Newsweek’s list of top U.S. high school shows Westport’s Staples High School fourth among 13 Connecticut schools making the list.

In its May 28 issue, Newsweek ranked Staples No. 415 out of 1,358 schools on the list and fourth in the state behind Farmington (157), Weston (226), and Conrad (West Hartford) (412).

Staples came out ahead of Ridgefield (551), Wilton (565), Greenwich (689), Darien (797), and Joel Barlow-Redding (1178) in Fairfield County. Last year, Staples was No. 402 on the list.

Newsweek said its list was compiled according to a single metric—the proportion of students taking college-level exams: Cambridge, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement.

Elliott Landon: Photos depict students in “inappropriate acts.”Dave Matlow/WN file photoWestport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon has warned parents that middle school and high school students have been circulating nude pictures of themselves electronically and such criminal activity can have grave consequences.

In a letter and e-mail to parents Wednesday, Landon said school officials believe the images have been circulated well beyond Westport and identities of certain students have been revealed to strangers.

“We know not who these strangers are nor where they lurk nor which of them are computer sex offenders,” he said.

“As you can imagine, such extensive transmissions to strangers who have access to the identities of our students can place our children at great risk.”

Westport’s Long Lots Elementary School held its annual fifth grade “read-in” tonight. One of the many activities was an exuberant round of Simon Says, followed by a magic show—both led by Long Lots parent (and New York Times tech writer) David Pogue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Five Staples High School students were among invited Connecticut mathematics students joining in today’s NASDAQ stock market opening in New York. The students—Nathaniel Fox, Geoffrey Jordan, Antonella Lisanti, Michael Lubin and Zach Weiner—were invited by the new Connecticut Science Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing science education, now under construction in Hartford. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Human Services Director Barbara Butler announced today that the Westport Youth Commission invites the local community to submit nominations for the annual James S. Bacharach Service to the Community Award. 

“The award, given to one or more Westport high school seniors, recognizes their significant community service contributions in Westport, “said Butler. ”All qualified Westport high school seniors are eligible for this award, considered to be one of the most prestigious high school honors in town.”

Citations have been given annually since 1989 as a tribute to the late James S. Bacharach, a founder and past president of the Youth Adult Council, predecessor of the Westport Youth Commission, which Bacharach and other concerned citizens founded in 1974.

“Successful applicants must demonstrate exemplary leadership ability and high standards of community service to our town,” said Butler. “Anyone may nominate a deserving student or high school seniors are free to nominate themselves.”

Westporter Linda Gramatky Smith, daughter of Hardie Gramatky, the author-illustrator of children’s classic “Little Toot,” spoke to first and second graders at Green’s Farms Elementary School to kick of their “Reading is Magical” festivities. She showed them a copper and brass model of Little Toot. Festivities continue with a book fair Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with magic shows and story times plus a spring market. The fair also will be open to Green’s Farms parents and students Monday through Thursday until 4 p.m. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Claudia Besen for WestportNow.com

Four seniors at Westport’s Staples High School have advanced to finalist standing in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program, Principal John Dodig announced today.
The Westport Public Schools sent this picture of the four Staples National Merit scholarship finalists—Brandon Davis, Jesse Hubbard, Geoff Jordan and Zachary Weiner—but did not provide the left to right individual identities, explaining in an e-mail “It is the policy of the Westport Public Schools to not print the names of students with their photos on the Internet.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Dodig presented the students with a certificate of merit from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program.

As merit scholar finalists, Brandon Davis, Jesse Hubbard, Geoff Jordan and Zachary Weiner have a chance at one of 8,200 merit scholarship awards worth $34 million, Dodig said. 

Final scholarship winners, chosen from a group of more than 15,000 finalists, may be notified by NMSC between April and June.

Parents of preschoolers enrolled at Green’s Farms Nursery School got to experience life through their children’s eyes in a very special way tonight. The school staff presented “Just Playing” to educate parents in various aspects of a child’s daily educational routine. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Westport Board of Finance tonight cut $250,000 from the proposed 2008-09 school operating budget.

The 4-2 vote was on party lines with the four Democrats in favor and two Republicans, Charles Haberstroh and Ed Iannone, opposed. The third Republican member, Avi Kaner, was absent.

The cut brings the education proposal to $94 million, which is a 5.7 percent increase over the current budget. The Board of Education had proposed a $94.3 million 2008-09 operating budget, which is a 6.02 percent increase over the current budget.

The finance board cut a nominal $4,500 from the proposed municipal budget of $59.5 million to take into account a reduced computer request in the Parks and Recreation Department budget.