Seymour Student Wins State Fire Prevention Poster Contest

Samuel Rodrigue, center, with his parents Glen and Melissa

SEYMOUR - Seymour 5th grader Samuel Rodrigue was recently recognized as one of two New Haven County students who won the state's annual fire prevention poster contest.

Samuel and his parents, Melissa and Glen Rodrigue, attended the 2017-18 awards banquet of the Connecticut Fire Prevention Poster Program, along with Seymour Fire Marshal Paul Wetowitz and Chatfield-LoPresti School Principal Dave Olechna.

"It was a great event that involves 4th and 5th graders around the state to draw posters and send a fire prevention message," Wetowitz said.

Samuel, a student at Chatfield-LoPresti School, won a $150 prize and a certificate. The awards program held at the Chowder Pot Restaurant in Hartford, featured lunch, a magic show and  the awards presentation. Samuel's poster will be in next year's calendar and hang in the State Capitol building during fire prevention week in October.

Wetowitz said Samuel competed amongst thousands of other students in 5th grade in New Haven County, with his poster one of the two winning selections.

(Information submitted by Seymour Fire Marshall Paul Wetowitz)

Poster Contest Winners Announced

 

Pictured left to right: Glen Rodrigue, Sam Rodrigue, Fire Marshal Wetowitz, Principal Olechna, Jade Rinaldi, Jessica Hubinger

 

 

SEYMOUR -  Today the two winners of the Fire Prevention Poster Contest for Seymour received a special treat.  They were allowed to ride to school in style, on board Seymour Fire Department’s Rescue 12.  The winners were accompanied by a parent and had the chance to see where the firefighters ride to emergencies.  The lights and sirens may have even been turned on for a bit. 

Chatfield-LoPresti School fifth grader Sam Rodrigue was selected as the winner for Seymour from the fifth grade.  He and his father Glen were picked up at home and were able to take the trip to school.  CLS fourth grader Jade Rinaldi was selected as the winner for Seymour from fourth grade.  She was accompanied by her mother Jessica Hubinger. 

The winner’s posters have moved on to the New Haven County round where they will compete against other posters from the area.  Eventually one winner will be chosen for the State from each grade.  One poster will be selected to be the cover of next year’s fire prevention calendar. 

The annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest is a cooperative effort of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Connecticut Department of Education, Connecticut Fire Marshal’s Association, Connecticut Fire Chief’s Association, and the Connecticut FAIR Plan, which represents the Connecticut Insurance Industry.

Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to all the students from Seymour’s Schools that participated.  We hope they had as much fun working on them as we did judging them and awarding our winners. 

(This is a press release from Seymour Fire Marshal's Office)

 

Seymour Student Collects Coats for Those in Need

SEYMOUR- In December, Jerren Farrison, a Chatfield-LoPresti School 4th grade student, held a coat drive to benefit St. Vincent De Paul in Derby, CT. Jerren was able to collect 107 coats. Thank you Jerren for this very fine effort and thank you to the community in supporting this wonderful cause.

(Information shared from Seymour Schools' Facebook Page)

 

Seymour Schools Announce Kindergarten Registration Dates

 

SEYMOUR - Kindergarten registration will take place for the Seymour Public Schools on the following dates:

*Jan. 17, 8 to 11 a.m., Bungay School, 35 Bungay Rd.
*Jan. 18, 12 to 3 p.m., Bungay School, 35 Bungay Rd.
*Jan. 19, 8 to 11 a.m., Chatfield-LoPresti School, 51 Skokorat St.
*Jan. 20, 12 to 3 p.m., Chatfield-LoPresti School, 51 Skokorat St.

Parents of children who are eligible for kindergarten in August 2017, as well as Grade One students who have been attending a private kindergarten program, are urged to register their children at the elementary schools in their districts on these dates and times. Children must be five years of age as of Dec. 31, 2017 to be eligible to attend kindergarten in August 2017.

Parents must bring a copy of their child's official birth certificate, immunization records and proof of residency. Proof of residency documentation includes driver's license, house deed or lease and two utility bills. Children should have the required immunization inoculations for the following: Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, DPaT, Varicella, Hib (Hemophilius Influenza Type B), and Hep B (Hepatitis B), Pneumococcal and Hep A.

State law also requires that all school children have a health examination prior to entering kindergarten. School officials encourage parents to have their private physician perform a health exam for their children prior to Aug.15, 2017 so that their child may be admitted to school on Aug. 28, 2017. Completed physical paperwork must be returned by Aug. 15 in order for students to start school.

