Region In Review
December 1, 2020
True Grit
The cross country team was grateful to be around one another and relished the opportunity to compete. This senior-laden team was lead by five senior captains: Spencer Herron, Erik Lindblom, Sam Quigley, Matt Sheedy, and Jakob Wild.
One of the most memorable moments of the season did not come during a personal record or even a big victory. As an act of unity, seniors Jakob Wild, Spencer Herron, and Matt Sheedy as well as Sophomore Eli Fowler, crossed the finish line together; this was their defining moment as a team.
Congratulations to Jakob Wild and Sam Quigley, both named Second Team Berkshire League All-Stars for their performance!
The girls' cross country team finished the regular season with a 6-3 record after close losses to Thomaston, Northwestern, and Litchfield. Heading into the Berkshire League championships, the girls were primed for some breakout performances and looking to avenge two of those losses. The team ended up finishing runner up to Thomaston scoring 44 points to just nip Litchfield who had 48 points.
Eilish Foy finished fourth overall and was named First Team All League and First Team All State. Mary Katherine Eddy finished four seconds off the first team as the first runner on Second Team All League and 10th overall. She was followed closely by Emma Perun in 16th (Second Team All League), Faith Bargellini in 20th, and Peyton Nash in 21st.
Art à la Carte
Upstairs, downstairs, and through the halls of our elementary schools, Mrs. Manley rolls her cart into all the classrooms, kindergarten through fifth grade. The first four-week rotation of Art included a wide range of projects inviting students to explore art concepts, skills and express their creativity.
Lessons began with drawing projects with a focus on personal interests and getting to know yourselves and each other. Activities included personalizing sketchbook covers, creating heart-maps, designing all about me one-pagers, and learning lettering techniques.
During the second week, drawing techniques and drawing challenges provided opportunities for students to practice new skills and to discover creative ways to solve artistic problems. For example, how would you draw the most beautiful day you can imagine using only three colors?
Collage projects filled the third week, utilizing paper-cutting, tearing, and gluing skills. Students learned how to use newsprint and pictures in magazines for their palette of colors to choose from. They practiced collaging strategies of arranging and rearranging, layering, and working on the background first. The final week of art offered lessons for working in 3-D. Sculpture projects varied between the grades, but all reinforced the concept of form and emphasized good construction skills.
Ask any K-1 student about the upside-down shake test, and they will be happy to demonstrate! Overall, students enjoyed their classes as seen in their creative work and in the hidden smiles of success behind their masks.
An Autumn Showcase
Shepaug Dramatics once again dazzled their audiences with a unique blend of humor, drama, and reality with their three autumn performances at Spring Hill Farm in New Preston. This was the first Shepaug drama show off-site and the students wanted to make the most of it. Covid restrictions would not impose on the creative visions of the students, who took the opportunity to write their own monologues and create a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
Everything from the music, sound effects, costumes, and the characters were crafted by members of the Dramatics crew. Using the current Covid situation as a jumping-off point, situations stemming from 'covid crazies', locked up, quarantining inhabitants, anti-maskers, melodramatic news anchors, and a politically charged environment influenced the various monologues.
Head writers Jack Buchholz and Wyatt King both received letters from Connecticut Congresswoman Jahana Hayes congratulating them on their creative effort!
Senior Project Spotlight
Jillian Cody
For her senior project, Jillian Cody is planning activities with the residents at Bernhardt Meadows in Roxbury. In addition to assisting them with tasks, Jillian is spending quality time with the seniors by listening to them tell stories, share memories, talk about current events and explore potential future activities.
Jillian shared images of her initial meet and greet where she gathered information about what many of the residents like to do for fun, what activities they love to do as a group, and hopes they have for their families, friends and co-residents.
Maya Jacob
Always wanting to run a community based project, Maya has decided to run a donation based senior project in partnership with a local organization called Feed One Person. Feed One Person is an organization that conducts different community projects throughout the year in an effort to help those in need, particularly the homeless. She will be creating Bags of Hope, which are personal self-care bags that are filled with travel sized toiletries and basic necessities.
