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SCHOOL NEWS:(2): STD HEAD: ST ROSE / STD HD: HEAD O'MEADOW

By Chris Dannen

This week, we will get to know Terry Vara-Dannen, who teaches grades two

through eight French, eighth-grade language arts, and school enrichment.

Mrs Vara-Dannen grew up in the Bronx, New York. She graduated from St Philip

and St James Elementary School, and St Barnabas High School in the Bronx. She

then was given a TWA scholarship to the University of Paris, The Sorbonne, and

stayed there for one semester. She left there to go to Manhattan College on

another scholarship. After graduating with a bachelor of arts in French and

English and being elected to Phi Beta Kappa, she was awarded a scholarship to

New York Law School, where she received her juris doctor degree. She then

furthered her education teaching at Wesleyan University. She is now doing

graduate work in gifted education at the University of Connecticut.

Before coming to St Rose this year, Mrs Vara-Dannen taught French for two

years at Pomperaug High School in addition to four years teaching

extracurricular French in Region 15 schools.

"I chose to teach at St Rose because I believe that Catholic education teaches

us best academically, but also because it encourages our most important trait,

goodness. The best education is worthless if we do not learn to be good

people. I also believe strongly that children need a daily reinforcement of

Christian values, in their homes, and in school," said Mrs Vara-Dannen.

Mrs Vara-Dannen enjoys reading, quilting, and gardening. She also loves to

teach. "It is always exciting to teach children a new language and watch them

become more and more able to use it. Our students are also very excited about

learning French and are always enthusiastic," she added.

"I became a teacher because I love that look on students' faces that tells me

something has `clicked'. I treasure the surprise of understanding, the

broadening of the thought process, and the `Ah-ha!' moment," Mrs Vara-Dannen

said.

She plans a challenging curriculum for the eighth grade language arts class,

with a demanding reading list, including two Shakespearian plays and many

other British, American, and French classics. It will involve much reasoning,

vocabulary work and extensive writing.

Mrs Vara-Dannen is looking forward to a good year of French classes and plans

a lot for the school enrichment program. In this program, Mrs Vara-Dannen

keeps track of all the students' interests, hobbies, and talents. She then

advises them of activities in their area. She plans for a team of kids to

participate in Odyssey of the Mind this year and to have some enrichment

courses for the school. She is also planning a trip to France in August, 1997

for any St Rose families or friends.

"If we are to be the complete people God wants us to be, we must be lifelong

students. It is my job to instill that love of learning," she stated.

"St Rose is much like my extended family. I like how the parents have the same

ideas as I do about education. There is no place else I'd rather be!"

STD HD HEAD O' MEADOW

By Amanda Caposella

For my second assignment I chose to interview Mr Serantino, a student teacher

learning how to become a real gym teacher. I thought it might be interesting

to have a different perspective, as though he were a student learning new

things just like me.

My first question was why he decided to become a gym teacher? He said,

"Because I was active as a child, and I believe that being active is a very

important part of the growth and development of a child."

The next question I asked was, What do you enjoy about gym? "I enjoy a lot of

different activities and help children explore with different activities."

After I asked, What is your favorite sport? He replied, "Football and hockey.

I played football in high school and hockey all through college.

Next I asked, Do you like being a gym teacher? "Yes, it's great. I love being

a gym teacher and to help children to be active."

Then I asked, What do you do with your free time? "I still play hockey and

enjoy weight lifting and all kinds of other sports with my friends. I thought

that weight lifting was interesting because I don't know a coach that weight

lifts."

Next I asked, Do you have any pets? He said, "No, I had a dog, but she died

last December." I felt terrible because I brought up the subject.

Next I asked, Have you decided if you are going to become a gym teacher

permanently? "Yes, I have decided but it might be anywhere in the state or

country."

Finally, I asked, Are you going to replace Coach Gallager? "No, I don't think

so because Coach Gallager isn't replaceable as a gym teacher."

I thanked him for the great interview and went outside for recess.

RD

SCHOOL NEWS SET 10/15:(2)

BSA Troop 370

Hosts Parents

Boy Scout Troop 370 had its annual parents meeting to welcome parents of new

scouts as well as parents of previous scouts. All parents were invited to

attend the September 24 meeting at the Methodist Church in Sandy Hook to hear

about such topics as insurance, dues, and campouts.

From July 21 to July 28, 1996, 35 boys from Troop 370 attended Yawgoog Scout

Camp in Rhode Island. They were accompanied by three of their leaders: Tom

Maxwell, scout master; Dennis Petty, assistant scoutmaster and Jim Kaechele,

assistant scoutmaster.

For a week, the scouts worked on merit badges of their choosing. The 35 scouts

earned a total of 105 merit badges. The scouts had a variety of badges to pick

from, such as environmental science, metalworking, swimming, lifesaving,

astronomy, camping, cooking and archery, to name a few.

Troop 370 meets every Tuesday night at the Methodist Church in Sandy Hook on

Church Hill Road. For more information, call Tom Maxwell at 426-3537.

Internet Links

Families, Schools

Parents can now get timely information on important issues simply by pointing

their Internet browser toward "http://www.thenetworker.com".

The Networker, an electronic magazine, or E-zine in today's hi-tech parlance,

is designed to help parents become more involved in their children's education

and to help communities become more involved in their schools, according to

its founder and publisher, Roger Williams of Danbury.

Coverage by the Networker currently extends from New Milford and the Shepaug

Valley south to Redding and east to Newtown. Complete coverage of Connecticut

is expected.

Key features include a calendar of events, editorial and essay pages,

executive summaries of school meetings, and an education laws page,

biographies of local service agencies, and a step-by-step arts and crafts

page, all geared toward the needs of families with children.

The site is free to all who enter. Revenue is expected to come from local

advertising sales, Mr Williams said.

College Fair Set

For October 28

Newtown High School will sponsor its ninth annual College Night on Monday,

October 28, from 7 to 9 pm.

Representatives from more than 125 colleges and other post-secondary schools

as well as military units, will be available to answer questions from students

and parents. Take-home catalogues and brochures will also be available.

All area juniors and seniors from Newtown High and other high schools are

encouraged to attend.

A complete list of colleges planning to send representatives to participate in

the College Night has been sent to the guidance offices of all area high

schools. For further information, call Valerie Giarratano at 426-9642.

Commended

Student

The Wooster School of Danbury has announced that senior student Nelson

Tamakloe, son of Nelson and Sylvia Tamakloe of Sandy Hook, has been named a

commended student in the 1997 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Nelson is one of approximately 35,000 Commended Students throughout the nation

who are being honored for their exceptional academic promise. Commended

students placed among the top five percent of more than a million students who

entered the 1997 Merit program by taking on the 1995 Preliminary SAT/National

Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Nelson has also received recognition by the College Board for exceptional

achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and was

named an AP Scholar.

Approximately 54 percent of America's seniors have taken one or more AP exams.

Only about 12 percent of the more than 537,000 student who took AP exams in

May 1996 performed at a sufficiently high level to merit such recognition.

RDSCHOOL

Sessions For

Older Students

STORRS - The University of Connecticut's bachelor of general studies program

will be holding information sessions for people who might return to college.

Daytime sessions will be Monday, October 21, at the Norwalk Library, from 7 to

8 am, and at the Stamford Library, from 11 am to 1 pm. Also on October 21, an

evening session will be held at the Stamford campus in the library conference

room from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

The bachelor of general studies program is specifically designed to make it

easy for adult students to get back into college. It is a part-time,

individualized program open to those with an associate's degree or at least 60

credits from a regionally accredited college.

Returning students create their own course of study to fit their own

professional or personal needs. Counselors are available to help students

define goals and select courses. There is no minimum number of credits that

must be completed each semester.

The program is offered at all UConn regional campuses as well as at the main

campus at Storrs. To find out more about the Stamford campus informational

sessions, ask for a BGS counselor at 203/968-5401.