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SCHOOLS



 
 Honor Rolls
 
 
Little Brick enrolling pre-schoolers for Fall 2012
Little Brick School is currently enrolling for the fall, 2012-2013, school year. Start your preschooler on the road to a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. If you are interested in joining the Little Brick family, please call Mary or Sue at 860-567-1300 or check out our website at www.littlebrickschool.com
 
 
Sunflower Montessori School Open House
The Sunflower Montessori School is hosting an Open House on Feb. 22nd, 10 am-12 pm and Feb. 25th, 10 am-1 pm. The Sunflower Montessori School  is located at 583 Bantam Road in Litchfield in ‘The Cove.’ They are now enrolling children for the fall.
 
Carrie Schmidt
Head Teacher/Director
P.O. Box 245, Bantam, CT 06759
(860) 567-5462
 
 
'Mardi Gras Mayhem'
Saturday, February 25th - 7:00-10:00 pm
@ Litchfield Community Center
"MARDI GRAS MAYHEM" - a party to chase the February blahs, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25th at the Litchfield Community Center. The Public is invited to enjoy an evening of music, dancing, food, and drink. A selection of tasty appetizers will be provided by Litchfield Catering and wine merchant Casa Bacchus of Litchfield will supply a variety of beers and wines. Various door prizes contributed by local artisans and businesses will be available for those attending.
 
The Mardi Gras party will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and has been organized by The Litchfield Aid of CJR. Music will be provided by LHS student DJ's Blaze Pope and Tom Hinkle.
 
Advance ticket price of $35.00 per person may be purchased by mailing a check payable to:
The Litchfield Aid, PO Box 214, Litchfield, CT 06759 before Feb. 20th.
Tickets will be available at the door for $40.00 per person.
 
The Litchfield Aid, organized over 100 years ago, supports the work of the Connecticut Junior Republic and benefits the more than 1,200 boys, girls and families served by CJR - a substantial number of whom reside in Litchfield County.
 
For more information contact: Julith Sink at sinkinn@gmail.com
Or Tammy Knox at 860-459-4099 or email tadaa719@msn.com
 
 
James Morris School supports Salvation Army
 
photo contributed
Students at James Morris School in Morris collected 60 coats for the Salvation Army in Waterbury recently. From left are students Maggie Yoelson, Kylee McIntosh, Alex Johnson, and Kalea Barger. The collection effort was part of the school's leadership awareness workshop, which focused on the words, work, and wisdom of Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln.
 
 
CONNECTICUT JUNIOR REPUBLIC (CJR)
IS REACCREDITED BY COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION (COA)
The Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) has been reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), according to an announcement made by Anne J. Fitzgerald, President of the Board of Directors. COA is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child and family-service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization.

"COA accreditation attests that an organization meets the highest national best-practice standards and is providing superior quality programs to the community it serves," said Mrs. Fitzgerald. "From the standpoint of the CJR Board of Directors, this third party, objective endorsement is a testament to CJR's excellent work with at-risk, special needs and troubled boys and girls and their families, and affirms the organization's rigorous adherence to the highest standards of care," she stated.

In 1980, the Connecticut Junior Republic was the first organization in the State of Connecticut to achieve COA accreditation and has been accredited since that time, with re-accreditation required every four years. Prior to 1980, CJR was accredited by the Child Welfare League of America. continued
 
 
James Morris School to honor
Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt
 
James Morris School literacy club presidents
Maddie Gesmondi, left, and Kelly Hill
contributed photo
James Morris School students and staff will celebrate the life, accomplishments, and friendship of Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt by engaging in a two week school-wide study.
 
This meaningful experience will include a look-alike contest, journal writing competition, various texts and quotes, hallway exhibits, visit from several pilots, and a school-wide music assembly. Winners of the competitions will dine on food prepared by Amanda Lorusso.
 
The Feb 16. evening presentation will feature the work of Wendell Minor, an accomplished writer and artist, who just completed Night Flight, a beautifully illustrated story about Amelia Earhart’s flight across the Atlantic. The planning committee includes sixth-graders, Maddie Gesmondi, Kylee McIntosh, and Maggie Yoelson. Fourth grade members include Kelly Hill, Isabel Eddy, Renee Teddick, Madison Dean, and Bella Boljonis.
 

OWL's Half-Day Science Club

Generously funded by the Litchfield Education Foundation


 

The Maritime Aquarium Center of Norwalk will be offering a series of hands-on workshops to help prepare you for the Science Fair. This series introduces students to animals and plants of the Long Island Sound. Core science curriculum frameworks and CMT correlations will be included in these workshops. Join Mrs. Shaia on these half-days of the month!
 
For Grades 4 - 8. Space is limited. Registration Required - Register Online
Wednesday, March 7: 1:30 - 2:30 pm - Register Online
Learn how to use a microscope and inspect live animals. 
Wednesday, May 9: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Learn about the effects of water pollution, learn ideas for conservation that you can do in your home, and have a chance to meet live animals.
 
 
APPLY ONLINE FOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Area students can now apply online for scholarships from The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut. For the 2012-2013 academic year, scholarship applicants may access the new online application, along with procedural guidelines, at www.cfnwct.org.

Most scholarships are awarded to residents of the Foundation's 20-town service area, as noted below. Further information on restrictions, eligibility requirements and individual scholarship funds also is available on the Foundation's website.

Scholarship applications for the 2012-2013 academic year must be submitted electronically by April 2, 2012. Students are advised to refer to the scholarship guidelines posted online for further information on submitting supplemental materials. Inquiries may be directed to the Foundation at 860.626.1245 or info@cfnwct.org.  more information
 
 
Litchfield High School Seniors
Winners of Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards
Two Litchfield High School students were selected as winners of the 2012 Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards. Danielle Karwowski's Art Portfolio was awarded a Gold Key, the Connecticut Women's Artist Award, and Lyme Academy of Fine Arts Scholarship. Megan Ouellette was awarded Gold Key on her Art Portfolio. Their work will be on display at the Silpe Gallery at the Hartford Art School from January 15th to February 3rd. These students will be presented their awards at a ceremony at the Lincoln Theater, University of Hartford on January 29, 2012, followed by an art reception at Silpe Gallery.
 
The Gold award winners' work will be submitted to the National Scholastic Art Awards competition, taking place later this year.
 
Exhibition dates : Jan. 15 to Feb. 3, 2012. Gallery hours : daily 9 to 4 pm , weekends , noon to 5 pm. 860-768-4827

 
OWTS Generations Project
Oliver Wolcott Technical High School(OWTS) is engaging in a very important and interesting adventure. We are looking for photographs which show the OWTS graduates in your family. 
 
The school has done so much for its graduates and the graduates so much for the community that the Family Engagement Center(FEC) would like to show off all its Generations.
 
The FEC at OWTS is trying to collect as many photos as possible in order to make a wonderful display that will be open to the public in the Spring. If you have a photograph that you would like to submit please sent it via email to: owtboosters@gmail.com
                  
or via mail               FEC Generations Project
                             c/o OWTHS
                             75 Oliver Street
                             Torrington, CT 06790
 
Any questions can be directed to Diane Fredsall at 860-482-9283 or email at fredsallfamily@hotmail.com.
 
Please help us get the message out to the community, this will prove to be a very interesting and rewarding project. 
 
Diane Fredsall
Generations Project Chairwoman
 
 
Out-of-Date Special Services School Records To Be Destroyed
In keeping with state and federal regulations on confidentiality, school officials plan to destroy special service records of students belonging to the graduating class of 2005 and others of students who attended Litchfield Public Schools but did not graduate. Confidential records are destroyed seven years after they become irrelevant to the provision of educational services or after graduation. The destruction is scheduled to take place on May 1, 2012. Anyone interested in receiving his or her records or those of their children should make the request in writing to the Director of Special Services, 35 Plumb Hill Road, P.O. Box 110, Litchfield CT 06759.
 
