February 2013
English (academic leader: Nadine Keane)
In January, the English department held review sessions for the CAPT Reading for Information test.
Based on in-class assessments, teachers recommended sophomores and juniors they felt might have
difficulty with the test. Ninety students attended the two-day WEB session. The same students will attend
a three-day Response to Literature session during the last week of February.
The freshmen are currently wrapping up their Laws of Life essays.
The essay writing and ensuing contest have become a vital part of
freshman year and a GHS tradition. When the Laws of Life essays
are completed, the freshmen will move on to their first research
project – the multi-genre character trait portfolio. This project
integrates research skills, MLA formatting, reading for
information, writing, and character education. This is the primary
assessment for the third quarter.
Social Studies (academic leader: Betsy Kowal)
Freshman in Mr. Craig Demars’ class are researching
Greece Hellenistic thinkers and are teaching their
classmates about one of eight different thinkers. Some are
doing a PowerPoint, others are recreating inventions such
as Archimedes catapult, while others are showing the
discovery of pi and how it helped people in ancient Greece
and how we still use it today.
Pottery (instructor: Nancy Metayer)
Pottery Two students are beginning the exciting point in their
work with clay where they develop the creative ideas for their
own projects. In Pottery One they learned techniques used in
hand building with clay, as well as an introduction to the
potter's wheel, and they are now applying those techniques.
Health Office (school nurse: Jacquie Burzycki, RN)
Spring Sports Sign Up time is upon us! Please make sure your child’s
physical/sports physical is up to date so they can start the season off
right without interruption.
If you are not sure if your child’s physical/sports physical is current (it
must be dated 3/18/2012 to present) please contact the Health Office at
(860) 376-7647 or have your child stop by and we will let them know.
If they have a new physical/sports physical and you have not yet sent it
in, please do so. You can also have your child’s doctor fax it to us at
(860) 376-7677.
World Languages (academic leader: Rick Rule)
Spanish I students have presented or will soon be presenting
their family and community scrapbooks. These projects are a
great way to involve families and the community into their
Spanish class. The students become amateur detectives as they
find great information about their family member and one
community member. After they gather the information and
photos, they have to translate the information into Spanish and
create a scrapbook. This project is a big part of the third quarter
grade and is due on February 13 and 14, depending on which
day the Spanish class meets. Many of our students have done
“un trabajo fenomenal” (a phenomenal job)!
Spanish II students are working on and presenting their video news casts. Each team of reporters picked a
major Spanish-speaking city in the U.S. and are transforming themselves into reporters for a major
Spanish-speaking television station. We can’t wait to see them – and the bloopers! Spanish III students
are learning how to describe their physical health at the doctor’s office and also how to give medical
advice, and Spanish IV students are presenting their attributes on their personal “Spanish Code of Arms.”
Special Education (academic leader: Monica Pomazon)
Mr. Ross and the Unified Partners Speed Skating Team report that The Reminder News came by on
Monday to take pictures and interview a few people for an article that will run next week. Be sure to
check to see our students and their teammates!
We are gearing up for the local competition at the Norwich Ice Rink, to be held on February 21. Our last
practice is on February 25, followed by a team lunch. The state games are held during the first weekend
of March in Simsbury.
Our athletes have really improved over the past few months. They have become more confident and
stable on the ice, and they have enjoyed socially interacting with the other skaters, partners, and
Connecticut College women hockey players that volunteer to help the program.
Library Media Center (Media Specialist: Kathleen Sasso)
Since the beginning of the new semester, the library media center
has been hosting many classes that are busy working on various
projects. Mrs. Speight’s senior Biology class is using Noodletools,
an online research paper organizer, to create a paper online.
Noodletools is available to any GHS student to use when organizing
their research projects. Students can see Mrs. Sasso in the LMC to
set up an account.
We recently added some new books to our collection. There is a list
available in the library media center.
