Schools/Sports

Safety Forum Focused on High School Incident

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In response to inquiries and comments, Suffield held a forum on Monday, March 12, to discuss safety and security in the town’s schools. The event had been scheduled some time ago in response to questions, but it became more significant after the February 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla. A sparse crowd of no more than a hundred came to the Middle School auditorium to hear some presentations and ask questions. The forum was opened by Suffield Police Captain Christopher McKee, and First Selectman Melissa Mack welcomed the audience. She reminded everyone that safeguarding our most precious resource – our children – is our number one priority.

Schools/Sports

Tinkergarten Classes

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Local Tinkergarten leaders, Sasha Zatyrka and Julie Beliveau, are thrilled to host their spring Tinkergarten classes at the beautiful Hilltop Farm at 1616 Mapleton Ave., Suffield, Conn. The final free trial class at Hilltop will be offered on April 5. Julie’s full eight-week spring season of classes will take place each Saturday beginning April 14. Sasha’s ten-week spring season on Thursdays is already full with a waitlist. All classes take place 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

The outdoor, mixed age classes for children ages 18 months to 8 years old follow a progressive, evidence-based curriculum that promotes the development of key skills including self-reliance, creativity, persistence, and problem solving.

Schools/Sports

Read Across America Day!

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McAlister Intermediate School (MIS) students joined our friends at A. Ward Spaulding School for the morning to celebrate Read Across America Day! This particular day is chosen as it is the actual birthday of Dr. Seuss himself! His real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, and he was born on March 2, 1904, in our neighboring town of Springfield! Some of our McAlister fifth graders read as our younger students listened intently, and everyone participated by wearing their coziest pajamas, Dr. Seuss shirts and hats or other items commemorating this event. On a cold, wet and sometimes snowy winter’s day, what better way to celebrate Dr. Seuss than to curl up with a good book in the company of good friends and neighbors!

Schools/Sports

World Language Student of the Month

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Suffield High School World Language Department is pleased to announce Michaela Conway as the World Language Student of the Month for March. Michaela is a junior in Spanish V having studied Spanish in Suffield since her days at McAlister. I am very pleased to have Michaela in class this year. She is a student of the highest caliber. Michaela truly exemplifies the SHS core values – respect, responsibility, rigor, integrity and creativity.

Schools/Sports

From The Principal’s Desk

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Congratulations to Lucie Casinghino who was recently awarded a Gold Key in the Flash Fiction category at the regional level in the Annual Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition.

Schools/Sports

Police Respond To Threat

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On March 9 at approximately 9:22 a.m., Suffield Police responded to Suffield High School located at 1060 Sheldon Street to assist the School Resource Officer and school administration with a distraught student.

Schools/Sports

Building on Success

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Student athletes of Wildcats Swimming, the Suffield High School co-op swim program, have continued to push themselves to new heights. On March 1, the Wildcats hosted the Nutmeg Conference Championships at the Windsor Locks High School pool. The team prevailed, winning the conference title and boasting nine swimmers with All-Conference honors (Matt Winter ’18 Suffield, Sam Tesko ’20 Suffield, Will Dubocq ’18 Suffield, Timur Couture ’18 East Windsor, Jake Wyse ’18 East Windsor, Mike Stavolone ’19 East Windsor, Saxon Nussbaum ’20 Windsor Locks, Charles Rose ’20 Suffield, and Chris Hoover ’20 Ellington)! This built upon their conference record of 3-0 (season record 7-3) after two meets cancelled due to snow. This team grew through their hard work and mental preparation, setting career best times as they prepared for the Class M preliminary meet on March 10.

Schools/Sports

Visiting Teachers See American Special Ed at Spaulding

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Five schoolteachers from China came to Suffield to learn about good methods for educating special needs students. The Yale-China Association in New Haven, collaborating with the Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN), in Glastonbury, is undertaking a project to build programs and services for children with autism in China. As described by Suffield School Superintendent Karen Berasi, CCSN had been asked “to provide the delegation with an opportunity to see high-quality programming that encompasses evidence-based, structured Applied Behavioral Analysis programming for students with autism and other complex needs in the public schools.” Aware that Suffield was known for its exemplary special ed program, leaders of the project escorted the visiting teachers to Spaulding School on March 9. Helped with skilled translation by Dr. Helen McCabe, of Yale-China, and Dr. Mark Palmieri, assistant director of CCSN, they spent the day in discussion with Dr. Dianna Kolodziey, Suffield supervisor of special ed and other Suffield school system personnel as well as in visiting several classrooms. Dr. Berasi had commented, “We want our guests to see in person what can be accomplished with high-quality teachers, motivated administrators, and good staff training and development.”