BOTELLE BEAT: New Faces for a New Year
By Kevin D. Case Botelle School opened its doors for the 2026-2027 school year this past Wednesday, Aug 26, with 62 pre-Kindergarten through grade 6 students enrolled, an increase of seven students over the past school year. On hand to greet our new and returning students were some new faces of staff members recently hired. […]
Botelle Ushers in a New Year
The first day of school dawned cool and cloudy, but no one seemed to notice. Students arrived at Botelle Elementary School on Aug. 26 via bus, car and firetruck (complete with siren). Some students, like Daphne Rutolo who walked her older sister to the bus, will have to wait for the start of the pre-Kindergarten […]
Community Garden Helps Gardeners of All Ages to Grow
By Jude Mead A local community garden is growing more than vegetables this season—it’s cultivating curiosity, responsibility and a lifelong appreciation for nature among local children and adults. The Norfolk Community Garden, located at Botelle School, was started by Lisa Auclair after the community’s farmers market ended during the Covid-19 pandemic. Auclair then handed it […]
Botelle Students Move Up
By Avice Meehan Four sixth graders bid farewell to Botelle Elementary School at a laughter-filled, but occasionally serious, ceremony on June 16 that was attended by family, friends and town officials. First Selectmen Henry Tirrell, a Botelle graduate whose mother and aunt taught at the school for many years, reminded the students that they would […]
Norfolk Organizations Awarded Challenge Grants
By Avice Meehan Great Mountain Forest and the Foundation for Norfolk Living will participate in Northwest Corner Gives, an online fund raising campaign that runs from July 1 through July 22. Contributions to the two organizations will be matched dollar for dollar up to their campaign goals—doubling the impact of every gift. All donations must […]
What Botelle Stands For
A hardy group of volunteers, town officials and educators have been meeting since April for a series of community conversations about Botelle Elementary School and to share thoughts about the future. Guided by Deene Morris, above, the conversations culminated with a two-hour workshop on May 20 that generated the framework of a new and more […]
Botelle Student Receives Student Leadership Award
By Kevin D. Case The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents’ Student Leadership Award is an annual honor presented by the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS). It recognizes outstanding middle school students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, academic prowess, and a strong commitment to community service. Each local school district’s Superintendent selects a student […]
Volunteers Needed for Botelle Native Plants Restoration Project
By Becky Eaton The Norfolk Conservation Commission is seeking volunteers for the next phase of restoring native plants at Botelle School. A work party is planned for Saturday, June 6 to begin the summer process. Last fall, volunteers—special thanks to Phil Lovett and his equipment—removed invasive plants across the school’s property. This spring, Norfolk’s Public […]
Grant to fund digital literacy program at Norfolk Library
By Becky Eaton The Norfolk Conservation Commission is seeking volunteers for the next phase of restoring native plants at Botelle School. A work party is planned for Saturday, June 6 to begin the summer process. Last fall, volunteers—special thanks to Phil Lovett and his equipment—removed invasive plants across the school’s property. This spring, Norfolk’s Public […]
Board of Education Updates
By Avice Meehan Topics covered at the April 26 Board of Education (BOE) meeting ranged from the June 16 moving up ceremony for departing sixth graders to a briefing about how students exercised their computational muscles by solving math problems through observing the maturation of salmon eggs, which were eventually released (as fry) into the […]
