Prior School Year Achievements 2014-2015

2014-2015
STUDENT AND STAFF
ACHIEVEMENTS
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Student and Staff Achievements
June 2015
United States National Chemistry Olympiad
The United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) is a contest held by
the American Chemical Society (ACS) used to select the four-student team that
represents the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Each April,
ACS hosts more than 1,000 students from across the United States who are invited
to sit for the three-part exam. Westhill High School student Nicole Smina
received Honors Designation for her score, which was among the top 150 students
in the country.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Essay Contest
The Gilder Lehrman Institute held its annual Age of Revolution Essay Contest for
Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School students. The contest encourages high school
students to examine the transformations in social and political ideas and
movements from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. The Academy of Information
Technology & Engineering (AITE) had the more winners nationwide than any
other school. AITE sophomores Ayah Elmansy, Shannon Guerra, and Luis
Quesada placed in the top 10. Each student was awarded $1,000 for their success.
James Madison Memorial Fellow
AITE Social Studies Teacher Michelle Pusser was selected as a 2015 James
Madison Memorial Fellow, one of only 51 awarded this year. James Madison
Fellowships support the graduate study of American history by aspiring and
experienced secondary school teachers of American history, American government,
and social studies. Named in honor of the fourth president of the United States and
acknowledged "Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights," a James Madison
Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each Fellow’s course of study toward a master’s
degree, which includes a concentration of courses on the history and principles of
the U.S. Constitution.
Ernie DiMattia Emerging Young Artist Scholarship Award
AITE Junior Stephanie Walsh was recently awarded first place in the annual Ernie
DiMattia Emerging Young Artist Scholarship Award competition. The annual
competition, which is open to Fairfield and Westchester County high school
students, required each participant to write an original 15-minute, one-act play. As
the grand prize winner, Stephanie received a $2,000 scholarship, which was
presented at the Palace Theatre’s annual gala. Additionally, professional actors
performed readings of each of the finalists’ plays at the theatre earlier this month.
Avon Scholarship Essay Contest
The Avon Theatre Film Center Board of Directors presented the Annual Avon
Scholarship Essay Contest awards at a ceremony at the theatre in June. The
contest included high school seniors in both public and private schools throughout
Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Students were asked to submit an essay on
"Why Film Matters," based on a film that was released in 2014 or 2015. Each essay
was reviewed by two independent judges, either a journalists or published author.
Four of the winners were from Westhill High School:
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Natalie Skigen , 1st place, $2,000
Jessica Schwartz, 4th place, $500
Samantha Halm, 5th place, $500
Ashley Rich, 8th place, $500
Fairfield County Bar Association Law Day Art and Essay Contest
Each year for more than 20 years, the Fairfield County Bar Association invites
students in lower Fairfield County to participate in an art and essay contest. This
year’s topic was “Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom under Law.” Winners were
selected by grade based on creativity and content. Superior Court Judge, the Hon.
Alex V. Hernandez along with some 15 other Superior Court Judges congratulated
winners at an awards ceremony held on Law Day at Stamford Superior Court. Last
month Westhill winners were recognized. There also were seven 8th grade winners
from Rogers International School:
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Anna Chakravarti, Teacher
Phillip Caruso
Maryam Flores
Nicole Chichester
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Javan Goulbourne
Evan Stamboulopoulos,
Wilmer Guevara
Kevin Llamas
Outstanding Secondary School Resident Teacher Award
The University of Bridgeport’s Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD) Award’s Program, which is sponsored by the School of
Education, recently selected Cloonan Middle School Teacher and Alumnus
Stephen Serafino as a recipient of the Outstanding Secondary School Resident
Teacher award. The award recognizes professionals who have demonstrated
excellence through their work in the field of education. The University recognized
him and other award winners at an event in early May.
