News

Students Participate in COLT Poetry Contest

April 8, 2019

From left to right in group photo:
Andrew L., Dora L. , Adriana B. , Manu N. , Griffin S., Robert H., Simone R.

Photo with medal winner: Simone R. – Silver Medal for French Middle School 2

Seven Renbrook students participated in the 2019 Connecticut Council of Language Teachers Annual Poetry Recitation Contest, which was held on Apr. 3 at Rockville High School in Vernon. 
Griffin S. (French MS 1)
Robbie H. (Spanish MS 1)
Andrew L. (Latin MS 1)
Adriana B. (Spanish MS Heritage Speaker)
Simone R. (French MS 2)
Manu N. (Spanish MS 2)
Dora L. (Mandarin MS Heritage Speaker)

Since January, these students perfected their recitation of poems from well-known poets of their languages of study. The seven participants won the in-class and all-school run-offs. At the statewide contest, approximately 600 students from 50 schools competed in 16 languages. Poems for Middle School had between 10 – 20 lines. Students were judged in four areas: memorization, diction, interpretation, and body language. Latin poetry had to be recited according to the classical meter. All students received a certificate of participation. Simone R. won the Silver Medal for the French Middle School 2 category! We are proud of their dedication and courage!

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Renbrook Family Day at the Community Farm of Simsbury

April 8, 2019

Renbrook Family Day at the Community Farm of Simsbury. Families volunteered on Saturday, April 6 to help prepare the farm for planting new crops, clearing fields, cleaning and filling flats for seeding and of course taking care of the animals! Thank you to all the Renbrook families who joined us! And a huge thank you to farm manager Paul and farmers Jim and Vi for showing us how it all gets done. 

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6th Graders Keep Tradition of Greek Play

April 8, 2019

Another great performance by our sixth graders for the Renbrook tradition of the Greek Play. More pictures on the Parent Resource Board under Photos and Videos.

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Renbrook Students Selected for Northern Region Middle School Music Festival

April 2, 2019

11 upper school students were accepted to the Northern Region Middle School Music Festival this year. Participating students were Paige (violin), Jayden (alto saxophone), and 9 vocalists: Sahil, Tessa, Robbie, Devin, Alice, Manu, Simone, Kayla, and Harshil. Listen to them rehearsing “Sisi Ni Moja” with over 200 middle school singers!

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Renbrook’s Eleventh Head of School Appointed

April 2, 2019
 
On March 25, Renbrook School announced the appointment of Mr. Matthew Sigrist as the school’s eleventh Head of School, succeeding the current Head, Mr. Scott Hutchinson. Mr. Sigrist will start on July 1, 2019. Matt comes to Renbrook from Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, a 1-12 independent day school with 1,232 students. He has worked in administrative roles since 2007 and served as Middle School Director at Norfolk Academy since 2014. In that role, Matt is responsible for 350 students in grades 7-9. Prior to Norfolk Academy, Matt served as Head of the Upper School at the Peck School in Morristown, NJ for seven years.


“We’re excited to welcome Matt, his wife, Kathleen, and their four daughters to the Renbrook community. Matt’s natural leadership abilities are obvious, and his past experiences have prepared him well for this Head of School role. Matt’s hiring begins a great new chapter for Renbrook.” says Head of School Search Committee Chair and Renbrook’s Board of Trustees Chair Eric Daniels ‘77.


During his time at Norfolk Academy, Matt advanced many areas of the Middle School. He developed the division’s Mini-mester Program and its relationship-based Advisory Program. During the school’s recent strategic planning work, Matt contributed broadly to the effort, and he has led important committee work on faculty growth and excellence focused on faculty learning communities. Throughout his career, Matt has enjoyed the opportunity to teach, coach, and lead school divisions in K-8, 7-12 and 1-12 grade schools in large and smaller markets and in different parts of the country. He served as Upper School Director at The Peck School (Morristown, NJ) and as teacher, coach, and Middle School Moderator at Delbarton School (Morristown, NJ). Each of the schools where Matt has served shares traits and goals similar to Renbrook: student-centered, empathetic mindset, academic excellence, a focus on character education, and clear mission identity. He has taught and coached throughout his career, and he continued to teach math and economics and coach baseball at Norfolk Academy. At Norfolk Academy, Matt’s current Head of School, Dennis Manning, appointed Matt to the Finance Committee, the Parents Advisory Council, and the Strategic Planning Committee. Matt has also participated in annual fund and capital campaign initiatives.

Matt earned his Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership at Columbia University, Teacher’s College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Williams College, where he was captain of the baseball and football teams. Matt’s wife, Kathleen, was the former Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Newark Academy (Livingston, NJ) as well as an Admissions Reader at Williams College and the College of William and Mary. Matt and Kathleen have four daughters ages 12, 10, 7 and 4.


Upon receiving the Board’s offer, Matt stated: “Kathleen, my girls, and I are thrilled to join the Renbrook family! I am humbled and honored to be entrusted with the awesome responsibility to serve the children, families, faculty, and staff of this wonderful school, and I look forward to opportunities this spring to visit campus.”
 
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Meteorologist Visits Renbrook

April 1, 2019
Kaitlyn McGrath, a meteorologist from NBC Connecticut came to visit students today at Renbrook School in West Hartford. She brought the NBC branded Snow Monster with her so the kids could learn all about its multiple cameras and ground and air temperature gauges. Student got to ask Kaitlyn questions about how she forecasts weather and how Snow Monster is a key asset to the Department of Transportation during snow storms. There was no shortage of questions about life on television and Kaitlyn answered them all with a smile. Sixth grade students were especially inquisitive as they are studying weather right now in their science curriculum.
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Changing Lenses

March 28, 2019

Changing Lenses
by Julie Schlossinger
Lower School Head

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Eight Grade Gets a Visit From NBC Connecticut’s Max Reiss

February 28, 2019

Eighth grade history students started a “Shero” PSA project to honor Women’s History Month on notable women from various areas. They’ll make a short video about their achievements and humanitarian work. NBC CT’s @MaxReiss explained how to take info and condense it down to a smaller piece.

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Third Grade Has Talent!

February 28, 2019

A job well done for our third grade students who showed off their talents in the Variety Show!

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Jeopardy!

February 28, 2019

Fourth grade students playing Black History Month Jeopardy with Mrs. Flynn.

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March of Dimes Kick-Off

February 28, 2019

5th graders kicked-off their March of Dimes Read-A-Thon with a visit from a March of Dimes representative. Thank you for visiting and sharing the inspiring stories of your organization! 

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Ye’ Olde Renbrook Village 2019

February 4, 2019

As part of the history program, Grade 5 students create a colonial village interpreting the life and times of 1700s America. Students learn colonial skills, trades, professions, music and dance, portraying characters from colonial times

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Renbrook Shout Out from Wesleyan University

January 29, 2019

Great shout out to our Renbrook students from Wesleyan University! The Next New Things: Presenting Final Projects in IDEAS 170 https://ecs.page.link/X1GN

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Can this be home?

January 23, 2019
Can this be home?
by Andy Baker

Upper School English

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7th Grade Learned Some New Tricks

January 15, 2019

7th graders got a visit from Ben Garson, master trainer from Dogology and his dog Judah, a 100-pound German Shepard to discuss training techniques. This expands on the lesson about alpha dog vs. submissive dog and how to teach manners to dogs as part of their 7th grade dog unit in science. It’s always a fun and heart-warming way to bring learning to life at Renbrook!

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Birds of Prey

January 8, 2019

As part of the 7th grade Life Science class, students got up close with three birds of prey. Along with the Renbrook School mascot, the red-tailed hawk, they also got an intro to an American Kestral and Saw Whet Owl. 

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Book Frenzy!

January 4, 2019

Fourth grade had a ‘Book Frenzy’ during Library classes. Books from different genres were set out on tables and students sampled them during multiple three minute rounds that led to lots of great books being discovered!

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CT Parrot Club Visits Renbrook

January 4, 2019

Amy Hopkins, President of the CT Parrot Club proudly shows off “Rosie” the rose breasted cockatoo to upper school students. 

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Saturnalia

January 4, 2019

In Latin students celebrated Saturnalia by learning to play some ancient Roman games.

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Today’s School Library; from rows of books to a multi-faceted space.

January 2, 2019
Today’s School Library; from rows of books to a multi-faceted space.
by Kathryn Justus
Director of Library Services

In today’s rapidly changing world, technology has changed the way we consume information. While the fundamental mission of school libraries, to empower students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners and readers, remains largely the same, school libraries are quickly evolving to adapt to these changes. As connected learning hubs, where collaboration and hands-on learning are encouraged, students learn to access, evaluate, utilize, and ultimately become creators of information.

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