The principal of Westport’s Staples High School today appealed to parents to help keep this year’s Homecoming event alcohol free and said a repeat of last year’s drinking will end the celebration forever.

John Dodig: drinking is “flirting with death.” WN file photo

In an e-mail to parents, John Dodig said the Saturday, Oct. 30 Homecoming will not be a repeat of 2009.

“As you may remember, last year’s event was a disaster due to the unprecedented number of students who arranged to drink before coming to the football game,” he said.

“As disturbing as Homecoming was, last year’s event is now history. I have talked and written about it and held countless discussions with students, teachers, administrators, and parents. It is time to think ahead.”

Inklings, the award-winning Staples High School newspaper now in its 79th year, has been awarded a Gold Medal for the 11th year by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
Inklings staff puts out one issue every three weeks.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

In addition, eight Inklings staffers were awarded Gold Circle Awards for individual achievements in writing, page design, and graphics.

The 75-person staff produces an issue every three weeks and there is also an online version, www.inklingsnews.com, with content updated daily. The site underwent a redesign last month.

Individual winners included Dana Rappaport, Connie Zhou, Timothy Yang, Joy Eisenberg, Mike Nussbaum, Leah Bitsky and Sammy Warshaw.

By James Lomuscio

Arena scheduling—a decades’ old process whereby Westport’s Staples High School students jam the cafeteria for two days to register for classes and teachers they want next year—ended Tuesday night with a 6 to 1 Board of Education vote.
Ellliott Landon: “You don’t always get what you want.” Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Instead of entering the “arena,” which educators said has gotten out of hand and fraught with problems as Staples’ student body has swelled to around 1,800, students will register via computer effective this academic year.

Using the computer, they can pre-register from February through March, meet with their counselors and have their next year’s schedules set before school ends in June. The arena system, conversely, has had students and counselors scrambling to make schedule changes in late August, opponents said.

School Board Chairman Donald O’Day cast the only dissenting vote, arguing that arena scheduling should be improved rather than jettisoned. He also favored the face-to-face scheduling process, stressing that it is important for students to get the teachers they prefer.

A number of Westporters are involved today in the three-day 10th Annual Charter Oak Challenge Bike Tour which supports the Charter Oak Challenge Foundation. The foundation, founded by Westporter Andy Boas (top row, 3rd from l.), funds programs that reduce poverty in greater Bridgeport. The bike tour is a 240-mile ride from Westport/Bridgeport to the northwest corner of the state and back. Each rider is requested to raise or contribute at least $2,500. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch (2nd row, l.) was on hand Friday to see the riders off from the Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Elementary School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By James Lomuscio

Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon did not seem too impressed today by all the buzz about Davis Guggenheim’s new film “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary about the failure of America’s public schools and how charter schools may hold the answer to a turnaround.
Elliott Landon: touts Westport’s successes. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“It oversimplifies a complicated issue,” Landon, who has been in the top post 11 years, told members of the Westport Rotary Club at the Inn at Longshore.

For one thing, Landon said, only one in five charter schools outperforms traditional public schools, “and 40 percent perform worse.” Add to that the fact that there are no unions in charter schools, “and the rules for admission are different,” usually an educational roll of the dice, he said.

“When you take a hard look at the issues in urban centers, it comes down to poverty,” said Landon. “These are the conditions that do not foster educational opportunity.”

Teacher of the Year nominees posed with this year’s winner tonight at the Westport Board of Education meeting. Pictured (l-r) are: Sara Lombard Martin, Coleytown Middle School;, Devon Carothers, Coleytown Elementary School; Jennifer Ackerman, Long Lots Elementary School, the 2011 Teacher of the Year;, Janine Goss, Long Lots Elementary School;, Joanne Fasciola, Long Lots Elementary School, and Susan O’Hara, Staples High School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Staples High School 2010 SAT test scores showed the school was not the best nor the worst compared to other wealthy southwest Connecticut towns, according to town-by-town results released today by the state Department of Education.

Staples had the third highest critical reading score – 584 – after Weston (587) and New Canaan (585).

It had the fourth highest – 597—on math after Darien (611), New Canaan (610), and Wilton (600).

In the writing category, Staples was tied for third highest – 596 – after Weston (610) and New Canaan (601). Darien also scored 596.