CHS News

April 11, 2025

Behind the Backpack: Maya Tomcyzk

Dylan Bathrick

On March 18th, 2025, we sat down with Maya Tomczyk, Cromwell High School’s first All-American cheerleader by the National Cheerleading Association. On top of these accomplishments, she also achieved All-State and All-Conference honors within her high school career. During this season, Maya suffered a major setback, she actually ended up spraining her ankle that would lead her to be out for most of the competitive season. “It was such bad timing, it was like four days before one of our bigger competitions of the year, and I just, like, I had to focus on moving past it. I knew I couldn’t fix it that week (or that day), but I got myself into physical therapy right away and was focused on gaining back the strength that I could.” She was, in fact, able to come back after and compete in the state meet. 

Some of the most important pieces of advice that Maya offers for newcomers or seasoned vets in the sport of cheerleading is to challenge yourself and trust those around you. Maya stated, “Don’t be afraid to try different skills, and even if they may look hard, just don’t be afraid. Cheer is very mental, you just got to trust your teammates, work with your teammates, and put in work outside of practice, it helps so much. Having goals you want to work towards is also very motivating.” 

However, since Maya is heading towards the end of her Senior year and just wrapped up her last high school cheerleading season, she has great remarks about not only just enjoying your time in your sport, but in school and your life as well. “It really does go by so fast, so don’t take it for granted. Especially getting injured, since you never know what can happen in sports in any part of the season, it is key to just enjoy every part that you have at high school because it is such a fun experience. I think it is important to get involved in sports because you learn so many things and create many friendships.”

Next year, Maya will be heading to UConn, with goals set on trying out and making it onto their cheerleading team. It is an arduous process, but Tomczyk’s positive mental attitude is what will carry her through to success as an athlete, student, and individual. 

November 15, 2024

Senior Trip

Lucas Witkowski

In October, between the 15th and the 18th, the seniors of Cromwell High School went on their senior trip to Washington DC and New York. They left early on the 15th from the school, departing for their trip that would last for the rest of the week. Despite the long drive, all of the seniors were excited about their journey and were, luckily, able to make rest stops along the way to take breaks.

They began on the monuments tour on the first day, having dinner at Union Station and trying some of the many restaurants presented to them. Many students were able to try places that they had never eaten at before, such as Raising Cane’s. Afterward, they went on a Monuments tour, following a local guide. The seniors visited the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Vietnam Veteran Memorial, and the National World War II Memorial, along with many others.

The next day, the students woke up to breakfast at their hotel, departing for the National Zoo. At this time, they were able to see many of the unique animals, such as gorillas, elephants, beavers, and many others. Soon after, they traveled to the Smithsonian Museums. They were presented with different choices to travel to at first, but reserved the National Air and Space Museum, as well as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, for the end. They were able to explore these museums, learning about many different parts of history and exploring all the different aspects and unique artifacts that make up the museums. After the tour of the museums, the students got prepared for the Spirit of Washington, during which they ate dinner and were able to have fun with a DJ Cruise.

On the 17th, the seniors went to the Arlington National Cemetery, taking a tour and watching the changing of the national guards. Soon after, they departed for New York City, eating dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, eventually moving to the Broadway Theatre and watching “The Great Gatsby: The Musical”.

Finally, on the 18th, the Class of 2025 boarded the ferry to explore both the Liberty and Ellis Islands. Finally, they explored the 9/11 Memorial Museum and then started their long trip back to Cromwell High School. The trip was filled with memories and laughter, a select few days that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

November 11, 2024

CHS Mock Election

Jacob Brightman

On Tuesday, October 29th, Cromwell High School hosted its first mock election in many years. The polls were located in the library, and students from every grade had the opportunity to cast a ballot during their lunch wave. The ballot was nearly an exact replica of the town of Cromwell’s real ballot, allowing students to vote for one candidate for each governmental position, consisting of the President, Senate, House of Representatives, State Senate, State Representative, Registrar of Voters, and Judge of Probate. While some races only had one candidate who was running unopposed, others like the presidential race had many high-profile candidates, namely Trump and Vance for the Republican Party and Harris and Walz for the Democratic Party, but also other third party candidates, like Stein and Ware, Oliver and Ter Maat, and Kennedy, Jr. and Shanahan. Each voter was given a ballot and a pencil and was instructed to go to a table alone so that they could decide independently. Once they filled in their chosen circles, they placed their ballot in the vote box and received an “I Voted” sticker that they could proudly wear. For a rather low-advertised and unofficial event, the turnout was excellent, with a nearly 50% turnout rate. Five students - Jacob Brightman, Walid Mondol, Rocco Nelson, Kaelyn Petrella, and Natalie Szwez - from Mr. Borton’s AP Government and Politics class were working the polls. Mr. Anderson, Mr. LaMay, and Mr. Kuckel, among others, also oversaw the process. While the votes did not contribute to the actual election, the event was a great exercise in democracy, demonstrating a reason to believe that the younger generation wants and needs their voices to be heard.

December 10, 2023

Chess Club Tournament

Thomas Gradski

Chess, unknowing to some, has a place of significance in Cromwell High School. The CHS chess club meets every Thursday for exhibition games against anyone that dares challenge anothers’ chess skills. P

resident Timothy Guo is a junior that decided, along with supervisor Dr. Speno, to create a chess tournament to settle the debates of superiority that occur regularly in Chess Club. The tournament took place on November 15th and was viewed as a success by Timothy and Dr. Speno with it finally settling the long-standing debate over the chess player with the most skill. 

I spoke to quarter finalist Colin Monahan who lost to Dylan Wilson in less than 10 moves. Colin seemed disappointed in his defeat but “glad” he “was there to experience the event.” He also noted that the tournament “reignited” his “interest in the game.” I was lucky enough to get a word with the runner up Dylan Wilson who had claimed he was just “happy to be playing at a more competitive level.” 

While he did lose the final game, he played a great tournament, beating three different students in battle, merely losing to tournament favorite, sophomore David Balagtas. David believed that his victory was in part thanks to his love for the game as well as his practices of different strategies. While David is humble there is no doubt that this tournament has cemented him in the school as the best chess player.

October 20, 2023

The Season of Applications

Arianna Bishop

As CHS Seniors take time this fall season to enjoy pumpkin spice, corn mazes, football games, and pumpkin carving, another important and time-pressing matter takes priority in their free time: college applications. Along with the excitement of the fall season comes the pressures high school seniors face as they obsess over college applications, essays, and writing supplements. 

Over the past few years, U.S. college applications have been made significantly more straightforward and efficient through the use of the Common App, a site connected to many colleges and universities across the country, where a main application can be submitted to schools with less redundancy than completely individualized applications. Still, there are many fields within this application that require completion, and careful, meticulous writing to do so. 

The Common Application begins with a series of profile and family questions. These questions are relatively simple as they relate to personal information and life details. One way to showcase skill in these basic questions would be in high proficiency language speaking abilities.

After these questions, the next step in the Common App is to explain matters of education which include course load, previous classes, grades, honors, and more. In this area, colleges are able to view a student’s classes and how they have pushed themselves as a student. Listed right beneath education is the testing portion of the common application where scores such as the SAT, ACT, and AP scores are recorded.

Beyond this portion of the Common App begins the various fields of writing. The first of these is the activities section. A frequent problem which students face when narrowing down their activities relates to the description of these activities. Activity positions/leadership roles are limited to 50 characters whereas the description of this activity is limited to 150 characters, amounting to around 20 words. Students use various strategies to narrow down their responses. For example, CHS Senior Julia Tkachuk-Kyrychenko explains, “I try to find any statistics within my activities and figure out the most significant impact my activities have had on my community. To showcase all of my actions, I use the present tense and write without using complete sentence formation so that I can fit as much as possible into the small boxes. I also list the ten limited activities that I can record on the Common App from most to least important so that colleges can view first the most significant ways I have impacted my community.” Although difficult, there are many strategies one can utilize when filling out this portion of the application.

The other two writing sections within this general part of the application are the personal essay and additional information. The personal essay can be a response to any of the six common application questions, but this essay can also be an essay of choice(any topic can be written about). Lastly, the additional information is a section which allows a student to write about any personal struggles in their life, which could have impacted them during a specific part of their high school journey. For example, a death in the family could have impacted a specific year of a student’s transcript. This section allows a student to relay this personal yet explanatory information.

