Dear Westbrook Families,
Welcome back! Today was an amazing and positive start to the new school year! This morning, we welcomed 576 students PK-12 to the start of the new 2024-2025 school year. District-wide, we also welcomed 35 new families to our community and 60 new students to our schools.
Press Release from Dr. Kristina J. Martineau, Westbrook Superintendent of Schools
Westbrook Public Schools is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Westbrook High School (WHS) Hall of Fame Award to honor WHS graduates who have excelled in their careers and serve as role models for the children of Westbrook and future generations of graduates.
This year, the new WHS Hall of Fame Committee reviewed more than 30 nominations from its school and alumni community. After careful consideration, the committee selected two distinguished graduates who are both role models through their success in their chosen careers: Ms. Bernadette Carver (Class of 1977) and Ms. Heather Vogell (Class of 1992). Carver was also selected for her extensive and ongoing commitment to community service in Westbrook.
The 2024 WHS Hall of Fame honorees were recognized by the Westbrook superintendent of schools, Dr. Kristina Martineau, at the WHS Class of 2024 graduation ceremony on June 14.
Bernadette A. (Pagano) Carver—WHS Class of 1977
Ms. Carver began her career with Essex Savings Bank as a high school junior through an internship program. After high school, Carver attended The Stone School of Business in New Haven and completed the accounting program, graduating early with honors. In 1978, she accepted a job with Essex Saving Bank as a teller and has been with the bank for 45 years, holding many positions, including high level leadership and management positions. Currently, she holds the position of vice president, corporate secretary & compliance officer. She was instrumental in implementing the Operations and Lending departments at the bank. While working at the bank, Carver also attended the Connecticut School of Finance and Management and The National School of Banking.
Carver has always been very loyal and involved in her community. Her current involvements include the Bankers Compliance Association of Connecticut, Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce, Exchange Club of Old Saybrook/Westbrook, Westbrook Daisy Dash, Beach Jam for Cancer Patient Care, Shoreline Soup Kitchen, and Connecticut River Museum. Carver has been an active volunteer in the community of Westbrook in many ways, with the Westbrook tree lighting, Westbrook Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and Vista Life Innovations to name just a few. As a result of her loyalty and service to her small town and surrounding areas, she is a pillar in these communities, earning an award from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County as a “Behind the Scenes Unsung Hero.”
Heather Vogell—WHS Class of 1992
Ms. Vogell is an investigative reporter at Pro Publica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Vogell has had a highly successful and award-winning career in journalism. She has exposed abuse at group homes for the developmentally disabled and high schools which push out low achievers to raise their graduation rates. A series she co-authored, “Cheating Our Children,” which examined suspicious test scores in public schools across the nation, was a 2013 finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. She has also received several other prizes.
After attending WHS, Vogell attended Georgetown University, where she received a BA in English. Vogell continued her education and earned two graduate degrees from prestigious programs in her field: an MS degree in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a second MS degree in public administration from the CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Inspector General program.
Nominations for the 2025 Westbrook Hall of Fame Award will open in the fall of 2024. Honorees will be selected in the spring of 2025 and then be recognized at the WHS Class of 2025 graduation ceremony in June.
Nominations and applications are now open for the Westbrook Hall of Fame Award. Westbrook Public Schools is looking to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates as a model for our current and future students. We are proud of our graduates and look forward to sharing and honoring their accomplishments with our community as well as with our graduating Class of 2024 as they consider their own future after graduation and how they will contribute to their profession and community.
Please consider nominating a Westbrook High School alumnus who has excelled in their career, vocation, business, community service, sport, performing arts, or other interests that would serve as a model for our students to aspire to on their own journeys in the future after high school graduation.
Anyone may nominate a Westbrook High School graduate who has graduated at least ten years prior to the nomination. All nominations will be reviewed by the Westbrook High School Knights Hall of Fame Committee. One alumnus will be selected each year and will be publicly recognized at the graduation ceremony at Westbrook High School on Friday, June 14, 2024.
Nominations are made in one of the following ways:
Nominations are due no later than Friday, March 1, 2024, to be considered for June 2024 recognition.
For the second year in a row, the Westbrook Board of Education was presented with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Leadership Award. This award was presented during the annual CABE / CAPSS (Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents) Convention held at the Mystic Marriott. “CABE believes that Boards of Education which exhibit the most effective leadership are characterized by their ability to work together as teams.” The CABE Board of Education Leadership Awards are designed to recognize boards which work effectively in this manner. In order to be considered for this award, boards had to fulfill 22 of 30 criteria in four areas; community relations, board operations, policy and board member professional development. A minimum of three criteria in each area had to be met in order to receive the award.
As part of the nomination and application process, the Westbrook Board of Education reflected on their collaborative work to continually grow as community leaders and in service to the children and Town of Westbrook:
“The Westbrook Board of Education is a more effective board of education than it has been in previous years due to its commitment and deliberate attention to professional growth as both individual members of the board and as a cohesive, collaborative governing body. The Board is actively engaged with professional development and highlights the importance of these opportunities every Board of Education meeting as a standing agenda item. This dedicated time in each meeting to share new learning and to promote future professional development opportunities continues to strengthen the collaborative, active growth mindset and the relationships of the Board members to act as an informed and unified governing body in the best interest of students, families, and staff.
