1. Art and Diseño

Course Selections
due February 10!
Simsbury High School
Simsbury Spirit
January 30, 2015
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Inside this issue:
Principal’s
Message
1
Upcoming
Events
3
“Millie”
3
School
Counseling
5
Athletics
6
SPTC
9
Public
Library
11
As we turn the corner into the second half of the year, there is plenty of
excitement at Simsbury High these days -- and I'm not just talking about
kids waiting for snow days to be called! The opening of Thoroughly Modern Millie, the success of our winter sports teams, and the opportunity to
start thinking about the possibilities of next year through the course selection process are all reasons why enthusiasm is running high at SHS. We
certainly hope that you will join us at an upcoming event (either theatrical
or athletic) to see our students in action, and we thank you for supporting
your child in making thoughtful choices about the classes he/she should
sign up for in the year ahead.
Here in the main office, I must admit that those high sprits have been
tinged with a little bit of sadness. Recently, we learned that Dacia Quandt,
our office manager and, quite frankly, the person who makes this place
run on a daily basis, will be moving with her husband Roger, who has accepted a new position in the state of Ohio. While Dacia is excited about
the fresh start that the move will offer, I am slowly working my way
through all the stages of grief until her last day on February 13th.
As most of you know, Dacia is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of ALL of
them. In addition to organizing administrative events at SHS, she manages
the finances for our student activities accounts, supervises and organizes
the work of our secretarial staff, and takes the lead in scheduling all the
many school (and community) events that happen at SHS. It's impossible
to describe Dacia's total impact on our school, but I can share that she is
one of the smartest, most dedicated, and most incredibly generous people with whom I have had the pleasure to work. She has made our school
a better place, and she has made me a much better principal.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 2
Principal’s message continued...
If you have had the good fortune to work with
Mrs. Quandt, please take some time to
acknowledge her before her departure. She is a
truly remarkable woman, and I thank her for
being such a fierce protector of Simsbury High's
standard of excellence.
Thank You,
Mrs. Quandt!
Good Luck
with your
Enjoy the weekend.
new
adventures!
Yours,
Neil Sullivan
Principal
Please Help Your Student Arrive on time...
Simsbury High School’s Trojan Code endeavors to help students to be respectful, honorable, and responsible. Classroom expectations for responsible behavior include “On time arrival.” As this school year has progressed, the number of students arriving late to school, or missing first period entirely, has steadily
increased each month. The following are a few suggestions that may help parents to help students arrive on
time:


Monitor your child’s absences and tardies in PowerSchool.
Suggest a wake-up time that is 10 minutes earlier if your child is often
late.
 Remind your child to pack his or her belongings before bed to make
mornings less hectic.
 Encourage an earlier bedtime by limiting use of electronics late in the
evening.
 Organize a carpool with other families in your neighborhood to reduce
morning traffic at SHS.
Our teachers and administrators appreciate your help as they encourage responsible student behavior!
Simsbury Spirit
Page 3
Upcoming Events
Thoroughly Modern Millie ......................... January 31, February 1, 6, 7, & 8
8th Grade Parent Night ............................................................... February 2
Winter Pep Rally ......................................................................... February 6
Local Scholarship Application Due ............................................................................... February 6
ASVAB ....................................................................................................................... February 10
Sadie Hawkins Dance................................................................................................. February 14
Battle of the Bands .................................................................................................... February 20
Unified Theater Performance .................................................................................... February 26
Unified Basketball Tournament ....................................................................................... March 4
NHS Blood Drive .............................................................................................................. March 9
Band Concert................................................................................................................... March 9
SAT Testing .................................................................................................................... March 14
Spring Sports Night ........................................................................................................ March 18
College Fair.................................................................................................................... March 24
Jazz Concert .................................................................................................................. March 30
Chorus concert ................................................................................................................... April 7
Spring Play.............................................................................................................April 24, 25, 26
Simsbury High School Presents: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Students at Simsbury High School will present Thoroughly Modern Millie on consecutive weekends, January
31-February1 and February 6-8 in the school’s auditorium.. The Friday and Saturday performances begin at
7:00 p.m. The Sunday performances will begin at 2:00 p.m. Reserved seating is now available by purchasing
tickets online through the Simsbury High School website. Tickets will be available at the door as well.
Dr. Stuart Younse is the artistic director for SHS’s musical production. “After the success and weightiness of
Les Misérables, we wanted a show that would allow students to explore a completely different style of theatre.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is that! It is a parody of the musicals of the 20’s complete with production numbers, tap dancing, and rip-roaring fun,” he said.