More information, including other required health screenings, can be found on the Seymour Schools website at: www.seymourschools.org or call 203-888-4564.

Seymour names library, playground after veteran educators

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent

SEYMOUR >> Two former veteran educators who dedicated their lives to helping Seymour students excel both in and out of the classroom will be honored Tuesday by the Board of Education.
The board will hold a special dedication ceremony at 6:30 p.m. at Chatfield-LoPresti School, 51 Skokorat St., to commemorate the naming of the Vincentina Kobasa Playground and the Kenneth Ewaskie Library Media Center.

School officials encouraged the public to attend the dedication, which will be followed by a reception.
The late Kobasa spent nearly 30 years teaching in Seymour, and was a longtime member of the school board. In 1996, the playground at the former LoPresti School, which was built thanks to a grant Kobasa worked hard to secure, was named in her honor.

Read more here.

PHOTO: Chatfield-Lopresti School's Girl Scout troops make care boxes for U.S. soldiers overseas

SEYMOUR >> The Brownie Girl Scout troop 60357 and Junior Girl Scout troop 60348 out of Chatfield-Lopresti School made care boxes for American soldiers to be distributed overseas.

These second through fifth graders chose their own items. Many were filled with soaps, lotions, tissues, lip balm and deodorant.

This is the third year these scouts have participated in this activity, which always is done in November to celebrate Veterans Day.

Bus safety events held in Seymour schools

SEYMOUR - The week of Oct. 21 was National School Bus Safety Week.
During this week staff at Bungay and Chatfield-LoPresti elementary schools planned events aimed at improving bus safety and school bus awareness throughout the district.  

All-Star Transportation sent five teams of safety personnel along with four buses to each of the elementary schools.  
Safety personnel gave a presentation on bus safety to students outside each bus creating an awareness of traffic safety and pointed out the dangers of not being alert when boarding and exiting the bus. 

Inside each bus, other students participated in reviewing proper behavior while riding on the bus, safely crossing the street, and emergency bus evacuation, and other safety rules.  

Students from Bungay and Chatfield-Lopresti elementary schools participated in this event.

This post is taken from a press release from Seymour Public Schools.

Seymour second graders get lesson in making 911 calls

Seymour High School Junior Gabi Brassell shows Bungay School second grader Evan Yatri, holding phone, and his classmates how to call 911 during a safety program hosted last week by Seymour Public Schools Security Director Rich Kearns and Seymour Police Officer Michael Jasmin. / Contributed photo

Seymour Public Schools Security Director Rich Kearns teaches second graders about using 911 to report emergencies. / Contributed photo

SEYMOUR - Recently second grade students at Chatfield-LoPresti Elementary School and Bungay Elementary School participated in the annual “911 Safety Program” presented by Seymour Public Schools Security Director Rich Kearns and Seymour Police Department Officer Michael Jasmin.  

All of the district’s second grade students learned how to safely report emergencies making a 911 call. 
The students learned that 911 is not for fun or to report non-emergencies.  The second graders learned about different emergency situations that would merit a 911 call.     

Floyd Moir, President, Retina Systems Inc. of Seymour donated the  “911 Interactive Simulators” to Seymour schools which allowed students to make a simulated 911 call to a police dispatcher. 

This was an invaluable experience for students. It gave them the opportunity to interact with emergency services in a simulated situation which will better prepare them if they ever have to report an emergency using 911.  

Seymour High School students Courtney Hassenfeldt, Gabi Brassell, Kristina Biblekaj, Sara Samsonauk and Rebekah Stafford assisted Kearns and Jasmin by helping the second graders to make the 911 calls.

The second graders received coloring pictures, crayons, prevention rulers and certificates for participating in the important safety program.  

This post is taken from a press release from Rich Kearns, Seymour Public Schools Security Director.

Seymour Middle School ambassadors meet with 5th graders

Visit Bungay, Chatfield-LoPresti schools

Bungay School Principal Mary Sue Feige, far left, speaks to middle school ambassadors. 

SEYMOUR - On Tuesday 15 Student Ambassadors from Seymour Middle School traveled to Bungay and Chatfield-Lopresti Elementary Schools to speak to fifth graders about transitioning to the middle school next year.  

Seymour Middle School students applied and were selected to represent their school for this yearly program.

Students spoke about different aspects of middle school life from classes to enrichment activities.  

Ambassadors also took questions from the fifth graders to help prepare them for the transition.  

This information and photo were taken from a press release from Bungay School.