Bobcat Tracks - April 2011 - South Windsor Public Schools

South Windsor High School
Bobcat Tracks
Volume 10‐11; Issue 7
Final Exam
Schedule
April 2011
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2
Bike to School Day 2
Student
Recognition
Athletics 6‐7
School Counseling 8‐9
AP Exam Schedule 9
Spring Comedy—
May 6‐7
Race to Nowhere
Movie Screening
3‐5
10
11
Calendar of Events 12
DON’T MISS:
DETAILS FOR
FINAL EXAM
SCHEDULE
on page 6
Letter from the Principal
As the parent of two young children, I am often told things like, “your son really
needs to play indoor soccer if they are going to play on the middle school team.”
As a Principal, I hear parents telling their children that they need to take all honors
and AP courses if they want to get in to a good college. At the same time, I
see children of all ages that are overwhelmed, tired and worried about letting
other people down. With that in mind, the South Windsor High School Parent Advisory
Council will host a screening of Race to Nowhere on Wednesday, May 11.
The film examines the societal pressures to achieve at all costs and encourages
parents, educators and students to reevaluate priorities. I encourage you to join
us for the film and the panel discussion that follows.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve referenced SRBI and RTI. SRBI refers to
“Scientifically Researched Based Instruction” and RTI to “Response to Intervention.”
In essence, SRBI is the Connecticut response to No Child Left Behind legislation.
Schools are expected to develop a three tiered model to ensure that all students
demonstrate proficiency in essential skills. This is particularly challenging
at the high school level and I am happy to report that the South Windsor program
appears to be a model program in Connecticut. School districts from all across
Connecticut have sent visiting teams and our teachers have presented at various
workshops. The programs garnishing the most attention are the Critical Math
class and the 9 th grade Humanities program. Congratulations to all involved.
Over the past few weeks students in our Science Olympiad program with Janet
Belval, the FIRST Robotics team with Al Mothersele, and Choral Spectrum under
the direction of Jereme Martineau, competed in major competitions across New
England. As always they represent South Windsor High School with great distinction.
Congratulations to all involved. Best of luck to Robotics in the World Championships
in St. Louis later this month!
After a long winter, I wish everyone a safe and relaxing April break. Let’s hope the
weather cooperates!
Have a great month ~
Daniel P. Sullivan III
Principal

2
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
7
Grades 9 — 12
Regular classes
Periods 1, 3, 4, 6, 7
7:25—2:00
8
Grades 9 — 12
Regular classes
Periods 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
7:25—2:00
9
Grades 9 — 12
Regular classes
Periods 2, 4, 5, 7
7:25—2:00
10
Grades 9 — 12
Period 7 Exam
7:25—9:25
13
Grades 9 ‐ 11
Period 1 ‐ Exam
7:25 – 9:25
Period 2 – Exam
9:40 – 11:40
Make‐Ups – Grade 12
2011 FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
Grade 12 Only
Seniors will take
Period 1 and 3 exams
during class
14
Grades 9 ‐ 11
Period 3 ‐ Exam
7:25 – 9:25
Period 4 – Exam
9:40 – 11:40
Graduation – Grade 12
Grade 12 Only
Seniors will take
Period 2 and 6 exams
during class
15
Grades 9 ‐ 11
Period 5 ‐ Exam
7:25 – 9:25
Make‐Up Exams
9:40 – 11:40
2011 FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
As a result of the early graduation date and the addition of extra days to our school calendar due to a snowy winter, we
have modified our exam schedule as follows:
From June 7—9, Seniors will take exams in class; we will not run a special exam or class schedule. Thus, even exempt
students should be in school all day. Teachers will either shorten the exam or administer the exam in two parts. If the
exam is in two parts, the first part will be taken between May 31 – June 6. Teachers may also choose to make one part
of the exam “take home.”
On Friday, June 10, all grades will take the Period 7 exam from 7:25—9:25 a.m. Once the exam is complete, seniors are
released; Periods 1—6 classes will resume at 9:40 for grades 9—11.
From June 13—16, grades 9—11 will follow the exam schedule listed below. School will be dismissed at 11:40 on these
exam days, and buses will travel home via exam routes (exam bus schedule is posted in the cafeteria corridor outside
the main office).
And finally, Friday, June 17 will be the last day of school for Grades 9—12. We will conduct exam review, and all class
periods will be held on an abbreviated schedule. School will be dismissed at 11:55 and buses will run via normal
routes.
We realize that this situation is not ideal, and want to say thank you in advance to all of our students, families and teach‐
Grade 12 Only
Seniors will take
Period 4 and 5 exams
during class
16
Grades 9 ‐ 11
Period 6 ‐ Exam
7:25 – 9:25
Make‐Up Exams
9:40 – 11:40
GEAR UP FOR BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY ON FRIDAY MAY 13TH!
