Haddam Killingworth High School May, 2015 From the Principal Dear Parents and Friends: In these last few weeks of the 2014-2015 academic year, we are enjoying the celebrations of student success! Several awards presentations are scheduled over the next three weeks (please see the attached events calendar.) HKHS Top Honors: Rachel Winner, daughter of Steve and Leah Winner of Higganum, is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2015. Rachel quickly established herself as an academic leader, earning Excellence or Recognition in math, science, English, art, Spanish, engineering, and was recently named a College Board AP Scholar. Based on her academic abilities and leadership qualities, Rachel was the recipient of both the Harvard and Princeton Book Awards, as well as the Governor s Scholar Semi-Finalist. Highly motivated and eager to get a jump start with college, Rachel completed an Introduction to Nutrition class through Middlesex Community College. As an athlete, Rachel ran hurdles as a member of our indoor and outdoor track teams. Rachel further demonstrates her leadership abilities by participating in numerous co-curricular activities including the Current Events Club, High School Bowl, Spanish Honor Society, Photography Club, and National Honor Society, holding officer positions in the last two organizations. Rachel remains active as a community member, as she has over 140 hours of community service, and has worked part time as a babysitter and cashier at a local store. Rachel will attend Rutgers University in New Jersey this fall where she will study pharmaceutical science. Danielle (Danni) Roman, daughter of David and Laura Roman of Higganum, is the Salutatorian of the Class of 2015. Since freshman year, Danni has earned Excellence or Recognition in math, science, engineering, computers, business, health/physical education, and recently the distinctions of College Board AP Scholar and National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. Based on her academic abilities and leadership qualities, Danni was the recipient of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Math and Science Medal, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Leadership Award, and she attended the Hugh O Brien Youth Leadership Conference. As a junior, Danni completed an Introduction to Nutrition class through Middlesex Community College. As an athlete, Danni is a Jill of All Trades, as she has been a member of our field hockey team (which won a State Championship her sophomore year), running and pole vaulting with indoor and outdoor track, earning Second- Team All-State, and All-Conference honors. This spring, wanting a new challenge, Danni joined the tennis team. Danni further demonstrates her leadership abilities by participating in Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, International Culture Club, National Honor Society, and is a four year member of the Class Leadership Team holding officer positions. Danni remains active as a community member, as she has over 160 hours of community service, and has worked a variety of part time jobs. Danni will attend George Washington University in Washington D.C. this fall where she will study biomedical engineering. Calculating a Winner: For the past 3 years, the Shoreline Heads of Mathematics Departments have honored the top junior in mathematics from each of the shoreline high schools. The criteria for this award are: a junior who demonstrates a high degree of interest and enthusiasm for mathematics and who possesses a high level of ability, intuition,
and conceptual understanding of the subject. Joseph Bosco has been selected as Haddam Killingworth High School s 2015 recipient of the Shoreline Outstanding Junior in Mathematics award. A breakfast to honor all recipients will be held on Friday, May 29, 2015 at Old Saybrook High School. HKHS Goes to France: Forty Haddam-Killingworth High School French students travelled to France during April vacation as a supplement to their French curricula. They visited historic sites, museums, and monuments in Paris and northwestern France. For nine days, they experienced first-hand what they had studied in their French and history classes. The Tour Director from EF Tours was extremely organized and knowledgeable and interacted well with the students. He gave them many opportunities to interact with locals in shops and at tourist sites. The group had many adventures, including taking the Paris metro subway during rush hour and climbing to the second level of the Eiffel Tower by foot. They saw Roman ruins, learned about the architecture of gothic cathedrals by visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral, and viewed art of many historic periods in the Louvre Museum. They learned the history of French kings and of life in the Middle Ages and Renaissance with visits to several castles in the Loire River Valley. A highlight of the trip was their visit to the Normandy Beaches to see first-hand where the Allied Invasion took place during World War II. They saw the beaches, visited bunkers and gun emplacements built to defend the Pointe du Hoc, and the American Cemetery, an awe-inspiring witness to the sacrifices made by our soldiers during the D-Day Invasion. (photo left). We were extremely proud of our students. They represented Haddam-Killingworth High School and our country with the highest standards of behavior and respect. Finally, our students made the most of this experience by having fun with their friends, learning as much as they could and making this an unforgettable experience for all. Photo right: Our seniors in the Royal Courtyard of Louis the Fourteenth s Versailles Palace, outside of Paris Pictured above: In front of the Opéra Garnier in Paris: our students, our teacher and parent chaperones, and our EF Tour Director, Tom.
