John F. Kennedy Middle School staff member and alumna Emily Dickson and her children, Spencer Dickson, 7, and Molly Dickson, 4, hand out “Happy Birthday” party hats during the JFK birthday party on June 11, celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary.

By TAYLOR HARTZ
STAFF WRITER

There is no better way to celebrate turning 50 than with a birthday party—even for a building.

John F. Kennedy Middle School reached its half-century mark on June 11, a milestone that assistant principal Susanne Vitcavage knew had to be celebrated.

“We wanted to celebrate 50 years of excellence in education,” said Vitcavage.

To honor the 1965 opening of the school, the party had a ‘60s theme. Faculty dressed in bell-bottom jeans, round John Lennon style sunglasses, and Woodstock t-shirts, while the school band, orchestra and chorus performed 60s era hits.

Faculty, families, alumni, and retired staff were all invited to attend the party.

Students, clad in Kennedy green tie-dye volunteered to help with activities throughout the school, while staff members handed out green colored carnations to alumni who returned to their alma mater for the celebration.

As the hallways filled with party-goers, more than three-hundred pieces of art work by current students decorated the walls, alongside a wide variety of memorabilia showing off the schools’ history.

Tables lined the entrance and halls, displaying old yearbooks, uniforms, and awards, while decades of newsletters provided facts for a trivia quiz throughout the building.

The school’s Parent Teacher Organization volunteered their time, two birthday cakes, and prizes for contests, including a quiz to identify the baby photos of current and past teachers.

Two hallways worth of classrooms were open for alumni and retired staff to tour and reminisce, while display cases showed off pieces of history, including a “50 years of technology” display with old phones and cameras, and two cases of historical artifacts pertaining to the schools namesake, John F. Kennedy.

While Vitcavage said she hoped the open-house would not take away from the reveal of renovations this fall, current and past students thought the party was a great way to equally celebrate the building’s historical integrity and modern updates.

Sixth grade counselor and 1995 Kennedy graduate Emily Dickson handed out party hats that read “Happy Birthday,” with her daughter Molly, 4, and son Spencer, 7, who will both attend Kennedy.

“Kennedy is a great school,” said the alumna and staff member, “It has a family atmosphere, and now with the renovation there is even more to be proud of.”

For those who have watched the building’s updates unfold, the party was a great way to celebrate progress over time.

Seventh grader Gianna Wadowski, who volunteered for the baby photo contest, said the historical items on display during the party helped students and staff “show how much we’ve grown, and how important we are to the town.”

Matthew Scotia, a sophomore at Southington High School, came back to tour his old classrooms and visit former teachers and said he most enjoyed seeing how the building has changed over the five decades.

“It’s nice to see all the progression,” said Scotia.

An alumni of Kennedy, Scotia said he really appreciated the school’s impact on his family throughout the years—his grandfather started his middle school education during Kennedy’s first year. His father, aunts, and uncles attended the school, and his mother, Karen Scotia, now teaches sixth grade language arts.

Appreciating the history and progress of Kennedy’s fifty years with the Southington community was the goal in mind for the celebration.

“This building has been through a lot,” said Vitcavage, “We wanted everyone to have a fun time and really experience it”

To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Taylor Hartz, email her at THartz@SouthingtonObserver.com.

Kennedy Middle School has announced their honor roll for the fourth quarter.

Grade 6

The following students earned first honors:

Ernest Arroyo, Neel Avancha, Noah Barbour, Cameron Baston, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Drew Belcourt, Madison Block, Casey Blumetti, Olivia Blumetti, Chelsea Bly, Lauren Bogoslofski, Mikaela Bogoslofski, Weston Brick, Joshua Budnik, Griffin Campbell, Rachel Carbone, Makayla Carlson, Landon Carmody, Allison Carr, Pio Castellano, Robert Chasse, Andrew Colwick, Camila Connolly, Margaret Coyle, Kiley Cristman, Kaylie Culp, Jordan Cyr, Dante D’Amore, Fanola Dede, Grace DellaVecchia, Jake DellaVecchia, Arianna DiNapoli, Makena Dlugos, Mckenna Dunne, Erin Famiglietti, Eljona Fezaj, Madeline Fisher, Emily Forcade, Trevor Francis, Brynn Freehling, Kayli Garcia, Nadilie Germain, Christopher Goncalves, Walter Goodenough, Madison Gorneault, Nicole Greco, Joshua Gregory, Sarah Hadlock, Jasmine Hallett, Meghan Hammarlund, Daniel Kalvaitis, Chaitanya Karanam, Kailey Keegan, Brendan Kiyak, Joshua Konikowski, Evan Kristopik, Mujo Kurtovic, Trevor Kushman, Sarah Langdeau, Jakob Langhans, Sean LaRose, Kaylin Leifert, Sydney Leppones, Blake Lewis, Connor Longo, Jenna Lucian, Matthew Luponio, Michael Maino, Gavin Malone, Nicholas Marecki, Shahd Matit, Caleigh McDougall, Anna McGrail, Connor McInnis, Mitchell Messina, Matthew Mikosz, Mary Miller, Aurianna Monteiro, Lauren Morrissey, Robert Nadile, Kajetan Naworol, Kayla-Thanh Nguyen, Cassie Noonan, Greta Panke, Emma Paradis, Samantha Peluso, Bethany Perry, Alyssa Petrone, Diane Pillsbury, Matthew Purpura, Cailey Quiles, Reese Raposa, Harshita Rayapureddy, Evan Riddick, Margaret Ritchie, Christian Rivera, Jared Rivera, Dylan Rodriguez, Jillian Rohon, Maliah Ryan, Olivia Salerno, Dylan Sandow, Muhammad Saqab, Katrina Scalise, Nicholas Schmaltz, Madeleine Silano, Dominic Sisco, Muslim Soomro, Gianna Sperry, Kailey St. Amand, Ryan St. John, Lucas Sullivan, Madeline Symecko, Jenna Taylor, Olivia Testa, Joseph Toce, Mary Tolisano, Andrew Vroeginday, Evan Watson, Dawsen Welch, Lindsey Woodruff, Jeffrey Wyskiewicz, Alexah Zaczynski, Victoria Zajda, and Leah Zaslavsky.

The following students earned second honors:

Nicholas Anastasopoulos , Callan Angelo, Abagail Antoniani, Lindsey Arduini, Genevie Bermudez, Alecia Bernetti, Joshua Blancato, Connor Blanchette, Lauren Borchert, Alyssa Bowker, Christopher Bowman, Emily Brackett, Paige Brancaccio, Nathaniel Bromage, Robert Bruzik, Elyse Cain, Alexander Cammuso, Jackson Cardozo, Eli Carr, Matthew Casella, Noah Castonguay, Aiden Chesanow, Joshua Chevalier, Alec Chinigo, Allyssa Christiansen, Natalie Chubet, Maya Ciaffaglione, Sarah Clark, Julia Collins, Hailey Comparone, Ethan Culotta, Christian D’Agostino, Corrine Dandelski, Nicholas Davino, Taylor DeFelice, Adrianna Del Debbio, John Del Debbio, Haley Derwin, Riley Derwin, Brody DeSouza, Alexander Drechsler, Enaishalee Dugee, Omarian Dugee, Emily Eigo, Jenna Famiglietti, Colin Fletcher, Michael Furgalack, Maggie Fusco, Nicholas Gaedeke, Meagan Gagne, Daniel Garcia, Savannah Garcia, Taylor Gaudiosi, Logan Gillis, Anthony Graham, Haley Gregoire, Dylan Griffis, Justin Guillemette, Madison Haberski, Franklin Hall, Alex He, Andrew Higley, Frank Higley, Mya Hochstrate, Sarah Hofmann, Stephen Horak, Jessica Jurgasik, Megan Kashuba, Joseph Keating, Dylan Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, Sara Kuczynski, Katherine LaCluyze, Lindsay Lambert, Joseph Landrie, Olivia Lanteri, Josh LaRoche, Ashley Lazzari, Aidan L’Heureux, Peter Loban, Michael Long, Alyssa Lovley, Hunter Maciokas, Jackson Malsheske, Cole Marek, Ryan Matthews, Cole Matusik, Ricky McBride, Anthony Micacci, Jacob Michaels, Hailey Miller, Emaan Mirza, Ava Muir, Thomas Nardi, Robert Nowicky, Dylan Olson, Angelina Otano, Kameron Pannone, Dylan Pastor, Kyle Patla, Kelly Perrotti, Antonio Petrossi, Emelia Pettit, Anthony Picone, Zachary Pulvermacher, Joshua Pyle, Isabella Rivera, Jayden Rivera, Sean Roach, Olivia Roberts, Sadie Robinson, Abigail Roche, Byronn Rodriguez, Kyleigh Rogers, Nathan Roy, Bryanna Rubin, Adrian Ruszkowski, Alberto Sarris, Sarah Selinske, Elijah Sheen, Brett Sheldrick, Ethan Shurkus, Cameron Sirois, Kevin Sliker, Kaley Smith, Skylar Sterling, Bridget Stevens, Zachary Swain, Dominik Szczerbacki, Isabella Tabellione, Brianna Van Fleet, Emilia Vauter, Emmett Vitti, Liliya Vynar, and Patrick Wright.

Grade 7

The following students earned first honors:

Joseph Albanese, Alyssa Aulbach, Faith Auletta, Morgan Barnum, Jessica Bartsch, Mischelle Beerbaum, Nashita Begum, Alexander Belanger, Kayley Benson, Sahiti Bhyravavajhala, Faith Breen, Caleb Brick, Tara Brock, Emma Brush, William Carr, Aaron Case, Ryan Catlin, Maxwell Chubet, Brooke Cooney, Mackenzie Coppola, Avery Cowen, Katherine Crouse, Ashlyn Curtis, Victor Czernecki Anair, Morgan Desiderio, Emma Doran, Sarah Falcetti, Zachary Florian, Gabriella Flynn, Natalie Foligno, Megan Fortier, Marco Fusciello, Jake Gagnon, Nathan Gorr, Chloe Grabowski, Katherine Gundersen, Michael Gurzenda, Jenna Hall, Riley Hall, Vanessa Heigel, Kelsey Henderson, Maya Hennessey, Leah Hinckley, Abigail Howard, Kade Huang-Savino, Emily Hubeny, Jared Kelly, Troy Kieras, Ryan Klinzmann, Dillon Kohl, Zachary Kohli, Erida Koxha, Andrew Kudla, Anthony Lagana, Mackenzie Longley, Skylar Longley, William Loose, Brooke Lynch, Joshua Maccione, Ahmad Mahmoud, Jenna Mariani, Hailey Marziarz, Kasey Mason, Christopher McIntyre, John McLaughlin, Jake McPhail, Evelyn Micacci, Avielle Nanfito, Jake Napoli, Jessica Nguyen, Chetan Patel, Gianna Perugini, Karissa Pfeiffer, Kaylee Phen, Haley Picard, Emma Plourde, Kathryn Purushotham, Tucker Raymond, Jeremy Rinaldi, Jack Ringrose, Jio Rodriguez, Alexandra Rogers, Kelly Rose, Kristin Rose, Sawera Saeed, Nicolas Salinas, Mark Secondo, Ella Shamus-Udicious, Jenna Sheehan, Ryan Shurkus, Emily Solomon, Hannah Sousa, Vincent Spizzoucco, Chloe Stanish, Taylor Starr, Stephen Statkevich, Olivia Stich, Lee Stomsky, Joelle Stublarec, David Sullivan, Mia Sullivan, Emerson Suski, Ethan Sutton, Justin Taddeo, Christopher Taylor, Joseph Tellerico, Jackson Thibeault, Natalie Thomas, Jacob Vecchio, Stefania Votino, Kiralyn Wadman, Gianna Wadowski, Nicole Wang, Cody Wankerl, and Shane Witkoski.

The following students earned second honors:

Mackenzie Adams, Eva Agnew, Lexi Almeida, Zachary Barile, Katherine Barner, Ryan Barretta, Samantha Barrows, Dean Bauchiero, Hailey Becquey, Dion Beerbaum, Cameron Beidler, Lauren Boucher, Mary-Claire Brick, Jacob Brooks, Evan Brown, Nicholas Buonanni, James Burke, Christian Cahill, Caelen Cain, Olivia Calandra, Xavier Callender, Austin Carta, Max Casella, Kaylee Cianchetti, Raymond Cocozza, Christian Cox, Gabriel Czajkowski, Jessica Dammling, Gianna Dangelo, Heaven Davis, Zachary DelVecchia, Cameron DeSteph, Sophia DiBattista, Daniel DiCorpo, Lindsey Dizenzo, Jillian Dow, Jack Dunham, Brian Egan, Nina Fabrycki, Kelsey Fernandez, Danielle Flynn, Nathaniel Fortin, Katie Gaedeke, Joseph Gaudio, Olivia Genovese, Nicole Gianni, Ryley Gianni, Ryan Giudice, Anna Haberski, Samer Henen, Javon Hicks, Kiara Hourigan, Isabel Iovanna, Myah Joiner, Minseok Kang, Adel Khan, Adam Kosko, Evan Kwok, Melody Lacombe, Thomas Lebel, Olivia Liberti, Katelyn Lipsky, Justin Lockhart, Juliet Lyon, Matthew Maciejewski, Aidan Marchand, Nathan Mariani, Alexander Mason, Matthew Mauro, Ethan McDonough, Ashlynn McGrail, Shawn McKnerney, Alexander McPartland, Derek Melanson, Patrick Mercier, Trevor Messina, Christian Mohr, Stephen Murray, Noah Nanfito, Samuel Nichols, Emily Nivison, Nicholas Obuekwe, Sean Olson, Marina Oulundsen, Vanshitaben Patel, Lukas Peaslee, Daniel Perez, Leah Pliego, Nicole Popowicz, Ryan Posadas, Caprina Pugliese, Benjamin Ragozzine, Daniel Ragozzine, Aidan Reilly, Jayden Renehan, Ethan Ritchie, Justen Roberts, Zachary Rogalski, Hailey Ryder, Christine Sargent, Lauren Seitz, Evan Sheen, Zachary Silvaggio, Benjamin Smith, Brenna Smith, Victoria Sousa, Morgan Stavisky, Jacob Sutton, Karolina Swinicki, Samuel Terry, Portia Testa, John Tracy, Thomas Turci, Carter Uhlman, Hailey Vargo, Meredith Veilleux, Amanda Venice, Joshua Vitti, Julia Wakefield, Olivia Walling, Avery Whitehead, Brandon Wolff, Andrew Wong, Madeline Wright, and Zachary Zembrzuski.