All Griswold Library Media Specialists met with a representative
from Follett to learn more about ebooks and how to have the Follet
Shelf, an online reader, easily available to all students. Links have
been added to the catalog home pages for Follett Shelf, and there are
apps available for students to access the catalog and ebooks from
their own devices.
Mrs. Sasso is working on putting together suggested apps for
students and adding it to the Library Media Center Web Page. It
should be available for next month’s meeting.
Music (Instructors: Kevin Kinsall and Ray Churchill)
The following GHS musicians were selected to the UCONN First
Chair Music Festival, to be held on February 23 at the University
of Connecticut: Kyla Hildebrand (flute), Jenn Eihme (clarinet),
Andrew Laro (saxophone), Justin White (clarinet), Josh Eden
(trumpet), Ami Wagonner (euphonium), and Andrew Berardi
(percussion). Congratulations!
In addition, GHS’s own Mr. Kinsall was one of four directors
selected to participate in the festival’s conductor’s workshop. He
will conduct the UCONN Wind Ensemble and be coached by Dr.
Jeffrey Renshaw, professor of conducting and director of the
UCONN Wind Ensemble.
A number of GHS students auditioned for and were named to the
All-Eastern Music Festival for excellence in chorus and band. This
event, held last month at in Hartford, is the first step toward being
accepted as an All-State musician. The GHS musicians were: Sarah
Smith (vocal alto), Amanda Sciola (vocal soprano), Tiara Lussier
(vocal soprano), Reuben Garcia (vocal tenor), Seth March (vocal
bass), Christopher Vasquez (vocal bass), Jake Nelson (vocal bass),
Sydney Batchelder (vocal alto), and Heidi Willard (vocal alto). Instrumentalist Rob Terell also earned a
spot playing string bass.
CAS Art Awards
Special congratulations to senior Robert Terrel, who is
the music department’s selectee for the Connecticut
Association of Schools (CAS) Arts Awards. He will be
honored with other students from high schools
throughout the state at the CAS awards banquet on April
1, 2013 at the Aqua Turf in Southington.
Business (academic leader: Colleen Wilber)
In February, the Money Works class begins the Stock Market game. Students will be competing against
individuals in Connecticut for
the title of Financial Wizard.
To be involved in the Stock
Market game, students must
learn how to follow the rules of
the game as well as navigate
the internet for information on
stocks, mutual funds,
futures, and bonds. Students
learn the art of reading Stock
Market quotes, looking for
trends, relating products to
markets as well as the
economy in an attempt to
grow the largest stock
portfolio. The student must
choose a minimum of three
stocks and each student
begins the game with
$100,000. Stock trades must
be made in chunks of 100. The game is run until April 2013. Each student will create a Portfolio and a
Presentation about the strategies and experiences that they have learned throughout the game. May
the best investor win!
Consumer and Family Sciences (academic leader/instructor: Dolores Walsh)
Students Visit with Senior Citizens
Written by Chelsea Camacho
On Thursday, January 31, 2013, Mrs. Walsh’s Individual and Family Development class visited
McCluggage Manor in Jewett City. The Individual and Family Development course focuses on providing
students with authentic learning experiences, at various stages of the life cycle. The visit was scheduled so
students could interact with some of the residents at the manor. A sign-up was posted at the manor
inviting any senior resident willing to spend time talking with our class.
When students arrived at the community room, they were greeted by a group of eight seniors. The senior
residents were excited to have us visit and to share their life experiences with the students. The students
also benefited from the experience, as their comments show:



“Students and the senior residents gained insight on how the other generation views the world
today.”
“The hour and a half flew by so quickly!”
“It was a rewarding experience for both generations to interact in such a positive way.”
Students in the class hope to visit the other manors in our community and further volunteer at the senior
center.
Note: Individual and Family Development is part of the University of Connecticut College Experience
program at GHS. Students enrolled in this course are interested in pursuing careers in education, human
services, and medical services.