The Observer Staff Visits 5th Graders At McAlister Intermediate School

On December 3 and 4 the fifth-grade students got a visit from the staff at The Suffield Observer. The fifth-grade teachers asked the Observer to talk to the students as part of their journalism unit. Do you ever struggle to think of an idea to write about? Well, students also struggle sometimes, and the staff at the Observer opened up their presentation by explaining how they get ideas for articles. Another thing they talked to us about is that your facts need to be true because you don’t want people to get false information.

Superintendent’s Update

The Superintendent’s FY2021 Budget Recommendation was presented to the Suffield Board of Education at its December 5, 2019 meeting. The $36,509,475 proposal was a 2.71% increase over the 2019-2020 budget of $35,547,870. With fixed costs accounting for the largest percentage of the budget increase, significant efforts were made to put forth a modest proposal that was in alignment with the mission and goals of the Suffield Public Schools. The major initiatives for the 2020-2021 school year reflect our increasing demands for literacy instruction, Special Education programming, high school coursework, elementary STEM programming, high school guidance, and digital learning. In addition, funding has been requested to address the reoccurring maintenance needs of our school facilities.

Rotary Students of the Month

Rotary Student of the Month for November

Congratulations to Eiren Klesczewski who was selected as the Rotary Student of the Month for November! Eiren is a senior at Suffield High School and has volunteered in several groups throughout her years here at the high school. Eiren is involved with Chick-Fil-A Leader Academy, where she helped organize a Trivia Night to raise money for the Dustin Doyon and Brianna Mailloux Scholarship Fund. This group also organized a movie night for elementary aged children, where they collected socks to donate to those in need for the winter. Eiren is also a member of our Wildcat Advisory Group.

Suffield High School’s Kindness Crew

Since cancer has affected many of our lives, The Kindness Crew decided that working with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute along with the Jimmy Fund, would be the best possible choice to raise and donate as much as we can for cancer research.

New Musical Premiers at SHS

On December 5, 6, and 7, Suffield High School’s Drama Club had the rare opportunity not only to be part of a play’s premier, but also to work with the play’s author and director, Carl Casinghino, one of SHS’s great teachers.

BFF: The Premiere of a New Musical

The machinery of adolescence is a topic that has been featured in thousands of forms of media for thousands of years, reflected on television screens, canvases, and frail rolls of paper. It is a theme with incredible longevity, but one that constantly requires new perspectives and techniques to maintain its relevance. This is a demanding standard, yet it is matched and exceeded by Suffield High School Drama Club’s production of the original musical BFF. With book and lyrics by SHS’s resident film and French teacher, Carl Casinghino, and music by his uncle, Robert Casinghino, the musical is an ambitious work that conveys the complex tangle of relationships that binds an average high school community both in the physical world and the amorphous digital realm. These two spheres are so integrated that the plot’s driving conflict emerges and escalates in the initial acts without many of the characters ever meeting in person, instead building animosity allegiances through text messages, which will be displayed to the audience through a projector.

Peer Models Sought for Preschool

Screenings for 3 and 4-year-old Peer Models have been scheduled for: Tuesday, January 21, and Tuesday, January 28.(Inclement Weather/Snow Date: Tuesday, February 4). The Suffield Developmental Preschool provides a theme and skill based curriculum guided by BEST Practices as outlined by the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards. Our Goals: Promote early literacy skills; develop each child as an individual; growth toward self-reliance and healthy independence; develop positive feelings of self-worth and inner strength;  learn to interact with others by respecting their rights and feelings; learn to solve problems and resolve conflicts by expressing feelings in an appropriate manner; growth toward physical, emotional, social and intellectual maturity. We provide a caring, supportive and fun filled environment. Certified Program Staff:

Special Education Teachers; Occupational Therapist; Speech/Language Pathologist; Physical Therapist. 

Please call Spaulding School at 860-668-3352 to schedule an appointment. 

National Honor Society Induction

The National Honor Society Induction took place on October 24 in the Suffield High School auditorium. The four pillars of National Honor Society are Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. 

Thirty-six students (12 seniors and 24 juniors) were inducted into the Society in the formal ceremony. These students join the 15 seniors who were inducted last year. Mrs. Reiser was the guest speaker. Mr. Blain, Principal and Mrs. Zawawi, Assistant Superintendent, also spoke. 

Congratulations!

Rotary Student

Congratulations to Savannah Price who was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month for October. Savannah is a senior at Suffield High School and also an honors student. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society, where she was elected as Secretary.  In January of 2019, Savannah was named the World Language Student of the Month. Senorita Dolnack chose Savannah for her dedication to learning the Spanish language and culture in addition to the quality of her work in class.