Digital Backpack - May 24, 2013

New This Week:

1. Eighth Grade Promotion: The Promotion Ceremony will be held on Friday, June 21st, at 6:00 p.m. in the Bacon Academy gymnasium. Please visit our Promotion Page on our website. 
2. Notes from the School Nurse: All medication currently in the nurse’s office must be picked up no later than June 24^th at 12:00 noon by a parent or responsible adult. Any medication not picked up will be discarded. Medication cannot be sent home with students. Please call the Health Office to arrange a different time if necessary, 860-537-3511. Thank you for your cooperation. An important reminder for parents who received a letter in April regarding the need for a physical exam for your 6^th grade child: Please return the completed blue form to school as soon as possible. Your child will be excluded from 7^th grade entry if the health form is not received. Call the Nurse’s Office with any questions, 860-537-3511. Have a safe and healthy summer! Cindy Noniewicz, RN and Yvonne Baldi, Health Aide.
3. Incoming Sixth Grade Students & Families: The WJJMS PTO is sponsoring a climbing activity on Monday, June 10^th, from 3:30 to 5:30 for our incoming 6^th grade students to introduce them to WJJMS. Students and parents will have the opportunity to use the outdoor climbing equipment, visit the 6^th grade hallway, and meet some current 6^th grade students.
4. WJJMS' 8th Graders Help Clean Up the Community: Members of the Zeta Mu team at WJJMS celebrated Earth Day on May 17^th by helping to clean up the neighborhood.  Team members left the WJJMS grounds and walked around the area picking up garbage and various debris.  Other team members stayed at WJJMS and helped to clean up existing gardens and planted flowers around the front entrance and around our memorial trees. Please click here for photo.
5. WJJMS Unified Theater Jukebox Show A Hit! Please click here for details and photo.
6. What do the Common Core Math Practice Standards Look Like in Classrooms? Please click here for information from our Director of Teaching & Learning.
7. How is Information Literacy Taught in our Schools? Please click here for information from our Director of Teaching & Learning.
8. Car Wash: The Bacon Leaders Today and Tomorrow will be holding a car wash at Advanced Auto, 179 Linwood Avenue on Sunday, May 26^th, from 9:00.m. – 12:00 noon. All donations will be given to the Haitian Health Foundation.
9. The Bookmobile is Traveling Through Colchester June 1^st: The Colchester Bookmobile will once again be traveling through town Saturday, June 1^st, beginning at 10:00 am at Balaban Rd (apartment playscape), then to Tavern Lane (10:30 am), and Country Place (11:15 am). The bookmobile offers all residents many services, including book check-outs, book returns, issues library cards, and opportunities to obtain information on available Early Head Start services. If you are interested in volunteering time or donating books, please contact Evamarie Young at evamarie.young@comcast.net. The Colchester Bookmobile has been made possible through a partnership between C3, Colchester Rotary Club, Cragin Memorial Library, Backus Hospital and the Town of Colchester.
10. Community Conversations: Addiction can happen to anyone. On May 30^th at Bacon Academy join us for True Life: “I’m a Recovering Drug Addict”, a story you won’t soon forget. Sponsored by the Colchester Youth Services’ Youth FIRST Coalition and the Colchester Public Schools.
11. Girls’ Basketball Clinic: Colchester Parks and Recreation is sponsoring a girls’ basketball clinic for grades 7, 8, and 9 on July 22-26 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Bacon Academy gym. The fee is $75, non-residents add $20. Pre-registration is required. This is a great opportunity for girls to learn fundamentals and improve on their existing skills. Clinic will consist of drills, scrimmages, and competition. The clinic is directed by Bacon Academy’s Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, Dave Shea, and Bacon Academy’s 2009, 2012, and 2013 state championship coaching staff. For additional information contact Parks & Rec at 860-537-7297. Register online at www.colchesterct.gov/rec. Space is limited.
12. Colchester Learning Foundation’s “Marked for Excellence” Teacher Recognition Program Makes Excellent End-of-Year Gifts: The end of the school year is fast approaching and many parents are thinking about how they will recognize the teachers and staff who made their children’s time in school special. The Colchester Learning Foundation’s (CLF) “Marked for Excellence” Recognition Program is an alternative to traditional end-of-year gift giving. For a nominal donation to CLF made in an educator’s name, the donor is provided with a gift that can be presented to the recipient by the student or delivered to the recipient’s school mailbox. Please click here for more details and order information.
13. School’s Out Bash! Friday, June 21, 4-6 PM at the Children’s Museum of Southeastern CT. Celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer! Creative summer fun with something for everyone.
14. Parent Project: Empowering parents, transforming teens. Classes begin June 20^th at Cragin Library. For more information and to register for classes, click here.
15. Learn to Play Hockey: This Learn to Play Southeastern CT Seahawks Hockey Program is designed for first time skaters. These sessions are the perfect place to start young hockey players. Instructors will focus on stops, starts, crossovers, backwards, stick handling, and shooting. Our Goal is to introduce every player to the game in a positive and enjoyable environment so that they can learn the fundamentals of the game of hockey. Please click here for more information.