2015 Afterschool Video Challenge
As one of two winners of the 2015 Afterschool Video Challenge, Westhill High
School Senior Jossenka Hoyos was selected as a keynote speaker for the Capitol
Region Education Council (CREC) State Afterschool Showcase event. Her video,
which featured the benefits of her participation in the ALTA program, was selected
from among 20 entries from across the state. Entries were judged on presentation
and content. Jossenka shared her success with ALTA before a crowd of more than
100 participants.
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Student and Staff Achievements
May 2015
Connecticut Debate Finals
This year the Connecticut Debate Finals tackled the topic of: “Businesses should
have the right to freely exercise their religious beliefs.” Debaters from both
Stamford High School (SHS), coached by Jeremy White, and the Academy of
Information Technology & Engineering (AITE), coached by Claude Morest,
performed impressively against 200 debaters from 35 schools across the state.
SHS’s Sam Aldershof was ranked the Individual Speaker State Champion. He, and
his teammate from Greenwich High School, also took 2nd place overall in the
tournament. AITE students Tanu Balla and Brian Fleischer were undefeated and
took 5th place; Tate Aronstein, and his partner from Trinity Catholic, were ranked
10th, and the team of Eduardo Morales and Daniel Berger placed 12th overall.
FCIAC and CIAC High School Basketball Tournaments
The Westhill High School (WHS) basketball team, under Coach Howard White,
had a remarkable 2014-15 season. WHS won 25 out of 27 regular season games.
They are the 2015 FCIAC Champions, going undefeated during the tournament, and
are the 2015 Class LL State Runner-Up. The team:
Tyrell Alexander, Junior
Lenold August, Junior
Justin Chase, Senior
Juan Delacruz, Senior
C.J. Donaldson, Senior
Joshua Gordon, Senior
Nathanial Jefferson, Junior
Samir Johnson, Senior
Ross Levenshon, Senior
Jeremiah Livingston, Senior, captain
Vashon Natteal, Junior
Giovanny Noel, Senior
Torrie Perry, Senior
Parish Rowell, Junior
Brendon Thomas, Senior
Jared Yaghoubian, Sophomore
Milcah Sajous, team manager
Education Leadership Internship Outstanding Cooperating
Administrator Award
The University of Bridgeport recently selected Carrie Chiappetta, Director of
School Improvement and Professional Development, as a recipient of the Education
Leadership Internship Outstanding Cooperating Administrator Award for her
demonstrated excellence in the field of education. She was honored, along with
others in the field, in early May as part of the Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development (ASCD) Award’s Program.
Fairfield County Bar Association Law Day Art and Essay Contest
Each year for more than 20 years, the Fairfield County Bar Association invites
students in lower Fairfield County to participate in an art and essay contest. This
year’s topic was “Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom under Law.” Winners were
selected by grade based on creativity and content. Superior Court Judge, the Hon.
Alex V. Hernandez along with some 15 other Superior Court Judges congratulated
winners at an awards ceremony held on Law Day at Stamford Superior Court. There
were seven winners from Rogers International School, whom we will recognize
at a later date, and five winners from Westhill High School:
Alexandra Jordan, Sophomore, 1st place, Essay
Katy Lepturin, Senior, 2nd place, Essay
Gerardo Maguina, Senior, 2nd place, Art
Jarrod Trief, Junior, 3rd place, Essay
Maria Yeremeev, Sophomore, 1st place, Art
The COLT Poetry Recitation Contest
The COLT Poetry Recitation Contest is a statewide contest organized annually for
the past 33 years by the Council of Language Teachers (COLT) in Connecticut for
World Language students. More than 400 hundred students, representing 49
schools across the state, took part in the contest, reciting poems in 14 languages.
