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Suffield High School December Newsletter

1060 Sheldon Street | West Suffield, CT 06093 | 860-668-3810

https://www.suffield.org

Upcoming Events:

12/07
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Suffield High School Library Media Center
 
12/07
7:00 PM
Suffield High School Auditorium
 
12/13
6:00 PM
SHS Commons
 
12/15
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Suffield High School Library Media Center
 
12/17
10:00 AM
Suffield High School Commons
 
12/19
6:30 PM
Suffield High School Library Media Center
 
01/07
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Suffield Middle School Cafeteria Parking Lot
 
01/07
5:00 PM
Suffield High School Commons
 

Principal's Message

As the school prepares for the winter break, I want to start by wishing everyone a joyous and happy holiday season from everyone here at Suffield High School.  We all hope that you find time to relax and enjoy a safe holiday season with family and friends.

 

As we begin the winter sports season, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) has launched a new set of sportsmanship standards that schools may adopt as "Class Act Schools".  The initiative is designed to empower schools, and particularly students, to take ownership for all issues related to sportsmanship.  The CIAC has provided a framework that enables schools to promote, encourage, and monitor positive sportsmanship.  Through our participation, Suffield High School has agreed to follow the established set of guidelines for behavior at sporting events and creating a student-led group to monitor and address sportsmanship concerns within the school.  The CIAC guidelines are intended to create a consistent framework for acceptable behavior from all athletics stakeholders including participants, coaches, students, and parents. The Class Act School guidelines can be found at http://ciacsports.com/site/?page_id=10438.

 

The school is currently investigating a new schedule for the 2017-18 school year that would include expanding to an 8-period scheduling day.  The impetus behind this change would be to both increase flexibility within the scheduling process for students, provide an ability to reduce the number of course offerings currently outside the traditional 7:25am – 2:05pm school day, and modify the current advisory program to be an intervention/enrichment program.  The possible new schedule will be the sole topic of our next Parent Advisory Council meeting to be held on December 13th.  The meeting begins at 6:00pm in the SHS Commons and all are welcome.  Thank you to all the parents that attended the last PAC meeting regarding class rank.  The administration found the conversation beneficial as the dialogue was outstanding with a wide variety of perspectives being shared throughout the evening.

 

With fragmented months between Thanksgiving and the upcoming winter break this will be the last newsletter for quite some time. The next edition will be coming out February 1st and we will continue to post and update information through the school website.  Please remind students to keep working hard in their classes and that it is never too early to begin reviewing for mid-year exams as they are scheduled for January 17th-20th.

Agriscience News

Recently our FFA program had an amazing privilege. Suffield Agriscience teachers picked 13 students who have gone above and beyond in leadership skills to attend the Connecticut IMAGE Conference held at the Aqua Turf in Southington, Connecticut. The event was hosted by former National FFA President Brian Walsh, now an Agriculture Educator in Florida. He traveled to Connecticut to engage our students on what really is, "Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, and living to serve," which is the FFA motto. The students mingled with other chapters, as well as with CT state officers, two state officers from Massachusetts, and one state officer from New Hampshire. The students went in with huge smiles and came back feeling changed. They learned a new meaning for being a leader, being part of the FFA, and the privilege of wearing the blue jacket, by playing games and having fun!


Suffield High School's Agriscience program had a super busy month.  On November 28 they started up their Holiday Sale shop in our Large Animal Facility (LAF).  There was a lot of time and preparation done by the teachers and students to make the sale happen. Our Large Animal Facility was turned into a magical Holiday shop where people purchased wreaths, reindeer, kissing balls, door swags and poinsettias! This event is the Agriscience department's largest fundraising effort that lasted for a full week. The event was open to people in our community and we sold items in the farmers market held in the arena of the Large Animal Facility.  When our amazing holiday sale is finished, we celebrate with a party for the teachers and students held at the Enfield Twin Ice Rinks, where we go ice skating and sip on hot cocoa and relax after a long, busy, but fun week!


