Schools

Students and Staff Honored by Board of Education

Awards were announced last week at West Hartford's semi-annual Board of Education Awards at King Philip Middle School.

The complete list of honorees provided by the West Hartford Board of Education is found below.

LEADERSHIP  

CT Association of Boards of Education
Each year CABE recognizes two students from each participating high school and middle school who have demonstrated outstanding leadership.  Students must have a willingness to take on challenges, the capability to make difficult decisions, concern for others, willingness to commit to a project, diplomacy, and the ability to see things clearly and honor commitment.  The following students are the recipients of the CT Boards of Education Award for distinguished leadership in school activities and daily life:

Conard High School: Julia Galanto and Ellis Boettger  
Hall High School: Kendall Teare and John Holland  
Bristow Middle School: Abigail Conner and Patrick O’Keefe  
King Philip Middle School: Caroline Grant and Ethan Hixson  
Sedgwick Middle School:Hailey DiCicco and Joe Celio

Pantene Beautiful LengthsDuring Hall High School’s “Do Something Week”, a casual conversation between classmates escalated into a school-wide project for patients fighting pancreatic cancer.  Students Erin Smyth, Keilani Lai-Hipp, and Rachel Elizabeth Fishman and Hall High School teachers Maryam Wardak and Kristen Schwarz hoped to enlist friends and family to donate their hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths project dedicated to providing wigs for cancer patients at no cost.  Originally, only 7 girls agreed in advance to donate their hair.  However, on the day of the event, as girls gathered around a small table in the cafeteria to watch their friends cut their hair, seven girls turned into well over thirty-seven!  In addition, many donors enlisted sponsors for their effort.  The funds raised ($5.00 an inch) will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.   The Hall community was able to make a difference for people battling cancer.  The following are the remarkable students who so graciously gave of themselves:  Erin Smyth, Keilani Lai-Hipp, Rachel Elizabeth Fishman, Dani Haims, Sydney Warchol, Lauren Ofshay, Bea Lynch, Annie Stauffer, Nidhi Banda, Liz Margolis, Sophie Kulowski, Olivia Jacquier, Rachael Haar, Sara Schulwolf, Sarah Mantz, Kelly McGann, Stephanie Gomez, Jodi Teitelman, Claire O’Brien, Brittany Sobczak, Sara Lebow, Marren Collier, Feddak Zaidi, Emily Apter, Shelly Silver, Libby Salzman-Fiske, Erin O’Brien, Rosie O’Connor, Ann-Margaret Sullivan, Maddy Hooper, Shelley Wilson, Hayley Dresner, Mary Davis, Morgan Levitt, Diana Trammel, Katie Campagna, Ally Kennedy and teachers Maryam Wardak and Kristin Schwarz.

Daughters of the American Revolution:  Conard student Jacob Dufault and Hall student Keilani Lai-Hipp have been chosen as the 2013 recipients of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award, honoring them for leadership, dependability, service, and patriotism.  The DAR award is voted on by members of the senior class.

Excellence in Citizenship Awards:  The Office of the Secretary of the State annually sponsors The Excellence in Citizenship Awards for eighth grade students in order to recognize outstanding young people throughout CT who are active participants in their community and their school.  This award recognizes students who demonstrate volunteer service to the community, involvement in citizenship or character building organizations, good scholastic record, participation in student government programs, good student attendance, and leadership ability to motivate others to actions to benefit the community.  Congratulations to Bristow student Faith Pease for being selected as a recipient of the Excellence in Citizenship Award from the Secretary of the State.

Siemens Foundation
:  The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is the nation’s premier environmental sustainability challenge designed to give students the opportunity, tools and inspiration to create sustainable, reproducible environmental improvements in their school.  Charter Oak International Academy’s first grade team, The Paper Savers, worked to reduce, reuse and recycle paper at their school, taking Third Place in the kindergarten through grade 2 category winning $1000 for their school’s “go green” initiative.  The following students are members of the Paper Savers team:  Talia Asal, Landon Edwards-Scoville, Mattox Flatt, Emily Fleischmann, Kam’Ron France, Jarrett Moster and David Santiago.  

Model United Nations:  Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the UN General Assembly.  A model UN delegate is a student who assumes the role of an ambassador to the United nations at a Model UN event.  Anyone can participate in the UN Model as long as they have the ambition to learn something new and to work with people to try to make a difference in the world.  For over 50 years teachers and students have benefited from and enjoyed this interactive learning experience.  It not only involves young people in the study and discussion of global issues but also encourages the development of skills useful throughout their lives such as research, writing, public speaking, problem solving and compromise and cooperation.  Congratulations to King Philip Middle student Annika Little for being named an Outstanding Delegate in the 2013 Model United Nations.

YWCA New Britain Women in Leadership Award:  Congratulations to Hall High School student Kendall Teare for being named a recipient of the YWCA New Britain Women in Leadership Award.  The event recognizes women in central Connecticut who demonstrate extraordinary leadership and outstanding achievements.  Kendall is proficient in Chinese, fluent in Spanish, an accomplished artist, lover of literature and a budding scientist.  She was elected by her peers to serve as the Hall High School student representative to the West Hartford Board of Education, has taken four summer trips to Ecuador as a volunteer, served as co-president of the Community Service Club at Hall, has been a Sunday School teacher at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, volunteer at WH Community Television, volunteer at the CT Historic Society, and was a Student Senator.  

Rotary Youth Leadership Award:  The Rotary Youth Leadership Award is an international program that was created in 1971 by Rotary International to encourage strong leadership in youth.  Young people chosen for their leadership potential attend an all-expense paid camp to develop and enhance leadership skills through activities conducted in an atmosphere of trust and respect.  Outstanding student leaders are chosen each year to participate in a World Affairs Seminar .  This year’s seminar is on Gender Equity/Social Justice:  Moral Imperative of Our Time, and will take place at Carroll University in Wisconsin.  Congratulations to Conard student Charlie McMahon for being named the recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award.

THE ARTS  

Best Communities for Music Education In the US:
  West Hartford Public Schools’ music department was recognized once again as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education in the US” by the NAMM Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants).  NAMM Foundation’s mission is “to ensure that all children have access to quality music education programs that encourage lifelong participation in music making.” The foundation honors school districts with a strong dedication to music programs for their unwavering commitment, even as the economy challenges local and state governments.  The award was based on a survey that measured across curricular and programmatic criteria as well as public support.  Detailed information regarding funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and other relevant factors in their communities’ music education programs was provided.  In 2013, the 14th Annual "Best Communities" survey recognized 307 School Districts and 66 individual schools (13 in Connecticut) out of nearly 2,000 that participated in the survey.  Each district receiving the "Best Community" designation scored in the 80th percentile or higher in the survey's grading process.  Accepting for the music department is supervisor, Andrew Mayo.

CT Art Education Association:  The CT Regional Scholastic Art Awards is the oldest and largest competition recognizing creative excellence in the visual arts.  Students throughout CT compete to have their work showcased.  Once a student has won the Gold Award, he or she is eligible to compete at the national level.  The following students have won either the Gold or the Silver in competition:   Kaitlin Beach, Silver Key for Painting; Molly Borden, Silver Key for Painting; Jessica Celella, Gold Key for Mixed Media; Lily Gradante, Silver Key for Painting; Eleanor Gray, Silver Key for Drawing; Jason Gutierrez, Silver Key for Painting; Jake Larosa, Gold Key for Mixed Media; Cole Stabnick, Silver Key for Painting; Kendall Teare, Gold Key for Painting.

All-State Music Festival:  All-State members are selected by audition.  Acceptance into the All-State Festival means that students are among the best in CT.  The following students were selected for the 2012-2013 CT Music Educators Association (CMEA) All-State Music Festival:  

Band:  Max Dvorin (clarinet), Haley Hanenbaum (flute), Peter Hoyle (trumpet), Celeste Kurz (clarinet), Nikaya Smith (clarinet), Jane Yu (flute
Choir:  Ben Astrachan, Samantha Cohen, Jacob B. Cohen, Olivia diPoi, Jessica Fernandes, Maria Flanders, Joy Hariprasad, Maggie Kinabrew, Stephen Mills, Avery Schott, Alyssa Venora, Sarah Whitney
Orchestra:  Guillermo Irizarry-Lambright (violin), Chloe Li (violin), Gabe Petkaitis (timpani), Kaila Piscitelli (cello)
Jazz Band:  Andrea Barrows (baritone saxophone), Emily DiMatteo (alto saxophone), Maggie Rowe (trumpet)

