Bobcat Bulletin
SWHS Newsletter June 2021
Welcome to the Bobcat Bulletin!
Message from the Principal
Dear SWHS Families,
It has been a challenging year but, together, we have made it to June. In just a few days the 2020-21 school year will come to a close. I'd like to thank students and families for their support this school year. I would also like to commend the heroic efforts of faculty and staff with all they have done for students.
I wish to recognize our students for their resilience this school year. Despite the year's challenges, many of our students were able to flourish. Included in this edition of the Bobcat Bulletin are the following: Class of 2021 Senior Awards, Scholarships, & Distinctions, Junior Book Club Award Recipients, and Honor Roll students for all grades (provided in May's edition). Congratulations to all students on these fine accomplishments!
Also included in this month's newsletter is a special section dedicated to our SWHS 2021 retirees John Hackett, Rob McAndrew, and Lisa Rosano. We congratulate and wish them all well!
I hope all SWHS families are able to enjoy a peaceful and restful summer. Thank you and be well.
Frank Rizzuto
This issue contains information on the following topics:
- Class of 2021 Senior Awards, Scholarships, & Distinctions
- Junior Book Club Award Recipients
- Honor Roll Recognition (Grades 9 -12)
- Spring Sports Recap
- Congratulations to the SWHS 2021 Retirees!
Class of 2021 Awards, Scholarship Recipients, & Distinctions
Senior Awards Night was held on May 27 and Senior Scholarship Night was held on June 2.
To view the awards and recipients for each of these two programs, please CLICK HERE. Congratulations to all of the seniors who earned these distinctions!
Junior Book Awards (Class of 2022)
Junior Book Awards are distinctions given to 11th grade students by various colleges and universities based on criteria as identified by each institution. These institutions are often looking to identify future students based on academic, community, and/or extracurricular achievements and interests. These prestigious awards often come with books, certificates, letters of distinction and/or other physical items. All recipients will be either called down to the SWHS School Counseling office to pick up their award or it will be mailed home by either SWHS or the specific institution. Congratulations to these students!
To view this year’s recipients, please CLICK HERE.
Honor Roll Recognition (Grades 9 - 12)
HONOR ROLL CRITERIA: In order to be on the Honor Roll at South Windsor High School, students must:
- Carry a course load of at least 5 graded courses in the current marking period; and
- Maintain a quarterly GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade below a C-.
- To be eligible for High Honors, students must maintain a quarterly GPA of at least 3.7 with no grade below a B-.
HONOR ROLL CERTIFICATES: Students may pick up their honor roll certificates in the Media Center from 7:00 am - 2:30 pm up until Friday, June 11. Certificates that are not picked up by June 11 will be mailed home during the summer.
Spring Sports Recap
Below are the final regular season records for the SWHS Spring Sports teams:
- Baseball 4-14
- Softball 12-6
- Girls Golf 4-8
- Boys Golf 0-15
- Girls Lacrosse 7-4-1
- Boys Lacrosse 1-13
- Girls Tennis 9-7
- Boys Tennis 12-4
- Girls Track 4-3
- Boys Track 4-3
- Boys Volleyball 13-2 (Post-season: Made it to semi-finals in CCC tournament and semi-finals in the state tournament).
Several spring athletes earned All-Conference honors and some also received All-State recognition. Congratulations to these student-athletes!
Baseball
Brian Allard - All-Conference
Girls Golf
Meghna Mazumdar - All-Conference
Girls Lacrosse
Maliya Haddock - All-Conference, 1st Team All-State
Lindsey Tortora - All-Conference
Boys Lacrosse
Kyle Dunn - All-Conference
Softball
Bridget Doherty - All-Conference
Lyndsay Donston - All-Conference
Kenadie Gonzalez - All-Conference
Boys Tennis – *Conference East Division Champions
Anthony Chen - All-Conference
Matthew Chin - All-Conference
Jonathan Huot - All-Conference
Rahul Mahesh - All-Conference
Vrishab Murali - All-Conference
Girls Tennis – *Conference East Division Champions
Mary Grace Goodall - All-Conference
Heather Kim - All-Conference
Jina Lee - All-Conference
Grace Martin - All-Conference
Caitlin Sauer - All-Conference
Boys Track
Jack Gorborino - All-Conference
Tyler Goudreault - All-Conference
Colin Kniffen - All-Conference
Samuel Meleshenko - All-Conference, State Class L 4th place Discus
Ares Savvides - All-Conference
Girls Track
Erin Dunn - All-Conference, State Class L 2nd place Pole Vault
Abigail Weiner - All-Conference, State Class L 3rd place Javelin
Boys Volleyball
Charlie Bemis - All-Conference, 1st Team All-State
Nolan Goodale - All-Conference, 2nd Team All-State
Aidan Iacovelli - All-Conference, 2nd Team All-State
Congratulations to Our SWHS 2021 Retirees!
