Category Archives: Teenagers

Roundup: Dogs, La Plage, Playhouse …

Posted on February 16, 2022 | 10 comments

======================================================

The other day, Jo Ann Miller saw a dog roaming the aisles of a Norwalk store.

(Photo/Jo Ann Miller)

Okay, it was Petco.

Still, as she thought about the dogs she’s seen in Westport — at CVS and Starbucks, among other places — she wondered: Is there a law here covering that?

The answer appears to be “no.” Town ordinances don’t seem to mention animals and stores.

So, “06880” readers: What do you think? Are we fine just the way we are? Should there be a regulation? If so, what should it say? Click “Comments” below.

And remember — as always — use full, real names. (Yours. Not Fido’s.)

=======================================================

If you need more reasons to visit La Plage — and you really don’t — the popular Longshore restaurant is now open for lunch.

Starting today, it adds that to its Saturday and Sunday brunch, and 6-days-a-week dinners.

The lunch menu includes a raw bar, a la carte items, entrees that change daily, and a 2-course prix fixe for $24.

La Plage  plans to serve lunch and dinner 7 days a week in early spring, coinciding with the opening of the golf course.

 

=======================================================

Westport Country Playhouse has named 5 new trustees. Two have close Westport connections.

 Westport resident Tracey Knight Narang is a Tony Award-winning producer, and a playwright. Her producer credits include “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”; “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf” (coming to Broadway this spring); “Sing Street,” and Arthur Miller’s “The American Clock” at the Old Vic. Narang is the lead producer of “Period Piece,” currently in development. She is on the board of directors of New York City Center, a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the League of Professional Theatre Women, and a steering committee member of Connecticut’s LPTW chapter.

Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. is principal of Staples High School in Westport. While principal of Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull he was honored as Connecticut Middle School Principal of the Year. Thomas currently serves as an adjunct professor in the graduate school of education at Sacred Heart University. He earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from Georgetown University, a master of arts in teaching from Brown University, and a dual degree in law (Juris Doctor) and educational administration (M.Ed.) from Boston College.

Ania Czekaj-Farber of Westport chairs the Playhouse board of trustees.

Tracey Knight Narang and Stafford Thomas.

=======================================================

Staples High School’s February Students of the Month are seniors Krishin Wadhwani and Elena Lim, junior Julia Herlyn, sophomores Sophia Papp and Dagny Dahl, and freshmen Isabel Brookbanks and Mieszko Solowinski.

Principal Stafford Thomas says they “help make Staples High School a welcoming place for their peers and teachers. They are the ‘glue’ of the school community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students who keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.”

From left: Krishin Wadhwani, Elena Lim, Sophia Papp, Julia Herlyn, Dagny Dahl, Isabel Brookbanks. Missing: Mieszko Solowinski

=======================================================

“06880” readers often see the name Pippa Bell Ader. She’s one of Westport’s leading environmental advocates.

Readers all over the country are now meeting her husband. David Ader recently published his first book of short stores.

A retired bond strategist who mined his many interests and hobbies for inspiration, the stories reflect David’s sense of irony.

Amazon says of the 32 short pieces: “You will encounter people in situation which are not always what they seem. There’s a good bit of humor, some shocks, and always twists and turns that lead to ‘ah hah’ conclusions.

“You will meet a bullied parochial school student who gets his revenge. An elderly widower is about to leave his beloved home until his memories keep him there. A well-heeled lawyer decides to take an evening walk through Central Park and greets a man he fears is a mugger for an O’Henry-esque meeting. A couple planning to climb Kilimanjaro on an eco tour reveal political-correctness gone awry. Another couple go out on the wrong day for a sail. A loner in the backwoods of Maine.”

Click here for more information, and to order. (Hat tip: Mitchell Lester)

======================================================

Yesterday’s “06880” Roundup noted that registration for many Parks & Recreation programs begin March 2.

That’s the same link to sign up for Wakeman Town Farm camps and classes too.

To see programs on the WTF website, click here. Then follow the prompts.

Eager students in a Wakeman Town Farm cooking class.

=======================================================

Starting to make summer plans?

Pencil in June 19. Musician/humanitarian/activist/filmmaker Michael Franti brings his high-energy live show, inspiring music, devotion to wellness and power of optimism to the Levitt Pavilion.

The #1 artist (“Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey [I Love You],” “I Got You”) will release his 12th album around the same time as his show.