The all-student cast will take you back to the height of the Jazz Age. Set in New York City in 1922, Thoroughly Modern Mille tells the story of Millie Dillmount who comes from Kansas to New York City in search
of a new “modern” life. Her plan is to meet and marry a wealthy businessman, but things don’t go her way
after she meets Jimmy Smith. Millie delights in the modern lifestyle but there’s a small problem - she needs to
land a job, pay the rent, and somehow marry her boss. Millie must decide if true love is more important.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 4
Millie, continued...
Lead roles in the show are played by Simsbury High School seniors Emily Bautista (Millie), Alexander Ging
(Jimmy), Hannah Petruzzi (Mrs. Meers), Kristen Fitzpatrick (Dorothy Brown) and juniors Maiya Pascouche
(Muzzy), Patrick Lyman (Mr. Graydon) and Olivia Coe (Ms. Flannery). An ensemble and dance corps rounds
out the cast of 49 students.
Robert Tomasulo returns as the vocal music director and serves this
year as the orchestral director. Said Robert,“The students have approached the rehearsal process with the same diligence and rigor I
have come to expect from SHS students. Thanks to the enthusiasm
and professionalism of each student, I am able to run my rehearsals
the same way I would run a professional or college rehearsal, demanding a high level of artistry in which the students always succeed
in producing.”
With lively musical numbers, stunning choreography, and tappers on
the stage, the student performers will delight with this musical-comedy.
Memorable vocal arrangements include Thoroughly Modern Millie, The
Speed Test, They Don’t Know, Only in New York, and Forget About the Boy.
Emily Bautista (Millie) rehearses
with the ensemble cast.
"Thoroughly Modern Millie is one of my favorite musicals. The story is heartfelt and playful, the music is engaging yet accessible, and the orchestrations are lush and intricate. Simply put, it is just a fun show to work on
and perform.” said Robert Tomasulo, vocal music director.
Adult creative contributors include Kate Moran (assistant director and choreographer), Robert Tomasulo
(vocal music director and orchestral director), Linda Milton (costume design), Timothy Reed (lighting design),
Michael Hunter (set design and technical director), Kylie Hoey (technical director), Greg Maine (technical director), Linda Weiss-Gelineau (hair design), Angela Griffin (producer) and Carole Twohig (associate producer).
“Thoroughly Modern Millie at Simsbury High School will be a show you do not want to miss. From the lavish
set, to the expert talent of the students, to the technical aspects of lighting and sound, and to the wonderful orchestra, the show will be an evening you will not forget. Do not miss Thoroughly Modern Millie at Simsbury
High School.” said Dr. Younse.
Tickets for Thoroughly Modern Millie are $15 for adults and $12 for senior citizens and students. Tickets can
be purchased now on the Simsbury High School web site (www.simsbury.k12.ct.us) by following the prompts.
Reserved seating is available for tickets purchased online. Tickets can also be purchased in the lobby of Simsbury High School 45 minutes prior to the start of each show on a first come-first served basis. Those in need
of assistance can call 860-651-0451, ext. 991, and leave a message.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 5
From the School Counseling Office
COURSE SELECTION PROCESS
Counselors will meet with
freshmen and sophomores during
February and March to review the
courses that students have chosen
for next school year. At these
meetings students will have an opportunity to discuss any changes
they wish to make to their course
selections.
PARENTS OF JUNIORS
Registration for the March 14 th SAT must be completed by February 13 th on www.collegeboard.org. All juniors who are planning to pursue some type of post high school education should consider taking this exam.
The SAT’s will also be offered in May, June, October, and November. Juniors are also encouraged to consider
taking the ACT, another standardized test used for college admissions. The ACT is not offered at Simsbury
High School. More information about the ACT, as well as where it is offered, can be found at
www.actstudent.org. Please call your son or daughter's counselor if you have any questions.
PANEL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION REPRESENTATIVES
On March 12, representatives from several colleges will participate in a panel
discussion about various topics regarding college admission. This informative
program, targeted for juniors, will give students and parents/guardians an inside
look at the important factors to consider when exploring college. The program
will start at 7:00 pm in the auditorium.
COLLEGE FAIR
Simsbury High School’s College Fair will be held at The Hartford Insurance Company on March 24 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm. Parents and students are encouraged to attend to meet with representatives of over 150 colleges, universities,
and branches of the military.
