Outgoing Westport Board of Education Chair Michael Gordon, teary at times, tonight brought his children Maya, Jared, and Ethan up to his seat during his remarks of farewell at his last board meeting. He announced last month he was resigning after six and a half years on the board because of increased work responsibilities. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Sponsors
Gallery: Staples Pops Concert
Scenes from tonight’s third annual Staples High School pops concert at the Levitt Pavilion. J.C. Martin for WestportNow.com and WestportNow.com photos
Sellout Crowd for Staples Pop Concert at Levitt
There was a sellout crowd under clear skies and temperature in the 70s for tonight’s third annual Staples High School Pops Concert at the Levitt Pavilion. The concert featured the Staples Symphonic Band and Orchestra, the Jazz Band, and the Orphenians and was hosted by James Naughton. The Levitt opens its 45th season on Sunday, June 24 with the Diamond Collection featuring the music of Neil Diamond. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Pops Concert Standing Ovation
A sellout crowd at the third annual Staples High School Westport Pops concert at the Levitt Pavilion tonight gives a standing ovation to Adele Cutrali-Valovich, the Staples director of orchestral music, on her retirement after more than three decades in the Westport school system. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Field Day Fun
Maebh Cotter enjoys some fun today on the Saugauck Elementary School field day. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Finance Board Hears Request for 3 School Resource Officers
By James Lomuscio
Westport’s Board of Finance tonight heard a request for funding three school resource officers (SROs) for the fall, an addition estimated to cost about $320,000.
Brian Stern, finance board chairman, said the board will vote on the funding request at its Wednesday, July 11, meeting.
No exact dollar amount was presented tonight, but Police Chief Foti Koskinas said the salary for each SRO with benefits would be $124,557, plus the cost of vehicles at each school, each vehicle estimated to cost $34,500.
Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer said the overall cost would be offset by sunsetting the DARE officer position and reassigning it as an SRO.
Two Staples Students Win College-Financed National Merit Scholarships
Two Staples High School students are among 3,500 winners announced today of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution.
These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
The Staples winners are: Nicole S. Arellano, who plans to attend the University of Chicago with a probable career field of biology, and Leya Luo, who also plans to attend the University of Chicago with a probable career field of neuroscience.
Dems Seeks Board of Ed Candidate
The Westport Democratic Town Committee is seeking candidates for a vacancy on the Board of Education due to the resignation of Michael Gordon, who has served on the board since 2011.
The successful candidate will serve from the date of appointment until the end of the current term, November 2019.
Any individual interested in being considered for appointment to the position is required to be a registered Democrat, willing to be interviewed separately by the Democratic Town Committee and the Board of Education prior to appointment, and willing to serve and attend Board of Education meetings immediately upon appointment, an announcement said.
Those interested in interviewing should email Andy Nevas, Nominating Committee chair, no later than Monday, June 25 at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
In Wake of Anti-Semitic Chants, Safe Schools Top Board Agenda
By James Lomuscio
Westport Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer told the school board tonight that referees should have stopped the state championship lacrosse game when anti-Semitic chants were hurled at a scoring Staples High School player.
At last Wednesday’s home tournament in which the Staples Wreckers lost 11 to 10 to Fairfield College Preparatory School’s team, Fairfield fans reportedly shouted anti-Semitic chants when a Jewish player scored.
It was also reported that a sign showing male genitalia was held up, and that some fans urinated on the school and cars in the parking lot.
“The lacrosse championship game with Fairfield Prep was upsetting and unprecedented,” Palmer said. “It flies in the face of the beliefs of both schools, and I’m surprised the referees did not stop the game.”
Staples Parents Weigh in on New Grade Point System
By Jarret Liotta
The first look at how Staples High School’s Grade-point average (GPA) system will evolve over the next couple of years received low marks tonight from some parents.
Four members of the Board of Education were among those listening to Staples Principal James D’Amico’s presentation tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Still, Principal James D’Amico, addressing dozens of parents in the school auditorium, said the new measurements would not only keep high achievers on the fast track, but hopefully reduce the competitive and often stress-filled decision-making process of choosing classes.
“There’s an emphasis in the current structure on competition,” D’Amico said, explaining that the academic GPA currently in use only includes core courses in English, math, science, social studies and world languages.
Consequently, students will turn their back on areas of study they may be passionate about solely to up their GPA.
Subscribe
Enter your email address to get WestportNow.com delivered to your inbox:
Powered by FeedBlitz
Of Interest
Support a classroom.
Build a future.
What's inside
Property Transfers
Arts & Leisure
Business
Community
Health & Fitness
Education
Politics
Real Estate
Sports
COVID-19 Info
Westport Info
Westport Weather
Westport Traffic
Of Interest
Westport YouTube
Social Media
Westport-Area Blogs
Suggest a Westport-area blog by sending email to: editor@westportnow.com
