The Willington Parents’ Expo, held on November 1st, was a well organized, fun and informative community event. Willington Public Schools, the Willington Public Library, the Recreation Department, the PTA, the Boy and Girl Scouts, local churches, the Senior Center, the Willington Fire Department, WAM United Soccer Club and our town’s Youth and Family Services came together to host a day for parents with children birth to eight years old to learn about services available in the community.

There were a variety of speakers including John Frassinelli, the Connecticut State Nutrition Director from the Department of Health, who spoke on effective strategies for ensuring that children develop healthy eating habits. Hope Charette presented on pH balancing and the importance of supplementation. Tyler Millex, Chief of Willington Fire Department #1 shared information about the emergency response capabilities in town. The UConn Community School of the Arts presented on the importance of the arts in childhood development and Terri Carreau presented on how to raise a fiscally responsible child.

It was great to see all of these groups under one roof with the sole purpose of reaching out to children in the community. Thank you to everyone who volunteered so much of their time. Special thanks to Mrs. Donna Cook who was the coordinator of the project and was instrumental in ensuring that everything went as planned.

I recently held two meetings for parents/guardians. One meeting was about budget planning for next year and the other meeting related to on-going school improvement. Your input is always valued and I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to attend these meetings.

Each year two students from Hall Memorial School are selected by their teachers to receive the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Recognition Award. The criterion for selection is that the student must be academically strong, demonstrate leadership and have a commitment to community service. I am pleased to announce that this year’s winners are Aimee Blauvelt and Sam Governale. Congratulations to both of these very deserving students.

On November 6th there was an accident involving a bus from Hall Memorial School on Route 74. Three students were shaken up and were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Luckily, they were not seriously injured and were released within hours. The accident was caused by a car failing to stop for a school bus that was stopped. This raises concern about the speed at which traffic travels on Routes 74, 32, 44 and 320. Our students are being transported to and from school at approximately 6:00 am to 8:45 am and from 1:45 pm to 4:30 pm. Please be careful during these hours and especially on the major routes in our community. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Finally, congratulations to the Willington Board of Education for receiving the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Educational Leadership Award. Boards of Education which exhibit the most effective leadership are characterized by their ability to work together as “teams.” The Board of Education Leadership Awards are designed to recognize boards which work effectively in this manner. The Award was presented to the Willington Board of Education at the Annual CABE convention in November.

The winter concert will be held on December 17th at 7:00 pm in the Hall Memorial School Gymnasium. I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday.