable of feeding themselves), and the release was the culmination of the project. (Photo by John Goralski)
BY JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
Huddled under umbrellas and raincoats, students at Alta at the Pyne Center—the alternative high school education program in Southington—met at YMCA Camp Sloper last week to give the pond some new inhabitants. The weather wasn’t going to stop them from releasing nearly 100 brown trout into Sloper’s waters after months of preparation.
George Pulley’s biology class obtained 200 trout eggs on Nov. 17 and students were responsible for their development until the release last week.
“My class had to incubate the eggs and develop a tank of fry, or small fish,” Pulley said. “We were told that 25 percent wouldn’t mature off the bat, so our goal when we started was to have 50 fish to release.”
The final tally showed that 93 fish found a home in Sloper Pond. “That rating is very good to excellent,” Pulley said.
Students from Alta at the Pyne Center in Southington release fish fry into the pont at YMCA Camp Sloper on Thursday, May 4. It was the culmination of a biology project that started in November.
It looked like a fun field trip, but it was no easy task. Kara Oakes, an 11th grader, said that the last 20 minutes of every biology class were spent cleaning the tanks and testing the water levels. Tenth grader Will Conant added that students used small tubes to sample the water and monitor the level of ammonia.
The five-month project was made possible by Southington’s science curriculum coordinator John Duffy, who contacted the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) organization.
TIC began in the 1970s in a Manhattan classroom and continues to educate science classes from kindergarten through 12th grade today. The program came to Connecticut 10 years ago, but this is the first time Southington has joined the project.
“It allows us to bring more environmental science into the classroom,” Pulley said.
TIC state coordinator Ed Albrecht set up an aquarium at Alta so that the class could work hands-on with the fish.
Every student at the school had a chance to release a fish into the pond at Camp Sloper.
We are so thankful and really appreciate Ed’s work,” said Alta principal Jess Levin.
When the fish arrived at Camp Sloper, officials had to get them acclimated to their future home by introducing some of the pond’s water into the tank. During that time, the whole school—which is only about 40 students—engaged in team building activities run by Sloper staff. Levin said that even though it was just the biology class that worked with the fish, teachers thought it would be a good experience to let everyone help in the release.
After scooping the fry from the tank, students had the opportunity to name their fish before setting it free into the wild. Though they said goodbye to dozens of their well-developed swimmers, Levin announced that 15 of the small fish were set aside for further study at Alta.
“We will be able to see how big they get,” he said.
To learn more about the project, visit www.southingtonschools.org. To learn more about TIC, visit www.troutintheclassroom.org.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
Photos by JOHN GORALSKI
From left, Southington High School DECA students Megan Mahon, Kayla Birmingham, Dan Borkowski, Ryan Case and Kyle M’Sadoques competed at the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, Calif. Case and M’Sadoques attended the leadership conference, focusing on entrepreneurship, while Mahon, Birmingham, and Borkowski competed in the international field. The SHS future business leaders faced over 19,000 attendees from across the United States and international countries and represented the town well. They received an award of excellence for placing in the top 20 percent of the competition.
On Friday, May 12, Lincoln College of New England (LCNE) celebrated its 50th commencement with an outdoor graduation ceremony on the Mount Vernon Road campus. The school, formerly known as Briarwood College, opened as a secretarial college in 1967 but has grown to afford a number of associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs. The school graduated 111 students with associate’s degrees and 32 with bachelor’s degrees. Above, FBI Special Agent Rhonda Glover gives the keynote address.
Photos by JOHN GORALSKI
Class of 2017 member Crystal Coggins cheers her classmates during her salutatory address. Coggins graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Faculty led the procession into the commencement ceremony.
Students celebrate their graduation.
Mortar boards were decorated throughout the student body.
Student art continues to be displayed in the high school atrium, just outside the school’s auditorium.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
The auditorium lobby at Southington High School was lined with paintings, jewelry, photographs, graphic designs, pottery, and drawings. There were even piñatas and floral arrangements to really show every medium during the 34th annual art exhibition on Monday, May 15.
Art department chair Thomas Horanzy said that out of the 2,200 students at SHS, 500 are enrolled in the fine art classes. Displayed work came from nearly every art student in all four grade levels.
“It’s amazing how many people want to participate,” Horanzy said. “The show is a little bit of everyone.”
Horanzy said that the evening was designed to be more of a community event than just an art show. It was set up much like an opening night of a professional art exhibit to give students an authentic first time exposure.
The family and consumer sciences classes provided refreshments for the show and displayed their fabric projects. Orchestra students performed modern and classical arrangements as people filtered through the hallways. Additionally, students from the vocational agriculture center—who come from many surrounding towns—contributed their floral arrangements to the show.
Over the years, the biggest changes in the show were always sparked by the rise in technology. Now that computer programs are developed significantly better than previous decades, graphic design classes are able to create products digitally. Photography students were at the same advantage when digital cameras came into play.
“We’ve been keeping up with the times,” said Horanzy.
A steady flow of attendees made their way through the show’s opening night and students eagerly showed off their projects. Preparation for the event took three weeks and the work remains on display for an additional three weeks.
Anyone who wasn’t able to attend the big event is still able to see the culmination of student projects in the SHS lobby in the coming weeks.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
Blue Knight athletes and partners cheer a teammate in the long jump during the CIAC Unified Sports state meet on Thursday, May 11. More than 200 students from 11 schools converged on Southington High School’s track for their 2017 Olympic Games. (Photo by Brian Jennings)
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
The Southington High School outdoor track was transformed into an Olympic stadium last Thursday when 200 students from 11 schools participated in the Special Olympics statewide track and field event.
Everyone fell silent as SHS athlete Andrew Gallagher performed the national anthem on his electric guitar. They all cheered as a torch was carried to light the cauldron and as each team was called onto the field for recognition. Then, opening ceremonies were concluded by remarks from Unified Sports director George Synnott and assistant director Bob Hale.
It was truly an Olympic experience.
Unified Sports, which started in Connecticut, is a combination of mainstream students (partners) and special education students (athletes) who form bonds and friendships. It is a Special Olympics affiliate that runs through the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). The program has more than 5,000 athletes and partners from 260 schools throughout the state.
Blue Knights Unified Sports athlete Andrew Gallagher performs the national anthem during opening ceremonies. (Photo by Brian Jennings)
Southington had 38 athletes participate last week and 150 student volunteers went to cheer on the teams and help run the events. Head coach Marguerite Maddalena said that the entire outdoor track team was excited to help with the event and work with the Unified athletes.
Participants came from Berlin High School, Bristol Central, Bristol Eastern, Valley Regional High School (Deep River), Farmington High School, Avon High School, Newington High School, Shelton High School, Simsbury High School, and Crosby High School (Waterbury). They competed in relays, standing long jump, running long jump, shot put, turbo javelin, and tennis ball throws.
Southington’s central location in the state makes it the perfect spot to host the event each year. Athletic director Greg Ferry said he hopes to be the permanent host for future Unified Sports track and field events.
“It’s my favorite event of the year,” he said. “It’s a great way to showcase all of these student athletes.”
But it’s not just athletics that Unified Sports brings to SHS. Maddalena said the program has effected the whole school climate and beyond.
“It’s been such a ripple effect,” she said. “It’s rippled out to so many others outside of Southington.”
Southington High School principal Brian Stranieri high fives an athlete after his throw. Stranieri joined the athletes next with his own attempt at the javelin. (Photo by Brian Jennings)
Just a few months ago, SHS was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion banner school for their inclusive practices. A Banner Unified Champion school must have a Unified Sports program with inclusive youth leadership and school-wide engagement. The program must also demonstrate that they are self-sustainable in their activities.
Maddalena said the athletes participate in school-wide pep rallies, play in the blue and white halftime games, and are self supporting, thanks to Southington UNICO, which pays for everything.
Maddalena is retiring this June after 38 years of teaching physical education and health in Southington schools. When Unified Sports was implemented in the town’s athletics nine years ago, she jumped at the opportunity to coach the students.
“Back then it was one sport, one coach, and one game,” Maddalena said about the program’s inaugural season. At that time, basketball was the only sport available for the Unified athletes. Today, soccer, basketball, track, and bowling are all offered to keep the program running year-round, and there are two assistant coaches, Andrew Larkin and Denise Ingriselli.