Pre-sale (Levitt Pavilion members) began yesterday. General public tickets are available this Friday (February 18, 10 a.m.). Click here for more information, and to reserve a spot.

Michael Franti

=======================================================

This week’s cold temperatures set the scene for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo. Claudia Sherwood Servidio took off her gloves long enough to capture this stark image of Gray’s Creek, by the Longshore golf course.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

======================================================

And finally … happy 84th birthday to contemporary classical composer John Corigliano. In a long, distinguished career he’s won 5 Grammys — plus one Pulitzer Prize, and an Oscar.

 

10 Comments

Posted in Arts, Children, Entertainment, Environment, Longshore, Restaurants, Staples HS, Teenagers, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged , , , , ,

Students Dig Into “Food In Literature” Class

Posted on February 15, 2022 | 1 comment

It’s a long way from Staples High School’s English classrooms to the culinary wing. And while English lies at the heart of every school’s curriculum. “cooking” — if it’s offered at all — is an elective.

But for several years, Staples’ “Food in Literature” class has been a popular, always filled offering.

Though it involves the stomach, it’s no gut. “Food Lit” is demanding. It forces students out of their comfort zones.

Sure, they eat well. But they also learn life skills. Like how to read, write and think.

And cook.

One student posted photos of her recipes. She’s as talented a photographer as she is a cook.

The course is a collaboration between English instructor Kim Herzog and culinary arts teacher Cecily Gans. Meeting back to back for 2 periods, they guide their students through a balanced menu of food and literature, adding a dash of whatever is needed to keep every day fresh and challenging.

It’s a master class in all the skills of cooking (following instructions, flexibility, time management) and reading and writing (critical thinking, analysis, synthesis).

The core text last semester was “With the Fire on High,” Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel about a teenage mother who feels free only in the kitchen. Students read other fiction and non-fiction too.

As part of their writing, they research and then produce an op-ed on a food issue of their choosing. Topics this fall included delivery apps, GMOs, food waste, food insecurity, obesity, supermarket “food deserts, gender stereotypes in advertising, sexual harassment in the restaurant industry, the overabundance of food on social media, and eating in the age of COVID.

Making connections over breakfast.

Throughout the semester, students choose themes that appeal to them. It can be a food based on their heritage, an important concept, or something that strikes their fancy.

This past semester, themes ranged from foods of Asia, South America and the Southern US, to challah, “picky eaters” and healthy trends.

Each theme represents a starting point for individual creativity. Students design blogs, which this year expanded to include how-to videos, TikToks, listicles, and “lessons learned” entries.

The goal is to experiment with different ways to engage audiences, while understanding the rapidly expanding world of food blogging.

Each week, the class features 2 or 3 students on its Instagram account (@foodlitshs).

Students post reviews too. They range from restaurant dining and takeout or curbside experiences, to a meal cooked by others (or themselves) at home.

Class members even learn how to write recipes. It’s not as easy as it looks.

The class ends with “menu wars.” Five judges render verdicts. It’s as intense — and tasty — as any cooking show on TV.

The menu for Menu Wars.

“Food Lit” students dig in to meaty issues, from Day One. They’re hungry for knowledge.

Is your appetite whetted? To see samples of Herzog and Gans’ students’ fall semester work – their blogs, op-eds, recipes, photos and more — click here.

Buon appetito!

1 Comment

Posted in Arts, Restaurants, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged , ,

Scarice Will Recommend End To Mask Mandate

Posted on February 12, 2022 | 11 comments

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:

As the week comes to a close, I would like to share the latest update on the Governor’s Executive Order mandating universal masking in schools. There are a number of steps involved, and I will outline below in detail.

The Governor’s Recommendation and the CT Legislative Process

The statewide mask mandate for schools in Connecticut is set to expire at midnight on February 15. On February 7 Governor Lamont held a press conference, and with the support of the state Department of Public Health,  he recommended that the statewide mask mandate in Connecticut schools extend to February 28. Under the Governor’s recommended proposal, local school districts would have the authority to make decisions about mask requirements in schools.

Yesterday, the state House of Representatives voted to extend the current school mask requirements until February 28, after which local communities will determine their own school masking requirements.

The Senate is scheduled to act on this legislation on February 14. It is expected they will follow suit. and that the current state mandate requiring masks in schools will expire on February 28.

