Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Rachel Sherwood, a Flood Middle School student and Juliette Girl Scout, prepares more pinwheels for the upcoming International Day of Peace event.

Rachel Sherwood, a Flood Middle School student and Juliette Girl Scout, prepares more pinwheels for the upcoming International Day of Peace event. With a display of homemade pinwheels on the Town Hall grounds, Mayor John A. Harkins will proclaim Sept. 21, 2013 as International Day of Peace in Stratford, and is inviting the public to join the event. “If every Girl Scout makes Pinwheels for Peace and brings them to Town Hall on Sept. 21, it will make a great display outside,” said Rachel. The public is welcome to attend. Further information is available at pinwheelsforpeace.com.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Eli Whitney School Administrative Assistant James Marciano on Sept. 17 stood in an area where large, overgrown shrubs obscured the view of people approaching the school, until the bushes were recently removed. This view is the angle from the school office windows. School administrators wanted clearer sight of people coming onto the school property, so many bushes that obstructed views around the facility were removed as part of the town’s enhancement of school security. Greg Reilly photo.

The Town of Stratford and Stratford Public Schools are working together to implement a host of improvements to school safety, as recommended in a recently completed school security and vulnerability assessment, according to town officials.

“Work is in progress,” according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Robinson. “Some things are done. Others are to be done.” There will be some changes at each of the schools, she said.

The vulnerability assessment is not being released to the public, and some of the specifics of work done at school locations is being kept private for security reasons.

Citing the need for “unspecificity for obvious reasons,” Robinson, who was superintendent of schools in Newtown when the Sandy Hook massacre took place and during the aftermath of that crisis, spoke to The Star about the “hardening of the schools” that is underway. She said this refers to things like improved use of cameras, new alarm systems, and panic buttons — “equipment going into schools for surveillance and delaying an intruder.”

She also mentioned some windows are being “protected” in a way that is “unnoticeable, but there.”

Changes are being made to “several school entry ways, mostly inside,” Robinson said, so that schools can have double locks. She described entering a vestibule and “then a second set of locked doors that you need to get through with second buzzer.”

Robinson said the overall goal that is being considered with all the changes is to “delay the threat and improve response” time.

In addition to the hardening of the buildings, Robinson said that the manuals that each school has for dealing with an emergency such as an intruder are being revised on a school-by-school basis. For instance, she spoke of knowing what to do when “an incident is over” for the “re-entry to normalcy.”

Other general areas of security that are getting attention, according to Dillon, are lighting, pedestrian access, sight lines, and vehicular access.

The vulnerability assessment was conducted by the Connecticut State Police Office of Counterterrorism, Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit, in coordination with select Stratford Police Department officers and supervisors whom CIPU has trained extensively, according to Chief of Staff Marc Dillon.

This work follows Mayor John Harkins’ formation of a School Security Task Force in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012.

Harkins described the findings as “significant in terms of ideas and improvements offered to keep Stratford students and staff as safe as possible.”

“I’ve said right along that money will not be an impediment when it comes to enhancing the safety of our school students and staff,” Mayor Harkins said. “The fact that the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit offered their substantial expertise to the Town of Stratford at no cost  means that we can direct money we may have spent on a consultant to immediate security improvements for our schools.”

Board of Education Chairman Gavin Forrester said in a statement, “The State Police Report provides practical risk-reduction measures to provide a physically and psychologically secure school setting while keeping a balanced and commonsense approach.

“Improvement in the physical structure and emergency components focused on comprehensive multi-hazard emergencies, school relationships with first responders and community organizations, communicating effectively with parents and the media during a crisis, and school staff roles during emergency situations,” said Forrester.

Harkins added, “One of the things that impressed me about CIPU was their emphasis on speaking in detail with individual school administrators. They clearly understand that knowing what personnel, parents and staff are facing — not just on the job, but also in their family lives — is a crucial component in recognizing and neutralizing possible threats.”

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club provided 20 well stocked backpacks filled with school supplies to the Stratford Board of Education. The backpacks include school supplies who could benefit the grammar school grades primarily.

Backpacks included notebooks, folders, ruler , tissue packs, book covers and a pencil box filled with pens/erasers/pencils/glue sticks/crayons .

The club has been doing this project for more than seven years. The Stratford Board of Education relies on the social workers in the schools to determine the need for who would benefit most from receiving the backpack.

The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club was founded in 1967 for the purpose of performing civic-minded acts promoted by the general membership of the club. The Stratford Junior’s are a member of the state-wide organization of Connecticut Junior Women, Inc.

If anyone is interested in information about the club and membership opportunities, contact Kim Bielecki at bieleckm @hotmail.com.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

First place winner for Art, Ryan Dang, grade 7 from Wooster Middle School.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Poetry runner-up winner Elizabeth Garfield, grade 8 from St. James School.

The Stratford Library Teen Services Department announced the winners for their first “Hispanic Heritage Essay, Art and Poetry Contest.” There were more than 200 submissions and winners were announced in a special ceremony recently at the Library. The contest was open to students in grades 7 and 8.

Winners included: Art: Ryan Dang, Grade 7, Wooster Middle School; Essay: Faye Rooney (1st place), Grade 7, Wooster MS and Cassidy Moore (Runner-up), Grade 7, Wooster MS; Poetry: Kathleen McDonnell (1st place), Grade 8, St. James School and Elizabeth Garfield (Runner-up), Grade 8, St. James; Essay (Grade 8 Franklin Middle School Runner-ups): George Bloom, Kate Catapano, Julianna Ferrigno and Krista Penna, Grade 8, Wooster MS; Alexa Capuana (1st place), Wooster MS and Daniel Torres (1st place), Franklin MS.

The students utilized a wide variety of subjects in the art, poetry and essays including Hispanic American astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz, author Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, ballet dancer Lauren Alzamora, author Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burt, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, scientist Santiago Ramon and labor activist Cesar Chavez.

The Bunnell High School class of 2003 will be hosting their 10-year high school reunion on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 6-10 p.m., at the Riverview Bistro, 946 Ferry Boulevard, Stratford.

Tickets, at $37, may be purchased online only at www.eventbrite.com/event/8053577467.

by John Kovach

Editorial Director

The shop at Platt Tech probably looked familiar to the business representatives who gathered there for a semi-annual meeting with teachers this past summer. They were surrounded by the same equipment found in their operations.

And because students are at home using those machines, they are getting hired by those area manufacturers to fill a field they say continues to grow as an older generation of workers retires.

Brian Quinn of Bridgeport Fittings, in Stratford, said the firm has hired two recent products of Platt Tech: One two years ago, one a member of the class of 2013. Both got their start on the shop floor at Bridgeport Fittings in work study, and established themselves as people the company wanted to hire, Quinn said.

Bridgeport Fittings is not alone.

“Companies are calling like it’s a tidal wave,” said David Tuttle, head of the Manufacturing Technology Department at the state-run technical high school in Milford.

Of the 23 members of the class of 2013, 14 are working in manufacturing while nine are attending college. Of those attending college, seven is studying engineering, one is studying plastics engineering.

During this past year, students in Platt Tech’s Manufacturing Technology Department were hired by Stevens Manufacturing, Precision Metal Products, Stratton Industries, Schick, The Lee Company, Moore Tool, Bridgeport Fittings, Precision Sensors, Alloy Engineering, Excello Tool, RBC Bearing, Cadcom and Westconn Tool.

Most of the jobs are in computer numerical control, abbreviated CNC. Others are in tool room and inspection.

Inspection will be the focus of a new station being built in the department this summer. Flaws can be found and shown to students, some of whom may end up working in quality control in a field in which thousandths of an inch can mean the difference in the functionality of a product.

In the Skills USA Competition, in which tech school students compete in their fields of study, Platt Tech took first, second and third in both CNC Turning and CNC Milling.

Multiple paths to employment

There are multiple paths a student may take to employment. Some can latch on as an apprentice through a state program, said Vinnie Valente, program manager of the Office of Apprenticeship Training for the Connecticut Department of Labor.

“All of a sudden apprentice tool making is coming back,” Tuttle said. “It’s a tidal wave. People are retiring.”

Apprenticeship is making an even bigger impact in the construction industry, said Valente, a plumber.

He said that certification has been worth more than any of the multiple college degrees he holds.

Valente himself started as an apprentice. The program offered by the state Department of Labor is voluntary for both parties, which combines on-the-job training with related instruction, leading to full-time employment, and marketable skills, licensing in trades where such is required in Connecticut, and nationally recognized credentials.

Any employer may participate in the program, provided it offers full-time employment, schedules work training and related classroom education, schedules wage increases leading to journeyman, arranges necessary licensing, provides field training, and maintains a Connecticut business presence.

Apprentices must be at least 16 years old. The minimum length of the program is one year, with 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of related instruction.

Commonly, according to data provided by Valente, an apprenticeship lasts three to five years in a construction or manufacturing trade.

“How do you get so many people to show up? It’s their program. Their taxes pay for it,” Tuttle said.

First-year Platt Tech Principal Sheila Williams said she was “amazed” by the craftsmanship shown by students in the shop, even the underclassmen just finishing their exploratory phase and choosing a course of study.

A program this past summer involving the New Haven Manufacturers Association, Southern Connecticut State University and Platt Tech introduced math and science teachers to the skills taught in technical schools, and needed in manufacturing.

While they teach the subject matter to middle and high school students, lessons and knowledge are “out of context,” Bob Klancko of the New Haven Manufacturing Association said. “The only way to learn it is to get dirt under your fingernails and make something.”

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Youth volunteers who were recognized at the 2nd annual President’s Volunteer Service Awards Recognition event on Saturday, Oct. 26. Nineteen students were recognized for contributing 100 hours or more of volunteer service to Sterling House from September 2012 to August 2013. Back row: Arda Yilmaz, Alasdair Gilbert, Dan Slosser, Will Alberti, Aubrey Lowe, Megan Peterlin, Emily Winter. Front row: Emma Bromley, Marina Kydes, Elyse Velky, Erica Velky, Carly Horch, Megan White, Kaya Wells, Nychelle Mackie. Not pictured: Josh Brown, Drew Damiano, Lauren Holt, Dominic Parrella.

Sterling House Community Center recognized nineteen youth for providing more than 2,800 hours of volunteer service this year to the Sterling House Community Center. An award ceremony was held on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Each student received the Presidential Volunteer Student Achievement Award which includes a presidential certificate and a special letter of recognition signed by President Barack Obama.

Students participated in positive youth development programs, i.e. “Sterling Teens Recognizing Opportunities Benefiting Everyone” (S.T.R.O.B.E. is Sterling House’s Youth Group), Smart Buddies, Summer of Service and the summer day camp Junior Counselor program. All of these programs fall under the Youth in the Community umbrella of programs provided at the Sterling House Community Center.

For more information about Sterling House volunteer programs and opportunities, contact Bob Wargo at 203-378-2606 or rwargo@sterlinghousecc.org. For information about the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, visit presidentialserviceawards.gov. For more information about RYASAP’s programs for youth development, visit ryasap.org.

State Representatives Laura Hoydick (R-120) Larry Miller (R-122) and Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) today congratulated Stratford students Justin S. Bard, Taylor Binkley and Jessica A. Bogdwicz after they were each awarded a $2,500 Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) Advance Scholarship during a ceremony at the State Capitol.

“Saving for college is a great challenge for families, and I am pleased to see these Stratford students get a little assistance through the CHET program,” said Rep. Hoydick. “I wish these students the best of luck as their academic careers unfold before them.”

“When it comes to higher education we know the cost continues to rise,” said Rep. Miller. “Every bit helps along the way, and I am sure these great students will benefit from these CHET Scholarships.”

“I want to congratulate each scholarship recipient on pursuing a college education,” said Sen. Kelly. “Paying for college is an ongoing challenge across our nation. I hope that this grant helps make college more affordable for a few of our local students.”

During the ceremony State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier announced that 200 high school seniors have been selected as recipients of the first annual CHET Advance Scholarship. Each student will receive a $2,500 grant to help put their college dreams within reach.

Winners were randomly selected from a pool of 3,635 applicants that hail from 85 public high schools, 10 parochial high schools and 3 independent high schools in Connecticut. Two of the winners are home-schooled students.

Students must begin college no later than September 2015, and use the full $2,500 scholarship by June 30, 2016. Scholarship awards will be paid directly to students’ colleges starting in the fall of 2014.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Credit Union’s Stratford High School branch re-opened to students, faculty and staff. It operates from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on Wednesdays and Fridays. “Having Sikorsky Credit Union here helping to facilitate our students’ understanding of financial literacy has been a wonderful addition to Stratford High School,” mentioned Joseph Corso Jr., principal at Stratford High School.

The recent financial crisis exposed consumer behaviors that show very low levels of financial literacy across the nation. People are taking on more debt than they can afford, and often, this debt load starts with college loans. According to the Center for Financial Literacy, it’s critical that financial literacy education be well established in high school.

Yet, when the Center compared data for high schools across the country, only seven states got an “A” in the subject. Connecticut received an abysmal “F,” meaning that the state has few requirements; or none at all, for personal finance education in high school.

Staffers at the Sikorsky Credit Union aim to improve the financial acumen of the state’s high school students with an innovative, hands-on solution: in-school branches in several Connecticut high schools. “We saw a need for financial education,” explains Mike Shirling, Director of Retail Delivery, who oversees the operation of the high school branches. “And we decided to partner with schools to solve it.”

Originally opened last fall, the branch serves all members of the school community, including faculty, staff and students. While it is not open to the public, those within the school can transact financial business of any kind during branch hours. The branch is staffed by a Sikorsky Credit Union employee, along with paid student apprentices, who will be learning about credit union operations and are actually part of the Sikorsky Credit Union staff. Over the course of the school year, three different students will be working as apprentices and acting as Credit Union ambassadors within the school, facilitating projects to help build financial literacy and get their peers involved in real-life financial issues.

“Financial Literacy is very important, and having our branches in our high schools gives students many great opportunities to learn skills that will stay with them for their entire life.” notes Shirling.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Firefighter Ian Babingtonm wearing his full firfighter gear tells the young “Honey Bears” not to be afraid of or hide from firefighters, but to go towards them.

During National Fire Prevention Month, the Stratford Fire Department visited Honey Bear Learning Center on Oct. 24.

In September, teachers slowly familiarized the children with the sound of the emergency siren prior to practicing their first emergency drill. As part of their Early Learning Experience Plan (ELEP), “Fire Safety” was the Unit of Study for the week of Oct. 21. Teachers modeled and children practiced stop-drop and roll, and crawling under the smoke.

At their visit, firefighters reviewed calling 911, home smoke detector sound, fire safety and the children explored Engine 2. Lt Rick Vanicky stated, “The children were well prepared for our visit. They answered our questions correctly about steps they learned to take if an emergency occurs.”

“I first met Rick in 2000 when the fire department visited Honey Bear. We got married in 2001 and earlier this year, we became the owners of Honey Bear,” said, director Cathie Vanicky. “This year’s fire department visit is extra special to us.”

Honey Bear is a NAEYC Accredited Early Care and Education Center, open year-round, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with open enrollment at any time for full and part time slots for three to five year olds. Located at 1498 North Ave., Stratford with two fully-equipped oversized playgrounds across from Nichols Elementary School. The school also offers before and after care for school-aged children.

The Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center will be hosting an information session for parents and students currently in grades 8-11, that would be interested in enrolling for the 2014-2015 school year.

All interested students from Bridgeport, Stratford, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton and Trumbull are invited on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 6-7:30 p.m., for an overview of their program and info about courses and the educational experiences offered. Enrollment applications will also be available.

The information session will take place at the Aquaculture School, 60 St. Stephens Road, Bridgeport. For more information, call Guidance Director, Lois Foito at 203-275-2945 or e-mail LFoito@bridgeportedu.net.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Attendees Mayor John Hawkins; Bob Chaloux, school board member; Andy Ilie, 6th grade student; Claire Gonzalez, PTSA VP; Noelle Guerini, principal; Raquel Fetchin, president; Cole Maseto, kindergarten student; and Superintendent Janet Robinson.

The Wilcoxson Elementary School PTSA hosted the 5th annual Wildcat Walkathon and kick-off to the year-long celebration of Wilcoxson Elementary’s 85th anniversary on Oct. 25. The day began with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which both Mayor Harkins and Stratford Public Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson were in attendance.

Following the ribbon cutting, the Mayor presented a proclamation to the student body, faculty and PTSA in recognition of the school’s anniversary. Also, Harkins and Robinson walked the first lap of the Walkathon with the entire student body, which was very exciting for the students.

The Wilcoxson PTSA raised more than $6,000, which will be used to support the Wilcoxson School Community by continuing to provide PTSA/school activities, such as, the families in need, scholarships, field trips, teacher appreciation week, father/daughter dances, mother/son bowling night, Winterfest and more.

The students, teachers and all the Wilcoxson School Community benefit from PTSA sponsored activities.

For those who missed the November testing, Sacred Heart Academy will offer an entrance exam on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Academy, 265 Benham St., Hamden.

Students are to arrive at 8:45 a.m. Testing concludes at noon. Students who plan to take the test must submit an application for admission with $60 fee and contact Elaine Lamboley, director of admissions at 203-288-2309, x307. Visit the website at sacredhearthamden.org to apply online or download and print the application for admission.

Sacred Heart Academy, an independent college preparatory school founded in 1946 by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, successfully prepares young women in grades 9-12 for learning, service, and achievement in a global society.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Volunteer Seneca Schultz and camper Sophie Polastek. Seneca has volunteered for two years at Camp Tepee in Monroe and has recently volunteered with Parent Connections.

Make a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Volunteers of all ages, from ages 13 to seniors, share, care and take an interest in a variety of programs. Volunteer opportunities abound today in many non-profit organizations, including The Kennedy Center, who utilizes more than 400 volunteers annually.

Have some free time on your hands? Want to acquire some new job seeking skills? Do you have some professional skills to teach others? Now is a great time of year to get involved.

“Our volunteers are the heartbeat of The Kennedy Center,” said Barbara Germak, volunteer coordinator at The Kennedy Center, “and range from students to retirees. Volunteers contribute as little as one hour a week to as many as 20 hours a week, depending on an individual’s schedule. Our agency depends on our large corps of volunteers to enhance our programs operationally.”

Volunteers keep score for weekend bowling, use their sign language skills, and even play the drums for senior programs. “We match your skills to fit our many programming needs,” added Germak.

Specifically, volunteer opportunities fall into four categories: interns, service learning college students, capstone seniors and general volunteer opportunities. More than 50 interns a year typically earn college credits from The Kennedy Center, primarily human services and recreation therapy majors from the University of Bridgeport. Students accrue 180 hours for credit.

Service learning college students have another volunteer goal in mind: 16 hours community service for a religious class. Sacred Heart University students who major in human services are involved in this partnership. Likewise, capstone seniors are selected for high academic achievement. These student volunteers work at the Kennedy Center for two months for approximately 150 hours.

There are many other general volunteer opportunities available at The Kennedy Center. Volunteers with the following skills are needed: IPAD training, swimming, graphic arts, film and video, reading, arts and crafts, and sharing a specialty such as knitting. In addition, the Autism Program attracts many high school students who act as peer volunteers and return year after year. As many as 25 students often volunteer at Camp Tepee in Monroe and provide support to children with disabilities.

For more information about volunteering at The Kennedy Center, contact Barbara Germak, at 203-332-4535, ext. 270, or email bgermak@thekennedyctr.org.

The Kennedy Center is a nationally accredited, non-profit, community-based rehabilitation organization serving Stratford, the region and 2,400 individuals annually. The agency actively responds to the needs of the community by offering innovative, comprehensive service options to persons with disabilities and special needs, from birth to senior years.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The cast of the SHS production of Fools Samantha Rivera, Nick Kovalik, Will Tait, Katie Schuessler and Megan Aviles; back row: Chris DeCrescenzo, Justin Gendron, Andre Vilarinho, Chris Smith and Austin Bult.

The Stratford Drama Society will present Neil Simon’s comedy Fools, in the school’s John F. Kennedy Memorial auditorium on Friday, Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. All tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Call 203-380-6777 ext 1234 or email shstickets@yahoo.com for advance tickets.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The cast of ‘Fools’ in rehearsal, Will Tait, Justin Gendron, Nick Kovalik, Chris Smith (seated), Megan Aviles, Kaitlyn Schuessler (seated), Andre Vilarinho, Chris DeCrescenzo, and Samantha Rivera.

Neil Simon’s comedy tells the story of Leon Tolchinsky, who is ecstatic to be starting at a teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. However, upon arriving in the village, he finds people doing things that can only be described as stupid. It turns out that the town has been cursed with chronic stupidity for 200 years, and Leon’s quest is to break the curse. The catch is, he doesn’t know that if he stays more than 24 hours and fails to break the curse, he too will become cursed with chronic stupidity. To further complicate issues, he has fallen in love with Sophia Zubritsky, who is so cursed with chronic stupidity that she has only recently learned how to sit down.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Chris Smith and Kaitlyn Schuessler rehearse a scene.

In explaining the choice of Fools as the fall production, show director Kathleen Murphy said, “I was looking for something different. I read about 15 comedies over the summer, and this one made me laugh out loud. It just stayed with me, and so here we are. It is also a Neil Simon show, so we hope that will be a draw for the audience even though it’s not one of his more well-known ones.”

The cast of includes: Leon Tolchinksy (The Teacher), Chris Smith; Snetsky (The Sheep Herder), Nick Kovalik; Slovitch (The Butcher), Justin Gendron; Yenchna (The Vendor of Various Wares), Samantha Rivera; Mishkin (The Postmaster), Chris DeCrescenzo; Doctor Zubritsky (Sophia’s Father), Will Tait; Lenya Zubritsky (Sophia’s Mother), Megan Aviles; Sophia Zubritsky (The Student and Love Interest), Kaitlyn Schuessler; Gregor Yousekevitch (The Villain), Austin Bult; and Magistrate (The Bellringer), Andre Vilarinho.