Though she is retiring from her teaching career, Maddalena said she has full intentions to come back in the fall to coach.
“There’s no way I could give this up. We are so proud of this program,” she said, recalling many former students who flourished through Unified Sports.
To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.
Photos by BRIAN JENNINGS
Several world language students from St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2017 national Spanish examinations.
Students from the school earned two gold medals, a pair of silver medals, and four bronze medals, along with 28 honorable mentions.
The national Spanish examinations are administered each year to students in grades 6-12. They are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
“Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, national director of the exams, said in a press release, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with over 157,000 students participating in 2017.”
Gold (oro) medals were presented to students scoring at or above the 95th percentile. Silver (plata) medals were awarded to students scoring between the 85th and 9th percentiles, while bronze (bronce) awards were for those in the 75th through 85th percentiles.
Honorable mentions were presented to students scoring above the national average but below the medal level.
Southington’s John Carragher is one of three Tunxis Community College students selected to serve as interns at the Connecticut General Assembly. Carragher, along with Sean McCusker of Simsbury and Nicholas Teeling of Winsted spent their spring semester in Hartford. As part of the Legislative Internship Program, Carragher, a general studies major, was assigned to State Rep. Bob Godfrey (D-110), deputy speaker pro-tempore. During the internship, the students attend hearings and seminars and conduct research, among other duties. From left, Teeling, Carragher, and McCusker.
The 90 degree day didn’t stop Derynoski Elementary School from participating in the All Children Exercise Simultaneously (ACES) event, part of a national initiative that encourages children to be active. Last Thursday, all 600 DES students and faculty were outside on the playground ‘dancing and moving’ with YMCA Zumba instructor Michelle Keeley. The event was put on by members of Activate Southington and the YMCA.
Photos by JEN CARDINES
Students gather on stage in the Southington High School auditorium for the annual presentation of scholarships.
By JEN CARDINES
STAFF WRITER
“We are gathered here tonight to honor a special group of students,” Southington High School principal Brian Stranieri said, opening the 2017 Scholarship Night ceremony.
On Thursday, May 18, dozens of graduating seniors took the stage to receive scholarship awards due to their achievements at SHS and in the local community.
A total of 163 different scholarships were presented, some with multiple recipients, to benefit the students in their higher education path.
“Students on the stage this evening benefit from the generosity of those individuals and organizations who sponsor the scholarships,” Stranieri said.
Local families, organizations, foundations, churches, and school booster clubs grant money to SHS seniors that meet the criteria for their scholarships. Some are based on academic achievement while others involve community service, participation in sports or school clubs, as well as the arts. Many awards come from memorial foundations, where deserving students who exemplify common traits and interests of a deceased community member receive recognition.
In order to win a scholarship award, students are given access to the applications in January and are encouraged to apply for the various awards.
“The scholarship information is generated through the school counseling department,” said Julie Robertson, director of school counseling. “Students access the scholarship information through Naviance starting in January.”
Naviance is a student portal used for creating resumes and college applications. High school students can use this online tool to organize their college preparation materials and browse programs that suit their interests.
There is no limit to what students can apply for, and many seniors were given more than one scholarship throughout the ceremony.
Scholarship Night is an annual event put on by various departments at Southington High School to honor the hard work students put in during their four years at SHS.
“These students have taken their natural talents and have achieved honor in our school and out in the community through their hard work and dedication,” Stranieri said.
2017 Scholarship Night recipients
The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600
The Southington Police Department announced that they have referred 14 suspects from a recent middle school investigation to the juvenile review board, a community-based diversion program. The referrals were a result of an investigation into reports that middle school students were sending inappropriate texts.
Police said in a press release that there were no charges associated with the referrals. The incidents were deemed to be a “delinquent act”. The names of the juveniles will not be released due to their ages.
The investigation started on May 12 after an anonymous adult reported to DePaolo Middle school administrators that there were naked photos on a juvenile’s phone. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that students from both DePaolo Middle School and Kennedy Middle School began sharing inappropriate text messages and photographs with each other via social media.
With the referrals, police have officially closed the investigation effective today.