9th Grade Health Screening
Per Connecticut’s state school health regulations, all 9th grade students are required to have health screenings (postural and visual screenings) during the school year. All 9th graders that have Physical Education
class during second semester will have their health screenings done during PE class period in the next few
months. You may receive a referral notice from the Health Office if screening results indicate that further
medical evaluation is required. If you receive a referral notice from the health office, please follow up with
the appropriate health care provider and have the completed from returned to the health office.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 6
Athletics
Boys’ Volleyball Coach Looks to Bring Success to Simsbury
~ By Henry Tourtillotte
In 2009 the Granby Girls Volleyball Team attained varsity status. Now, only six seasons later, they have made
history. Under the leadership of coach Dave Sprowson, who is also the boys varsity coach at Simsbury, the
Bears went 26-0 and won the Class M Volleyball State Championship. "In our first varsity year we started off
with a record of 0-15," Sprowson said, "We qualified for states every subsequent year, making it to the state
quarterfinals for the past three years." This year, the team made a final push to win the state championship
they had been working towards achieving.
Coach Sprowson is looking to bring the same success to Simsbury boys as he did to Granby. "We’ve already
made some key developments with the program" Sprowson said. "We have changed the team’s offense and
defense, added strength training and workouts to increase vertical jump, and so far we like how the team has
embraced the change."
Things are definitely looking up for the Trojans. The team went 5-13 in Sprowson's first season as the head
coach, and 8-12 in their second season. The Trojans are poised to improve on those numbers again this year.
"Our current players are hardworking and excited about building the program" said Sprowson. “Now we’re
just looking for that next group of players to come in so that this skill and knowledge can be passed down."
However, finding the next generation isn't like most sports: "There is no feeder program for our volleyball
teams," Sprowson said. But to him, that isn't an issue. "It’s so great to have a sport where players aren’t
burnt out from playing the same sport since they were little. A lot of the players I’ve had over the years actually have been players that have switched sports."
Going into his third year of coaching at Simsbury, Sprowson is very optimistic. "It’s so great to see them gain
so much passion and drive," he commented about his new team. Judging by Sprowson's impressive track record, the Simsbury Boys Volleyball Program is one to keep an eye on as they look to continue the winning
tradition that Sprowson has created.
Health Office Reminder to Sophomore Parents
School health legislation requires that all sophomores must show proof of a physical examination performed
sometime during their 10th grade school year (i.e. a physical examination dated June 1, 2014 – June 30,
2015). The physical must be completed on the blue State of Connecticut physical examination form and submitted to the Health Office. No student may start their 11th grade school year without proof of a completed physical examination dated June 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015. You are encouraged to schedule your child’s
physical well in advance of the June 2015 deadline.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 7
FBLA Officers Travel to Washington, DC
Future Business Leaders of America members from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for the National Fall Leadership Conference last November. Five Simsbury students traveled with advisor Deborah Manning for
three days of workshops and a visit to the Supreme
Court. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty’s office arranged for a
guided tour of the Capital and the White House.
Unlike the annual FBLA National Conference Simsbury attends
each June, which emphasizes competition between states, the
fall conference focuses on building leadership skills and developing strong FBLA chapters by working together on organizational initiatives. Simsbury FBLA looks forward to making the
National Fall Leadership Conference an annual event, with
plans to attend the 2015 NFLC in Charleston, SC next November.
Pictured: C. Wildman, B. Kaljulaid, T. Gattinger, M. Seaman, and M. Skalski
Unified Theater
Have you ever dreamed of being a rock star? Simsbury High School’s
Unified Theater group can help! This year’s performance, “Rockstar”, will
feature a musical tour around the world, with stops in India, London, Cairo, Tokyo, Rome and Paris. Written, choreographed, and performed by the students themselves, this upbeat,
whirlwind World Tour promises to leave you feeling like everyone’s dreams can come true. The “tour” begins in
the Simsbury High School Auditorium on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 5:00 PM. Admission is free (free-will donations are gratefully accepted to help us cover our costs).
Unified Theater, a not-for-profit organization, has as its core principles, inclusion of all abilities and letting creativity rule. SHS’s student-led group epitomizes these fundamental principles. Join us for an evening you won’t
forget.
Substitute Nurses Needed:
Simsbury Public Schools need Substitute School
Nurses. If you are a current RN and are interested
in more information, contact Sue Beardsley, Director
of Health Services at 860-658-0451, x712.
Simsbury Spirit
Page 8
Holiday Cabaret
Holiday Cabaret is a choral ensem- at the annual Loaves and Fishes
group members bring holiday
ble made up of approximately 50
holiday lunch. Patrons of the food cheer in many forms, and your
Simsbury High School stupantry enjoyed the concert, and
group makes the holiday much
dents. The group is completely stu- Alice was grateful for the time stu- brighter for children and adults in
dent-run, led this year by senior
dents spent with her clients. After our client population.” In addition
Casey Root and Juniors
to performing, the stuKate Campolieta and
dents presented the
Kristin Weiss. The stuorganization with an
dents rehearse every
astounding donation of
Friday after school from
nearly $6,500. Of the
October-December and
donation, Alice said,
perform at community
“(This) truly wonderful
events and private parand amazing effort will
ties to raise money for
go very far in helping to
Loaves and Fishes Minissupport our programs.
tries, a charity organizaBecause of the caring
tion based out of
and dedication of the
Hartford which provides
Holiday Cabaret Singfood and human services
ers, clients at Loaves
st
Student performers: 1 row: Casey Root, Sarah Zahorodni,
to people in need. The stuand Fishes Ministries had a
Olivia Coe, Brian Hanshaw, Kate Campolieta, Emily Fritz,
nd
Dana
Winslow,
and
Kristin
Weiss.
2
row:
Emily
Candels,
dents performed at events
truly happy holiday.” ConMaddie Gastonguay, Maia Czaikowski, Nate Donahue, Alex
throughout the holiday seagratulations to the students
Ging, Zeke Hodkin, Ian Braverman, Hannah Cary, Patrick
son, sometimes singing at 2- Lyman, Hannah Petruzzi, Kate Angus, and Maiya Pascouche. who participated and thank
3 events in the same day.
you for your dedication to
The money they raised was prethe students’ visit to Loaves and
service in the community!
sented to executive director Alice Fishes, Alice said, “The beautiful
Hild after the students performed melodies and the smiles of the
PARENTS: DON’T FORGET TO ORDER THE YEARBOOK!
The 2014-15 Yearbook is now available to purchase.
Order in two ways:
1) Online at: https://yearbookforever.com/#
2) Main Office: Bring a check to the main office for $93.59
($88.00 + tax) made payable to SHS Pinnacle Yearbook
Yearbooks will be distributed at the Senior Breakfast
Simsbury Spirit
Page 9
Simsbury Parent Teacher Council—SPTC
Dear Parents:
I hope you and your family had a nice holiday break! As we slide by the half-way mark in the school year, I’d like to
thank all those parents, teachers, and staff who have worked so hard with the SPTC this year. Every project and event
coordinated by the SPTC requires many people to make each one successful, and I am grateful for your help!
The beginning of the calendar year is the time when we start planning for the next school year in the SPTC. Some on
our Executive Board are “graduating” in 2015, and your President and Vice-President will have served for three years at
the end of the year. We are in great need of a President and Vice-President for the 2015-2016 school year,
a Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary, and some of our committees will need new co-chairs. If you are
interested in becoming more involved in the SPTC, please feel free to join us at one of our monthly meetings, or email
me anytime. Being involved in the SPTC and attending meetings is an excellent opportunity to be “in-the-know” for
what is happening at SHS. I am happy to let you know how you can help—whether you want to volunteer at one event
or help coordinate a committee, there are plenty of opportunities for you!
We are gearing up for some big events to start 2015. Battle of the Bands preparations are being made. Congratulations
to the five bands that were invited to perform! Additional information will be sent out closer to the event, but be sure
to mark your calendars for this exciting evening of great music by some of SHS’s very talented musicians!
Our School Spirit committee was asked by the Trojan Wall Club to help in providing funding for the DJ at the very successful Winter Wonderland Dance this month, and, along with our Hospitality committee, provided waters for those
students who attended the dance.
Our Senior Celebrations committee is planning many year-end events for our senior class. There is still time to help
with the events if you’d like. The committee chairs will send out notices of meetings and event planning sessions, so
there is still time to sign up to help.
Special Projects continues to assist with funding requests made by teachers and student groups. A portion of the membership dues collected each year for the SPTC provides ample opportunities for our organization to support classes,
groups, and clubs.