From the Fine Arts Department: The Haddam-Killingworth High School Music Department travelled to New Jersey and NYC on April 24th & 25th to participate in the Festivals of Music NYC Adjudication alongside schools from Tennessee, Wisconsin, Alabama, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Canada. After their performance, each group received a clinic from one of three adjudicators on the panel. All five of our ensembles performed very well and received ratings of good, excellent, and superior. Each ensemble was awarded a trophy which students collected at an awards ceremony the Hard Rock Café in NYC. The students were also given the opportunity to explore Times Square with their chaperones (special thanks to our parent and staff chaperones for all of their hard work and careful attention during the trip) and to attend a Broadway Musical. Music teachers Timothy D Amato and Marcy Webster were proud of their students achievements and decorum on the trip and are looking forward to the spring concert on May 14 th at 7pm as well as the Jazz Cabaret on June 1 st at 6pm. Photos clockwise from top left: Trophies awarded to our five competing ensembles, senior girls from our two select choirs posing with their two trophies, the Concert Band performing at a high school in New Jersey, concert choir students posing after lunch at a mall in New Jersey on competition day,. The Fine Arts Department also extends congratulations to Cathrina Kothman for auditioning and being accepted into the Allstate Music Festival Concert Band which performed in concert on Saturday, May 2 nd at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT.
HKHS Current Events Club: Recently, I had the opportunity to visit our Current Events club, advised by Mr. Hagewood, during one of their regularly scheduled meetings. The topic of the day chosen, as always, by the students was the Baltimore riots. I could not help but be impressed as I observed this exclusively student-led discussion cover the conflict in Maryland from every angle. Students expressed their views on the recent events, pulled up news updates from that morning on their iphones, posed potential solutions to the climate of unrest, and considered each other s views carefully. What struck me in watching our young people discuss this very relevant, often inflamed topic, was how they were demonstrating a level of skill and respect often missing from adult discussions and media coverage of the same. While their views and opinions spanned a very wide range, they held every member of their small club-community in high esteem as they listened attentively and allowed for the possibility that a colleague with very different views might have merit in his/her argument. I was so proud of them as I considered how this spirit of community and balance in their approach to a difficult topic gives me hope. As our future community leaders, our students demonstrate intelligence, empathy, respect, and the ability to communicate effectively. They already have my vote! We hope to see you at any or all of the year-end celebrations. Please join us during this wonderful time of year, as students wrap up learning projects, display their best work and look forward to graduation! Respectfully, Donna L. Hayward Enclosures
May 2015 High School Happenings Spring 2015 Please refer to separate Advisory schedule for specific grade information May 1 One Act Plays Rowe May 2 SAT Test HKHS, 8 am Ettlinger May 4-13, 15 AP Testing Mahoney May 5 Field Trip: Construction Career Day Mountainside Resort, full day - Gallagher, Todzia May 8 Field Trip: CT Electrathon (Elec. Vehicle) Competition Lime Rock Park, full day Kish May 9 Field Trip: MATE ROV (Underwater Robotics Competition) UMASS, full day Kish May 11 Progress Reports due at 7:25 am May 13 PD (half-day) May 14 Spring Concert 7pm May 15 Field Trip: KES Festival of Arts & Science full day - Tooker, Himmelman, Todzia May 15 Last day for charging school lunch. No charges allowed after this date please plan accordingly! May 16 Junior Prom Wadsworth Mansion, 6:30 10 pm - Dobson, Reilly May 19-21 CTE (CT Technical Education) Testing Periods TBA C. Smith, Scoppa May 19 BOE Meeting - Teacher of Year, Staff of Year, Top 10, HKHS Auditorium, 7 pm May 20 Field Trip: Eastern CT State University College Knowledge Day Ettlinger Mock Car Crash Advisory Period - K. Smith, Mahoney May 21 Field Trip: Lake Compounce Physics Day full day - Bartholomew French Honor Society & Spanish Honor Society Induction HKHS, 7 pm Borzain May 22 Field Trip: HKMS Astronomy & Moon Rocks Periods A-D - Kehrley, Leavings Field Trip: AP English to Wesleyan (rescheduled from 4/3) McCormick May 25 Memorial Day No School May 27 Awards Ceremony - Grades 10-12 HKHS Auditorium - Counseling, C. Smith, Scoppa National Honor Society Induction, 7 pm