Westport public schools are closed today because of the predicted snow storm.

The head of the committee looking into air quality issues at Westport’s King’s Highway Elementary School said today a “clerical error” led to students being allowed into two modular classrooms where mold had been found before suspected ceiling tiles were removed.
Parents raised questions about KHS modular classrooms. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

In a statement, Gavin Anderson said over the last week, parents had raised a number of questions about the opening and closing of the classrooms at the school where he told the Board of Education in September that mold had been detected. (See WestportNow Sept. 10, 2007)

“Their concerns stem from the fact that students used these spaces for music classes for five days (from Nov. 26 to 30) despite the fact that final remediation work—replacement of ceiling tiles—had not been completed in accordance with the accepted recommendations of the KHS Special Maintenance Committee,” he said.

“This was found to have been due to a clerical error in the committee’s final recommendations, which omitted a clause calling for the removal of ceiling tiles for these areas. All other recommendations were acted upon.”

What the University of Maryland says is the next big leap in advanced computing technology just got a new name, thanks to a 21-year-old college student from Westport.

The University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering said the winning entry for its Supercomputer Naming Contest is “ParaLeap,” submitted by Jaryd Malbin, a student from Westport attending Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

The university launched the contest in June in conjunction with an announcement of the creation of a new desktop supercomputing prototype developed by Uzi Vishkin, a computer engineering processor.

Capable of computing speeds 100 times faster than current desktops, Vishkin’s technology is based on parallel processing on a single chip which could launch a new era of general use, desktop supercomputing, the university said.

John Dodig: Words of intolerance are “unacceptable.” WN file photoIn an announcement to students and an e-mail to parents, Staples High School Principal John Dodig today denounced what he said were “words of bigotry and hatred” that have appeared at the Westport school.

Dodig, who has been in his job three years, including one as interim principal, said the reason he came to Staples was “because it is the most accepting high school in which I have worked.”

But he said recently as he walked around the school, “I have noticed or it has been reported to me that words of bigotry and hatred against several groups have appeared.”

Dodig added: “Someone who writes something hateful while in a bathroom stall has the guarantee of anonymity. After all, even if it were legal who would want to put a camera in a bathroom?

Three students from Westport’s Staples High School are among five Connecticut semifinalists in the prestigious Siemens competition in math, science and technology.

Antonella Lisanti, Andrew Shenoy, and Zachary Weiner were named Friday. The two other Connecticut semifinalists are students at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford.

The Siemens Foundation aims to recognize outstanding students in science, math and technology for their research efforts.

The Siemens Competition, in association with The College Board, selects up to 300 submitted research projects for semifinalist status, as well as 30 individual and 30 team projects for regional finalist status.

The special committee investigating air quality issues at Westport’s King’s Highway Elementary School was told today that teachers regularly opening classroom windows has markedly reduced health complaints.
Teachers regularly opening windows at Westport’s King’s Highway Elementary school has reduced health complaints. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Sue Jacozzi, director of the Westport Weston Health District, said calls to her office have reported fewer health issues since teachers received instruction last Wednesday on when and how to open windows to improve air circulation.

“They reported that they were opening the windows and they were feeling better so that seems to be an improvement which is good,” she said.

Gerald Kuroghlian, who has been following air quality issues for the teachers union, praised the presentation to the KHS teachers by consultant Gil Cormier and said it had helped relieve their anxieties.