The production is directed by Kathleen Murphy and produced by Jeff Leinen. Costuming is by Susan Barksdale and Nancy Zychek, props by Laura Tallberg, and set design by Rich Tallberg and Mike Rich.

Kindergarten registration for August 2014 begins in February. If you have a childwho will turn 5-years-old on or before Jan. 1, 2015, complete the name collection form available on the Stratford Board of Education website at stratfordk12.org, and return it to the following address as soon as possible:

Kindergarten Registration, Stratford Public Schools Administration Center, 1000 East Broadway, Stratford, CT 06615; or call the Administration Center at 203-386-3149 to place your child’s name on the mailing list for kindergarten registration.

The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, a statewide nonprofit educational administration organization which represents public school superintendents, assistant superintendents and other educational leaders across the state, announced that Dr. Janet Robinson, the Superintendent of Stratford Public Schools, has been named Superintendent of the Year for 2014.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Dr. Janet Robinson

“Before the tragic events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Dr. Robinson had established herself as a very effective superintendent of the Newtown Public Schools. Then her leadership in the wake of the tragedy was a model for how superintendents can and should lead,” Joseph Cirasuolo, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), said. “We are pleased to bestow the honor of Superintendent of the Year upon Dr. Robinson and look forward to continuing our work with her as she leads Stratford Public Schools.”

Prior to joining Stratford Public Schools as superintendent in June 2013, Robinson served five years as superintendent of Newtown Public Schools and three years as superintendent of Derby Schools. She is also the former Deputy Executive Director of Cooperative Educational Services in Trumbull.

“As superintendents, we do not do this work for accolades. You must have a passion about leading an organization that has student success as its mission and focus,” Robinson said. “I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to lead a district and work with educators truly dedicated to student learning. We can’t do this work alone. It is about building teams that are constantly looking for improvement.”

In June 2013, Robinson was honored with the CAPSS Exemplary Leadership Award in recognition of her exemplary leadership as the Superintendent of Schools in Newtown in reaction to the tragic events of December 14, 2012.

State Senators Kevin Kelly (R-21) and Andres Ayala (D-23) in separate statements applauded the announcement that Stratford, as part of the Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety Act, was recently awarded School Security Grants of $748,621

The funding will be used to reimburse the town for some of the costs associated with security infrastructure improvements at nine schools in Stratford made after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown last December.

“I’m happy to see that Stratford successfully pursued funds to enhance their security systems,” said Kelly. “When we send our children to school we need to know that the school is the safest learning environment that it can be. These funds take important steps toward making our schools safer and more secure.”

“A strong education is the foundation for a successful future, and no student or teacher should have to fear for their safety while working toward this important goal,” said Ayala. “I worked alongside my colleagues in the legislature to pass this historic, bipartisan law to improve the safety of all Connecticut residents. I am glad that students and Stratford will benefit from it.”

Along with the state funding the town of Stratford provided matching funds of $521,728 for school security. This is the second time the School Security Grant Program provided funds to Stratford. The town also received $135,334 from the state in September.

The School Security Grant Program is administered by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Department of Education, and the Department of Construction Services. The funding will go to schools with the most need i.e. — buildings with little or no existing security infrastructure located in school districts. The improvements can include:

• Development or improvement of security infrastructure

• School personnel training in the operation and maintenance of the new or improved security structure

• Purchase of portable entrance security devices, including metal detector wands, screening machines, and related training

• Installation of surveillance cameras

• Penetration resistant vestibules

• Ballistic glass

• Solid core doors

• Double-door access

• Computer-controlled electronic locks

• Entry door buzzer systems

• Scan card systems

• Panic alarms or other systems

One more additional round of funding is expected to be awarded in next year.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Donato Quattrucci, Jesse Bike, Ryan Fernandes working together helping local families with leaf raking.

The Student Service Club at St. Mark School recently participated in their annual leaf raking project. The club, which consists of students in grades 4 through 8, is committed to helping people in the community. More than 25 students volunteered after school to help families who were unable to rake the leaves in their yards.

Chapel Street School Father’s Club is sponsoring a bus trip to New York City on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The bus departs from the Chapel Street School parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Once in New York there will be six hours to spend before the bus returns to Stratford.

Cost of the trip is $30 per adult and $10 per child.

For more information, call 203-640-6406.