Grades 9 — 11 Only
Periods 1‐6 Classes
9:40—2:00
Warning Bell: 9:35
Period 1 (A): 9:40 – 10:15
Period 2: 10:20 – 10:50
Period 6: 10:55 – 12:15
Lunch 1: 10:55 – 11:16
Lunch 2: 11:15 – 11:36
Lunch 3: 11:35 – 11:56
Lunch 4: 11:54 – 12:15
Period 3: 12:20 – 12:50
Period 4: 12:55 – 1:25
Period 5: 1:30 – 2:00
17
Grades 9 ‐ 12
Exam Review Day
Abbreviated Schedule
(School Ends at 11:55)
The High School Outing Club and Environmental Sciences Club are teaming up with the South Windsor
Walk and Wheel Ways to organize the first high school bike to school event ever to be held in Connecticut.
On Friday, May 13, participants will meet at Saint Margaret Mary's parking lot on Hayes Road at 6:30 a.m.
and ride or walk to the high school where breakfast and a raffle will await. Students can lock their bicycles
on the fence inside school property.
Both clubs are thrilled with the support offered by the community. Recreation Department director Ray Favreau made a
personal appearance at the high school to lend his support. The SW Walk and Wheel Ways have been working with police
to address safety needs, as well as with local business to help support the event. Faculty and students alike are excited
about the early morning ride!

FBLA
Fifteen members of the SWHS chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, accompanied by teacher Lisa Barrett,
travelled to the 48th Annual State Leadership Conference in late March. Our FBLA Chapter received the Chapter
Recognition Award for achieving Bronze Chapter Status. Five individual trophies were also presented to the students
listed below. It was a wonderful day and the students represented the school beautifully!
• Kevin Ng — 5th place ‐ Business Calculations
• Kyle Bolden — 2nd place—Marketing
• Brian Bendernagel — 4th place — Business Communications • Zeby Khan — 1st place—Public Speaking 2
• Joshua Mun — 5th place — Business Communications
FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVERS
The South Windsor High School Future Problem Solving team of Emma Richard, Alex Loukelis, Laila King and Katie
Cavanaugh received Second Place in the Senior Division Skit Competition at the Connecticut State Future Problem
Solving Meet at E. O. Smith High School in Storrs on March 25 and 26. The team was coached by David Thoman.
CAPITAL REGION INTERDISTRICT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Congratulations to Nick Bayer (junior) and Nate Trojian (sophomore) who have been chosen to participate in CRILA
8 (Capital Region Interdistrict Leadership Academy) because of their demonstrated ability to guide their peers and
their exceptional promise as contributors to our community. As members of CRILA 8 they will soon begin a year
long experience that will develop their ethical and collaborative leadership skills, challenge their self‐knowledge,
and help them grow as persons and leaders. As part of the program Nick and Nate will attend a week long, all expenses
paid, outward bound trip to Colorado in June. Congratulations to both outstanding student leaders!
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
On Saturday, April 2, the SWHS Science Olympiad team took 3rd place in the state competition at UCONN. In addition,
3 student teams placed bronze, 4 student teams placed silver, and one student team placed gold, as listed
below. Congratulations on a great year!
• Hyun‐Young Kim and Bobby Hunt ‐ silver in Astronomy
• Ben Waksman and Lauren Branscombe ‐ bronze in Disease
• Raffi Mangoyan and Rohin Thomas ‐ bronze in Helicopter
• Azm Siddiqui and Rish Rastogi ‐ silver in Helicopter
• Alexa Libro , Emma Richards and Ambica Mehndiratta ‐ silver in Protein Modeling
• Nelson Yi and Andrew Broduer ‐ bronze in Sumobot
• Hyun‐Young Kim and Suraj Nagaraj ‐ silver in Tower Building
• Ben Waksman and Lauren Branscombe ‐ gold in Write It and Do It)
CAS SCHOLAR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
The Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) hosted 16th Annual Arts Recognition
banquet in April to honor Connecticut’s outstanding high school visual
and performing arts students. SWHS selected award recipients Carolyn Pearson
for Performing Arts and Nicole Bairos for Visual Arts.
Both Carolyn and Nicole embody the qualities of the well‐rounded arts students
that we strive to create here at SWHS. Carolyn is a member of Choral
Spectrum, Concert Chorus, Wind Ensemble, and has held several lead roles in
the high school musical and drama productions. Nicole has studied painting, design, pottery, creative metals, photography
and graphic design. Bright futures are ahead of both of these very talented young ladies!
