The Blue Knight boys soccer team presented check to the United Way of Southington as a result of team fundraising. Above, varsity captains present a check to Kaye Davis, Executive Director of the United Way of Southington.

Civil rights activist/author Deacon Arthur Miller engages students at the high school.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

On Jan. 15, a Southington High School (SHS) English teacher welcomed a semi-annual guest speaker to talk to students about his experiences during the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s.

Deacon Arthur Miller said he visits around 30 to 40 schools all over the country from Yale to the University of California. Despite his busy schedule, he makes time to come to SHS twice a year to share his personal story and message for young people.

“This is probably the only place I come to twice a year,” said Miller.

SHS English Teacher Janice Zaccardo said that she invites Miller to speak twice each year after teaching the civil rights unit to her class.

“Some of the students heard him speak when they were freshman, and they still come to hear him speak now that they’re seniors,” said Zaccardo.

Miller spoke a lot about his childhood at his most recent visit.

Miller grew up in Chicago in a segregated America and was friends with Emmett Till, a black teenager who was brutally murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi in 1955. Miller said Till lived in his neighborhood.

“He sat next to my brother in school,” said Miller of his childhood friend.

Miller said that he got to know Till really well the summer before he was killed. Miller had witnessed a group of boys, including Till, break the car windows of a negro league baseball player who lived in the area.

Although he didn’t participate in the window bashing, Miller said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and somehow ended up being grouped in with the boys when it came time for punishment. Miller said the boys had to clean up the man’s yard every day for two weeks.

Miller said that the day Till died changed him forever.

“I had a blissful childhood until that day,” said Miller. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with.”

As an adult, Miller went on to write a book about Till called “The Journey to Chatham: Why Emmet Till’s Murder Changed America.”

“When you look in the history books it says that Emmet Till was murdered for whistling at a white woman, but that’s not true,” said Miller. “He was murdered because that community was evil.”

However, Miller said he believes Till’s death sparked the beginning of the civil rights movement.

When Miller graduated high school in 1963, he became heavily involved in the civil rights movement and participated in protests led by Martin Luther King Jr. Some of the consequences of those protests included being arrested and risking his life for the cause of equality.

Although Miller’s story seemed to be a courageous one, he explained to the students that he was not always fearless. He told the students at SHS that when he was in high school he was also afraid of what people think.

Deacon Miller told the story of a young girl at his high school who was bullied by everyone—a story that many of the students could relate to. Although Miller said he did not participate in the name-calling and harassment, he said he still wishes he had stood up for her and been her friend.

“There is so much pressure to be cool, but if you have the courage to stand up and you will feel so much better about who you are,” said Miller.

Miller told the group of students about the Little Rock 9, a group of nine black students, who were the first to integrate into an all-white school. Miller spoke about the iconic image of a slanderous mob of grown adults harassing a 15 year-old black girl, Elizabeth Eckford, on her way to school.

After being prevented to enter the school by the chaotic crowd, Eckford sat down on a nearby bench by herself. Miller explained how one woman came out of the crowd and made sure Eckford got on a bus safely back home. Miller used this woman as an example of standing up for someone else in the face of adversity and said that the woman’s house was burned down the next day as a result.

“When you stand up for some other kid, they might call you names, too,” said Miller. “But you stand up, because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Miller also had an encouraging message for those who are the victims of bullies in school.

“The people who call you names, text, and tweet about you cannot diminish your value,” said Miller. “Don’t let anyone take your value, because they didn’t give it to you. It’s yours, and you all have the same value. You are all valuable.”

Miller said that he makes an effort to share this message with the youth, because it’s an age-old problem.

“When I look at them I’m talking to that 14 year old me and I wish someone would have told me you’re all the same,” said Miller.

To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Lindsay Carey, email her at lcarey@ southingtonobserver.com.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Derynoski Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is holding its first annual Home and Business Show on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.in the school’s cafeteria.

Derynoski Elementary School PTO member Laura Rothkopf said she got the idea to do the home and business show from surrounding towns.

“I thought Southington doesn’t have anything like this,” said Rothkopf. “I think it would be a great idea to have a home and business show in Southington, because there are so many businesses in town that people don’t know about.”

Rothkopf said that the PTO decided to host the event, because it was a good way to get the community and local businesses together to hopefully generate more money for these businesses.

Along with helping out local businesses, the event will also support the students at Derynoski. Participating businesses can reserve a table with two chairs at the event for $30 and $10 for each additional table.

“We’re hoping to have 30 to 35 businesses,” said Rothkopf. “We still have a couple more openings.”

The deadline for businesses to send in the form and check made out to Derynoski Elementary School PTO is Jan. 28.

The money collected from these tables will go towards the fundraising efforts of the PTO to support the outdoor equipment at the school, buses, and will help keep the field trip costs at a reasonable rate for families.

