Volume 17, Issue 40
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Snow...and more snow...
Friday, Januar y 14, 2011
‘You can’t go wrong’ with RSD-13 program choice By Cheri Kelley Town Times
Spencer Ricci, of Middlefield, helped shovel out his family’s driveway during Wednesday’s snowstorm. “There’s no place to put it all!” he declared. Photo by Stephanie Wilcox
‘Soup’s on’ at Durham Activity Center
Thirty two people came to the first meal at the Durham Activity Center and enjoyed themselves while 8-12 volunteers got trained. Meals are Mondays and Wednesdays, but may be cancelled if school is cancelled for weather-related reasons. Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the next meal program will be on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Call Jan Muraca at 860-349-3153 before noon on the 18th to reserve your spot. A snipit of the menu: Autumn Soup, Roast Pork with Gravy, Apple Cinnamon Crumble and more! Photo by Sue VanDerzee
Middlefield and Durham were slammed with snow on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Regional District 13 schools were closed, as were many businesses and town offices. Check online (www.towntimes.com) for information of the storm’s impact on our towns.
In this issue ... Calendar............................4 Libraries...........................4 Durham Briefs................11 Middlefield Briefs...........12 Sports ..........................30-31 Devil’s Advocate...........13-20
The families with children that attend Regional School District 13 (RSD 13) are very lucky to have the choice between two academic programs. That choice is left up to the parents to visit and decide which school best fits the needs of their child and is not made by the town based on geographic factors. Residents of Middlefield, Rockfall and Durham all have the choice between the Integrated Day Program at John Lyman School or the Contemporary Program at Brewster and Francis E. Korn Elementary Schools. Few towns throughout Connecticut have programs similar to the offerings of RSD 13; most placements are based on either proximity to the school or for a very small pool of students on a lottery system. The parents of RSD 13 students have the choice and are encouraged to make appointments and visits to observe the schools first hand. Once beginning one program, very few families feel the need to switch to the other, but are allowed to do this; and January is the time for school visits for new kindergarteners as well as those wanting to explore the other option. The Integrated Day program started in 1972. Karen Brimecombe, principal of John Lyman School said, “In 1971 parents petitioned the Board of Education for the establishment of an alternative educational program because they wanted instruction to meet each child at his/her developmental level. They also wanted students to be initiators of their own learning.” One of the
most obvious differences between the two programs is that there are multi-age classrooms at Lyman School. The students in grade one and two stay with the same teacher for two years, they then move on to another classroom with third and fourth graders sharing a room. They stay with this teacher for two years as well. About half of the class consists of students in each grade. “The multiage classroom recognizes the individual personality and learning style of each student. This grouping model enables children to progress at their own rate, making continuous progress. The structure naturally lends itself to opportunities for cooperative learning and cross-age tutoring,” Brimecombe stated. John Lyman School is also a Higher Order of Thinking (HOT) School, which means that art is integrated into the school in a very intentional way. The folks from John Lyman School, including some classroom teachers, parents and the principal, participate in a week-long summer institute with other HOT schools and work with artists. One 10-day Artist Residency program is provided through a grant for one class per year. The other classes, aside from the kindergarteners, because they are a half day program, also participate in 10-day residencies paid for by the John Lyman Parent Association (JLPA).” We integrate art in everything that we do, as staff we want to learn See Choices, page 25