3

CHORAL SPECTRUM
Choral Spectrum recently completed their annual competition season. At their first festival, the New England Show
Choir Classic, Spectrum was awarded a gold medal, best band, a Judge's Award for senior Brendon Patrie and
placed 5th overall. At the second event, The Eastern Show Choir Festival, Spectrum was once again awarded a Gold
Medal, Best Band, a Judge's award for the Spectrum Band Horn Section, and a Judge's award for Junior Nick Bayer.
Congratulations to the performers, crew and staff on another great season!
FIRST ROBOTICS
This past weekend the Bobcat Robotics team competed in the 2011 Northeast Utilities FIRST Connecticut Regional.
The team performed exceptionally well and won 9 of 10 qualification matches to seed 2nd at the event. The Bobcats
selected team 175 Buzz robotics and team 1073 as alliance partners and moved on to compete in the finals.
After winning the quarter finals and semifinals the team was defeated in the finals and finished 2nd overall at the
competition. In addition to the second place finish the team also won the Industrial Design Award sponsored by
General Motors for creating a robust and reliable robot.
VEX ROBOTICS
On Sunday April 3rd, the Central Connecticut State University, Kaiser Gym the Bobcats team 1777 from South Windsor
High School lead by Norman Smith participated in the 2011Connecticut CTEA State VEX Robotic championship.
At this event sponsored by the College of Technology Next Generation Manufacturing Center, the CCSU School of
Engineering and Technology and the Connecticut Technology Education Association, students competed to qualify
to represent Connecticut at the World Championship VEX competition in mid April at the Disney Wide World of
Sports Complex in Florida.
After competing against teams from Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and
Massachusetts the team of Kyle Madalena, Luke Mancuso, Ryan Piccirillo, Rahul Rajagopalan,
Rish Rastogi, Viren Shinde, Kevin Smith, Shaun Thomas, Sam Wiggins, T.J.
Watson, and John Zhao from South Windsor High School won the Robot Skills Champion
Award, which qualifies the team for the 2011 VEX World Event April 2011 Disney
Wide World of Sports, the Create Award, and took second place in the Programming
Skills competition.
Create Award: The “Create” award is earned by a team whose robot design incorporates a creative engineering
solution to the design challenges of this year’s game. Attributes such as solid mechanical ability, unique design solutions
and innovative approaches to playing the game will be taken into account by the judges looking for teams
demonstrating a highly creative engineering design process.
As Connecticut strives to expand opportunities in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education
the VEX program not only supports this effort by providing us with an exciting competition but also curriculum
based robotics. As we introduce and expand robotics into our education program, VEX provides a dynamic platform
to introduce us to STEM concepts and applications.
FACULTY RECOGNITION: AL MOTHERSELE
Al Mothersele was named a finalist for the Woodie Flowers Award at the Regional FIRST Robotics competition
which took place at WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts on March 19th. As a finalist, Mr. Mothersele is eligible to receive
the Woodie Flowers Award which will be presented at the National competition in St. Louis on May 1. The
Woodie Flowers Award celebrates effective communication in the art and science of engineering and design, and
recognizes mentors who lead, inspire, and empower using excellent communication skills. Mr. Mothersele is the
director of technology systems and programs and has worked with the South Windsor High School’s FIRST Robotics
team for seventeen years.
4

A.P. U.S.H. AT M.T.H.
On Wednesday, April 6, A.P. U.S. History students took part in a program designed by the Mark
Twain House and Museum. Analyzing primary sources, students collaborated and wrote two Data‐
Based Question (DBQ) responses in jigsaw activities which looked at how Twain's thinking evolved
over the course of his life.
Born a provincial southerner into a slave society, Twain's assumptions and attitudes about race
were constantly changing. This change was reflected in excerpts from his letters, books, and lectures
which students read and discussed. Later in his life, Twain took a somewhat unpopular
(though unapologetic) stand against U.S. imperialism in the 1890s.
Students from South Windsor High School honed their reading, writing, and analysis skills in preparation for the DBQ
activity that is one facet of their A.P. U.S. History exam.
AN APPLE FOR THE STUDENTS
Five students in the Video Production class recently obtained Level 1 Apple Certification for Final Cut Pro.
They are the first to have successfully achieved this level of success since South Windsor High School became
an Apple Authorized Training Center for Education last year. Apple's professional digital applications
are the standard for professional photographers, filmmakers, editors, sound designers, music producers,
and multimedia artists. Tylur Craddock, Michael Lynch, Daniel Hansen, Jennifer Lyon, and Joseph
Marchesseault completed the certification training and the online test administered by Prometric on April 7, 2011.
Becoming an Apple Certified Pro attests to the fact that the student has operational knowledge of the Final Cut Pro editing
application. In an increasingly impacted job market, Apple certifications can help these students stand out from the
crowd and differentiate between them and the competition. There is also the potential for it to raise earning potential,
build credibility with clients and employers, and open the door to opportunities for career advancement.
The students are currently developing a portfolio of work demonstrating their skills in media development using Final
Cut Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Cinema 4D and other software. The projects which replicate techniques that are being
used in the film and animation industry are designed and produced by individuals or small groups in the class. The final
DVD portfolios can be used in the college admission process or in obtaining jobs in the marketplace. A former student in
the Video Production class received a $50,000 college scholarship for his portfolio work. Congratulations to these students
for earning Apple Certified Pro Final Cut Pro 7 Level One certification!
33 RD ANNUAL K-12 ART EXHIBITION
South Windsor Public School students will have their artwork on display at the South Windsor
Public Library from April 28—May 24, 2011. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening
on Thursday, April 28 from 6:00 p.m.—8:30 p.m. During the opening there will be students
demonstrating their metal work, potter’s wheel, and claywork skills in the Program
Room in the Children’s Library. Drawings and paintings will be hung in the Friend’s Gallery;
metal work will be in the 2 nd floor showcases; and potter’s wheel and claywork pieces will
be in the 1 st floor showcases. The displays will be open for viewing during normal library
hours. And don’t forget to mark your calendar… the Senior Exhibition will open June 1 st
and the Alumni Exhibition will open June 15 th,
also at the South Windsor Public Library.
5

GIRL’S TENNIS TEAM DEDICATES A MATCH IN HONOR OF BOB PENNELL
Several weeks ago, members of the South Windsor community were extremely saddened and shocked to hear the news of the
passing of Bob Pennell. Mr. Pennell was a beloved member of the SWHS Social Studies Department and taught various
courses throughout his career, including U.S. History, Economics, and Modern World History. In addition, Mr. Pennell was the
varsity baseball coach for several years and a great supporter of South Windsor’s athletic teams. Those who were close to Bob
Pennell admired his sense of humor, wonderful personality, selflessness, and commitment to education. Faculty members,
students who had Mr. Pennell as a teacher, and many members of the South Windsor community who knew him were all lucky
to have known the man and were proud to call him a colleague, friend, and teacher.
The South Windsor High School Girl’s Tennis Team will be dedicating their May 18 th tennis match against Bristol Eastern in
honor of Mr. Pennell. Although Mr. Pennell was truly a baseball fan and enthusiast at heart, he had a profound respect for the
sport of tennis and always asked me on the progress of the team. A competitor himself, few people appreciated a great high
school rivalry more than Bob Pennell. The quality of tennis and intense competition between South Windsor and Bristol Eastern
would make the coach in Bob Pennell very proud and it is for this reason that this match has been selected.
In addition, during the tennis match on May 18 th , donations will be accepted for a scholarship recently created in Bob Pennell’s
name. It is called the Robert J. Pennell Memorial Scholarship and awarded to a graduating SWHS senior. This scholarship will
be administered through the South Windsor Dollars for Scholars Foundation. All cash and check donations will be collected by
the South Windsor tennis team and fully donated towards the Robert J. Pennell Memorial Scholarship; no donation is too
small. Unable to attend the match but would like to donate? Checks can be made out to “SWDFS” and the address is P.O. Box
197, South Windsor, CT 06074. To direct your donation towards this scholarship, please write “Bob Pennell Scholarship” on the
memo line.
In honor of a truly special person…we miss you “Pops.”
Sincerely,
Frank Rizzuto
SWHS Girls’ Varsity Tennis Coach
WRESTLING TEAM
The SWHS Wrestling team had another very successful season, finishing 17‐0, their first undefeated season ever. The
Bobcats were perfect in the CCC North and claimed their 5 th CCC North Championship in a row. Leading the Bobcats to
the conference title were ten All‐Conference wrestlers.
The SW Wrestling Team found both team and individual success in the post season. Led by seniors, Jake Odell, Brandon
Lopez, Paul Sullivan, Keith Dalesio and Mike Cottle, the Bobcats placed 3 rd in the LL State Championship. No other team
in the tournament advanced more than two wrestlers to the finals, but the SW wrestlers showed their determination
with 5 finalists. Seniors Jake Odell and Paul Sullivan were crowned LL State Champs, while Sam Odell, Brandon Lopez and
Casey Mitchell wrestled well, but placed 2 nd . Freshman Conor Caffrey also helped the team with his 6 th place finish.
The five finalists qualified for the State Open wrestling tournament the following weekend. After some great wrestling,
the SW Wrestling team finished 4 th in the entire state. Dealing with an early injury to Paul Sullivan and not having Sam
Odell fully healthy, the remaining Bobcats wrestled their best to help their team. Senior Brandon Lopez wrestled to a 3 rd
place finish to complete an amazing career. Sophomore Casey Mitchell stepped up his performance from being a runner
up in the LL tournament to winning the State Open. Mitchell’s 2011 State Open Championship was an improvement over
an impressive 2 nd place finish in 2010. Also finishing 2 nd in the State Open last year was Senior Jake Odell. Odell made
sure this was his year. After, completing a perfect 33‐0 season and winning the LL State Tournament, Odell walked
through the competition to claim his State Open title. The 2011 SW Wrestling team completed a fantastic season and
would like to thank all the parents, students and staff for their support.
6

SPRING ATHLETICS KICK-OFF
Boys Tennis: The Boys’ Tennis team, coached by Coach Allen Dunbar, is currently 1‐0 with a win against RHAM. In
singles play, the team is led by senior tri‐captains Sohil Khurana, Jason Chang and Aamir Addona. Sohil and Aamir
lead the singles play while juniors Kyle Krol and Kevin Maki lead doubles play. Coach Dunbar describes the team’s
strength as their good attitude and work ethic.
Girls Tennis: The Girls’ Tennis team, coached by Coach Frank Rizzuto, is 2‐1. He describes the team’s strength as
having experienced and skilled singles players. The team is led by senior Andie Earwaker and junior captains Lauren
Schmidt and KC Karasinski. Andie is the team’s most veteran player . She has been very consistent, playing number
3 or 4 singles at the varsity level her entire high school career. Both Lauren and KC, currently numbers 1 and 2, respectively,
have been playing varsity since their freshman years.
Softball: Coaching the softball team, is Coach Mandy Roczniak. The softball team is considered a solid contender
and is currently 1‐2. Their team strength is pitching and offense. One of the goals this year is to minimize defensive
errors. Top returning players include three All‐Conference players: senior Tri‐Captain Tori Thomson, Senior Tri‐
Captain Caitie Holik and Shannon Martin. Also leading the team are senior Tri‐Captain Stephanie Rahm, seniors
Aubrie Mazur, Emily Armstrong and junior Alyson Stearns.
Golf: Coach LB Gray describes this year’s team as experienced. They are currently 4‐0. Senior captain, Zach Ryder,
is a returning starter who is a responsible team leader. Other top returning players include senior Cal Hedberg, a
fourth year starter who has earned All‐Conference honors three times, and Clark Robinson, a third year returning
All‐Conference starter. Clark has already earned medalist honors in each of the four events played this year.
Girls’ Track and Field: Coach Clint Bowman is pleased to have 60 athletes competing in Girls’ Track and Field this
spring. The team is currently 0‐1.There are some impressive returners including Preethi Vaidyanathan (State Open
high jump champion), Alex Shaw, (hurdle and long jump), Michelle Keilich (sprints), Kirsten Warner (pole vault),
Alisha Barrett (CCC North javelin champion), and Taylor Przybylski (CCC North pole vault champion).
Boys’ Track: The team is looking for someone to step up this year. The track team graduated their leading scorer for
the past 4 years in Brian Parker. Coach Peter Anthony hopes that it will be more than one. With good senior leadership
and a very strong CCC North Conference, the Bobcats look to be competitive. Seniors Brendan Gauthier
(distance), Will Moran (high jump), Tajay Morgan (sprints), and Mike Figuerido (sprints) will help provide the leadership.
Baseball: The baseball team returns five core offensive players from last year, three of whom were named to the
All‐Conference team: Pete Haggerty, Anthony Garcia and co‐ captain Derek Pike. Senior co‐captain Jeff Banach and
junior Brian Finnegan are key returning players as well. Second year coach, Ben Alaimo, describes the team as having
tremendous enthusiasm and chemistry. The baseball team is currently 2‐1.
Girls’ Lacrosse: The girls’ lacrosse team is coached by veteran Ed Duclos. They are currently 2‐0. The team is led by
seniors Rebecca Libutti (All‐Conference, 2010), Michelle Gilligan, Amy Chalmers, Tori Mitchell, Meg Eremita and
Avery Desrosiers. Coach Duclos describes his team as highly committed with a strong work ethic.
Boys: Lacrosse: The boys lacrosse team is led by senior captain and All‐Conference player Greg Pendergast and
seniors Troy Kremidas, Alex Polak, All‐Conference player Sean Doolady, Tim Colabrese, Dave Wolf, Tyler Woods and
Kevin Doolady. Coach Jon Giordano describes a team that has a strong group of returning players as well as eager,
athletic younger players who have worked hard in the off season. The team has a record of 1‐2.
Boys’ Volleyball: Coach Jim Holt is hoping to meet or exceed last year’s .500 record. He is returning Senior Captains
Ben Zandonella and Kyle Waters. Juniorsreturning that will make an impact are Jason George, Aaron Albert, Sam
Turek and Jimmy Sicord. Coach Holt describes the team’s strong points as hitting and blocking. They are looking to
be a competitive force in the CCC division. The boys’ volleyball team is currently 2‐1.