Rothkopf also said that the PTO supports the needs of the teachers by supplying all of the smart boards and helping fund classroom needs like bookcases and school supplies.

For more information about the first annual Home and Business Show, email Rothkopf at lrrimp@ gmail.com.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Middle School construction projects at both Kennedy and DePaolo Middle Schools are moving along on schedule.

“We’re in phase 10 in both schools,” said Chairman of the Middle School Building Committee Ed Pocock Jr. “We have two more phases after that to do.”

Pocock Jr. said the project has been successful thus far, because of all the people involved in the project.

“I’ve got good people on the building committee,” said Pocock Jr. “Although, renovations have been a little tough, the Newfield Construction team has done an excellent job of picking up the pieces.

The Chairman of Middle School Building Committee also said the teachers, paraprofessionals, and staff at the two schools have been cooperative during all of the phases, which has also contributed to the project moving along smoothly.

“A lot of the heavy lifting is done,” said Pocock Jr. “We basically stripped the schools.”

He also said the auditoriums in the schools have come out looking better than ever. Pocock Jr. said that the cost effective decision to keep the old seats in the auditoriums and redo them has paid off.

“It came out really nice,” said Pocock Jr.

Pocock Jr. also said that the building committee has made sure the air quality in the schools has been tested frequently.

“If there’s an air quality problem we want to know why,” said Pocock Jr. “Right now, the air quality in those schools is better than some of our homes.”

According to the Chairman, there are between seven to 12 rooms left to be renovated and generators for each school with RFQ’s out on them.

However, Pocock said that the project is on track to be ready for students’ return to school in August.

Chris Palmieri also gave the Middle School construction projects a vote of confidence at the Town Council meeting on Jan. 12.

“We are on schedule dare I say even a little ahead of schedule,” said Palmieri. “All of the work outside is complete; all of the new construction is complete. We’re just renovating existing parts of the building.”

Palmieri said that the second to last phase of the project will be complete in April and then the final phase of the project will be underway between April and August.

On Friday, Dec. 12, more than 100 Strong Elementary School students stayed after class to decorate homemade salt dough ornaments, and the decorations were packaged by the 5th grade STEPS committee. The ornaments were eventually hand delivered by the students to Mulberry Gardens and The Orchards.  A small tag was attached to each packaged ornament to help remind our community to value our youth, our future.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Board of Education (BOE) finalized the budget for the 2015-2016 school year, and the board unanimously approved spending $90,197,401 with a 3.59 percent increase from last year’s budget.

Director of Business and Finance Sherri DiNello presented the budget, which she crafted along with school administrators based on the year to year needs of the school system. It also includes new requests from the Board of Education in budget workshops.

Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski opened the floor for discussion on some of the new items in the 2015-2016 year budget.

Some of the major items of discussion included providing more support for the English Language Learners (ELL), more assistance in the Pupil Services department for the district, and whether or not to financially support after-school enrichment programs.

Terry Lombardi opened with an impassioned discussion regarding the English Language Learners (ELLs) within the Southington Public Schools.

Dinello invited Derynoski Elementary School Assistant Principal Kelly Nichols to share data regarding the amount of instruction time ELLs are currently receiving.

Nichols shared that only 12 percent of new ELLs are receiving one hour of English Language Service (ELS) per day, which is the recommendation by the State Department of Education for all newly identified ELL students in the school system.

Nichols explained that there has been an influx of ELLs coming into the schools system. Within the past 12 months she said the district has a received 40 additional ELLs, which are considered the high priority population of students.

Five full-time ELL tutors and one part time ELL tutor are currently servicing 105 ELLs. With 40 of those students considered high priority, district administrators were looking to this budget to add another full time tutor in order to help bridge the gap in instruction time.

According to Nichols, 37.5 percent of newly identified ELL students are receiving one hour per week of service and only 7.5 percent of that group is receiving the state recommended hour per day within a small group setting.

“We would reduce the number of students who are only getting one hour per week of service and slowly start to increase their service hours and obviously we’re trying to close that gap and get as close to one hour a day as possible,” said Nichols.

An additional full time ELL tutor would allow 12 students currently receiving one hour per week to receive two to four hours per week, and that would allow two more students to receive one hour per day.

“It may not be 100 percent of what we’re looking for, but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Board of Education member Dave Derynoski before making the motion to approve an additional full time ELL tutor to bring the total to 6.5 tutors.

The Board approved the inclusion of an additional full time ELL tutor to the 2015-2016 budget, although, Lombardi, who began the discussion, was the only one to vote ‘no’ on the item.

“I would like more,” said Lombardi.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connellan and the Director of Pupil Service Margaret Walsh advocated adding another Special Education coordinator to the Pupil Services department at a salary of $115,950.

Connellan referred to adding this position as “cost containment and cost prevention” with benefits across the entire district from Pre-K through age 21.

“I really believe that in the long run we will be in a situation where we will be spending fewer dollars to place students out, and I think we’ll be spending fewer dollars down the road for legal fees,” said Connellan. “We can provide some of those services that are being provided outside, inside.”

Connellan said that adding another coordinator would bring at least two students back into existing Special Education programs in the district, which would cover the new coordinator’s position by reducing out-of-district placement costs. It would not affect the budget at all.

Kennedy Middle School Principal Steven Madancy spoke in support of this telling the Board that coordinators are being “spread pretty thin”.

“It has a ripple effect on the entire organization,” said Madancy. “[As a principal] you get lengthy daily correspondences and parents are waiting for a reply, but sometimes it’s not as simple as us just replying to the email. We look for some guidance and oversight as well in certain situations. If the coordinators or the director are not available then the delay starts.”

The Superintendent said that the issue is not the quality of the staff. It’s about not having enough oversight needed for the Special Education programs while also providing assistance to administrators dealing with parents, lawyers, and suspensions.

Walsh explained how she would restructure the Pupil Services department if a new coordinator was to be added. She said that she would have one high school coordinator, one coordinator for both of the middle schools, two coordinators for preschool and elementary schools, and the final coordinator would be responsible for out-of-district placement.

Board of Education Member Terri Carmody requested that Walsh take more time to view the system as the director, because she’s only been there for three months. Carmody asked to see if she could restructure the program with the current employees before adding another position.

However, the rest of the board voted to add another Special Education coordinator to the budget.

“We as a board made a vision that Special Education mattered. It’s 25 percent of our budget and we brought in two professionals,” Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski said about Connellan and Walsh, who were both hired in 2014. “I don’t care if they were here two days or two years, if they can give us a plan and show cost avoidance and balance, we have to do it.”

The only topic of discussion that did not pass and was removed from the budget was financial support from the BOE to support enrichment opportunities.

These enrichment opportunities included a robotics program, a gardening club, and a drama club as after-school programs. Some of the schools currently have these programs, but they are run by parent or teacher volunteers and funded by grants.

Board of Education member Colleen Clark felt it was the responsibility of the schools to come and request funding for a program rather than the Board of Education handing out the money. Lombardi said she felt it inappropriate to fund enrichment opportunities when the basic needs of ELL students were not being met.

However, Johnson advocated for enrichment opportunities saying they are “a valuable part of the educational process.”

“A different value than those who are learning to speak English, but here we are having children who are learning to speak science and technology and math, so this is a different kind of language for children to learn,” said Board of Education member Patricia Johnson.

The board was seemingly split on whether or not to provide enrichment opportunities, and Chairman Goralski swung the vote, agreeing with Clark that the schools should advocate for these programs without BOE funding.

Town Council Chair Mike Riccio shared the progress of Southington’s economic development at the State of the Town dinner.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

Town Councilors spoke about the changes in town government and on their special committees within the last year at the Chamber Legislative Committee 6th annual State of the Town dinner.

Seven of the nine town councilors spoke about recent accomplishments and concerns on projects in town.

Chairman Michael Riccio praised economic development, reasonable spending, and the council’s decision to invest more into economic development budget.

Riccio also celebrated the Economic Development office’s successful partnerships with Lake Compounce and ESPN as well as being involved in the planning process expanding Lincoln College.

He also touted projects of industrial growth and the success of small businesses in town at the Reverse Solutions and Chamber Legislative committee sponsored dinner.

“In the last year alone we have seen business and industrial expansion in the likes of which we haven’t seen in Southington since the 1970s,” said Riccio. “That expansion is taking place within our industrial parks, downtown business districts and tourism industry.”

He also discussed how a high bond rating has allowed the town to sell bonds to finance capital projects including improvements to roads, parks, and buildings, like the plans to renovate the Calendar House.

Stephanie Urillo spoke about success in public health through her work as a sub -committee member of the regionalized health district of Southington and Plainville. She complemented Director of the Southington-Plainville Regional Health District on his efficient communication to the public when a few Ebola cases began being seen in different areas of the country.

Urillo also said that throughout the health district 650 flu shots were administered.

In addition to those successes in public health, Urillo discussed Southington’s opportunity to come out a groundbreaking tattoo ordinance to inspect practices in tattoo parlors to ensure cleanliness and safety for customers. The public hearing for the tattoo ordinance will be on Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Municipal Center.

Urillo also discussed progress with open space in town. As Open Space Committee Chair, she said that the committee was acknowledged for excellence in conservation organization, which was a result of the establishment of a Forest Management Plan for Crescent Lake.

“The management plan is going to ensure overall forest health by providing and giving 35 acres of mature trees room to grow,” said Urillo. “It’s also a great opportunity for the public to learn about forest management.”

She also spoke about other projects the committee has tackled since last year such as the beginning stages of a new Plan of Conservation and Development and the town acquiring Pleasant View Stables.

Town Councilor Dawn Miceli had positive updates as well regarding the town initiative she spear headed to combat vandalism especially in areas like the ice rink and the rails to trails.

Miceli worked with the Southington Police Department, STEPS, Chamber of Commerce board members, and the Youth Council to build an anti-vandalism campaign going to reduce damage to businesses in town. She also acknowledged Southington Boy Scouts for being the volunteer vandalism cleanup crew, which is free of charge to businesses affected by vandalism in Southington and serves as a quick response to show vandals the error of their ways.

In addition to the progress she has seen Miceli shared a concern of hers, which is the new new type of road paving and road maintenance practice for the being used in Southington, known as chip sealing.

“It’s new here in Southington, and to date I have not unfortunately seen the benefits and have instead seen the wear and tear on vehicles that the asphalt chips can make, the need for revamping of the roads surface after the plows come through, the marring of driveways and lawns from the chip seal and the overall ill aesthetic of our roads,” said Miceli.

Town Councilor Cheryl Lounsbury said that the Sewer Committee was “in the midst of a perfect storm” when she took it over due to loss of equipment and not being a priority in past budgets.

However, she shared this past year’s success with the Sewer Committee referendum question, which will allow much needed upgrades to the sewer system and shared that the town will see savings in the near future as a result.

“We’re saving a significant amount of electricity, which is going to allow us next year to decrease our sewer rate by five percent for residential sewer payers on the fixed part of their bill and that happened in less than a year,” said Lounsbury.

Town Councilor Chris Palmieri wasn’t as positive about the sewer rates. He shared his concern regarding the budget practices that led to the increase in sewer rates for tax payers this year.

Palmieri also spoke about the successful Apple Harvest festival, STEPS securing the drug-free communities grant, and having an open dialogue with Hartford Healthcare regarding the future of the Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley campus. He also shared a progress report on the construction projects at the two middle school renovations calling them both “under budget and ahead of schedule.”

On Thursday, Jan. 22, the Southington High School marching band was honored at the Southington Board of Education meeting for winning the 2014 state championship. The Blue Knight program earned state titles in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014.

Photo by Lindsay Carey

The Southington High School counseling department is offering a seminar aimed at high school juniors and their families. The informational session “Navigating the College Process” is designed to help families form a plan for future college students.

A power point presentation about college admission requirements and admission processes will be the main focus of the program.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m., in the high school auditorium. All students and parents of the Class of 2016 are encouraged to attend.

Representatives from Sikorsky Aircraft tried to inspire young engineers at Derynoski Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The hands-on program for students in kindergarten through grade 5 ran throughout the day.

Photos by TAMMI NAUDUS

Process Engineer Rick DiMauro demonstrates a wind tunnel for Gavin Anderson, left, and Ben Gorr, right, in the school auditorium.

Students can’t wait to test their wind tunnel projects.

Ryan Teixeira makes an air foil to be used in the wind tunnel.

Sikorsky pilot Keith Harper gives a presentation before the hands-on segment.

Kate Casey-Loban, from the International Military Department of Sikorsky, works with Shanice Lurry, Thomas Sagnella, and Noah Babik.

Kate Casey prepares Christina Demchars’ fifth grade class.

Sikorsky engineer Sean McGuinness welcomes the students.

St. Dominic Principal Patricia Tiezzi, left, and St. Thomas Principal Mary Wirkus, right, discuss the merger of their schools for next year.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

A town hall meeting for parents and parishioners from local Catholic churches was held at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Plantsville on Thursday, Feb. 5. It offered an opportunity to discuss the merging of St. Dominic and St. Thomas schools at the St. Thomas campus for the 2015-2016 school year.

A collaborative presentation was given to parents, before the floor was opened up for questions about the merger.

Father Ronald May of St. Dominic’s Church began the presentation with an explanation for why the merger is needed. May shared that enrollment has been declining at both schools for some time now.

“A year ago, our school board was putting together a budget for St. Dominic’s. We had forecast about 146 students for this year and we came up with 20 short. Now 20 short is roughly equivalent to $100,000,” said May.

May made a direct correlation between the declines in enrollment with the declining number of Catholics.

“We have a culture that’s becoming more and more secular,” he said. “When the numbers decline and fewer people come to church, fewer people are open to or willing to even consider Catholic school.”

He also attributed declines in enrollment to the decline in kindergarten enrollment in both schools, especially after other schools began to offer full-day kindergarten.

Overall declining enrollment in kindergarten affects the future of the school because schools rely on those students to move on to the next grade and fill classes.

“When Southington Public schools went to full-day kindergarten, we lost more than half the children,” said May.

He shared that St. Dominic School has just 12 students in kindergarten this year, and St. Thomas School only has five.

