Botelle Beat
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 […]
Botelle Beat—October 2014
By Ann DeCerbo Botelle students and parents celebrated the beginning of the school year at a Welcome Back Ice Cream Social sponsored by the PTO. The event was held on the playground and ice cream was served by the school’s new administration, Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli and Principal Matt O’Connell. The school children have also […]
Botelle Beat
New School Year At Botelle Begins August 27 By Ann DeCerbo Although students are out on break, it’s been anything but a quiet summer at Botelle. Over the past two months, the Norfolk Board of Education conducted searches and interviewed prospective candidates for both principal and superintendent. Newly-hired Principal Matthew O’Connell and Superintendent Mary Beth […]
The Botelle Beat
End of the Year Happenings By Ann DeCerbo At the end of each school year, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department arrives early one morning with a pumper truck to fill kiddie pools and buckets with water. This kicks off the annual Botelle School Field Day. Led by Botelle’s physical education teacher, Hannah Sobieski, Field Day […]
Botelle Beat
Cape Cod Field Trip By Ann Decerbo In May, the Botelle sixth graders, teachers and the principal spent five days in Cape Cod at the Nature’s Classroom in Yarmouth Port. A tradition spanning over two decades, this sixth grade trip is a rite of passage for Norfolk students. Principal Peter Michelson says, “This shared experience […]
The Botelle Beat
By Ann DeCerbo After 12 years of service, Botelle superintendent George Counter will retire at the end of the 2013/14 school year. Although he resides in Thomaston, CT, Counter is often seen at Norfolk town meetings and events. He affectionately refers to Botelle as the “civic center of Norfolk” and has worked to strengthen connections […]
The Botelle Beat
Team Activities and Spirit Week Make for a Lively and Busy Month By Ann DeCerbo The last month has been busy at Botelle School. Among the highlights was a visit from Mallory Bagwell, Ph.D., who led Botelle students in a geodesic dome workshop. The event, which relied heavily on cooperation and clear communication, […]
The Botelle Beat
Community Volunteers and a Winter Concert Enliven Winter Term By Ann DeCerbo On Wednesday, February 5, Botelle School participated in the statewide Read Aloud Day. An annual event sponsored by the NW Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Read Aloud Day stresses the importance of reading to elementary school students. Botelle Curriculum Coordinator Rachel Incillo recruited […]
Community Talent Provides After-School Program for Botelle Students
By Janet Gokay Life in Norfolk is greatly enriched by the work of volunteers—and the Norfolk After School Program (NASP) is no exception. Coordinated by two parent volunteers, Kim Crone and Kathy Yelsits, the program offers a potpourri of classes to any grade-school-aged child in Norfolk, not just those attending Botelle. Many of those classes […]


