Plainville Community School District

Plainville Community Schools Volunteers enjoyed an evening in their honor at a volunteer appreciation event held at Plainville High School on April 26th—the first time the group has gathered for the annual celebration since before the pandemic. The event featured special recognitions for Superintendent Steven LePage and Plainville Board Of Education Member Foster White, together with dinner, “make your own floral bouquet” and a raffle!

Community partners from a number of local businesses and organizations gathered for an appreciation breakfast event on May 10th, hosted by the Plainville Community Schools "School Business Community Partnership Program."

Plainville High School students in the Unified Sports program recently participated in a “Week of Wellness” coordinated by Plainville High School Special Education faculty member, Sheila DiMinno. “The student athletes raised money for the Week of Wellness activities through the school store that they operate,” explained DiMinno. “Through the various wellness related activities, they were able to practice life skills and reinforce the need to take the time for self-care.”

The Petit Family Foundation presented Plainville Adult and Continuing Education with a grant award of $2,518.83 to support, “Be the Change: Homelessness Awareness and the Brian Bag Project.”

The Plainville Community Schools Fine Arts Department is sponsoring an art show to honor the creative achievements of Plainville students in grades K-12. The Plainville Public Library has generously provided exhibition space throughout the building.

Louis Toffolon Elementary School fifth graders completed their third community service project for Plainville's Daybreak Adult Services. They created approximately 40 "stained glass" candy filled flower pots and in return, the students received thank you notes of pens and notepads for their act of kindness.

The Louis Toffolon Elementary School Garden Club members are gearing up for another growing season. The students researched seeds to create a planting schedule, then planted the seeds indoors to get a head start. The group also built two greenhouses to extend the growing season which were funded by a grant from the Plainville Community Fund.

Thanks to the support of the HW Green Company in Plainville, Louis Toffolon Elementary School students learned that all metal has value and to never throw it in the trash, through “Metal Recycling Simplified.” Toffolon Student Council officers and members began the program by reading aloud the book, The Girl Who Recycled a Million Cans" to fellow Toffolon students. After the reading, the students were able to use a Metal ID kit to identify various types of metal for recycling. The HW Green Company provided bins for Toffolon, placed throughout the school so that students and faculty can recycle reusable metals and plastic.

Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School third graders recently participated in a special day of planting and celebration of nature on April 19th as part of their Makerspace classes and in recognition of Arbor Day celebrated in April. First, leading up to the planting event, students put together garden boxes in the school’s courtyard area which were used for their planting activity. During the event, the students planted a variety of seeds in the boxes, and also planted several trees and bushes on the school grounds, donated by Eversource, together with pots and soil. Eversource representatives Julian Picciano and John Dyckman, (Arborists), Vegetation Management Supervisor Doug Pistawka, and Vendor Arborists Kait Gallow and James Hanson from ECI Environmental Consulting, were on hand to assist students with the planting project. Additionally, Foreman Kyle Pelletier and Groundman Andrew Pearse, from Asplundh Tree Experts, an Eversource contractor, brought a bucket truck to Wheeler and students had the opportunity to see the truck in action, 70 feet in the air! This exciting event fosters college and career readiness for Wheeler students, as they learned about careers in landscape design and forestry, as well as being an arborist, master gardener and CDL licensing. The planting and celebration of nature event was coordinated by Wheeler Music Teacher Veronica Picciano and her husband, Eversource Arborist Julian Picciano, and facilitated by Wheeler staff members.

On April 21st, Miss Connecticut, Sylvana Gonzalez, visited Linden Street School! She spent time with each grade level where she shared stories about her time in the Miss America Association, read picture books, and shared powerful messages about kindness, bullying, and controlling your emotions. She left students feeling positive, inspired, and represented.

Students, faculty, staff and special guests enjoyed a “taste test” during the Put Local on Your Tray event held at Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School on April 18th, . The event, which was coordinated by Plainville Community Schools Food Services Director Ashley Carl, and held during the school’s lunch waves, introduced Kale Salad as a taste test item, featuring locally grown kale from the Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut. Additionally, students enjoyed locally produced maple syrup from the Lamothe Sugar House in Burlington, Connecticut, Greek yogurt from Cows Around the Corner in Bethlehem, Connecticut, and several additional healthy food items as part of the lunch menu that day. As students participated in the “Kale Salad taste test” they also shared their candid feedback, by placing stickers on a large chart indicating whether they “tried it” and / or “loved it”. The goal of the taste test event was to provide an opportunity for students to enjoy a variety of healthy, locally produced food items that they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to try.