As a result of a decline in enrollment, both schools have been struggling with their budget.

“This past year and this year we’ve had to pull in all our resources so we have nothing in reserve for the coming year,” said May.

He explained that the merger is necessary in order to ensure financial stability and viability of both schools. May shared that both pastors came together, because they felt like the schools would not survive on their own.

“So what do we do? Do we just let the schools die or do we take the initiative before it happens.” said May. “Unless we take the initiative, both schools will fail. That’s pretty evident.”

He also discussed the hope that this merger would draw in other parishes from across Southington and become the stepping stone to building a town-wide, regional Catholic school.

Father Nicholas Melo of St. Thomas Church shared his support of the merger as well at the town hall meeting.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for any one parish to maintain a school on its own in this economic climate and, to ensure the economic viability of Catholic education here in Southington, we felt that we needed to be proactive rather than reactive,” said Melo. “In the long term we felt like this was the direction we needed to go.”

Melo shared how the pastors went about making the decision. The pastors formed an exploratory committee, which included parish trustees and chairs of the finance councils from both churches. Together, they made the decision to go in this direction.

A timeline on the decision-making process was also shared at the meeting. The timeline revealed that a letter was sent to the Arch Bishop on behalf of the exploratory committee as early as October 2014.

It also revealed that the two school principals, Patricia Tiezzi of St. Dominic School and MaryPat Wirkus of St. Thomas school, were notified in November.

A “Steering Committee” was assembled in December to assist the pastors in making decisions. Last December, the Arch Bishop responded to pastors acknowledging and supporting their decision. Parents and teachers were notified of the merge in January.

Some parishioners and parents at the meeting said that they were still stunned by this decision. Many shared that they felt that the decision was made behind closed doors with communications to parents beginning very late in the process.

Other parents were more supportive of the decision to merge.

Gina Marcantonio-Wotton, St. Thomas School and Steering Committee member, spoke about why parents should enroll their child into this new school.

“The closing of St. Thomas and St. Dominic is very emotional for both sides, for many reasons, but it’s a sign of the times where many communities across the country have already successfully consolidated multiple schools into one school community,” said Marcantonio-Wotton. “It’s not going to be easy, but we have been given an amazing opportunity to have a say in what this school will look like.”

Marcantonio-Woton promised that the merge would bring the best of both schools into one, specifically, that the best technology from both schools would be installed.

The meeting also revealed that the school would be run by pastors of both parishes, a school board composed of members of both parishes, and that Tiezzi and Wirkus would serve as co-principals during the first year.

Faculty selection was another major concern for parents and teachers of both schools. Current teachers will have to submit a letter of intent stating that they would like to teach at the new school, and those teachers will be interviewed by both principals this month.

Teachers will be selected upon recommendation of the co-principals. However, the pastors will make the final selection.

Other than the physical space and faculty, there won’t be many other changes to the school’s structure. The curriculum will remain the same and the class sizes will be held to 25 students or less.

Any child currently enrolled in St. Dominic or St. Thomas gets a guaranteed a spot in the new school, and other students will be put on a waiting list

Transportation will continue to be provided by Southington Public Schools, and hot lunches will also continue be offered for those that wish to participate.

However, in order to comply with Southington Public Schools transportation schedules, St. Dominic’s school will be losing 15 minutes of their school day. This decision was debated by some parents, but the co-principals shared that this call was unavoidable.

The final tuition will be presented to parents at another meeting in March, and faculty selection is expected to be completed in March as well.

To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Lindsay Carey, email her at LCarey@SouthingtonObserver.com.

Matt Maxwell, left, and Alex Jamele, center, commit to play football at Central CT State University next year. Matt Steeves, right, will play at Bryant University.

By BRIAN JENNINGS
STAFF WRITER

Click. Click. Flash. Flash. Cameras snapped pictures, capturing the smiles that filled the room. Audio recorders surrounded the blue helmet with the big “S” that sat on the table next to a football. The pens were out and they were ready to sign.

Wednesday, Feb. 4 was the NCAA’s initial signing date for football National Letters of Intent across the country. Southington High School had three student athletes committing to play collegiate football.

After the long process of filling out online questionnaires, sending game film to coaches, making phone calls, and traveling to offseason camps and one-day clinics, Matt Maxwell (WR/DB), Alex Jamele (WR), and Matt Steeves (C/G) were ready to sign the papers and begin their journeys.

Maxwell was deciding between Assumption College, Southern Connecticut State University, or Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). And for Jamele, it came down to a couple of walk-on offers, but mainly Southern Connecticut State University and Central Connecticut State University.

After careful consideration, both will be seeing more blue, committing to CCSU together to play football for the NCAA Division I Blue Devils.

“Their program is awesome, said Maxwell. “They’re on the rise already, building new facilities. The team is starting to get some good seasons going. Alex and I going there is huge.”

