Suffield High School May Newsletter
1060 Sheldon Street | West Suffield, CT 06093 | 860-668-3810
Upcoming Events:
05/19
5:00 PM
Suffield High School Commons, Gymnasium, Auditorium
05/24
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Suffield High School Auditorium, Commons, Agriscience
Principal's Message
Spring has finally sprung and the excitement and energy around Suffield High School continues to grow as the temperatures rise. We are in final preparations for the Class of 2017 graduation date which has officially been set as June 10th. The last day of school for the district is June 15th which means all seniors will take their final exams a week earlier than the rest of the school. The spring is always a busy time of the year with one school year coming to a close and scheduling already begun for the upcoming year. For spring time events and athletic dates/times, I direct you to the Suffield High School website and calendar. Please come and help us cheer on and support our students in their variety of activities. The school will be continuing a 7-period schedule moving forward and is now investigating a different bell schedule that will incorporate a period of time for intervention, support, and enrichment. Students will be meeting with school counselors to finalize their class selections over the next month.
On a separate note, I want to inform you of an upcoming youth assessment survey. The Suffield Local Prevention Council is the recipient of a grant to assist the community in identifying current factors that influence the healthy and positive development of our children and youth. To move forward in addressing the needs of our community, we need better information about our youth and their attitudes and behaviors regarding substance use and abuse. The survey will be administered to students in grades 7-12 on June 1, 2017. The survey is both anonymous and confidential with the results being provided only as a summary. More information will be provided in a future email from the school and a copy of the survey will be made available in the main office for parental review. Thank you to the Suffield Local Prevention Council for spearheading this survey so we as a community can plan strategies and programs that strive to increase protective factors while decreasing risk factors.
On a separate note, I want to inform you of an upcoming youth assessment survey. The Suffield Local Prevention Council is the recipient of a grant to assist the community in identifying current factors that influence the healthy and positive development of our children and youth. To move forward in addressing the needs of our community, we need better information about our youth and their attitudes and behaviors regarding substance use and abuse. The survey will be administered to students in grades 7-12 on June 1, 2017. The survey is both anonymous and confidential with the results being provided only as a summary. More information will be provided in a future email from the school and a copy of the survey will be made available in the main office for parental review. Thank you to the Suffield Local Prevention Council for spearheading this survey so we as a community can plan strategies and programs that strive to increase protective factors while decreasing risk factors.
Teacher of the Month Award
Every other month at Suffield High School, Student Senate chooses a "Teacher of the Month." Our teachers submit names of colleagues who have made a recent positive contribution to the school. Members of the Student Senate gather to review the responses submitted and choose a recipient. Congratulations to Ned Sullivan who was chosen for April 2017.
Core Values - Creativity
Congratulations to the following students for exemplary demonstration in Suffield High School's core value of Creativity:
- Senior Matteo Casinghino & Leslie Welker
- Junior Vanessa Curti & Eric Smith
- Sophomore Peyton Beiter & Emily Fabrizi
- Freshman Felix Antwi-Mensah & Angela Jiang
Connecticut Association of Schools Arts Awards Banquet
Congratulations to Caelie Flanagan and Cynthia Webster who were chosen to receive the performing and visual arts award from the Connecticut Association of Schools for Excellence in this category. Caelie and Cynthia were honored at an Arts Awards Banquet on April 4, 2017 at the Aqua Turf Club with their parents, Mr. Moccio, and Ms. DiRoberts (Choral Teacher) and Ms. Holland (Drama Teacher). Congratulations to these two extremely talented students.
SHS World Language Student of the Month - April
Congratulations to Matthew Skoczylas who was selected as the World Languages Student of the Month for April. Matt is a sophomore at Suffield High School, currently enrolled in French IV Honors course.
Matthew is a talented language learner with an unbeatable enthusiasm for linguistic challenges and cultural diversity. His imaginative ideas are continually displayed in many classroom activities and projects and give Matthew's language study a unique dimension. His original thought and creative approach to study of the French language and culture have been demonstrated in various role plays, literary work analysis and cultural discussions in class. Matt's seemingly effortless incorporation of humor in many of his French assignments is especially admirable – funny stories and characters, comic twists in narrations, silly situations and events demonstrate that he is having fun learning and using the language. Oftentimes it seems that the effective use of his sense of humor is a way to alleviate the many challenges and nuances of the French grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. As Matt continues to advance in his language proficiency, he is never afraid to take chances and is quick to incorporate newly acquired skills to communicate effectively in French.
Matthew's hobbies and interests include gardening, swimming, running ("anywhere and alone"), skiing, and playing chess in the library with friends. He also enjoys reading historical biographies (Autobiography of Malcolm X being one of his favorites), watching horror movies (Silence of the Lambs in particular), and spending summers in Poland (especially walking around downtown Warsaw). In the future, Matthew intends to study medicine and become a medical doctor.
Matthew is a talented language learner with an unbeatable enthusiasm for linguistic challenges and cultural diversity. His imaginative ideas are continually displayed in many classroom activities and projects and give Matthew's language study a unique dimension. His original thought and creative approach to study of the French language and culture have been demonstrated in various role plays, literary work analysis and cultural discussions in class. Matt's seemingly effortless incorporation of humor in many of his French assignments is especially admirable – funny stories and characters, comic twists in narrations, silly situations and events demonstrate that he is having fun learning and using the language. Oftentimes it seems that the effective use of his sense of humor is a way to alleviate the many challenges and nuances of the French grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. As Matt continues to advance in his language proficiency, he is never afraid to take chances and is quick to incorporate newly acquired skills to communicate effectively in French.
Matthew's hobbies and interests include gardening, swimming, running ("anywhere and alone"), skiing, and playing chess in the library with friends. He also enjoys reading historical biographies (Autobiography of Malcolm X being one of his favorites), watching horror movies (Silence of the Lambs in particular), and spending summers in Poland (especially walking around downtown Warsaw). In the future, Matthew intends to study medicine and become a medical doctor.
Bonne chance et félicitations, Matthew!
Athletic Department News
After losing their top three players to graduation, the girls' golf team has started off stronger than expected and currently holds a 2-2 record. They have a very bright future with four sophomores that will be competing for the number one spot this year and for the next three years to come. The boys' golf team is still undefeated at this point in the season (6-0). The team won the Avon invitational with a record 291. Tom Durkin and Austin Rupp made the All-Tournament team. The team's senior leadership has had a direct correlation to the team's success so far this season. The boys' varsity tennis team is off to a great start, with a 4-3 record. They are primed to make the State Tournament for the second year in a row. Bradshaw Pines is leading the team at first singles with some amazing wins. The softball team had a tough time hitting the ground running given the fact that due to the weather they only had two days on their field before they had to play their first game. Although their record is 3-5, of the five games they have lost; four of them were by only one or two runs. The team has been super competitive with the other top teams in the league. The softball team will play three of those teams again during the second half of the season and they are optimistic that given their improved play, they will be successful against them in the rematch. The girls' tennis team finished last season at 8-12, and has had a great start to the season starting 4-4 through eight games. The program has also seen a spike in turnout as over twenty girls came out to join the program this season. While the weather has made it difficult to maximize practice time outside, the girls look to improve their record in the second half of the season as they get more time on the court to work together. The girls' outdoor track team is off to an 8-0 start as they head into the heart of their schedule with tough meets and invitationals ahead. There have been solid performances and NCCC/State Qualifiers from veterans and newcomers alike. The boys' Track team has also had many individuals qualify for the NCCC and the state track meet. The boys' track team has had a great start to the season and is currently 6-2. The baseball team is off to an excellent start with a 7-2 record. Behind the strong pitching from Nate Roy, Alan Eheander and Alex Honey the Wildcats look to continue playing solid baseball in the second half of the season. The girls' lacrosse team has been working hard on fine tuning their skills. They have had a few very close games where their teamwork has definitely shown. They look forward to the second half of their season where they hope to improve on their current record. The boys' lacrosse team is very young but has a great work ethic. They have done a good job of motivating each other and have a "never quit" attitude. They had a big win over Tolland on Thursday.
Athletes of the Month
Congratulations to Jack Butler and McKenzie Rusczyk who were chosen as the Booster Club Athletes of the Month for February.
McKenzie Rusczyk is a senior and two-year captain of the girls' basketball team. She finished her career with 966 points in three seasons as a varsity player. She received All-Conference recognition in 2015-16 and 2016-17. She was All-State in 2017 as a senior. She was also named the NCCC Tournament MVP this season and the 2017 All-Courant Team. McKenzie was the leader of the basketball team that won the NCCC regular season championship, as well as the NCCC Tournament championship, and went into the state tournament ranked #1 in Class M.
Jack Butler is one of the captains on the Swim Team this year and leads the team by example. Jack attends every practice and has a way of bringing levity to potential strenuous activities. Jack swims the 50 free and 100 breast stroke and excels at these two events. Jack is a true team player and is respected by his teammates.
Congratulations to these two outstanding athletes!
McKenzie Rusczyk is a senior and two-year captain of the girls' basketball team. She finished her career with 966 points in three seasons as a varsity player. She received All-Conference recognition in 2015-16 and 2016-17. She was All-State in 2017 as a senior. She was also named the NCCC Tournament MVP this season and the 2017 All-Courant Team. McKenzie was the leader of the basketball team that won the NCCC regular season championship, as well as the NCCC Tournament championship, and went into the state tournament ranked #1 in Class M.
Jack Butler is one of the captains on the Swim Team this year and leads the team by example. Jack attends every practice and has a way of bringing levity to potential strenuous activities. Jack swims the 50 free and 100 breast stroke and excels at these two events. Jack is a true team player and is respected by his teammates.
Congratulations to these two outstanding athletes!
Agriscience Department
April was a busy month in the Agriscience department. Suffield Agriscience held their biannual Agriscience Exposition! They had a full tour schedule and welcomed possible future agriscience students from Spaulding School, McAlister Intermediate School and Wildcat Playschool. The students were able to tour our facility and participate in a variety of activities. Students had the opportunity to plant a plant in our greenhouse, become a farmer for a day, fish for different species in the aquaculture lab, ride a tractor and make animal friends in the petting zoo. Suffield Agriscience was happy to welcome the schools and community and hope to see everyone again in two years!
As May rolls in, our FFA chapter is beginning the process of electing next school year's FFA officers. Nominating Committee will be meeting to start the process and toward the end of the month students will vote to install a new officer team. Our program will also be preparing for our FFA Banquet, which will be held on May 24th. Our chapter is excited to be hosting the FFA State Convention for the second year in a row! State Convention is when all of the chapters from all over the state come to visit our facility to compete in Career Development Events, receive awards and State FFA degrees and to enjoy some fun activities put on by the FFA state officer team. Our chapter is looking forward to the fun events that are still to come!
As May rolls in, our FFA chapter is beginning the process of electing next school year's FFA officers. Nominating Committee will be meeting to start the process and toward the end of the month students will vote to install a new officer team. Our program will also be preparing for our FFA Banquet, which will be held on May 24th. Our chapter is excited to be hosting the FFA State Convention for the second year in a row! State Convention is when all of the chapters from all over the state come to visit our facility to compete in Career Development Events, receive awards and State FFA degrees and to enjoy some fun activities put on by the FFA state officer team. Our chapter is looking forward to the fun events that are still to come!
Connecticut Writing Project
Ness Curti (junior) and Tabitha Hinkle (sophomore) received honorable mention in the 29th issue of the Connecticut Student Writers (CSW) magazine.
Ness and Tabitha will be recognized for their writing accomplishments at the Student Recognition Night, which will be held at the University of Connecticut in May. Ness wrote a piece titled "Headspace", while Tabitha's piece was titled "Stuck in the Gutter".
As stated in the letters sent to the students being recognized, Connecticut Student Writers is a statewide magazine established in 1988 and published by the Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) at Storrs, in order to recognize excellence in student writing."
Ness and Tabitha will be recognized for their writing accomplishments at the Student Recognition Night, which will be held at the University of Connecticut in May. Ness wrote a piece titled "Headspace", while Tabitha's piece was titled "Stuck in the Gutter".
As stated in the letters sent to the students being recognized, Connecticut Student Writers is a statewide magazine established in 1988 and published by the Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) at Storrs, in order to recognize excellence in student writing."
Rotary Student of the Month
May
Congratulations to Rachel Roncaioli who was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month for May. Rachel is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2017. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, Class Council and Student Senate. Rachel has been involved in Interact Club, Wildcat Advisory Group and has worked as a Writing Center Coach. As well, Rachel has been a member of the Giraffe Club, A-Team, Science Fair, and Earth and Outing Club. Rachel has also played on the JV Soccer Team and has been a Varsity Girls' Golf Team athlete during her four years at Suffield High School. Rachel has worked diligently and has received many awards such as the Harvard Book Award, as well as awards in AP Biology, AP Micro Economics, Chemistry, Spanish, Social Studies, English, Life Ed, Math and Arts. In her spare time Rachel helps out at the Sacred Heart Church Bazaar, helps to sell tickets for SHS Productions and volunteers at the Granby Chapter of an Italian-American Service Organization. Rachel has also done a volunteer internship at the UConn Health Center. As you can see by all of Rachel's accomplishments, it is fitting that she was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month. Congratulations Rachel!
C.O.L.T. Poetry Recitation Contest
Two American Sign Language students, Morgan Wells and Laura Rose, attended the annual C.O.L.T. Poetry Recitation Competition on April 25th. The competition was held at Bristol Central High School and students performed poetry in a variety of languages such as ASL, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and French. Expert judges rated the students on several characteristics of their recitation.
Morgan earned a Silver medal in her category and Laura received a bronze. We are very proud of their hard work and their representation of Suffield High School at this state-wide event.
Science Fair Club
The Science Fair Club is proud to announce that Madi D'Ostuni is a State of Connecticut winner of the National Center for Women & Information Technology ----- NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award. Madi will be honored on May 3rd and will be presented with duplicate awards, one award for her and one for the school. Madi will present the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing School Award in a brief on-air ceremony to Principal Steve Moccio during morning announcements on Thursday, May 4th. Congratulations Madi!
Madi D'Ostuni was honored as well as awarded a scholarship on March 29th at the Aqua Turf as a Finalist for the 2017 Connecticut Technology Council's Women of Innovation Award.
Debate Team
On March 4th, the Connecticut Valley Debate League (CVDL) competed in its final of three debate meets, with Suffield hosting. Teams competed in three meets throughout the season during the months of February and March, with four rounds in each meet. Teams were scored for both debate points and speaker points.
Suffield's two varsity teams were in contention for the top three places, as was its one novice team.
After the final three rounds, sophomore varsity team Ziad Hassan and Rabi Zulfiquar were tied for first place with a senior team from Longmeadow. The meet ended with an exciting final exhibition as a tie-breaking round.
Results:
VARSITY
Debate
2nd place: Rabi Zulfiquar and Ziad Hassan (10 wins, 1 loss)
3rd place: Alyssa Wessner and Sydney O'Campo (7 wins, 4 losses)
Speaking
2nd place: Alyssa Wessner
4th place: Ziad Hassan
NOVICE
Debate
1st place: John Dion, Michael Sattan and Charles Rose (9 wins, 0 losses)
Speaking
1st place: John Dion
2nd place: Michael Sattan
The CVDL consists of seven member teams including Chicopee Comprehensive, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Northampton, Southwick, Suffield, and Westfield.
World Language Honor Society
Congratulations to the following students who were inducted into the World Language Honor Society on April 27, 2017 at Suffield High School.
