William's Places

 Back to School Time In Waterbury CT – What You Need To Know!

Well, as of today, there are officially 12 days left of summer vacation before students in Waterbury CT have to return to school on August 29.

The Waterbury CT School District Calendar is available for all parents and students on the district website; these are the important highlights to remember:

Teacher Collaboration Days = half-day of school for students on the following dates:         

September 28, December 21, January 25, March 28, and May 30.

Open Houses: Elementary (5-7 p.m.) and High Schools (7-9 p.m.) are scheduled for:

          1^st Marking Period: October 6

          3^rd Marking Period: February 8

Open Houses: Middle Schools (5-7 p.m.) are scheduled for:

          1^st Marking Period: October 13

          3^rd Marking Period: February 15

Open House days are half-day for students, so parents, please plan accordingly.

Marking Periods for Grades 1-12 are:

          1^st Marking Period – Aug. 29 to Nov. 1, 2011

          2^nd Marking Period – Nov. 2 to Jan. 18, 2012; High School Mid-Term Exams will run January 10-13, 2012 (weather permitting)

          3^rd Marking Period – Jan. 19 to Mar. 23, 2012

          4^th Marking Period – Mar. 26 to June 6; High School Final Exams will run May 31-June 6, 2012 (if there are no snow days. Snow days will extend the length of the school year by the number of snow days accumulated).

Marking Periods for Pre-K and Kindergarten are:

          1^st Marking Period – Aug. 29 to Nov. 28, 2011

          2^nd Marking Period – Nov. 29 to Mar. 2, 2012

          3^rd Marking Period – Mar. 5 to Jun. 6, 2012

No school on: Labor Day (September 5), Columbus Day (October 10), Election Day (November 8), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Recess (November 24-25), Winter Recess (December 26-January 2), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 16), Lincoln’s Birthday (February 13), President’s Day (February 20), Spring Recess (April 6-13), Professional Development (May 2) and Memorial Day (May 28)  

There is a dress code for Waterbury CT public school students. Uniforms are all standard, but each school may emphasize specific colors, so if you want specific information about your school’s dress code policy, you can call the school your child/children are attending or you can click on the link to the school in the chart below.

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Peterson Park, located on Mad River Road, is one of two recreation spots in Wolcott CT and is the only public park in town.

My son insisted on going to a playground yesterday, and the closest one was at Peterson Park.

I'm glad that I listened to the little man. It gave me an opportunity to explore the park, which I had not taken the time to do in my previous excursions there.

Peterson Park has two pavilions; the pavilion closest to the park's exit is available for rental to both residents and non-residents of Wolcott CT.

Besides the standard picnic areas, tennis courts and basketball courts, Peterson Park also has two full playground areas for children of all ages to enjoy, and is one of the few parks in the area that boasts a skateboard park for skateboard enthusiasts.

Peterson Park is truly a great park at which to spend the day with family and friends.

St. Baldrick's Day Childhood Cancer Research Fundraiser in Waterbury, CT

Do you know a child who has been diagnosed with cancer? Or do you know someone whose child has been diagnosed with cancer?

If you do and have not figured out yet how you can help, there's a way that you can.

On Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at North End Middle School, located at 534 Bucks Hill Road in Waterbury, CT starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center, Principal Michael Lorusso is sponsoring a St. Baldrick's Day fundraiser for childhood cancer research. You can volunteer to become a shavee, or you can make a donation to the cause. This is the second year that Mr. Lorusso is sponsoring the event, and is being joined by several members of the faculty at North End, Wilby High School, and other schools in the Waterbury district.

To find out more, visit www.stbaldricks.org.

A Day At Fulton Park - Waterbury CT

The Lewis Fulton Memorial Park, which sits nestled between the Crownbrook, Upper Fulton Park and Overlook neighborhoods of Waterbury, is the largest of the city's major parks. Occupying nearly 70 acres, Fulton Park encompasses two large ponds, a babbling brook that runs between them, playground areas, scenic walkways, a poolhouse, basketball courts and a baseball field. Fulton Park is one of the most popular sites in the city for taking wedding photos on a clear sunny day. There is a 7-11 24 hour convenience store located across from the northern pond and a recently (within the last 3 years) opened pizzaria, Park Pizza, provides excellent pizza and other hot deli items for those famished by a walk in Fulton Park.

...And We're Still Waiting....

While other states have completed their election cycles for this year and elected their governor, Connecticut still awaits word on who ours is going to be.

24 hours after the polls officially closed in Bridgeport, where, btw, several precincts ran out of ballots hours before the polls officially closed. As a result, a judge granted a motion to keep the polls open 2 hours past the official closing time of 8 p.m. Talk about a disaster.

I suppose the best thing about Election Day 2010 for Connecticut is that all of our Democratic representatives are going back to Congress, and we will have one Democratic Senator.

It doesn't matter whether one if one is for Malloy or for Foley at this point. The process needs to be completed so that our elected officials can move forward with the work that needs to be done to improve our state. That can't happen while we are in this electoral limbo, now can it???

Bucks Hill, Waterbury, CT Is Larger Than I Thought...

Bucks Hill has always been, in my opinion, one of the nicer neighborhoods in Waterbury.

Apparently, its residents think so too, as bright cheery banners have graced the main artery of the neighborhood, North Main Street, starting past Perkins Avenue, welcoming all to Bucks Hill...

WAIT a minute...doesn't Bucks Hill start at the junction of Bucks Hill Road and North Main Street????

I guess not. That means a better market report, and a revised neighborhood profile and map are in the works...stay tuned...

P.S. I have to take some pictures of those banners...they really do stand out and are a great addition to the neighborhood.

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Town Plot Park-Waterbury CT

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Town Plot Park, located between Rosemount and Wilkenda Avenues, is the second of three parks which residents of Town Plot and other neighborhoods of Waterbury, CT can enjoy. Town Plot Park lies in the center of the Town PlotTown Plot Park also has a walkway that circles the park. One of the things that I find most appealing about Town Plot Park is the fact that it is not close to any major traffic, unlike most of the other major parks in Waterbury. neighborhood and is a fun and safe park for children of all ages to enjoy, with two playgrounds, a sprinkler, basketball courts, and a large soccer field. For residents who like to walk their dogs or just take a stroll in the park,