Items like toothbrushes, socks, hand sanitizer, and things of that sort are included in each bag. She will also be encouraging school support by allowing students to personalize the Bags of Hope. The collected items will be placed in blank, white, canvas bags so that students can decorate each bag with pictures and uplifting messages. Once completed, the bags will be given to Feed One Person and distributed to the local homeless shelters.
Film Studies
Students in 8th grade Digital Design Lab class engage in the creative process by learning how to format screenplays and edit their short films. Film allows the unique opportunity to combine various arts into a singular vision, allowing for collaboration and in-depth studies from various students.
Through partnership and sharing the writing, filming, and editing roles required to form a final project, students learn the positive impact of planning and following through a vision from creation to completion.
WHAT ARE NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS? ARE THEY HEALTHY?
The word nutrient means “nourishing”. Nutrition is the process of taking in food/nutrients to utilize them for growth and metabolism. Healthy nutrition also prevents disease, maintains health, and fuels the body. ”MY PLATE” helps us to visualize portion sizes and food choices. It is important to choose healthy food choices daily from the ”food groups“ that include fruits and vegetables. Whole fruits, dark and bright colored vegetables, whole grains, proteins such as skinless chicken, low fat dairy, and nuts and seeds are healthy choices. In addition, water is an essential part of our necessary daily intake.
Nutrient-dense foods contain many nutrients yet the calories are few. Many healthy foods are nutrient-dense. Some examples are spinach, broccoli, green beans, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, barley, and whole grain wheat. Also oily fish, rich in omega 3 and fatty acids, such as salmon and sardines are nutrient-dense foods.
Nutrition fact labels, included on the side of food packages, are important to read. The serving size is listed with the number of calories per serving. The % Daily Value (DV) is the amount of nutrient present in a serving of food in a person’s daily diet. The DV also compares the nutritional value of food products. Consuming foods that contain saturated (ex. animal sources such as red meat), trans fats (ex. cakes, cookies, pies), or cholesterol, and sodium should be 5% or less of an individual’s DV. Consuming foods that contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, should be 20% or more of the DV.
Is it difficult to follow a healthy diet? REMEMBER, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! The American Heart Association recommends a diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, legumes, nuts, and seeds to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. Recommended size portions for the five food groups can easily be measured using your own hand.
Food Groups
Fruits and Vegetables - Fill half your plate with these important nutrients. At least 2 cups of fruit a day, and 2½ cups of vegetables. Whole fruits and dark green, orange vegetables are healthy choices.
Dairy - Skim or 1% milk have the same amount of nutrients and calcium but less calories and fat. At least 3 cups are needed daily. Yogurt and cheese are also good choices.
Grains - Choose 100% whole grain in the forms of pasta, rice, bread, and cereal. It is important to consume 6 ounces a day. One cup of cereal, OR one slice of bread is equal to 1 oz.
Protein - Fish such salmon and sardines, beans, lean meats, nuts, eggs, and poultry contain the vitamins, minerals and protein needed. Grilled, poached, baked or broiled limit the fat intake. The amount needed per day is 5½ oz.
The choices in these food groups have limited sugars, fats and sodium (salt).
Therefore, the healthy intake of dense foods, in addition to reading labels, drinking juices that are 100% juice, and avoiding EMPTY CALORIE foods (ex.potato chips), will properly fuel and keep our body at its best!
Edith M. Poidomani, RN
Shepaug Valley School Nurse
Fliers & Upcoming Events
Region 12 Calendar
December 2 - Early Dismissal for Students
December 3 - Burnham PTO Meeting, 6pm
December 7 - BOE / Finance & Operations Committee Virtual Meeting, 5:30pm
December 7 - Board of Education Virtual Meeting, 7pm
December 14 - Building Committee E-Meeting, 10am
December 14 - BOE / Long Range Planning Committee Virtual Meeting, 6pm
Follow Region 12 on our social media channels for updates and information!
The Region 12 community educates, challenges, and inspires all learners to become compassionate, creative, and courageous individuals who are empowered by the knowledge, character, and perseverance to achieve their greatest potential within the global society.
Email: rir@region-12.org
Website: region-12.org/
Location: 11A School Street, PO Box 386 Washington Depot, CT 06794
Phone: 860-868-6100
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