Students were evaluated by the judges on pronunciation, intonation, interpretation,
and expressions of emotion thorough voice. AITE students earned the following
awards:
Carlos Arias Vivas, 1st place, Spanish Heritage 9-10
Alexandra Brokowski, 1st place Russian 2
Cassidy Colosi, 2nd place Chinese 1
Michael Faugno, 2nd place Russian 3
Brian Fleischer, 2nd place Chinese 3
Rachelle Frederic, 1st place French 3
Taylor Garland, 1st place Chinese 5-6
Xavier Larino-Maymi, 2nd place Spanish Heritage 9-10
Cynthia Lupo, 1st place in Chinese 2
Brett Mayer, 1st Place Russian 4
Louis Solomon Ray, 1st place Latin 3
Allison Tovar, 2nd place Spanish 4
Barnes & Noble “My Favorite Teacher Contest”
Barnes & Noble, Inc., named Turn of River Middle School teacher Elba Simms
as the local winner of the Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest. An essay
written by Jireh Sierra, Simms’s student, was chosen from entries at the Stamford
Town Center store. Students were invited to nominate their favorite teacher by
writing essays, poems, or thank-you letters that explain how their teacher has
influenced their life and reveal why they appreciate and admire him or her. Entries
were judged on the compelling nature of the teacher’s qualities, the sincerity of the
student’s appreciation, and the quality of expression and writing. Elba and Jireh
were honored at a recent awards ceremony in the Stamford store.
ACL/NJCL National Latin Exam
The American Classical League (ACL) and the National Junior Classical League
(NJCL) sponsored the 2015 National Latin Exam, a 40-question, multiple-choice test
offered to students on seven levels. The purpose of the exam is to promote the
study of Latin and to encourage individual student achievement. Students of AITE
Latin Teacher Anna Koltypin participated in the exam, along with more than
153,000 students from all 50 states and 20 countries. Among several AITE students
who performed well, AITE freshman Fernando Suarez achieved a perfect score on
the Level One exam. This is the first time, in the 14-year history of AITE students
participating, that any student received a perfect score.
Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows Essay Contest
Each year the Connecticut Bar Foundation sponsors the James W. Cooper Fellows
Essay Contest. This year students were asked to prepare a paper taking a position
on the issue of transgender students’ use of school facilities. AITE Senior Michelle
Printsev, a student of Claude Morest, was one of two runners up chosen from
among all entries for her essay. Essays were judged on their support for the policy
position taken, policy citations, statutes, case law in other jurisdictions, and
constitutional ramifications. The winner and runners up were honored by
Connecticut Supreme Court Justices at a ceremony in the Connecticut Supreme
Court earlier this month.
19th Annual CABE Student Leadership Awards program
This year, Cloonan students Shamar Bryce and Sabrina Ahamed, and
Scofield students Nicholas Otis and Grace Hanson were chosen from among the
416 students recommended to the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education,
(CABE) to receive a CABE Student Leadership Award. This award honors
Connecticut high school and middle school students who exhibit exemplary
leadership skills, including willingness to take on challenges, making difficult
decisions, concern for and ability to work with others, commitment, diplomacy, and
understanding issues.
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Student and Staff Achievements
April 2015
Juneteenth African Heritage Knowledge Bowl
In an effort to share the rich history, heritage, and culture of Americans of African
Heritage with children, students, and families, The Juneteenth of Fairfield County®
organization sponsored its first Juneteenth African Heritage Knowledge Bowl, a
friendly “Jeopardy-style” educational competition. The team of AITE students,
Justin Frederick and Louis Ray competed against four area schools and took first
place in the competition. AITE received a grand prize of $1,000.00
Connecticut State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament
Working through the Stamford Youth Foundation, 10 teams of Stamford public
school children went to the state finals with 160 other teams from around the state.
The teams from Scofield/Rippowam and Westover placed first in their problem
category, with Roxbury taking second place. A third place finish was awarded to a
second Roxbury team. The first place teams both earned the Jill Riggles Award for
Excellence, for achieving first place in the spontaneous portion of the competition.
Three SPS teachers were coaches of the winning teams.