WJJMS News:

1. 7^th and 8^th Spring Semi-Formal: May 24^th from 7:00-9:00pm. The 7th and 8th Grade Semi Formal is a spring fundraiser for our school. It is sponsored by the Student Council for students in the 7^th and 8^th grades. The dance will be held in WJJMS Gym B. Complimentary snacks and beverages will be served and photographs will be available for $1.00. All students must have a signed permission slip in order to attend. Click here for permission slip and more information.
2. Student Council Raises Funds for Endangered Species: The WJJMS Student Council recently sold endangered species buttons in recognition of Earth Day.  Students were able to choose from three different styles:  baby penguin, Bengal tiger, and sea turtle.  Pins were sold during lunch waves for $1.00 each.  All of the proceeds from the fundraiser went to the World Wildlife Fund for their Endangered Species Conservation program.  The idea for the fundraiser came from Student Council 8th grade representative Josh Stanavage. Click here for photo.
3. Attention Students and Parents Interested In Bacon Academy Summer School!!! Summer school enrollments are beginning soon! Enrollment for Summer Gym began on Monday, May 20^th, with a mandatory meeting occurring after school on Monday, June 17^th, at 2:30 in the Bacon gym lobby. All other summer school programs will open for enrollment on Monday, June 3^rd, and will stay open through Friday, June 28^th. Summer Civics will again be offered—Please note, this course is limited to twenty students. Students must have paid for the course in full in order to reserve one of these slots. Also available is Studio Art – a 3 Week Summer Intensive July 22 – 09, Monday—Friday from 8am-2pm. The 90 hours = ½ credit applicable towards B.O.E. graduation requirement in Art. Click here for more info on Studio Art. All summer school information and applications can be found in the Bacon Academy guidance office. Please email Garrett Dukette at gdukette@colchesterct.org with any questions.

District-Wide News:

1. Bacon Students Design Early Literacy & Bookmobile Logos: C3 (Collaborative for Colchester’s Children) is pleased to announce that two Bacon Academy graphic arts students have been selected for their design creations. When C3 determined a need for an Early Literacy logo, as well as one for the recently launched Colchester Bookmobile, it seemed only logical to propose the idea to Bacon Academy Graphic Arts teacher, Jo-Ann Campbell, and her talented students. This opportunity provided the artists the unique experience to create an authentic product that will be used outside of the classroom. The students, from multiple graphic arts classes, showed great enthusiasm and each created individual logos. While it was difficult to choose only one from the many creative and professional designs, C3 ultimately chose junior Mikaela Stella for her Early Literacy design and senior Alicia Szostak for her Bookmobile design. Look for both original logos around Colchester soon! Please click here for photos.
2. The Buddy Program Between JJIS & CES Students: For more than 12 years, JJIS students in Mrs. Linda Kurczy’s classroom have walked over to CES once a month to visit and work with second grade students in Mrs. Sue DiCioccio’s classroom. Each fifth grade student is paired up with a second grade student. They have taken this unique opportunity to become role models and mentors to the younger children through friendship and by becoming a student’s “buddy”. Both grade levels are very enthusiastic and engaged in all interactive activities and learning during their visits. Teacher-planned activities enhance the curriculum in various content areas which include reading, the use of poetry, descriptive writing, as well as oral speaking, rap poetry and performance. Both teachers work collaboratively to develop skills for learning which include language arts, social studies, and creative art lessons. They choose skills that both grade-levels have been developing and try to plan fun and creative ways to apply these skills. Mrs. DiCioccio’s second grade students will soon make a visit to JJIS to visit Mrs. Kurczy’s students as well. This visit is a wonderful opportunity for the younger students to get better acquainted with JJIS themselves, making the transition from CES to JJIS much easier. Students expressed how exciting it is when they see their “buddy” outside of school at the park or on the bus. On occasion, a second grade student of Mrs. DiCioccio’s from the Buddy Program will make their way through the grade-levels and be assigned to Mrs. Kurczy’s fifth grade classroom (three years later). They are eager and excited about becoming a buddy to a second grade student now! Please click here for photo.
3. Colchester Schools’ Jazz Bands Receive Recognition at Jazz Festival: On April 25^th & 26^th, William J Johnston Middle School’s & Bacon Academy’s Jazz Bands attended the 20^th annual “Jazz on the Sound” Jazz Festival, held at Waterford High School. This annual event is a 2 day performance with middle schools performing on the first day and high schools on the second.  Although this was an event for middle and high school students, Jack Jackter Intermediate School’s Jazz Band performed, as well. While many were impressed with the quality of all 3 Colchester bands, there were several Colchester band students that received special recognition: Ethan Puetzer, Trevor Howard and Alec Sotomayor, from JJIS, were selected as outstanding musicians; Hannah Forget, on Trumpet from WJJMS, was selected one of four Outstanding Soloists of the Middle School Festival; Brendan Eakin, on Drums from BA, was selected one of four Outstanding Soloists at the High School Festival; and the Trumpet section from Bacon was selected Outstanding Trumpet Section at the High School Festival.  Trumpet students are Ian Beattie, Nick Levine, Colin Hiscox, Rosalind Goodrich and Carey Ozmun.
4. JJIS & WJJMS Students Participated in CT State Invention Convention: Jack Jackter Intermediate School and William J Johnston Middle School students represented their schools in the annual CT Invention Convention held at UCONN on Saturday, May 4^th. There were 7 students from Colchester; five from JJIS and two from WJJMS. Students representing JJIS: Claire Galarneau; Kaylie Maynard; Andrew Navickas; Shaan Parekh; and Mallory Scherff. Students representing WJJMS: Sarah Praisner and Chris Wilson. Out of the over 700 students competing state-wide, fourth grader Mallory Scherff received a special recognition award for her invention "Fire Detector, Me Protector" and sixth grader Sarah Praisner received a special recognition award for her invention "Camera Cloak." Click here for photos.

Community News:

1. Colchester Parks & Recreation Day Camp Activity/Theme Calendar! Entering Grades 1 - 7 in Fall 2013! Archery, arts & crafts, sports & games, nature, drama, weekly trips, entertainers & so much more all included for $140/week!!! 8-One week sessions, June 25 - August 16. Extended Care available from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Register online at www.colchesterct.gov/rec. Your kids will thank you for it!! All information is online, Summer Colchester Connection being delivered in Rivereast newspaper on Friday, May 31^st.
2. Colchester Parks & Recreation Kindercamp Activity/Theme Calendar! Get your kids ready for Kindergarten! 3 years old by 12/31/12 through entering Kindergarten in Fall 2013! 8 weeks starting June 25 - August 16. Monday - Friday & M/W/F options available. New Hours 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. & FULL DAY option also available. Register online at www.colchesterct.gov/rec. Your camper will make friends and enjoy all the traditional camp activities in a fun, safe & nurturing atmosphere! Your kids will thank you for it!! All information is online, Summer Colchester Connection being delivered in Rivereast newspaper on Friday, May 31^st.
3. Boy Scout Troop 109 Car Wash & Bottle Drive: Saturday, May 25^th, from 10 am – 2 pm. at Advance Auto Parts. Please stop by to get your car washed and donate your returnable cans and bottles.
4. Attend a Fun, Educational STEM Summer Camp Held at Wesleyan University! This summer, students can gain a competitive edge at a fun, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) technology program, iD Tech Camps. Ages 7-17 choose from over 40 summer tech courses to create iPhone apps, programs with C++ or Java, video games with Minecraft and other popular titles, robots, websites, and more. These weeklong, day and overnight programs are located at over 60 universities in 26 states including the programs held at Wesleyan, Sacred Heart, Roger Williams University, Vassar, NYU, Stanford, UCLA, and more.  Also for Teens are 2-week immersive, pre-college summer programs:  iD Programming Academy, iD Gaming Academy, and iD Visual Arts Academy. Visit www.internalDrive.com for more info or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324) to speak to a Program Advisor. 
5. Girls' High School Soccer Camp: Eastern CT State University is holding their Annual Girls’ High School Clinics. For more information or to register, please click here.

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