l itchfield district newsle ©er · 2018. 6. 19. · l itchfield public schools district newsle...

L itchfield Public Schools

District Newsle er

June 2018

Find more news and events at www.litchfieldschools.org

Litchfield Public Schools

35 Plumb Hill Rd Litchfield, CT

06759 860-567-7500

LHS GRADUATION

JUNE 25 ,2018

Warner Theatre

Dear Families and Staff, Welcome to the final edi on of the District Newsle er for the 2017‐2018 school year. Each school has submi ed ar cles and pictures detailing events over the past few months, in order to keep you informed about what’s happening in each of our schools. These last few months have been busy, and this final edi on is just a glimpse of all that has been going on throughout the district. There have been many celebra ons highligh ng the amazing accomplishments and talents of our students, and the wonderful ac vi es in our schools. As always, we thank you for your con nued support of our schools and programs. We couldn’t do it without you! Enjoy the summer! Best, Sherri Turner

CONGRATULATIONS

CLASS OF 2018!!!!!!

Center School Newsle er Update

To build on Center School’s mission of fostering a partnership between school and home, the second half of the year at Center School featured various opportuni es for collabora on and engaging in learning together. Students, staff and families were engaged in ac vi es which supported the mind, body and spirit of the whole child: a school‐wide read aloud of Wishtree, Center School Enrichment Academy, math night, spring musical concert and an assembly on learning about kindness through crea‐tures.

Grade 1 Family Math Night

Grade 1 students challenged parents and siblings to

various math games covering topics from numbers

and opera ons to pa erns and puzzles….

Mathema cal Mindsets were definitely on display!

Center School


Events

PTO Thank you to the PTO for sponsoring Animal Embassy!

Center School students and staff learned about kindness,

empathy, and acceptance through living creatures! The

assembly was a great connec on to our Keys to Good

Character Program and Second Steps Program.

. Center School Enrichment Academy

In March and May, Center School students, staff and families

collaborated and par cipated in various enrichment work‐

shops. This year with the collabora ve partnership between

school, home and community, students at Center School par c‐

ipated in three enrichment academies. Over the course of the

year, students learned about topics such as: Gardening, Histo‐

ry of Rock Music,

Intro to Ukulele,

Explora on of

Cave Art, Chess,

Coding, Snap Cir‐

cuits….

Center School

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Events

Grade 3 Spring Concert

Thank you to Mrs. Marshall and our 3rd grade students for a

wonderful Spring Choral Concert!

Center School Character Educa on at Center School…Kindness

Counts….

In a collabora ve effort between Center School students, families, staff, PTO and LEF, work with kindness and good character was o en seen and heard throughout our school and community. From our school‐wide/community read aloud of Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, to assemblies and school gatherings around kindness, Center School

students and LPS shined!


Litchfield High School Acts of Kindness Club leading Center School

students in a skit from the book Wishtree!

Events


Intermediate School Events

Enrichment Days

Over the course of the year LIS held 3 Enrichment Days. On

June 6 we had our third session with a wide range of ac vi es,

including many outdoor themes like Wiffle Ball and Track

Events. The support of our parent community, the crea vity of

our staff and the wide eyed excitement of our students made

all of the days a hit.

Student Council

The revitaliza on of the LIS Student Council was a tremendous

success. Over 40 students took part throughout the year

hos ng many fundraisers and school wide ac vi es. On June 3

the students raised over $900 by hos ng a bake sale. Thank

you to advisor Becky Stull for all of her hard work.

Field Day

On June 8 all students in grades 4‐6 took part in the fun of

Field Day! Ms. Ouelle e prepared a variety of ac vi es allow‐

ing all students to take part in the day and test some of the

skills learned throughout the year. A special thanks to the 18

parent volunteers who joined us that day.


Events Intermediate School

Band and Chorus Concerts

Our spring me concerts were a tremendous success! Under the

guidance of Ms. Bethany Franklin our grades 4‐6 Band and Chorus,

along with our fi h and sixth grade Jazz Band wowed the audience

with their musical talents. The students made great strides during

the year and blossomed on concert night.

On May 11 the fi h and sixth grade band and chorus performed at

the Great East Music Fes val and took Gold Medals! The students

then enjoyed celebra ng their hard work with a day at Six Flags!

