#i really really wish i had gone to culinary school or even like media production or even teaching certs

[bandofchimeras]

hey poor kids, unsolicted advice btw: if don't know wtf to do with your life, if you can, go to trade school or technical college. rather than uni. or get an apprenticeship or work in something cool for bit. like a ship. or HVAC. a mechanic shop. you will feel so much better about yourself with a practical skill under your belt, and a career track to make enough money to address your loans. you will also have REAL SKILLS if shit goes down. and more likely access to a union! later, if you wanna go to uni for something more intellectual or specialized, you have a more solid financial foundation, community support, and confidence. universities have incredible opportunities & scholarships but often prey on young undecided teens and/or their parents and willingness to take out gov loans. this ESPECIALLY applies to queer kids & girls - if you think you can't do a trades bc its male dominated, GET SUPPORT & GO FOR IT! you may be being economically stunted by gendered narratives.

[salmenzo]

Weekly Update - Monday, February 8, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“In a world where so many are throwing bricks on others, 

be the one who builds bridges with them.”

Emma Xu

Good Morning,

I hope that everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl.  I know it was very different due to the pandemic and snow.  I usually spend the day with my dad, but with the combination of the bad weather and the virus, we had to text and talk throughout the game.  Next year will be different and hopefully Tom Brady won’t be playing in the game.  Sorry, once a New York fan always a New York fan.

I do want to reiterate my plea for patience and kindness to one another as we continue to address the challenges of the pandemic.  None of this is easy for anyone.  With that said, I would like to remind people that oftentimes kindness is a key in solving problems.  If you have a challenge you are facing, please try to approach those who may be in a position to help you in a proactive and positive manner.  The way you handle such situations really does impact everyone.  Being potentially aggressive or disrespectful never serves any situation well.  Again, I know there is a lot of stress at this time for everyone.  Therefore, it is even more important that we all do our best to treat each other respectfully.

Budget Update

Wednesday evening, the Board of Education approved a 2.13% increase for the 2021-2022 school budget.  The following items were included in addition to sustaining our present levels of service.

The next step in the budget process is to submit the budget to the Mayor for his review.  He will then issue his budget proposal to the Town Council in April 1.

I will keep you informed as to next steps and the dates of the public meeting on the budget and Town Council. 

Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management 

The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management 3 class at Lyman Hall High School has recently launched a Facebook page. They will use this media platform to share information about their program and connect to the Wallingford community. Their page will feature some of their most popular student-operated businesses such as The Cook’s Table, A Healthy Drive, and events such as their Signature Pop-up shops, and take home meal service Pure Fresh. 

Due to the pandemic they needed to adapt and change from their traditional learning format and had to find new and safe ways to apply their skills. With that in mind, they are proud to announce FIT4YOU!. This program will share helpful tips, information, and ideas on food, fitness, finance, and fun. As they move forward, you should look for some of their favorite recipes, health and wellness tips, financial insight, music, books and podcast recommendations. 

You can find them at the link below:

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/Lyman-Hall-Culinary-Arts-and-Hospitality-Management-104907028229218

WTNH Link to What's Right with Schools - https://www.facebook.com/48010180735/posts/10157789402220736/?d=n

This week, Mark T. Sheehan High School is being highlighted on WTNH’s - What’s Right with Schools.  The story focuses on the upcoming virtual production of 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine.  

The show is February 19 & 20, 2021 beginning at 7:00 PM. A streaming ticket for this event is $20.00 and will allow you to stream to your TV and have your family watch the show. Streaming tickets can be purchased from our website: http://bit.ly/SheehanDrama. Each ticket has its own unique streaming code.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Here are this week’s faculty shot outs!

I just wanted to make you aware of the support my family received from Sheehan High School. While it was not direct instruction, the social-emotional support my son received from his teachers was integral in navigating the death of his father in October. Ms. Cerny worked behind the scenes to assist him in returning to school and in particular, Mrs. Zigmont went above and beyond to support him and make sure he was comfortable with the curriculum being presented, particularly when cancer was being discussed. Both the cross country and basketball teams stood close to my children during this difficult time. Coach Gaetano was integral in helping my older son manage our situation and Coach Mohr kept my younger son running when I found it difficult just to get out of bed.   Other past teachers that reached out to my son to include Mr.Lombardozzi, Mr. Wodatch and Ms. Miller. I’m sure there were more. Then to top it off, the entire Sheehan staff did a fundraiser for my family. 

I just want to reach out to you to express my sincere appreciation for all of the staff for Wallingford schools. I have a child at Lyman Hall and a child at Fritz. We unfortunately were diagnosed with covid over Christmas break so my younger daughter has not been back to school yet.

We also moved from Rock Hill to Fritz this year so a lot of change for my 5th grader. But it has been the most positive experience ever!!

Mr. Brumleve has gone above and beyond to make my daughter feel included in the classroom. He reached out to her when school first began so she would feel comfortable in a new school. He came to my house to drop off her book club book so she didn’t get behind while she was out with covid. Mr. Brumleve has been an absolute joy to work with and I feel so lucky to have him as my daughter's teacher! He has great parent communication and even though we can’t go to the classroom, I do not feel disconnected this year. I wish we could keep him through the rest of school years for my daughter! Thank you Mr. Brumleve!!!

Ms. Toman has been absolutely wonderful!  The class had to be quarantined for a bit and I had a chance to overhear snippets of the conversations she had with the children.  She is so warm, encouraging and patient!  I can’t imagine how tough it must have been for her to handle the class remotely, while also caring for her own small children.  I heard Ms. Toman have to ask the children repeatedly to mute/unmute/put the pet down/pay attention, etc.  Yet she was so patient!  My son showed me an e-mail she wrote to the class one morning.  It talked about a task the children had trouble with the previous day and she said that she couldn’t wait to explain to them how to do the task properly.  That’s the kind of communication children need and I’m so happy my son is with the teacher who speaks that way to her children. 

Also, my husband’s parents had COVID.  Ms. Toman had the whole class write letters to them.  They are both retired teachers and receiving the letters absolutely made their day!  Not only did it make them feel better, it also made him feel like he was doing something additional to help.  It was worrisome for him to know that grandpa was in the hospital.  Having those conversations in school really helps relieve children’s anxiety, gives them a sense of purpose and some control of this challenging environment.  I’m so glad Ms. Toman understands that and teachers from that place of compassion.

He enjoys being in Ms. Toman’s class.  He seems to be doing well academically, after just a couple of months in Ms. Toman’s class I noticed a significant improvement in his writing.  I’m so glad to have Ms. Toman as his teacher!

My granddaughter is having a wonderful year in second grade with Mrs. Balsamo at Stevens School.  She is happy to go to school and is learning so much. Her teacher has interesting material for the children, but more than that she encourages  the children to be kind to each other.  Her classroom is a happy place. I commend Mrs. Balsamo for her hard work, and I am grateful Leah is in her class.

I am the proud parent of an MYB 2nd grader. I wanted to take the time to let you know what an amazing teacher Ms. Rochefort is. I was sick with covid at the beginning of this month and as a result Kaylee had to stay home, quarantine, and distance learn. As you well know, distance learning is challenging, especially at the elementary level. Ms. Rochefort was truly remarkable and instrumental in making distance learning engaging and as straightforward as possible. My daughter was able to navigate her assignments independently with minimal assistance. I could not be prouder of both my daughter and Ms. Rochefort. Everyday, Ms. Rochefort would send her assignments with detailed instructions. She also set up several daily google meets for my daughter to learn along with her peers and be part of the class virtually. Numerous times Ms. Rochefort took the time from her day, whether before or after school, to bring her assignments to our house and drop them off at our mailbox. Ms. Rochefort’s love of teaching and dedication to helping her students learn is absolutely incredible. She is extremely committed and has gone above and beyond to help my daughter learn both virtually and in the classroom. MYB is very fortunate to have such an incredible and caring teacher and I could not be happier to have my daughter in her class. My daughter truly loves her teacher and looks up to her. I am grateful Ms. Rochefort has joined the MYB family and I hope my younger daughter will also have the opportunity to be in Ms. Rochefort’s class when the time comes.

Teachers deserve recognition for the work that they do everyday. Their work has a tremendous impact on the lives of our kids. Teachers work extremely hard to foster a love of learning in our children. I believe we as a society have taken a teacher’s work for granted until now. This pandemic put a spotlight on how hard teachers work and the importance of their efforts. Again, I would like to applaud all the hard work and effort Ms. Rochefort put in over the last few weeks. I am extremely grateful to her and and to MYB for finding such a talented and caring educator.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - smenzo@wallingfordschools.org

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

 Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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