A Busy Month!

By Kim Crone

The school year is in full swing, and the students, teachers, administration and volunteers are working hard to make this a great year. On October 2, as part of the Cultural Enrichment Program, Caryn Lin brought her electric violin to the Hall of Flags. Using innovative looping techniques, she created short recordings of her voice, percussion instruments and other sounds. She then played them back in a continuous loop to add layers of sound over the melodies. This musical adventure is meant to foster creative thinking and stimulate the children’s imaginations. The Cultural Enrichment Program is coordinated by the PTO and generously funded by community foundations and parental donations.

On October 9, in recognition of Fire Prevention Week, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department and the Torrington Fire Department teamed up to teach students about fire safety. The children were given the opportunity to experience a simulated “fire” in a “smoke trailer,” which allowed the firefighters to show the children what smoke would be like in a real fire and to teach them how to maneuver in the smoke to exit a dangerous environment safely. The Botelle students and staff are grateful to both fire departments for sharing their time and expertise.

The farm-to-table movement is alive and well at Botelle. Thanks to the bounty of the Botelle Community Garden, and the creative culinary skills of Carol Gollan and Jackie Breakell in the cafeteria kitchen, the students have sampled peppers, zucchini and herbs from the garden. A variety of tomatoes were used to make homemade tomato sauce for spaghetti, which got rave reviews from the children. The garden is currently being prepared for winter, and students are planting many bulbs. After the cold Norfolk winter months, the flowers from these bulbs will provide some of the first colorful signs of spring. The school appreciates the community’s support of this valuable asset.