2017 French Honor Society Inductees
Alexia Alfaro
Hannah Chawla
Amy Colson
Emily Fabrizi
Shannon Frechette
Kaitlin Greco
Sarah Johnston
Amanda Martin – Ryan
Manny Meleounis
Madison Morelli
Chloe Nardi
Molly Poirier
Matthew Skoczylas
Jessica Wessner
2017 Spanish Honor Society Inductees
Shreedula Balakrishnan
Tessa Basile
Blake Baskin
Peyton Beiter
Anna Casinghino
Elina Chae
Julia Coleman
David Danek
Dario DeCosmo
Julia DeLuca
Kelley Dias
John Dion
Ashley Drake
Julia Drinan
Fatima Elmokaddem
Kyle Englander
Ekaterina Fraser
Madison Gadomski
Camryn Gallagher
Benjamin Grigoriou
Michael Grigoriou
Julia Hart
Ziad Hassan
Tabitha Hinkle
Lindsey Kasperski
Samantha Kawalec
Jared Lobo
Caitlin Lucido
Sophie Lupone
Anthony Marmo
Camden Miller
Cooper Mitzel
John Nadeau
Alec Pryce
Payton Salvaggio
Haley Sinon
Tyler Stanio
McKenzie Sullivan
Sydney Sullivan
Brooke Tillotson
Cathryne Tronsky
Sydney Urch
Jeremy Walch
Bruce Wilson
Alyssa Zawawi
Gabrielle Zeller
Rabi Zulfiquar
Chick-fil-A Leader Academy
Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy will be having a fundraiser on May 10 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Chick-fil-A. If you have dinner at Chick-fil-A, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to the group to help fund our impact project!
In addition, on May 19th at 6:00 pm we will be doing an Impact Project: Family Night Out. Please join us for activities for kids of all ages and a viewing of the Disney/Pixar movie The Incredibles! Proceeds from the night will be donated to a local charity.
Unified Theater Production
Suffield High School's Unified Theater Production will take place on May 17th. This production is a unique event where students with all abilities come together to write, direct, choreograph, tech and produce a show. It's the most heartwarming show the theater department produces all year. There are more than 40 students involved with this year's production. Admission is free. The show will start at 6:30 pm.
Family and Consumer Science
Mrs. McCluskey's Interior Design students took field trip to IKEA to explore various kitchen design styles and used the software to create a kitchen.
Mrs. Haefner's culinary classes took a field trip to Manchester Community College, where they toured the facilities and enjoyed a luncheon hosted by their culinary/hospitality students.
Suffield High School Music Department
The Suffield High School Band will have a busy end of the year. We will join forces with the Vocal Ensembles for our annual spring concert on Thursday, May 25, at 7:30 pm in the SHS Auditorium. Both the Band and Jazz Ensemble will perform. Admission is free.
Then on Monday, May 29, the band will march in the Memorial Day Parade. The parade begins at 9 am.
The very next Saturday, the band will perform at opening ceremonies for the Relay for Life at the SMS track. June 3, 10 am.
Finally, the band will help say goodbye to the class of 2017 by playing at the Graduation ceremony on June 10 at 9:30 am.
Academic Quiz Team travels to Washington, D.C. for National Tournament
Six members of the Academic Quiz Team traveled to Arlington, VA to participate with nearly 300 other teams in the National History Bowl on April 22, 2017. Founded in 2010, the National History Bee and Bowl are nationwide academic quiz competitions with a history focus. The team qualified at the Regional tournament in Newtown in March. Juniors Anna Mervosh, Joseph Rossi, Jonah Berrien and Matt Vindigni, and sophomores Molly Poirier and Iman Wehelie, were on the team of six who competed in ten rounds of matches. Chaperoned by their coach Ms. DeAngelis and by English teacher Mr. Kibby, the students also got to tour the Smithsonian Museum of American History and the monuments on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Arlington National Cemetery. The trip was funded in part through a grant from the Suffield Rotary Club, where students from the team will make a presentation about their trip to the board next month.
Random Acts of Kindness
Mrs. Zielinski's "Power of 18" students continued this month with their Random Acts of Kindness! With every $12 donation, a basket was filled and delivered to a senior in need. These baskets contained items such as activity books, snacks and more! The baskets can be hooked onto a walker or crutches! This project was in conjunction with former Suffield High School graduate Julie Combs and concluded on April 7, 2017. Mrs. Zielinski's class raised $396 which assisted in filling 33 baskets for our Suffield Senior Shut-Ins!!
Mrs. Zielinski would like to thank her "18" students. They continue to go above and beyond and she is so genuinely proud of her students. The students took this challenge of community service and went above and beyond! It was a successful year showing Random Acts of Kindness.
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©2016 Suffield Public Schools
350 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078
Phone: 860-668-3800 (Central Office)