7

FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE
You never know what scholarships you might qualify for…
Please consider visiting the Career Center to look through the many scholarships that are available. Included below
are just a few that are being offered. Please stop by and see Mrs. Hewitt to learn more.
Merck Respiratory is seeking applicants for the “Will to Win” scholarship program. Two high school seniors will be
awarded $5,000 in the following categories: performing arts, visual arts, community service, athletics, and science. Eligible
students will be successful in managing their asthma, have a minimum GPA of 3.5, and have received at least one
award related to their category. The deadline for submission is April 30, 2011. Please visit
www.willtowinscholarship.com for more details.
The Amateur Radio Club of Connecticut’s Capitol Region is offering a $500 scholarship to a high school senior. Students
must be planning to attend an accredited 2 or 4 year college/university and study sciences, computer technology,
mathematics, engineering, communications, technology or a related field. All materials are due by April 30, 2011.
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is offering scholarships for high school seniors who are planning to attend
community college. Applications are due June 1, 2011. Please visit www.hfpg.org/scholarships for more details.
AES Engineers is committed to continuing its support of higher education by providing scholarships to deserving students.
To be eligible, students need to answer one of the essay questions that on the AES website at
http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of character, as determined
by evaluating the essays that are submitted. The deadline for submission is October 7, 2011.
Summer Opportunities
It’s not too early to start thinking of fun and exciting ways to spend your summer… stop by the Career Center to check
out the Summer Program information that is starting to arrive. Programs are being offered in a variety of areas ranging
from engineering, teaching, volunteering, getting a jump start on college credits and more. Many of the enrollment
deadlines are fast approaching.
University of Connecticut will be conducting the UConn Mentor Connection program from July 11‐29. The program is
for rising high school juniors and seniors who wish to participate in creative projects and research. The minimum admission
requirements are: ranked in the top 25% of your class, minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher, and full completion of application
materials. All materials must be received by April 25, 2011.
Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library will be hosting a Summer Teen Enrichment Program for students
entering grades 10‐12. This is an intensive 4 week summer program focused on history and museum work. The program
begins on July 5 and ends on July 28.
Springfield College will be hosting an Athletic Training Student Workshop from July 10‐14 on the Springfield campus. The
workshop is intended for students interested in careers in athletic training and sports medicine. There is a $695 fee and
applications must be received by May 2, 2011. Please visit www.spfcol.edu/specialprograms for more details.
University of Connecticut will be hosting the Explore Engineering program for current 10 th and 11 th graders. It is a one
week residential program where participants will explore engineering careers and learn/demonstrate engineering concepts.
Enrollment is limited to 100 students and there is a $500 fee to cover cost. Applications can be found at
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/engineering2000.php?id=3.
Smith College (Northampton, MA) is offering the Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program from July 3‐30 th 2011.
The program is open to girls in grades 9‐12. Please visit www.smith.edu/ssep for more details.
Summer School Options
Attention all students! Various high school courses are offered through the West Hartford Summer Options. For more
information on the types of courses offered, times, registration, and fees, please refer to the summer guide booklets
which are available in the Career Center.
8

FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE
Special Programs
Johnson and Wales University is offering an Early Enrollment Program for high school juniors. The program allows students
who will be high school seniors in the fall of 2011 to complete their high school requirements while earning credit
at JWU simultaneously. The EEP application can be downloaded at www.jwu.edu/admissions.
CollegeWeekLive: At CollegeWeekLive, you can: Chat live with admissions reps from 300+ colleges– show your interest!
Find $2.5+ million in financial aid & scholarships from participating colleges, hear what campus life is like via student
video webcasts from favorite schools, get great admissions advice from experts presenting live via video on topics like
“How to write a college application essay” and “How to find scholarships”, and be eligible to win a $10,000 scholarship
just for logging in! Visit www.collegeweeklive.com for more details
New England Board of Higher Education has announced the 2011‐12 information and degree programs approved under
the NEBHE tuition break, the regional student program. Students are eligible to pay in state tuition fees at a school outside
of CT if they intend to major in a subject not offered in a CT school. Please visit www.nebhe.org/tutuionbreak for
more details and a comprehensive list of degree programs.
2011 AP EXAM SCHEDULE
AP Testing will take place during the first two weeks in May. These are National dates and times, and are not able
to be adjusted. All AP exams will take place at the high school in the rooms indicated below. A mandatory Pre‐
Administration Session for all AP students will take place on Tuesday, April 26 during Period 3 in the cafeteria.
DATE TIME AP SUBJECT LOCATION
Monday, May 2 7:30 a.m. Chemistry Room 159
Monday, May 2 7:30 a.m. Environmental Science Counseling Conference Room
Tuesday, May 3 7:30 a.m. Spanish Language Computer Lab—Room 234C
Wednesday, May 4 7:30 a.m. Calculus AB Room 100
Thursday, May 5 7:30 a.m. English Literature & Composition Room 159—Addona—Gilligan;
Room 120—Glass‐Pantason;
Media Center Conf. Room—Patrie ‐ Zandonella
Friday, May 6 7:30 a.m. United States History Room 159—Bellis‐Kennedy;
Room 100—Kim‐Nagaraj;
Media Center Conf.—O’Brien ‐ Yurek
Monday, May 9 7:30 a.m. Biology Room 159—Basile—Khadijah;
Room 100—Kim‐Pawelczyk;
Media Center Conf. Room—Powell‐Waksman
Monday, May 9 11:30 a.m. Physics B Room 159
Monday, May 9 11:30 a.m. Physics C; Mechanics/Electricity Room 100
Tuesday, May 10 7:30 a.m. United States Government & Room 100
Politics
Tuesday, May 10 11:30 a.m. French Language Computer Lab—Room 234C
Wednesday, May 11 7:30 a.m. English Language & Composition Room 159—Adamo—Desrosiers;
Room 100—Desy‐Miller;
Media Center Conf. Room—Mullen– Young
Wednesday, May 11 11:30 a.m. Statistics Room 159—Addona‐Inguanti;
Room 120—Jones‐Pierce;
Media Center Conf. Room—Polak ‐ Zandonella
Thursday, May 12 7:30 a.m. World History Room 100
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MEDIA CENTER RESOURCES ON THE GO
Got a Question? Answer Unknown? - Get Our Library On Your Phone
Owners of iPhones and iTouches can now download an app to access all the eBooks and
database articles available in the Gale Virtual Reference Library located on the Media Center’s
Online Research Page. After downloading a free App from the iTunes App Store, students
can use their phones to search over 340 electronic research books and over 40 specialized
magazine databases, along with collections of resources assembled for class projects.
Interested? First, see Mrs. Luddy for the Media Center password and a quick tour of the
GVRL site. After installing the app on an iPhone or iTouch, select our school library from a
state list and enter the password. The app will open displaying the resources from our GVRL
collection. Students can also link to the Media Center’s Online Research Page to use the
other outstanding databases for research.
Media Center Resources– available from home computers, now accessible from your
SPRING COMEDY— “LEND ME A TENOR”
“Lend Me a Tenor” will be performed in the SWHS auditorium Friday, May 6 and Saturday,
May 7 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Our students will be filling
in for the likes of Tony Shalhoub and Anthony Lapaglia (of Monk and Without a Trace
fame) as they explore the classic comedic devices of mistaken identity, love triangles, slamming
doors, and wax fruit. A revival of “Lend me a Tenor” finished its most recent Broadway
run in August to rave reviews. If you love the theater, you can’t miss this show. If you haven’t
seen a lot of stage productions, or any, this is a great place to start. Tenor is fast paced and
hilarious throughout. You won’t find a funnier show anywhere.
The students involved in the spring show have overwhelmingly requested that we continue to
produce comedies. In order to find material that challenges us as artists and provides entertainment for our predominantly
high school audience, we have tackled Neil Simon (The Good Doctor and Rumors) and Michael Frayn
(Noises Off), along with Woody Allen (Don’t Drink the Water) over the years. These pieces are revered as classic
masterpieces of comedy. They also deal with adult topics that stretch both our audience and our students to deal
with complex issues that go beyond the comedic and explore some of the darker sides of humanity. These shows
have always been intended for high school aged or older audiences. We continue this practice with “Lend Me a
Tenor” and hope that you will leave our performance thoroughly amused and perhaps ready to discuss your own
view of self worth, talent, and just how far you would go to advance your career. Enjoy the Show!
CIVIL LIBERTIES
The United States History classes evaluated the struggle for equality
among many groups in terms of the need for equity in civil liberties during
the 1960’s. They assessed the role of the legislative, judicial, and executive
branches in advancing the civil rights movement. The techniques utilized
by different advocacy groups were compared and contrasted in terms of
efficacy. The students completed research on events, individual champions
and group experiences. This culminated in a display of student work in the
pendulum area of the hallway.
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“RACE TO NOWHERE” VIEWING
— WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 @ 7:00 P.M.
The Parent Advisory Council will be hosting a screening of the documentary “Race to Nowhere”
on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Per the film's
website, “Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to
challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become
healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.” After the film, there will be a panel discussion
and Q&A facilitated by Mr. Sullivan. We hope you join us for an informative night.
Tickets are $10 (plus a $1.54 handling fee) and are available via this link:
http://www.racetonowhere.com/epostcard/4854
The event is open to the public and may sell out -
please purchase your tickets as soon as possible!