Scofield/Rippowam, Coach: Kim Kempton
Alba Alizoti, Annalise Fabricatore, Abby Guttman, Emily Sasser, Meredith
Ford, Julia Kempton
Westover, Coaches: Tanya Anderson, SPS teacher and Marne Spingola
Kayla Craner, Aiden Neigler, Luke Noonan, Jake Smith, Preston Smith,
Brynn Spingola, Anika Tandon
Roxbury, Coach: Kelly Dibble, SPS teacher
Tigist Aronica, Emma Burston, Caleigh Coughlin, Wyatt Lisack, Sawyer
Neyer, Ali Pennella
2015 National Science Teachers Conference Presenter
Stillmeadow reading teachers Jennifer Jimenez Grant and Iuliana Roata were
chosen from among hundreds of applicants to present at the recent 2015 National
Science Teachers Conference in Chicago. Their presentation, entitled “Making
Content Comprehensible for ELLS,” provided teachers with effective strategies and
tools to make content understandable for linguistically diverse learners.
Participants experienced what it feels like to be an ELL student while engaging in an
integrated science literacy lesson taught in a foreign language.
Fairfield Regional History Day in Connecticut Competition
AITE Juniors Tanusri Balla, Alice Shaumann and Gillian Woodman placed
first, second, and third respectively in the Senior Paper category of the Fairfield
Regional History Day in Connecticut Competition. Turn of River eighth grader
Hannah Nekritz, came in second place in the Junior Division of the Individual
Documentary category. More than 300 students participated and entries were
judged on historical quality, relation to the theme, and the clarity of the
presentation.
World Irish Dancing Championships
Four students who attend Stamford Public Schools competed recently in the 45th
World Irish Dancing Championships, which was held in in Montreal Canada.
Abby Lupinacci, Rippowam Middle School and Lisa Martin, Stamford High
School both competed with teams for the Pender-Keady Academy of Irish Dance at
the Worlds. Patrick Fleischer, Dolan Middle School, who also dances for PenderKeady, and Abby Coyman, Westhill High School, who dances with Lynn
Academy, both qualified at either the Regional or National event last year to be
eligible to compete in solo competition at the event. The World competition is the
highest level one can achieve in Irish Dance, making these dancers among the top
in the world.
Distinguished Alumni Award from Norwalk Community College
Each year Norwalk Community College honors an alumnus at their graduation
ceremony. Rebecca Wilson, Stamford High School guidance counselor, was
chosen from among all the colleges’ alumni to be honored this year. The honor is
given to an individual who has gone on to achieve professional distinction and is
committed to the advancement of the college.
Governor’s Scholar of Connecticut
Namrata Ramakrishna, a junior from Stamford High School, was named a
Governor’s Scholars of Connecticut for 2015. The Governor’s Scholars Awards
recognize academically talented high school students across the state. High school
principals nominate one junior who ranks in the top five percent of the class.
Members of the committee, who are professional educators, judge the applications
and consider class rank and test scores, as well as a student essay. The top 30
students from across the state are named “Governor’s Scholars,” and will be
honored at a luncheon in May.
SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite essay competition
Usually it takes years to build up the financial savvy to navigate the markets, but
Andrew Brito, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering,
sophomore, is decades ahead of the game. He was the first place Connecticut state
winner in the SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite® essay competition with McGraw Hill
Financial. Brito was among some 20,000 students nationwide to take the
InvestWrite challenge. Brito and AITE Finance Teacher Ray Milo were recently
recognized by SIFMA Foundation at a school event.
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Student and Staff Achievements
March 2015
Scholastic Arts & Writing Competition
AITE Junior Sydney Hofhine received an honorable recognition award for her short
story, “Never Forget,” which she wrote as part of a Creative Writing Class, taught by AITE
English Teacher Edward Donnelly. The Awards were presented by The Alliance for Young
Artists & Writers. Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literaryarts organizations across the country. Submissions from students in grades 7 through 12
in 28 categories of art and writing are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts.