“The biggest part about Central was that they were really outgoing,” said Jamele. “They wanted me as a player. Just their facilities and coaches…their team was really outgoing towards me. I just want to be a part of the rebuilding and everything they have going on right now.”

Maxwell will be attending CCSU as an undecided freshman, but said he is thinking about studying business as his major.

Jamele will also be attending CCSU as an undecided freshman, but said he is thinking about studying business or computer science as his major.

Even though they will be wearing different blue jerseys this coming fall, Maxwell and Jamele said that they have countless memories of Southington football and won’t forget playing for Blue Knight football coach Mike Drury.

“Some of the best feelings that I’ve had were here,” said Maxwell. “And the best games I’ve ever played in, especially the state championships were here. It was an indescribable feeling being there, and I’ll never forget that. All the hard work that I’ve put in is going to help me the rest of my life.”

“I’ll never forget my high school career here…those two state championships and scoring some touchdowns,” said Jamele, who currently holds the state record for touchdown receptions for a single season (29 in 2013) and career (50). “He started coaching when we were freshmen and was our coach for four years. He’s really been an inspiration throughout the whole four years. He’s really a role model to everyone in this program. He’s a great guy. He’s helped me throughout this whole process and I’m really going to miss him next year.”

Steeves will not be teammates with Jamele or Maxwell next season, but he said that playing for Drury helped prepare him for the next level.

“Coach Drury always pushed everyone, especially me personally,” he said. “When I came in as a sophomore to the varsity program, I was pretty overweight and slower. He always got on me about getting my weight down and working my hardest. He engrained that work-hard-mentality into me. I could never repay him for that. He’s been a fantastic coach throughout my high school football career.”

At the end of the day, it came down to two schools for Steeves: NCAA Division II Bentley University and NCAA Division I Bryant University. He went with the Bryant Bulldogs.

“I knew that they had a fantastic academic program, especially for what I want to do,” said Steeves. “And when I combine that with the football piece, you have a program that is incredible and on the rise. I can’t say enough about them. The campus was great. The guys were great.”

Steeves plans to study actuarial mathematics and finance.

Southington football coach Mike Drury admired the consistency and effort that Maxwell, Jamele, and Steeves have put into everything they’ve done in high school.

“All three of these guys didn’t just do it on Friday nights or Saturdays,” said Drury. “They did it everyday in practice too. They have great talent and tremendous grit. There are a lot of kids at the next level that have talent, but what these kids will bring to the table is the work ethic…the want to do better and the want to be better. And when you put that together with talent, you’re going to have a special player. That’s the message I try to get across to these coaches. These are the type of young men that you’re going to be getting.”

Maxwell, Jamele, and Steeves are leaving a program that has compiled a 34-2 record, since their arrival to playing varsity football for the Blue Knights.

“I have a great relationship with these guys,” said Drury. “We’ve put a ton of hours in together, not just during the season, but during the offseason as well. It starts in December or January after the season and it goes throughout the entire year. You get to see them develop as young men. It’s not always easy. It’s not always smiles and all that good stuff. But I’ll remember doing something great, while enjoying our time and accomplishing it together.”

To comment on this story or to contact sports writer Brian Jennings, email him at BJennings@SouthingtonObserver.com.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Southington Board of Education, along with State Senator Joe Markley, State Rep. Leader Joe Aresimowicz, State Rep. Rob Sampson and State Rep. Dave Zoni, sat down with students, teachers, administrators, and members of the community on Thursday, Feb. 5 for the Southington Legislative Breakfast to discuss public policy priorities for the school district.

The five issues addressed at the meeting were secondary school reform, special education, personalized learning, magnet schools and open choice, and the education cost sharing grant. Superintendent Tim Connellan created the detailed agenda of public policy priorities explaining in depth the issues and proposals of how these issues could potentially be solved.

The proposal for the first issue was to postpone the series of secondary school reforms required by the state for the class of 2020, which is the class that will be going into high school in the fall of 2016. With the appropriate funds not yet available for these reforms, the school board is recommending postponing this requirement because they have not received federal or state appropriated funds need to implement these.

The other aspect of the proposal is to reevaluate these reforms before requiring that they be implemented, because they were developed before personalized learning in secondary education became a more valued idea in the public education community.

Special Education was a major topic of discussion at the legislative breakfast with insight coming from both Connellan and the Director of Pupil Services Margaret Walsh.

The issues addressing Special Education include the high cost of Special Education. The proposal suggested legislators at the meeting to fix some of the problems was to “remove the cap on the excess cost reimbursement grant, reduce the excess cost threshold, assign burden of proof in due process hearings to the party that brings the action, fully fund state agency placement,” according to the agenda.

The Board of Education and administrators, like many other educators in the state, are devoted to implementing personalized learning systems to cater to a student’s individualized learning pace. The proposal for legislators regarding personalized learning is to support it by funding the startup of the system.

Additionally, the board would like for legislators to make it clear that the school district is responsible for allowing “experiential learning.”

Some of the other requests to support personalized learning include allowing unpaid internships for credit towards graduation, support and accountability for personalized learning from the Department of Education, and to allow students to progress through the school system based on competency not their age or grade.

Magnet Schools and Open Choice was another issue of concern at the Southington Legislative Breakfast.

The proposal for this included developing a state wide plan for magnet schools, developing a strategy to make magnet schools a place to improve student achievement, development of state wide for funding magnet schools to release the burden from local school districts, insuring the long term sustainability of effective magnet schools, updated magnet school applications with a ten year financial plan, increasing per student tuition of open choice enrollment and to provide infrastructure incentives for these schools, according to the agenda.

The final proposal was for Southington to receive an increase in in the Education Cost Sharing Grant to support education.

Photos by JOHN GORALSKI

The Southington BOE invited state legislators to a local discussion on Feb. 5.

BOE Chair Brian Goralski solicits questions from the audience.

State Rep. David Zoni (D) fields a question.

Southington Public Schools Director of Business and Finance Sherri DiNello addresses a question to Southington’s state legislators at a Board of Education breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Terri Lombardi proposes a question to the state legislators.

State Senator Joe Markley (R), left, and House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz (D) field a question from the audience.

State Rep. Rob Sampson (R) talks about the impact of current legislation.

BOE Chair Brian Goralski and Southington Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connellan lead the breakfast.

American Legion Kiltonic Post 72 championed four local youth in their annual oratorical contest on Thursday, Feb. 5. The four anonymous contestants, above, pose with the Legionnaires after the contest.

Kennedy Middle School has announced the students of the month for January. Front, from left, Olivia Walling, Greta Panke, Gianna Perugini, Hannah Platt, Faith Auletta, and Landon Carmody. Back, Mr. Steven Madancy, Anthony Picone, Adam Green, Christopher Taylor, Leah Zaslavsky, Mia Sullivan, Heather Martin, and Mrs. Susanne Vitcavage.14

John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville recently announced the names of its January students of the month. Teachers nominated these students for their academic improvement on performance, exemplary citizenship, and/or participation in extracurricular activities.

Sixth grade students of the month are Landon Carmody, Greta Panke, Anthony Picone, and Leah Zaslavsky.

Landon is a dedicated and positive contributor to the JFK community. He is well-rounded and diligent in his efforts both inside and outside the classroom. Landon is a member of the Stock Market Club, and he plays town baseball and basketball. In addition to sports, he enjoys playing with his dog.

Greta is a conscientious and responsible young lady who is always up for a challenge and forever looking to push herself as a learner. She is a member of the chorus, the cross country team and the Ski/Snowboard Club. Greta plays town lacrosse, basketball and volunteers for her church at the Summit. She also enjoys playing outdoors in her family neighborhood.

Anthony is a hardworking student who is always prepared to meet any challenge presented by his team. He assumes a leadership role and in that capacity has earned respect from his peers. Anthony is a member of the Bowling Club and the band, and he plays town league baseball. He also helps his grandparents with yard work, plays on his computer, and hangs out with his friends.

Leah is the grade six Unified Arts student of the month. She is a talented musician who plays both the tuba and the piano.  She is a leader in her section and an excellent and positive example setter for her peers. Leah, a member of the band and the stage band, includes homework and art classes among her outside interests.

Seventh grade students of the month are Faith Auletta, Gianna Perugini, Mia Sullivan, Christopher Taylor, and Olivia Walling.

Faith, a newcomer to Connecticut, has adjusted well to her new school, and she maintains many friends while still attaining high grades. She is an honor roll student, a member of the Drama Club, the chorus and the school newspaper staff. Faith is also a Southington Knights cheerleader and a volunteer for her church’s food drive. As an outside interest, she also enjoys the theater.

Gianna is a hardworking and conscientious student. Motivated and responsible, she is always willing to help others. Gianna is a member of the chorus, the orchestra, and the yearbook staff. She also enjoys playing softball.

Mia is the seventh grade Unified Arts student of the month. Hardworking, reliable, and helpful, she is a talented and creative artist. Mia is an honor roll student, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the Peer Advocates, the chorus, and the volleyball team. She is a volunteer for the National Ski Patrol and for anyone in need. Mia is also involved with the CT National Volleyball League.

Christopher is the grade seven World Language student of the month. Always prepared and on task, he completes all assignments and goes above and beyond at all times. Chris is an honor roll student, ever ready to help his teachers and peers. He is a member of the band, the stage band, Peer Advocates, the National Junior Honor Society, the cross country team, and the JFK MATHCOUNTS team, which will compete on the county level at the University of Hartford in February. Chris plays town baseball and basketball and serves as a member of the YMCA’s Junior Leaders Club. He includes playing the trumpet and piano among his outside activities.