Allesandrine May 29 Senior Outing Brownstone Park, 8-2:10 pm Dietz, Siciliano May 30 Senior Prom Water s Edge, Westbrook, 7-11 pm Dietz, Siciliano June 2015 June 1 Jazz Cabaret, 7 pm - D Amato June 2 Shoreline Math Challenge, 9 1 pm, HKHS Field House - Adamczyk, Miller June 4 Drama Ice Cream Social, HKHS Cafeteria, 3 pm June 3 Award Ceremony - Grade 9 HKHS Auditorium Counseling Dept, C. Smith, Scoppa Street Fest Himmelman, Dietz June 5 Student Art Exhibit Opening Reception, MAC650 Gallery, Middletown, 5:30 8:00 pm June 5-19 Student Art Exhibit, MAC650 Gallery, Middletown June 8 Senior Scholarship Ceremony HKHS Auditorium, 6 pm - Counseling Dept June 9 Field Trip: AP Calculus/AP Human Geography to Boston full day - Miller, Ramm June 10 Last Advisory Period End of Year Celebration, Locker Clean-out June 12 Last Day of Classes / Grades Close for MP 4 June 15-18 Final Exams June 18 Graduation Rehearsal June 19 Senior Breakfast, Graduation Rehearsal Graduation 6 pm June 22, 23 Professional Development Days
SCHOOL COUNSELING UPDATE MAY 2015 Scheduling for Underclassmen - The School Counselors are busy meeting with students to prepare next year s schedules. They are currently working with the Juniors (Class of 2016) and will continue with Sophomores and Freshmen in the next few weeks. All students need to have their parent/guardian sign off on their course requests prior to meeting with their Counselor for scheduling. Students also need to complete the Naviance survey on the College Fair. If they have any questions, please have them ask their School Counselor. AP Testing AP Testing will be held from May 4 May 15. 114 students who are enrolled in AP Classes will be taking a combination of the 12 exams. A total of 215 AP exams will be completed by HK students. Seniors College & Scholarship Update Please be sure to remind your Senior student to log-on to Naviance and update where they will be going to college, as well as the amount of merit aid your child will be receiving. Also, if your Senior has been notified of receiving a local scholarship, please let Mrs. Scoppa know so we can update our records. Academic Excellence Ceremonies We will be having two Academic Excellence Ceremonies, one for Upperclassmen on Wednesday, May 27 (from 7:35 9:10 a.m.), and another for Freshmen on Wednesday, June 3 (from 7:40 8:10 a.m.). The award ceremony will recognize student s academic excellence and success in the classroom, and will be held in the Auditorium. An invitation to parents of children receiving an award will be sent out in the next couple of weeks. Senior Award Night We will recognize our Seniors who will be receiving a scholarship from local scholarship organizations on Monday, June 8, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in our Auditorium. Light refreshments will follow the program. Parents will receive an invitation if your child will be receiving a scholarship. Clinton Rotary Student of the Month The Clinton Rotary Club has acknowledged the following 11 th grade students this past year, with the Student of the Month award. They are: Sabrina Henderson (October), China Campagnuolo (November), and Megan Toman (March). These students were honored at a dinner at the Clinton Country Club for their commitment to the community. Middletown Rotary Student of the Month The Middletown Rotary Club recently acknowledged Kyle Phipps as their Student of the Month (May) for his strong dedication to the community. He was honored during a Rotary luncheon at First & Last Tavern in Middletown on Tuesday, May 5. Career Expo The Sophomore class attended a Career Expo on Thursday, April 30 at Wesleyan University. Approximately 100 careers were represented for students to visit and receive information. Prior to the event, School Counselors met with the Sophomores to administer career interest inventories through Naviance. Construction Career Day Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Todzia accompanied 22 students on the Connecticut Construction Career Day in Wallingford on Tuesday, May 5. College Knowledge Day College Knowledge Day will take place on May 20 at Eastern Connecticut State University. Approximately 20 Freshmen will attend with some of the 8 th graders. UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER: May 19, 20, 21 CTE Testing (CT Technical Education) Exams will be given to selected students who are taking Career/Technical courses. May 27 - Upperclassmen Excellence Awards (Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores) 7:35 a.m. HKHS Auditorium June 3 - Freshmen Awards - 7:35 a.m. HKHS Auditorium June 8 Senior Scholarship Night 6:00 p.m. HKHS Auditorium
June 13 ACT Test at HKHS (you may register as a late entrant now until May 22) June 15-18 Final Exams (Early Dismissal) June 19 Last Day of School (Early Dismissal, 7 period day)