Grade 8

The following students earned first honors:

John Aligata, Aparna Athreya, Reilly Baker, Evan Belcourt, Mary Bilodeau, Seth Bogoslofski, Taylor Borla, Ally Breen, Danielle Cammuso, Olivia Carpenter, Asami Castellano, Madelyn Chasse, Artenisa Dautllari, Natalie Diaz, Rebecca Dorzens, Zachary Doty, Hailey Dow, Jacob Drena, Julie Duszak, Elena Famiglietti, Jacob Flynn, Christopher Gambardella, Kalli Gianacopolos, Mariah Goldberg, Erica Golia, Adam Green, Nicole Hatheway, Julia Jackman, Kate Kemnitz, Justin Kupcho, Michael Kwok, Alyssa Landrie, Mia Langston, Michael Lewicki, Abigail Lo Presti, Juliette Lord, Ryan Loring, Heather Martin, Jenna Martin, Sarah Matthews, Daria McCabe, Michael McLaughlin, Zachary Morgan, Jade O’Keefe, James Olender, Catherine Pawlaczyk, Amanda Perkowski, Hannah Platt, Natalie Pyle, Jordan Rinaldi, Marissa Robarge, Erin Robinson, Madison Rocha, Tyler Salzillo, Aliya Sarris, Casey Selinske, Mallie Selinske, Allison Stanton, Tyler Strong, Nicholas Truncali, Jillian Zakrzewski, and Jianella Zegarra.

The following students earned second honors:

David Ackerman, Emma Agli, Ethan Agli, Ian Agnew, Kristen Angeli, Ashley Anglis, Caroline Appelle, Celia Bajrami, Brionna Balek, Kylin Banks, Abigail Barbour, Connor Baston, Kylie Benton, Domenic Bernard, Karla Blake, Tyler Blancato, Michaela Blumetti, Haley Boucher, Mackenzie Boudreau, McKayla Bowker, Jason Brault, Adam Bull, Alina Calderone, Desiree Cammuso, Jacob Cardozo, Matthew Carragher, Colby Courtmanche, Alex Crawford, Sean Crean, Audrey Cyr, Silvio D’Agostino, Mason Daley, Riley Daly, Rachael Daniels, Lynsey Danko, Antonio Davino, Alyssa Davis, Alexander Dearborn, Carolyn Del Debbio, Avery DeLong, Kaitlyn Dempster, Ashley DiBattista, Nisa Dilaveri, Kevin Dlugos, Megan Drivdahl, Joshua Dziob, Georgia Falk, Kaitlyn Feeney, Caden Fisher, Ian Fisher, Victoria Flynn, Samuel Gaedeke, Chase Galayda, Michael Gaudiosi, Ryan Gesnaldo, Katelyn Gilbert, Vincent Golia, John Griffin, Amna Hamid, Morgan Hedges, Cory Hemsen, Ryan Henderson, Emma Higley, Taylor Holland, Hannah Hubeny, Colby Johnson, Jessica Kerchis, Adeline Kilgore, Karissia Klash, Morgan Kolb, Carlyn Kosienski, Kyle Kraft, William Krom, Robert LaCluyze, Jamie Lamson, Kyle Leifert, Mason Leland, Peter Leppones, Kristen Longley, Madison Longley, Kiana Lowrey, Daniel Lyon, Sarah Mafale, Oliwia Marchut, Chrisala Marotto, Jared Martin, Sarah Mathew, Megan Matthews, Lauren Messner, John Miller, Alexander Mitchell, Anthony Napolitano, Charles Napolitano, Ryan Nelson, Max Noonan, Charles Panke, Connor Patenaude, Daniel Pestillo, Hailey Peterson, Trevor Porter, Ryan Prendergast, Nathan Price, Ashley Pulvermacher, Brandon Robinson, Timothy Robinson, Kolby Rogers, Keishla Rosario, Jonathon Rossi, Allison Roy, James Rusiecki, Nickolas Russo, Ashley Schiffer, Bethany Schmidt, Jackson Schroeder, Ty Selinske, Margaret Shields, Kian Siadat, Ryan Slesinski, Victoria Sperry, Samuel Teper, Benjamin Therrien, Melissa Tracy, Garrett Van Epps, Luca Veneziano, Cassidy Vinal, Kaylin Warlikowski, Connor Watson, Chloe Wieleba, Ashley Willis, Stephen Witte, Bryce Worth, Cameron Zawada, Colby Zegzdryn, and Nathalan Zmarlicki.

John F. Kennedy Middle School
1071 S Main St, Plantsville, CT 06479
(860) 628-3275

Grand opening ceremonies will be held for the newly renovated Joseph A. DePaolo and John F. Kennedy middle schools on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Sponsored by the Southington Board of Education, the ceremonies will include remarks from school, town and state officials in an open house style event.

The grand opening of JFK Middle School will take place at 1 p.m. at 1071 South Main St. in Plantsville.

The grand opening of DePaolo will take place at 3 p.m. at 285 Pleasant St. in Southington.

Any questions about the program can be directed toward Debi Albaitis, Executive Assistant to Superintendent of Schools Timothy F. Connellan, at dalbaitis@southingtonpublicschools or at (860) 628-3202.

The Mill Foundation for Kids recently donated $2,400 to the DePaolo and Kennedy Middle Schools Unified Sports program. The program, which is part of the Special Olympics, allows for special needs students and peer partners to participate in sporting events. The money will be used to fund attendance and transportation to area Unified Sports events throughout the school year. From left, Mill Foundation representative Tina Taylor with DePaolo teachers Rebecca Szrejna and Mike Lodovico.

Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School
385 Pleasant St, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 628-3260

By TAYLOR HARTZ
STAFF WRITER

The Town Council voted on Monday, Nov. 23 to take the next step in continuing the “solarization plan” for the town.

The council approved a Power Purchase Agreement with Greenskies Renewable Energy, LLC, in Middletown, to provide solar power supplies for Kennedy Middle School and DePaolo Middle School.

The agreement is the same as plans previously made with Greenskies for Plantsville Elementary School and South End Elementary School. Greenskies will install solar panel arrays on the roofs of the middle schools, with the town agreeing to purchase the energy generated by the arrays for 20 years.

Town Manager Garry Brumback said the town is hopeful that the design will provide about 80 percent of the electricity requirements for each school, reducing the energy bill by 35 to 40 percent.

The arrays for Kennedy and DePaolo have not yet been engineered, so the precise amount of savings is not yet known, said Brumback.

John F. Kennedy Middle School
1071 S Main St, Plantsville, CT 06479
(860) 628-3275

At the meeting, Town Councilor John Barry questioned whether long-term savings could be determined, and if costs could be predicted. Barry said that the 20 year contract “really ties the hands of the town.”

Brumback responded that real savings will be seen in transportation and distribution costs for energy supply.

“That’s where the true savings are and what makes this worthwhile,” said Brumback

The agreement passed as presented in a 7-1 vote, with Barry opposed and Councilor Tom Lombardi recusing himself from the vote.

“It continues to be a very positive thing for our schools, and it is also positive environmentally,” said Brumback, who hopes the new arrays will be built over next summer break.

“Ultimately our goal is to get all of the town buildings with some sort of renewable energy sources,” said Brumback.

Kennedy Middle School announced their January Students of the Month. Front, from left, Margaret Coyle, Jenna Taylor and Megan Crean. Middle, Melody Lacombe, Jack Freyler, Jake Napoli, Rachel Carbone and Meredith Veilleux. Back, Asst. Principal Susanne Vitcavage, Joseph Dorsey, Jeremy Rinaldi, Gavin Malone, Matthew Feeney, and Principal Richard Terino.

John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville recently announced the names of its January students of the month. Teachers nominated these students for their academic improvement on performance, exemplary citizenship, and/or participation in extracurricular activities.

Sixth grade students of the month are Megan Crean, Matthew Feeney and Jack Freyler.

Megan is an excellent student with superb focus and determination. The consistency with which she demonstrates a superior work ethic is second to none. A member of the Unified Arts Theater, she has been involved in gymnastic competitions since she was a young child.

