Three Staples High School students – (l-r) Alex Lochoff, Ryan Greenberg, and Eric Lombardo – are among a select group of students nationwide named as honorees and candidates in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The program recognizes students for their academic and extra-curricular involvement with both the school and their community. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars. Students chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D. C. in June and the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House, in commemoration of their achievements. Semifinalists will be notified in mid-April with the U.S. Presidential Scholars notified in May. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By James Lomuscio

With comments describing Westport’s school system as the town’s crown jewel, the Board of Finance tonight unanimously approved the Board of Education’s proposed $104 million operating budget for 2013-14.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon and Board of Education Chair Elaine Whitney address the Board of Finance tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Board of Finance Chair Avi Kaner said if no further changes are made in the approved school and town budget of almost $193 million by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) in May, Westport taxpayers could see a less than 2 percent tax increase.

“I’d like to congratulate both the town and the schools for preparing responsible and reasonable budgets,” he said, adding: “My goal, and that of others on the Board of Finance, will be to limit any increase in the mill rate to under 2 percent—below last year’s CPI (consumer price index) increase.”

Finance board member Michael Rea had initially suggested trimming the education budget by $250,000 to encourage the school board to outsource and consolidate services with town government. But after hearing support for the full amount from other finance board members, Rea withdrew his motion and made a new one to approve the $104 million.

By James Lomuscio

Westport parents remained strongly divided at tonight’s school board meeting over School Superintendent Elliott Landon’s push for five-day, all-day kindergarten instead of the current three full-day and two extended-day setup.
Elliott Landon: urges approval of five-day, all-day kindergarten. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Proponents of the plan, who also included elementary school administrators, offered an array of arguments, from successes in other school districts, to students wanting to embrace more school time, to cost savings on bus runs, to one mother saying the days her child comes home early are exhausting.

Those troubled by the plan, including school board member Mark Mathias, argued that unstructured, creative play in necessary to a child’s overall social and academic development not found in 40-hour weeks thrust upon 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds.

“It’s kindergarten,” stressed Mathias, describing himself as conflicted. “Education isn’t always about academics. Not being in school an extra two hours a day, you run around with your friends, and you learn there, too.”

By James Lomuscio

Imagine preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist. To use technologies that have not been invented. To solve problems that are now unknown.

Panelists at tonight’s Community Conversation at Bedford Middle School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

As vague and as futuristic as it sounds, that was the thrust of a community conversation that drew an estimated 425 parents to the auditorium at Bedford Middle School tonight.

The goal: preparing Westport students to be creative, critical thinkers in order to solve real world problems globally in the future.

The more than two-hour presentation titled “Westport 2025: Meeting the Global Challenge” was co-sponsored by the school system and the PTA Council to showcase what local educators are doing to develop strategies for students to compete on a global scale.

The Westport public schools and the Westport PTA Council tonight co-sponsored “Westport:2025 Community Conversation” about the school system’s initiative to develop cutting edge strategies to engage students meaningfully so as to better prepare them to meet the “global challenge” they will face in the years beyond high school. Several hundred persons attended the event at Bedford Middle School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Stefan Pryor, state commissioner of education, told a luncheon meeting of the Democratic Women of Westport today that among his worries is the fact that eighth grade Connecticut math student scores are falling behind their peers in nearby states such as Massachusetts and New Jersey. He said while Connecticut is still “top tier,” this is a trend that the state’s educational reform measures are intended to address. Pryor, the son of two former public school teachers, said above all else, the quality of the teacher is what is most important in educating students. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Staples High School Applied Science Club took top honors Saturday at the statewide Rube Goldberg Competition at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. The team took first place for the second year in a row and also won two other awards.  Pictured are (l-r)  are Ben Shey, Noah Johnson, Neloise Egipto, and Megumi Asada.  Missing from the photo is Clay Andrews. Their innovative, video game-themed machine had the only first-time perfect run of the competition. The win entitles them to enter the Nationals in March and members are trying to raise funds for the trip to Wisconsin. A Rube Goldberg machine, named after the American cartoonist and inventor, is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex, mechanical fashion, usually using common everyday items and including a chain reaction. This year, the simple task was to have a hammer hit a nail, and each machine had to take at least 20 (non-electronic) steps to do it. The Staples machine had 22 steps and involved, among other things, ramps and golf balls, levers and pulleys, a spring-loaded tape measure, marbles, jars, and many other common household items. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo