State education commissioner tours Norwich charter school
Norwich — State Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell planned to ask many questions as she toured the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich on Wednesday morning.
But when the commissioner entered a sixth-grade classroom, students turned the tables and barraged Wentzell with questions about her responsibilities as education commissioner, the hardest part of her job and why she even wanted the job.
They also wanted to know how long she has lived in Connecticut.
Wentzell, who grew up in Manchester, told students she really wanted to be a teacher, and she progressed in her career to education administration roles and then the commissioner’s position “found” her.
Teaching "is the best job in the whole world,” Wentzell told the class, “and it’s the most important job in the whole world.”
Wentzell visited every grade level during the 90-minute tour that also featured presentations by four students of their in-depth research projects on a diverse range of topics.
Seventh-grader Ria Karun, 12, explained how memory works in the brain. Seventh-grader Jareth Tosses, 13, created a three-dimensional model of DNA to illustrate his research project on the ethics of stem cell research.
Eighth-grader Kaliyah Exum-Santos, 13, took on the topic of “Identity and Racial Inequality,” exploring allegations of police brutality, racial “blindness” and cultural identity.
And eighth-grader Zeb Carty, 13, explored mankind’s search for extraterrestrial life by sending mathematical messages into outer space.
“Did we get any responses back?” Wentzell asked the student.
“No,” he said, sounding somewhat disappointed.
Wednesday’s tour was arranged by state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, a strong supporter of the school.
Osten’s sister, Mary Osten, is a teacher at the school, and her grandchildren attend the charter school.
The integrated day concept combines two grades in classes at most levels, with kindergarten and first-graders learning together, second- and third-graders, fourth- and fifth-graders and seventh- and eighth-graders learning together.
A few years ago, Director Anna B. James told Wentzell, the school decided to separate sixth grade from the mix to better prepare for the new Common Core math requirements.
She said the move has been a big success.
The state-funded public school has 337 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, with 85 percent coming from Norwich.
The school has a waiting list each year of 800 to 900 students, James said.
The charter school opened in 1997 in the former Thermos Co. mill building on the east bank of the Thames River.
Classrooms feature giant windows, some with views of the river, and stout wooden beams, wooden ceilings and brickwork.
Algebra teacher Jason Beeble had students look to the ceiling for lessons on parallel lines and triangles, taking photos of the panels to identify examples of each.
The charter school is part of the state’s Higher Order Thinking network of schools that practice a strong integration of art into all subjects. In all classes, the "HOT" concept is readily apparent, James said.
Wentzell said she is a strong supporter of the HOT concept, and said the charter school has made good work of the concept, with students creating paintings, sculptures and models to illustrate their research projects.
“I was so impressed,” she said, “particularly to hear from the students. It was equally impressive to see their in-depth knowledge and their ability to work together.”
c.bessette@theday.com
Twitter: @Bessettetheday
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