LHS Teacher, Student Shine at Board Meeting

David Bednarz, who teaches Biology and Marine Science at Ledyard High School, has been selected as “Rookie of the Year” by UConn’s Early College Experience program and was recognized by the Board of Education at their regular meeting Wednesday night.

According to UConn’s ECE website, the program allows high school students to take UConn courses at their high schools and receive both high school and college credit. Courses offered through the auspices of the ECE are equivalent to the same courses offered on-campus at UConn. Teachers, such as Bednarz, who are certified by UConn’s program teach the ECE courses and serve as adjunct faculty members.

Bednarz was certified last year to teach UConn’s Introduction of Oceanography, and this year was his first as an ECE instructor in the subject. 

The program solicits nominations for the Rookie of the Year award from a variety of sources. Brian Boecherer, the ECE’s Associate Director, noted in a letter to Superintendent Michael Graner that four separate individuals, representing his students, his colleagues, and his professors at UConn, nominated Bednarz for the award. 

“There were 120 rookies” in his cohort, said Graner. “He was selected as the finest.” 

Bednarz will accept his award at a reception on May 5. 

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Taylor Strelevitz became the first Ledyard High School student to make a public presentation of a Capstone project when she provided a summary of her research project experience to the board.

Strelevitz designed and undertook a research project comparing the effects of local green crabs and invasive Asian crabs on local populations of tunicates, a sessile organism common on pilings and other structures in local waters.

Working with professors at UConn’s Avery Point campus, and using the university’s chemical analysis equipment, Strelevtiz was able to determine that on an individual basis, local green crabs eat more tunicates than do Asian crabs; however, because Asian crabs comprise a much larger group, their overall effect on the tunicate population is greater.

She spoke highly of the Capstone experience and noted that she wants to do another project – on World Religions -- before the close of the school year.

The Board applauded Strelevitz both for her scientific achievements and her poise in making her presentation to the board. Board member Thomas Malone noted that Strelevtiz had “set the bar high” for future Capstone projects.

In other action, the board brought the district’s schedule more closely in line with others in the area and formally adopted a calendar for 2011-2012.

“This conforms almost perfectly to the regional calendar,” noted Superintendent Michael Graner.

School will begin on Aug. 31 and end, barring snow days, on June 15. Graduation will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The Saturday graduation will be a first for the district, and one overwhelmingly supported by surveyed parents.

The 183-day calendar adheres closely to the regional calendar adopted by towns throughout Southeastern Connecticut. February vacation has been eliminated in favor of two days off that month – the 20^th and 21^st. Ledyard will keep April vacation and will also have a full day off on Nov. 23, rather than the half-day common in other local districts. Dec. 23, the day before Christmas Eve, will remain a full day off as has been the standard for the district.