Principal's Weekly Update

We wrapped up a very successful "Say Something Week" on Friday. This year we utilized a staff "underground spirit week" to highlight the theme of the week. The staff conspired to do things such as to dress in all black, or as their favorite holiday, and to do things such as drink out of an unusal cup. The point was to see how quickly the students might catch on to/ to notice these things. "Say Something Week" is more importantly about recognizing more sublte changes in the behaviors/ appearance of friends or classmates. If a student has any concern about a classmate we hope that they will share that information with a trusted adult. We need to look out for one another at Madison.

We hope to see many of you on Tuesday for Student Led Conferences. Students have finalized their electronic portfolios and are excited to show off their best work. What I have always liked most about this event is that it provides a time and a space for student to parent conversation. If your experience is like mine was with my own children– all too often you have rushed dinners, and little time for true conversation as you shuffle from one after school activity to the next. It is always gratifying to see how meaningful this event is for those who participate– the conversations go on much longer than you might expect– we carve out twenty minute blocks to do something to organize how many people are present at one time--but we have flexibility, and sometimes students and their parents will talk for over an hour. We would never interrupt these conversations once they get started. Our teachers are present to facilitate the conversation if needed, and to chime in at times, but is really great to hear our students provide their parents/guardians with their perspective on their school work.

After much buildup, the curtain finally rises this week for our "Broadway Babies" production of Charlotte’s Web. You can still purchase tickets for the Wednesday and Thursday performances through the Infinite Campus Portal for $10 each. Show time is 6:30pm. We ask that all students be accompanied by an adult. We hope to you at one of the performances.

After Charlotte’s Web, you can keep your theatrical experience going right into the weekend, and see some of our former Broaway Babies as “grown up” performers in the Trumbull HIgh School musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Show dates are March 14th and 15th, as well as March 21st and March 22nd (Friday and Saturday of this upcoming weekend and the following weekend).Tickets are on sale now at thsmusicals.com.

Announcement:

This year we are starting a combined Madison/ Hillcrest Track & Field Team. Any interested students should join their parents at an informational meeting which will be held this Thrusday, 3/13 at Hillcrest at 6:30pm.

Reminders:

Our PTA will once again host a Cornhole Tournament on March 21st. It features parent/student teams competing against each other. Just like last year, we will have NCAA tournament basketball games broadcast on a big screen, so the event doubles as a “tournament watch party” If you are interested, please sign up by Friday, 3/14. See this flyer for more information.

That same weekend our PTA will also host an online auction fundraiser. You can bid on (and hopefully win) some amazing auction items. Bidding commences at 8pm on Friday 3/21 and concludes at 10pm on Sunday, 3/23. Stay tuned for more information on the possible prizes which you can win.

There are two “final photos” at the bottom of the letter this week, and they both celebrate the technological achievements of our students, both current and former. In the first, you see Rahas Sachdeva and Nithin Biju, currently juniors at THS, who visited Mrs. Rullo’s 6th grade Digital Literacy classes to share a presentation on Cybersecurity. They have formed a non-profit, CyberAware, with the mission to educate others about how to stay safe in our digital world. Our students were thrilled to learn from them. Beneath that you see a picture taken at this week’s Bridgeport Regional Business Council “Coffee and Conversation” event at Trumbull Town Hall. This month the Council highlighted two young business owners– Madison 8th grader Gavin Intellisano and his partner– who started the company System Maven Tech Support. It is our sincere desire to provide our students with 21st Century Skills which will have real world application and which will translate to career opportunities. It is very satisfying to see that some of our students do not want to wait until after college to launch their own technological careers.

Enjoy the weekend !!

Take care,

Peter Sullivan