By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Town Council voted to support an AP German class at Southington High School (SHS) in pursuing a partnership between Southington and the town of Leer in northwestern Germany, bordering the Netherlands.

SHS students Jordan Murchison, Niels Peschel and Dominic Zmarlicki, their teacher Renate Ringstad, and SHS Language Department head Tina Riccio attended the Town Council meeting on Monday, March 23 to explain how developing a relationship with this German town could benefit Southington.

Riccio said that this sister city project was a student-developed idea and that one of the students in the class is from the town of Leer, which has a population of about 34,000.

She also explained that having a sister city is a political relationship from town to town, not school to school, which is why they came to ask the town council’s permission to foster this relationship.

Riccio said that the class and Ringstad came to her with the idea and has also gotten support from Assistant Principal Michael Halloran, Principal Martin Semmel, and Interim Superintendent Brian Straineri. Riccio also said that the class has the interest of the mayor of Leer, who said she would be asking her town council for approval as well.

The students explained that there would be opportunities to exchange art between the towns with the help of groups like the Southington Community Cultural Arts (SCCA) and perhaps the schools. They also discussed possibly exchanging information about the Apple Harvest Festival and the American festival that takes place in Leer.

The students also said that they believe this could increase tourism by differentiating the town as one of the 522 cities in America with a sister city. They also implied that establishing a relationship with Leer could lead to business opportunities between the towns.

This partnership will be of no cost to the town, because it will primarily be a communication-based relationship, either online or through the mail, which could be supported by fundraising efforts.

Riccio said that she is hoping some civic organizations will want to support this effort and maybe some businesses could sponsor.

“The vision that we’ve talked about quite a bit is that you have the two heads of government exchange an annual state of the city around Christmas time. Then we’d hear what were the highlights of the year in Leer and what were the highlights in Southington,” said Ringstad. “Another way to get past that would be exchanges from children’s hard work like letters, through the internet, absolutely zero cost as a starting point.”

Town Councilor Dawn Miceli said she loved the idea and said that she could see the SCCA, the Rotary Club, and maybe even the Library Director Sue Smayda getting involved.

I love the idea of cultivating a relationship with a global community,” said Miceli. My mind immediately goes to the benefits to our community and theirs and also to our civic groups in town.”

Councilors John Barry and Stephanie Urillo also praised the idea.

On March 20, a trio of Lady Knights signed letters of intent to play sports at the collegiate level. Alexa Luponio, left, will play lacrosse at Plymouth State University. Alex Barmore (tennis), center, and Haley Arduini (softball), right, will play at Endicott College.

By BRIAN JENNINGS
STAFF WRITER

Three girls, three sports, and three pens. On Friday, March 20, Alex Barmore, Hayley Arduini, and Alexa Luponio sat before their families and coaches to sign letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Barmore has committed to play tennis at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. The Gulls have won the Commonwealth Coastal Conference for four straight years.

“They’re very good for Division III and conference play,” said Barmore. “I feel like I’ll go up there and fit in very well with it. I’m looking to improve at any opportunity. It’s a very solid program.”

Barmore is planning to study sports management, and that figured into her decision. Endicott offers possibilities to intern with organizations like the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, or Boston Bruins through the school’s internship program.

Barmore is going into her fourth year as a starter of the Southington Lady Knights tennis team. As the top singles player, Barmore has led the Knights to consecutive post-season tournament berths and has participated in the state open tournament. She worked her way up from fourth singles as a freshman to play No. 2 singles as a sophomore and No. 1 singles last spring. She was named captain as a junior and will continue to lead in her final season.

“I’ve grown up with the senior girls on the team now for four years,” she said. “It’s a different environment when you’re playing in high school. You’re going out there and playing for your team like you do in college, but it’s just a different feeling. My family comes and supports me at all my matches, but it won’t be happening as much when I’m two hours away. Leaving my coaches will be the hardest part.”

Barmore credits her high school coach, Robin Thompson, as a key to her high school success. Their scrimmages can sometimes be more intense than a varsity match.

“Whenever we play, I might beat her or she might beat me,” she said. “There’s always trash talking involved. The competitive level that we’re at is very intense. I would go out on the court every day and go at it with her in a very funny, casual way. I’ll miss that more than anything.”

Barmore won’t be alone at Endicott. Arduini also plans to attend the Massachusetts school. Arduini signed a letter of intent to play softball for the Gulls, a division III school with 14 consecutive conference titles. It came down to Endicott and Western New England.

“I visited Endicott four or five times over the past year, watched the softball team play, and met with the coaches,” she said. “Every time I went, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. There was never second-guessing it. I just loved everything about the college.”

Arduini plans to major in psychology.

“I had a job working at the YMCA and loved working with kids,” she said. “So I’m hoping with a major in psychology, I can take that into working with kids and help them out at a younger age as they grow up.”

Arduini started playing tee ball when she was six years old, moving her way up to playing softball at Panthorn Park in Southington, and hasn’t taken a year off since. She is entering her fourth year as a varsity starter for the Knights softball team.

Arduini plays right field and middle infield, helping the Knights win back-to-back Class LL State Championships in the past two seasons with only one loss in their record.

“I’m going to miss my friends,” she said. “I’ve been playing with a lot of the girls on the team since we were eight or nine years old. It’s going to be really hard looking onto the field next year with new faces. I’m going to miss the girls the most.”