Plainville Community Schools communication efforts were recognized at the April 17th Plainville Board of Education meeting. Donald Harris, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Immediate Past President and Board Chair in Bloomfield presented the school district with plaques for six first place "Bonnie B. Carney Excellence in Educational Communications" awards. ​ In photo: Plainville Board of Education members with CABE Immediate Past President Donald Harris

(Plainville, CT) On April 18th, Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School students and special guests will enjoy a “taste test” during lunch, thanks to a collaboration between the “Put Local on Your Tray” organization and the Plainville Community Schools Food Services Department, led by Director, Ashley Carl.

Members of the Plainville High School Science National Honor Society, led by Advisor, John Girard, hosted a “Night of Science” on March 29th at Plainville High School, for elementary school students and their families. More than 200 students and their families participated in a variety of science experiments and engaging activities including balloon races, making “oobleck”, rainbow skittles, elephant toothpaste, alka seltzer rockets and many more!

Plainville High School faculty members Dave Gaignard and Mark Chase recently hosted representatives from Goodwin University and the Goodwin University Advanced Manufacturing Lab. The high school students had the opportunity to experience the many aspects of manufacturing and were able to ask questions about various manufacturing related ca

Plainville Community Schools will host a “Superintendent’s Update and Informational Showcase” on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The program will be held from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at Plainville High School, 47 Robert Holcomb Way.

On March 18th Plainville High School Cheerleading competed at the Council of New England Secondary School Principals' Association Spirit Championships and placed first in the Co-Ed Division! This is the first time in school history that the Cheer program was crowned New England Champions. Their accomplishments include: Central Connecticut Conference Grand Champions, CIAC Co-Ed Division State Champions, and CNESSPA Co-Ed Division New England Champions.

The Middle School of Plainville’s VEX Robotics Program, led by Advisor Camille Westfall, hosted the 10th annual VEX IQ state championship on March 18th. Fifteen teams competed in the elementary school division held in the cafeteria, and 55 teams competed in the middle school division in the gym. Seven Middle School of Plainville teams were entered, and three advanced to the finals.

(Plainville, CT) Music filled the gymnasium at Plainville High School on March 9th as Plainville Community Schools held its annual “All-Town Concert.”

Students, families and faculty at the Middle School of Plainville came together in March for a night of fun and creativity at MSP’s “Paint Night.” Art teacher Laura Meehan created step-by-step painting demonstrations for the group of painters to follow along. The participants created beautiful spring paintings. This event was a fundraiser for the Parent Teacher Club ( PTC).

Students in the MSPN student news broadcast program at the Middle School of Plainville enjoyed a visit to the WTNH NEWS 8 news station in New Haven, hosted by morning news anchor Laura Hutchinson. The student group toured the station, met with the morning anchor team and had a chance to test the “Green Screen” and weather desk as part of their visit!

It was a fine day in Erica Kriscenski's Kindergarten classroom at Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School when Superintendent of Schools Steven LePage stopped by to share a book, "A Fine, Fine Schoo

Volunteer mentors and student mentees in the Plainville Community Schools Mentor Program came together on March 1st for “Mentor Fun Night” held at Linden Street School. The group participated in an artist lead paint project, creating individual paintings, and enjoyed refreshments and time together.

Plainville Community Schools is excited to offer another year of the district’s preschool program AT NO COST TO FAMILIES, according to Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Tawana Graham-Douglas. The Plainville Community Schools’ NAEYC accredited preschool program is designed to prepare students for the transition to kindergarten at age five (5). Children who will be four (4) years of age by 12/31/23 are eligible for preschool. Children who will be five (5) years of age by 12/31/23 are eligible for the kindergarten program.

Eight Middle School of Plainville Technology Student Association members, together with Advisor Camille Westfall, attended a leadership training event on February 15th. They participated in student led workshops and honed their teamwork, problem solving, communication, and creativity skills.

The Plainville High School's Social Change Association is holding a “Prom Wear Drive” from February 27 - March 7. The group is collecting new or gently worn formal dresses, skirts and tops, suits, jackets, slacks, shoes, jewelry, and handbags, as well as monetary donations to fund cleaning and repair of clothing. For each item someone donates, they will be entered into a raffle to win a gift card donated by Craft Kitchen. Prom attire and cash donations may be dropped off at the Plainville High School Main Office, 47 Robert Holcomb Way, between 7:30am and 3:15pm. Donations are also accepted via Venmo at: @phs-blue-devils (note "Prom Wear Drive"). Can't make it during those hours? Contact [email protected] to schedule a pick-up.

On February 1st, the Linden Street School community celebrated World Read Aloud Day! World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) was founded by LitWorld in 2010 because reading aloud is a powerful and transformative act. There are over 170 countries around the world that participate in WRAD. Throughout the day, Linden students had the opportunity to virtually meet with authors and illustrators and many guest readers visited Linden classrooms to share a book or two!

Second graders at Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School recently enjoyed a non-fiction reading celebration culminating their hard work in completing a research project and presentation. The students researched information about inspiring people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, and many more. They then created biography projects to answer text dependent questions and to retell non-fiction books. At the conclusion of the project, families were invited to Wheeler to view the students’ projects via presentations.

A variety of school district programs and initiatives are underway this year thanks to grants received from the local Elizabeth Norton Trust Fund.

Louis Toffolon Elementary School's "No Bake Cooking" Afterschool Enrichment Program is in full swing. Students in the program recently made homemade lemonade and every student helped squeeze lemons (30 total!) to add to the recipe. The student group makes two no bake recipes weekly and is also working on creating a cookbook with recipes made in the program.

The Plainville school district celebrated volunteer mentors on "Thank Your Mentor Day" with a breakfast at Plainville High School on Thursday, January 26th. January is National Mentoring Month and the time to say thank you for giving the gift of friendship and for making a difference in the life of a child. The Plainville Community Schools Mentor Program is currently in need of six male mentors, could that possibly be YOU? Contact Sue Bradley, Volunteer Program Coordinator at 860-793-3210 x6110 if interested.

Louis Toffolon Office staff members Chiara Ramos and Caitlin Butkus created the "Toffolon Mitten Tree" initiative during the last school year and the tradition continues this year. The Mitten Tree is on display at Toffolon over the winter holidays, but collections of winter mittens and cold weather item donations continue all year. Toffolon families and staff members continue to support those in need throughout our community through their Mitten Tree initiative donations. The items are gathered throughout the school year, and donated to the Plainville Community Food Pantry.

The Plainville Unified Sports program is on the move once again, picking up a win at the annual, “Unified Team Versus Faculty Team” basketball game held at Plainville High School on January 19th.

Mr. Quinones aka "The Mad Scientist" hosts the Louis Toffolon Elementary School's "Mad Science" after school enrichment program this winter, where he works with students on various experiments and STEM projects.

The Louis Toffolon Elementary School Student Council, led by Advisor and faculty member Susan Fabrizio, recently sponsored a "Toffolon Campfire Day" complete with hot chocolate and a faux fireplace. Families and staff made a donation to participate and proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society.

Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School’s wolf mascot has “come to life” thanks to a unique piece of art created by former Wheeler faculty member, Matthew Guarino. Guarino, a longtime Plainville Community Schools employee, also served as the Middle School of Plainville Principal prior to his retirement in 2021, and currently works as a tutor at Wheeler School. Guarino logged many weekend hours planning for and bringing the new Wheeler wolf sculpture to fruition on site at the elementary school.

The Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School community, led by their Student Council members and Faculty member / Advisor Sarah Miller, have teamed up with HW Green Company Inc. for a school-wide recycling project for the 2022-23 school year. As a kick off to the program, the school’s Student Council members read a book about recycling to each Wheeler class.

Plainville High School students Nolan Wargo and Lily Feyerabend have been named recipients of the first semester “Student Rocks Award” recognizing their outstanding contributions to Plainville High School.

This year the CT Convention Center hosted a "Holiday Glow" indoor light festival. This event featured hundreds of thousands of lights in ornate displays that guests could walk through and interact with. The Plainville High School Chamber Choir was the featured performing group, performing two shows in the early evening on Friday, December 16th.

The Middle School of Plainville has partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to implement the “No Place for Hate” program this year. “Students, staff, community partners, School Resource Officer Shane Dufresne, and family partners will work together through the “No Place for Hate” program framework to build a learning community of inclusivity, respect, and equity,” explained Middle School Assistant Principal, Melissa Orfitelli.

Plainville High School faculty members Mark Chase and Dave Gaignard coordinated a visit from the Connecticut National Guard on December 13th. The group brought in a jet engine and spoke to students in the high school's transportation, engineering, construction, and business classes about the design, mechanics and latest technology that is currently used.

Students in Miss Bartley's first grade class at Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School earned their "Word Detective" badges, working hard to solve tricky words in their reading. Principal Andrew Batchelder (Mr. B!) presented the students with their badge

Students in the Louis Toffolon Elementary School’s Choir recently hit the road to spread holiday cheer. The student group, composed of 46 Toffolon fourth and fifth graders, shared a repertoire of holiday carols at Apple Rehab Farmington Valley, the Jerome Home and Arbor Rose in New Britain, and the Plainville Senior Center.

Using items that would otherwise end up in the trash, students in the Middle School of Plainville's "Trashion Fashion" After School Club created one-of-a-kind wearable pieces of art. They learned about the environmental impact of the paper, plastic and fashion industry, created vision boards, learned pattern making, then created their own "trashion fashion."

The Plainville High School Chapter of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America collected 46 new, unwrapped toys which were donated to the local Marine Toys for Tots collection location at 1 Lindsey Drive in Plainville.

Attendees at the December 12th Plainville Board of Education meeting enjoyed a repertoire of holiday songs performed by the Plainville High School Chamber Choir led by faculty member Todd Helming. The group also performed at the Plainville Senior Center on December 13th.

Eleven Plainville students received the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents’ (CAPSS) Superintendent / Student Recognition Award and Certificate of Excellence at the annual Superintendent’s Award Presentation held on December 15th, during a luncheon at J. Timothy’s Restaurant.

Louis Toffolon Elementary School fifth graders continued their community service efforts by creating colorful placemats for the Plainville Senior Center's Thanksgiving meal.

The Plainville High School Chapter of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) raised $128.86 for the Plainville Community Food Pantry for the holiday season. Pictured are the high school's FBLA officers.

The Plainville school district is launching several branding updates with the implementation of a district-wide style guide and building enhancements, according to Superintendent of Schools, Steven LePage.

The Plainville Board of Education received the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Leadership Award on November 18th at the annual CABE/ CAPSS (Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents) Convention. The CABE Board Leadership award is designed to recognize boards which work effectively together as teams and meet a number of criteria relative to community relations, board operations, policy, and board member professional development.

Students at Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School recently created a beautiful Thanksgiving work of art. Each student wrote what they are thankful for on a feather to create the "Thankful Turkey" on the school's wall.

Linden Street School’s fifth grade Community Outreach Group sponsored a food drive from November 1st- 14th. Students collected items to benefit the United Way of West Central Connecticut. With the generosity of Linden’s students and families, a large donation of nonperishable food items, paper goods, and cleaning products was made possible. Students helped spread kindness during the month of November and gave back to their community.

The PHS Varsity Baseball Team and Coaches were honored at the November 14th Plainville Board of Education meeting for receiving the team “Sportsmanship Team of the Year Award” from the Hartford Board of Umpires.

The Plainville Board of Education is seeking nominations for the Memorial Wall of Honor, a permanent tribute to honor individuals who have contributed significant volunteer service to the educational community.

After a two year hiatus, the Plainville High School Counseling Department hosted an in-person college fair on October 17th! Over 95 colleges, universities, military reps and trade schools were present in the school’s gymnasium. Sophomores, juniors and seniors (and their parents) were able to visit and speak with representatives in all categories. The college fair event was highly successful with positive feedback received from students, families, and representatives.

The Plainville school district has been recognized with several awards from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), according to Superintendent of Schools, Steven LePage.

The Middle School of Plainville's eighth grade "Pep Band" led the Halloween Parade through the center of Plainville during the town's annual Pumpkin Fest held on October 22nd

Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School preschoolers recently enjoyed a visit from members of the Plainville Police Department and Fire Department. The students enjoyed visiting with the special community helpers!

The October Plainville Community Schools “All Star” award winner, Plainville High School sophomore Tamia Chapman, was recognized at the October 11th Plainville Board of Education meeting. The “All Star” award recognizes students, faculty and staff members who go above and beyond in modeling the school district’s Portrait of the Graduate characteristics and demonstrating excellence in alignment with the school district's team goals.

On October 7th, Plainville High School students participated in a "Learning Adventure Day." Learning Adventure Days are designed to provide unique learning experiences that allow students to exercise the school district's Portrait of the Graduate skills which are: Communicative, Collaborative, Innovative, Mindful and Resilient.

Members of the PRISMS arts club at the Middle School of Plainville, led by faculty member Laura Meehan, recently attended a field trip to the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Seventh grade students in Mrs. Meehan's Art classes at the Middle School of Plainville are learning the importance of resilience through art.

Louis Toffolon Elementary School fifth graders, together with faculty members Susan Fabrizio and Shayla Quirion, recently attended Camp Sloper in Southington, Connecticut to participate in a series of team building activities.

Louis Toffolon Elementary School fifth grade students lead by faculty members Susan Fabrizio and Shayla Quirion are excited and gearing up for their Connecticut Kid Government event, by participating in the Connecticut Kid Governor Exhibit of the present Kid Governor, Makhi Modeste and his Cabinet.