Latest news with #LincolnMiddleSchool
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Daffodil Festival returns for 45th year in Meriden
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The 45th annual Meriden Daffodil Festival is happening this weekend. It's a family-friendly event that organizers say has something for everyone. 'Daffodil weekend is not only a jump start to spring, but festivals across New England,' Mayor Kevin Scarpati said. Connecticut's only pick-your-own daffodil farm celebrating 30 year anniversary 'I first started volunteering in 1986,' festival co-chair Ric Suzio said. 'Basically, we had no entertainment, we did the crowning of little Mr. and Miss. Daffodil and a picnic, and since then it's evolved to be the three stages, the crafts fair, the carnival.' Suzio said new elements of the fair include Dave Matthews and Stevie Nicks tribute bands, a parade, and a fireworks show Saturday evening to mark the 45-year milestone. 'It's a great opportunity to come up and enjoy some family fun and entertainment,' he said. There will be rides for the kids and all sorts of fun foods like empanadas, fried dough, barbeque and 'walking tacos,' which Suzio said are a bag of Fritos with chili and cheese. CT Families: Wicked Tulips farm has become a wickedly-popular family destination The food tent will be run by a number of non-profits, civic organizations and church groups the city urges you to support. 'This is in many ways the largest fundraiser these non-profits will have this weekend,' Scarpati said. The city said the festival attracts over 70,000 people annually across New England and is mostly volunteer-run. The Meriden Daffodil Festival runs Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the park is free, however attendees will not be able to park on site. People are advised to park at Platt High School, Lincoln Middle School and the Meriden Mall. There will be shuttle buses running every few minutes to take people to Hubbard Park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey signs education bills banning cellphones, mandating ‘In God We Trust' posters in WV schools
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a pair of education bills on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Lincoln Middle School in Shinnston, He is joined by students and (center) Del. Mickey Petitto, R-Harrison, and (right) Del. Carl Martin, R-Upsher. (West Virginia Office of the Gov. Patrick Morrisey | Courtesy photo) Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a pair of education bills that will ban the use of cellphones in classrooms and require teachers to display 'In God We Trust' in schools. Students, Republican lawmakers and others joined the governor at Lincoln Middle School in Shinnston, West Virginia, on Tuesday for a bill signing ceremony. Morrisey prioritized banning cellphones in schools, mentioning it in his State of the State address. It was the only piece of education legislation that the governor requested in his first legislative session. 'I think this is going to make a significant difference for our teachers and students,' Morrisey said. 'We know that the use of personal electronic devices in the classroom increases distractions, academic misconduct and bullying and, overall, it creates a negative learning environment.' Morrisey also mentioned that the bill would help curtail students' addiction to cellphones that could harm their mental health. House Bill 2003, which overwhelmingly passed the House of Delegates and Senate, prohibits students from using a personal electronic device during instructional time. County boards of education are required to create and adopt a policy that includes whether cellphones are permitted on school grounds and what the consequence would be for students who violate the policy. If a county board decides that cellphones will be permitted on school property, students may be required to store the devices in containers or pouches provided by the county board, according to the bill. 'The kids throughout the state had influence on this bill and helped work it. That's incredible,' said Sen. Jay Taylor, R-Taylor. 'Don't take this as, 'We don't want you to use cellphones.' We want you to learn to use them responsibly.' Morrisey also signed Senate Bill 280, which requires public schools and higher education institutions to display a durable poster or framed copy of the United States motto, 'In God We Trust.' Sen. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, has sponsored the measure for three years. 'First of all I want to give honor to God for this bill. It tells Americans and kids … what our U.S. motto is,' Azinger said. 'If America stays with that motto in our hearts and West Virginia stays with that motto in our hearts, we'll be OK.' The display must contain a representation of the United States flag centered under the national motto and cannot have any other words or images. It didn't come with funding for schools to purchase the signage, but schools can accept private donations for the now-required display. 'We have to ensure that we're teaching kids about the founding principals of our country — a true and accurate retailing of civics and American life and history,' Morrisey said. Morrisey noted the state's near-bottom ranking in student academic performance and teacher pay. 'We're not going to get where we need to be without having every West Virginia child having the ability to access a top-notch education system,' he said. During his State of the State address, Morrisey called for teacher pay raises as West Virginia's public school teachers are the least paid in the nation. But the governor didn't request a bill to implement a pay increase. A bill sponsored by Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, sought to implement 'locality pay' for teachers. It would have determined their potential raise by the median home prices in their county. The bill failed to make it to the full Senate for consideration. Morrisey already signed lawmakers' high-profile education measure that will give elementary teachers more authority to remove disruptive or violent students from their classroom. The measure is in response to West Virginia teachers' call for help in addressing an uptick in elementary students' violent and dangerous behavior that has resulted in teacher injuries and learning disruptions. The bill also mandates that school mental health professionals assess removed students to see what could be causing the behavior. Additionally, Morrisey signed lawmakers' budget that includes $97 million in funding for the state's education voucher program, the Hope Scholarship, that has a quickly-accelerating price tag. Lawmakers have already raised concerns about how the state will afford the program next year with its estimated price tag of $300 million. Morrisey has until the end of day Wednesday to sign the remaining bills. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Governor Morrisey signs bills banning cell phones in classrooms and requiring U.S. Motto displayed in schools