Luponio said that she was also looking at Endicott, and she almost followed Barmore and Arduini up there as well, if it weren’t for the recruitment from a college more north. Traveling all over New England to participate in tournaments led Luponio to her eventual recruitment to Plymouth State University, where she will continue her journey through the sport she has been playing for most of her life.

“It’s kind of cliché, but I walked onto their campus and said to myself, this is where I belong,” she said. “I got that feeling when I was there. I met the team and everyone was great. They were so welcoming. I already have friends on the team. I liked the location and it all fell into place.”

Luponio will be joining a Plymouth State Panthers lacrosse program that is coming as the Little East Conference Champions this past season.

“It’s a very intense program and I’m very excited to continue my career with them,” she said.

In seventh grade, Luponio started volunteering at a nursing home called Mulberry Gardens in Southington and wanted to continue her love for helping people by pursue a degree in Nursing.

“The nursing program just felt right for me,” she said. “I fell in love with being around people. When I was spending my time there, I would once a week for a couple hours a day. I just wanted to help people and they introduced me to that career.”

As an attack midfielder for the Knights, Alexa Luponio has been playing lacrosse for nine seasons.

Starting lacrosse in fourth grade with the Southington Lacrosse Association, Luponio earned her letter in her freshman year as an attack midfielder. In 2013, she scored 17 goals and had four assists as a sophomore. In 2014, she had 30 goals and eight assists as a junior.

“It’s the intensity of the game, the team work, and the determination to get the ball and score a goal is what I love about lacrosse,” said Luponio. It’s incorporating your teammates because it’s not just a one-person sport. It’s everyone working together to win a game.”

Luponio said she will miss how her coach, Jill Pomposi, was always uplifting.

“Coach Pomposi always says the right stuff to make me want to do better for my team,” she said. “Her determination for us to do better makes me determined to do better for everyone else.”

Luponio was chosen for Conn. Super Juniors and was selected to play in their 2014 Super Junior game.

Even when she is not playing lacrosse for Southington, Luponio still stays involved with the Southington youth lacrosse programs, and currently volunteers as a conditioning coach. Outside of the Southington High School lacrosse program, Luponio has played for the Lax Plus Lacrosse Club.

Kelly Leppard, center, and Meredith Fenwich, right, try to recruit SHS students Ariel Perry and Catherine Myers during the “Prom Promise” campaign last week.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

The Southington Town-wide Effort to Promote Success (STEPS) Coalition is making an effort to encourage students to remain sober on prom night and is holding parents accountable for the after parties.

The “Promise” STEPS campaign is built on trust and students who participate will be rewarded with treats and giveaways. For the second year, STEPS is reaching out to students and asking them to make a “promise” to abstain from drugs and alcohol on prom night.

STEPS Youth Prevention Coordinator Kelly Leppard said that STEPS has gotten an even better response to the campaign this year.

“It’s an incentive to get the kids to stay sober,” she said.

STEPS received support from community businesses through donations, which will serve as rewards for the students who make the promise. Some of these businesses include Modern Formals, Eclipse Hair Salon, From Tips to Toes, Blonde and Beyond, Silk Nails, Stop and Shop, and Purple Petal.

During school hours, members of STEPS went to the high school and set up a table to hand out the pledges, stickers, and lip balm all with the logo “Promise.”

“We wanted to make it a positive thing and not just tell them ‘don’t drink,’ but by simply making a promise to make it a night to remember by celebrating without alcohol,” said Leppard.

Parents are also an important aspect of keeping teens safe of prom night, so STEPS reached out to them with information about Connecticut’s social host laws.

The social host law states that “it is illegal for anyone who owns or controls private property, including a dwelling unit, from recklessly or with criminal negligence, to permit anyone under age 21 to illegally possess alcohol in the unit or on the property.”

The law also extends to hold owners liable for allowing possession in the hands of someone “who acts recklessly or with criminal negligence.”

Violating this law can result in a misdemeanor, which can lead to a year in prison or a $2,000 fine for every minor present at the time.

A letter was sent out to parents of juniors at Southington High School asking them to promise not to “allow any underage drinking or drug use” on their property and to “not provide minors with any alcohol on the night of their high school prom.”

In the letter, STEPS asked parents to either display a lawn sign, which stands against hosting parties with underage drinking, on their front lawn or to permit STEPS to print their name in an advertisement in local newspapers during prom week.

As an incentive to participate, all parents were entered in a raffle to win a $100 gift card to Stop and Shop, which was sponsored by Wheeler Clinic.

Leppard said STEPS has received a great response from parents so far, and a lot of the pledges have been returned.

STEPS is also in partnership with the Southington Police Department for both the junior and senior proms. SPD will be on patrol and prepared to shut down any underage drinking parties on either prom night.

STEPS will be setting up a table to hand out pledges for senior prom in May and parents of high school seniors will receive their pledge cards in the mail this April.

AVON—Talcott Mountain Academy announced that Southington’s Zachary Waskowicz was among a list of several Talcott Mountain Academy students to advance to the state level of the Connecticut History Day Competition.

On Saturday, March 7, he competed at the regional level of the competition in Torrington. Waskowicz placed second in the exhibits division.

“Each student is to be commended on their hard work and effort from the school-wide level to the regional competition along with impressing the judges along the way,” Talcott Mountain Academy officials said in a school press release.

Matthew Maciejewski captured first place at 67th annual Connecticut Science Fair

Kennedy Middle School student, Matthew Maciejewski, was honored as a finalist for his project, “Pore” My Way to Cleaner Water, at the 67^th annual Science and Engineering Fair at Quinnipiac University in Hamden on Saturday, March 14.

eesmarts, an Energize CT program, sponsored the special award categories of alternative/renewable energy for middle and high school students; future sustainability for high school students; and sustainable resources and practices for middle school students.

Matthew’s project was awarded first place in the sustainable resources and practices category for middle school students. Matthew received $500 and a trophy for his achievement in the category.

The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair is open to students across the state in grades 7 through 12, who compete for more than 600 spots each year. The objective of the fair is to attract young people to careers in the science and engineering industry, while also developing critical thinking skills. The fair is supported by several academic and industrial organizations throughout the state, with funds directed to the awards, operations and various educational activities.

Trevor Francis of Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville won the state title in the The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (SIFMA) InvestWrite essay competition with McGraw Hill Financial.

InvestWrite challenges students in grades 4-12 to analyze an investment scenario and recommend portfolio allocations targeting short- and long-term financial goals. The competition serves as a culminating activity for nearly 600,000 students nationwide who compete in The Stock Market Game program each year.

Francis was one of 20,000 students across the nation who take the InvestWrite challenge each year. Winning essays are chosen through judging by thousands of teachers and industry professionals who evaluate students’ understanding of asset allocation, the stock market, and factors that drive investments as well as their expression of investment ideas in essay form.

“Teaching students at a very young age the basics of finance and the stock market is essential to their broad education and to being well-informed investors later in life,” McGraw Hill Financial President and CEO Douglas L. Peterson in a press release. “As financial markets become more complex and more global, investors of all ages can benefit from learning how to save, spend and earn money wisely—what we call ‘financial essentials.’ We are delighted to support the SIFMA Foundation and congratulate Trevor Francis on this achievement.”

Francis and teacher Elizabeth Sterner were recognized at an event at John F. Kennedy Middle School on Feb. 24.

Six students represented DePaolo Middle School at a MATHCOUNTS district competition at the University of Hartford on Feb. 7. MATHCOUNTS is a competitive math program for highly motivated students with excellent math skills. The team is coached by Wally Bailey. From left, Brett Hunter, Justin Fontano, Abhiram Bhamidipati, Russell Hotchkiss, Tyler Bade, and Adam Hunter.

The Southington Board of Education held a special board meeting on Thursday, April 2 to approve the final day of school for Southington schools.

In a short press release, the Board announced that the last day of school and the date for Southington High School graduation will be Thursday, June 18.

Photo by khunaspix

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

Nancy Chiero and Justin Mirante are on a campaign to clear up some misconceptions about “shop classes” that continue to circulate the halls at Southington High School. They’ve heard it from parents and students, and the pair have had enough.

Chiero and Mirante are co-chairs of the school’s Technology Advisory Board. Mirante also serves as the technology department chair, so they both find themselves answering the same concerns over and over again.

Southington High School offers courses in five major areas construction, communications, manufacturing, transportation, and engineering in the technology education department. However, for the last six years the department haven’t been getting high enrollment numbers due to the stereotypes associated with career plans that do not include college.

Mirante said that this stereotype seems to be a state and national trend, even though there are different paths a person can take. Other than going the common four year college route, students can go on to do certification programs, training programs, and earn associate degrees in manufacturing.

“There are so many different options for a career in technology and engineering, but it seems like the stereotype is hard to break—that if you’re not going to college, you’re not going to have a good career,” said Chiero.

Mirante said that a lot of parents don’t believe a career in manufacturing or construction would be right for their child; however, they will support a child going to college for a degree in engineering.

“People don’t think about it. If you’re engineering that means you’re designing something that is going to get made,” said Mirante. “So you have to understand how it’s made, and if you don’t think manufacturing jobs exist, then why are you going to college to be an engineer?”

Chiero said that 60 percent of engineers graduate from college and end up work in manufacturing jobs on the line, because they have to learn what the factory is doing.

“A lot of the students who become engineers, let’s say, won’t take a traditional technology and engineering class because of that stereotype, only to find out that when they go to college they don’t really know all of the details that are involved in engineering and don’t have any of the prerequisite knowledge,” said Mirante.

This is one of the reasons Chiero and Mirante said college bound students kids should be taking courses in all of the technology areas.

“Students have a hard time making the connection between their class work and what they’re actually going to be doing in engineering one day,” said Mirante. “They don’t have the application under their belt to really have a firm understanding of what goes into these different careers.”

The technology department is also a good place for students who don’t know what they want to do after high school to begin to take courses in careers that can lead directly to jobs.

“We curtail to the student who doesn’t have much direction and says, ‘I don’t know what I want to do,’ so try us out. We have a lot of exploratory classes,” said Mirante.

Seven years ago, Chiero said that some SHS faculty sat down with manufacturers in Connecticut, because the companies had a need to hire a new influx of workers.

“They’d need some qualified people to take over for the ones that were sixty and about ready to retire,” said Chiero. “They didn’t feel that they had a group ready to come in or that anyone had any interest, because of the stereotype around manufacturing—it’s a dirty, smelly, noisy environment—and that’s not true.”

Chiero also said that the department has had to work on the misconception that there are no longer jobs in manufacturing, because everything is made overseas in China. Since there is an aging population in this work force, these companies are looking for people they can train.

In an effort to develop a partnership with hiring manufacturers, the Technology Advisory met with five manufacturers in town introduced through Economic Development Office Lou Perillo and asked them for their input on the curriculum.

