West Hartford Public Schools

West Hartford Public Schools provides education for West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Specific schools

Sedgwick Middle School

Sedgwick School opened in 1931 as a combination junior high and elementary school. The elementary school, housed in the east wing, was headed by Miss Marie Lipps. The west wing housed the junior high and was headed by Mr. P.D. Graybeal. A Bronze statue of Mr. Graybeal resides in the library.

In 1965, the growing population required that the whole building be used for junior high students and Sedgwick ceased its dual role as an elementary and junior high school. Many of the elementary students moved to the newly opened Braeburn School along with Miss Lipps, who became the first principal of that school, while Mr. Graybeal would become head of Sedgwick Middle School.

Sedgwick has undergone several renovations and organizational changes since the 1970s. The school became a middle school in 1979 and the sixth grade was added in the fall of 1990, making it a sixth, seventh, and eighth grade school. In order to accommodate these changes as well as to deal with an increase in enrollment a major renovation occurred in 1974-1975, a new wing was added in 1989-1990, the library was expanded in 2001 and another wing was opened in September 2003.

Sedgwick was a Blue Ribbon School in 1. 69-11.[2]

Whiting Lane School

The school educates grades kindergarten through fifth, with an annual enrollment of approximately 450 students. As of 2012, the interim school principal is Ms. Karen Kukish. In 2004, the school selected the owl as their mascot and by a vote of students the mascot was named "m9".

In 1997, West Hartford wanted to expand the school to provide better service for pre-kindergarten and special education, so an addition comprising six pre-kindergarten rooms, six kindergarten rooms, and two special education rooms was built. The original building was built on a slope, with an upper and lower level and a small intermediate floor a half-floor between the two. The award-winning addition better joins the upper and lower levels with an L-shaped corridor. This corridor is brightly lit using natural light, and there is a courtyard to provide an enclosed outside area for the younger students to play. The addition was completed in September 1997.[1]

Whiting Lane Elementary is recognized as a "Spirit of Life Award Winning School" for its exemplary Unified Sports program, in which regular ed students and special needs students collaborate in weekly sports, games, and cooperative activities. Whiting Lane also boasts Unified Music and Art classes for its special needs students in both K-5 and in its ELC (Early Learning Center) for preschoolers. Other programs and clubs include a "Be the m9" team and the CABE award winning student school newspaper called "The m9."

Whiting Lane won the first West Hartford Public Schools Conservation Challenge in 2008 wherein teachers, students, and staff successfully collaborated to achieve the highest percentage of energy reduction for the month of November in the district. Students continue to be enthusiastic about Conservation and "Going Green" initiatives, as evident by the "Bring Back the Greenhouse" campaign started in 2009. Students, faculty, and Whiting Lane families are currently raising money to rebuild a greenhouse on the Whiting Lane property. The school library media specialist, Lee Gluck, jumpstarted the campaign in an effort to provide students with a hands-on opportunity for students to learn about the environment by growing foods and other plants in a greenhouse classroom. There used to be greenhouses located on the property where the south parking lot now stands m9, but they were disassembled and moved to a different location in West Hartford.

Webster Hill School

Opened in 1949, the school educates kindergarten through 5th grade, with an annual enrollment of approximately 500 students. The school principal is Jeff Wallowitz. During the 1999 to 2000 school year Webster Hill opened a new wing that included four new kindergarten rooms, a bigger, more modern school library and a renovated main office. In the middle of the school building and next to the school cafeteria there is a large courtyard with a butterfly house. In late September the school holds a ceremony and opens up the butterfly house, releasing the butterflies for their migration south to Mexico. There are many school events at Webster Hill. The June Fair, for example is an end-of-the year gathering of students who attend and who attended Webster Hill.

Edward W. Morley School

Edward W. Morley School is an Elementary School in the West Hartford Public School District. It is 10 distinguished by an extracurricular program MEDC which is a program that spans to any Elementary School student in any town.

Florence E. Smith School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Smith School is a public school in West Hartford which educates students in preschool through fifth grade with an annual enrollment of just under 440 students. In 2001 Smith School was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. department of education. Smith School's current principal is Juan Melian. Smith School is a magnet school that specializes in the areas of science, math, and technology. About 80% of Smith School's students live in the Smith School neighborhood and about 20% of Smith School's students are magnet students and come from other elementary school neighborhoods in West Hartford. Smith School's magnet status allows it to offer advantages in the areas of science, math and technology to all of its students. For example, Smith School is the only public elementary school that has a fully functional science laboratory. Also, the school offers math enrichment to students that is in addition to the mandated curriculum of the school district. Lastly, the school has a variety of technology available for students including 20 iPads, Smartboards in every classroom, 2 mobile labs including 25 lap tops each, graphic tablets, digital cameras and video cameras, flip cameras, individual log-ins and network space for students, a "Be the Media" club, and a daily live televised morning announcement program known as "Smith TV." The Smith School PTO and parents are actively involved with the school and its magnet status by participating in programs such as the Smith School Magnet Committee.

References

  1. ↑ (November 1998). "Elementary schools. (Architectural Portfolio 1999) (citations and awards for architectural designs." American School & University 71.3: 28(5).

External links

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