This month students recognized their 100th day of school with various classroom projects and celebrations. Reaching this mark means that they are more than halfway through the 2017-18 school year. With only four months until school ends, the PTO is hard at work organizing events and activities but is also planning for the 2018-19 school year.
First, the PTO is excited to announce that it is sponsoring an after-school chess program for students in grades 1-5 at Wells Road Intermediate School. The PTO has gifted chess supplies for the 12-week program as well as additional sets for practice play for students at Kelly Lane. The instructor is Alexander Lumelsky, who has coached elementary and middle school students to championships at state and national chess competitions in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Lumelsky offers similar chess programs in multiple West Hartford elementary schools to glowing reviews, and has also organized school and community chess programs in many Connecticut towns.
Secondly, the PTO, working with Kelly Lane Media Specialist Amber Wyzik, will host its first ever family coding night on March 22. Wyzik is a parent volunteer and teacher who has generously donated her time and expertise to support the PTO. Children in grades K-5 and their parents or caretakers will play in teams to complete fun Code.org puzzles and challenges at their own pace and learn core coding concepts. At the end of the evening, families will receive a free “Code on at Home” guide.
Thirdly, the PTO would like to recognize the efforts of parent volunteer Mario Lopez of Granby Youth Lacrosse and Steve Migneault, physicaleducation teacher at Wells Road Intermediate School, who partnered to institute a lacrosse unit as part of the P.E. instruction at Wells. Lopez, whose lacrosse credentials include playing for UMass and being a member of Team USA in the 1999 World Cup, and who is currently a P.E. teacher himself in West Hartford, volunteered to work with Migneault in implementing the program. Migneault applied for and received a grant from the PTO’s E.L.F. (Enhanced Learning Fund) to purchase the equipment for the lacrosse unit, which by all accounts was well received amongst the students.
The PTO is only successful to the extent that parents, grandparents and other family and community members are willing to invest their time and energy to help organize, execute and support initiatives to support students and the school district. Members of the PTO will be present at kindergarten registration on March 19 from 5-7 p.m. at the Kelly Lane cafeteria to greet and answer questions about “how to get involved.” The PTO is always on the lookout for new volunteers who are interested in contributing. If you are a parent or teacher who might be willing to lend your time and talent to the PTO, please contact the PTO at president@granbypto.org or vicepresident@granbypto.org
The next PTO meeting will be held on Monday, March 12, at 6 p.m. in the Media Center at Wells Road Intermediate School. Superintendent Addley will talk on the proposed 2018-19 school budget, and Ben Perron, Granby Education Foundation Board Chair, will speak about GEF’s mission and its community grant program. Please visit the Granby PTO website, shop the PTO store and/or make a tax deductible donation by visiting granbypto.org.