Kids Marathon Club

50 students took part in the LEF Kid’s Marathon Program. Beginning

back in April the students spent 8 weeks training, having fun and

running 25 miles. On June 3 the group headed to Torrington High

School to finish off the last 1.2 miles to complete their 26.2 miles

and become Kids Marathoners!

2018/19 Teacher Changes

We wish Caitlin Johnson the best of luck as she prepares for the

birth of her first child this summer. Caitlin will be taking next year

off to spend me with her new addi on. Best of Luck to Bethany

Franklin and Dana Bartholomew as they leave us at LIS! Next year

Ms. Kraut will be moving to Grade 4 and Mrs. Bernard will be mov‐

ing to Grade 5! Mr. Dan Porri will be taking over the General Music

and Band du es, while Mr. Peter Perkins will be taking over as our

Choral teacher.

Congratula ons!


Middle School

C.A.S. Scholar Leaders The C.A.S. Middle Level Scholar Leader award is sponsored by the Con‐nec cut Associa on of Schools and goes to a young man and a young woman who exemplify academic achievement and leadership. These students model integrity, self‐discipline, honesty, and courage for their peers. This year’s awardees were Kadija Crapo and Thomas Gostkowski.

Kadija is a hard working student who demonstrates passion for many subjects and holds herself to a high standard in and out of the class‐room. From the basketball court to the classroom, she is a kind team‐mate and classmate, and an exemplary learner. Kadija is ac ve within the school community as a three sport athlete and musician who plays bass clarinet and saxophone. She co‐captained the cross country, track and field, and basketball teams. Thomas is a though ul and respec ul student who leads by example. Within the classroom he works well with his peers, and is a reliable and conscien ous student who takes ownership of his learning. Tommy en‐trenches himself in all subjects and is a fearless learner who engages all of his classmates in their own personal learning. He is a three sport ath‐lete who plays soccer, basketball, and baseball, and played a leadership role as the co‐captain of all three teams.

Middle School Field Trips

8th Grade trip to the American Museum of Natural History In April, eighth grade students and teachers spent a day at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. While there, students were tasked with examining how museum halls are arranged, what decisions a curator makes when determining what to include in a display, how displays are labeled, and what makes an exhibit engaging. Inspired by the professionals, students then chose a topic based on any‐thing they wanted to learn more about. Working with our library media specialist, Mrs. Reeve, students researched and culled informa on about their topic. They used the informa onal wri ng skills they have worked on throughout the year to create impressive mul ‐sensory dis‐plays that were a rac ve and engaging. Students collaborated to cate‐gorize topics into museum halls ‐ Arts, Entertainment, Sports, U.S. Histo‐ry, and Human and Natural Crea ons ‐ then spent an a ernoon explor‐ing and reflec ng on the Litchfield Middle School Museum.

Events

Trip to Spain Middle School

7th grade overnight to Nature’s Classroom

The seventh grade class enjoyed an overnight field trip to Nature’s Class‐room in Colebrook, Connec cut this past April. Students par cipated in team building ac vi es as well as curriculum‐connected elec ve classes such as bird dissec on, “Salamander Gander,” and “Webs of Life.” Na‐ture’s Classroom teachers led students on long hikes, including a night experience where the connec on was made between the science behind night vision and nocturnal creatures. Food conserva on was discussed in detail through the introduc on of the “Ort Report,” which encouraged students to reflect on the size of their food servings at meals and to rec‐ognize the waste created. A wonderful me was had by both students as well as staff.

Middle Schools End‐of‐Year Projects

8th grade ‐ 20Time In June, eighth grade students will embody a growth mindset as they are introduced to a culmina ng project that will challenge them to learn or improve upon a par cular skill of their choice. Students will spend rough‐ly twenty percent of the school week researching, learning about, and prac cing their skill, as well as building their presenta ons. In the last week of school, students will present their progress towards reaching their goal and reflec ng on the perseverance required to complete the task. This interdisciplinary challenge serves as an ac ve way for students to incorporate the skills and knowledge they have garnered from their middle school educa on.

7th Grade – Problem Solving Project Seventh graders will be par cipa ng in an end of year interdisciplinary project, The Shark Tank Challenge, requiring them to apply higher order thinking skills and concepts from across academic areas as they create an inven on that solves or improves a problem. Students will collaborate with their peers to iden fy a problem, create a prototype of their inven‐on, and pitch their idea to the sharks in the form of a short commercial.

Students will spend the last four days of school planning, recording, and edi ng a commercial that will be shown to an audience of their peers. This culmina ng project calls on students to think cri cally and problem solve while engaging in high‐interest, self‐directed inquiry.


Events

High School


Awards Season at Litchfield High School

Litchfield High School has several award evenings that highlight our stu-dents’ exceptional talents in a variety of different areas:

Celebration of Excellence: Our all-school awards evening this year dis-tributed over 100 awards to over 70 students in grades 9-12 during our annual Celebration of Excellence. Given in honor of former school or Litchfield community members and local organizations, these awards acknowledge academics, as well as qualities such as leadership, integrity and commitment to community.

Connecticut Association of Schools Scholar Athlete Banquet and Scholar Arts Banquet: Two senior athletes and two senior artists are selected to attend a banquet sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Schools with their parents and coaches or teachers of choice to earn recognition for their accomplishments in each area. Recipients are selected by the athletic coordinator and content area teachers, respec-tively, for their consistent demonstration of talent for, participation in, and commitment to each area during their years at LHS.

Litchfield Scholarship Association: The Litchfield Scholarship Associa-tion awards approximately $250,000 each year to current and former LHS graduates to support their post-secondary studies. Once award-ed, students are eligible for their LSA scholarship until conferring their degree. In addition, the LSA awards one-time scholarships to the valedictorian and salutatorian of the graduating class, as well as Rare Book Awards to the top male and top female graduates.

Mabry Awards: Given on behalf of the Edward E. Mabry Foundation, these awards recognize achievement and potential in two- and three-dimensional art, music, and written word. Honorees perform and present during the ceremony and speak of their inspiration and ap-proach to their work.

National Honor Society and National Foreign Language Honor Society: Over 30 new inductees were honored for their commitment to the pillars of each society.

Senior Sports Awards: Organized by our athletic department, seniors athletes receive honorable distinctions for their performance and records over four-years.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients for another outstanding year of accomplishments by LHS students!

Events


LHS Arts Coffee House Showcases LHS Talent

Art teachers Rebecca Melaragno and Michael Bucci and music teachers Dan Porri and

Peter Perkins organized the LHS Spring Coffeehouse on Monday, June 4 in the LHS

cafeteria. The audience of almost 100 parents, friends and alum enjoyed original

performances from the small group music making classes and beginning guitar clas‐

ses, as well as a fashion show featuring the latest works from the fashion design class.

Also on display were various pieces of two and three‐dimensional art from advanced

placement, as well as advanced, art.

Boys and Girls Tennis Dominates the LHS Season

Both the Litchfield Boys and Girls Tennis Teams accomplished historic seasons this

year which led to two Berkshire League tles (the first for the girls and the 8th for

the boys) and a first ever Class S State Championship.

The LHS Girls Tennis Team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class S State tourna‐

ment for the 5th consecu ve year, losing a hard fought match against top‐seeded,

and eventual champions, Weston. Four‐year varsity starters Lexi Honigmann (‘18),

Caroline Donovan (‘18), and Aaliyah Vescera (‘18), who last year contributed to a 15‐1

co‐champion season, pushed the team to a new level of success. Lexi, a three year co‐

captain, completed her LHS career having never lost a regular season match. Anchor‐

ing the team at first singles, Lexi was a four‐ me BL All‐Star, 2016 All‐State performer,

and 2017 BL Singles Tournament Champion. Caroline, co‐captain, completed a dis n‐

guished and versa le career by earning BL All‐Star honors at singles just a year a er

winning the BL Doubles Tournament tle. Aaliyah also displayed excep onal versa li‐

ty this season, switching from doubles to singles and compiling an impressive 11‐2

record at the 4th posi on.