Please join us for our last PAC meeting of the year on Tuesday, May 17th at 6:30 p.m. the high school media center. Also,
if you are interested in a position on the PAC board for next school year, please contact Karen Albert at
HSKYDG80@msn.com.
Hope to see you!
Athena Loukellis and Jodi Oliver, Co-Presidents
SAVING THE WORLD: A STUDENT ON A MISSION
This year, as a member of South Windsor High School’s chapter of the National Honors Society, student Meredith Hillmon
aspired to make an effort in increasing the awareness of mankind’s tireless battle against global warming. As part of
her service project, Meredith is using multiple communication venues to reach students and families regarding the importance
of keeping an eco‐conscious mind. In the following sections, Meredith lists three environmentally degrading
problems that she believes any high school student can counteract. She urges everyone to make an honest effort to become
mindful of the following factors that have detrimental impacts to the environment, and remember that it should
be our duty to give back to the Earth all that we extract from it.
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
The Problem: Recycling
How You Can Help: Recycling is the method of reusing materials that would otherwise be disposed of in a
landfill or an incinerator. Household products that contain glass, aluminum, paper and plastic are used to
make new products. Recycling not only saves money in production and energy costs, but it helps save the
environment from the impacts of untreated materials. Do your part in reducing waste by making the
choice to purchase reusable products instead of disposables, and choose to purchase products with minimal packaging.
By recycling at least half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
Drive Less, Drive Smart
The Problem: The Harmful Impacts of Driving Upon the Environment
How You Can Help: Driving a car is the most air polluting act the average citizen commits. Local pollution
can be significantly reduced if every student eligible to drive made the pledge to use their car less. This is a
responsible, individual contribution to a worldwide problem. At least thirty percent of vehicle use is optional.
Remember: driving less produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
The “Off” Switch
The Problem: Leaving the Lights On in an Unoccupied Room
How You Can Help: Many people believe the myth that turning off lights in an unoccupied room cannot
make a significant difference. This is false. If every single household made an effort to turn off the lights in
vacant rooms, the results would be remarkable. Each household would experience a reduction of up to
25% in the amount of electricity used every day, and this would result in less stress on our energy grids.
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SWHS DATES TO REMEMBER
ER
APRIL
26‐28 8th Grade Visits, TEMS Field Trip, 8:00 a.m.
26 AP Information Session for Students, 9:30 a.m.
MAY
6‐7 Spring Comedy, “Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:00 p.m.
2‐12 AP Exams (see schedule on page 9)
10 Zebra Cup—Student/Teacher Tennis Tournament
11 “Race to Nowhere” Viewing, Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
13 Ride Bikes to School and Spring Cookout
14 Junior Prom, Marriott Hartford
16‐18 Honor Roll Award Assemblies, 7:30 a.m. (by invitation)
21 Senior Reception, La Renaissance
23 8th Grade Parent Breakfast Social, 7:30—9:00 a.m.
26 Senior Class Outing
30 Memorial Day Holiday—School and District Offices Closed
JUNE
1‐2 SWHS Chorus Concert, 7:00 p.m.
3 Culture Fair
6 Spring Sports Awards Night
8 Senior Class Awards and Scholarship Night
9 Jazz in the Park
14 Class of 2011 Graduation, 6:30 p.m., Convention Center
HOMEROOM DAYS (Periods 2, 4, HR, 5, 7)
April 28, May 5, June 2
CURRICULUM WRITING DAYS
May 12, 19 and 26
June 7
June 8
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE (see page 5)
Regular Class Schedule;
Seniors take Period 1 & 3 Exams during class
Regular Class Schedule;
Seniors take Period 2 & 6 Exams during class
June 9 Regular Class Schedule;
Seniors take Period 4 & 5 Exams during class
June 10 Period 7 EXAM — Grades 9‐12;
Grades 9‐11 stay for periods 1‐6
June 13 EXAMS Periods 1 & 2 — Grades 9‐11;
Grade 12 Make‐ups
June 14 EXAMS Periods 3 & 4 — Grades 9‐11;
Grade 12 Graduation
June 15 EXAM Period 5 — Grades 9‐11
Make‐ups — Grades 9‐11
June 16 EXAM Period 6 — Grades 9‐11
Make‐ups — Grades 9‐11
June 17 Exam Review Day—Grades 9‐12
South Windsor High School
161 Nevers Road
South Windsor, CT 06074
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
So. Windsor, CT 06074
Permit # 15
Phone: (860) 648-5000
School Counseling: (860) 648-5003
Attendance: (860) 648-5005
Fax: (860) 648-5013
www.southwindsorschools.org/highschool
Community Accepts and Respects Everyone
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