Panelists recognize works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the
emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Connecticut State DAR American History Essay Contest
Shiloh Rene Williamson, eighth grader from Cloonan Middle School was named both
the local and state winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) American
History Essay Contest. The contest was established to encourage young people to think
creatively about our nation's great history and learn about history in a new light. Shiloh’s
essay, which was written as part of his eighth grade social studies class taught by Tom
Moulketis, is now entered for consideration in the Divisional Contest and will be judged
against all other eighth grade winners from the seven regional states. Essays are judged
for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest,
originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.
FCIAC Hall of Fame
Rick Lewis, Westhill High School (WHS) Boys and Girls Swimming Coach, was recently
elected by the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) to be inducted
into the FCIAC Hall of Fame for his service to the league, the students, and the
community, as well as excellence in coaching. Rick has been coaching for 36 years. He
was named the Connecticut Coach of the Year twice—in 1997 for Boys Swimming and in
2001 for Girls Swimming. Rick also received the Mickey Lione Award from the Stamford
Old Timers in 2003. His teams have finished as the Class LL State runners up four times
and have won more than 450 swim meets under his instruction. Prior to joining WHS, he
was an All-State swimmer at Greenwich High School and a six-time All-Yankee Conference
swimmer for UConn. Rick will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the FCIAC Annual
Awards Program in June.
Art Awards
Seven Stamford High School (SHS) students were recently recognized for their
outstanding artistic contributions in one or more of four exhibitions. The 2015 Connecticut
Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition is the largest juried student art exhibition in the
state; The Stamford Art Association's 42 Annual High School Scholarship Show and Senior
Portfolio Competition is a professionally juried show that included entries from 10 Fairfield
County high schools; and Teen Visions, Connecticut High School art exhibitions and shows
at Silvermine and Sacred Heart University featured and awarded work from among 12
area high schools. The award-winning SHS students are taught by Art Teachers Paul
Cusano, Carolyn Daher or Margaret Zielinski
Lewis Derogene
2015 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards
Silver Key, Drawing
Honorable Mention, Printmaking
Teen Visions—Silvermine
1st place, drawing
Teen Visions—SHU
2nd place, drawing
Michelle Skowronek
2015 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards
Silver Key, Photography
Honorable Mention, Photography
Teen Visions—Silvermine
Best in Show
Margaret Simpson
2015 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards
Honorable Mention, Ceramics & Glass
Chantelle Allot
The Stamford Art Association's 42 Annual High School Scholarship Show and Senior
Portfolio Competition
2nd place, Mixed Media/3D
Isabel Gomez
The Stamford Art Association's 42 Annual High School Scholarship Show and Senior
Portfolio Competition
2nd place, Senior Portfolio Competition, drawing and painting portfolio
Meghan Rowley
The Stamford Art Association's 42 Annual High School Scholarship Show and Senior
Portfolio Competition
3rd place, Senior Portfolio Competition, photography portfolio
Carina Dempsey
Teen Visions—SHU
1st place, Digital Photography
Stamford High School Senior Assembly
Stamford High School (SHS) Senior Joseph Vukel envisioned a Senior Assembly
featuring prominent local government officials. As president of the “SHS Steps to
American Greatness Club,” which has a goal of recruiting motivational and educational
speakers, Joseph secured Governor Malloy, Congressman Himes, and Mayor Martin to
share their personal experience and advice with all SHS Seniors in late February.
Stamford Public Schools Teacher of the Year Finalists
Each year the district recognizes outstanding teachers through its Teacher of the Year and
Spotlight on Teachers Awards Program. From among the more than 30 individuals and
teams who were nominated for consideration, the committee selected Jessica Chaapel,
Grade 3, Davenport; Dr. Samah Chadli, World Languages, AITE; Nicholas
DeAntonis, History, AITE; and Sean Peterson, Business, AITE, as finalists in the
program. All finalists are now required to submit a video of a lesson for consideration by
the committee. The Teacher of the Year will be selected in late April and celebrated at the
Teacher of the Year and Spotlight on Teachers Awards Program in May.