Matthew, whose teachers claim that he makes their jobs easier, is always prepared for class. A reliable student, he demonstrates a clear desire to do well. Matt’s teachers and peers can always count on him to do what is expected and to lend a helping hand to those in need. He plays town football and basketball and helps organize family events at his grandmother’s home. Matt balances his free time by playing with his dog and his video games.

Jack is an active participant in all of his academic classes. He goes above and beyond class expectations and he seeks challenges in all areas of his academic life. Jack is a member of the ping pong club, the ski/snowboard club, the cross country team, the band and the brass/percussion group. He plays town baseball, volunteers through the Leadership Club and enjoys fishing in his free time.

Seventh grade students of the month are Rachel Carbone, Margaret Coyle, Joseph Dorsey, Gavin Malone and Jenna Taylor.

Rachel is the seventh grade Unified Arts student of the month. A pleasure to have in class, Rachel is always prepared and she arrives in class with a positive attitude. Rachel is a member of the color guard, the NJHS, peer advocates, chorus and swing choir. An honor roll student, she consistently puts forth great effort and works well with others. She volunteers at the Derynoski Elementary School daycare and other activities monthly. Outside of JFK, Rachel enjoys dancing for Dance City and the Arts team and hanging out with friends.

Margaret , the seventh grade World Language student of the month, always exhibits an excellent attitude and puts forth great effort. She is a member of the honor roll, the NJHS, the peer advocates, the orchestra, select strings and the school newspaper.

Joseph is one of the hardest working students on his team. A new student this year at J.F.K., he has displayed a great sense of responsibility and a strong desire to succeed academically. Away from school he enjoys snowmobiling and taking care of his dog.

Gavin is a mature, responsible student who is inquisitive and self-motivated. In addition, he is patient and respectful. He helps to shovel his neighbor’s property, enjoys riding his bike and doing computer coding.

Jenna is a friendly, outgoing young lady who always gives 100 percent to all she does. Friends, peers and teachers alike enjoy her company. An honor roll student, she is a member of the Asset Building Committee, the builder’s club, the newspaper club, the school newspaper, the orchestra and the writer’s club. Jenna volunteers at the Southington Community Services where she packs food bags. She is also active in ballet.

Eighth grade students of the month are Melody Lacombe, Jake Napoli, Jeremy Rinaldi and Meredith Veilleux.

Melody is a role model for others. An extremely hard worker, she always puts forth her best effort in all she does. A quiet leader who works well with others, she is a member of the band and the writer’s club. When Melody is not in school, she enjoys working on her novel, “The Keys to Phobia,” which she is al so making into a movie.

Jake is the eighth grade Unified Arts student of the month. An honor roll student, he works hard in class and gets along well with others. Outgoing, respectful and polite, Jake is also helpful and creative. He is a member of the JFK baseball and basketball teams, and he plays travel basketball and town and travel baseball. Outside school he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Jeremy is a dedicated student who shows enthusiasm for learning. He has a very positive attitude, particularly when he works with his peers. An honor roll student, he is a member of the builder’s club, the NJHS, the cross country team, library volunteer and MATHCOUNTS. Jeremy plays town baseball and basketball, volunteers at the Southington library, helps out in his church’s CCD program and enjoys sports.

A friendly, cheerful young lady who works well with others, Meredith is a conscientious student who regularly contributes to class discussions. She is a member of the color guard, the drama club, the band, the Unified Theatre, the ski/snowboard club and the guidance aides. Meredith plays town softball and volunteers as a dance instructor to young children. Outside school she enjoys skiing, dance and piano lessons.

Eighth grader Alex DelVecchia discusses his fire fighting solution, similar to the snow-throwing equipment at Mount Southington ski area. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, local inventors flocked to Kennedy Middle School for the 2016 Southington Invention Convention. A similar event was held at DePaolo Middle School. Winners will advance to the state fair at UConn.

Photos by TAMMI NAUDUS

Click to enlarge

Kennedy Middle School announced their Students of the Month for February. Front, from left, Sahiti Bhyravavajhala and Olivia Benson. Middle, Samantha Peluso, Caprina Pugliese, Jared Rivera, Mickey Gurzenda, and Zachary Foti. Back, Principal Richard Terino, Olivia Roberts, Sara Roccapriore, Alexandra Barner, Kiralyn Wadman, Ryan Shurkus, and Asst. Principal Susanne Vitcavage.

Kennedy Middle School announced their Students of the Month for February. Teachers nominated these students for their academic improvement on performance, exemplary citizenship, and/or participation in extracurricular activities.

Sixth grade students of the month are Alexandra Barner, Olivia Benson and Zachary Foti.

An ideal student, Alexandra is always prepared for class, tests and quizzes. A confident young lady, she produces projects that go above and beyond her teachers’ expectations. Alexandra is a member of the Builder’s Club, the Drama Club, Con Brio, the stage band, Junior Next Step and Unified Theatre. She plays town lacrosse and enjoys dancing, swimming, playing golf, walking her dog and spending time with her family and friends.

Olivia sets high standards for herself, and she performs above what her teachers expect of her team members. An honor roll student and a member of the orchestra, Olivia participates in a town dancing class, enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

An excellent role model for his peers, Zachary has a great personality. With his enlightened sense of citizenship, he is eager to learn and to help others. He is a member of the bowling club, the band, and the stock market club. Zachary is an altar server and in his free time he enjoys Minecraft, reading and bike riding.

Seventh grade students of the month are Samantha Peluso, Jared Rivera and Olivia Roberts.

Samantha is an extremely hardworking student who takes her studies very seriously. She puts forth great effort in all her classes and she is a great help to her peers when they are in need. Samantha plays town soccer and enjoys listening to music and hanging out with her friends.

Jared is a conscientious and dedicated student. Enjoyable and witty, he is a friend to everyone and an active participant in all his classes. An honor roll student, he is a member of the band and the cross country team. Jared plays town baseball and volunteers to shovel snow for neighbors. He enjoys running, riding his bike and playing football with his brother.

A charming, patient and helpful young lady, Olivia offers encouragement to her peers. A motivated and focused student, she is a cheerleader and member of the color guard, the band, the Homework Club and Unified Theater. Outside school Olivia is active in the Leaders Club at the YMCA.

Eighth grade students of the month are Sahiti Bhyravavajhala, Mickey Gurzenda, Caprina Pugliese, Sara Roccapriore, Ryan Shurkus and Kiralyn Wadman.

Sahiti is an eighth grade Unified Arts student of the month. She has shown a great deal of musical growth in her years at Kennedy. She displays a positive attitude in her approach to music and she is an active participant and contributor to her class. Sahiti is the manager of the girls’ basketball team and a member of Con Brio, the art club, the orchestra, Junior Next Steps and Unified Theater. She swims for the Southington YMCA swim team, babysits for neighborhood children, enjoys violin lessons, art, reading and activities with her family and friends.

Mickey, an honor roll student, is an asset to his team and his school community. Hardworking and conscientious, he leads by example and is a role model for all. Mickey is also respectful, kind, courteous and always eager to help anyone in need. He is a member of the basketball and cross country teams, the NJHS and the Red Cross Club. He plays town baseball and basketball and participates in STEPS. In addition to sports, Mickey is interested in architecture.

Caprina is the eighth grade world language student of the month. A respectful, kind and studious young lady, she is attentive and applies with accuracy all the information she has learned. Caprina demonstrates excellence in her assignments and assessments and completes all work on time. She also accepts challenges and maintains a top grade while doing so. Caprina is a member of the chorus and team dance at Dance City and the Arts. She has participated in the Apple Harvest parade and the United Way charity show for Dance City and the Arts. Outside of school, Caprina enjoys animals and is also hoping to become a veterinarian.

Sara is an eighth grade Unified Arts student of the month. She goes above and beyond on the quality of her craftsmanship. She expresses true joy in working with tools and machinery and she was prepared for the challenges posed in her transportation and manufacturing classes. Sara readily shares her talents with her classmates and helps them with their projects. A member of the chorus, she volunteers at her church. Outside interests include painting, sculpting and inventing.

Ryan is a quiet, self-motivated student. He is a good problem solver, and he has a strong work ethic. A member of the orchestra, he enjoys music and working with computers.

Kiralyn, a pleasant addition to her team, is very helpful to her peers. Consistent, responsible and conscientious, she is a member of the band and the JFK and SHS color guard. Kiralyn also enjoys dancing and playing the piano.

Don’t get fooled by the Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood. He’s probably tricking you. Southington’s middle school students will take you on a fairy tale journey with their production of “Into the Woods.” (Photos by Tammi Naudus)

By JOHN GORALSKI
EDITOR

Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack (with his beanstalk) walk into the woods. What happens next?

You’ll have to visit Kennedy Middle School over the next couple of days to find out.

The DePaolo-Kennedy middle school drama club is gearing up for a spectacular, star-studded performance, which includes all of your favorite fairytales, along with their supporting characters, for the ensemble musical romp, “Into the Woods.”

“This one’s very different than the plays we’ve done in the past,” said director Chris Palmieri. “It’s not a typical fairytale. It’s very clever. It intertwines a bunch of different fairytales, but there’s a lot really deep themes in the show as well.”

So follow the Baker and his wife into the woods as they wish to start a family. Find out if Cinderella’s wish to attend the King’s Festival comes true. Join Jack in his wish that his cow gives him milk. The community they form, along with Little Red, the Wolf, Rapunzel, and a group of love-struck princes, is sure to entertain you.

Will their wishes come true? Will it be worth the sacrifice?

The Baker and his wife want a child, but can they trust the Witch? Students from DePaolo and Kennedy Middle Schools come together for a fairy tale romp through the woods. Be careful when you wish upon a star. You might not be ready for what you get. Join Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Jack, Rapunzel, and all your favorites in the musical, “Into the Woods.”

“It has a great sense of community and how we need to rely on each other,” said Palmieri. “One of the overriding themes is that you need to be sure that what you wish for is what you want because we see some of the consequences.”

Fairytales are nothing new for the middle school drama club. Over its 11 year history, students have tackled a number of fractured fairy tales and time tested classics. They have created challenging sets, perfected familiar songs, performed on-stage magic, and even took flight last fall with “Mary Poppins,” but Palmieri said that “Into the Woods” was one of the most challenging shows they’ve ever embraced.

The play needed more than 100 middle school actors to fill out the cast. Rhythmically, it’s a challenge, but Palmieri said that the kids have stepped up beyond his wildest imagination.

“We wanted to give as many kids as possible a chance to shine. That’s one of the reasons that we selected this show,” he said. “There are a lot of character parts for the kids, and that really allows them to showcase some of their talents.”

With so many intertwining stories, musical numbers, and cast changes, it takes a small army behind the scenes just to pull it off. “Into the Woods” welcomed a crew of more than 50 middle school members, and they’ve been working on weekends since February just to make sure that the production goes off without a hitch.

“They’ve built all the sets. There are kids on hair and makeup crews to help the actors. We have kids helping with the costumes, running the lights, and running the sound with all those microphones. We have kids in charge of props, kids on the stage crew, and moving all those sets around,” said Palmieri. “This play has so many ways to get the kids involved.”

Curtains opened for the premiere on Thursday, March 31, but shows will continue to run on April 1, 2, 7, and 8. Curtains open at 7 p.m. for all performances, and tickets are still available for pre-sale at both middle schools. Tickets will also be available at the door.

“It’s a very clever story, the way the writers combined all these familiar fairy tale stories into one overriding story,” Palmieri said. “The music is catchy. You’ll probably leave the theater humming some of the tunes, and the messages that you can take away from the story are really good.”

Tickets cost $7 for adults and $4 for students. Palmieri said that it is definitely worth the price of admission.

To comment on this story or to contact Observer Editor John Goralski, email him at JGoralski@ SouthingtonObserver.com.

Photos by TAMMI NAUDUS

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Joseph George Cipollini

Southington Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connellan announced that Friday classes have been suspended so that faculty, staff, and students can attend and participate in funeral services for Joseph George Cipollini.

The Kennedy teacher died on Tuesday at the age of 62. Cipollini spent his entire career in Southington Public Schools as a teacher of sciences and gifted education.

He was born in New Haven on March 13, 1954, the son of Joan Panico Cipollini and the late Rudy Cipollini. He grew up in North Haven and graduated from North Haven High School in 1972. He received his bachelors and master’s degrees from Southern Connecticut State University in 1977 and earned a sixth year in gifted education from the University of Connecticut.

Calling hours will be held during the day at the North Haven Funeral Home with funeral services to follow. After meeting with administrators from all the secondary schools, Connellan made the decision to close Kennedy.

“It has become apparent that we will not be able to cover with substitutes and volunteers for all of the JFK staff members who want to attend and participate in the services,” Connellan said in a press release to parents. “Everyone has been very generous with their time and their offers to cover classes, but it is clear to our Leadership Team that it will be impossible to cover classes and activities and provide anything meaningful for the 800-plus students with the number of staff members who will be out of the building for a large portion of the day.

Connellan said that the closure will not extend the school year. Since Southington’s school calendar is 181 days, Kennedy students will still meet the state mandated requirement for 180 school days. The last day of school is still projected to be June 10, along with the other schools in town.

“We believe this is the best and most reasonable way to handle this situation given the timing and organization of the services and the large number of staff who have indicated that they will be attending,” Connellan said in the release. “This is also the safest option for students. I do not believe that having a staff of what would likely be 80 percent substitutes and volunteers who do not know the students would produce a safe or meaningful environment for the students.”

Cipollini is survived by his mother, Joan Cipollini of East Haven; his daughter, Sarah Jo Cipollini of Southington; stepchildren Holland Gistelli of Napa, Calif. and Scott Gistelli of Southington; sisters, Diane Cipollini-Cotter of Hilo, Hawaii, Donna Bousquet of Irasburg, Vt., Debbie Morcaldi of North Haven; and brothers, Jeff Cipollini of North Haven. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Calling hours will be held at the North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Ave. in North Haven on Friday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with funeral services to follow.

Memorial donations may be made to his daughter Sarah’s college education fund: 223 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, Southington, CT 06489, and/or the (www.heart.org) in his name.

By TAYLOR HARTZ
STAFF WRITER

Plans to promote green energy in town will continue this summer with solar panels being added at both middle schools. Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School and John F. Kennedy Middle School will both have solar panel arrays installed on their rooftops by Greenskies Renewable Energy in Middletown.

“Our goal is to try to get as many renewable energy sources as we can throughout town,” said Town Manager Garry Brumback, who said the solar installations benefit the town both environmentally and economically.

“The town of Southington is certainly supportive of solar power,” said Town Attorney Mark Sciota,  “I agree with the council that it’s a great idea for the town.”

Brumback said that the contract for the two middle schools is the same contract that the town has previously agreed to with Greenskies when the Town Council voted to select the Middletown company as their solar power vendor in 2014.

Greenskies will be responsible for the design, development, construction, and maintenance of the solar installations at no cost to the town. Over a period of 20 years, the town will purchase the energy generated by the installations from Greenskies.