CT Association of Schools Arts Recognition Award:  Each year, CAS and the Westfield Corporation recognize two students in visual and/or performing arts from each member high school.  This year, Josh Cohn, Ryan Martin, Alyssa Venora, and Jensun Yonjan received the CT High School Arts Award from CAS – Josh, Ryan and Jensun for excellence in visual arts, and Alyssa for excellence in music.  The CAS Elementary Award, sponsored by Liberty Mutual, is awarded for excellence in the arts and outstanding citizenship.  CAS elementary honors go to Charter Oak International Academy students Alishba Ali for music and Fatima Rodriguez for visual arts.  Congratulations!

Long Island Sound Foundation:  After learning about ecosystems in her IB unit, fourth grade student Tatyana Massa used her knowledge and imagination to create a drawing that demonstrated the importance of the Long Island Sound and its watershed and the need to protect it for future generations.  Tatyana won Honorable Mention in the 2013 Long Island Sound Drawing Contest and her drawing will appear in a future calendar for the Long Island Sound Foundation.  Tatyana is a student who is passionate about taking action.  She recently sold her drawings to raise funds for animals in need. 

CT Music Educators’ Association:  Four students represented Braeburn Elementary School in the 2013 CT Elementary Honors Choir.  This choir performed at the Hartford Convention Center in April.  The concert showcased exceptional student vocalists from throughout the state.  Congratulations to the following Braeburn students for their participation in the Elementary Honors Choir:  Christopher Allen, Trude Davis, Talia Sarkisian, Luis Vargas.

Congressional Arts CompetitionEach spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district.  Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.  Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries.  Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.  The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.  Congratulations to Conard student Jensun Yonjan for taking First Place in the Congressional Arts Competition.

ACADEMICS  

National Merit Scholarship Finalists
: The National Merit Scholarship program identifies exceptional high school students and encourages them to pursue rigorous college studies.  Finalists submit a detailed scholarship application and document their very high academic performance.  Awards are given on a state-by-state basis.  Congratulations to the following Hall students:  Hannah Finn-McMahon, Clare Hern, Ashwini Joshi, Isabel Kornman, Ayushi Mishra, Kendall Teare, Leo Tinone, and Jane Yu.

Gates Millennium Scholar:  Congratulations to Conard senior Margaret George for being selected as one of the 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars for the GMS Class of 2013.  Margaret was commended for her leadership, community service and academic achievements.  24, 000 students applied, making this year’s the largest and most competitive group of candidates in the program’s history.  This honor distinguishes her as a Leader for America’s Future.  As a Gates Millennium Scholar, funds will be available for her to attend any U.S. accredited college or university of her choice.  In addition, if she pursues graduate studies in the fields of Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Library Science, Mathematics, Public Health or Science, she may be eligible for GMS fellowship funding for her education through the master’s and doctoral levels.  Margaret will be attending  Holy Cross College in the fall.

CT Association of Schools:  Congratulations to Hall student Reid Silverhart for being named a semi-finalist for the Governor’s Scholar Award.  Reid is one of 30 semi-finalists selected from nominations submitted by 187 member high schools of CAS.  The purpose of the program is to recognize academically talented high school students from throughout the state.  An essay on an assigned topic must be completed.  Members of the Governor’s Scholar Committee judge the completed applications and assign a composite score based on GPA, PSAT, or SAT scores, CAPT scores, and the student essay.  The 30 students with the highest scores are selected as “Governor’s Scholars” and will receive recognition as well as information on participation in courses and research projects at selected CT colleges and universities.

