Region In Review

As we reflect on this season of gratitude, we are reminded of the incredible sense of community that thrives at our elementary schools. At Burnham School, we were thrilled to welcome community members, including First Selectman Curtis Read, along with family members, to join us in celebrating the season. Our students showcased their talents through songs, poems, and artwork, creating a heartwarming atmosphere of togetherness. They also collaborated with local seniors and community members to craft beautiful projects and share a special snack, building connections across generations.

At Booth Free School, the annual spelling bee took center stage, with First Selectman Patrick Roy serving as one of our judges. Our winner was 5th grader Saelah Schramm! The event highlighted the hard work and dedication of our students and was followed by the much-anticipated PTO Pie Feast, a cherished tradition that brought our school community together to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday in delicious style.

Adding to the spirit of giving, students from both Burnham and Booth Free Schools came together to collect over 1,300 canned goods for the Bridgewater and Roxbury Food Banks. This impressive effort demonstrated our students’ compassion and commitment to helping those in need. We are so proud of their generosity and the sense of responsibility they’ve shown in supporting our local communities.

Washington Primary School celebrated local senior citizens by hosting a special Thanksgiving Luncheon. Organized by the PTO in partnership with several community groups, the event welcomed over sixty senior residents. The cafeteria was beautifully transformed into a fall-themed dining area, featuring festive place settings, centerpieces, and charming pinecone ornaments. Students entertained guests with parades, songs, and poems, making the celebration a memorable occasion for all. In addition, student council members visited the Warren Food Pantry, which serves the Washington area, to learn about food insecurity. They discovered that around 25 families visit the pantry each week. This visit inspired a school wide food drive to collect needed items.

Thank you to all the families, staff, and community members who made these events possible. Your involvement and support continue to make our schools a special place where gratitude and giving flourish.

On Friday, December 13, the Shepaug Valley School High School Chorus had the incredible honor of performing a 5-minute a cappella set to open for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular! The hall was packed with families in NYC, all celebrating the season.

It was a day full of excitement and joy for our chorus! Here’s our traditional opening number—we hope it fills your heart with holiday cheer.

Wishing everyone a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Students in the AP Art class recently welcomed Vincent Giarrano, a celebrated artist, to share his experiences and insights. Giarrano began his career as a comic artist for Marvel and DC Comics, contributing to some of the industry’s most iconic works.

Since transitioning to Fine Art in 2000, he has become known for his realistic paintings of urban scenes and cityscapes. His artwork has been showcased in prestigious galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, and London.

During his visit, Giarrano discussed his artistic journey, the evolution of his style, and the dedication required to thrive as a professional artist. Students left the session inspired by his story and motivated to pursue their own creative paths.

The final Spartan Scope of 2024 is now available!

Anchors Sonny Smith and Mollie Leonard present stories created by Shepaug Valley students, highlighting important topics and seasonal festivities.

This edition features a story about an Ecuadorian business in New Milford, produced by the Filmtastic Four, offering a closer look at the connections between local culture and entrepreneurship. Another segment, created by Wyl Abraham and Fin Konik, explores the serious issue of climate change, breaking it down in a way that's both informative and easy to understand.

The Burnham Fifth Grade students have been working hard on their new American Reading Company units with our current focus being ecosystems. Students were introduced to many different types of ecosystems and the challenges that animals and plants face by living there, as well as the adaptations necessary to survive.

This learning paired directly with our current science unit where students learned all about the producers, consumers, decomposers, and energy pyramids of ecosystems. Armed with this background knowledge, fifth graders decided to get creative and extend their learning through an artistic representation of their favorite ecosystem.

Before our annual harvest gathering, fifth graders collected natural material; leaves, pine needles, and sticks. Next, they created detailed watercolor resist paintings, learning to create a resist layer, using wax crayons and finishing with watercolor overlay. Their leaves, twigs, and pine needles became hand- made animals in their landscapes. The finished projects were an effortful showcase of their work. With poise and pride, to the delight of local seniors and community members, our fifth graders shared their pieces at our annual harvest gathering and read the following ode to Earth.

“For the soil beneath our feet,

For the air that fills our lungs so sweet,

For the rivers that flow and the oceans wide,

For the sun's warm rays, our hearts confide,

We thank the Earth, our mother so grand,

Her beauty untold, across every land,

From the mountains high to the valleys low,

Her bounty we cherish, her gifts we know.

The whispering trees, the creatures that roam,

A symphony of life, we call it home,

With each sunrise bright, a new day to see,

We pledge to care for our Earth, eternally.”

As part of the event, the fifth graders shared this heartfelt poem, "Ode to Earth," with the gathered community members. The poem captures the essence of their learning and their deep gratitude for the planet, emphasizing the students' commitment to protecting and preserving the Earth’s natural beauty for future generations.

On December 4th, Transitions students visited Northwest Regional Workforce in Waterbury, CT and explored different careers through virtual reality. From performing knee surgery to crafting gourmet dishes at a restaurant, students got to experience it all first-hand. The students found great enjoyment in dipping their toes into careers they had never even considered before.

The 7th grade students in Mrs. Barksdale’s & Mrs. Blum’s classes just finished Module 1 in math, Ratios and Proportions. One of the learned concepts included scale factors. A student mentioned that her mom used scale factors for work.

This led to Mrs. Toczylowski coming in and presenting to the students on how scale factors are used in architecture. Mrs. Toczylowski spent a lot of time making the presentation very interesting and relatable to the 7th grade students.

The College and Career Center has had an exciting month of informative sessions, career presentations, military visits and accolades.

Representatives from the US Air Force were here to talk about the newest military branch; the US Space Force. Students learned that the Air Force Academy trains cadets for the Space Force.

In November, Mr. Belinsky partnered with the College and Career Center so that his Engineering and Mechanics students (and any junior or senior interested) could attend a “Road To Success” presentation by a representative from Lincoln Tech. This presentation included the following:

- Starting a career vs. Finding a job

- Lincoln Tech Programs and Career Paths

- Financial Aid and Scholarships

- Managing a personal budget

Juniors and Seniors also had the opportunity to meet with Scott Farrell from CT State Community College to learn about CSCC’s Free Tuition Program. Additionally, five Shepaug students are eligible to take tuition-free college classes through CSCC’s High School Partnership Program. Congratulations to PJ, Tiana, Tatum and Hannah.

Last but not least, students were invited to a virtual information session by University of New Haven to learn about their Esports and Gaming Major and the following:

- UNH’s partnerships include Twitch and HyerX

- UNH Esports club has over 200 members

- UNH Esports Varsity Team

- UNH Esports Training and Competition Center (The Stable) houses cutting edge gaming stations equipped with powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards, 240hz monitors and HyperX peripherals

December 19 - Winter Sing-a-long, WPS, 3:30pm

December 23 - Jan 1 - Holiday Recess

January 2 - Shepaug FFA PFA Meeting, SVS, 6:30pm

January 6 - BOE Curriculum Meeting, SVS, 6pm

January 6 - Board of Education Meeting, SVS, 7pm

January 8 - BFS PTO Meeting, BFS, 3:30pm

January 9 - Burnham PTO Meeting, Burnham, 6pm

January 13 - BOE Long Range Planning Committee Meeting, SVS, 6pm

January 14 - WPS PTO Meeting, WPS, 6:30pm

January 16 - District Elementary Chorus & Band Concert, SVS, 6:30pm

January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

The Region 12 community educates, challenges, and inspires all learners to become compassionate, creative, and courageous individuals who are empowered by the knowledge, character, and perseverance to achieve their greatest potential within the global society.

Email: rir@region-12.org
Website: www.region-12.org
Location: 11A School Street, PO Box 386 Washington Depot, CT 06794
Phone: 860-868-6100
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