“We basically said, ‘We want to know what we have to prepare our kids to do,’” said Chiero. “So they came in and looked at our manufacturing classes and told us they needed people with a good work ethic and a solid foundation in math and science and thinking.”

The Technology Advisory board also partnered with construction companies by starting construction board because there were needs for workers in that field as well. Mirante said that hardest thing the board has had to face has been changing the perception of both parents and students.

They address it by making people aware of the opportunities in fields like manufacturing, construction, transportation, communication and engineering.

“People have this stereotype that people who go into construction aren’t smart, but how can you really say that to these contractors who are out building state of the art facilities?” said Mirante.

As a part of its mission to help students explore careers in technology, the Technology Advisory Board sets students up with job shadow and internship opportunities to start them off in a career and pique their interest.

The board has also worked on exposing parents to these different jobs. A few years into the program, the board held a parent’s forum where employers spoke to the parents directly to let them know the needs in these fields and the money it pays.

The board is working on informing both parents and guidance counselors, because they’re major influences as the students choose their courses, which they are currently in the process of doing for the next calendar year.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the commercial construction companies, hire students directly out of high school and train them at the Construction Education Center (CEC) in the evening. Students can be directly hired in areas like HVAC, plumbing, bridge construction, masonry, framing, carpentry, landscaping, etc.

This provides these students with on-the-job training in addition to the courses they’re taking in the evening at the CEC.

“The price is a fraction of what kids are paying to go to technology schools to learn this same type of training for a year, and they’re working and getting benefits and starting their career,” said Chiero.

Mirante also said the department has struggled to break the stereotype that these types of careers are only for men and women do not have a role in technology and engineering. Through certain clubs, students learn from mentors in the field who are breaking down these stereotypes at work.

There is the Women in Science and Engineering Club being run by a school counselor. Last year, this club did some CNC machining, wood work for the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. They recently built a robotic arm.

There is also the ACE mentoring program after school from 3 p.m . to 5 p.m. with Chris Archer from Newfield Construction who is doing the construction project at DePaolo. Archer has apparently brought in guest speakers like engineers and architects.

He has also helped the students design carry out a project from start to finish. The group built a prototype of a dog kennel with a timeline for completion in mind and also selecting and estimating materials.

They also got to tour DePaolo twice to get a behind-the-scenes look at the construction.

Even outside of clubs, the technology department tries to bring in guest speakers, like owners of companies, workers, former students who are now employed, and college representatives to come in and talk about these careers. The classes have taken to field trips to construction sites and manufacturing companies to see the different careers in action.

“These companies are starving for workers that have good work ethic, the aptitude, and the background,” said Chiero. “The jobs are there.”

Some local companies have even offered SHS students paid internships through Training for Tomorrow with the Southington Chamber of Commerce, and Chiero serves as the internship coordinator. Students have also been able to job shadowed at commercial construction companies.

Chiero said that the Technology Advisory Board is trying to get a feeder program in the middle schools to align the curriculum for grades six through 12 to hopefully spark some more interest.

All of the classrooms in the department were recently painted to spruce up the place and reflect the changes in manufacturing and technology. Mirante said he also went through and changed class names and descriptions in hopes of sparking students interest.

He said that he asked technology office to run a report on how many different students are taking advantage of the program.

“It’s a school of about 2000. We’ll see maybe 300 or 400 different kids, which means there’s 1500 that never even consider us,” said Mirante. “When you look at the ratio of technology and engineering careers out there as a whole, it seems off. It’s such a huge difference, and we are doing a disservice by not allowing them to be exposed to the technology that’s out there. It rules their lives, and it can provide them with so much, but they don’t know.”

With about 50 including employers, teachers, school administrators, counselors, and politicians on the Technology Advisory Board for SHS, Chiero said they have been able to influence other towns like Bristol to set up similar boards. This is at a time when a lot of schools are cutting their technology education departments, because it is an expensive department to run.

However, Mirante said that they received thousands of dollars’ worth of their materials for commercial construction classes from local companies in the field and automotive classes as well as monetary donations.

By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER

Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School Principal Frank Pepe presented an outline of the district’s updated school security and safety plan.

“It’s something that will come before the board each year, and it’s because of a public act that really evolved based on tragedies around the country and then very close to home in Newtown,” said Pepe. “Based on what happened in Newtown it was very clear that the State of Connecticut really needed to have a common language and a common template for emergency response.”

According to Pepe, a district committee led by Superintendent Tim Connellan met to create an appropriate plan for school security and safety.

The committee included building administrators Interim Principal of Southington High School Brian Straineri and Principal of Thalberg Elementary School Megan Bennett, Adminstrative Intern Deb Moreau, Director of Operations Pete Romano, and Administrative Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent Michele Passamano participated as an ex-officio member.

Pepe described the process the district committee took in creating this plan, using the state template, and how school based teams went about communicating the plan to students and faculty.

The DePaolo Middle School principal said that the committee started by pulling apart the state template, which provided an overview of what the plan should include as well as the common language to be used in the documents.

“It became very clear that there was going to be a competition for resources once we explained to the administrative staff what needed to happen in each building,” said Pepe to the Board of Education.

Pepe said that they received input for the individual school plans from the Town Manager, Town Attorney, the Police Department, the Fire Department, and the Plainville-Southington regional health district by looking at the natural and human-made hazards in or around the schools.

“It’s not about the worst-case scenario,” said Pepe. “It could also be about if someone fell in a building and got hurt and you needed to clear out a hallway, or it could be a tornado warning.”

Safety audits were completed for the high school, middle schools and by each of the elementary schools.

