Friday, May 18, 2012
The Board, however, didn't vote on whether a new building should be constructed.
The Board of Education unanimously passesd the Statement of Requirements for planned renovations to Miller-Driscoll Elementary School, according to the Wilton Villager. Before approval, any langauge requiring specific sizes and dimensions for the renovations were removed. The board has also left the possibility of constructing a new building open. It instead decided to focus on "the current and future facilities requirements for the town's pre-school and K through 2 operations," Board of Education Chairman Bruce Likly wrote in an email to the Villager. As reported in Patch in April, Macolm Whyte, chair of the Council of Public Facilities (CoF), stated that as-is, the SoR would require an entirely new structure. “This document can only …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Osborn Hill teacher Kristin Golia is in the running to be crowned the Top Teacher of 2012 on Live! with Kelly.
If you can get to a TV Friday morning, flip on Live with Kelly! at 9 a.m. -- you may see a familiar face. Kristin Golia, a third-grade teacher at Osborn Hill School, made it to the top five finalists for Live’s third annual Top Teacher Search and will appear both live on Friday’s episode and in a pre-taped segment filmed at the school. Following Golia’s appearance -- she’s the last of the five finalists to be featured -- friends, family, and viewers have until Monday to vote for the “Top Teacher” of 2012. Voting will take place on Live’s Top Teacher Search website. The Stamford resident, who will graduate Sunday from Fairfield University with a Masters’ degree in elementary education, was nominated by Jessica Gerber of Fairfield. Golia …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
35 percent of Connecticut eighth grade students reached proficiency in the subject in 2011 — the same percentage that reached proficiency in 2009 — however since then numerous other states have beefed-up their science programs.
As Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy prepares to sign the state's new education reform bill into law, a report from The National Center for Education Statistics shows that the state has dropped in the rankings for science proficiency. According to the report (see attached PDF), 35 percent of Connecticut eight grade students reached proficiency in the subject in 2011 — the same percentage that reached proficiency in 2009 — however since then numerous other states have beefed-up their science programs. As a result seven states have pushed ahead of Connecticut in the national ranking, according to the report. The report notes that although Connecticut has slipped in the rankings, its student proficiency rate in science is higher than the …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The reform bill now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for his signature.
The Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously approved the education reform bill Tuesday night, after the state Senate approved the lengthy bill early Tuesday morning. The legislation is viewed as a compromise of sorts and ends months of controversy between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Connecticut Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. Malloy has pledged to sign the bill into law. "I can say, with confidence, that this bill will allow us to begin fixing what is broken in our public schools," Malloy said during a hastily assembled press conference late Monday evening at the state Capitol to announce the agreement. The state Senate then huddled in chambers for the better part of the night Monday into Tuesday …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The annual list ranks schools based on student performance on standardized tests as well as student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.
Wilton High School is the eighth best high school in Connecticut and the 335th best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best High Schools ranking. The annual list ranks schools based on student performance on standardized tests as well as student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Since 2009 the list has been expanded from 1,800 to 22,000 high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia (Nebraska did not report enough data to be included in this year's rankings), U.S. News reports. U.S. News says it partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research in developing the ranking methodology. In addition U.S. News awarded more than 4,850…
Many questions still remained about the education reform agreement that the governor and legislature announced Monday night.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy got an education reform package late Monday, while the Connecticut Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, also appeared to get what it wanted, as the final agreement appears to be somewhat of a compromise between the governor's initial proposal and ones backed by the union. Although details of the agreement were still cloudy late Monday, and any bill making the proposed reforms law must still be approved by the legislature, Malloy hailed the agreement as one that will bring "meaningful education reform" to Connecticut. "I can say, with confidence, that this bill will allow us to begin fixing what is broken in our public schools," Malloy said during a hastily assembled press conference late …
I owe it all to the Wilton Education Foundation, which also raised more than $40,000 for the town’s schools at the same time.
Good thing you too know how to read—I counted on that so you’d click on my story to learn my magical technique to get my daughter reading so fast. Okay, it’s a slight exaggeration. But I will say that the Wilton Education Foundation’s (WEF) recent “Reading Rocks” program definitely had a lot to do with her recent improvement in reading ability and skill. Right off the bat, I need to let you know that I am a board member of WEF, so I am admittedly proud of the work this organization does to support the schools with fundraising and educational programming. But since I wasn’t a direct part of planning this year’s inaugural effort of “Reading Rocks” (a team of other amazing people did put in great effort into making it a success), in a way I…
41.20533
-73.431752
Cider Mill School
240 School Rd, Wilton, CT
/articles/how-my-5-year-old-learned-to-read-in-just-two-weeks
47861
/locations/6959554
41.17412
-73.439067
Driscoll School
336 Belden Hill Rd, Wilton, CT
/articles/how-my-5-year-old-learned-to-read-in-just-two-weeks
60105
/locations/6959555
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The graduates, most of whom came from the university’s business school or teaching program, spanned a range of ages, interests, degrees and career goals.
[Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Farmington Patch:] Hundreds of University of Connecticut graduate students were presented with diplomas at the university’s graduate commencement Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion. The graduates, most of whom came from the university’s business school or teaching program, spanned a range of ages, interests, degrees and career goals. While many of the students enrolled in their post-graduate programs right after getting their bachelor's degrees, many, including Edilia Mora, postponed their advanced degrees. “It’s just wonderful,” said Mora, who got her master's degree in business administration. “I actually stopped when I had my baby, so this was a goal for me.” At the ceremony, …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Building Blocks Early Learning Center’s new location off Danbury Road offers a bounty of activities, learning opportunities for the infant-to-preschool set.
Like many parents-to-be, 36-year-old Stamford native Mitch Hoffman invested many hours in early 2008 searching for the best and most affordable infant care for his first son, comparing nannies to local facilities. But as he struggled to find a center that fit his ideals, the entrepreneur and part-time baseball coach for New Canaan High School came to the conclusion that it may just be better to create his own. And so shortly after the birth of his son Maddox, in September 2008, Stamford’s Building Blocks Early Learning Center (72 Camp Avenue Stamford; 203-517-9769), opened its doors. “I was searching around for childcare, and I really couldn’t find something that I totally appreciated and was as comprehensive as I liked,” says Hoffman, who…
Monday, April 30, 2012
What do I need to do to get you to turn out for this week's annual meeting and vote on the FY '13 town budget?
“Oops, I forgot to pay my mortgage. Oh well, I’ll just pay it next month.” “Shucks, I didn’t register for any classes this semester. I’ll just go where they tell me, even if the classes they give me have nothing to do with my major.” “Gee, I didn’t look up the address for my interview in the city. Well, I’ll just point the car south and let’s see if I can figure it out. Whatever.” Can’t imagine those words above ever coming out of your mouth? Trust yourself enough to be more responsible than to allow any of those situations above to happen to you? Well, try this one on for size and ask yourself—Would I ever say this: "Shoot, I forgot to vote on Wilton’s annual budget at this year’s Town Meeting. Oh well, I’ll just pay whatever taxes they …
41.210722
-73.431832
Wilton High School
395 Danbury Rd, Wilton, CT
/articles/wilton-s-got-me-begging-now-please-vote
47859
/locations/6905811
Amo Probus
6:31 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
Brace yourself, they will try to spend 50 million for a new building when 25 million would be sufficient. more ›