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Friday, November 13, 2009
“Hoops for Heart” Raises Funds at Bedford Middle School
Westport’s Bedford Middle School today conducted its 15th annual “Hoops for Heart” fundraiser in conjunction with the American Heart Association. Physical Education instructor Mary Martinik, who spearheaded the BMS “Hoops for Heart” event for 14 of its 15 consecutive years, rallied the students before the competition. Today’s program raised more than $2,000 with a similar amount raised at the Coleytown Middle School version of the event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Monday, November 09, 2009
Laughter With a Message
By Dave Matlow
Westport Town Hall was packed tonight for 90 minutes of nonstop stand-up humor comprised of painfully sensitive portrayals of stereotypical high school students and their wide ranging self-images. 
Boston-based actor and comedian John Morello performs his one-man show “Dirt” tonight at Westport Town Hall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
The highly acclaimed performance called “Dirt” was performed by Boston-based actor and comedian John Morello, now in his seventh year of these presentations about substance abuse and choices. It was sponsored by the Staples High School Teen Awareness Group.
It was top flight entertainment with a heavy social message. Ripples of nervous laughter were scattered throughout the audience as the very likeable and modest Morello warmed up to adults and students alike.
Morello told the audience his act was made up of “fictional stories with intense truths.”
More "Laughter With a Message"
Large Turnout for “Dirt” Performance
There was a large turnout tonight of parents, students, and community members for the peformance of “Dirt,” a one-man show about the dangers of addiction at Westport Town Hall. The Teen Awareness Group at Staples High School sponsored the performance by actor and comedian John Morello. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Staples Principal “Pleased” With Underage Drinking Forum
The principal of Westport’s Staples High School said today he was “extremely pleased” with a discussion Wednesday night that focused on underage drinking.
John Dodig: will now confer with students. WN file photo
John Dodig, who had asked for parental input into the subject following drinking incidents at this year’s homecoming celebration, sent an e-mail to parents about the event co-hosted by the Westport Public Library and TEAM Westport.
“I was extremely pleased with last night’s Community Conversation at the Westport Public Library,” he said.
“Thanks to the skills of Nick Rudd, all of the more than 200 attendees had an opportunity to be actively involved and to share ideas on the topic chosen for the evening.”
More "Staples Principal “Pleased” With Underage Drinking Forum"
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Honoring Bedford Middle School
Two members of Westport’s state delegation to Hartford today presented Westport school officials with a special commendation in recognition of Bedford Middle School receiving the designation as a National Blue Ribbon Award winning school. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a federal program that recognizes schools that are academically superior or demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels. Bedford is one of three Connecticut public schools to be recognized this year. Pictured (l-r) are: Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon; First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff; Principal Cary Bell, Senator Toni Boucher, and Representative Joe Mioli. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Live…from Bedford Middle School
Seventh grader Sage Vousse (l) introduces today’s state recognition ceremony at Bedford Middle School to the school’s “Bedford A.M. (BAM)” television audience. Students broadcast live the event in which state legislators recognized Bedford’s federal selection as a 2009 Blue Ribbon School. (See WestportNow Sept. 15, 2009) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Monday, October 19, 2009
Inklings Heat Bakes Staples Cheerleader Ritual
UPDATE The ritual of cheerleaders at Westport’s Staples High School baking sweets for varsity football players has ended following a story highlighting the practice in the school newspaper Inklings.
Staples cheerleaders baked for football players off the field. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Victor Hollenberg, co-editor-in-chief of Inklings, told WestportNow that Staples Principal John Dodig ended the tradition after editors on Wednesday submitted the news section of Inklings containing the story to him for pre-publication review, a normal practice.
In an e-mail message to WestportNow today, Dodig confirmed he had put a halt to the sweets-for-the-players ritual.
“Long before I became the principal of Staples High School, the superintendent of schools prohibited organized baking among cheerleaders for football players,” he said.
More "Inklings Heat Bakes Staples Cheerleader Ritual"
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
“If a Child Loves Learning, They Will be Happy”
A team of two entrepreneurial educators, Michele Isenberg (l) and Dawn Matera, who mentor children and adults with learning disabilities, told the Westport Rotary Club Tuesday that “if a child can love to learn, they will be happy the rest of their lives.” The couple stressed that “everyone learns differently and that our society tends to assess children against a more limited traditional measure”—often outside the skill area of those who frequently possess above-average intelligence. Matera and Isenberg, both certified teachers, are the founders of the Westport-based A Way to Learn, LLC, an organization created to meet the growing need for educational support services. The organization’s Web site, www.awaytolearn.net, details its philosophy and programs. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Friday, September 25, 2009
Celebrating Staples Homecoming
Members of the Staples High School girls swim team were among those taking part in today’s Homecoming Weekend pap rally at the school. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Zach Slater for WestportNow.com
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
BOF OKs $3.8 Million for School Air Quality Work
Meeting in a special session, Westport’s Board of Finance tonight approved almost $3.8 million to address indoor air quality issues at various schools.
The unanimous vote included almost $2.9 million for King’s Highway Elementary School which will be used to upgrade the building’s ventilation system as well as to repoint exterior masonry walls to eliminate water incursion through the walls.
Two years ago, responding to parent complaints, Westport First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff appointed a special committee to investigate air quality issues at King’s Highway. (See WestportNow Aug. 2, 2007)
“I take some pride in the fact that it was my responsiveness to parents who first raised air quality issues at King’s Highway with me in the summer of 2007 that got us to where we are today,” he said in endorsing the appropriation request.
More "BOF OKs $3.8 Million for School Air Quality Work"
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Eight Staples Students Named Merit Semi-Finalists
Eight students at Westport’s Staples High School seniors have been named semi-finalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. As Merit Scholar semi-finalists, they have a chance at one of 8,200 National Merit Scholarship awards worth more than $36 million. Pictured are (back row, l-r): Nicholas Cion, Naveen Murali, Devin Graber, Jason Gandelman, Matthew Greenberg, and Mara Forbes; (front row, l-r) Anna Harnick and Lena Ziskin. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Bedford Middle School Wins Federal Blue Ribbon Recognition
Westport’s Bedford Middle School is among eight Connecticut schools announced today as 2009 Blue Ribbon Schools.
Bedford Middle School, seen in this 2008 photo, was among eight Blue Ribbon Schools honored in Connecticut. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
In, all 314 U.S. schools received the honor--264 public and 50 private schools. Bedford was one of three Connecticut public schools to win the honor. The other five were in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport.
The U.S. Department of Education administers the program which honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels.
Bedford’s 21-page application for the honor noted that 22 of its 838 students, or 3 percent, qualified for free or reduced price meals, that 103, or 12 percent, received special education services, and that the school was 92 percent white, 5 percent Asian, 2 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 1 percent black or African-American.
More "Bedford Middle School Wins Federal Blue Ribbon Recognition"
Friday, September 04, 2009
Westport Students to Hear Obama Address
Elliott Landon: “Fully supportive” of students hearing address. Dave Matlow/WN file photoStudents in Westport public schools will be able to see and hear President Obama’s address to the nation’s schoolchildren on Tuesday, according to Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon.
In an e-mail message to parents today, Landon said he was “pleased that the President of the United States will be taking time from his busy schedule to deliver this important message to our students.”
He said that administrators and teachers would integrate the speech in classroom instruction as they deem best.
The White House has said that the president’s address is intended to be an inspirational, pro-education message to all students at the beginning of the school year.
More "Westport Students to Hear Obama Address"
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Welcome Back
At Westport’s Bedford Middle School today, Karen McCormick, drama teacher, welcomed students on the first day of school. McCormick is the director of “Bye Bye Birdie,” this year’s school production (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Westport Teacher of the Year on Making a Difference
Michael Aitkenhead: teaching tomorrow’s leaders. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
By Dave Matlow
Westport’s newly named Teacher of the Year said today he’s often asked if he really wants to make a difference, why doesn’t he teach in Bridgeport, for example.
The answer for Staples High School science teacher Michael Aitkenhead, as he explained it to fellow teachers at a district-wide pre-school meeting at Bedford Middle School, is fairly simple.
“I chose Westport because this is where I can make the greatest impact on tomorrow’s leaders,” he said. “They (the students) don’t realize it yet that they are tomorrow’s leaders.”
Aitkenhead, whose passion is the environment and who teaches AP environmental science, has been a teacher at Staples five years.
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