The Westbrook Board of Education is a very active Board with the school community. It is a standing agenda item at every board of education meeting to provide members with an opportunity to share recent school events and activities that they have participated in to promote our schools and to encourage membership ongoing participation in our schools. The majority of the Board attend school events and activities on a regular basis, which is valued and appreciated by staff, school leadership, and families. The presence of the Board at school events has created a culture of mutual respect, support, and collaboration. The Board is also highly visible in the community at major Town events, such as the Tree Lighting- providing access to families and a clear commitment to serving as community leaders.”
Dr. Kim Walker, Westbrook Board of Education shared, “I am so proud of the work and ongoing commitment of my board members on behalf of our students and our Westbrook community. Our board works smoothly together as a team that focuses on student achievement for ALL students.”
October 11, 2024
In The Loop
Greetings Westbrook Families,
Welcome to the next edition of In The Loop. It is good to be number 1, Chef’s sauce was boss, there are only four days until it is time to sign up, and it was once again time for eighth graders to break out of the box. I am writing about all that and much more in this week’s memo. Stick around, and I’ll Loop you in.
Recognition for WMS
Recently, Westbrook Middle School was listed as the #1 best public middle school in Middlesex County. The ranking was published by niche.com, a website that helps students and families find schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces in the United States. Niche ranks, grades and rankings are calculated using dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews. While this is not a ranking or grade assigned by an official educational institution like the CT State Department of Education, it is nice to be recognized publicly for some of the wonderful things happening within these walls. Check out their website to take a deeper dive.
Pasta Dinner
We had an excellent turnout yesterday for the Pasta Dinner. Thanks to the efforts of Amy Spagone, Monica Selmont, teacher and staff helpers, the Parent Teacher Organization and all who donated raffle baskets, everyone had a delicious meal and an enjoyable late afternoon. Importantly, we were able to raise some money for the PTO who acts selflessly in support of our students and staff. Proceeds from events like this provide aid to our kids and our teachers in a multitude of ways, so, for those of you who attended, I want to thank you for supporting the annual Pasta Dinner and events like this. Additionally, this is a great opportunity to thank the PTO for showing gratitude to staff as well as empowering students with resources and opportunities throughout the year. As a tasty side note, I have heard from several folks that chef Andrew’s 8-hour magic pasta sauce was outstanding!
Mountain Workshop
On October 22, our students will engage in a variety of team building activities that will allow them to flex their physical and mental muscles. Team building activities are important for building trust, enhancing communication skills, boosting morale and much more. Mountain Workshop has developed a team building curriculum that is in line with our Portrait of a Graduate, and students will get to utilize their creativity and critical problem solving skills as they persevere whilst grappling with some gnarly, fun problems. The hope is to have high temperatures and higher spirits as students work, learn and grow together. Students need to submit a permission slip to participate. They were sent home with students, but in case you never saw it, here they are. You can print, copy and send back with your child if needed.
Mountain Workshop Waiver - English
Mountain Workshop Waiver - Spanish
Mountain Workshop Waiver - Portuguese
Conferences
Conference sign ups start in four days! Conferences will be held on October 22 and October 24. Conferences are 12 minutes long, can be virtual or in-person and will be conducted during a four hour window (between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.) on both the the 22nd and the 24th. Signing up for conferences is done on a first-come, first-served basis and must be completed through the School Appointments website. Please see this important memo for further details about signing up and participating in parent/teacher conferences.
Athletics
The middle school campus continues to buzz with excitement as fans gather to cheer on Westbrook's Purple Knights! Although the seasons are set to wrap up in the next three weeks, there are still plenty of games that athletes and fans are looking forward to – celebrating the growth and development that comes with middle school sports. Each game is a valuable opportunity for young athletes to learn, improve, and come together as a community.
You are invited to stay connected with all the thrilling action by following the Westbrook Athletics Facebook Page and Instagram Page (@wpsknights). There, you can view photos capturing the excitement! Don’t miss out on any of the fun—let's rally behind our teams as they strive for success in these final weeks of the season!
Reminder to Sign Up - Fall Sports Photos
Important Boys Soccer Reminder:
Important reminders for all fall athletes:
Up-to-date schedules
Important Links
Contact Information
upDates
October 14 - No School
October 22 - Mountain Workshop
October 22 & 24 - Parent Teacher Conferences (12:15 p.m. early dismissals for students)
October 30 - Coast Guard Band Field Trip for Sixth Graders
That just about does it for the October 7 - October 11 Loop. Before I sign off, I need to tell you about the Outsiders Experience at WMS. There is an unofficial rite of passage for our eighth graders that demands a bright spotlight. Annually, our eighth grade students dress up as either a member of the Greasers or the Socs (from the novel The Outsiders) as they engage in a cross-curricular, problem-solving lesson to open a Breakout Box. Students use their knowledge of the literature, collective library savvy and collaborative skills to literally crack the case (open the Breakout Box). If you have an eighth grader, I’m sure you heard all about it, and if you don’t, they are in for a treat when they get to ELA in grade 8. Mrs. Fredrickson and Mrs. Goad have truly created a memorable experience with this lesson. In fact, the experience will continue into December this year as our students head to Broadway to view the critically acclaimed, Tony Award winning Outsiders musical at the Jacobs Theatre. The Outsiders Experience also provides some of the most fabulous pictures of the year. Click here to see the pictures from the Outsiders Experience, the PTO Pasta Dinner, Unified Sports at Coginchaug and much more. Students only get one chance at a middle school education. At Westbrook Middle School, we aim to make it the best education possible. Consider yourself Looped in.
Sincerely,
Matt Talmadge
Principal
Westbrook Middle School
