Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Enrichment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Middle school leaders and students highlight enrichment programs, attendance and discipline gains
Summary
Students and staff from JMMS presented on aviation, Educators Rising, mock trial, Future Cities, peer mentoring, National History Day and anti-bullying work; administrators reported drops in chronic absenteeism and suspensions and a $5,000 DOT grant for bicycles.
Joseph Malolo Middle School staff and students described a roster of after-school and in-class enrichment programs during the East Haven Board of Education meeting, and district administrators reported recent improvements in attendance and discipline tied to the initiatives.
The presentations, led by Darcy Doyan and Nate Tester of JMMS, featured student speakers who summarized activities and learning outcomes from aviation exploration, Educators Rising, mock trial, Future Cities, peer mentoring and National History Day projects. The talks emphasized hands-on learning, career exposure and social-emotional supports.
School leaders said the programs aim to build community and the skills the district calls “habits of success.” Doyan introduced students from multiple clubs and said the goal was to show how programs engage students both inside and outside the classroom. "They know how to engage their students within the classroom but also outside the classroom and provide opportunities that build community," Doyan said.
Students described specific experiences. AJ Foranzano, a JMMS student in the aviation exploration program, said the group meets once a month to build and test projects such as paper rockets to learn aerodynamics. Chris Petronella, also from JMMS, and Madison Williams from East Haven Academy highlighted field visits to Tweed Airport and hands-on simulator sessions in Orlando; Williams said students also had a Zoom call with astronaut Frederick Gregory and visited aviation facilities including Igor Sikorsky’s office.
Eighth-grader Sandy Duarte spoke for Educators Rising, a nationwide club run at JMMS that pairs older students with younger children to practice lesson planning and classroom management. Duarte said the club has 10 eighth-grade participants working with second graders at East Haven Academy and that the experience builds patience and professional skills.
Members of JMMS’s first-ever mock trial team described courtroom exercises and the competition experience run through the Connecticut Bar Association. Alexis Ramos, an eighth grader, said the club taught precision in language and courtroom procedure; Jayla Moore noted that, despite being a first-year team, the students performed competitively against more experienced teams.
The Future Cities enrichment class for sixth graders was described by Donna (sixth grade) and Gianni Torres, who said teams research funding, zoning and energy systems and build models using recycled materials. Peer mentoring students credited the program with improved academics and social confidence: Scarlet Pizzi, a sixth grader and mentee, said her grades rose and she received recognition at the school’s “Habits of Success” breakfasts.
Students also summarized anti-bullying work tied to National Anti-Bullying Day. Alessandra Ruggero, an eighth grader, said the school hosted speaker John Halligan, who shared his son Ryan Halligan’s story and led activities on recognizing signs of suicidal thoughts and standing up to bullying. JMMS staff described the No Place for Hate framework and upcoming ADL-led feedback sessions for students, staff and parents.
Administrators noted measurable changes they linked to the climate and culture work: chronic absenteeism was reported as down 4 percent this month and suspensions down 23 percent. The school also described a partnership with Sodexo to host recognition breakfasts for students and said it had received a Department of Transportation grant for $5,000 that the school used to buy bicycles and helmets as incentives; the first recognition breakfast invited 77 students and the second 93.
Those figures were presented as part of the schools’ rationale for continuing and expanding enrichment and climate programs. Staff emphasized the programs are primarily funded through grants and local partnerships and asked the board to recognize volunteer time from community members who support the clubs.
Board members applauded the students and staff for the presentations and for the reported improvements in attendance and discipline.
The presentations were informational; no board action was taken on the programs during the meeting.
