Westporter Joseph Tacopina, the high profile criminal defense lawyer and father of a member of Staples High School’s class of 2011, told seniors at tonight’s baccalaureate ceremony that success is characterized by “having great passion for what you do, combined with hard work.”  He advised: “do not make excuses, take responsibility, rejection and failure are part of life.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Staples High School salutatorian Todd Lubin, who will attend Harvard in the fall, humored tonight’s baccalaureate ceremony audience with his philosophy of life—“focused procrastination,” which he defined as “giving your mind the rest it needs so you can achieve balance.” With tongue in cheek humor, he said the test paper will still be there the next day, but the party you missed will not. His twin brother Eric is class valedictorian and will address Wednesday’s graduation ceremony. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By James Lomuscio

Katie Augustyn, whose gifted son went through the Westport Public Schools, told the Board of Education Monday night that the school system has “a deep misunderstanding of the needs of gifted children.”
Elliott Landon: budget already set. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

She recalled a time when an assistant principal at her son’s school told her “all the children in Westport are gifted,” and that it was the rare occasion that a student “truly needed something different than the regular classroom can supply.”

“I believe that speaks volumes of the lack of understanding and the disconnect between the district’s goals and policies and those of the building administration,” said Augustyn, past president of the Connecticut Association for the Gifted and a board member of the National Association for Gifted Children.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon today defended the school system’s long history of addressing gifted students’ educational needs. He also figured that the comment Augustyn had heard years ago was most likely made tongue-in-cheek and did not represent administrative attitudes toward the needs of gifted students.

By James Lomuscio

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon seems poised to remain Westport’s top wage earner into the future.
Elliott Landon addresses the school board tonight after it extended his contract and awarded him a 2 percent salary increase to $287,899 effective July 1, 2012. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Board of Education tonight unanimously renewed Landon’s contract for two more years effective July 1, 2012, the first year with a 2 percent salary bump for an annual compensation of $287,899.

Under Landon’s current contract, which expires June 30, 2012, he earns $282,254, $5,645 less. Landon, 71, has been superintendent since 1999.

In making the motion to renew Landon’s contract, Donald O’Day, school board chairman, said that the terms and condition of employment were hammered out during executive sessions.

Some of the senior prom attendees at Westport’s Staples High School posed for a picture tonight before heading off to the event at the Stamford Marriott.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Diana Coyne for WestportNow.com

Students and staff at Westport’s Bedford Middle School shaved their heads or dyed their hair in support of their team entered in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event on Saturday at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. The Fighting Bedford Bears team so far has raised more than $17,000. The Relay will take place starting at 7 p.m. and last through the night. For more information about the Relay for Life, or to make a donation, go to http://www.relayforlife.org/fairfieldct. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo