YOUR SCHOOLS IN THE NEWS
EDLINES
East Granby Board of Education Vision Statement
The East Granby Public Schools is a learning community where students are inspired and engaged in rigorous and authentic learning experiences that prepare them to meet the demands of a changing world. Students pursue knowledge in 21st century learning environments that foster individual talents, skills and interests so they achieve their personal and career goals. Educators, parents, students, and community partners are important stakeholders in the success of the East Granby Public Schools. Together we work to ensure that students achieve high expectations and actualize their full potential to contribute to society.
Superintendent’s Message
As we close out the 2015 - 2016 school year, we pause to reflect on our original goals and objectives, our challenges, progress, accomplishments, and major achievements. Our students again performed at high levels, and as a district we celebrated many highpoints. We are especially proud of our students as they excelled in the classroom and on the field. We are proud of our faculty – especially Susan Rosenstein - who is being recognized by The Daughters of the American Revolution as the National Outstanding Teacher of American History. We also celebrate with members of our school community who were recently recognized for 20 years of service, and others who are retiring to enjoy a more relaxed pace. We thank them for their untiring service to the East Granby Public Schools.
We give due recognition and extend our congratulations to our East Granby High School Graduates - the Class of 2016. They contributed to the school community and extended themselves by completing many hours of service to the broader East Granby Community. At the Board of Education’s Spring Community Recognition Ceremony, we were pleased to recognize students from all four schools. The philanthropic endeavors and co- and extra-curricular activities demonstrated students’ character, leadership skills, academic prowess, and brought many accolades to the school district. We appreciate their collective efforts as learners and young citizens to improve the climate in our schools.
At the end of June we will bid farewell to R. D. Seymour School Principal, Christopher Roche, who for personal reasons is leaving East Granby to pursue an opportunity in another state. We wish him well. The process to identify a new Principal is underway. The internal and external posting for the position has closed, and credentials are being reviewed. The results of that review process will determine the next step. We hope to have a new Principal in place for the opening of school.
We wish to remind students to continue to engage in meaningful activities during the summer months. Reading is an important pursuit for students in all grade levels. It is important to keep the brain engaged.
We know that during the summer months you may have reason to contact someone in the schools. Please refer to the school webpages for instructions on how and when you will be able to communicate with us.
Let me take this opportunity to thank each of you for your support and contribution to our successes this school year. I wish each of you a safe and enjoyable summer.
Curriculum Matters - Washington D.C. hears from East Granby Students!
On Friday, June 2nd, two of our high schools students, junior Angelica Moquete and freshman David Sales, accompanied me to Asnuntuck Community College for a very special event.
Our school district was invited to participate in a Workforce Development Roundtable, with guest of honor Mr. Jay Williams, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. Others included college officials, local leaders, representatives from the Connecticut Department of Education and Department of Labor, and numerous manufacturers. The topic for this event was "Ensuring a trained pipeline of workers are available to meet industry needs." The president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), Mr. Mark Ojakian, moderated the roundtable. There were some very important people present, but it was our students who stole the show! Their enthusiasm in talking about their high school technology education classes won the day.
We were invited because of our first-of-its kind Fifth Year Associate’s degree program, whereby a student who graduates from East Granby High School can, with an additional three semesters at Asnuntuck Community College, obtain an A.S. degree in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. This collaboration with Asnuntuck Community College and local manufacturers has created a pathway to an affordable (and possibly free) college education for students interested in pursuing a manufacturing career, whether they choose to transfer in order to obtain a four-year degree, or go directly to work in a manufacturing field.
The Fifth Year program model has now been replicated in other school districts across Connecticut. Our district continues to work very closely with ACC, and we remain grateful for their generous support. They continue to provide us with faculty who co-teach with our middle and high schools’ technology education teachers, and to provide equipment to update our Technology Education department. This has led to a revitalization of the department, with a new name and new course offerings. The Technology Education department of old has been rebranded the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Education department. (For a list of course offerings for next year, please see pages 37-39 of the East Granby High School Program of Studies).
Thinking ahead, if you have a middle or high school student with an open summer week, consider asking him or her if they’d like to experience a week at Asnuntuck Community College, working with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and knowledgeable, friendly faculty. There’s no cost for the experience, and it could be the start of a new career interest! Please see your child’s guidance counselor for more information.
Respectfully,
Stella Ross
Director of Curriculum & Professional Learning
Photo courtesy of Asnuntuck Community College
Curriculum Matters - Summer Reading: It Matters!
Growing up in New England, I savored my summer breaks for many reasons – swimming lessons at the town pool, a week at Cape Cod, 4th of July fireworks, and my favorite…reading books of my choice by my favorite authors from the public library.
Summer reading is not only enjoyable but summer reading matters! Whether measured by books read, time spent reading or library usage, summer reading is consistently related to summer learning (“Summers: Some Are Reading, Some Are Not!” The Reading Teacher). East Granby students at all elementary grades are engaged in rigorous reading instruction throughout the school year. They learn foundational skills and strategies to move up the ladder of text complexity. Students advance through reading levels in both fiction and non-fiction texts. In order to maintain that growth over summer, students need to continue to read and hone those skills. They need to keep those reading muscles strong!
How can families support reading throughout the summer?
Abundant research supports the importance of book choice. “When children self-select books on topics of interest to them, they are motivated and more likely to sustain reading. When children select reading materials themselves and read for enjoyment, they receive the most gains in reading achievement.” (www.cde.state.co.us) Children should be encouraged to read recreationally. In addition to maintaining their reading level, children who read in the summer also demonstrate gains in comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and grammar. Additionally, some children may choose to tackle challenging books or authors because they have more time to close-read.
Parents and caregivers who read for enjoyment are role models for children. Children tend to read more when the adults in their life value reading and encourage them to read. When parents talk about books they enjoyed reading or share factual information they learned from books, it demonstrates to children the important role books play in their parents’ lives.
“Access to books is critical.” Children who have easy access to books will read more. This includes digital format books (Kindle, Nook, iPad) and audio books, which are both good choices for families who travel in the summer.
The public library is a wonderful resource for summer reading. Community organizations including the public library encourage children to read through summer programs. Our East Granby Public Library offers a summer reading program on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-3:00 for young readers.
So visit the library, find your favorite authors, and enjoy the relaxed pace of summer reading.
McGill-Franzen, A., N. Ward, and M.Cahill. “Summers: Some Are Reading, Some Are Not! It Matters.” The Reading Teacher Volume 69 May/June 2016 pp. 585-596.
Our Retiring Honorees
Debra Lorenzo
East Granby Middle School
Debra Lorenzo is honored for her sixteen years of dedication and commitment to the children and families of East Granby. We celebrate her retirement with her.
During her career she served in many capacities and taught various grade levels. She has provided services to students in Massachusetts including Agawam, Springfield, Southwick Tolland Regional and Longmeadow School districts before joining the staff in East Granby. She has served in the role of a substitute teacher, a special education teacher and a consultant. Her career led her to create programs for students at the preschool level through age twenty-one. She was instrumental in creating an alternative campus program for students with significant behavioral challenges.
Deb graduated with a degree in Psychology from Western New England College in 1978 . She later earned a Master’s Degree from University of Massachusetts in 1982 and began post graduate coursework in Reading from Athens State College in Alabama.
Deb is a well-read and reflective educator who quickly developed a passion for literacy development. Her professional journey led to training in specialized reading programs benefitting middle and high school aged students in decoding, fluency and comprehension skills.
Deb has served on multiple committees throughout the years including School Improvement, and NEASC. She is committed to social causes and has been involved in efforts to raise funds for Breast Cancer and initiated the Princess and the Prom to ensure that all high students in need have access to a prom dress. Debra cherished the time she spent as a mentor and worked closely with many student teachers from local universities. She has invested significant hours of personal time to effectively establish positive parent communication and meet the needs of a diverse population while following a prescribed curriculum.
During her tenure colleagues embraced the happiness that Deb found in her marriage to Guy, the successes of her children Brian, Christine, Melissa and Michael, and birth of her three grandchildren. As she enters the next stage of her life we wish her many opportunities to experience her passions that include travel, scuba diving and swing dancing. We honor her tonight with our warmest appreciation.
Helaine Smith-Kushner
Carl D. Allgrove Elementary School
Ms. Helaine Smith is being honored this evening for her 36 years of dedicated service to the children and families of the East Granby Public Schools. It is significant to note that she began and is ending her career here in East Granby. Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in elementary education in 1978 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, She was awarded her Masters of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1982. Helaine is not only certified to teach kindergarten through grade 8, she is also a certified reading consultant.
Helaine started her educational career in 1978 as a sixth grade Reading/Language Arts teacher at the East Granby Middle School. She moved with the 6th grade team when it was relocated to the R.D. Seymour School. However, since 1996 she has been a Carl D. Allgrove School teacher where she has taught in kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 3. For the last four years she has been teaching in first grade. In 1991 Helaine received notable recognition of her exemplary work when she was selected as East Granby’s Teacher of the Year.
Helaine has always been deeply committed to providing students with quality learning experiences. The structure, consistency, high expectations and kindness she demonstrates supports each child’s sense of security. She is both funny and serious and she strategically uses each to engage and teach. Her students “just know” by looking at her when it is time to get serious. Helaine has a remarkable gift for bringing a story to life and her students are mesmerized every time. Throughout her career the children in her class have been in the hands of an exceptional professional.
The positive and significant impact of her work has been captured in the letters Helaine has received over the years from students and families. These are the things she cherishes the most. Parents have expressed their gratitude with thoughts such as, “Thank you for being such a patient and understanding teacher. Because of you he is growing in leaps and bounds!” “You set ‘J’ up to love school.” “Thank you for your patience, understanding of individual differences, nurturing and professional manner which has given our son a fantastic year.” “You have been an absolute blessing to our family this year. You make him feel safe by consistently offering the boundaries that tell him you care. You see the good in him.” “Thank you for all you have done to teach, motivate and inspire.”
Helaine’s colleagues share a deep respect and admiration for her work and her contributions as well. Her voice is listened to because her ideas are thoughtfully and carefully articulated. She has worked tirelessly to create and maintain the traditions and mission of Carl D. Allgrove School. Traditions such as “Labors of Love” which has helped hundreds of our students learn compassion for those in need. Her commitment to supporting her students’ understanding of the importance of holidays such as Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Day speak to her deep respect for our country’s history and the importance of remembering and sharing our values with each generation. She speaks from her heart in a way that touches other’s hearts.
Ms. Helaine Smith has contributed tremendously both professionally and personally to the field of education, her colleagues and the East Granby Public Schools. She leaves a legacy that will continue as we carry on the traditions she helped establish and the high professional expectations she set by her example. As one parent expressed, “We know you’ve touched many young lives in a positive way. We’re glad our child was one of them.” Helaine, you have touched the lives of many adults as well.
Nancy Witte-Meredith
Carl D. Allgrove Elementary School
Mrs. Nancy Witte-Meredith is honored tonight for an educational career that spans more than half of her lifetime. She has been an educator for a remarkable 41 years. She had already logged thirteen years of teaching when she came to the East Granby Public Schools and she has been committed to our schools for the last 28 years. Nancy earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Miami University in Ohio and her Masters of Arts in Audio-Visual Media from Western Michigan University in Michigan. She began as an elementary classroom teacher in Battlecreek, Michigan teaching in grades three, four and five. In addition, she served as a Substance Abuse Prevention Educator while she was in Michigan. Upon moving to Bath, Maine with her husband she began her career as a Library Media Specialist where she started the library/media programs in three schools concurrently. At that time she provided workshops for teachers and wrote a grant that procured additional support so each library would be staffed when she wasn’t there.
Nancy was hired in 1987 to fill the Library Media position at Carl D. Allgrove and R.D. Seymour Schools. Some years this also included working at the Middle School as well. Over the years she has expanded the library collections at both schools through her careful and thoughtful book purchases. Keeping current with educational practices, Nancy has also incorporated technology instruction as part of her program. She has moved with and responded to the evolving curriculum initiatives with book and resource purchases that supported children’s interests, noteworthy and award winning authors of children’s literature and she has grown the nonfiction selection of books at each library exponentially. In doing so she supported the curriculum in all areas with resource materials that sparked children’s imaginations, their curiosity and fostered their eagerness to learn. She has put books into the hands of reluctant readers and propelled them in their journey to love learning through reading.
Nancy has received a number of recognitions during her tenure in East Granby. She was recognized twice for Celebration of Excellence Awards from the State of Connecticut Department of Education (1993 and 1999) for developing two innovative units of instruction. She was nominated for the East Granby Teacher of the Year award four times. These awards and recognitions are truly noteworthy and speak to the volume and respect for her work as an educator.
Nancy loves words and stories and she is passionate about sharing these with children. She has worked closely with her colleagues to bring reading celebrations such as Readers are Leaders, the Summer Reading Challenge, R.D. Seymour’s STAR Reader program, Seymour Reads along with bringing many visiting authors to our schools. In her own right she is an accomplished storyteller who hones her craft every summer at a storyteller conference. Anyone listening to her tell or read a story is captured in the moment and movement of the narrative she is bringing to life. She has a remarkable gift and we are grateful for the many years she has shared her talents with the children of East Granby.
Our 20+ Honorees
Please join the Board of Education, administration, faculty, and staff in congratulating all of our 20+ years of service honorees and wishing them a successful close to the school year. A dinner was held in their honor on May 25, 2016.
Paxton Berardy
East Granby Middle School
Paxton grew up in a family of educators. His mother worked for the Board of Education in Montville, CT for 25 years and his dad was a science teacher in New London, CT for 33 years. With a family background like his, it is not surprising that Paxton followed in his parents’ footsteps educating children. Paxton graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in Mass Communications and received his Masters from Southern Connecticut University with a double major in Library Science and Instructional Technology. In 1998, Paxton co-authored, Best Educational Internet Sites for Social Studies Students, an early guide to Social Studies websites. He has held a variety of jobs during high school and college which include a security job at Camp Harkness and spending 8 years working at Hoyt’s Movie Theater in Waterford. He was a paraprofessional for Stonington schools for 2 years and a librarian at a Milford Elementary School for 6 months. He worked at the National Marine Fisheries as an inspector in Stonington and Mystic. He greeted the fishermen of returning boats and had to measure and document their catch for the day.
He has held the position of Library Media Specialist for the last 20 years in East Granby Public Schools while also working part time for 18 years at Simsbury’s Public Library. He works closely with the IT Department to help the staff/administration with presentations and other technical issues. Paxton is currently working on setting up Maker Space and modernizing the Middle School Library. Paxton runs the Middle School Gaming Club/Computer Club for the past 20 years where his students learn to strategize and anticipate outcomes while participating in an enjoyable venue. He also served 8 years as a class advisor in the high school.
Paxton lives in Suffield with his wife, Wendy, and their son, Theo, who is 22 months old. Paxton enjoys spending time outdoors. He loves to go kayaking, biking, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Hiking is a passion of his and he is the former Chairperson of the Appalachian Mountain Club and a hiking leader for the Young Members Group. In his spare time, Paxton enjoys watching movies and playing video games.
Jacqueline Facey
R.D. Seymour Elementary School
At the conclusion of this year, Mrs. Jackie Facey will have completed 20 years of service to the East Granby Public Schools and more specifically, R.D. Seymour School. Jackie was born and raised in Connecticut, while spending her summers in Maine. Jackie is happily married to her husband Jim and they have two adult sons who attended the East Granby Public Schools. Jackie has held a multitude of positions during her tenure at East Granby. She has worked in the capacity of instructional-paraprofessional, literacy interventionist, secretary, and has worked collaboratively with school principals and district leaders to support professional development programs and curriculum writing. Her work began at R.D. Seymour School 20 years ago, under then principal, Jim Johnson. At the time, her youngest son was a student at R.D. Seymour School.
Jackie Facey is the most organized person in the history of schools. She is extremely intelligent, responsible, dedicated, and her ability to multitask is truly extraordinary. She works incredibly long hours, far exceeding any expectation that any principal could have. When asked why she gives so many hours to the school, she stated, “I love working with students, staff, and parents, and I love working in the East Granby School. I do what I do because of the students. Seymour School is an incredible place to be!”
Whether it is beginning the day hours before her start time or ending the day hours after her end time, Jackie Facey is committed to working until the job is done. Anyone who has ever worked in a school system knows that the front office area is typically the most chaotic place as one is dealing with parents, students, paperwork, spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails. She approaches all tasks with equanimity, despite having an infinite number of responsibilities. When Jackie is presented with a task, one can rest assured that the task will be completed prior to the due date and the end product will be better than the expectation. She truly is a difference-maker.
The East Granby Public Schools and R.D. Seymour School are fortunate to have such an adept school secretary, who views her contributions to the school not as a job, but a labor of love. Congratulations to Mrs. Facey on her 20 years of service. R.D. Seymour School looks forward to many more years of exceptional service to the school and community.
Linda Kingman
Carl D. Allgrove Elementary School
Linda Kingman is being recognized this evening for achieving the milestone accomplishment of 20+ years as an educator in the East Granby Public Schools. She came to the field of education after working in the business world for a number of years. In her prior professional life she was a finance director, an accounting assistant and an independent business owner. Certainly the qualities of a successful business career have served her well in her most important career as an educator. Working with children had always been her passion and we are grateful she realized her goal.
Linda earned a Bachelor’s Degree from UCONN in 1986 and a Master’s of Science Degree in Elementary Education from St. Joseph’s University in 1991. Before becoming a classroom teacher, she was a tutor, substitute teacher and a paraprofessional for several years in East Granby. In fact she worked in our kindergarten program with many of the teachers who would become longtime friends and professional colleagues at Carl D. Allgrove School. After teaching kindergarten in Vernon, she was offered a position in East Granby as a kindergarten teacher. She moved to first grade where she taught for 12 years before returning to kindergarten when we initiated our full day kindergarten program four years ago.