With these decisions and actions at the state level, I would like to make our school community aware that public transportation, i.e. school buses, continues to be governed by federal requirements for universal masking and the actions of the Governor and legislature do not change federal requirements. Unless there is action at the federal level, masks will continue to be required on our buses.

It is still uncertain at this time what the rules and public health guidance will be for masking in local school districts when the governor’s emergency powers expire and the State Senate takes final action. Therefore, at this time, it would be premature for us to make a final determination regarding masking in our schools. Yet all signs appear to indicate that this state universal masking requirement will sunset on February 28.

Next Steps – Superintendent’s Recommendation to End the Mask Mandate

In the coming days, as these final pieces of information are provided at the state level, I will continue to consult with our local health district and medical advisor. I intend to make a recommendation to the Board of Education at their anticipated special meeting  on Wednesday February 16 to end the mask mandate in the Westport Public Schools when permitted at the state level, perhaps as early as February 28.    

The governor’s recommendation, supported by the Department of Public Health, indicates that universal masking is not a necessary public health intervention at this point in time. Vaccination rates in our community, even across our student population, are among the highest in the state. In addition, as a result of the widespread infection rate of the Omicron variant, many have also developed natural immunity.

Daily infection rates have dropped precipitously over the past few weeks as noted by our daily reports.  Notably, our daily case rates are reported for the entire school community population, which is over 5,000 students, and approximately 1,000 employees. We have averaged just over 5 new daily cases out of over 6,000 individuals this week. Furthermore, our recent weekly serial testing of 539 students surfaced only 2 positive cases on Monday.

All of these factors influence my final recommendation to the Board of Education to end the mask mandate in our schools.

However, there are many considerations we must take into account with any elimination of the universal masking mandate. It is important to note as the pandemic continues to evolve, it will be necessary to maintain mitigating measures. Ventilation, social distancing, hand hygiene, weekly testing, and self-isolation when testing positive, all continue to be effective means in controlling virus spread. We will continue to implement these measures to the extent possible.

Consideration for Others

Along with many issues in the modern world, the pandemic, vaccines, and masking, have become polarizing topics. It is not lost on me that while many rightfully feel ready to move forward, there are those in our community who experienced traumatic hardships and have lost loved ones during these past two years. It is our responsibility to be sensitive to those students we serve who have been most significantly affected by the pandemic.

On Thursday I met with the district administrative team, all principals, assistant principals and coordinators. We discussed the importance of supporting each and every one of our students as we approach the next phase of the pandemic.   At some point, perhaps as soon as February 28, families will make decisions for their children with regards to masking. When that happens, we are committed to supporting the personal choice of each individual student and staff member, and to protecting everyone in our school community from unwelcome comments and behaviors. To that end, we will be providing resources and talking points next week as a support.

We will continue to carefully monitor case rates and attendance and evaluate any new guidance issued by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Adjustments to our approach will be made as necessary.

11 Comments

Posted in Children, Education, Teenagers

Tagged , , ,

Roundup: We The People, Roe Halper, Joe Biden …

Posted on February 7, 2022 | 10 comments

=====================================================

“We the People” — Staples High School’s AP Government class, and the national competition of the same name — teaches students to research, analyze, synthesize and present important constitutional issues.

And it teaches them to think on their feet, and improvise.

A last-minute switch to a virtual format on Saturday did not faze Suzanne Kammerman’s 23 students. She commandeered the school library; a giant TV was set up; parents brought food, and team members set up in individual rooms with their laptops

The Westport teens’ knowledge of constitutional law was impressive (click here to see the depth and breadth of the questions). They finished second overall to traditional rival Trumbull, ahead of always-strong Greenwich.

Congratulations to all our constitutional scholars; to Kammerman, and the volunteers who helped prepare them for the event (and kept them fed)! (Hat tip: Lyn Hogan)

Like members of a (more academic) “Breakfast Club,” these 4 students did not know each other before the competition. But they finished with the top score of all 6 Staples “units,” and celebrated as friends afterward. Clockwise from lower left: Lilly Weisz, Sebatian Malino, Nikos Ninos, James Dobin-Smith.

Back row (left to right): Sebastian Malino, Nikos Ninos, James Dobin-Smith, Michael Brody, William Wang, Ishan Prasad, Zach Brody, Jackson Benner. Middle row:
Matthew Shackelford, Jet Tober, Scarlett Siegel, Clara Smith, Alex Laskin. Front row: Lilly Weisz, Spencer Yim, Rebecca Schussheim, Anna Diorio, Lucia Wang, Meredith Mulhern, Katharine Shackelford, Eva Simonte, Ryan Salik, Allison Gillman, teacher Suzanne Kammerman.

=======================================================

Good things come to good organizations.

Westport Book Sale Ventures — the nonprofit that operates the Westport Book Shop and Westport Library book sales — has just been awarded $10,000.

The money, from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, supports the group’s employment program for people with disabilities.

Both of Westport Book Sale Ventures’ ventures employ residents with physical and emotional disabilities, in a variety of roles.

=======================================================

For more than 60 years, Roe Halper has been a noted Westport artist. She’s still active.

Of course, her work has evolved greatly over the years. This Thursday (February 10, 7 p.m., Westport Library Trefz Forum) she’ll discuss exactly how. Her talk is part of her current exhibit “Orange,” on view in the Sheffer Gallery through March 6.

Her presentation should be fascinating — and “illustrative.” To learn more about Halper, click here.

Roe Halper, at her exhibit.

======================================================

Drivers coming off Merritt Parkway Exit 42 from the west see signs pointing them to Westport or Weston.

That’s it — no “Welcome to Westport!” or other warm, fuzzy greetings.

Except for this new sign, hung recently a few yards away on the Weston Road curve near Main Street:

(Photo/Debbie Silver)

=======================================================

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is classic mid-winter Westport. If you haven’t been to Sherwood Island recently, you’re missing out on beauty — and solitude.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

=======================================================

And finally … drummer Sam Lay died recently in Chicago. He was 86.

The New York Times cited his “exuberant, idiosyncratic drumming … known for its double-shuffle groove.”

Lay played with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. He backed Bob Dylan, when the folk singer went electric at Newport in 1965.

And — most importantly for “06880” — he was a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The keyboardist was current Westport resident Mark Naftalin.

The Times says they were “racially integrated, a rarity at the time, and bought the blues to a white audience during an intense period in the civil rights movement.”

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Lay is also in the Blues Hall of Fame. (Click here for the full Times obituary.)

 

 

10 Comments

Posted in Arts, Downtown, Library, Local business, Politics, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged , , ,

Signs, Social Media Urge: “Unmask Our Children”

Posted on February 5, 2022 | 105 comments

Connecticut’s statewide school mask mandate expires February 15. Pressure is growing on Governor Lamont to end it immediately — and for legislators not to extend it, when they vote February 10.

If the state mandate expires, local school districts could implement their own policies.

Local “Mask Choice” groups sprang up earlier in towns like Fairfield, Wilton and Darien. In the past couple of days, “Mask Choice Westport signs” appeared in front yards and public spaces.

A sign near the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge downtown … (Photo submitted by “WestportParents06880@Gmail.com”)

On social media, the handle is @MaskChoiceWestport. As of last night, an Instagram account with that name had posted 31 times — mostly links to news stories, opinion pieces and videos — and had 463 followers.

A reader told “06880”: “Parents are sending letters to Lamont, state representatives, the Board of Education, our superintendent, the Connecticut Teachers Association, and anyone else who would listen. This is the hot topic of all the parents I know right now.”

Statewide, 86% of 16- and 17-year-olds, and 79% of those 12 to 15 have received at least one COVID vaccine dose. The figure for 5- to 11-year-olds is 44%.

Cases have dropped sharply in Fairfield County since their mid-January Omicron peak.

… and the Sherwood Island Connector. (Photo/Seth Schachter)

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice notes that the topic has caused “a great deal of division in both the public health and medical community, as well as in the school community.” The district “will continue to receive guidance from our local health district, medical advisor and the state Department of Public Health,” he says.

Scarice adds:

At the outset of the pandemic and the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the district took a very conservative approach to our learning models and mitigating measures.

Since last January, we have learned a great deal and provided increased access to programs and services within the guidance we have been provided. Not only have we remained fully open, including extracurricular programs, we have consistently peeled back layers of mitigation when the opportunities have presented themselves.  I anticipate that we will take the same approach with universal masking based on the guidance we receive.

“06880” attempted to speak with a spokesperson for “MaskChoiceWestport.” However, contact information was not immediately available.

105 Comments

Posted in Children, Education, Environment, Local politics, Politics, Teenagers

Tagged , , , ,

Website Slams TEAM Westport Diversity Essay Contest

Posted on January 28, 2022 | 94 comments

TEAM Westport announced its 9th annual Teen Diversity Essay topic.

“Westport Parents 06880” are not pleased.

The prompt — “describe what you would like to explain to people in your community who avoid or struggle with talking about race, or acknowledging systemic racism, or who apply a ‘color blind’ approach to issues” — prompted the anonymous website formed out of “concerns about the increasing focus on assertions of racism in our community,” and which fights “political activism and moralizing intrusions in the classroom” to issue a lengthy statement opposing the contest.

It begins: “The contest is explicitly targeting ‘students attending high school in Westport,’ which of course means Staples High School, one of three high schools in Westport alongside the two much smaller private schools.” (In fact, previous essay winners have come from Choate and Hopkins, as well as Greens Farms Academy.)

The statement continues:

The essay prompt is unsurprising given this organization’s ongoing efforts to impose its neoracist ideology (to borrow a term used by the African-American Columbia linguistics professor John McWhorter) on nearly every part of our town.

This year’s topic — essentially asking our children to deconstruct a “colorblind” approach to race — only represents an escalation of its campaign to discredit basic Constitutional principles that have defined and united Americans from our founding. What TEAM is doing here is not only morally wrong, it is a blatant violation of adopted Westport Board of Education policy on essay contests which prohibits contests “that tend to promote or advertise a product or an ideology.” We call upon Town leaders and the Board of Education in particular to take immediate action.

Formed with the seemingly benign mission of “achieving and celebrating ‘a more welcoming, multicultural community’,” TEAM now fluidly operates as a sort of amorphous auxiliary unit within Westport municipal government. TEAM is formally housed within the Selectman’s office but is composed of numerous elected officials, ordinary townsfolk and even residents of Weston. For reasons one can only speculate upon, TEAM seems to have carte blanche to intervene in our schools and numerous other areas of Town government. TEAM’s unelected leadership appears to be accountable to no one, while playing a role in nearly every facet of Westport civic life, from our schools to the library to the police force to the art work that appears in Town Hall.

Screenshot of the “Westport Parents 06880” home page.

The parents in the group “do not object in the least to TEAM’s mission of celebrating diversity or the existence of a properly regulated body that would pursue such a straightforward mission,” they say.

They do object, however, to

how TEAM’s philosophy has evolved into a sort of militant “wokeness,” aggressively pushing a single (and in our view toxic) narrative around racial issues. This ideology has manifested itself through the concept of ‘equity’ that has been pushed across Town government. As we await the Superintendent’s recommendations following the equity study conducted by the NYU Metro Center, equity is perhaps weeks away from becoming the official dogma of our public schools.

The choice to target a “colorblind” approach cuts to the heart of the ideological cliff over which TEAM seeks to push our wonderful diverse community. As anyone with a basic understanding of anti-discrimination law understands, because of our country’s dark history with segregation, we have wide-ranging prohibitions against consideration of race or skin color. The new “woke” mentality, which has clearly been embraced by TEAM, is to reinsert consideration of race or skin color into everyday life, as a form of “good” segregation.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

After quoting Ibram X. Kendi — the National Book Award for Nonfiction who was the 2018 Martin Luther King Day keynote speaker here, and has since worked on anti-racism training in Westport — the website says:

TEAM’s new mission appears to be a revival of racial discrimination in Westport. Presumably, it will fall upon the unelected leadership of TEAM to decide how and when such racial discrimination takes place to achieve the antiracist equitable outcomes they desire.

Westport as a community, and its elected leadership in particular, must stand against this paradigm shift in racial understanding which so plainly disrespects the principle of equality embedded in our Constitution and so many of our laws.

The statement concludes:

When they were inaugurated, every single one of Westport’s elected officials swore an oath to support the Constitution of the United States. We ask them all to live up to that oath and denounce TEAM’s relentless efforts to undermine the principle of racial equality and equal treatment under the law. We ask the Board of Education in particular to enforce its own policies and take immediate action to sever any link between Staples High School and the new TEAM essay contest.

We urge parents of high school students in Westport to discourage their children from participating in this odious attempt to use financial incentives to impress a severely defective ideology upon them.

NOTE: It is an “06880” rule that all commenters must use full, real names. Last night, I removed several comments from a previous story about TEAM Westport. The comments — all condemning the committee and its essay contest — were posted using fake names and false email addresses. If you have an opinion, we’d love to hear it. But we must know who stands behind it. Thank you for abiding by “06880” rules.

94 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Media, Politics, Teenagers

Tagged , , ,

TEAM Westport Announces Teen Essay Topic

Posted on January 26, 2022 | 28 comments

Sure, it’s tough to talk about race.

But it’s a crucial topic. And who better to talk about it than those who will one day lead our nation: today’s teenagers.

That’s the idea behind this year’s 9th annual TEAM Westport Teen Diversity Essay Contest. The Westport Library co-sponsors the event.

The town’s multicultural committee asks:

Why can it be so difficult to talk about race? Trevor Noah, award-winning comedian, writer and television host from South Africa says, “the first thing we have to do in any conversation is figure out what the words mean in the conversation we’re having.”

Here’s the essay prompt:

In 1,000 words or fewer, describe what you would like to explain to people in your community who avoid or struggle with talking about race, or acknowledging system racism, or who apply a “color blind” approach to issues.

The contest is open to anyone in grades 9-12 who lives in Westport, or attends a public or private school here. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $750, and 3rd is $500.

Click here for full details, and an application form. The deadline is February 25. An awards ceremony is set for April 4, at the Westport Library. Questions? Email info@teamwestport.org.

 

28 Comments

Posted in Politics, Teenagers

Tessa Zimmerman: An ASSET To Manage Anxiety And Stress

Posted on January 22, 2022 | 1 comment

During elementary and middle school in Westport, Tessa Zimmerman suffered severe anxiety and panic attacks. Teachers tried to help, she says, but really did not know what to do.

In 2008 she transferred to Easton Country Day School. Smaller classes, and staff trained in mindfulness and positive psychology, helped mitigate her anxiety and stress.

After graduation, Zimmerman headed to the Watson Institute at Lynn University. She studied social entrepreneurship.

Tessa Zimmerman

In the years since, she’s put those lessons into practice. She’s the founder and executive director of ASSET Education. The Boulder-based nonprofit trains and equips educators with concrete tools to help students reduce stress and build resilience.

Each week, Zimmerman says, the organization impacts 40,000 students, in dozens of schools.

In 2018, the National Education Association called anxiety and stress “epidemic.”

That was before COVID. Today, Zimmerman says, there’s a “state of emergency” in youth mental health.

At the same time, a continuing focus on standardized testing, college admissions and job-related skills like STEM limit the amount of time schools can spend on stress reduction — while those same focuses actually increase anxiety.

ASSET offers bite-sized lessons, which can be fit in at the beginning of a class. That’s important Zimmerman says. After all, “We’re not wired to learn when we’re stressed.”

Zimmerman’s goal is to “start conversations about this. When I was growing up, we didn’t talk about my anxiety and stress.”

Eventually, she found ways to cope.

“I got through,” she says. “Now I want to give other kids hope too.”

Click below for Tessa Zimmerman’s a TEDx talk on youth mental health.

1 Comment

Posted in Education, Teenagers

Tagged , ,

“06880” Podcast: Dr. Bob Selverstone

Posted on January 11, 2022 | 7 comments

Some Westporters may not have heard of Dr. Robert Selverstone. But as Westport renews its focus on social and emotional learning, his name is as important as ever.

A longtime psychologist working with adults, couples and teenagers, he spent 35 years in the Westport Public Schools. He pioneered “human relations” courses, offering very popular — and extremely valuable — classes in Values Clarification and Sexuality Education at Staples High School.

Selverstone is a nationally known educator, and sought-after speaker. He’s conducted more than 1,000 programs in 31 states and on 3 continents, opening minds to the wonders of values, sexuality and communication — and enabling teens, parents and teachers to think and talk about them.

Our podcast at the Westport Library was exciting and eye-opening. Using plenty of examples and analogies, Selverstone tied his work in the 1970s through ’90s to the even more fraught world of today.

Click below for a riveting half hour. Click here for all the “06880” podcasts at the Library’s Verso Studios.

 

7 Comments

Posted in Education, Media, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged ,

Scarice Offers Update On Adaptations, Modifications And Test Kits

Posted on January 4, 2022 | Comments Off on Scarice Offers Update On Adaptations, Modifications And Test Kits

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:

It appears that we will have enough staffing to welcome students back [today].  There is a significant shortage of substitute teachers so covering classes of absent teachers will be a challenge. Principals will work collaboratively to ensure sufficient coverage of classrooms.

The bus driver roster is thin. At the present moment there are enough drivers to transport students. However, there is the possibility of combining more routes to cover all student pickups and drop offs.

As we did at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, we ask parents to transport their child when possible. This will thin out the number of riders and make runs more efficient. However, rest assured that we will continue to run our routes. Students will only be permitted to ride on their own buses. The opportunity to ride on another bus has been suspended for the time being.  We ask for your patience

State Provided Testing Kits

5,040 iHealth COVID tests (reserved for students) and 864 Flow Flex COVID tests (reserved for staff) will be ready for pickup [today] in Phase I of the shipment of test kits. The purpose of these tests is to identify positive cases in advance so that we can keep as many positive cases out of our schools as possible.

The tests will be prioritized, and used to screen students and staff in the following cases:

  1. Symptomatic students and staff

  2. Students and staff who experienced a direct exposure

  3. Students and staff in a setting with multiple positive cases (i.e. one classroom with multiple cases)

The district will have a truck ready for pickup at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning. Town leaders have been instrumental in supporting our efforts, and we are most appreciative of this partnership. Details on distribution of test kits will be forthcoming.

Lunch 

In an effort to maximize spacing during lunch, each school will do their best, within their footprint and the spaces available, to further spread students out during lunch. Although the plexiglass shields have shown little in prevention of virus spread, feedback from the schools indicates that students are more likely to stay in their space during lunch when the shields are on the tables. This is more of behavioral intervention, but one that should be most helpful in establishing and maintaining spacing during lunch. As a result, the plexiglass shields will be returning to lunch settings for all schools.

Student Performances and Concerts

Student performances and concerts that were scheduled over the next couple of weeks will be postponed yet again.  Look for more information from your building principal on the scheduling of performances and concerts.

K-8 Recess

In an effort to to maximize the use of masking, all students will continue the wearing of masks outside for recess at the K-8 level until further notice. Once rates decline, this provision will be removed. Mask breaks will be handled at the school level, but the continued use of masks will be expected, including during recess, until further notice.

After School Programs

Secondary level ( CMS, BMS, SHS) afterschool programs (clubs, sports, etc,) will continue at the present moment. Each club, activity, or sport will be treated individually and meetings/games/practices will be suspended on a case by case basis after consultation with our Supervisor of Health Services.

All elementary after- or before-school programming will be suspended for the current week. A reassessment will be done at the end of this week and further information will be provided to parents at that point in time. This includes Continuing Education programs for elementary students.

Visitors

Just before the break I notified the community that visitors will not be allowed in our schools through January 7. A reassessment of this provision has been done and visitors will continue to be prohibited from our school buildings through the end of this month. Parent meetings with faculty and administrators will be done virtually for the month of January.

Staples High School Mid-Term Exams

Modifications are being made to the mid term exams at Staples. These modifications include significantly reducing the weighting of the exam on a student’s grade, and expanding the time for making up an exam for a student in isolation, quarantine or symptomatic. The Staples administration will provide further details to students and families regarding the changes to the mid term exams.,

Supports for Students In Isolation, Quarantine, or Symptomatic

Students who have tested positive or who are in quarantine will not be able to access in-person learning for approximately five days given the new guidelines.  Additionally, any students exhibiting COVID symptoms will be advised to stay home from school. For this reason, we are in the process of revisiting the supports we provide to students who cannot access in-person learning. There are currently practices in place, including a tutoring model for our elementary students, and extra help sessions for middle and high school students, who cannot access in-person learning for the reasons above.

We will monitor our numbers over the next few days and determine if there is a need to increase the range of supports for students who cannot access in-person instruction. The one benefit with the new guidelines is that the shortened isolation and quarantine periods allow asymptomatic students to return after five days. If this period includes a weekend, it is possible that a student will only miss three days, compared to ten or more based on last year’s guidelines.

Again, we will monitor the number of absences and, as we have done throughout the pandemic, modify our approach to meet the needs of our students.

Comments Off on Scarice Offers Update On Adaptations, Modifications And Test Kits

Posted in Children, Education, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged