https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tG5YCKDFpT53wxtUFYIzNq5_FJr_Gs8RPLh1cmSBWWg/edit?usp=sharing

Teen PeaceWorks is a WHS club that focuses on spreading awareness about healthy and safe relationships. It’s main mission is to educate students about the issues of teen dating violence and domestic violence. The club is important because research has shown that about 1/3 of people will someday be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. Teen Peaceworks helps organize town events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month each October and during Teen Dating Violence Awareness month each February. They are active throughout the year; their next project is a video on teen dating that will be shown to Middlebrook 8th Graders. 

If you are a High School student and you would like to get involved, or just find out more please contact the club advisor Mrs. Zemo.

Follow Teen PeaceWorks on Instagram @whsteenpeaceworks

 

Wilton High School student Cora Huff discovered a gap in the market when she was looking for an organization to connect with to complete her Girl Scout Silver Award. “It was taking a long time to find something, I figured there had to be a more efficient way to find volunteer opportunities. The school used to have a job board for local businesses, how about a community service board too?”

Cora reached out to local organizations asking them for descriptions of projects that they need help with and from that she has created the Wilton High School Community Service Board. Students are encouraged to visit often to look for volunteer opportunities for service hours. Local non-profit organizations can post their upcoming volunteer opportunities by filling out this google form.

Links to the forms can also be found on the student resources page of the WHS Website.

If you missed the live Middlebrook Parent forum on February 3rd, you can watch the entire broadcast here!

Please read Middlebrook's Schedule Planning Team presentation to the Board of Education.

The Middlebrook Gym was a hive of activity at the annual Middlebrook Science and Engineering Fair on Tuesday evening, Jan. 28, as over 120 students presented their science fair projects to a roving audience of students, parents, teachers and judges. Divided between 6th grade and 7th/8th Grade, students' projects covered life sciences, physical sciences and engineering.

Many of the projects contained elements of social responsibility with water purification, air filter and renewable energy featuring prominently.

Also present were the perennial science fair favorites featuring Mentos and Skittles. Evidence of students mastering coding was also on show at the fair:  6th Grader Polina Popova took her inspiration from living close to the four-way stop at Belden Hill and New Canaan Rds., she wondered what was better, stop signs or traffic lights and used coding in python to figure out the answer (authors note : it depends on how much traffic there is, but Belden Hill should stay as a four way stop, according to Popova).

New this year was a teacher award to recognize a science teacher at Middlebrook who has gone above and beyond to advance students curiosity and encourage them to participate in the science and engineering fair. This year’s winner is Bill DesRoche, science teacher on the 6 Yellow team.

The enthusiasm of the students was clear to see as they clearly articulated the purpose of their projects even when discussed pitfalls, setbacks and dealing with the rigors of the scientific method. The standard of entries was very high. Veteran judge and high school chemistry teacher Stephen Sobolewski said ‘I am blown away by the quality of the work. I have never programmed in my life, and to see 7th and 8th graders program their projects is very impressive’.

The Best in Fair this year was awarded to 8th grade student Anup Pilla with his project ‘Heart Safe’. Anup’s completely original science fair idea was inspired by his desire to save lives by inventing a heart monitor and defibrillator. Anup lost both of his grandfathers to heart disease and is determined to do something to help others.

At the tender age of 13, Anup already feels a calling to medical research. "I want to find a way to cure H.I.V, and if someone beats me to it, I’m going to research mental health and conditions that affect the brain, like autism."

First, second and third places were awarded in each of the three science categories - engineering, life science and physical science full results are posted below.

The Middlebrook science fair is a collaboration between the Middlebrook PTA and the Wilton Education Foundation. PTA co-chairs this year were Loralee Hamilton and Uma Subramanian. Wilton Education Foundation provided funding for the event. Thanks to the 25 judges who gave their time to judge the event, including 10 AP science students and a number of science teachers from Wilton High School.

Winning entries will be entered into the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair. The state competition will be held in March at Quinnipiac University.

Best in Fair

Anup Pilla:  "Heart Safe"

7 & 8th Grade Winning Entries

Physical Science

1st Place–Arjun Patel and Saaransh Khandelwal:  "Water Purification"
2nd Place–Kendra Ward:  "Hydroelectric Power"
3rd Place–Abby Phelan:  "Commercials vs. The Real World"

Engineering

1st Place–Zachary Coleman:  "Voice to Hand Written Text"
2nd Place–Dillion Bhutani:  "Self-Watering Plant"
3rd Place–Aarushi Agarwal and Maddie Phelan:  "Solar Power Phone Charger"

Life Science

1st Place–Illeas Paschalidis and Shawn Gregory:  "Fertilizer Fiasco"
2nd Place–Aishwani Walia and Francesca Gusfa:  "Artificial Dye or Organic Dye"
3rd Place–Austin Etzbach:  "The Effect of Pets on Stress and Blood Pressure"

6th Grade Winning Entries

Physical Science

1st Place–Polina Popova:  "Traffic Light or Stop Sign"
2nd Place–Sam Jacobson:  "Golf Ball on a String"
3rd Place–Arista Sullivan and Meredith Sullivan:  "Sympathetic Vibrations"

Engineering

1st Place–Nikisha Shivram:  "The Helping Hand"
2nd Place–William Olmstead and Paul Zhang:  "POD 3D Engineering"
3rd Place–Gayathri Sarath:  "The Laundry Helper"

Life Science

1st Place–Preethi Vijay and Rose Bilella:  "Disintegrating Aluminum Cans"
2nd Place–Ronan Conway:  "Skittles, Flavored?"
3rd Place–Adeeva Ghuman and Abby Fang:  "Musical Plants, Music’s Impact on Plant Growth"

Follow this link to view further images from the event.

 7R student Kieran Lenihan was crowned Middlebrook Geography Bee champion at the school final held on Wednesday January 15th. Kieran had to hold his nerve in a tough battle for first place with 8R student Anderson Campbell.  This is Kieran's second year in the school final. Kieran studied hard for the competition and will now compete in the state final on March 27. We all wish him the very best. 

Saturday December 14th marked the first debate tournament of the year for the Connecticut Middle school Debate League. Twenty-two middle schools in Connecticut fielded teams in the competition. Middlebrook had a very strong showing with 60 students taking part. Each student is part of a debating trio. The question, or proposition is announced in advance of the tournament, giving each student 3-4 weeks to prepare. The proposition for this debate was 'This House regrets the worldwide proliferation of surveillance cameras.' Each team debates the proposition three times - once taking the proposition side, once taking the opposition side, and their final time the side they will argue is decided by a coin toss.

Each student receives a score for their personal performance, the team score is calculated by averaging out each team members score. Middlebrook had five of the ten best individual performances with seventh grader Francesca Gusfa finishing a very impressive second overall. Middlebrook also placed four of the top ten teams in the debate with a team of three eighth graders finishing first overall. Students on the winning team were Yasmin Athulathmudali, Grace Biondo, and Anagha Khisti (pictured above).

Katie Durkin and Michael Panoli are Debate club advisors at Middlbrook, positions they have held since the inception of debate club five years ago.  Debate has existed as a High School club for a long time, but was absent as a club at Middlelbrook until Michael Wallace, a WHS student at the time, approached Middlebrook teachers asking them to consider setting up the club at Middlebrook. The idea made a lot of sense, getting the students used to debating at middle school would mean a more experienced cohort of students in the debate team at the high school.

There are four debate tournaments during the year. The next one will be held at Middlebrook on Saturday January 25th, 2020. Middlebrook are hoping that the home advantage will net them a third victory in a row. Students curious about debate are welcome to attend the next tournament as spectators. Debate club runs throughout the year on Tuesdays after school. The Middlebrook Debate Club introduces all middle school students to debate and public speaking. Debate club meetings address creating feasible arguments, speaking fluidly, and understanding fundamental civics. Games, lectures, and mock debates, during the weekly practices further bolsters students’ comprehension of current events and parliamentary procedures.

For more information about middle school debate, visit ctmsdebate.org or contact the team advisers Ms. Durkin or Mr. Panoli.

 

The window for ordering supply kits from Edukit has passed.  However, you can still find printable supply lists for the upcoming school year by clicking here or following the "I want to" section on our Homepage to find current lists for each grade.

For those unable to make it, here is the link to the presentation Slide Deck and the Zoom Recording.

Parents-this digital toolset highlights those tools that students utilize to support learning in the classroom.  It includes links for mathematics, literacy and overall technology success.  

https://sites.google.com/wiltonps.org/planningforelearning/cider-mill