by Virginia Coleman-Prisco

The 2020-2021 school year has been anything but boring. June 14, 2021 was a very exciting day at Botelle School.  As the sixth grade, their families, and school staff were preparing for the class’ Promotion, a thunderstorm barreled through Norfolk.  Lightning from the storm hit an exhaust vent on the roof and sent an electrical odor through the building. School staff immediately turned off the ventilation fan, notified the fire department, and evacuated the school. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department, Norfolk Ambulance, and North Canaan Fire Company were dispatched to the school.  According to the NVFD’s social media post, “The Norfolk Fire Marshal determined that the fire alarm panel was still working, the building was ventilated with large fans and the kids were let back into the school approximately one hour later after all the classrooms were checked.”  Luckily, no one was harmed.  Unfortunately, the “Good News Gathering” scheduled for the afternoon was cancelled. Yet fortunately for the sixth grade, the promotion ceremony got the green light after the electrical panel and breakers were checked by an electrician.

At 6 p.m., the event began in the gymnasium filled with socially distanced families and friends.  Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli, Principal Lauren Valentino, and Board of Education Chairman Ann DeCerbo welcomed the students and audience.  Awards that were supposed to be presented at the Good News Gathering were given out first. These included Litchfield County Superintendent’s Award, and the Botelle Scholarship Award.

Afterwards, external awards from Norfolk Community Organizations were distributed, including the American Legion Award and the Norfolk CT Children’s Foundation Award.  

When these awards were finished, the students reflected on memories of their time at Botelle and presented information on their class gift: a shed for Botelle’s garden.  Finally, students received their promotion certificates, walked out to a “rick rolling” rendition of Thunderstruck by AC/DC and viewed a video filled with memories of their lives and times at Botelle. (Fun fact: seven of the 11 students completed all eight elementary school grades at Botelle.) The students then said goodbye at a reception hosted by the PTO in the covered playground and garden. A majority of the students will continue to represent Norfolk at Northwestern Region 7 Middle School.  Congratulations to the students and  best wishes for a bright future.