Date: Fri 20-Jun-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

Quick Words:

NMS-moving-up

Full Text:

On To High School: Eighth Grade `Moving Up' Ceremonies

(with photos)

BY DOROTHY EVANS

Thursday evening, June 12, was the "moving up" ceremony for Newtown Middle

School eighth graders and the event was held, appropriately enough, in the

Newtown High School auditorium.

In fact, no other space would have been adequate to hold the 319 students and

their parents. It took 45 minutes simply to seat the three clusters, 8A, 8B

and 8C, which filled the three sections of seats half way to the back.

The students had dressed up for the occasion, the girls in skirts and the boys

in suits or sports jackets, each of them wearing a white carnation with a pink

bow (girls) or a fern (boys).

As they walked single file down the aisles, their teachers encouraged them and

cautioned them to "keep moving," "don't trip," "stand up straight," "smile and

try to look happy."

For some students, it was the first time they had set foot in the high school

and their nervousness showed.

By the second week in September, however, they will all feel right at home

there, Student Council President Daniel Anderheggen predicted.

They were ready, he said.

"My father always told me, `Dan, slow down!' But now it's time for us to grow.

Thanks to our parents and teachers. They gave us the values and the knowledge.

Now we'll have to learn to trust ourselves," Dan said, speaking from the

podium.

Cheers of appreciation greeted his words, as an auditorium full of excited

14-year-olds anticipated the big jump into high school.

Middle School

Academic Awards

Cluster 8A

Highest Cluster Average: Debby Ya-Tibng Chuang, Matthew H. Sullivan; Language

Arts: Andrew C. Beck, John Robert Fiscella, Sarah Letson; Mathematics: Travis

Richard Long, Blake Nezvesky, Erin Marie Thomas; Integrated Math: Sarah

Letson, Michele Ann Nelson; Science: Zachery M. Miller, Andrew Portnoy; Social

Studies: Lesley Ann Janutolo, Tracy Leigh Ravetto, Matthew H. Sullivan;

Citizenship: Deirdre Mayer Doughe, Peter Engel; Most Improved: Branden

McIntyre, Katie Lynn Miller; Creativity: Evan Graves.

Cluster 8B

Highest Cluster Average: Sara Daniels; Language Arts: Sara Daniels;

Mathematics: Mallory G. McQuail; Integrated Math: Katherine J. Deng; Science:

Stephanie Miles; Social Studies: Paul Dolzall; Citizenship: Kara A. Kunst;

Most Improved: Kathryn M. Hills; Creativity: Lauren M. Bass, Abby Reynolds.

Cluster 8C

Highest Cluster Average: Jamie L. Beckman; Language Arts: Joseph Michael

Zieman; Mathematics: Helena G. Buonagurio; Integrated Math: Nicole

LaFrancesca; Science: Thomas Oristaglio, Erin Forbes Simonds; Social Studies:

Shannon Kate Rouse; Citizenship: Christopher B. Lyddy; Most Improved: Matthew

J. Murry; Creativity: Jacqueline Melycher.

Foreign Language Award

French: Katherine J. Deng, Heather E. Gibbons; Spanish: John Robert Fiscella,

Lesley Ann Janutolo, Jessica Eileen Oswald.

Special Awards

Sons of American Revolution: Christopher Lyddy; Connecticut Association of

Schools Student Leader Award: Jamie Beckman and Patrick Curran; Michaels

Jewelers: Deirdre Dougherty and Seth Guiterman; Ellen Rogers Award: Anna

Bingaman and Devin Glass; Special Math Award: Andrew Portnoy; Weller

Foundation: John Fiscella; Superintendent's Award: Kara Kunst and Gregory

Chion; Connecticut Association of Schools Scholar Leader: Stephanie Miles and

John Fiscella.