Veterans Day Program

Approximately 245 students attended the Veterans Day program.  Students were very impressed by the stories and had a chance to ask questions.  Agriscience students made corsages for our four speakers, as well as for Mr. Joe Grimard, who is a veteran.  Students in cooking class made baked goods for the veterans, and we sent the veterans off with bags of treats as a thank you gift.  Students in Mrs. Daly's and Mrs. Sewall's "card making business program" made beautiful SHS thank you cards, which our students signed and sent to the veterans. The following veterans spoke to social studies classes.  

 

  • Mr. John Mrosz of Suffield (Vietnam Vet)
  • Ms. Janet Black (Gulf War, South Korea DMZ). Janet Black graduated from SHS in 1981
  • Mr. Edward Bonetti (Gulf War)
  • Mr. Andrew Giantonio (Gulf War). Mr. Giantonio is parent of Nick Giantonio, a ninth grader at SHS.

World Language Student of the Month

By Natale Dolnack

SHS Spanish teacher

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Felicidades to Anna Mervosh, the World Language Student of the Month for November, 2016.  Anna is a junior at Suffield High School, a representative for the World Language Honor Society and is currently enrolled in Spanish III Honors.  Anna exhibits superior language skills in both oral and written Spanish.  She sets high expectations for herself and is a model member of the classroom community.

 

Anna enjoys learning Spanish because of the communicative and cultural aspects that the language learning experience provides.  She says, "I appreciate the opportunity to understand another language and connect with a different culture."  She hopes to apply her skills and cultural appreciation through travel.  She insightfully added, "Knowing another language will also be a valuable skill to have for choosing a career." 

 

Anna also has a broad range of academic interests including politics, literature, music, environmental studies and history, the latter which she hopes to study further in college.  Her extracurricular activities keep her busy, as she is a member of the National Honor Society, co-captain of the Academic Quiz Team, pianist in the jazz ensemble, Writing Center coach and a member of Giraffe Club. 

 

Anna manages to find time after school to work at Kent Memorial Library as a page and is planning her Gold Award Project for Girl Scouts at a local soup kitchen.  She also enjoys reading, the outdoors, as well as spending time with family and friends.  Anna has a love for learning, demonstrates excellence in Spanish, is committed to serving her community, and is well deserving of this recognition.

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Rotary Student of the Month for December

Congratulations to Claire Collins who was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month for December.  Claire is an honors student and is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society.  She is the President of the FFA Chapter this year.  Claire was also the 2016 Chapter Reporter.   Claire is active in many clubs at Suffield High such as Student Council, Giraffe Club, Interact Club, A-Team, WAG, Spirit Night and the Unity Team.  In her spare time, Claire has volunteered for Relay for Life and the Taste of Enfield, while also working at a garden shop, taking care of plants.  Some of Claire's special interests are travel, marine biology, boating, kayaking, hiking and reading.  Claire enjoys taking care of her reptile pets and her fish.  Claire plans to attend a four-year university and would like to major in Nursing with a focus of Oncology.  With all of these accomplishments, she is a perfect choice for the Rotary Student of the Month.


Athletes of the Month -

October & November

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Congratulations to Hanna Englander and Kaylee Velasquez for being chosen Booster Club Athletes of the Month for October and to Grace Artioli and Alyssa Pacewicz for being chosen Booster Club Athletes of the Month for November.  Students are awarded this honor based on their athletic and academic accomplishments, attitudes and leadership skills. 

 

Hanna Englander is a senior this year and has been the number one runner for the cross country team in every meet this season.  Hanna is one of the Captains of the cross country team and has been named All Conference for two years in a row.  Hanna was chosen as the team's Most Valuable Player by her coach this year.  Hanna also excels in track and field.  Hanna is a great role model on the field and off.  She is an honors student and is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society.  Hanna is active in Suffield High School's Interact Club and is also a member of Class Council.  Hanna plans to attend a four-year college, concentrating in Biology and possibly Pre-Med. 