John Hackett
Mr. Hackett began his teaching career at SWHS in 1988. During his time at SWHS, Mr. Hackett served as an assistant football coach for nine years, the boys lacrosse coach for three years, and was a freshman class co-advisor for 25 years. Mr. Hackett supported countless student and staff efforts throughout his time at SWHS including helping to raise thousands of dollars over many years to buy and conserve hundreds of acres of tropical rainforest and many Peace Corps Partnership projects. Mr. Hackett also helped with raising thousands of dollars for the eternal flame at the Iwo Jima Memorial in New Britain along with recording WWII Veteran oral histories and sending them to the Library of Congress. Mr. Hackett served as South Windsor Education Association President for 16 years and was very proud of having helped raise tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships for SWHS seniors.
Mr. Hackett enjoyed the friendships and relationships he developed with students, colleagues, and families in South Windsor. He also enjoyed many moments and traditions including when Mrs. Wolf's Child Development students and young students visited classrooms in Halloween costumes. He always looked forward to veterans visiting his classes on Veteran's Day to share their experiences in the military and the meaning of Veteran's Day to them. He enjoyed when Choral Spectrum walked the halls before the Holiday Recess singing holiday carols. Mr. Hackett also remembers guarding Basketball Hall of Famer Marques Hayes in a freshman class fundraising Faculty vs. Harlem Magicians basketball game. Mr. Hackett will always remember the many debates in his classes and using a Jeopardy format to review for tests. Ultimately, he'll most remember trying to help kids develop into young adults.
In retirement, Mr. Hackett looks forward to traveling and visiting many of the places he taught about but has not yet seen in person.
Rob McAndrew
Mr. McAndrew is an alumni of South Windsor High School (Class of ’84). His teaching career began at Shelton High School where he taught for eight years before returning to his alma mater where he taught for 22 years. Mr. McAndrew was a highly respected member of the Science Department and specialized primarily in teaching Physics. Mr. McAndrew was gifted at making physics approachable and accessible to his classes along with developing positive relationships with students. In fact, getting to know his students was his favorite part of the job. Reflecting back on his career, Mr. McAndrew was most proud of the work ethic he brought to the position. As he puts it, "if I wasn't on my 'A game,' I felt I was letting the students down."
Several years ago, Mr. McAndrew agreed to serve as co-chair to the NEASC Steering Committee in preparation for SWHS' decennial visit in the Fall of 2018. This was a significant responsibility and Mr. McAndrew, along with his co-chair, were instrumental in our school's readiness for the Visiting Team's visit that Fall. Organization, leadership, and attention were the hallmark traits leading up to and including the visit.
When asked what he most looks forward to in retirement, Mr. McAndrew shared, "hauling lobster traps on my boat."
Lisa Rosano
Mrs. Rosano joined SWHS in 2001. Teaching was a career shift for Mrs. Rosano as she had previously been in the sales field. It was during her time in sales, especially as a trainer in the National Sales Force, where she decided to pursue her love of teaching. Mrs. Rosano thoroughly enjoyed teaching the French language to her students. In her own words, “teaching is about love.” She enjoyed watching the day to day growth of students, providing them encouragement, and valuing their efforts. She also enjoyed her own growth as a result of what she learned from students, her collaboration with colleagues, and the growth that comes with experience. Mrs. Rosano always enjoyed coming up with new strategies to instruct and was always trying to stay current how students best learn.
Mrs. Rosano was deeply appreciative of her time with the French Exchange Program and, in most recent years, oversaw the program. She observed first-hand the powerful impact it had on both the SWHS and French students. The knowledge and experiences gained had a profound impact on all involved. Mrs. Rosano also participated on various committees during her time at SWHS and most recently served as the Scientific-Research Based Interventions (SRBI) Committee. This committee allowed her to work closely with faculty members from several departments with the sole purpose of best supporting students utilizing best strategies and practices.
In retirement, Mrs. Rosano looks forward to traveling again, participating in outdoor hikes, kayaking and excursions with her husband, Mike and adult children, Lauren, her husband Sean, and John. She may also try to take up something new like pottery and will also take part in volunteer opportunities to assist others.