All parents are welcome to attend our monthly SPTC meetings. These are great opportunities to hear what is happening at SHS from Principal Neil Sullivan and our SPTC Committees, and it’s a good time to give suggestions about what
you’d like to see happening with the SPTC. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. in Room D172. Our
next two meetings are February 4 and March 4.
Hope to see you soon!
Michelle Weathers
SPTC President
[email protected]
Follow Mr. Sullivan on Twitter @SimsHighPrin
Simsbury Spirit
Page 10
SPTC continued...
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
The Battle of the Bands evening is Friday, February 20, at
7:30 p.m. in the SHS Auditorium. Thank you to all those
who signed up on your SPTC membership form to help
with the event. We will be contacting you shortly! If you
would still like to sign up, please watch for our SignUp Genius information that will be sent soon via the Monday
SPTC listserve messages. Tickets for the event will be sold
during all lunch waves on February 18, 19, and 20, and at
the door.
Beth Westcott and Michelle Weathers
Battle of the Bands Co-Chairs
Cheryl Cook for coordinating set-up on the day of the
event.
Kathy Fitzpatrick
School Spirit Chairperson
SENIOR CELEBRATIONS
Thanks so much to all the Senior families that have volunteered to help with Senior activities. Planning is underway
for our end-of-year celebrations, and a notice will be sent
soon for our first planning meeting for all those who are
helping. More information will be sent via email and our
Monday SPTC listserve message.
HOSPITALITY
It is not too late to sign up to help. If you are interested in
volunteering for the Senior Breakfast, Post-Prom, PostThe Hospitality Committee put together Holiday Cookie
Grad, or with the lawn signs, or if you have ideas or sugTrays as a treat for our teachers and staff right before the gestions, please email Kara Finken
holiday break. Thank you to Mary-Lyn Alonzo, Orla Black, ([email protected]) or Ellen Rosenberg
Christine Bonchick, Christine Campasano, Cheryl Carty,
([email protected]). Or check out the following
Nancy Chapman, Maxine Chesanek, Leah Coe, Amy Daum, link:http://www.simsbury.k12.ct.us/uploaded/
Kelly Davis, Beth Driscoll, Ellen Farrell, Lynn Foley, Mary
SHS_Content/SPTC/Senior_Celebrations_Flyer.pdf
Glaser, Cheryl Haydon, Catherine Jahne, Sharon Kelly, Amy
Massing, Hope McManus, Nina Miller, Chris Morkan, Sarah Thank you!
Nanzig, Susan Napolitano, Nancy Olson, Chris Palmberg,
Karen Papagelis, Tracey Robinson, Heather Ryan, Cheryl
Kara Finken and Ellen Rosenberg
Sojkowski, Amy Stepka, and Erin Walsh, for donating cook- Senior Celebrations Co-Chairs
ies, brownies, and candy! Fourteen large trays are made
and distributed to all the SHS offices, including the Special SPECIAL PROJECTS
Education, Music, and Assistant Principal offices, and to
the Cafeteria, Security, and Custodial staff areas. The next The SHS Student-Parent-Teacher Council Special Projects
two dates for cookie trays will be in February and April.
Committee reviews requests for financial support from the
Keep watching our SPTC Monday listserve messages for
SHS community. At our November meeting, the SPTC
your chance to donate items for the treat trays.
members approved a request for the Best Buddies Program. Funding was provided for a bus to transport the
Manuela Hanshaw
members to the Friendship Walk in North Haven. If you
Hospitality Chairperson
would like to be involved in these decisions, please feel
free to come to our meetings. Our next meeting is
SCHOOL SPIRIT
Wednesday, February 4th in Room D172 at 7:15 p.m.
Thank you to the parents for providing bottled water during the Winter Wonderland Dance in January, and to
Nina Miller
Special Projects Chairperson
Simsbury Spirit
Page 11
Simsbury Public Library Offerings
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: The Simsbury Board of Education will not make employment decisions (including decisions related
to hiring, assignment, compensation, promotion, demotion, disciplinary action, and termination) on the basis of race, color, religion, age,
sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, or genetic information, except in
the case of a bona fide occupational qualification. For he purposes of this policy, “genetic information” means the information about
genes, gene products, or inherited characteristics that may derive form an individual or a family member.
Questions concerning Title IX compliance should be directed to: Susan Homrok-Lemke, assistant Superintendent for Administration &
Human Resource Development, (860) 651-3361; [email protected]
Questions concerning 504 compliance should be directed to: Erin Murray, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning,
(860) 651-3361; [email protected]