 

Kaylee Velasquez is in her senior year at Suffield High School and plays on the Volleyball Team.  Kaylee is currently ranked #2 in the state for class M for her Hit% and the team in Kills with 53 kills.  Her coach states, "Kaylee has incredible volleyball instincts.  Though she leads our team offensively, she is also one of our defensive leaders, as well.  Kaylee rarely makes an error and leads our team in fewest errors."  Kaylee always demonstrates a great attitude and her leadership qualities stand out, as she is one of the team's Captains this year.   She exhibits excellent sportsmanship, has a lot of school spirit and is an honors student at Suffield High School.  Kaylee is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society.   Kaylee will strive to continue playing volleyball at a four-year college while she pursues a degree in Psychology.

 

Grace Artioli is one of the Captains on the field hockey team this year, and shows her leadership by example.  Grace began the season by organizing team practices in the summer.  Her coach states, "Her attitude on the field is one of support and encouragement.  She exudes team spirit and helps to organize team activities to keep the team morale up."  Grace is known for her ball handling and defensive skills.  Grace is an officer for Suffield High School's Vo-Ag program and is district president of the CT FFA. In her spare time Grace works at a farm handling horses and doing feed plans.  Grace plans to attend college next fall studying Animal Science.

 

Alyssa Pacewicz is a Senior Co-Captain on the Girls' Swim Team.  Alyssa is a dependable member of the team who never misses a practice and is always willing to help and encourage other team members.  Alyssa works at the YMCA as a lifeguard and a swim instructor.  Alyssa is an honors student and is a member of the National Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society.  She is active in Student Council and Wildcat Advisory Group.  Alyssa plans to attend college in the fall to major in Psychology and would like to continue her swimming career in college.

 

Congratulations to these four outstanding athletes!

Physical Education Students of the Month

The Physical Education Department would like to congratulate the following students for earning the Physical Education students of the Month Award for November:  Mallory Loiseau, Ashley Drake, Brendan Tassy, Kelly Carucci, and Gregory Gouvin.   Keep up the outstanding sportsmanship, hard work, and determination!!

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Science Fair Club News

We have good news from our Science Fair Club.  We have registered 17 projects with 25 students into the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.  This is highest number in Suffield history.  We have registered 12 individual projects and 5 team projects.  We have 15 projects from Suffield High School and 2 projects from Suffield Middle School.  The two projects from SMS are their first two ever!  Of our 25 students, 7 are girls and 18 are boys.  Big time congratulations!  Mr. Charkiewicz, Science Fair Club Advisor, thanks all these students for their efforts and is proud of each student for their hard work.  He would also like to especially thank the parents as well for supporting your child's interest in science. Now, the fun and the work begins, and we will be celebrating this wonderful news by having a pizza party.

Veterans Day Letters

November 11, Veterans Day, is a day with which we pause to honor our military veterans, all those who served in the United States Armed Forces.  It's a day to be grateful to those who have returned home and to honor those who have not. 

 

Mrs. Zielinski's classes at Suffield High School wrote letters to several of our honored veterans here in Suffield.  I would like to thank my students and provide you with a few quotes from some of their letters along with a picture of our students!

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Back Row: Kelly Fortin, Ryan Lancioni, Laurie Zielinski, Cody Laboda, Mya Dubay, Hunter Adams

Front Row: Sophie Lupone, Camden Hoyt, Zachary Hunleth, Justin Seger

Not Photographed: Aden Spano, Quinn Cardaropoli, Benjamin Bazzano

 

"I greatly appreciate and am so thankful that you have sacrificed your life for our freedom. On this day I will remember all that you have done for America and will forever be blessed to have you in this world." Sophie Lupone, sophomore

 

"Thank you for your service, for the bravery of knowing that you might not be making it back, for defending the freedom of the United States of America so it can be safe from harm." Camden Hoyt, freshman

 

"Without brave people like you, this country wouldn't be what it is today. I also would like to thank you for helping ensure our freedom, it is because of people like you that we can live in peace, and live safely every day." Quinn Cardaropoli, sophomore

 

"You showed your country you were brave and that you persevered while doing your time in the military." Zachary Hunleth, senior

 

"I understand that veterans don't get remembered and I am sending this to you to let you know that I remember you." Benjamin Bazzano, freshman

 

"There were many risks that you were willing to take to make sure that we would be safe, and that our country could be protected. Thank you for risking your own life to keep us safe." Mya Dubay, freshman

Message from Safe Grad

The next Safe Party Bottle Drive will take place on Saturday, January 7 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Suffield Middle School.  Volunteers are needed.  Community Service Hours are available.

 

Thank you to all parents and administration for supporting our annual pie and cookie dough fundraiser.  It was very successful, and we thank you for your continued support!

NCCC Music Festival

The NCCC Music Festival was held at Granby High School on Nov. 15 and 17.  Suffield High School students Hayley Edwards, Cynthia Webster, Paul Falvo, Ben Grigouriou, Jenna McCue, Julia Hart, Nicole Elsinger, Camryn Gallagher, and Bailey Martin represented our school in two days of rehearsals with students from other NCCC schools.  They performed a concert Thursday night to a large crowd in Granby.  They worked with guest conductors and music teachers to make music as one large concert band and one large chorus.  Congratulations to our students for a job well done!

Toys for Tots and Teens

The National Honor Society is collecting toys and/or cash for the Burgdorf Clinic in Hartford for the holiday season.  The Burgdorf clinic is associated with St. Francis Hospital and is a clinic where many disadvantaged families can go for free care for their children.  For many, these will be the only toys that these children will receive.  Suffield High School is the clinic's main supporter of gifts and the clinic desperately needs our help.  The National Honor Society asks students to donate at least one new unwrapped gift or $10 cash (or an amount they are comfortable with).  Every class that gets 100% participation will receive a "thank you" treat to be delivered to their class.  Those classes that have 100% participation are entered into a drawing for a shopping trip to buy toys for the children with the money raised.

Athletic News

As the Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby football team concludes their season Thanksgiving week, they improved quite a bit.  The highlight of the season clearly came from the 8 to 6 thrilling win over Coginchaug High School.  After allowing a late 4th quarter touchdown, the defense stood tall shutting down Coginchaug on the two point conversion to win the game.  With a young group returning, the co-op should continue to improve moving forward.  Coach Qua is extremely proud of the entire team and the vast improvements that were made over the course of the season!   The girls' Varsity and Junior Varsity soccer teams had successful seasons this fall.  JV finished the year at 12-0-1 and Varsity ended the season 19-1 with their only loss coming in the Class LL Semi Final game. The boys' Varsity and JV soccer teams had another successful year as well. The boys' Varsity soccer team advanced to the second round of the state tournament. The girls' volleyball team continues to improve each season. This season was the first time the Volleyball team hosted a home state tournament game. It was also the first time they won a home state tournament game!   The girls' swim team had a good year sending 13 swimmers to States, which is over half the team. In addition to being an All State diver, Kelsey Titterington set School records for the 6 and 11 dives. Also, Alyssa Pacewicz broke a 20 year old record for the 100 yard Breaststroke. The girls' cross country team finished the season at 11-11 and is looking forward to an exciting season next fall. The boys' cross country team finished the season with a league championship and is looking forward to next season- with many returning runners!! The Suffield High School Field Hockey Team finished the season strong with a trip to the State Tournament Quarterfinals.  They played Stonington, the 2nd seed in the tournament and held them to 1 goal.  The girls should be very proud of their accomplishments this season. Thank you to the cheerleading team for always supporting all our athletes!!

National Honor Society by Jason Werenski

Students of Suffield High School's National Honor Society chapter participated in Readers Are Leaders, a program held November 16, 17, and 18 at the Spaulding Elementary School that allowed high school students to connect and read with their young, enthusiastic counterparts. Held for about one hour each day, the high school students used their early dismissal from school as an opportunity to inspire and interact with students belonging to the elementary school. At the school, each NHS Member was paired with one or two kids to read a book of choice and and use Apple iPads to entertain each other. The program's success was because of Shannon Insero, the elementary school librarian who coordinated much of the program and provided the high school students with books to read to the students.

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©2016 Suffield Public Schools
350 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078
Phone: 860-668-3800 (Central Office)

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