Stratford Continuing Education will be offering the opportunity for Stratford residents to join current students in taking a free Practice GED test from Monday-Wednesday, March 17-19. The test will be computer based and offer all four content areas, math, reading, science, and social studies.

For individuals without a high school diploma, this would be a great opportunity to experience the testing process so they may become familiar with the State academic expectations of the GED Test program. Prior test results up to December 2013 are no longer valid as they are being replaced this year with a new computer based form.

This testing offers users insight into their current academic position and is a good predictor for GED Test readiness. Whether you are currently planning to attend GED Test classes, take the GED Test, or would like to determine if it may fit your academic plans, the GED Practice Test is a great place to start.

The schedule is as follows:

March 17, 6 p.m., GED Science

March 17, 7:30 p.m., GED English

March 18, 7:30 p.m., GED Math

March 19, 6 p.m., GED Social Studies

For more information, call Stratford Continuing Education at 203-385-4270.

Teen Librarian Lucretia Duwel (far left) with contest winners from this year’s Black History Month Essay/Art Contest, an annual event sponsored by the Stratford Library and South End Community Center.

The Stratford Library and South End Community Center’s 8th annual “Black History Month Essay/Art Contest” celebrated its winners recently. Congratulations were offered by Teen Librarian Lucretia Duwel and South End Coordinator Evelyn Barbosa at the special event which saw more than 125 students, parents, educators and guests in attendance at the Library.

These included Principals Jack Lynch (Wooster Middle School) and Jack Dellapiano (Flood Middle School) and teen representatives Alexia Smith and Deeanna Fast who spoke about the teen Creative Writing Workshop and Youth Review Board at the Library.

Duwel announced that a record number of entries were received this year which included 220 essays, 13 poems and 50 pieces of artwork. The audience was not only treated to poetry, art and writings on a variety of well-known African-Americans, but also to several local heroes who inspired them to be the best that they can be. There were few dry eyes as the teens read their stories about grandfathers, classmates and fathers who were “their personal heroes”.

This year’s Black History Month contest winners were Elementary students: Kourtney Palucci, Emily Nieves, Alyssa Ranocchia, Taniyah Robinson, Alejandra Arias, Nicholas Santiago, Alexis Aquilino, Julian Marottob, Gredliana Atencia and Joshlyn Ortiz. Middle school winners: Jessica Maldonado, Catelyn Clark, Cullen Roper, Madelyn Dunkel, Ayesha Zahrah, Ameira Hernandez, Rebecca Romano, Holly Rosa, Max Richo, Sa’noma Smart, Ashley Hong, Caeley Ott, Jacob Kudysch, Emily Goddard, Brianna LaPia, Carmela Daponte-Smith, Alexander Adzima, Stanley Yarmoussik, Jarrod Davis and Natalie Anderson.

Duwel also recognized the teachers whose students took part in this year’s contest: Margaret Cominelli, Renee Hamulak and Sue Smoly (Second Hill Lane), Robin Celentano (Chapel), Dawn Gianotta (Nichols), Cathy Giaquinto and Kathy D’Amico (Lordship), Janet Zeiner and Sue Saylor (Flood), Christina Coutinho, Kevin Broadbin, Jill Degnan and Katie Ayres (Wooster) and Colleen Simon (St. James).

Upcoming at the Stratford Library for Teens will be “Bullying Has NO Boundaries” with author/cartoonist Jerry Craft Tuesday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on teen programming, call 203-385-4162 or visit stratfordlibrary.org.

Caitlyn Haray

Fourth grader from Eli Whitney Elementary School, Caitlyn Haray, has won the Fairfield County fire prevention poster contest and is now competing against other county winners.

The contest was a collaboration between the Stratford Fire Department and Stratford Public Schools. The fourth and fifth grade classrooms each had a visit from Deputy Fire Marshall Roy Minton, promoting the contest and explaining the rules. Almost all of the students participated.

Two students, a fourth grader Caitlyn Haray and a fifth grader Kim Heng, were selected to represent Stratford in the Fairfield County contest. From there, Caitlyn was identified as the winner. She is invited to attend a luncheon where she will be celebrated for her achievement. At this luncheon, the overall winner of the State’s contest will be identified.

The Orazio DiMauro Foundation located in Fairfield, is now accepting applications for scholarships for students studying engineering or medicine. The terms of the Foundation require that all scholarship recipients be residents of Stratford, Bridgeport and the surrounding towns.

For the 33nd year of the foundation’s scholarship program, the following awards will be made: A maximum of $2,500 awarded to each engineering student and $3,500 awarded to each medical student.

To be eligible for an engineering scholarship, a student must be graduating from high school or currently a full-time student in an engineering major at a four-year college. The engineering student must also demonstrate financial need for a scholarship.

To be eligible for a medical scholarship, the student must be attending medical school or graduated from a four-year college and planning to attend medical school. All scholarships are based on academic achievement and financial need.

Applications for the DiMauro scholarships can be secured from the Orazio DiMauro Foundation web site Orazio DiMauro Foundations.org, or 11 Greenacres Lane, Trumbull, CT 06611 or e-mail ifidi@aol.com. The deadline for all applications is March 31, 2015, and the deadline for supporting materials is May 15, 2015. Announcements and notification of scholarship awards will be made in July.

Stratford police officers are assigned in Stratford Public Schools’ middle and high schools as a community resource, a parent resource, a department resource, and an administrative resource.

At Wooster and Flood middle schools and Stratford and Bunnell high schools, the school resource officers, or SROs, park their cruisers in front of the school or nearby. They wear their uniform to work every day, including their service weapon, and that uniform carries the weight of respect and meaning from the kids, and the community.

“It’s true,” said Lt. Melissa Niemiec, who oversees support services, which includes the SRO program, school safety and the Police Activities League. “The uniform itself is like a kind of ‘force.’”

To help, not write tickets
Officer Al Voccola is assigned to Wooster. He left patrol 11 years ago to take up his position as SRO. He’s 53, and his own children are past school age, yet he says he connects with the middle school kids. He surprises them by knowing their music, knowing their apps, and most of all, knowing how to intervene when trouble is afoot.

“The kids don’t look at me as a police officer,” Voccola said. “I’m ‘Al’ not Patrol Officer Voccola. I am not in the hallway writing tickets. They don’t question it. It is a positive reality. Kids come up to me in the hall and tease and talk to me. They know they can come to me, and they know I am here to help, not to hurt.”

The whiteboard behind his desk, covered with silly words of thanks and love from students, is proof of his relationship there.

Voccola, along with Frank Sapione at Flood, Trish Tesla at Bunnell and Jose Escobar at Stratford High, make up the team of SROs in the district. These SROs work a beat in the schools that may be more proactive than being on patrol. They are there for prevention. For the kids, they are counselors and educators. The SROs develop educational programs for the district on bullying, drugs, sexting, driving programs, and social media, to name a few.

They are there, in the hallways, to say hello and to just answer a kid’s question about a cell phone app, or give advice about bullying. Recently one student pulled the fire alarm at Wooster and another student felt comfortable to say, ‘Officer Voccola! I can tell you who did it!’

Helping troubled youths
But students do make mistakes, get in trouble and get arrested. Tough domestic situations at home invade school life. The administration and the SROs work together to intervene and provide support, Voccola says.

“One time this mother came up to me and hugged me and thanked me, saying, ‘You arrested my daughter!’” Voccola says. “What happened was after the arrest, I gave her all the information to help the daughter out, the people to contact, and the daughter later turns out wonderful. That’s the resource part of my job.”

Social media
One of the biggest vulnerabilities, the SROs and the administrators agree, is right in each student’s pocket — mobile phones. The SROs agree this is the students’ biggest distraction. Voccola stays on top of the latest apps. He says Facebook is dead for kids, SnapChat is on the way out, and the next latest app is just waiting to be discovered.

“We will tell these kids, Be careful what you put out there because you can’t erase it,” Voccola says. “You maybe want be a teacher or a cop someday? Well, they want you to sign a release for all your social media. Even going to colleges now, they look at this.”
Last week, Bunnell SRO Tesla bused students from Stratford High School for a texting and driving simulator class. On monitors, students are able to watch a fellow student drive a real car while texting and see the terrifying results.

“The texting and the inappropriate texting is our biggest problem,” Tesla says. “Getting them to the point they understand the full ramifications of it, of how it will impact their future. Sexting has come up as a problem and it is difficult. Social media is a school and a police officer’s nightmare.”

A unit with school
At Bunnell, Tesla works closely with the administrative team. “It is not just me. We are a team here,” Tesla says. “I work with the administration. If there is a kid with trouble, we come together to devise a plan. It’s not the Police Department over here and the high school over there. We are a unit that works together to get the result we want.”

Tesla and Bunnell Assistant Principal Nancy Dowling make a striking pair sitting across from one another — one in full police uniform, including body armor vest, and one in refined office attire. The school’s philosophy, Dowling said, is that students “have to feel they are loved and are cared for before [they] can make progress. [Tesla] is right here as a part of that philosophy.”

“I think the intent of the SRO program is to approach kids as kids. To try to understand the big picture of them as a person, as a kid, before you deal with behavior. That’s second,” Dowling says.

Having the “force” of the uniformed police in the school is meaningful to the community, too, Dowling says. Before the Sandy Hook incident, she says, having a police cruiser sitting in front of a school gave an impression that something negative was going on in the school. Now, she says, it sends the message that the school is safe.
Our primary objective is to keep kids safe. These are other people’s children. That is a priority. Trish being in the uniform is important. Not to keep the kids accountable, but to keep the community accountable to our kids.”

Complex role
So the SROs’ role is complex and multi-layered. To the parents and community, they are protectors. To students, they are counselors and teachers. To administrators, they are consultants and team members. To their patrol colleagues, they are liaisons and, in a sense, social workers.

Having the SROs as liaison between the schools and the Police Department has been one of the best outcomes, Niemiec says. While all the team members respect privacy laws, Dowling says, the SROs have bridged the gap between the schools and the police. If patrol officers or the Fire Department need to enter the school, Wooster Principal Jack Lynch says, they have the SRO on the ground to answer questions easily. And SROs are in regular communication with their department, which helps them understand the school communities needs and problems, Dowling says.

“There is a level of trust that has been established and enhanced between the school administration and the police. If there is a medical emergency or the police are here to supervise an event, there is a seamless, sort of quiet, unobstructed collaboration.”

Voccola and Tesla agree that as SROs, they knows the kids better. They know their backgrounds, and are able to respond to incidents with more knowledge and more compassion than they did when they were on patrol.

“I have learned just as much from the kids as they have learned from me,” Tesla says. “I learned there is more to them than I thought there would be. You don’t realize the complicated lives some of these kids have, the diverse backgrounds, and the obstacles that some of them have overcome. It makes me cherish them, and what they have accomplished.”

Stratford Police Lt. Melissa Niemiec and Wooster Middle School Resource Officer Al Voccola show off Voccola’s whiteboard full of students’ notes of thanks. Elizabeth G. Howard photo.

Senator Kelly teaches students about lawmaking.

Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) visited two elementary schools in Stratford to teach students about the lawmaking process in Connecticut.

Senator Kelly gave presentations to Kathleen Lozinak’s fourth grade class at Chapel Street Elementary School and to Claire Casey’s fifth grade class at St. James School on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The lessons taught students about how a bill is created and the process that happens before a bill can become a law.

“I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with two bright groups of students,” said Senator Kelly. “It is very important to get our children excited about issues that affect the lives of Connecticut families. These students are our future leaders, and sparking an early understanding and interest in government is key to fostering engaged citizenship.”

“The students were excited to welcome Senator Kelly to our classroom,” said Kathleen Lozinak. “By talking to someone directly involved in government, the students got a firsthand understanding of how a bill becomes a law. They saw that lawmaking is not just something we read about in history books; it happens continuously everywhere in the country, even right here in Connecticut.”

As part of the lesson, Senator Kelly also gave the students information on an education bill, which they can now track throughout the legislative session to watch the lawmaking process.

“Being able to track a real bill over the next few months is a great way to help the students stay engaged and see what they’ve learned in action. We really enjoyed the visit and lesson and we look forward to keeping in touch with Senator Kelly and learning more about the legislative process,” said Claire Casey.

Lozinak also commended Senator Kelly for his approach to the lesson. “He certainly could have a future as an educator. He did a great job relating the legislative process to topics the students understood. He talked about bus safety, the number of school days and other things the students had their own opinions about. The kids were completely engaged the entire time,” Lozinak said.

Georgianna, a fourth grade student from Chapel School, thanked Senator Kelly saying, “He taught me a lot about how laws rotate through a process to become laws.”

Kevin Kelly (senatorkevinkelly.com) represents the 21st Senatorial District, which includes the towns of Stratford, Monroe, Seymour, and Shelton.

In the Connecticut State Department of Education’s School Performance Report for 2012-13 three of Stratford’s public schools — Eli Whitney Elementary, Flood Middle School and Wooster Middle School — are rated as Progressing schools, one — Lordship Elementary — is rated as Review, and the other nine are rated as Transitioning.

Stratford Academy/Johnson House, a Transitioning school, was designated a School of Distinction, because its English Language Learners subgroup performed exceedingly well.

No Stratford school was rated as Excelling and no school was rated as among the lowest performing schools statewide by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).

The CSDE report informs parents and communities about the overall performance of their schools and districts.