On Nov. 5, there was a full administrative staff meeting held at the central office to present the school security and safety plan to building administrators and formed school based teams to personalize the plan for the school.

After all of the plans were completed, there was a singing of the plan held on Feb.25, 2015. Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski, Fire Chief Harold Clark, Police Chief Jack Daly, Fire Marshal Russ Wisner, Town Attorney Mark Sciota, Health Department Director Shane Lockwood, and Superintendent Connellan gathered in the Municipal Center to sign each school’s safety plan.

Following the signing, officials began to roll out the plan throughout the district. On March 10, Pepe said all building administrators held a district-wide staff meeting about the plan and decided on how to introduced the new language and procedures to students at each school

“The new language for the kids is really the most critical information that we have,” said Pepe. “One of the major lessons that was learned in the Newtown tragedy was about first responders converging on a sight and not speaking the same language.”

Pepe said that the language in this plan reflects the language of first responders.

Pepe shared copies of the news charts posted in every space throughout the district for a staff member or a student to access should they need to secure themselves.

He also shared that the rollout to students was handled in an age-appropriate manner.

“One of the beauties of the middle school child is that they’re absolutely old enough to take in the information and to understand when something is very serious, and they soak it up,” said Pepe of how the rollout was handled at DePaolo.

He said that the information was presented to students in an assembly by grade.

“It was focused on the language and that they didn’t have to memorize everything that was on the char,” said Pepe. “I didn’t want them to worry about it, but what I really wanted them to be rest assured is that we have a plan, that we’ve thought these things through.”

The DePaolo Middle School Prinicpal said it’s important for students to be aware that these documents exist, where the chart is posted on the wall, and how to use it in the event that there is an emergency situation.

“Obviously the sensitivity when you’re talking to elementary-aged children is slightly different,” said Thalberg Elementary Principal Bennett. “We talked about the words they may hear over the intercom, about how when they hear those words their immediate response is to get silent and look at the adults, the adults would follow the procedures that we have in place, and that this is something that we have to keep them safe.”

Overall, Bennett said that their responses to the plan at the elementary school level were appropriate.

“We talked about the ways we keep each other safe in our schools. and I can tell you that was echoed through the elementary schools,” said Bennett.

Straineri said that the high school rolled out the plan to students through the morning announcements and said that the school will proceed to reinforce the plan by practicing the proper procedure for five different emergency events by the end of the year.

Board of Education member Zaya Oshana commended the work on the school security and safety plan and the rollout throughout the district.

“It’s written well. It’s clear. It’s easy to understand, and the chart is just easy to follow,” said Oshana about the committee’s work in developing and carrying out the plan. “The amount of time that you took to put this together and the product that you came out with, I think, is amazing…There’s nothing more important than this to make sure our kids and our teachers and staff know what to do in the event of any sort of activity like that.”

Both Board of Education member David Derynoski and Board Chair Goralski echoed Oshana’s compliment about the school security and safety plan, and how important the safety of the children is to the board.

“We’ve always said safety is our number one priority, the safety of our children, the safety of our staff, and the safety of our community, which is really what this document represents,” said Goralski.

Lincoln College of New England, located at 2279 Mt. Vernon Road, Southington, is hosting an open house on Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m.

Lincoln College of New England, founded in 1966, offers five baccalaureate degree programs in business administration, criminal justice, funeral service management, health information administration, and RN to bachelor of nursing.

The school also offers 15 associate degree programs and three certificate and diploma programs.

The open house will include an overview of the academic programs, services, and campus life, along with campus tours.

There will be an opportunity to meet with academic program directors and student life staff, as well as admission and financial aid information.

For information or to register for the open house, contact the school at (860) 628-4751, ext. 40948 or 41900, or call toll-free at 1 (800) 952-2444.

By TAMMI NAUDUS
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Local officials share stories with students at Derynoski Elementary School on Wednesday, April 1 during “Guest Reader Day.” Volunteers from the community read to students at the annual event. Readers included BOE members David Derynoski and Terri Carmody, Judge Paul Abrams, Barnes Museum curator Marie Secondo, Southington Police Officer Kevin Naranjo, Todd Piro (NBC 30), and WWII pilot Walter Husak, along with faculty like JFK Principal Steven Madancy and SHS Interim Principal Brian Stranieri, and others.

Photo by photostock

Flanders Elementary School is currently in second place in a contest to win a $40,000 playground during a challenge sponsored by Colgate and ShopRite. Flanders School participates in a recycling program through Terracycle and is the only school in Southington participating in the competition.

They are looking for community support.

This contest allows daily voting with a name and email address through Monday, June 13. Flanders School has a team of parents who are entering in votes daily for anyone who has given permission to use their email addresses. They are currently entering over 1,000 emails per day, but they need more!

The school that earns the most Playground Credits between March 22 and June 13 will win the playground. Playground Credits are earned by voting or recycling through the Colgate Oral Care Brigade™ program. Each vote will count as one (1) Playground Credit.

If you would like to support Flanders School in this competition, please send your name and email address to flanderspto@gmail.com. Once your information is entered for a vote, you will receive an email asking you to confirm that it’s an active email address. Once you click on that link to confirm, the Flanders Team can then vote for you daily.

According to a press release from Flanders School, participants will not receive any spam from this contest.

For more information on this challenge, please visit: http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/colgateshopriteplayground or contact the Flanders team at flanderspto@gmail.com.

File photo

New research shows students involved with community music programs demonstrate improvement in subjects such as reading, but Southington educators have known that for years. With countless titles, sold out shows, and an endless throng of Southington students pursuing music at the next level, the music program is one of the most decorated programs in Southington schools.

That’s why it’s no surprise that the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation has recognized the Southington Public School District for its outstanding commitment to music education with a Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation. It’s the second time that Southington has received the prestigious award.

For 16 years, BCME has recognized school districts that have demonstrated exceptional efforts toward maintaining music education as part of schools’ core curriculum.

The BCME survey requires districts to answer detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Center for Public Partnerships and Research, an affiliate of the University of Kansas.

“Our Music Program is something we take immense pride in,” said Jeff Shaw, Southington’s K-12 music specialist, in a press release from the NAMM Foundation. “We have a very talented and dedicated staff who bring out the best in our students. This recognition is a testament to their work and our communities commitment to Music in our schools.”

Francesco Ricigliano was recently named to the National Society of High School Scholars.

ATLANTA, GA—The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) announced that Southington High School student Francesco Ricigliano has been selected to become a member of the NSHSS. The society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship, and community commitment.

The announcement was made by NSHSS founder and chairman Claes Nobel. “On behalf of HSHSS, I am honored to recognize the hard work, sacrifice, and commitment that Francesco has demonstrated to achieve this exceptional level of academic excellence,” Nobel said in a NSHSS release. “Francesco is now a member of a unique community of scholars, a community that represents our very best hope for the future.”

Membership in NSHSS entitles students to enjoy a wide variety of benefits, including scholarship opportunities, academic competitions, free events, member-only resources, publications, participation in programs offered by educational partners, personalized recognition items, and publicity honors.

“Our vision is to build a dynamic international organization that connects members with meaningful content, resources, and opportunities,” NSHSS President James W. Lewis said in the release. “We aim to help students like Francesco build on their academic successes and enhance the skills and desires to have a positive impact on the community.”

Photo by Randy Bonomi

By TAYLOR HARTZ
STAFF WRITER

Southington High School’s Cyber Knights robotics team have been named the New England District champions and will continue on to the World Championship in St. Louis later this month.

The Cyber Knights joined more than 60 high school robotics teams for a three-day competition at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass., last weekend. Following an 11-1 winning streak in their 12 qualifying matches this year, the CyberK nights swept the board at WPI, winning with a score of 256. It was the highest score earned at a regional U.S. competition to date.

The team, also known as FIRST Team 195, competed in the New England championship sponsored by FIRST. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a not-for-profit public charity based in Manchester, N.H., founded in 1989 to encourage youth leadership in science and technology.

FIRST provides high school robotics teams with regional and world-wide competitions, of which the Cyber Knights have been active participants since 1998. Their annual three-day competition includes practice matches, robot inspections, qualifying matches, and playoffs.

According to the team 195 website, the Cyber Knights currently have 64 active members, whose mission is to bring “the celebration of science and technology to the forefront of our community.”

FIRST competitions drive the efforts of the Cyber Knights team, offering “tremendous value to students from an experiential learning, college readiness and social perspective” according to the team’s website. Students are challenged to work with their peers and mentors to use a standard “kit of parts” and set of rules over six weeks, to design, build and program robots for competition.

The team, who rely on community mentorship and sponsorship, participate in several annual competitions with FIRST using these robots. These competitions aim to encourage “students to better themselves by working with experienced professionals and demonstrating success in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” according to the team’s mission.

Throughout this competition’s qualifying matches, the Cyber Knights earned three high scores of 233, 230, and 225 that qualified the team for finals.

The Cyber Knights entered the final matches in alliance with team 1519 Mechanical Mayhem of Milford, New Hampshire, and team 2067 Apple Pi Robots of Guilford, Conn. The Cyber Knights won the championship when their allied team finished with 256 points, a score that shattered regional records.

In addition to their regional champion title, FIRST awarded the Cyber Knights with their Chairman’s Award, an honor bestowed upon teams “who best embody the mission of robotics and set a precedent for other teams to follow,” according to FIRST.

This award qualifies the Cyber Knights for the World Championships in St. Louis later this month. In addition to a series of matches and competitions, the World Championships offer students access to an innovation fair, college planning information through their “Scholarship Row,” and student ambassador training.

The World Championships begin on April 22, combining three robotics competitions – FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship and the FIRST Lego League. This is the fifth year in a row that the Cyber Knights will compete with 600 teams from across the globe.

To comment on this story or to contact Taylor Hartz, email her at THartz@SouthingtonObserver.com.

Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School recently announced the names of its March students of the month.

In sixth grade Julia Panarella, Erin Klem, and Sebastian Maslinski were selected by their teams.

Julia is the daughter of Sherri and Craig Panarella and received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence in 2014. She is a volunteer at Calendar House for the Leadership Program and volunteered assisting the art teacher at St. Dominic’s School. Julia also plays travel soccer and softball for the town.

Erin is the daughter of Michael and Lisa Klem and is an honor roll student. She received the President’s Award at Flanders Elementary School last year and assisted with her church’s play. Erin is in the sign language club and ski club.

Sebastian is the son of Iwona and Andrzej Maslinski and is an honor roll student. Sebastian has participated in a walk for MS and a fundraiser to support cancer research.

In seventh grade Emma Angelillo, Sarah Meade, and Taylor Cox were selected by their teams.

Emma is the daughter of Kim and Greg Angelillo and is in the National Junior Honor Society. She volunteers for the Mill Foundation and at the St. Dominic’s Vacation Bible School. Emma is in the DePaolo Leadership Program, ran on the school cross country team, and is a Peer Advocate.

Sarah is the daughter of Peter and Jean Meade and is in the National Junior Honor Society. She is a member of the STEPS Youth Council and swims for the Southington YMCA. Sarah is a Peer Advocate, played on the school volleyball team, and is in the student council.

Taylor is the daughter of Scott and Katarina Cox and has consistently been an honor roll student. She volunteered at Alex’s Lemonade Stand at the Apple Harvest Festival and is a part of the Leadership Program. Taylor takes an art class at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

In eighth grade Mackenzie Kavanah, Timothy Jagos, Samantha Bucci were selected by their teams.

Mackenzie is the daughter of Joanne and Grant Kavanah and is in the National Junior Honor Society. She volunteered at Alex’s Lemonade Stand at the Apple Harvest Festival and played on the volleyball team. Mackenzie is a Peer Advocate and member of the Leadership Program.

Timothy is the son of Allan and Emily Jagos and is in the National Junior Honor Society. He is in the Leadership Program and participated in the Relay for Life. Timothy is the captain of the factor team and is a Peer Advocate.

Samantha is the granddaughter of Jacquelyn Barber and is an honor roll student. Sam truly embodies what it means to be a model student at DePaolo. She is always willing to help anyone in need and volunteered during our Thanksgiving and Christmas donation drives.

In Unified Arts, Matthew Brennan, Audrey Norton, and Isabelle Crowley were selected.

Matthew is the son of Laura Caneira and received the Principal’s Award in fifth grade. He is a volunteer mentor for pre-school children and plays the piano. Matthew is in the school band and a member of the student council.

Audrey is the daughter of Marie and Kevin Norton and is in the National Junior Honor Society. She assisted with making Thanksgiving baskets for Community Services and volunteered for the Apple Harvest Festival road race. Audrey was on the school soccer team and is a Girl Scout.

Isabelle is the daughter of Jean and Dan Crowley and was recognized at a Principal’s Breakfast for academic achievement and citizenship. She coordinated a fundraiser at school for National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and is an intern for their CT chapter. Isabelle volunteered at Alex’s Lemonade Stand at the Apple Harvest Festival and plays lacrosse for the Town.

John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville recently announced the names of its March 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 Noah Barbour, Allison Carr, Jenna Lucian, and Isabella Rivera.

A pleasure to have in the classroom, Noah is a hard worker who is always focused on his academic tasks. His positive attitude aids him in doing his very best. He is a member of the band, the yearbook and Minecraft. Noah is a Boy Scout, and for relaxation he reads and plays video games.

Allison is an honor roll student whose consistent dedication to her school work is to be commended. With her excellent work ethic, she always gives her best to all that she does. A member of the JFK volleyball team, Allison also plays town volleyball, basketball, and travel softball. She volunteers through Giving Back Girls.

Jenna is a conscientious, polite, young lady. She is always prepared for class, has a positive attitude, and is extremely consistent in her academic pursuits. Jenna plays softball for the Connecticut Hurricanes and spends her free time practicing for her sport. She also volunteers at a soup kitchen and a nursing home.

Isabella is the sixth grade Unified Arts student of the month. Always positive, she is forever smiling, upbeat, and courteous to others. Isabella is a role model in being prepared for her physical education class, where she participates with great enthusiasm. She is a member of the band, the Homework Club, and the Ski/Snowboard Club. Isabella plays travel softball and basketball and collects food for the food pantry. Her outside interests, besides sports, are volunteering in art and cloud activities.

Seventh grade students of the month are Caelen Cain, John McLaughlin, Emily Nivison, Stefania Votino, and Nicole Wang.

Caelen is a conscientious and motivated student.  He is a mature young man, also polite and reliable. Caelen is an honor roll student and a member of the Bowling Club. He plays town football and attends an annual tennis camp in New London each summer.

John is a bright, courteous, and responsible young man. He demonstrates a level of maturity that surpasses many of his peers, and he carries himself with a positive disposition. He is an honor roll student, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the Red Cross Club, the band, Peer Advocates, MATHCOUNTS, and Unified Sports. John plays town baseball and volunteers at his church. He is also an avid hockey player and an asset to other students on his team.

Emily is the seventh grade Unified Arts student of the month. She goes above and beyond in all her work and always does her best. Polite, kind, and helpful, she is a hard worker and a model student in every way. Emily is a member of the Builders Club, the Color Guard, the orchestra, and Select Strings. She is an honor roll student and volunteers at her church and Bread for Life. She includes dancing, singing, and drawing among her outside interests.

Stefania, the World Language student of the month, is a positive contributor to her class activities. She is always prepared with her homework and materials, and she asks appropriate, relevant questions. Respectful and mature, Stefania stays on topic and frequently contributes interesting and pertinent information to class discussions. She is an honor roll student, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the Newspaper Club, school newspaper, and the Red Cross Club. Stefania volunteers for her church’s music ministry, and she enjoys singing, reading, writing, and video games.

Nicole is an extremely conscientious student who does excellent work in all her classes. She enjoys being with her friends and is a pleasant addition to her team. She is an honor roll student, a member of the band, the stage band, the woodwinds, and MATHCOUNTS. Nicole is also active in gymnastics.

Eighth grade students of the month are Emma Higley, Caitlyn Kesilewski, and Erin Robinson.

Emma is an excellent student on her team. She works very hard in all her classes, and she always carries a positive demeanor with her peers. She is an honor roll student, a member of the Color Guard, the Ski/Snowboard, and the orchestra. Emma also works as Color Guard for the surround sound.

Caitlyn (not pictured) is a hardworking and conscientious student who actively participates in her classes where she always puts forth her best effort. She is a member of the basketball team, the National Junior Honor Society, and the band. Caitlyn also plays travel basketball, volunteers at a third grade basketball clinic, and enjoys participating in all sports.

Pleasant and respectful, Erin works well as a leader in collaborative groups. She is an honor roll student and a member of the chorus and swing choir, she is a conscientious and inquisitive student. Erin plays volleyball, volunteers for a firehouse food drive, and likes to go to movies and hang out with her friends.

Kennedy Middle School announced April’s students of the month. Front, from left, Erida Koxha, Thomas Nardi, Maya Ciaffaglione, Alyssa Bowker, Brooke Lynch, Christian Cahill, and Peter Loban. Back, Mrs. Susanne Vitcavage, Joelle Stublarec, Nicholas Truncali, Joshua Dziob, Aliya Sarris, Aparna Athreya, and Mr. Steven Madancy.

John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville recently announced the names of its April 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 Alyssa Bowker, Maya Ciaffaglione, Peter Loban, and Thomas Nardi.

Alyssa, the sixth grade Unified Arts student of the month, brings a positive attitude, an outstanding work ethic, and a fun personality to class. She is a member of the Color Guard, and participates in town soccer and cheerleading. Outside school, Alyssa enjoys hanging out with her friends.

Maya is a hardworking student who always tries her best. Conscientious and always prepared, she knows what needs to get done. With her positive attitude, she gets along well with both peers and adults. She is a member of the JFK cheerleading squad and the town’s tumbling and gymnastics group. Maya volunteers at her church, a local school’s PTO, a nursing home, and she cleans up after household pets. Her other interests include baking, cooking, sewing, and hanging out with friends.

Peter always works hard. He advocates for himself, and his effort is evident on a daily basis. He is a member of the band and the stage band, and away from school he plays golf and enjoys the company of friends.

Thomas is an extremely hard worker who takes pride in doing his best. His well-rounded work ethic is consistent on a daily basis. He is a member of the Stock Market Club, plays travel football and out of town youth hockey where he also serves as an instructor. In addition, Tom enjoys building projects and doing repairs.

Seventh grade students of the month are Christian Cahill, Erida Koxha, Brooke Lynch, and Joelle Stublarec.

Christian is a dedicated young man who works extremely hard to master new concepts and to aid his peers in their work. He is an honor roll student, a member of the Builders Club, the chorus, and Voices of Thunder. Christian plays town football, and he includes basketball, reading, drawing, and fishing among his other interests.

Erida is the seventh grade World Language student of the month. On a daily basis, she excels in all her assignments and assessments. She demonstrates dedication to her studies and continually asks questions to make connections and further expand her Spanish speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. Erida is also an excellent class citizen. She always extends a helping hand and serves as a leader who provides guidance and insight to her peers. She is an honor roll student, a morning announcer, a Techxpert, and a member of MATHCOUNTS. She volunteers for food drives and likes to play basketball and spend time with her family.

Brooke is a likeable young lady who is popular among her peers and teachers. She always does her best and is an honor roll student and a member of the National Junior Honor Society. She also belongs to the chorus, the cross country team, and Junior Next Steps. Brooke plays town lacrosse and volunteers as a babysitter and as a member of the STEPS Youth Council. She also likes to spend time with her family, friends, and dog. Brooke enjoys reading and doing crafts in her spare time.

Joelle is a mature, conscientious student who is always willing to help others. She plays a leadership role in group activities and performs with the stage band. Joelle swims at the YMCA and plays match tennis at the high school. She helps at her church’s nursery, and she likes music, singing and playing the piano, the flute, the mallet percussion bells, and the xylophone.

Eighth grade students of the month are Aparna Athreya, Joshua Dziob, Aliya Sarris and Nicholas Truncali.

Aparna is the eighth grade Unified Arts student of the month. She always puts forth her best effort, and she encourages others through her words and actions. Aparna has a high level of commitment to her singing groups as well as to other clubs with which she is involved. She is an honor roll student and a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Aparna is on the cross country team, and she sings with the chorus, the swing choir, the Acapella Group, and the Regionals. She also volunteers at the Food Pantry.

Joshua is a kind, polite young man who leads by example. He is a quiet leader within the classroom where he is a role model for all. Josh is a member of the chorus and the Voices of Thunder. When not in school, he likes to hang out with his friends.

Aliya is a bright, personable, and innovative young lady who has dedicated herself to her studies. She works continuously to her utmost abilities in all academic classes. She is an honor roll student, a morning announcer and a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the band, the swing choir, the Regionals, and MATHCOUNTS. Aliya volunteers at the Waterbury Tulip Festival, the Relay for Life, and as a teen advisor at the Southington Library. She also enjoys reading, writing, and biking.

Nick, a polite and mature young man, demonstrates strong leadership skills. With compassion and empathy, he is helpful in class with his peers. Nick is an honor roll student and a member of the Lego League and the chorus. He plays town baseball and basketball and likes to ski and do woodworking away from school.

Christopher Bray, a fourth grade student at Thalberg Elementary School, earned an opportunity to shadow Principal Megan Bennett on April 23. According to sources, things went smoothly with “Principal” Bray in the big seat.