The LHS Boys Tennis Team took home their first ever Class S State Championship this

season. Team captain Charlie Shanks (‘19) earned recogni on as BL All‐Star, All‐State

qualifier, and the State Singles Championship runner‐up. At second singles, Miles

Chapman (‘19) finished the regular season 15‐1, was a Berkshire League All‐star, and

won two points for the team toward the State tle. Ryan Garden (‘19) was undefeat‐

ed in the regular season at third singles and a key contributor to the team’s undefeat‐

ed regular season. Spencer Sivilla (‘19) and Zach Kwalick (‘18) finished the season

with a 24‐1 record, the only loss coming in the semifinal of the State tournament. This

dynamic Berkshire All‐Star doubles team won the league tle. Noah Van Handel (‘18)

played second doubles with Tim Donovan (‘21) during the regular season and teamed

up with Leo Gianfagna (‘21) to earn a State tournament double win. Noah Parilla (‘21)

and Ma Bove (‘20) played well for the team at third doubles in the state tourna‐

ment. Mike D’Aversa (‘20), Luis Hurtado (‘21), Alex Lanthier (‘19), and Sam Richard‐

son (‘21) were all dedicated junior varsity players that supported their team through‐

out the season with a very deep bench

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RECENT LHS EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT OUR

WEBSITE!

High School

Events

Pupil Services: Paren ng Children with Challenging Behavior Julie Haggard ‐ Director of Pupil Services

With the end of another school year right around the corner, school days may soon transi on for some parents into a long summer “daze”. Although summer is a wonderful me for bonding and extended family me, some parents may be faced with the chal‐

lenges of con nuing some of the expecta ons, rou nes and structures cri cal for chil‐dren who face behavioral challenges. The Technical Assistance Center on Emo onal Interven on for Young Children has compiled the following eight prac cal ps adapted below. Read on to see if using any of these 8 ps may be of benefit to your family. You can also adapt these strategies to use with older children simply by using more age‐appropriate language.

Keep Your Expecta ons Realis c: It is important for you to know and understand your child’s abili es and limita ons. When you expect too much or too li le from your child it can lead to problems and frustra ons for you both. Plan Ahead: Try to an cipate what your child may do or need in various situa ons. Make sure that you plan ahead to help your child have a successful experience. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Always have a back‐up plan! Clearly State Your Expecta ons in Advance: Some undesirable behavior occurs because your child can’t act differently, other mes it occurs because your child simply doesn’t want to act differently. Either way it helps for you to remember that your child cannot read your mind. Be sure to give your child one clear instruc on so that he knows what it is that you want him to do. Offer Limited, Reasonable Choices: Most children are not born with the built‐in ability to make decisions and then accept the consequences. In order for your child to learn to take personal responsibility they will need plenty of support and prac ce. Use “If… Then” Statements: An “If…then” statement is a simple instruc on that tells your child what he or she must do in order to earn a desired consequence (if he/she wants to do). This is also known as a con ngency statement.

When you use a con ngency statement, be sure you: Give it a posi ve focus State it only once. Set a reasonable me limit. Follow through. Be prepared for your child’s response‐ ‐it may be “NO”

Catch Your Child Being Good: Did you ever stop to think about how much me you spend telling your child what he should not do? Instead, try giving special, posi ve a en on to the behavior that you want to see. This will teach your child what you want him to do and increase the likelihood that this behavior will occur again and again. Stay Calm: When your child’s behavior is unacceptable, you can choose to either respond to it or ignore it. If you decide that a reac on is required, remember that the least re‐sponse necessary is usually best. Ac ng calm with a minimum of a en on will reduce the risk of strengthening the very behavior you wish to discourage. When you remain calm, it also gives you me to think about how you want to respond. Remember, you are model‐ing desired behavior for your child (the more out‐of‐control your child becomes, the more self‐control you need to show). When you remain calm your child learns appropriate ways to respond to difficult situa ons. Use Neutral Time: Neutral me cannot be found in the middle of a difficult situa on filled with strong feelings. Instead, neutral me is when everyone is calm enough to think and talk and listen. It’s important to remember that neutral me can occur either before or a er a child’s unacceptable behavior occurs. You can talk about what happened earlier and talk about posi ve ways to handle problems in the future. The challenge is to iden fy neutral me and make use of these opportuni es.

If you have addi onal ques ons or are in need of further consulta on regarding paren ng resources or supports for beyond the school day, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. Happy Parenting and Happy Summer!


l itchfield district newsle ©er · 2018. 6. 19. · l itchfield public schools district newsle...

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