Similar designs have already been put in place by Greenskies at Plantsville Elementary School, South End Elementary School, and Hatton Elementary School.

“The two solar installations will generate a combined total of about 650 kilowatts of electric energy that will be used to offset a major portion of each school’s electricity usage and cost,” said James Desantos, Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations for Greenskies in a company press release.

Brumback said that, although the middle school designs are still in the works, the town is saving an average of 35 to 40 percent on electricity costs per school.

“Our next priority is Hatton, and then as we’re able we’d like to get as many up and running as possible,” said Brumback.

At Hatton, the solar array will be split between the rooftop and a neighboring field, known by some as Hatton Meadow. The goal is to have the Hatton, JFK, and DePaolo installations completed prior to the start of the 2016 school year.

“It’s very difficult and much less efficient to try to develop them while school is in session,” said Brumback.

Town officials hope construction will begin early this summer. Town Council Chairman Mike Riccio said the new additions take Southington “another step to becoming the greenest town in Connecticut.”

DePaolo seventh graders placed first in the state STEM contest with their app called “Southington Says No!” The app is designed to give information for those battling addiction.

By TAYLOR HARTZ
STAFF WRITER

Three teams of Southington students took their ideas online last month, competing in the eCYBERMISSION—a web based science fair sponsored by the U.S. Army.

This year, students from Kennedy and DePaolo middle schools took home three top awards at the state level, for tackling issues of pollution, road safety, and substance abuse.

In it’s 14th year, the eCYBERMISSION is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) competition that challenges students to identify a problem in their community, and use online tools to develop a solution. The contest, administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), is free for students. The U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program distributes $9,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds to winners each year.

Divided into teams of three, both schools took home first prize for their age group, with all first place students earning a $1,000 savings bond. Kennedy’s two teams were led by sixth grade science teacher Katherine Soltys, and Depaolo students were advised by seventh grade science teacher Donna Shea.

In an April 29 press release, NSTA President Dr. Carolyn Hayes thanked advisors “for investing time in their students to help make a real difference in the world around them.”

Placing first in the state’s sixth grade competition were “The Amazing Einsteins” from Kennedy. Samantha Kania, Brooke Sobolewski, and Olivia Benson, created a water filtration system for town drainage pipes in an attempt to decrease pollution to the Quinnipiac River.

“We learned how much pollution is really effecting the Earth,” said Benson, “and if we want to, we can change that.”

Kania said that their solution was inspiring. “Young minds can solve the problem of pollution if we work hard enough,” she said.

DePaolo’s seventh grade team of Alina Rivera, Katie Clynes, and Sammi Bray captured first place in their division. Shea said that what started as a Project Based Learning (PBL) project in her science class, turned into a community effort to help those with substance abuse issues.

The students, working together with a sixth grade class created an account on Instagram for community outreach, and then they developed an app called “Southington Says No.”

Their app features an explanation of substance abuse issues and information from professionals that were interviewed by the students. The app also provides links to appropriate town organizations for help with addiction.

Clynes and Bray said they learned about teamwork, leadership, and technology by competing in the contest.

“I am proud that we successfully created an app to help those with substance abuse issues” said Clynes.

The students plan to continue using this app to offer information and resources to Southington residents.

“I hope we can contribute more to the community in the future” said Rivera.

Benjamin Nagle, Anthony Sena, and Gavin Michaud from Kennedy placed second in the sixth grade competition. The students designed a model for safer roads during rain. The model was designed to drain precipitation and reduce accidents. Each student on this team earned a $500 savings bond for this project.

“The U.S. Army is very proud of the students that have accepted the challenge to this STEM competition in efforts to improve their communities,” said Louie R. Lopez, Cooperative Agreement Manager for the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Center in the press release.

Kennedy Middle School eighth graders Dean Bauchiero and Stephen Murray, left, received the CIAC Mike Savage Exemplary Unified Teammate award at the 13th Annual Michaels Unified Sports Cup Awards.

For three years, Stephen has been involved with Unified Sports program at Kennedy, and Dean was a founding member of the Derynoski Elementary School team 12 years ago.

The Unified Sports program combines individuals with disabilities (athletes) and individuals without disabilities (partners) to form Unified sports teams.

Kennedy has been involved in the program for eight years.

Kennedy Middle School announced their Students of the Month for April. Front, from left, Dylan Sandow, Justin McMeans, Avery Cowen, Jenna Michaud, Stephanie Starrs and Fanola Dede. Back, Asst. Principal Susanne Vitcavage, Hannah Sousa, Justin Lockhart, Aidan Reilly, Emma Plourde, Kiley Cristman, Madeline Fisher, Principal Richard Terino.

John F. Kennedy Middle School in Plantsville announced the names of its April students of the month. Teachers nominated these students for their academic performance, exemplary citizenship, and/or participation in extracurricular activities.

Sixth grade students of the month are Justin McMeans, Jenna Michaud, Stephanie Starrs.

Justin, an honor roll student, takes great pride in his work and exhibits excellent citizenship qualities in class. He is a member of the artist workshop and the ping pong club, and he plays town basketball. His outside interests also include art and drawing.

Jenna is a well-behaved, responsible and respectful young lady, a conscientious student whose aim is to be successful. She is always prepared with necessary materials for class work, tests and quizzes. Jenna works well with peers and adults, and she is a self-advocate who seeks assistance or clarification when necessary. She is an honor roll student and a member of the newspaper club and the orchestra where she plays the violin. Jenna plays town and travel softball and works with young players to improve their skills. She especially enjoys playing outdoor sports.

Stephanie is a conscientious, polite young lady and enthusiastic learner. A positive influence in all of her classes, she is consistent in her academics by putting forth her best efforts. Stephanie is an honor roll student and member of the basketball team and the brass/percussion group where she plays trombone. She plays travel and premiere soccer and donates food and clothing to Southington Community Services. Outside school she enjoys playing sports and hanging out with friends.

Seventh grade students of the month are Kiley Cristman, Fanola Dede, Madeline Fisher and Dylan Sandow.

Kiley is a responsible and conscientious member of the team. A hard worker, she excels in all of her classes in spite of obstacles that may cross her path. She is a member of the American Red Cross, the basketball team, the gingerbread house competition, the honor roll, MATHCOUNTS, the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), team awareness, and the band where she plays the clarinet. Kiley plays travel softball and basketball and volunteers at the Meriden Humane Society. In her free time she hangs out with friends and plays sports.

Fanola is a wonderful, conscientious young lady who does her best at all times. She is a member of the ABC Classroom, the American Red Cross, the gingerbread house competition, the honor roll, the chorus and the volleyball team as manager. Her interests outside of school include soccer, volleyball and reading.

Madeline is a patient, kind and helpful student. She possesses leadership qualities along with her ability to stay motivated, dedicated and focused. An honor roll student, she is a member of Junior Next Steps, the band where she plays the flute, and the gingerbread house competition. Madeline plays town and summer league lacrosse, enjoys being active and hanging out with her friends.

Dylan is the seventh grade Unified Arts student of the month. A dedicated and talented violin player, she also takes private lessons. Dylan is always prepared for class where she is a very enthusiastic and active participant. She is polite and helpful to her peers and, overall, an asset to the school’s music department. An honor roll student and a morning announcer, she is a member of Con Brio, the orchestra and the newspaper club.

Dylan takes tap, jazz, ballet and pointe lessons and with her friends in fifth grade at Plantsville Elementary school she created a masquerade ball program. Proceeds from ticket sales provide funding for breast cancer screenings. Dylan continues to participate and she speaks annually at the event in memory of her grandmother. Away from school Dylan also enjoys movies, classic rock and hanging out with her friends.

Eighth grade students of the month are Avery Cowen, Justin Lockhart, Emma Plourde, Aidan Reilly and Hannah Sousa.

Avery works hard in all her classes, and she consistently demonstrates analytical abilities above those of her peers. She also demonstrates leadership qualities when working collaboratively in the classroom. Avery is a member of the color guard, Con Brio, the honor roll, NJHS, Relay for Life, the ski/snowboard club, Unified Theater, and the orchestra where she plays the cello. Avery plays town soccer and lacrosse and helps her sister’s Girl Scout troop with various activities. Outside school, she likes to hike, go snowmobiling and hang out with her friends.

Justin is the eighth grade Unified Arts student of the month. A humble young man, he displays a genuine care and concern for others. He is willing to accept constructive criticism and adjust accordingly. Justin is a chorus member, and weekly he participates in his neighborhoods clean up. Outside school he enjoys riding his BMX freestyle bike.

Emma is the eighth grade World Language student of the month. A hardworking, conscientious student she is polite and helpful to her peers. She also works well both independently and in groups. An honor roll student and a member of NJHS, she belongs to the color guard and the chorus. Emma volunteers at the Meriden Humane Society and outside school she enjoys playing outdoors, hiking and sports.

Aidan is a hard worker who always puts forth his best effort. He is an active class participant who also takes advantage of additional learning opportunities. Friendly, helpful and an honor roll student, he is a member of the drama club’s stage crew, the gingerbread house competition, Junior Next Steps, the cross country team, and Relay for Life. Aidan plays town basketball and travel baseball and in addition to sports likes to hang out with his friends.

Southington Public Schools has released the bus schedules for the upcoming year.

The Southington Public Schools in partnership with New Britain Transportation makes every effort to adhere to the following time schedule. Please allow a 10-minute window prior to and after the scheduled time (i.e. students must be at the bus stop 10-minutes prior to the scheduled stop time).

Kennedy Middle School, 1071 South Main Street, Plantsville, CT 06479

Phone: (860) 628-3275

Bus 1, AM

Bus 2, AM

Bus 3, AM

Bus 4, AM

Bus 5, AM

Bus 6, AM

Bus 7, AM

Bus 8, AM

Bus 9, AM

Bus 10, AM

Bus 11, AM

Bus 12, AM

Bus 13, AM

Bus 14, AM

Bus 15, AM

Some runners dress in costume, above, as the Knights take a break from the dual meet season to compete for cookies at the Sloper Relays.

By BRIAN JENNINGS

STAFF WRITER

Conner and Shane Leone and Mark and Tom Murdy led all runners by finishing first overall and first in the Four Boys Division with a time of 31:49 as the four horsemen galloped to victory at the Sloper Relays on Friday.

Southington’s cross country teams welcomed about 1,047 middle and high school athletes from 57 teams around the state to Camp Sloper when they hosted the sixth annual Sloper Relays.

Southington took the top prize…cookies.

Runners were grouped into two and four-person boy, girl, and co-ed teams, and each team member ran 1.5-mile legs in the six-mile high school race. The meet featured the following races: boys 2×3 mile, girls 2×3 mile, co-ed 2×3 mile, boys 4×1.5 mile, girls 4×1.5 mile, co-ed 4×1.5 mile, boys freshman 4×1.5 mile, girls freshman 4×1.5 mile, co-ed freshman 4×1.5 mile.

“It’s a unique experience,” said Green. “We are fortunate to host and run in the event every year. But when we have new runners, and they first hear about what the Sloper Relays are, they get really excited.”

Bristol Central beat out Southington’s boys team by a race with the most top-three finishes in every division, but Southington’s girls team had a top-three finish in every race, but the Freshman Girls Division.

Other Southington teams that finished first in their respective divisions included Jordan McMeans and Catherine Myers (37:36) in the One Boy/One Girl Division and Kate Kemnitz and Laini Pizzitola (41:11) in the Two Girls Division.

Natalia Adamczyk, Jeffrey Hannigan, Amanda Perkowski, and Sean Young just missed first in the Co-ed Division with a second-place finish (37:35), and Marisa Matthews, Maggie Meehan, Sarah Minkiewicz, and Isabella Scalise finished third (40:52) in the Four Girls Division. Ryan Slesinski and Adam Theriault finished eighth (35:00) in the Two Boys Division, but also trailed behind the Leone and Murdy brothers with the school’s second-best overall time in 11th.

Sweeping Conard

SEPT. 20—After splitting races with Hall in 80-degree weather the week prior, Southington ran against Conard at home earlier in the week on Tuesday through even higher humidity. However, both teams were able to come away from the muggy meet in triumph. The boys team was close to a shutout with an 18-45 victory, and the girls team held onto to win, 25-31, in a close finish.

Conard may have had the top two runners in the girls race, but the close gap of the Southington runners, which was noted in the season preview, helped the Lady Knights secure the six-point victory by taking the next five places. Scalise paced the girls team with a time of 22:45, shading eight seconds off of her time from the previous dual meet.

“The meet was a little bit closer than we had anticipated,” said Green. “Conard’s top two girls [Gwendolyn Geisler and Lindsey Chen] are phenomenal runners. Last year, they were a minute ahead of Bella at Wickham. The fact that they finished about a minute ahead of her at Sloper isn’t terribly surprising, but we were very aware of them.”

The other four Lady Knights behind Scalise dropped seconds off of their times as well, including Myers (23:24), Kemnitz (23:58), Matthews (24:00), and Minkiewicz (24:07).

“I think the biggest takeaway was Catherine Myers finishing second for our team,” the coach said. “She ran an awesome race on her senior day and really went out with a bang for her last Sloper race.”

Mark Murdy paced the boys team by finishing first overall with a time of 18:28. Conner Leone (18:37), Tom Murdy (18:54), Shane Leone (19:27), and Slesinski (19:50) contributed as well.

“The heat definitely played a factor, and Conard’s boys team isn’t as strong as Hall’s boys team,” the coach said. “It’s not that our guys were taking it easy because of them, but Mark was the frontrunner to begin with and didn’t necessarily need to push the pace of the first mile. That’s what really sets the tone for a really fast time on our course.”

Currently, the girls team is 2-0 overall and in the CCC Central Blue, while the boys team is 1-1 overall and in the CCC Central Blue. Southington will be back in action this in a tri-team meet against Glastonbury and Simsbury and a weekend invitational in Thetford, Vt.

Photos by JOHN GORALSKI

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When Miss Pre-Teen American Nation Mara DeLuco isn’t competing at pageants, she can be found competing on the football field at Recreation Park.

By MIKE CHAIKEN

EDITIONS EDITOR

Sixth grader Mara DeLuco is not your typical pageant winner.

The Kennedy Middle School student recently won the national title Miss Pre-Teen American Nation.

But when she was standing on the stage in Bridgeport, Conn.—one of two girls left at the finals—and she learned she won, the sixth grader did not act like the typical pageant winner. She did not cry tears of joy.

Instead, Mara said, she giggled.

And although Mara wears a crown, gown, and sash when she represents her title, she also knows how to get rough and tumble.

She plays football in Southington for the Packers.

“I like everything about it,” said Mara when asked about why she liked football.

In fact, football played a big role in Mara’s first big fund raiser as the newest Miss Pre-Teen American Nation.

Her first official fund raiser as Miss Pre-Teen American Nation was a day of flag football for adult men and women and youth girls and boys at the Southington Valley Midget Football field at Recreation Park on Aug. 20. Sixty people participated and she collected $1,500 to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Mara said she was pleased with the turnout and the amount of money she raised.

Alzheimer’s research and awareness is Mara’s issue of concern for the year. She said she selected the cause because her grandmother has the disease.

Mara said she likes doing community service as a title holder. “It feels good to help out.”

Among her other acts as Miss Pre-Teen American Nation, Mara said she traveled to Las Vegas to appear at the Mrs. America pageant to support her friend Allyson Genovese of Southington, who is Mrs. Connecticut America. That trip inspired her to eventually try to be Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen, Miss Connecticut, Miss America, or Miss USA some day.

At the American Nation pageants, Mara was judged on evening gown, fashion wear, and interview. She said her favorite category is fashion wear.

At the national pageant, not only did she win the title, she received awards for overall photogenic, little sister of the year and Queen of Queens for community service as a state title holder.

Prior to the American Nation pageant, Mara had a few pageants under her belt. But she didn’t expect to win the Connecticut crown that set the stage for the national title. When she was one of two contestants left standing that night, Mara said she figured the other girl would win because she already had competed for a national title.

And when she won, she said, “It felt good.”

At the national pageant, to make the top 10 first, felt good. But when she learned she won, Mara said she wasn’t one of those girls who let the tears fall.

“I was a giggler,” said Mara.

Mara said she likes pageants because, “I like making new friends.” Some of the girls she met at the state and national pageant still keep in touch.

Asked if she had any advice for girls interested in competing in pageants like her, Mara quoted her pageant coach. “You have to be a good loser to be a good winner.”

A Central Connecticut State University professor engages local middle school students during an ecology workshop that compares and contrasts leaves from different tree varieties.

By JEN CARDINES

STAFF WRITER

While some people are hitting the snooze button on Saturday mornings, 25 students from DePaolo and Kennedy middle schools, along with a group of students from Meriden’s middle schools, rise and shine for science programs.

Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) hosted these students for four Saturdays in October through their Partners in Science program, where the middle school children got hands-on experience in the lab.

“We have done this program for 29 years, and we run sessions in the fall and spring for the four schools,” said CCSU’s biomolecular sciences chair Kathy Martin. She has been coordinating the program for the last 27 years, where CCSU faculty and graduate students teach the classes.

Partners in Science is a free program for the students because it is jointly funded by Southington, Meriden, and CCSU.

John Duffy is Southington’s PreK-12 science curriculum coordinator, and he works closely with the university to keep the program running. Duffy said that the Saturday sessions have a strong life science component, which falls under seventh grade curriculum standards.

“We mainly look at seventh graders for this,” said Duffy. “Teachers talk to their classes to make students aware of it, but it’s up to the students to pursue the program.”

The classes are held in Copernicus Hall, which houses the School of Engineering, Science and Technology and maintains all science classes on the CCSU campus. The Southington and Meriden students get exposure to higher level laboratories and learning facilities and are taught by the University professors.

“Chemistry of colors, astronomy, microbiology, and ecology are the workshops being offered this fall,” said Martin.

Two workshops run every Saturday, and the students attend four consecutive Saturdays, so they are able to rotate through each one. The three hour sessions go from 9 a.m. to noon.

“It’s nice that we’re taking advantage of this,” Duffy said. “The state doesn’t partner with higher education enough.”

The relationship stays alive throughout the year because the program runs spring and fall, and CCSU faculty and graduate students help judge the Southington science fairs that happen at the middle schools.

“We’d love to expand the partnership between the district and Central,” said Duffy. “It’s something we should be doing.”

Photos by JEN CARDINES

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Runners from Kennedy Middle School and DePaolo Middle School lounge in the grass after running the middle school state meet at Wickham Park in Manchester. (Submitted photo)

By BRIAN JENNINGS

STAFF WRITER

Since the event’s inception of the Connecticut middle school state cross country state championships were established 24 years ago, neither DePaolo Middle School nor Kennedy Middle School have competed. On Saturday, Nov. 5, the locals finally made their debut at the Wickham Park, Manchester race.

As two of the biggest middle school cross country programs in the state—with almost 220 athletes combined—it was thought that local rules prohibited DePaolo and Kennedy from competing on the weekends. But coaches did their homework and discovered that wasn’t exactly the case.

“When I asked if we could go to this meet, the initial reply was that we weren’t allowed to compete on the weekends,” said Rich Niro, head coach of DePaolo’s cross country program. “No one was really sure. It took us a lot of time before someone researched and found that wasn’t the rule in the book. We just couldn’t practice on the weekends.”

The DePaolo girls placed fifth out of 49 teams with a time of 1:17:38. Morgan Hubert paced the team with a time of 14:34.81.

“She ran fabulously,” said Niro. “We’ve been watching her for a long time, so we knew how good she was to see her on that stage in that lead pack. She was only 11 seconds off of the leader, but I really think that if it was a 5K, it may have even been closer than that.

Hubert finished third out of 391 runners in the girls A race.

“She’s got a great mix of talent and work ethic, and she’s just a great racer,” the coach said. “I’ve coached a lot of great athletes at the high school, but she’s one of the best I’ve ever coached.”

Lauren Verrilli (15:10.09), Megan Bissoni (15:53.49), Jacqueline Izzo (15:55.49), Kaitlyn Asido (16:21.4), Sofia Scalise (16:30.19), and Isabelle Hoffman (16:51.46) contributed as well.

“We knew that the girls team was going to be good,” said Niro. “They were all back from last year and were one of the drives to get us to that meet. They really deserved a chance to compete on that stage.”

The Kennedy girls placed 12th with a total time of 1:20:35. Abbie Kennedy (15:32.87) marshaled the team by finishing 40th. Emily Moskal (15:51.82), Jasmine Hallett (15:58.29), Megan Wadman (16:44.61), Hailey Zaczynski (16:45.8), Emma Swindon (17:03.12), and Nicole Szuba (18:12.05) contributed as well.

The DePaolo boys placed 17th out of 58 teams with a time of 1:12:54. Michael Ditota (13:49.87) directed the team by finishing 43rd out of 446 runners in the boys A race.

“Mike’s been the lead dog all year,” said Niro. “He ran really well this season, but I would love to see him run another season because I feel like he’s just learning how to race. He didn’t quite make our top seven last year, but he got to go out there this year and lead a lot of races. That whole race and experience was new to him. You could just see him learning how to be a racer.”

Jack Tedone (14:30.46), Drew Nafis (14:35.66), Jake Nafis (14:52.27), Ryan Delmonte (15:03.32), Nathan Cofrancesco (15:21.34), and Ricky Macioce (15:25.06) contributed as well.

The Kennedy boys placed 29th with a time of 1:15:44. Jared Rivera (14:13.31) headed the team by finishing 84th. Grayson Borla (14:46.62), Christian Rivera (15:02.64), Gavin Michaud (15:37.84), Jordan Cyr (16:01.19), Tyler Lombardo (16:10.96), and Eric Orsini (16:19.2) contributed as well.

Shalyn Noble (12:22.33) led DePaolo with a 23rd-place finish, and Diane Pillsbury (13:12.84) led Kennedy with an 80th-place finish in the girls B West race. Jackson Landino (11:04.34) led DePaolo with a 12th-place finish, and Robert Nadile (11:43.34) led Kennedy with a 64th-place finish in the boys B West race.

Niro said that running in Saturday’s championship races will definitely have a beneficiary effect on the program going forward into next season.

“It gives us something to talk about when we talk about the work that has to be done over the summer to be successful,” said Niro. “People now have something to picture and an event to hang their hat on. When you get there, you realize that you’re on the top level in the state, and we can compete there.”