Once these sections of the Common Application have been completed, a student can move on to the individualized college applications. This can be found under the “My Colleges” portion of the Common Application. There are two different important sections within each individual application: Questions and Reccomenders and FERPA. The questions for the most part are general, relating to academic interests, contact information, terms and conditions, and disciplinary questions. Here is also the selection where students can choose to partake in Early Decision, an early, binding application agreement or Early Action, an early application submission. Within the Reccomenders and FERPA section, students can send requests to school counselors, school teachers, and other recommenders to provide their references.

Additionally, within individual university or college applications, there are occasionally writing supplements or open ended questions to complete. These usually relate to the specific college a student applies to, where a commonly seen question colleges ask is “Why us?”. Just as all other portions of the application have a maximum word count, these questions do as well. Once the Common Application and individual college applications are completed, students are ready to submit their applications. 

But clearly, college applications for high school students can be quite the daunting task. Many students feel overwhelmed with this large amount of pressure on their shoulders to meet their hovering deadlines, such as the free application date of November 1st for Connecticut State Universities, when applications must be ready to submit if students wish to avoid an application submission fee. Julia Tkachuk-Kyrychenko explains that “It can be very difficult to focus on schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, sports, and college applications all at the same time. Sometimes I feel that after all of my commitments, I have no time left for myself. I can't wait for this stressful time to end so that I can get back to enjoying all of my Senior year activities. Then I think I’ll be able to relax.”

The Common App has made college applications easier on some levels, but students still struggle both to find time and to perfect their submissions. Additionally, for the many colleges not involved in the Common Application, students face additional challenges relating to filling out their applications. While autumn is mostly known as a festive time period of falling leaves and exciting activities, it is worthy to note the difficulties that also come with these times.

October 20, 2023

Class of 2024 Senior Trip

Caroline Voccio

Each year, the seniors at Cromwell High School are given the opportunity to travel on a four day trip with their class; This year’s trip took place from October 10th to October 13th. The students who attended this trip visited both Washington D.C. and New York City, with the Class of 2024 being the first Cromwell graduating class to visit this second location.

During their time in the District of Columbia, upon their arrival in the nation’s capital, the students visited the White House before an evening tour of the many monuments in the area. Some of these monuments included the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, World War II Memorial, and Korean War Veterans Memorial, as well as other singifcant locations in Washington D.C. such as the Capital building.

The next day, the class first visited the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Here, students were able to find the National Zoo’s giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and their young cub. These pandas will be returning to China in mid-November, meaning this experience served as a once in a lifetime experience for the students. 

Following the National Zoo, the students spent the afternoon touring the Smithsonian Institution Museums. During the first hour of their time on the green of the Smithsonians, students were given the choice to tour Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, or break up their time to explore both. At the Smithsonians, students also had the special opportunity to visit the newly renovated National Air and Space Museum, as well as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Later that evening, students enjoyed a boat cruise with dinner and dancing. This event was treated as a formal occasion, with students dressing up in formal attire to spend time with their classmates.

Before leaving the D.C. area, the following morning, the seniors also visited Arlington National Cemetery, where they watched the Changing of the Guard and visited the grave of President John F. Kennedy.

The Class of 2024 arrived In New York City during the afternoon of Thursday, October 12th. After enjoying dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, the senior class spent an evening on Broadway. Students watched Disney’s Aladdin in a magnificent performance which was a hit amongst the group. The evening on Broadway was followed by an early morning trip to spend time at the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, and a nice tour of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The students rounded off their trip at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum for a very moving commemoration of September 11, 2001.

A CHS Senior Lily Trimani reflects on her high school experience to say, “I had a great time on our Senior trip. I couldn’t believe how many activities we could fit into just four days. There was so much to see and do in both places. I liked both Washington D.C. and New York City for different reasons; While in D.C. I had a great time at the zoo, boat cruise, and on the monuments tour, in New York I loved Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, and the general vibe of N.Y.C. The 9/11 muesum was also so well done and paid great tribute to all of those who were affected by the events of that day. I’m so glad I was able to go on this trip!”

Our of the other eighty-seven students who partook in the Senior trip, many of them share similar opinions as to those of Lily. They enjoyed both the itenerary of the trip and the ability to spend time with their friends as well. This trip will be remembered as a remarkable trip by all of the student attendees.

Overall, the trip was a resounding success, and a phenomenal experience for the Class of 2024.

March 24, 2023

SAT Day at CHS

Elyssa Efici

SAT week is coming soon, and new schedules for SATs are in the works of being released. The SAT is scheduled on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Students in 11th grade will be required to take the test on the planned Connecticut School Day in-person with no charge. Students in remaining grades 9, 10 and 12 will have a regular school day, followed by the same schedule. Parents whose children are in grade 11 can be dismissed right after the finished exam as they wish and notice should be given before the SAT in-person date. 

The following information applies to students in grade 11, taking the SAT. Students must arrive no later than 7:40-7:45 AM. Testing time will begin at 7:45 AM and end at 12:00 PM as long as there are any additional accommodations made prior to the test day. A frequently asked question is where should students go for testing. Testing Room assignments will be posed and hung up throughout CHS. Those with accommodations will be notified prior by a counselor or teacher. Other students wonder about the post-SAT aspect, asking when their scores will be released as well as possible makeup dates if there was a conflict. For those who miss the test day due to illness or other factors, further testing will be accommodated on Wednesday, April 16, 2023.

When SAT time approaches, many students are nervous about what to expect or encounter during the test. In order to help those testing fears, there are ways to prepare beforehand. A website called College Board has great resources on what to expect the day of the exam and how to get ready.  Khan Academy is another web page linked with the College Board. Khan Academy partners with them to give students a feel of problems they will encounter on the SAT. Another available and convenient option is SAT Prep, which can be offered for free. Dr. Kirshbaum is also offering FREE SAT Prep during advisory on Fridays. 

The SAT contains four sections based on the subjects students are required to take during high school. These sections are in exact order. The first of the four sections is reading. This is where students are given text-based paragraphs that should be analyzed and comprehended in order to answer the questions. The Reading Test presents five reading passages followed by multiple-choice questions about each passage. You have 65 minutes to complete this test, which includes 52 questions total. Writing and Language is the second section. This is a multiple choice test where students are told to read passages and fix the mistakes. This part of the SAT is 35 minutes long, includes 4 passages, and contains 44 multiple-choice questions. The third section, Math, is divided into four content areas: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics in Math. Similarly, the no calculator math portion of the test contains Heart of Algebra questions, Passport to Advanced Math questions, and some Additional Topic questions. Heart of Algebra questions focus on linear expressions, equations, inequalities, and functions.

The SAT scores help colleges compare students from various high schools. Scores justify the areas you are strengthened in and areas of weakness for college work. Standardized tests are a portion of the college application process which is very impactful as it can possibly determine the acceptance of getting into a college. This part of the SAT and college application is what seems to be a main stressor for students, as they are concerned and worried about getting accepted into what may be their dream college. 

March 24, 2023

April Break at CHS

Arianna Bishop

As the end of the third quarter at Cromwell High School is quickly approaching, April Break is also in the horizon. Students are excited for their ten-day break from school between April 6th and April 16th. 

Students have a variety of different plans for this week. Some are traveling on vacation with their families, some are spending their time practicing on sports teams, and some are simply aiming to relax or have fun with friends. 

One Junior at CHS, Julia Tykachck-Kyrenchenko explains her excitement for some time off. She is planning on, “Sleeping in, not thinking about school, and dreaming of summer with one quarter of school left to go”. 

Lauren McCarroll, another Junior at Cromwell High School, is also excited for this break. She is going to spend her time, “Getting together with [her] family, playing lacrosse, and staying home to regroup”. 

These CHS students can’t wait to leave school at 2:25 on April 6th. Overall, April break is fast approaching, and students are ticking down the time, restless to get started on their many plans. 

January 27, 2023

New Years Resolutions at CHS 

Kelly McTeague

Every New Year's, people try to dedicate this fresh start to a different idea or goal. Take a look at what students and teachers across CHS want to accomplish in the New Year. See if some might inspire you to take on your own challenge!

“My resolution is to apply to scholarships for college, and get organized before I go” 

Mackenna F. 

“To get into college!” 

Katy K.  

“To slow down and enjoy every moment” 

Ms. B 

“To crash a party!” 

August Mullins 

“To get good grades” 

Raven T. 

“To stop procrastinating, not just in school but with most things” 

Adrianna T. 

“I don’t do new years resolutions, I actually use one word to follow for the year. I’ve done hope, calm, breathing and joy. This year I think I'll do focus.” 

Mrs. Sobieralski

“Be happy, in any way I can” 

Bailey W. 

“To spend money better, and impulse buy less” 

Cole H. 

“To not procrastinate and get work done right away, be on my phone less, and take more pictures and videos” 

Brynn K. 

“Get shredded at the gym” 

Lily K. 

“Get a better sleep schedule.” 

Aishi L. 

“Drink less coffee” 

Leila L. 

“Practice taking more me-time” 

Molly C. 

January 27, 2023

CHS Carbon Club Exclusive 

Karissa Bishop

There are many clubs and activities at Cromwell High School. Students have opportunities to participate in a wide variety of groups with different focuses and material. But how were these clubs started? What is the history behind them? What are their goals? Interviews with teachers that began and supervise clubs give us an inside look into the content of their activity. Mr. Harder, a CHS science teacher, speaks about his experience with Carbon Club.

1. Why did you start Carbon Club?

I didn’t start CCC. It was originally the Eco Club started by a former teacher here at CHS. When I took it on about 5 years ago, I wanted to keep the spirit of Eco Club, but turn our focus to habits and activities in the community. We try to apply the phrase “Think globally, act locally” to everything we do. We want to solve the crises of pollution, habitat loss and loss of biodiversity but we realize the most effective way to do that is if everyone starts in their own backyard. The “Carbon” in our name helps us keep focus on one of the negative impact of our economy, pollution, specifically carbon dioxide emissions.

2. What is the main focus of the club?

Every product and service we buy has a carbon price tag on it, containing a certain number of pounds/tons produced through the creation of the product. When I took over the Club I decided, along with the officers, to rename it the Cromwell Carbon Club (CCC). Our main focus is to have students and community members understand the link between our collective habits and how they contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gasses, mainly CO2. We want people to understand this and consciously try to use goods and services with the smallest carbon price tags. After Mr. Tomasino joined the CCC as co-facilitator, we found many ways to stay on this focus, while still respecting the work the Eco Club did before us.

3. What kinds of activities does the club partake in?

Our big outdoor events are the CT River Clean-up in the fall and our Spring Field Trip to a shoreline estuary.  That’s usually Hammonasset State Park or Rocky Neck State Park, which are great places to visit during the warm months and the right time to observe migratory bird activity. The shoreline estuaries are vital to the health of Connecticut’s environment by filtering massive amounts of water, absorbing storm surges and providing nutrients for an untold number of species. As residents of the state, we probably take this for granted but we have a very unique environment here along the coast and as advisors we get a lot of satisfaction sharing our love for the CT environment.

 4. What do you want the students that are a part of Carbon CLub to get out of the experience?

We want to move the CCC past our two annual outings and start making a difference within and outside of the CHS building. We hope that our club can educate students to make connections between the decisions they make and the products they buy have a collective impact on the ecosystems around them.  For example, during the river clean-up, we have found that there is literally no end to the micro plastics we find on the beach. If we camped-out the whole weekend and scoured the beach along the waterline we would still only get about, maybe, ½ the plastics that are actually buried there. These micro plastics are everywhere, all the time. The more you look for them, the more you see them. In 2023, there is no sample of soil or water on planet Earth that is plastic-free. I think the estimate is that humans consume a gram of plastic per week! There is no avoiding them. These are plastics that are magnets for all sorts of chemicals, so it’s not just an aesthetic issue, it’s a health issue for all living systems. This should be of concern to everyone because these aren’t even plastics we are carelessly discarding, they are all from upstream sources. That should be a lesson to us here in Cromwell, because the things we carelessly discard here end up in Middletown, Old Saybrook and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.

5. What impact do you hope that Carbon Club will have on the school community and beyond?

We hope to convince enough people that there is value in inconveniencing yourself by avoiding purchasing products with single-use plastics, which is the majority of products sold on the market. This makes it challenging but it also gives individuals power to vote with their wallet, which is the only thing that seems to get companies to use environmentally-friendly methods, packaging and products.

We also want to start working with the town to start bringing in charging stations for electric cars, because the electric cars are coming and we don’t have anywhere near the infrastructure to support them. Several CCC student-members have expressed interest in spearheading this initiative, so we hope it takes off!

6. What is your favorite thing about the club?

I have two favorites:

1 - I get to co-advise with my friend, Mr. Tomasino and we have a lot of fun.

2– We help empower students to change their future for the better.

Overall, Carbon Club is very student-oriented and driven to create change. There is no doubt that their work will help make CHS, and Cromwell itself, a more environmentally friendly place.

October 12, 2022

Transitioning to High School 

Eva Artioli & Isabella Marino

Many students around the country recently transitioned between middle school and high school. High school presents a new set of challenges, seeming different and somewhat terrifying. One big adjustment was the broadening of classrooms in the school. Rather than having classes within a singular hallway, in high school, classes can be located in any place. Eva Artioli, a freshman at Cromwell High School, interviewed two of her freshmen peers. Rossi Coker explained that her biggest struggle was “Finding my way around the school…having to choose between the electives I wanted to do.” Some advice for the year’s incoming freshmen is, “To ask for help if they need it and not to get too overwhelmed with everything.” Another interviewed freshman, Maggie Keithan, explained that the school was very big and a helpful tip was to always ask questions, as the CHS teachers are very friendly and always willing to help out a student. She also noted that the school is not as scary as it initially seems. There is much more freedom than in middle school. Students are able to use their phones in the hallway and at lunch, whereas if you pulled your phone out at the middle school, this would result in serious consequences. To make the adjustment easier, there is a Freshman Academy, where all students remain together in their core classes. This was alos a relief for the students because it helped them understand the layout of the building and how the school functions. Overall, there are many adjustments that were made in the transitions from eighth graders to freshmen in high school.

March 12, 2022

Events for Teacher Appreciation Week at CHS

Elyssa Efici               

CHS clubs came together to create a wonderful display of thanks and appreciation for the teachers from March 6 through the 11th. 

Clubs who participated  put together a nice package or gift for the teachers to show appreciation. On Monday March 6, 2022, Coffee Grind provided bottles of water with a note of appreciation on the label to show appreciation and hydration! CAYAC Club provided a thank you letter and pen to teachers!  ! A sweet treat of Neil’s donuts was supplied to the school staff on Tuesday by Yearbook Club, while the National Honor Society catered a lunch from Zerio’s for the school staff on Wednesday. On Thursday, Unity Club provided decorated cookies with kind messages. 

On Friday, March 11Student Council provided baked goods, GSA gave rainbow flag pins with a letter of appreciation, and World Language Club and Spanish National Honor Society provided chair massages from a licensed massage therapist.

We interviewed English Educator, Lisamarie DiOrio on how she felt about Teacher Appreciation Ms. DiOrio commented: : “Teacher Appreciation Week was great! It was so nice to see a variety of different students from all different clubs express their gratitude for all the hard work the teachers at CHS do. It was a nice surprise every morning seeing what our treat would be! I felt so appreciated and honored by all the student organizations!”

We also interviewed Karly Nelson, Music Educator, and her reaction to Teacher Appreciation Week: “I thought teacher appreciation week was great. Everything that each club contributed was thoughtful, fun, and really made me feel special! There were so many unique options, you could tell that everyone worked hard to come up with creative ways to show their appreciation!”

Lastly, we interviewed Amanda Miller, Science Educator: “What means the most to me is not necessarily what I receive, but the thought and effort that is put in.  It makes my day to see students taking time to do something kind for someone else, regardless of who it's for.  That being said, it is fun to be surprised when people come around to our classrooms!”

Thank you CHS Teachers for all that you do!

December 1, 2021

CHS Holiday Involvement 

Arianna & Karissa Bishop

During this 2021 winter holiday season, different clubs, sports, and other school activities are getting involved by starting fundraisers or by planning fun activities for their members and other students in the school. These activities range from selling food or gifts to performing a music ceremony. Read about some of these special activities below. 

CAYAC Club: The CHS CAYAC Club is decorating holiday bags. These holiday bags are special because they are not only festive and fun to create, but their helpful messages can save lives as well. These bags are created with the intention of preventing drinking and driving during the holiday season. They are distributed to liquor stores in Cromwell for drink carrying. The 5th grade DARE program also helps decorate these bags.

Carbon Club: The CHS Carbon Club is hosting a winter fundraiser between now and December 21st. They are selling locally made maple syrup and honey for only $15. This is a great holiday gift and it is environmentally friendly. Students can check their specific classroom pages for their grades for more information. Buyers can fill out the order form using the link or QR code on that classroom page and in the weekly newsletter. The buyers can pick up their product(s) on Monday, December 20 and Tuesday, December 21 from 3-5 p.m.

Student Council: The school Student Council is doing a Pajama Day on Friday, December 10th for $1 for each person who wears pajamas. All of their funds will go towards children fighting cancer at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Class of 2024 Student Council: The Class of 2024 Student Council is doing a Moes give back night. Members of the school and town can order a $37 taco kit(with 12 tacos, 2 proteins, and a variety of sides). The pickup date for these orders is December 14th from 4-5. The Student Council will keep 25% of the profit.

National Art Honors Society(NAHS): The National Art Honors Society is selling ornaments for only $5. They are for sale between now and December 17, 2021. They are being sold during the four student lunch waves.

World Language Club: The CHS World Language Club had a special wreath decorating day for one of their meetings. After the wreaths were finished, they were brought to be displayed on Saturday, December 4th from 4-8 p.m.

Jazz Band/Choirs/A Cappella: On Monday, December 6th at 6:00, the Jazz Band, school Choir, and A Capella groups combined their talents to perform a special one night celebration called  “A Night with the Visual And Performing Arts.” This was held in the auditorium, and was a free gift to all of the students and staff.

Tri-M: The Tri-M hosted a stocking fundraiser. The stocking deals were $2 for 1 stocking and $6 for 5 stockings, and they were stocked with candy. They sold their stockings from Monday, November 29 to Wednesday, December 1. Although this fundraiser is now over, this was a wonderful and festive way to make money for their activity!

November 11, 2021

Thankful Students at CHS

Arianna Bishop & Caroline Voccio

As the annual Thanksgiving holiday draws near, the students at CHS are reflecting on everything they appreciate in their lives. Although each student in the school is unique, not one person the same, all of the students have one thing in common- their thankfulness. This article consists of a series of happy, gratitude-filled statements of the students at CHS.

A sophomore at CHS, Kathryn Sakoulas, told us, “I am thankful for my sister because she always cares about me and makes me laugh.”

A sophomore named Lauren McCarrol told us, “I am thankful for all of my friends and family! I love them a lot, and they’re my biggest cheerleaders!”

A sophomore named Janae Badal told us, “I’m grateful that COVID isn’t impacting the holiday this year as much as last year.” 

Senior, Emily Green, shared with us that she is really “thankful for (her) best friends.”

Karsten Peters, CHS senior, told us, “I am thankful for the men and women who sacrifice their lives, so that we can live in freedom.”

A senior named Ian MacMillan shared with us that as the holiday season rolls around, he is “thankful for friends and family.”

When asked what she was thankful for, junior, Molly Caserta, told us that she is really “thankful for (her) mom.”

A junior named Lily Kenney reminds us all to be grateful for all of the staff members of CHS as she is “thankful for (her) education,” and the “opportunities (it provides) for (her) in the future.”

Danny McAdams, a junior at CHS, told us that he is “thankful for family, friends, and food.”

A freshman named Annika Peters gave us quite a profound answer as she says, “I am thankful for life, family and pets, friends, sports, and the food on my table.”

CHS math teacher, Ms. Polizonis, shared with us that she is thankful for her wonderful cats.

As you can see, all of the students at Cromwell High School are so grateful for the chance to spend time with their loved ones and for the opportunities in their lives.  The holiday season is a great time of year to recognize all that is good in our lives.

With Thanksgiving approaching, the gratitude of the students and teachers of Cromwell High School is on full display. Each and every one is excited to have some normalcy back in their lives as they prepare to spend this Thursday with their loved ones.