Olivia is a bright, courteous, and kind student. She continually demonstrates academic excellence, and she always carries herself with a positive demeanor. Olivia is a member of the Builders Club, the orchestra and an honor roll student. She dances in competitions and acts as an altar server at her church. She also enjoys gymnastics and volleyball.

Eighth grade students of the month are Adam Green, Heather Martin, and Hannah Platt.

Adam, a conscientious and hardworking student is an asset to his team. He is an outstanding resource in technology and he always shares his knowledge with his teachers. Adam is an honor roll student and a member of the Homework Club and the band. He plays town lacrosse and enjoys skateboarding, photography, and hanging out with his friends.

Heather is a hardworking student who is always focused on her studies. An outgoing young lady with both the faculty and her peers, she is a member of Best Buddies and the chorus. Heather plays town softball and volunteers at Mt. Pleasant. She also enjoys baking and hanging out with her friends.

Hannah has outstanding grades in her classes, and she continues to demonstrate above average levels of maturity, perseverance and kindness to all. Hannah is an honor roll student, a member of the Drama Club, Friends of Rachel, the National Junior Honor Society, the chorus, the swing choir, and the Regionals. Heather volunteers at the 4-H Club of Meliora in Meriden, and she enjoys horseback riding, playing the piano, and singing.

WORCESTER, Mass.—Nicole Baker of Southington, a junior majoring in biology and biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), recently completed an intense, hands-on research project in South Africa. The project was titled WaSH-UP Sustainable Livelihoods and Business Operations.

At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university’s more than 40 off-campus project centers, which are located around the world.

The project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives—and make a difference before they graduate.

“The WPI project-based curriculum’s focus on global studies brings students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the global community to apply their knowledge to solve real problems,” Professor Richard Vaz, dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division, said in a school release. “Students are immersed in all aspects of a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat—all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today’s global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference in their host community; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application.”

By TAMMI NAUDUS
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

On Thursday, Feb. 12, Southington schools celebrated the 100th day of school for the academic year.

For the past three years, Thalberg School first graders have been celebrating this day by dressing up as 100-year-old men and women.

“It’s just something fun to do,” explained first grader teacher Amy Stino.

The students all had their own original style. Some were all decked out, ready to hit the golf course. Others wore house coats with their hair in curlers and kerchiefs.

“I picked out my outfit with a little help from my mom.” Alisa Zharku, a first grader, said, “I found everything I needed for my outfit around my house. I didn’t need to buy anything special.”

Recognizing the 100th day of school reminds the students of how far they have come in the school year. Cara Alstrits said, “The 100th day of school came fairly quickly for me. Maybe it is because I like school.”

Some of the students are looking ahead to the days to come. Laura Esguerra stated, “It does seem like a long time until summer vacation. I think it because of all of the snow on the ground.”

To comment on this story or to contact Observer photographer Tammi Naudus about your event, email her at TNAudus@ BristolObserver.com.

The Southington High School Drama Club has selected the three-time Tony Award winning play “Urinetown” for their annual musical. “Urinetown” is a satirical look at government, freedom, and the conventions of musical theater with music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis.

The play takes place in a desolate future plagued by a severe water shortage. The government has outlawed private bathrooms in favor of public amenities run by a megacorporation, the Urine Good Company.

The company’s exorbitant fees drive the people into poverty, until one young man, Bobby Strong, decides to stand up to the corrupt corporate executive, Caldwell B. Cladwell.  Along the way, Bobby falls in love with the boss’ daughter, Hope, and the two become the focal points for the revolution.  In the end, questions arise regarding the role of business in the larger world, the intentions of the government, the role of humanity in safeguarding the environment, and the clichés of musical theater.

The production will take place on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m., in the Southington High School Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens.

Due to some of the content, the show is not recommended for young audiences.

Students at Flanders Elementary had their annual SOUPER Bowl Competition in late January. Volunteers collected over 400 cans of soup for Southington Community Services food pantry. From left, Flanders Principal Patricia Mazzarella, Emily Taylor, Ryan Whitehead, and third grade teacher Kimberly Padroff.

The Southington High School music department will present “Surround Sound 7” on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. with a third performance on Sunday, March 8 at 6 p.m. at the Southington High School auditorium.

Surround Sound is a unique musical theater production of choreographed percussion, brass, colorguard, movement and marching featuring over 80 performers and a variety of musical styles.

The 2015 show, “The Final Frontier”, is an experience like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Tickets are $10. for adults, $8 for seniors or students, and can be purchased from Surround Sound performers, at The Music Shop of Southington and Apple Music in Southington. If seats are still available, tickets will also be sold at the door.