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Governor Patrick Morrisey signed bills to ban cell phones in classrooms and to show the U.S. Motto in schools. According to a press release, Governor Morrisey signed House Bill 2003 and Senate Bill 280 at Lincoln Middle School, with legislators, students, and supporters also in attendance. Zero percent tuition increase approved by Concord University Board of Governors As Governor, one of my top priorities is to improve West Virginia's educational rankings. To do that, we must focus on academics and remove classroom distractions. The bills I signed today will help ensure a brighter future for students in the Mountain State. Governor Morrisey The press release stated that House Bill 2003 will let the local County Boards of Education ban personal electronic devices in classrooms, and Senate Bill 280 will make it a requirement for public schools to display the U.S. Motto, 'In God We Trust.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Portland schools, teaching unions plan to create student discipline task force
Feb. 12—The Portland teachers' union and school administration are planning to collaborate on a task force to update student discipline policies. The proposal comes just weeks after a high profile event in Portland Public Schools, where a Lincoln Middle School athletic director was facing termination after he hit a student from another school during an off-campus soccer game. Portland Education Association President Kerrie Dowdy proposed the task force during a Portland school board meeting Tuesday night at Casco Bay High School, alongside Jen Cooper, president of the district's educational technician union. "After much feedback and listening loops, the Portland Education Association has proposed to the superintendent a task force to review Portland Public Schools student discipline policies and procedures, and to develop a draft proposal of a progressive discipline document for Portland Public Schools students by the first school board meeting in May," Dowdy said at the board meeting. She proposed that the task force be co-chaired by union representation and administrators, and that they begin work as soon as possible. She said the group will have to consider how to accommodate students with Individualized Education Plans and think about what information can be shared with staff, protocols for safety at off-site events, and an understanding of how state laws fit into school discipline policies. "A district-wide progressive discipline protocol for students is something that has been widely requested since I began teaching in the Portland Public Schools in 1992," she said. "We propose this not only to advocate for all students and staff in the Portland Public Schools, but also to advocate for parents, as embedding parent collaboration into this process is critical for student success." Superintendent Ryan Scallon said during the meeting that the district administration would be jointly moving forward with the union on the task force. Scallon said he was excited to partner with the union and staff to set clear expectations for students, and make guidelines for how teachers can respond to student behavior in caring and progressive ways. "I believe that making sure that we're really clear on this, and up-front and transparent about this, is part of the key way that we ensure that our schools embody what we are talking about in our mission statement, about making sure that we have joyful places for students to learn," he said. It wasn't clear during the meeting Tuesday whether the task force was spurred by the discussion surrounding last month's pubic termination hearing; union leaders did not respond to messages about the motivation behind the task force. The teacher maintained that he acted in self defense when surrounded by a large group of students, some of whom were not allowed to be at the game because of their past behavior at athletic events. He was not ultimately fired after reaching a private agreement with the district, but throughout a public hearing process, faculty, parents and students defended the athletic director, and called on the district to have stronger policies around student discipline. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syracuse mom admits to assaulting teacher, will serve prison time
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — 32-year-old Lynzina Sutton admitted on Monday, Jan. 27, to assaulting a Syracuse teacher at Lincoln Middle School last year. Senate confirms Scott Bessent as Trump's Treasury secretary Speaker Johnson brushes aside economic concerns associated with ICE raids Syracuse crews work to keep roads clear despite salt shortage 'It impacted a lot of our students': Over 100,000 items donated to Baldwinsville apartment fire victims Republicans back tax cuts On Feb. 16, 2024, Sutton, who is 4-foot-10, pulled her hood up and posed as a student to get past school security. She then went to the room of her child's teacher and punched the teacher in the face, breaking her nose. Sutton officially pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in exchange for two years in prison, Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick confirmed. She originally faced 14 charges, including assault and 11 counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Sutton will be officially sentenced on March 24. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