50 Most Influential Latinos
Stamford Public Schools Family Resource Facilitator and Westhill High School Social
Worker Juan Pazmino was named one of “50 Most Influential Latinos” in Connecticut, by
Latinos United for Professional Advancement (LUPA). The list includes Hispanics from all
backgrounds and careers who have made a positive impact in the community. Those
recognized are nominated by their peers. The designation celebrates those who have a
track record of selflessly working to benefit the Latino Community in Connecticut, as well
as those with stories that may inspire others to advance their own careers and make an
impact in communities.
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Student and Staff Achievements
January/February 2015
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal
Stamford High School’s online student newspaper The Round Table and
Westhill High School’s online and print student newspaper The Westword
were recently awarded Gold Medals by the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association’s Annual High School Journalism Review. Both schools’
newspapers earned more than 900 points out of a possible 1,000 points
from judges who reviewed and critiqued the publications in a number of
categories.
Stamford High School
The Round Table
Faculty Advisors: Jon Ringel and Krista Deiana
Editors-in-chief: Mike Nunziante and Paulomi Rao
Staff:
Sam Berkrot
Rebecca Rakowitz
Bailey Bitetto
Soren Rodriguez
Olguyne Ermilus
Brian Roman
Kerry Fahan
Dorothy Toth
Kayla Gioielli
Westhill High School
The Westword
Faculty Advisors: Michael von Wahlde and David Wooley
Editors-in-chief: Lauren Schechter and Julia Zimmerman
Select Staff:
Jamie Eimbinder
Morgan Berman
Laura Felenstein
Jonathan Pollack
Natalie Skigen
Long Island Sound and Its Watershed “What it Means to Me?”
The artwork of three Cloonan Middle School students is featured in the
2015 Long Island Sound and Its Watershed, “What It Means to Me” calendar.
Alexandra Exantus and Ruth Oliva were chosen as two of the 14 winners,
and Claudia Calle Zhicay was selected as one of only 20 honorable
mentions, from among more than 2,600 contestants. The students were
honored in a ceremony and received a prize from one of the sponsors. Their
artwork will be on a rotating display for one year in the sponsors’ locations.
Newfield School’s National Geographic Bee
Newfield School, among thousands in the United States, held a first round
competition of the 27th Annual National Geographic Bee in their school last
month. Nine finalists were required to answer geography questions orally or
on individual white boards. Fifth grader Arjun Anand won the school’s
competition, qualifying to compete in the first round of the state competition
in March.
Newfield finalists:
Jose Alegria
Horberth Alvarado
Arjun Anand (winner)
Claire Cody
Kelly Falcon
Siya Yinti
Maria Figueroa
Shivansh Khandelwal
Joseph Padilla
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) World Series of
Innovation
“Team Cassidy,” comprised of Academy of Information Technology &
Engineering (AITE) students Cassidy Colosi, Jenny Millien, and
Alexandra Walker, was named the Adjudicators’ Choice Winner in the
NFTE World Series of Innovation competition. The students participated in
the competition under the leadership of AITE Business and Technology
Teacher Brenda Zanga. The international contest, which generated nearly
800 innovative entries, allows students to think creatively and invent new
products or services that address every-day opportunities. “Team Cassidy”
submitted a concept for an app aimed at helping teens fight depression,
suicide, and bullying, by providing them access to live video, text, and audio
chats.
The Fairfield County String Festival
Two middle school students, under the direction of Strings Teacher Wendy
Delson, have been selected to participate in The Fairfield County String
Festival. Cellist Zoe Kallenekos, a Turn of River Middle School seventh
grader and violinist Chris Chung, a Cloonan Middle School sixth grader
were selected to represent Stamford at the festival which showcases the
most talented and proficient string players in Grades 6 through 9. The
festival will take place at Western Connecticut State University in March.
Long-Term Engagement in Authentic Research with NASA (LEARN)
Stamford High School Special Education Teacher Susan Dougherty is
one of only 10 highly qualified teachers selected from around the country to
participate in this year’s Long-term Engagement in Authentic Research with
NASA (LEARN) program. The NASA LEARN Project is an innovative program
that provides educators with on-site research and training with NASA
Scientists in the summer at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton,
Va., and guided research projects that continue on throughout the school
year.
FCIAC Coach of the Year in Field Hockey
Westhill High School Field Hockey Coach Kevin DeAngelo was chosen
by his peers and has been named by the Fairfield County Interscholastic
Athletic Conference (FCIAC), “Coach of the Year,” in Field Hockey. Kevin has
been coaching WHS Field Hockey for 10 years, the past three as Varsity
Head Coach. Under his leadership the team was 10-4-1 this past season and
received the Lucy Goodrich Sportsmanship Award, which is given by officials
to the team that demonstrates the fundamental values of respect, fairness,
honesty, and responsibility. Kevin has also served as the assistant Track and
Field Coach for the past 10 years and for two years as the Ski Racing Team
Coach. He will receive his award at the FCIAC Annual Awards Program in
June.
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Student and Staff Achievements
October 2014
Renewable Resources Solarize Stamford Competition
In conjunction with the Solarize Stamford program, solar energy company Renewable
Resources sponsored a contest for all elementary schools in Stamford earlier this year.
Students from Davenport Elementary school, under the direction of Teacher Kelly Dibble, took
first place in the competition. The goal of the contest was to further educate children and the
community on the benefits of solar energy, as well as engage students creatively while doing
so. Each participating team created a story, piece of art, poem, poster, or video illustrating why
they believe solar energy is good for their school or our community. All entries were judged and
rated on creativity, quality of submission, and quantity/accuracy of facts.
Davenport-Graduate First Place Winners:
Alba Alizoti
Jesus Betancour
David Reyes Fajardo
Stephanie Fernandez
Valeria Martin Hernandez
Sabine Matthew
Daniela Perez
Karen Ramos
Daniel Ryan
Rachana Somaskandan
Hari Srinivasan
Patrick Teasdale
2014 Connecticut Statewide Career and Technical Education Assessment
Westhill High School was recently ranked number one in the area of Personal Finance, as a
result of the 2014 Connecticut Statewide Career and Technical Education (CTE) Assessment.
Forty seven schools across Connecticut tested students in the area of personal finance. Under
the direction of WHS Academy of Finance teachers Kim Kumar, Karen Kurtz, and Steve
Temelini, Westhill students’ mean score was 11% higher than the state’s average. Additionally,
92% of Westhill students who took the assessment met the state requirement compared with
62% statewide. Westhill also had the third largest number of students tested in this
concentration in Connecticut. The school was presented with an award at the recent CTE
Conference.
Semi-Finalist in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program
Thomas Miller from the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (AITE) was
designated a Semifinalist in the 51st National Achievement Scholarship Program, which is run
by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students are selected based on scores achieved
on the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT). Thomas is
among the 1,600 Black American high school seniors named as semi-finalists. He now has an
opportunity to continue to compete for some 800 Achievement Scholarship® awards worth
some $2.5 million that will be offered next spring.
Commended Student in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation named 13 Stamford Public School seniors as
Commended Students. Commended students are those who placed among the top five percent
of the more than 1.4 million students who entered and qualified for the 2015 competition,
based on their 2013 PSAT scores. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation
are recognized for their exceptional academic promise.
Academy of Information Technology &
Stamford High School:
Engineering:
Maigh Attre
Rebecca Rakowitz
Boone Ayala
Ethan Tom
Michelle Printsev
Westhill High School:
Jessica Chen
Maitreyee Kale
Calvin Macdonald
Lauren Schechter
Leshan Fang
Sarah Lederman
Jonathan Pollack
Nikita Zemlevskiy
New York Jets High School “Coach of the Week Award”
In early October, The New York Jets named Stamford High School Football Coach Jamar Greene
the New York Jets High School Coach of the Week. The award, which is presented by Chase, is
given to coaches in the tri-state area who serve the best interests of the game through the
teaching of sound football fundamentals, motivating young players to achieve, and the
promotion of youth football through dedication to their communities, schools, and student
athletes. Coach Greene received $2,000 to benefit the school’s football program and is invited
to watch the Jets vs Patriots game in December at MetLife Stadium.
Caring Coach of the Year Nominee
In September, Westhill High School Football Coach Shawn Foster was nominated for the first
Dove Men+Care Deodorant “Caring Coach of the Year Award.” The award honors coaches
whose mentorship fosters a caring environment for both players and fans. This award is part of
Dove’s “Care Always Wins” advertising campaign. The winners will receive a trip to Atlanta to
be honored by the College Football Hall of Fame and funding for their local football programs.
In the meantime, you can see a video featuring Coach Foster and some of his players on the
Dove website at http://www.dovemencare.com/caringcoach/
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Student and Staff Achievements
September 2014
2015 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
Westhill High School Senior Natalie Skigen has been named a National Merit Scholarship
Semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship® Program out of the 1.4 million
students who entered. As a semifinalist, Natalie is among 16,000 students nationwide who will
have an opportunity to continue to compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth
more than $33 million that will be offered next spring. According to the National Merit
Scholarship Corporation, to be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must
fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent
of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists
will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
Highly Certified AVID schools
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) trains educators to use proven practices that
develop students’ critical thinking, literacy, and math skills across all content areas in order to
prepare them for success in high school, college, and a career, especially students traditionally
underrepresented in higher education. In the summer of 2014, Dolan Middle School and
Westhill High School were designated as “Highly Certified” AVID schools, indicating that they
exceeded certification standards in at least six of the 11 “Essentials,” which are AVID’s areas of
measurement. The following teachers are congratulated for this achievement:
Westhill High School
Christina Badini
Jennifer D'Arrigo
Dan Devine
Jeanie Melfi-Smith
Asaka Niwa
Tom Pereira
Dolan Middle School
Joy Bodnar
Laura Dickey
Andrea Kozak-Cohen
Barbara Ryan
Amy Calandro
Joe Devellis
Emily Handy
Barbara Mroz
Marianna Paolini
Kim Stow
Danielle Waring
Kristen Corbi-Miller
Karen Francis-Barnes
Patti Robustelli
Jeff Tavolacci
Lauren Wells
Get Active With MLS Challenge
Julia A. Stark Elementary School Fifth Grader Kevin Fleischer, was named a Runner Up in the
Get Active With MLS Challenge. The Major League Soccer competition challenged students to
create a campaign through poster, song, video, or radio announcement, telling their friends
how important it is to be active. Kevin earned one of only three runner-up awards for his rap
song entitled “Me and My Playas.” After being selected as one of the top 10 entries, Kevin’s rap
was posted on the MLS site and received the most on-line votes. His lyrics encourage kids to:
“Get active by runnin’ and hoppin’ and skippin’ and jumpin; and throwin' and rollin' and walkin'
and talkin' and climbin' and divin' and slidin' and glidin' . . .” Runners-up will receive a soccer
skills clinic for their grade, including an MLS player appearance and the donation of soccer
equipment.
9/11 Tribute Center Contributor
Academy of Information Technology & Engineering’s Social Studies teacher Nicholas
DeAntonis, is one of only 16 teachers nationwide chosen to be included in the 9/11 Tribute
Center’s recently launched online education toolkit. The toolkit, entitled “Teaching 9/11,”
provides a variety of methods and examples of how teachers can incorporate the
understanding and history of the events of September 11, 2001, in a number of subjects
throughout the academic year. According to the Center’s curator, teachers were selected
based upon the creative and in-depth approaches they took to introducing students to 9/11.
Nicholas and members of his Middle East History class are featured in a video that opens the
Global History section of the toolkit. Two of his lesson plans, “Understanding the Background of
the US Role in the Middle East – 1953 Iranian Coup & America’s Role” and “Negative
Stereotypes in the Media” were chosen to be included in the toolkit for educators around the
world to utilize in their classrooms.