Mathematical Association of America:  The AMC 10 (American Mathematical Competition) and the AMC 12 are 25-question, 75-minute, multiple-choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills.  Many problems are designed to challenge students and to offer problem-solving experiences beyond those provided in most upper school mathematics classes. The American Invitational Mathematics Exam is a 15-question, 3-hour exam intended to provide further challenge and recognition beyond that provided by the AMC 10 or AMC 12 to high school students with exceptional mathematical ability. The following Conard students have been named winners in the competitions:  You You Tian:  by virtue of her score on the AMC 12, You You was named the school winner of the AMC 12 competition   Isaac Oda-Bayliss:  by virtue of his score on the AMC 10, Isaac was named the school winner of the AMC 10 competition and he qualified to participate in the AIME competition.   The following Hall student has been named a winner in the competitions:   Leo Tinone:  by virtue of his score on the AMC 12, Leo was the school winner of the AMC 12 competition and he qualified to participate in the AIME Competition   The Following KPM students have been named winners in the competitions:   Samuel Bidwell:  by virtue of his score on the AMC 10, Samuel qualified to participate in the AIME competition   Daniel Gitelman:  by virtue of his score on the AMC 10, Daniel was the school co-winner of the AMC 10 competition and he qualified to participate in the AIME competition   Dale Yu:  by virtue of his score on the AMC 10, Dale was the school co-winner of the AMC 10 competition and he qualified to participate in the AIME competition.

MATHCOUNTS: MATHCOUNTS is the only nationwide competitive math enrichment after- school program.  It is run as an after-school club at KPM. It focuses on students developing strong problem-solving, logical thinking and analytical abilities to help prepare for future career opportunities and success in the field of mathematics. Congratulations to Dale Yu and Samuel Bidwell for being recognized for Excellence in Mathematics from the MATHCOUNTS organization.  Both Dale and Sam have competed in MATHCOUNTS since 6th grade and have consistently finished in the top 16 individual section at both the chapter and state levels. During the 2013 chapter competition Sam placed first overall as an individual out of 230 mathletes and Dale placed second. Sam also placed second in the Countdown Round, which is a head-to-head competition, among the 16 top individuals at the chapter competition. Then, during the 2013 state competition, Dale placed first overall as an individual out of 176 mathletes and Sam placed fourth. Also at the state level, Sam placed first in the Countdown Round. Dale and Sam, after finishing in the top 4 as individuals, were placed on the CT National MATHCOUNTS team where they competed on May 10th in Washington, DC. To complete the back and forth Dale and Sam enjoyed during the season, Sam finished by earning the Top Scorer for the Connecticut Team at the National competition.

West Hartford Middle School Spelling Bee:
  Congratulations to Sedgwick 6th grade student Arjun Jagjivan for taking First Place in the fourth annual West Hartford Middle School Spelling Bee.  He won the bee in the sixteenth round by correctly spelling the word, “extraneous.”  Arjun will go on to represent West Hartford at the upcoming Regional Spelling Bee.   The winner will go on to the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The Writing Contest, Inc.:  Congratulations to Hall student Dylan Healy, for being selected as the Second Place winner in the High School Poetry Division Writing Contest, a national conference at the University of Kansas.  As a result, he will have his entry published in the online publication called The Writers’ Slate.  This was part of his work in his Creative Writing class at Hall High School, as part of his performance task in the curriculum for this course.

National Council of Teachers of English:  Congratulations to Hall student Sam Slate for being selected by the National Council of Teachers of English for Superior Achievement in Writing.  Sam is one of six students in CT out of 753 students nominated.  Each student submitted two pieces of writing which were read by national judges.  Papers were judged on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development and style.  Sam is an excellent student, he is creative, participates in acting, choir, and is a member of the Math Team and Action Club and has participated in Camp Anytown. 

National Council of Teachers of English:  Congratulations to Hall student Sam Slate for being selected by the National Council of Teachers of English for Superior Achievement in Writing.  Sam is one of six students in CT out of 753 students nominated.  Each student submitted two pieces of writing which were read by national judges.  Papers were judged on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development and style.  Sam is an excellent student, he is creative, participates in acting, choir, and is a member of the Math Team and Action Club and has participated in Camp Anytown. 

The Concord Review:  The Concord Review was founded in 1987 to recognize and to publish exemplary history essays by high school students.  The Concord review remains the only quarterly journal in the world to publish the academic work of secondary students.  Congratulations to Hall High School student Molly Borden for having her research paper on “Meyer Lansky” published in the spring, 2013 issue of the Concord review.  

Odyssey of the Mind:  The Odyssey of the Mind Program is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities to students in grades Kindergarten through college.  Working in teams, students apply their creativity to solving problems ranging from engineering challenges to literacy classics.  Participants learn teamwork, and that a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual.  Students spend several months developing a solution to their selected problem that they then present at competition at the state and possibly world levels.  After competing at the state level, 1st and 2nd place teams go on to the world competition.

The following students from Charter Oak International Academy will be going on to the International Competition at Michigan State University in May: 

2nd Place:  Charter Oak International Academy, Quest, Division I, Pet Project Problem:  Kitana Park, Zachary Anaya, Kevin Salazar, Meagan Truong, Aarya Gautam, Gavin Morton, Thanh Dao, and Quest teacher Michele Hadlock, coach.  

This year, two new teams of elementary level students from Braeburn and Bugbee competed in the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament in April. Both teams came in 3rd Place.  

Braeburn Team:  Division I, ARTchitecture:  The Musical Problem:  Alexandra Scheib, Matteo Hunter, Mary Charlotte Barnes, Christopher Maglio, Jacob Gregory, Trude Davis, Jack Zapata and Jacqueline Scheib, coach.  

Bugbee Team:  ARTchitecture:  The Musical Problem:  Rose Kitz, Emily Cubbage, Mai Lin Pomp Shine, Amelia Tripp, Lillian Schulman, Sylvia Weinstock, and Nancy Kitz, coach.

NASA Explorer Schools:  Congratulations to Smith student Sam Frank for being named a Finalist for the NASA Explorer School Inspired Science Video Challenge.  Sam, during his Quest time, participated in a program through NASA Explorer Schools.  The challenge was called “Inspired Science Challenge.”  Students were to review videos created by astronaut Don Petit from his time on the International Space Station and create an experiment of their own.  They were to talk about the experiment and how it operates on earth’s gravity and explain what they thought would happen in microgravity.  Sam created a video that discussed the physics of the catapult and how it relates to Newton’s 3 laws of motion.  Sam’s video was one of the top three in the country and he will participate in a live video chat with a surprise subject matter expert from NASA.  NASA is also considering one ISS demonstration idea for the possibility of an astronaut conducting the demonstration aboard the International Space Station.

CT History Day:  CT History Day, a research opportunity offered through Quest, is part of the National History Day Program.  This annual competition engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of researching and interpreting an historical topic related to an annual theme, “Turning Points in History:  People, Ideas, Events.” Local historians, educators, and other professionals judge the students’ entries.  Local winners go on to a State competition and potentially to the National History Day contest, joining students from across the country.  The following students placed in the regional competition and advanced to the state finals in April:  

1st Place Group Documentary:  Jake Zweifler and Scott Steinmetz from KPM for “The Second Punic War:  Rome’s Path to Victory”  

1st Place Group Performance:  Kyra Bukowski and Amber Raisner from KPM for “The Paralympics:  Turning Dreams into Realities”  

1st Place Group Exhibit:  Chloe Amaya and Lily Forand from KPM for “Sheff vs O’Neill:  A Turning Point for School Segregation”   (KPM coach, Jeanne Pascon and Laura Swenson, Quest teachers)  

3rd Place Individual Historical Paper:  Jack Moore from Sedgwick for “Nuremberg Trials:  The Prosecution of War Criminals”  

3rd Place Individual Exhibit:  Miles Brown from Sedgwick for “JFK and the Turbulent Sixties”  

2nd Place Individual Exhibit:  Sam Porcello from Sedgwick for “The Hartford Fire:  A 10 Minute Turning Point Sparks Lasting Change”  

1st Place Individual Performance:  Alanna Uthgenannt from Sedgwick for “Harriet Beecher Stowe:  The Little Lady that Started the Great War”  

2nd Place Individual Documentary:  Jackson O’Sullivan from Sedgwick for “Ernie Kovacs:  Bridges, Comedy, Improvisation, and Character for a New Medium”  

1st Place Individual Documentary:  Conrad Baldwin from Sedgwick for “Atomic Warfare Changes National Security:  

1st Place Individual Website:  Chloe Henninger from Sedgwick for “The Court Case that Changed Women’s Decisions”  

3rd Place Group Website:  Olivia La Casse and Ruth Tian from Sedgwick for “Medical Ethics:  Freedom to Know”  (Sedgwick coach, Jennifer Hunt, Quest teacher)  

1st Place Individual Documentary:  Jessie Xu from Bristow for “Wangari Maathai:  An Inspiration for the World”   (Bristow coach, John Carpenter)  

Congratulations to Jessie Xu from Bristow and Sam Porcello and Alanna Uthgenannt from Sedgwick who have advanced in the state competition and will now go to the National History Day Competition in June at the University of Maryland.  Good luck to these students.  

National Latin Exam:  Congratulations to the following Conard and Hall students who have won awards for their outstanding performances in the National Latin Exam this year.  100,000 plus students from 50 states and 8 foreign countries take this impressive test.   The following students earned summa cum laude Gold medals:  Mary Majerus-Collins, Martin Kaehrle, Leah Goldman, Tanner Hoelzel, Francisco Cruz-Uribe, Matthew Henderson   The following students have earned maxima cum laude Silver medals:  John Cassidy, Eric Mohan, Arun Narikatte, Molly Sullivan, Dennis Eremine, Mohammed Malik, Beth Lippman, Andrew Ziplow, Stephanie Gomez, Quinn Mitchell, Ethan Freund, Michael Feldman, Sam Bidwell, Vy Dang, Michael Sisti, Jessilyn Hartman, Jacob Karp, James Manger, Lauren Sorgio, Jonathan Zelinger.

American Association of Teachers of French: Congratulations to Hall, KPM, Bristow, Sedgwick, and Norfeldt students for having won recognition from the American Association of Teachers of French not only at the State level, but at the National level as well.  Students took tests that consisted of listening and reading, placing them tops in the country out of 93,000 students who took the exam.  The following students have been named award winners in the National French Contest:  

Hall:  Margaret Barnett, Emma Brody, Madeleine DeFilippis, Lili Fishman, Emma Gibson, Timothy Henning, Elizabeth Maysonet, Bethany Onyirimba, Bridget Patterson, April Small, Kevin Shea, Molly Sullivan, Marina Tinone  

KPM:  Jacqueline McConnell, Isabelle Amato, Kathryn Barnett, Saomai Nguyen, Cedrick Ekra, Honor O’Connell, Erin Principe, Meghan Alquist, Samuel Levine, Madison Mandyck, Jacob Mason, Patrick Daly, Ivan Narvaez, Grace Olson, Robert Wang, Olivia Pascon, Danielle Small, Hannah Weisenberg, Marissa Freed, Merrill Hoelzel, Dale Yu, Callie Demers- Schultz, Pablo Miras-Desimone, Emma Dalton, Caroline Turner, Aditi Joshi, Alexandra Tomb, Caitlyn Krueger, Michael Verrengia, Carly Zetoff, Charlotte Apter, Maria del Carmen Maturana, Grace Gaucher, Siobhan Buckley, Colin Fitzsimonds, Margaret Pidto, Elizabeth Skuba, Nathaniel Skuba  

Bristow:  Andrew Rosenthal-Baxter, Nathan Graber-Lipperman, Abby Niranjan, Cameron Tripp, Vy Nguyen, Sabrina Portal, Mariana Rodrigues, Caleb Ritter, Ava Karp, John Trauernicht, Mackenzie Griffith, Emily Cullina, Samantha Tran.  

Sedgwick:  Summer Calvert, Katherine Kopp, Camille Wimpe, Alexander Chernysh, Lila Goldstein, Lilliana LaPointe, Frances McPherson, Elizabeth Phillips, Lila Bell, Magdelena Grabber, Jack Moore, Chris Stimson, Leah Kelly, Gabrielle Halsey, Spandan Rath, Zoe Schaefer, Bryce Halter, Michael Piekarsky, Samuel Porcello, Grace Hardesty, Steven Olechna  

Norfeldt:  Josie Alston, Emily DeJesus, Kobe Dominguez, Dylan Heinen, William Horton, Brianna Jones, Leslie Li, Brooks McConnell, Ananya Radhakrishnan, Ethan Raisner, Drew Seidman, Meredith Swanson, Emma Teodosio, Alexander Carducci, Olivia Deslauriers, Nina Faynshtayn, Allison Finman, Amy Hidalgo, Nicolas Iaiennaro, Aoife Kootsookos, Ethan Levinbook, Joshua Lou, Pierce Newman, Robert Schunder, Nicole Selig, Amandah Sosa, Dawit Toomey  

National Greek Exam:
 Congratulations to Conard student Matthew Henderson, for earning the Gold Medal in the National Greek Exam.  The National Greek exam is a national competition consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions, covering forms, grammar and syntax, English derivatives, meter, Greek myth and general knowledge.  

Chemistry Olympiad
:  In March, Hall AP chemistry students and ChemClub members competed in the Local Chemistry Olympiad at UCONN.  Hall High School took Third Place out of the participating schools.  Four students, Emily Isko, Aiden Busby-Mott, ChengChen Zhang, and Mohammed Malik placed in the top thirty and continued on to compete in an essay test and a lab practical.  Emily Isko scored as one of the finalists and went on to compete in the National Chemistry Olympiad  at UCONN in April.  Congratulations!  

West Hartford’s Bugbee Elementary School Chess Team:
  Congratulations to the Bugbee Elementary School chess team, the Yellow Jackets, for winning the K-6 elementary title at the CT State Chess Association’s State Championship held annually at the Hopkins School in New Haven.  The win makes Bugbee the number one elementary school chess program in the state for 2013.  The Jackets had eight team members compete in this event:  Sean Dyson, Tobias Siegel, Samuel Aronow, Connor Farquhar, Samuel Lumelsky, Ethan Striff-Cave, Theodore Braiewa, and Jake Lumelsky.  Bugbee also received honors for Second Place in the Kindergarten competition, where Jake Lumelsky became the second top Kindergartener in the state!  Since and including their first competition at the 2012 UCONN Spring Scholastic, the Yellow Jackets have placed First or Second in every team event in which they participated.  March 16, the Yellow Jackets competed at the 51st CT Association of Schools Scholastic Tournaments Grade 1-12 at The Travelers in Hartford.  Samuel Lumelsky took First Place in the second grade section of the event and Ethan Striff-Cave won Fourth PlaceSean Dyson took Third Place in the fourth grade section.  Theodore Braiewa and Alexander Yuan finished Second Place and Third Place in the first grade section.  The Bugbee Elementary School chess team is coached by Alexander Lumelsky.

The Technology Student Association:  The 2013 Connecticut TSA State Conference was held Thursday, March 28, in Hebron, CT at Rham High School. The Technology Student Association (TSA) is the only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of students interested in technology. Open to students enrolled in or who have completed technology education courses, TSA chapters take the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) beyond the classroom and give students the chance to pursue academic challenges among friends with similar goals and interests. Together, chapter members work on competitive events, attend conferences on the state and national levels and have a good time raising funds to get there. Chapter organization develops leadership, as members may become officers within their state and then run nationally. TSA is proud to announce the following award winners from Sedgwick Middle School.

 Digital Photography   

3rd Place: Lilliana LaPointe, Lila Goldstein, Jamie Kurowski

Dragster Design          
3rd Place: David Giles Flight                         
1st Place: Harrison Bissonette                    
2nd Place: Robert Seecharran            
3rd Place: Emily Birnham Promotional Design    
1st Place: Lilliana LaPointe

Tech Bowl                 
3rd Place: Sheppard Cersosimo, David Giles, Megan Goulet  

Techno Talk              
1st Place: Ben Ratchford, Trevor Ratchford                                   
Tied 1st Place: Megan Goulet, Denny Puka
2nd Place: Lilliana LaPointe, Lila Goldstein                                    
3rd Place: Dylan Wu, Sheppard Cersosimo Video Game Design    
1st Place: Lilliana LaPointe, Jamie Kurowski,  Lila Goldstein                         2nd Place: Trevor Ratchford
3rd Place: Charlie Hosek, Dan Newton, Hunter Kowal, Timothy Rak Web Design                
1st Place: Jamie Kurowski, Lila Goldstein

T Technology and Engineering Education AssociationCongratulations to Michael Wilkosz, technology education teacher at Hall High School, for being named the Southern New England Championships VEX Robotics Teacher of the Year.  As a technology teacher at Hall, Michael specializes in engineering, electronics and robotics.  He also serves as the Hall High Robotic Team Advisor.  The Robotic Team competes throughout the state and in the past has represented CT in the East Regional Championships in Alabama.  Michael’s passion and knowledge surrounding the VEX program is a true asset for the Department of technology and our technology education students.