Connecticut schools were ranked according to a complex formula combining a number of criteria — student individual performing index (IPI), school performance index (SPI), district performing index (DPI), and subject school performance index (Subject SPI).
The SPI, one of the key components, is a calculated index of the number of students performing at goal on a majority of standardized tests such as the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) or Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT).

The state has set a target for all schools to achieve an 88 SPI (based on 0-100 SPI) by 2024.

Classifications
The school classifications, from highest level to lowest, are:
• Excelling — An overall SPI of 88 or above. More than 25% of students score “advanced” in a majority of subjects tested. CAPT participation rate is at least 95%. Graduation rate is at least 94%.
• Progressing — There are two ways a school can receive a progressing classification: a) An overall SPI of 88 or above and a CAPT participation rate of at least 95%, missing one or more of the excelling criteria or b) an overall SPI of 64 to 87 inclusive, a CAPT participation rate of at least 95%, and meeting the SPI target for 2012-13. Stratford’s three Progressing schools qualified by being in the (b) category with SPI between 64 and 87 inclusive.
• Transitioning — An overall SPI of 64 to 87 and a CAPT participation rate of at least 95%, missing one or more of the progressing criteria.
• Review — An overall SPI below 64 or a CAPT participation rate below 95%.
• Focus — A Title I school (a school designated in need of improvement) with one of its subgroups among the lowest performing in the state.
• Turnaround — Schools in this category were selected from among the lowest performing schools statewide.

School by school
Three of Stratford’s public schools achieved the individual school target as set by the state — Eli Whitney, Wooster Middle School and Flood Middle School. The other 10 public schools here did not achieve the state’s target for the school.
Twelve of Stratford’s 13 public schools were given a target in each of four subject areas — math, reading, writing, and science. Stratford Academy/Honeyspot House, which is kindergarten through second grade, was not shown with subject targets.

None of the 12 reported Stratford schools achieved its target in math.

In reading, Eli Whitney, Wooster and Flood achieved target. The other nine reported schools did not.

In writing, Eli Whitney, Wooster and Flood achieved target. The other nine reported schools did not.

In science, Chapel Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Eli Whitney, and Stratford Academy/Johnson House achieved target. The other eight reported schools did not.

District overall
Taking all schools together, the Stratford district did not achieve state target.

State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said the new accountability system is primarily designed to recognize the progress schools are making as well as highlight areas that need improvement.

“We encourage educators and parents to draw upon these reports — as well as other forms of input and insight — as they continue working together for our schools’ and our students’ success,” he said.
For Stratford Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Robinson’s overview of these report results, see related story in this edition.

For complete reports, visit the website sde.ct.gov.
Patricia Gay contributed to this report.

Lordship Elementary School missed its state-designated target for achievement by more than any other Stratford public school. It has been termed a “Review” school by the Connecticut Department of Education. Greg Reilly photo.

Stratford Parents’ Place (SPP) is reaching out to families, friends or neighbors who provide child care in their homes for young children other than their own. Many Stratford children in their birth through preschool years are in the daily care of family, friends, or neighbors in their homes and Stratford Parents’ Place is offering programs and services for this important group of people through the Family, Friends and Neighbors Project.

One component of the Family, Friends and Neighbors Project is the monthly Provider/Child Activity session at Stratford Parents’ Place, 719 Birdseye St. They announced that the family resource center is now offering additional sessions to be held on the first and third Friday of every month.

Future dates and topics are:

March 21 — Learning through Stories and Play

April 4 — Sensory Experiences

April 18 — No session due to school vacation

May 2 — Outdoor Fun

May 16 — Learning through Stories and Play.

The new Friday sessions, Learning through Stories and Play will include a different children’s book each session with related activities. All Stratford adults who care for children other than their own are invited to attend; grandparents too.

SPP, a cooperative project of Stratford Public Schools, is a family resource center located at Stratford Academy/Johnson House. All programs and services are for Stratford residents and are free of charge. The United Way of Coastal Fairfield County provides funding for the Family, Friends and Neighbors Project.

For more information, call Stratford Parents’ Place at 203-381-6992.

The Stratford Board of Education Early Learning Services is housed at Second Hill Lane School. This program offers mandated special education preschool services for eligible Stratford children ages 3-5. One of the program’s highlights is Come Play With Us.

Come Play With Us provides opportunities for the children to work and play with non-disabled children. This program provides developmentally appropriate preschool experiences for all.

Parents who would like information should contact Early Learning Services at Second Hill Lane School, 203-381-2030.

Children for Come Play With Us must be 3-5 years old and toilet trained. Parents will be responsible for transportation to and from the program.

Pictured are: Kassie Poruban, Kristin Pantelis, Stephanie Gabriel, Alexis Williams, Coach Ashley Crape, Advisor Kim Sharnick, Megan Pale, Angela Mariano. Kneeling: Captain Juliana Ricco, Jacob Ricco, Captain Emily Sanchez.

After winning the state dance championship in the hip hop division on Feb. 22, the Stratford High Dance Team placed third in the hip hop division at the New England High School Dance championships held March 8, in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Branford High School won first place and Fairfield Warde High School second place.

The Stratford High team heads to New York City on Monday, March 17 to participate with the SHS band in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-21), Rep. Laura Hoydick (R-120), Rep. Larry Miller (R-122), Rep. Terry Backer (D-121), Stratford Board of Education and Board of Education liaison committee will hold a public forum to discuss Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations and the financial implications of state mandates on Stratford’s public education system Wed. March 19 at 7 p.m. at the Stratford Board of Education, 1000 East Broadway in Stratford.

The event is free and open to the public.

The following students were named to the second marking period honor roll:

First honors

Grade 5 —Julia Dabrowski, Annika DelRosario, Sebastian Holt, Liam Millott, Matthew Morales, Rebecca Richards, Kimberly Wu.

Grade 6 — Daniel Krekoska, Natalie Sciallo, Christina Wood.

Grade 7 — Evan Fernandes.

Grade 8 — Danielle DiMauro, Eileen Sholomicky.

Second honors

Grade 5 — Jonathan Bushka, Kaitlyn Feliciano, Christian Garry, Evelyn McDonald, Eryn Newton, Evan Quesada.

Grade 6 — Ashlinn Derleth, Herla Monrose, Michael Morrissey, Anna Nemergut, Hannah Van Etten.

Grade 7 — William Bertier, Jesse Bike, Emily Fedor, Kayla Mackey, Brianna Perez, Kristen Robertson, Kenneth Sholomicky, Shelby Vinhais.

Grade 8 — Emily Bump, Grant diBenedetto, Allison Krekoska, Michaela Luk, Emma McNamara, Skylar Shandrowski, Diamond Soltis.

The following students were named to the second marking period honor roll:

First honors

Grade 5 —Julia Dabrowski, Annika DelRosario, Sebastian Holt, Liam Millott, Matthew Morales, Rebecca Richards, Kimberly Wu.

Grade 6 — Daniel Krekoska, Natalie Sciallo, Christina Wood.

Grade 7 — Evan Fernandes.

Grade 8 — Danielle DiMauro, Eileen Sholomicky.

Second honors

Grade 5 — Jonathan Bushka, Kaitlyn Feliciano, Christian Garry, Evelyn McDonald, Eryn Newton, Evan Quesada.

Grade 6 — Ashlinn Derleth, Herla Monrose, Michael Morrissey, Anna Nemergut, Hannah Van Etten.

Grade 7 — William Bertier, Jesse Bike, Emily Fedor, Kayla Mackey, Brianna Perez, Kristen Robertson, Kenneth Sholomicky, Shelby Vinhais.

Grade 8 — Emily Bump, Grant diBenedetto, Allison Krekoska, Michaela Luk, Emma McNamara, Skylar Shandrowski, Diamond Soltis.

Pictured back row: Brady Shea, Alex Masi, Asstistant Superintendent Elaine Watson; front row: Giovanni-Marie Roper, Marissa DaCruz, arrive at the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education’s “A Day on the Hill.”

Students from Stratford High School attended the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education’s (CABE) annual “Day on the Hill” event in Hartford on March 5, in which they, along with principals, superintendents, school board members, parents and other students from across the state, convened to voice their opinions and meet with legislators regarding education in Connecticut.

The day began with a briefing of issues at The Bushnell’s Autorino Great Hall, including the governor’s proposed budget and its effect on local schools districts, with CABE and the legislative leadership. Remarks were made by Governor Malloy, Senator Beth Bye, Senator Toni Boucher, and Representative Andy Fleischmann.

Students, principals, superintendents, school board members, parents, and other attendees then “marched to the Hill” to visit one-on-one with their legislators at the State Legislative Office Building.

Representing Stratford Schools were students Brady Shea, Alex Masi, Giovanni-Marie Roper, Marissa DaCruz, and Assistant Superintendent Elaine Watson.

Other districts represented with students at the event include: Branford, Canton, East Granby, Granby, Killingly, Madison, Montville, Plainfield, Plainville, Waterbury, and the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering.

The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education serves local and regional school districts in Connecticut and is dedicated to improving the quality of education throughout the state and the nation. CABE is a leading advocate for public education at the State Capitol and in Washington D. C.

Many of the students who crowded into Bunnell High School’s auto shop were experienced drivers, but quite a few were not. The occasion: the Peer Awareness Tour Safe Texting program, an all-day event held Feb. 28. More than 200 Bunnell and Stratford High School students tried their hand at driving — while texting.

Using a specially equipped compact car and visor headsets, the program took participants through a texting-while-driving simulation. The goal of the exercise is to demonstrate how difficult it is to do, and how texting impairs driving performance.

“Our message through programs such as these is, driving is tough enough — don’t add texting to the equation,” said Tammy Trojanowski, administrator for Stratford Community Services, which obtained a grant for the program as well as for education on drinking and prescription abuse. The program is sponsored by the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based PEERS Foundation.

“We all know how fast an automobile accident can happen,” Trojanowski said. “It takes just one serious accident to forever alter one’s life or end a life. Our message in this campaign is, whatever the message someone is sending us is, it can wait until we arrive at our destination safely.”

Mobile phones have been a great source of convenience for people today, but they also serve as a serious hazard for teen drivers. Studies show that texting while driving can be eight times more dangerous than drunk driving. As more research comes, more legislation is passed to make it illegal to text while driving.

The statistical evidence is pretty conclusive on the dangers of texting while driving. On average, a text takes five seconds to compose and send. Cruising along at 55 mph, a driver will traverse the length of a football field in that amount of time.

Moreover, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), about 1.6 million automobile accidents each year involve drivers using cell phones and texting. That is about one-fourth of the total car crashes in the United States. The NSC has called for a nationwide ban on driving while on cell phones or texting.

The texting experience
Bunnell’s auto shop hosted the event because it is the only school facility with a door wide enough to accommodate a car. While each student “drove,” others students observed, on computer monitors, what he or she saw.

On command, each participant had to send a text message while staying as close to the speed limit as possible. The car’s steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal were also equipped with sensors to record student driving performance. Most students had to slow down considerably while composing and sending a message.

Afterward, students gathered in groups for breakout sessions with teachers, administrators and other school officials. “This was a good eye-opener,” said Trish Tesla, the Stratford Police Department’s school resource officer at Bunnell High. “As a student resource officer, I see students texting while driving every day I’m at work. I think most of the kids who participated in this exercise now realize how dangerous that can be.”

According to Joe Crapanzano, an assistant principal at Stratford High School, several students admitted to having firsthand experience with texting while driving. Still others talked about using mobile phone applications that automatically block calls and texts while a car is in motion. AT&T DriveMode, CellSafety and tXtblocker are just a few of the apps now available.

“When they are driving, their phone will automatically send a message to the sender that the message will have to wait until they stop,” said Crapanzano. “That’s good problem-solving on the part of these students and their parents, and more of our students need to download these apps.”

All of the officials hope to see a replay of the exercise. “Students were quite sobered to learn that they weren’t as adept at texting while driving as they had thought — which is an important lesson,” said Tesla.

Trojanowski said the event was praised by students, teachers, administrators, and parents. While the phenomenon is usually associated with young drivers, adults have been shown to be just as careless in their driving habits.

“The timing for this exercise was perfect — right before prom season,” Crapanzano noted. He was one of two assistant principals from Stratford High School to attend the Feb. 28 event, but time precluded him from getting behind the wheel.

Francesca Montano

St. James School 8th grader Francesca Montano placed third in both the Stratford Local and the overall Regional (Fairfield County) VFW’s Essay competition, “What is Patriotism,” for her essay submission.

Francesca was honored at a ceremony at the VFW on Tuesday, March 4.

Francesca was also recently awarded the St. Thomas Aquinas medal by our Bishop, the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, at the annual Breakfast of Champions. The medal is awarded to an 8th grader from each elementary school for “excellence in faith, excellence in academics and excellence in values that create an atmosphere of respect, love and learning.”

Will Tait (Shrek) and Abbie Perez (adult Fiona) rehearse the show’s opening scene.

Theatricals’ Shrek the Musical in the school’s John F. Kennedy Memorial Auditorium will be performed on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, March. 29, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The show tells the story of the ogre Shrek, his new found friend Donkey, their quest for Princess Fiona and their deeds to thwart the plans of the evil Lord Farquaad.

“Each year, when we graduate our seniors, we lose our most experienced actors, singers, and dancers. Last year we had one such group graduate who had been acting together since elementary school, often landing most of the lead roles,” said show director Jeff Leinen in explaining the choice of Shrek as the SHS spring show. “I wanted to offer a show that would attract a large number of students, and offered a plethora of roles of all shapes and sizes.

When the time drew close to select a musical, I held a survey in each of my choir classes and took the top 10 shows that received the most votes, researched them, and narrowed down our choices to four. I then held a Drama Society meeting for anyone interested in this year’s show, and passed out a packet detailing each show that included character descriptions, plot synopsis, and song lists. The overwhelming vote came back Shrek the Musical.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet that this is going to be my last show at Stratford High,” said senior Will Tait, a five show veteran for the SHS Drama Society, who will be playing Shrek. “Being a part of theater at Stratford High helped me a lot by making me more confident and comfortable with being myself. Shrek is a fun show and it has a good message that I think audiences will enjoy.”

Megan Aviles, another senior and also a five show veteran, agreed that she will miss her fellow SHS Drama Society members. “I love it, we’re all like a family. This show is so much fun and it will be a fun experience for the audience. It’s an out of the box show for us, a much different type of show than the classic shows we’ve done over the past few years.”

“I’d like audiences to leave this show excited about theater at Stratford High School,” said Drama Society President Nick Kovalik. Nick, also a senior, has been in eight productions during his high school years. “I met a lot of great people through the theater program and the experience helped me to push myself to be the best I can be.”

The cast of Shrek includes: Will Tait (Shrek); Chris DeCrecrescenzo (Donkey); Tyler Ferrara (Lord Farquaad); Abbie Perez (Adult Fiona); and Megan Aviles (Ogress Fiona). Other cast members include: Sam Noccioli, Emily Benson, Audrey Pancak, Jackie Walsh, Chris Smith, Reid Jefferson, Maggie Walsh, Jason Peoples-Blackwell, Julia Barksdale, Alyson Brault, Lauren Holt, Kaitlyn Schuessler, Emily Lopez, Kelsey Lepesko, Joe Marsan, Terron Moorer, Anthony Vazquez, Paige Hoydick, Samantha Rivera, Samantha Feliciano, Chris Gonzalez, Michael Holt, Olivia Murray, Jessica Logan, Justin Gendron, Brianna Rotonto, Chris Carroll, Becky Simon, Tristan Frownfelter, Anthony Larregui, Chynna Sherrod, Ashley Jean Pierre, Nick Kovalik, Zach Smith, Meera Chanda, Kathryn Cullen, Liliette Diavua, Maia Dufane, Kelsey Gabris, Megan Pale, Brianna Pensanti, Rebekah Wargo and Olivia Mastroluca.

The backstage crew includes: Jenna Amoroso (wing manager); Bree Bursey (wing manager) and Katie Posser (stage manager). The production is directed Jeff Leinen. Costuming is by Susan Barksdale and Nancy Zychek, props by Laura Tallberg, and set design by Rich Tallberg and Mike Rich.

All tickets are $10.

For more information call (203) 380-6777, ext. 1234 or log onto stratfordhigh.stratfordk12.org.

Mayor John Harkins and his administration have proposed a Town of Stratford budget increase of 6.5%, or $11.5 million, for fiscal year 2015.

Under this plan, which is now for the Town Council’s consideration and action, the town’s expense budget would increase 9.5%, or $9.2 million, and the schools budget would increase 2.4% or $2.3 million.

The total proposed budget increase would bring the Town’s expenses to $204,182,610. The mill rate, which is used to determine property taxes, would increase 5.7% and become 36.62.

Property taxes on a Stratford home with a market value of $300,000 and an assessed value of $210,000 would increase $416, from $7,274 to $7,690 under the proposed spending plan.
The Board of Education had requested an increase of $5.2 million.

Increasing the schools budget by the proposed $2.3 million would cover increases in wages, benefits and capital projects, according to the mayor. He said also that some more time should be given to the new superintendent of schools to see how her initiatives may improve the system with more expenditure increases.

A major portion of the increase on the town side of the budget is debt service on the 2013 Pension Obligation Bond program approved by the Town Council last May. The cost for that budget line is $12.9 million.

Comparing costs of pension deposit, debt service on 1998 Pension Obligation Bonds and debt service on 2013 Pension Obligation Bonds in 2014 with the 2015 proposal shows a net increase of $7.5 million year to year.

Costs related to pensions and Pension Obligation Bonds are in the proposal at $23.4 million, which is 22% of the Town’s $106.3 million expense budget, separate from the schools’ section.

The town’s costs for General Obligation Bonds for capital projects is shown to decrease $1.5 million from $10.9 million in 2014 to $9.4 million in 2015.

In his budget presentation Harkins points out that the proposal maintains all current services and requires no personnel layoffs.

The Grand List, the sum total of real property and business personal property, increased $29 million in 2013, which adds an estimated $750,000 in revenue to the town.

“This budget is based on what the taxpayers can afford,” Harkins told The Star. The Board of Education “wants more, but now, with the current economy and budget constraints, is not the time to give more.”

“This is a hard budget,” Harkins said. “We try to stay flat,” but mandatory increases from areas including health care, utilities, education and social services make that difficult.

When asked if he was able to find areas in the budget where expenses could be reduced, the mayor and Chief Administrative Officer Steve Nocera pointed to energy costs, largely resulting from recent investments in new systems.

More savings or expense reductions “could happen,” the mayor said, noting that it is now up to the Town Council to decide what budget amount to approve.

Harkins said he and his team are always looking for ways to do things differently in order to reduce expenses. They have looked at the costs related to trash and recycling pick-up. He said continuing with technological upgrades may help to keep reduce costs, and the administration is weighing options to regionalize or privative services — the water treatment plant in particular. Selling the facility to a municipality region, selling to a corporation and having area towns join Stratford in a new municipality region are all being considered.

Harkins mentioned that moving the Recreation Department from Short Beach to Birdseye Complex just created an opportunity to use the Short Beach space for a possible restaurant tenant.

Stratford Town Hall

The following Stratford students were named to the second marking period honor roll at St. Joseph High School:

President’s honors

Grade 9 — Alexandra Augusztin, Zachary Dunkel, Amanda Lopez, Megan Robertson.

Grade 10 — Frank Perez.

Grade 11 — Lauren Hensley, Emily Robertson.

Grade 12 — Samantha Errico, Morgan Hunt, Alex Pinto.

Principal’s honors

Grade 9 — Cory Babineau, Melissa Bike, Melonie Chinnici, Hanna Errico, Shannon Grabowski, Connor Higgins, Elizabeth Holmes, Alexander Kowinko, Ashley Lynch, Nell Mitola, Isabella Moffat, Jack Morrissey, Jared Newall, Riann Rooney, Lindsey Savko, Andrew Van Etten, Megan White.

Grade 10 — Kathryn Adzima, Christine Crosby, Ellie Dudzinski, Michael Giannotta, Michael Gotch, Lindsay Lucifora.

Grade 11 — Katherine Adams, Richard Brown, III, Zitiun (Kevin) Chen, Matheson Curry, Samuel Dunkel, Brendan Hawkins, Olivia Hensley, Alex Hutman, Linlin (Catherine) Ma, Konrad Piszczatowski, Emily Recupero, Kyle Souza.

Grade 12 — Thomas Adzima, Cheyenne Ahmad, Jake Amoroso, Lauren Baker, Mikayla Konecny, Katherine LaBash, Jeffrey Marcantonio, Caroline Morrissey

The following students were named to the second marking period honor roll at St. Joseph High School:

President’s honors

Grade 9 — Alexandra Augusztin, Zachary Dunkel, Amanda Lopez, Megan Robertson.

Grade 10 — Frank Perez.

Grade 11 — Lauren Hensley, Emily Robertson.

Grade 12 — Samantha Errico, Morgan Hunt, Alex Pinto.

Principal’s honors

Grade 9 — Cory Babineau, Melissa Bike, Melonie Chinnici, Hanna Errico, Shannon Grabowski, Connor Higgins, Elizabeth Holmes, Alexander Kowinko, Ashley Lynch, Nell Mitola, Isabella Moffat, Jack Morrissey, Jared Newall, Riann Rooney, Lindsey Savko, Andrew Van Etten, Megan White.

Grade 10 — Kathryn Adzima, Christine Crosby, Ellie Dudzinski, Michael Giannotta, Michael Gotch, Lindsay Lucifora.

Grade 11 — Katherine Adams, Richard Brown, III, Zitiun (Kevin) Chen, Matheson Curry, Samuel Dunkel, Brendan Hawkins, Olivia Hensley, Alex Hutman, Linlin (Catherine) Ma, Konrad Piszczatowski, Emily Recupero, Kyle Souza.

Grade 12 — Thomas Adzima, Cheyenne Ahmad, Jake Amoroso, Lauren Baker, Mikayla Konecny, Katherine LaBash, Jeffrey Marcantonio, Caroline Morrissey.