Understanding the needs of the young learner, Linda expertly fosters an environment that supports each child in developing their academic, social and emotional skills. Her classroom is a special place where children feel safe in taking risks within her nurturing and supportive care. Thoughtful and purposeful consistency and structure are at the heart of her classroom.
She views every mistake as an opportunity to help a child grow not only academically but also in their ability to navigate the social world of the classroom. She values the contributions every child brings to the learning. Linda builds each child’s sense of resilience, persistence, tolerance, cooperation and communication, skills which support lifelong learning. One of her colleagues shared this about her, “Linda sees herself as a “facilitator” encouraging her students to become independent thinkers and responsible students who learn by doing.”
Linda’s contributions extend beyond the classroom door. She champions educational excellence within the broader Allgrove School community. She is well respected by her colleagues and her contributions are valued for their merit and sound reasoning. Over the years she has taken a leadership role in writing curriculum and serving as a curriculum leader at the elementary level. In 2010 she received the East Granby Teacher of the Year award in recognition of her exemplary work on behalf of children and for her professional contributions to the East Granby Public Schools. Linda has been a dedicated champion of the collaborative endeavors and educational excellence that have become Allgrove School trademarks.
East Granby Public Schools and Board of Education Student Recognition Ceremony
On May 23, 2016, the East Granby Public Schools and the East Granby Board of Education proudly recognized the following students for their extraordinary achievements, and for representing their school in an exemplary fashion. Please click on the link at the end of this section to view the ceremony on GCTV - Granby Community Television.
Carl D. Allgrove School Invention Convention Participants
Anna, Ra’Miya and Alyson, are being recognized for participating in the Allgrove/Seymour Invention Convention program. These three young ladies from second grade demonstrated creativity, perseverance and commitment. As part of the Invention Convention program the girls learned the six steps of creative problem solving during an afterschool program. They then had to originate a problem and go through the steps to identify and build a prototype of their inventions. As a final step for our Invention Convention program, the girls presented their inventions to two panels of judges where they showed poise, enthusiasm and articulated communication skills in explaining the problem they were solving and demonstrating how their prototypes operated. Congratulations to these three inventive and creative thinkers and doers!
Alyson Boateng, Anna Griffin, Ra’Miya Matthews
R.D. Seymour School Invention Convention Participants
The following R.D. Seymour Students participated in the Connecticut Invention Convention this year. The convention strives to enable students to research, analyze, and solve real-life problems.
Our Invention Convention Judging Circles took place at Seymour School on April 7th, and on April 30th. Based on those results, two students represented Seymour School at the Connecticut Invention Convention’s 33rd annual event held at UCONN: third grader Jordan Collie and fifth grader John Connole. Both students were recognized as award recipients. We are very proud of the six students who participated in this process.
Nicholas Braga, John Connole, Oliver Forero,
Jordan Collie, Laiken Cormier, Evangeline Smith
R.D. Seymour Odyssey of the Mind Participants
The Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. This year, Seymour School, with the strength of supportive parent volunteers, sponsored 3 Odyssey of the Mind Teams. Twenty one students participated in this program and represented our school at the state competition on April 6, 2016.
Megan Benner, Cecilia Carcorze-LeFebvre, James Crocker, Ryan Hall, Samantha Kovaleski, Shreyas Lenkala, Aishani Nagamalla, Owen Boehm, Cameron Lloyd, Colin Rechenberg, Sophie Landolina, Hailey Lynds, Adela McKinney,
Jakub McKinney, Lauren Monegan, Lindsey Monegan , Derek Rybczyk,
Lucas Shelton, Madeline Tracey, Abigail Wegrzyniak, Caedessey Williams
East Granby Middle School
The following students are being recognized for their musical talent, commitment and contributions:
Jaya Badhe - Jaya was accepted into the Northern Regional Middle School Choir and selected to sing two solos during the performance.
Maya Brody - Maya auditioned for the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association Northern Region Middle School Music Festival.
Julie-Andrea Kuofie - Julie performed with the High School Band as a member of the Color Guard.
Madison Latonie - Madison performed with the High School Band as a member of the Color Guard.
Michael Luciuk - Michael auditioned for the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association Northern Region Middle School Music Festival.
Veronica Orkney - Veronica performed with the High School Band as a member of the Color Guard.
East Granby Middle School - Grade 6
Jasmyn Dillon - This sixth grade student has been elected to the position of Student Council Vice President and has made immediate and major contributions to not only Student Council, but in helping to fundraise for student activities. Jasmyn is very involved herself, and encourages her classmates to get involved in a wide variety of activities at EGMS.
Benjamin Rickevicius - Ben spends much of his free time composing original music for guitar and other instruments. His attention to detail has transferred into the classroom resulting in high quality work. Ben also auditioned for the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association Northern Region Middle School Music Festival.
Kirsten Wimpfheimer - Kirsten is an integral part of her nationally recognized cheerleading team, USA Wildcats. Her attention to detail, time management and conscientious attitude has allowed her to continue to succeed academically, even with the demands of competitions throughout the year.
East Granby Middle School—Grade 7
The following students organized a Toys for Tots drive to make a difference for those in our community who are less fortunate. These students displayed tremendous empathy, organization, dedication, and compassion to achieve the collection of over 50 toys for young children and a sum of money allocated to purchase additional toys for those children whose families were struggling financially during the holidays.
Jamison Belliveau - Leader of the Toys for Tots Committee
Katharine Duray - Toys for Tots Committee Member and performed with the High School Band as a member of the Color Guard.
Madelyn Guilmartin - Toys for Tots Committee Member and performed with the High School Band as a member of the Color Guard.
Kaitlyn Morano - Toys for Tots Committee Member
East Granby Middle School—Grade 8
The students listed below are being recognized for having regularly been involved in one or more of the following community services within the school or community. We are very proud of them.
· Green Team Service Recognition: Students who have diligently worked throughout the school year to make the recycling program at EGMS a success.
· Ski-a-thon/Make-A-Wish Foundation: The dedication and work these students put into planning and implementing a Ski-A-Thon and auction was tremendous! Despite various roadblocks, they persevered to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
· Top Turkey Thanksgiving Food Drive: For their tremendous efforts in collecting a significant amount of food to support their neighbors through the East Granby Food Pantry.
· EGMS Book Drive: Collected 1962 children’s books for charity!
· Pen & Marker Recycling Drive: Developed from research done for Earth Day, this is an end of year project to recycle plastic writing tools.
· Salmon Project: Monitored and tended to the salmon eggs/frye from early December until their release in May, including water quality testing and logging data.
· Greenhouse Team Leader: This student was responsible for watering, fertilizing, planting, and training/organizing other students in horticulture.
· Flag Committee: These students are charged with raising, lowering and properly folding the American and Connecticut flags each day.
· Veterans’ Day Guide: These students welcomed our guests for Veterans’ Day and served as their classroom guides for the day
Cullen Beman - Salmon Project, Flag Committee, Veterans’ Day Guide
Samantha Borsari - Green Team. Samantha is also the Student Council President and leads the initiatives for fundraising and school spirit.
Maya Brody - Green Team, Salmon Project.
Isabel Colon - Green Team
Christopher Collins - Green Team
Stephanie Crocker - Green Team, EGMS Book Drive
Trinity DeJesus - Green Team
Gordon Hartman - Green Team, Salmon Project. Gordon also performed with the High School Band this year in addition to the 7th and 8th Grade Band.
Jade Kiang - Green Team, Top Turkey, EGMS Book Drive, Flag Committee, Veterans’ Day Guide, Pen & Marker Recycling Drive.
Jordan Kido - Green Team
Emily Kowal - Green Team
Leah Langhoff - Green Team, Top Turkey
Heather MacKinnon - Green Team
Zara Mather - Greenhouse Team Leader
Madeline Moore - Make-A-Wish Ski-A-Thon
Lauren Morano - Green Team
Aanandha Saravana Rajasekhar - Green Team
Julia Redfield - Green Team & Make-A-Wish Ski-A-Thon
Sophia Sanford - Salmon Project
Isabella Williams—Isabella is being recognized for her service to the community ~ signing/interpreting for individuals at her church & working at a local food pantry.
East Granby Middle School Students Win Big
at the Connecticut Invention Convention
We walked into a tremendous display of creativity and imagination at the Connecticut Invention Convention at Gampel Pavilion UCONN Storrs on Saturday, April 30th. There were 1,000 inventors at this state championship for innovators. Thirty percent of those became "Recognized Inventors". East Granby had 5 recognized inventors. Only 2 inventors received the AIF Young Entrepreneur Award for inventions that were creative, innovative, revolutionary, and had the potential to grow into a resourceful and promising business opportunity. One of those went to our own May Brody for her invention "The Cleaner Picker Upper". There were only 15 prestigious "CASE sponsor awards for those inventions deemed most likely to achieve a successful patent. One recipient was our eighth grader, Jade Kiang, for her invention, the "The No Spiller Thriller". Jade was honored at a dinner with the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 24th.
Samantha Borsari – Samantha is an 8th grader who is being recognized for inventing The Sol-Band.
Victoria Cannon – Victoria is a 7th grader who is being recognized for inventing the Super Suction Support.
Stephanie Crocker – Stephanie is an 8th grader who is being recognized for inventing EcoEars.
Emma Griffin – Emma is a 7th grader who is being recognized for inventing the Flawless Flosser.
Heather MacKinnon – Emma is an 8th grader who is being recognized for inventing the EZ Treezy.
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Maya Brody - Asian Innovation Forum (AIF) Young Entrepreneur Award Recipient
Jade Kiang – The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering Award Recipient. Jade was honored at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Annual Banquet.
East Granby High School—Grade 9
Christian Fagnant - Christian played trumphet in the UMASS Honor Band.
Chloe Gosselin - Chloe is an exemplary student, amazing stage talent, and a model citizen and friend.
Jillian Kuofie - Jillian is diligent, plays tennis, participates in Violence in Our Lives Program and a member of the Band, Choir and Color Guard.
Caitlin Strzegowski - Caitlin has shown exemplary leadership skills, especially for being a freshman student. Caitlin is also our keynote speaker for East Granby High School Talks.
East Granby High School—Grade 10
Alexander Cannon - Alexander played the euphonium in the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) Northern Region High School Music Festival Band and the MCMEA All-State Band.
Sosie French - Sosie has unending passion to master the most delicate details of the French language. She refuses to accept mediocrity in anything she does both inside and outside the classroom.
Caroline Tuczinski - Caroline is a class officer and a leader and motivator in the Connecticut Youth Forum and Violence in Our Lives Program. She is a kind, respectful, caring person.
East Granby High School—Grade 11
Mazwi Cele - Mazwi played the viola in the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association Northern Region High School Music Festival Orchestra.
Ilija Dokmanovic - Acording to one of Ilija’s teachers, “I would like to put Ilija’s name forward for his academic engagement and genuine interest in the intellectual climate of the classroom. This is my first year teaching Ilija. I am impressed with his interest and engagement in world affairs and his stimulating observations in class discussions. He is well-informed about international concerns, and he must certainly be earnestly reading entirely on his own as well. Ilija’s approach is representative of what we would love all EGHS students to do: think critically, think globally, and get informed!”
Tiffany Wilkinson - Tiffany is being recognized for her dedication to softball, her constant willingness to help the school community, and her work over two summers as a peer mentor. She has always been very helpful with the younger students.
East Granby High School—Grade 12
Matthew Borsari - Matthew is being recognized for serving as student body president and a student representative on the East Granby Board of Education as well as his exemplary work in mathematics and outstanding work ethic and character.
Daniel Couceiro - Daniel is being recognized for his overall academics, participation in athletics, and for his exemplary work in mathematics and outstanding work ethic and character.
Sarah Martin - Sarah was nominated by four teachers. One wrote, “Sarah is intelligent but that is not what sets her apart from her peers. Sarah’s character is unmatched. She is honest, trustworthy, polite, respectful, and compassionate. She takes time to let you know she cares, and is genuinely interested in others and how they are. She goes out of her way to offer her help and never complains when she does. She truly embodies the term well-rounded.” Sarah also graduate after serving as the president of our Best Buddies Chapter for the past 3 years and having volunteered as a “Peer Model/Teacher’s Assistant” for our life skills summer program for the past seven straight years. Sarah was also named EGHS student representative this year.
Connor Rosenberger - Connor is being recognized by faculty for his attitude, sincerity, teamwork, persistence, helpfulness, and work ethic.
Amanda Samuel - In addition to being nominated by no less than five different academic teachers, Amanda has also served as the principal oboe of the Connecticut Youth Symphony at the Hartt School Community Division this past year.
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION, INC.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
Students who exhibit exemplary leadership skills based on willingness to take on challenges, capability to make difficult decisions, concern for others, ability to work with others, willingness to commit to a project, diplomacy, ability to understand issues clearly, and the ability to honor a commitment are nominated for this award.
Matthew Borsari is a High Honor student and a member of the National Honor Society. He has been the recipient of many Scholastic and Athletic Achievement Awards. He is currently enrolled in Honors and Advanced Placement courses as he continues to challenge himself during his senior year. Matthew is an enthusiastic learner who pursues all that he does with a passion, and the results are most impressive.
As well as being one of East Granby's top scholars, Matthew is one of East Granby's top athletes. Matthew participated in athletics at East Granby High School all four years of his high school career. He is on the Varsity Soccer and Golf teams. He has been the recipient of many coaches' awards most notably “Most Valuable Player” on the Varsity Golf team. Matthew is a leader on his athletic teams; his teammates look up to him for his positive attitude and excellent work ethic. In addition to being a superior athlete, Matthew is a leader in school. Currently Matthew is serving as Class President to the Class of 2016. This position carries a tremendous amount of responsibility especially during senior year as senior activities are planned and implemented. You can often find Matthew after school in the hallway putting the finishing touches on a poster or wall for Student Council. Matthew is a committed leader who pays attention to the details of getting the job done. What is wonderfully refreshing about Matthew is his commitment and kindness towards others. Matthew is incredibly gifted, but is quite humble, and genuinely concerned about his fellow man. He pursues his goals quietly, but with a sense of purpose.
Sarah Martin has pursued excellence in her academic career by consistently taking Honors level courses and more recently challenging herself with Advanced Placement Psychology her senior year. Sarah is ranked third in her senior class of 74. For most students, excelling consistently would be difficult, but for Sarah it is second nature. Her honors and accolades are numerous; most notably Sarah received academic awards from our institution in most every department, has been recognized by the National Honor Society for the past two years, and most recently received the Trinity College Book Award and the Voices Literary Magazine Editor’s Award. Sarah is one of our finest students.
In addition to her academic feats, Sarah is involved within her school and town communities. Sarah was a member of our Varsity Cross Country Team and the Varsity Tennis Team her freshman and sophomore years. She was also the Boys Varsity Basketball manager since freshman year and is currently the Varsity Baseball manager. Sarah has been an active member in our “Best Buddies” Program and was recently elected President. She is also the editor of our Voices Literary Magazine and a member of the East Granby High School Math League, Student Council, Pep Rally Committee, Hot Lunch Committee, and our East Granby Unity Team. In all her positions, Sarah leads by example. In Sarah’s unscheduled hours, she has volunteered her time and energy to be a counselor for the East Granby High School Special Education Buddies Camp; she has been volunteering there since she was in 6th grade. In addition, Sarah is one of two Student Representatives to the Board of Education.
Class of 2016
President - Matthew Borsari
Vice President - Adrian Eaton
Treasurer - Amanda Samuel
Secretary - Sabrina Barry
Red Nose Day
A $100 donation was made to the Red Nose Day charity in the name of East Granby High School students which got them 100 bright red noses that were used to generate donations of teen clothing for Friend-to-Friend located at 32 Spoonville Road in East Granby. They collected over a hundred articles of clothing and the kids had fun wearing their red noses in celebration of their charity. Friend-to-Friend uses the proceeds from their sales to fund the East Granby food pantry.
This was a great opportunity for our students to practice their leadership skills through charity and community service. Please click on the link below to find out more about Red Nose Day.
(From left to right: sophomore students Ivana Prats and Justin Lacharite)
East Granby High School Talks
East Granby High School Talks debut occurred on May 18th in the high school library. Community leaders and our freshman leadership students engaged in a discussion about leadership, including what characteristics great leaders have in common. A student produced video was also shown that demonstrated our student leadership learning experience. EGHS Talks represents experimental learning at its best, which will expand across the business curriculum during the 2016-2017 school year.
From left to right (adults panelist) are: Sandy Landolina, Board Member of Friend-to-Friend located at 92 Spoonville Road, Tami Zawistowski, Connecticut General Assembly Representative for the 61st District, Rebecca B. Taylor, Marketing Manager for DSI Marketing and President of the Bradley Regional Chamber, Gloria Greider, Owner/Operator of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt.
Students from left to right are freshman leaders: Caitlin Strzegowski (keynote speaker - cneter), Dillon Fiore, Christian Fagnant, Bianca Prescott, Olivia Sanford,
The two students (panelist moderators) facing Caitlin are: Audrey Corcoran and Jordan Walsh.
Summer Wishes
To come and visit me,
So I can play in meadows green
Or splash in the cool blue sea.
I wish for candy floss white clouds
To drift across the sky,
So I can play at guessing shapes
As they slowly sail on by.
I wish for sizzling barbeques,
For delicious finger food;
For burger baps and hotdog rolls.
When everything taste so good.
I wish for all my friends to play
Together in the sun;
To run, to hide, to chase, to jump,
To always have great fun.
- Author Unknown