Mock Trial:  Mock Trial is a program run by Civics First, a group that promotes democracy and law education.  They run statewide competition for middle school students, in which students receive the details about a lawsuit and argue the case.  Students are assigned to either the role of a lawyer or witness and study the documents to prepare for trial.  Witnesses adopt the persona of their character and lawyers prepare questions for both direct and cross examinations.  The students argue their case before volunteer judges and advance based on their knowledge of the law.  Congratulations to King Philip Middle School Mock Trial Team for advancing to the state finals and finishing Second in the state at the middle school level. The following students are members of the Mock Trial Team:  Meghan Alquist, Isabelle Amato, Ryan Burgos, Susanna Burkhard, Leela Cullity Younger, Ariana Edgar, Devon Hunt, Sean James, Maria del Carmen Maturana, Paul Dexter McCann, John O’Brien, Olivia Pomerleau, Annabelle Shea, Alexandra Tomb and coaches Sally Nyhan and Anna Capobianco.

ATHLETICS 

National Football Foundation Northern Chapter:
  Every year, The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Northern Chapter pays tribute to a select few with awards of excellence for exhibiting superior qualities of scholarship, citizenship and leadership.  Additionally, the Foundation also recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding support for the NFF and its mission of promoting the game of amateur football.  This year Conard High School head football coach Rob Cersosimo has been selected by the National Football Foundation Northern Chapter to receive the Distinguished American Award.  This award is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the betterment of amateur football in the US.  This is also the first time a head coach has ever been given this prestigious award.  Rob has been the head football coach at Conard High School for the past 28 years.  Rob received this award at the National Football Foundation awards dinner May 19.  Rob was also inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in November.  

The Foundation also awarded Conard student Owen Dawson the Scholar Athlete Award for football student athletes that have met the following criteria:  scholarship, leadership, citizenship and athleticism.

All-State:  All-State student athletes have distinguished themselves as elite athletes in their sport in the State of CT.  Criteria in individual sports are dependent upon overall placement in State championship meets, while team sport individuals are nominated and selected by the State coaches of that sport. 

The following Conard and Hall students received All-State recognition:  

Gymnastics:  Shannon Bouvier, Taylor Hadra, Jamie Hodge, Katie Newton, Jackie Palermo, Amanda Sloan,  
Ice Hockey:  Zach Powers  
Wrestling:  Tobias Lichtenstein, Lucas Muntz  
Swimming:  Jacob DiBella, Chris Warren,  
Indoor Track:  Liz Lagoy

CT High School Coaches Association:  Congratulations to the following students for receiving Academic All-State Honors among athletes in CT, determined by measuring GPA and varsity sports participation:  

Gymnastics:  Katie Newton  
Wrestling:  Allen Currier, Michael Fisher, Tobias Lichtenstein, Lucas Muntz and Dan Walsh Lucas was also named All New England.

Academic All American:  Congratulations to the following students for ranking in the top 10-15 percent of their class and for placing as one of the top finishers in their respective sport:  

Wrestling:  Allen Currier, Tobias Lichtenstein     

CT Interscholastic Athletic Conference
:

Conard students Theodore Monyak and Emily Kuzoian and Hall students Jason Solinsky and Margaret Rowe, are this year’s recipients of the CIAC Scholar-Athlete Awards given to a graduating senior, male or female, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, good citizenship, and who is also a varsity letter winner. 

All Courant Teams:  The criteria for All Courant Teams is determined by considering all 74 schools that are within the Hartford Courant circulation areas.  Athletes are selected by the Courant’s high school staff in conjunction with those associated with the sports.  Congratulations to the following Conard and Hall High School athletes:  

All Courant for Gymnatics:  Jackie Palermo, Shannon Bouvier, Katie Newton  
All Courant Girls Indoor Track and Field:  Liz Lagoy, Helen Chavey  
All Courant Boys Indoor Track and Field:  Owen Dawson, Ari Klau  
All Courant Wrestling:  Lucas Muntz, Tobias Lichtenstein  
All Courant Boys Swimming:  Jacob DiBella, Chris Warren  
All Courant Ice Hockey:  Zach Powers 


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