The 70th edition of Staples High School’s Candlelight Concert opened Friday night with a new piano and a new chorale director—Justin Miller—who took over from Alice Lipson upon her retirement. Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
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WWPT’s Eric Gallanty: in the MSG Varsity Spotlight
This week’s MSG Varsity “Students in the Media” features Westport’s Staples High School and senior Eric Gallanty and the student sportscasters of WWPT and STN—the Staples Television Network. It can be viewed here. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WN photo from MSGvarsity.com
Woog Honored with Soccer Scholarship in His Name
By James Lomuscio
UPDATE For years, lifelong Westport resident Dan Woog has been a tireless teacher, soccer coach, columnist, author, blogger and all around writer.
Mark Gudis (rear) presents Dan Woog with a commemorative gift. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Sunday night, Mark Gudis, president of the Top of the Hill Club, a two-year-old booster club for boys soccer at Staples High School, gave Woog a new title, “no better representative of Staples soccer.”
Gudis’ plaudits came as he announced the establishment of The Dan Woog Dedication Scholarship Award, an annual $5,000 grant offered in perpetuity to an outstanding Staples soccer senior.
Gudis told Woog at the ceremony that the award would also go to “an alumnus in college who gives back to Staples Boys Soccer with the same dedication and enthusiasm that you have exhibited to Staples soccer for decades, and we hope, for decades to come.”
Pirates at Bedford
Bedford Middle School’s The Bedford Acting Group won loud applause today as it closed out its performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s musical theater classic, “Pirates of Penzance.” The afternoon performance featured Joe Badion (l) as the pirate king and Kelly Pogue as the Major General—as in, “I am the very model of a modern major general.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Pogue for WestportNow.com
Bedford Students Set for “Pirates of Penzance”
Bedford Middle School’s The Bedford Acting Group is preparing for its weekend performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s musical theater classic, “Pirates of Penzance.” A cast of more than 100 seventh and eighth graders has been working hard in rehearsals since September for the performances on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Adult tickets are $12, students $10, and children three and under are admitted free. Tickets will be sold at the door. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
DiBerardino: The Road to a Rhodes Began in Westport
By James Lomuscio
As he heads home from Princeton to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, Nicholas A. DiBerardino – this week awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for music composition—says he has nothing but fond memories and appreciation for his hometown.
Nick DiBerardino: seventh grade teacher encouraged him. Princeton University photo
“The main feeling I have now is gratitude,” says DiBerardino, 21, a 2007 Staples High School graduate.
He was among 32 winners selected for the most prestigious academic award available to U.S. college students. Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. He plans a two-year study leading to a M Phil in Music.
“The biggest thing that I took away from Staples is that I felt really prepared when I got to Princeton,” he said.
School Board Officers Re-Elected
Don O’Day: “It’s an honor to lead.” Dave Matlow for WestportNow.comWestport’s seven-member Board of Education unanimously re-elected its three officers Monday night to terms of another year.
With Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon presiding, the board re-elected Donald O’Day as chairman. Later, with O’Day presiding, the board re-elected Jim Marpe, a board member since 2004, as vice chairman, and Faith Taylor, elected to the board in 2007, as secretary.
“It’s an honor to lead the Board of Education,” said O’Day, who has been on the board since 2005. “I’m really just one of seven members, but I just get to speak more than my other colleagues.
“I was thrilled that they have confidence in me to lead the board for another year,” he added.
Karen DeFelice: Staples Teacher Sees Marathon as Therapy
By Dave Matlow
Among those participating in Sunday’s New York City Marathon was Karen DeFelice, a special education teacher at Westport’s Staples High School. This was her 11th marathon, and she says it is a source of therapy.
Karen DeFelice: NYC Marathon was her 11th. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“From the 20th mile on, I motivate myself by thinking of someone I know who is struggling in life,” she said, adding by this she means thinking of those who have a challenge and have to get through it. “The physical training to get to this point is done. Now the mental part has to lock in.”
She added: “I concentrate on the physical and mental challenges of so many—our military. I think of them a lot—their mental toughness, the belief you can do it, that you’ve worked hard to get here, that you seek the mental peace that comes with overcoming the challenge.”
DeFelice said some marathoners think about giving up.
Two Siemens Semifinalists Named
Two Staples High School seniors have been named semifinalists in this year’s prestigious 2010 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation’s premier science research competition for high school students. Rachel Myers’ project was entitled “Computational Investigation of Astrophysical Nuclear Rate Dominance” and Joshua Greenberg’s project was entitled “An Approach to Treating Sensorineural Hearing Loss through the Identification and Characterization of Mechanosensory Hair Cell Progenitors in the Zebrafish Lateral Line.” They were two out of only five semifinalists to be honored from Connecticut. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Academic Field Trip
Members of the Staples High School environmental class attended tonight’s debate at Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. Pictured (l-r) are Zoe Greenblatt, Ali Jadick ,Mike Nussbaum, abd Vinny Amaru. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com
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