The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/category/schools/page/54/)
On Suffield Little League opening day, April 21, Emily Sweeney, recovered from her luge crash at the South Korean Olympics, is pictured throwing out the first pitches for Suffield Little League baseball and softball.
Popular Olympic luger Emily Sweeney shares a few words with young Cara Lobato and hands back Cara’s baseball cap with a cherished signature.
Four long man-lifts spay out from the front yard of Suffield Academy’s reconstructed Memorial Building, providing workers convenient access to various levels of construction activity.
Congratulations to Joseph LaValla, who was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month for April. Joseph is currently a senior at Suffield High School and has been very active through his four years here at Suffield High School. Joseph has been on our cross-country and indoor/outdoor track team for the past four years. This year he was chosen as the captain of the team for indoor and outdoor track. Joseph has maintained honors or high honors every quarter throughout his high school years.
It is with pride and great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mr. James Blain as the incoming Principal of Suffield High School. Mr. Blain was interviewed and approved by the Board of Education after a rigorous process. Three finalists were interviewed by a committee of 19 members including BOE members, students, parents, an administrative assistant, faculty, and school and district administrators. The process included focus groups to characterize the desired candidate qualities, a structured interview, a performance task and interview, and small groups to engage in conversation. Mr. Blain’s authentic leadership skills and passion for educating the whole child make him a great fit for Suffield Public Schools.
Congratulations to James “Jimmy” Casella who is our Rotary Student of the Month for May. James is a senior at Suffield High School who has challenged himself throughout his four years with many AP and Honors courses. Jimmy is planning to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall to study robotics engineering and develop robotic technologies. Jimmy is very active at Suffield High School. He has been a member of our SWAT Support Team for the last three years.
On April 24 I was honored to participate as a panelist in the 2018 Special Education in Connecticut Summit sponsored by the Klebanoff Institute and the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education. The keynote speaker, Dr. Renee Bradley, Deputy Division Director, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, presented “Equal Access to Opportunity: Do We Have What It Takes?” She asked questions of us that I often ask. Why are we doing what we are doing? Some of our problems in public education have been here for decades. What are we currently doing to address the problems?
At McAlister Intermediate School on April 27, the Suffield Garden Club, on the 50th anniversary of its generous yearly tradition, gave a sapling tree to every fourth grader in the school.
Administrators, teachers, and staff at McAlister Intermediate School have been working hard to live and breathe the Suffield Public School District’s mantra this year of “Know Your Students.” My colleagues and I are inspired by the Responsive Classroom philosophy and how many opportunities it provides us with creating a classroom community and getting to know our students. Every single day students are greeted as they enter our classrooms, participate in a community building morning meeting to set the tone for the day, and are provided closure and reflection during Closing Circle at the end of the day. Even specialists and service providers join classrooms for Morning Meeting daily in an effort to connect with the students within our school, even if they don’t have the privilege of working directly with them. Once a month certified staff is participating in a faculty meeting utilizing the Morning Meeting model to help build our own professional community and to improve our school climate by supporting the idea that “it takes a village” and we are all in this together. Various staff members take turns leading this Morning Meeting and sharing ideas that can be immediately implemented in our classrooms.
Staff members K-12 were invited to participate in a book club facilitated by our Director of Special Services Natalie Donais and high school psychologist Kelli Conroy focusing on the book, Lost in School by Dr. Ross Greene.
Congratulations to Joseph Longo, son of Lisa Longo, who has been named Valedictorian for the Class of 2018. Joseph has been very active at Suffield High School throughout his four years here. Along with attending Suffield High School, Joseph also attends the Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science. Joseph has been a member of student council for four years, where he has been the Treasurer for two years and is currently the Student Senate President. Joseph has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years, where he is also the Treasurer.