 
CJ Silverman Wins Litchfield Montessori Geography Bee
photo contributed
L-R: Marley Thompson (2nd Runner-up), CJ Silverman (1st Place) and Gabrielle Tittle (1st Runner-up)
 
CJ Silverman, a 6th Year Student at Litchfield Montessori School, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee by successfully outlasting his peers in several rounds of geography questions. Fellow 6th Year students Gabrielle Tittle and Marley Thompson were 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively. CJ will now take a written test to see if he will advance to the state Bee! The entire Litchfield Montessori community wishes him the best of luck!
 
 
Local Student Named to Hamilton College Dean’s List
Abigail G. Martin, daughter of Bradford and Susan Martin of Litchfield, has been named to the Dean’s List at Hamilton College for the 2011 fall semester. A student must achieve a grade point average of 90 or above during the term to be placed on the Dean’s List.
 
Martin, a sophomore, is a graduate of Litchfield High School. Hamilton, a liberal arts college with an emphasis on individualized instruction and independent research, is a national leader in teaching effective writing and persuasive speaking. Additional information about the college can be found at www.hamilton.edu.
 

Local Student Named to Providence College Dean’s List
Elizabeth Binstadt, a resident of Litchfield, CT and a member of the class of 2012, has been named to the Dean's List at Providence College for the Fall 2011 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must achieve at least a 3.55 grade point average with a minimum of 12 credits.
 
Providence College is the only college or university in the United States administered by the Dominican Friars. The Catholic, liberal arts college has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 3,900 students and offers degrees in 49 academic majors. Providence College was named a "Best Buy" in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2012, and has consistently been ranked among the top five regional universities in the north according to U.S. News' America's Best Colleges.

Litchfield High School and Wamogo Regional High School
FIRST ® Robotics Team
Receives Sponsorship Support from jcpenney
Support will help local students prepare for FIRST Regional Competition
FIRST® team # 1784 Litchfield High School and Wamogo Regional High School joint team is one of 900 high school teams being sponsored this year by jcpenney. FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a not-for-profit organization founded by Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology by engaging students in innovative robotics competitions. The Litchbots is a veteran team that will spend six intense weeks designing and building an original robot for the FIRST Regional Competition scheduled for the Northeast Utilities Connecticut Regional on March 29 - 31, 2012 in Hartford, CT at the Convention Center. Admission is free.
 
"Having our students involved in FIRST is not just about increasing educational opportunities in science and technology; but instilling well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication and leadership," said Kevin Dake and Lori Dight, Faculty Advisors. "jcpenney's sponsorship represents a commitment to building the future leaders of tomorrow by making youth participation in FIRST possible."  continued
 
 
Dear Members of the Litchfield Community,
 
As we enter 2012, public school districts in Connecticut are on the threshold of a truly exciting and challenging time. The concept of educational reform in Connecticut’s public schools has now reached the agendas and action plans of the Governor’s office, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education and the legislature. In December, Governor Malloy directed Commissioner Pryor to develop legislative proposals based on principles including expanded early childhood education opportunities, support for underperforming districts, reduction in regulations that inhibit innovative initiatives in high performing districts, expanded school choice for parents, and development of teacher and principal evaluation systems that “value skill and effectiveness over tenure and seniority” (Malloy, 12/20/11). The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) and the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) have each published proposals for restructuring significant areas of our professional practice.
 
Two of the key recommendations in the CAPSS proposal include “allowing students to advance through school and graduate based on their demonstration of essential knowledge, skills and dispositions—not in the amount of time that they have spent in classrooms” and “redefining the use of time (counting mastery of concepts rather than Carnegie units/calendar) in order to support a personalized learning environment; make achievement the constant and time the variable; allowing students to learn anytime and anywhere.” The CAPSS position paper can be accessed at www.ctnexted.org.
 
I had a significant opportunity to participate in recent conversations with the Commissioner and a representative of the State Department of Education regarding the Governor’s proposal to reduce regulations for successful districts, such as Litchfield. We specifically discussed the idea of personalized learning as described by CAPSS.  Small districts with declining enrollment such as ours would benefit greatly by having the flexibility to structure educational programs to meet the needs of every student, utilizing options such as internships and virtual learning. The initial step that we are taking in district to move toward a personalized learning environment is rolling out our Bring Your Own Technology plan. We have started the work to expand wireless capability throughout the district, beginning at LHS, and to review our content filtering protocols. This initiative will be supported in my 2012-2013 budget proposal. In addition, I will be seeking job shadowing and internship opportunities for our students as I meet with community groups during the upcoming months.
 
Teacher and principal evaluation and professional development are also on the district’s action plan. During the next several weeks a committee of teachers and administrators will be established to develop new evaluation plans for recommendation to the Board of Education. Litchfield has formed a consortium with five surrounding districts to provide professional development for these teachers and administrators regarding current research and practice in valid and reliable evaluation. Both CAPSS and CEA present viable recommendations for improving our system of evaluation and addressing the issues of tenure and seniority. These recommendations, along with the work of the CT Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) will form the framework for our new system. The CAPSS position paper can be accessed at www.ctnexted.org. The CEA position paper can be accessed at www.cea.org.
 
Several other items of interest:
Litchfield High School students will begin the course selection process for next year on January 26. Parents should anticipate contact from their child’s school counselor to begin the process.
 
Kindergarten registration for September 2012 will begin at the end of January. Specific information will be published by Center School within the next few weeks.
 
The Litchfield intermediate School/Center School PTO has rescheduled the 2nd annual Parents’ Night Out for February 23.
 
The Board of Education and I encourage community groups to schedule informal sessions with us to review and discuss the 2012-2013 draft school district budget. If your organization or neighborhood group convenes with 8 or more participants, Board members and I will be happy to attend, share information and garner your feedback. Please contact my office at 860 567-7500 to schedule a budget information session.
 
I would like to remind families that the Winter Weather Advisory Letter is available on the district website at www.litchfieldschools.org, under Superintendent’s Corner. This letter presents our process for notification of weather related school cancellations, late openings and early dismissals. Please note that due to recent variances in our district calendars, Litchfield and Region 6 school districts no longer make unified decisions regarding school sessions. When listening to school announcements, be sure to follow only the information presented for the Litchfield Public Schools.
 
Please consider signing up for our free CONSTANT CONTACT service. We provide daily emailed updates from the schools, and our athletics department as needed, to keep students, parents and the community aware of school-related information as it becomes available. In addition, information about school cancellations is emailed directly to all subscribers, and is generally the first site to publicize such information. CONSTANT CONTACT SIGN UP information is available on the district website at www.litchfieldschools.org
 
I sincerely welcome interest in our school community and cordially invite you to explore the educational opportunities offered by the Litchfield Public Schools. Additional information and data pertaining to the Litchfield Public Schools are available on the Connecticut State Department of Education website at www.csde.state.ct.us. In addition, I recommend that you bookmark our district website at www.litchfieldschools.org for up to date information about our schools and programs, including our district activities and athletic department calendars.
I can be reached at wheelerd@litchfieldschools.org . Thank you again for your ongoing support of the students and staff of the Litchfield Public Schools.

Sincerely,
Deborah S. Wheeler, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
 

Inter-district Co-op Grant Awarded
The Torrington Public Schools and the Litchfield Public Schools are pleased to have been awarded a State of Connecticut Inter-district Co-op Grant. The $68,000 grant will fund activities sponsored by The Discovery Center to help students develop positive attitudes about diversity and the differences among people, to reduce isolationism between urban and rural school districts, and to improve students’ skills in mathematics, science and language arts. The grant will fund student activities, teacher training, transportation and a Parents’ Night. Fifth grade students from Torrington and Litchfield will be invited to participate in this exciting and innovative program.
 

Deborah S. Wheeler, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Litchfield Public Schools