Remembering Sargeant Dustin DeMonte: Beloved and Respected Hero

Caring professional was dedicated to family, friends, & community

Dustin DeMonte was born in Middletown, Connecticut in May of 1987 and graduated from Middletown HS and Central CT State University. He lived in North Haven with his wife, Laura, and children Phoebe and Porter, with a third child due in March. He was hired by the Bristol police department 10 years ago and at only 35 years of age, had already received recognition and numerous awards, including Officer of the Year and a life-saving commendation in 2019.

DeMonte is described as a "kind and gentle spirit...a dedicated public servant and a fun and caring jokester...who wholeheartedly loved his family and every single moment he spent with them." He also made a huge difference in the lives of the people he served within the Bristol community and was both a school resource officer at two schools and an advisor for the Bristol Police Explorer Cadets.

When word spread of the unimaginable loss of such a beloved and highly regarded man, stories poured in relaying personal interactions people had with their friend, neighbor, brother, co-worker. One memorable story was told by Jamie Perchiano, who shared his connection with DeMonte that reflects the officer's care and concern for others. After a bout of heavy drinking, Perchiano was resuscitated by DeMonte, who took the time to offer him sound advice and support. Over time when he ran into him around town, he would check in with Perchiano who is now two years sober, to encourage him. Perchiano feels that DeMonte's kind words and motivation helped him survive his disease. He states, "When I found out it was him, my heart was broken... I was in total shock...and devastated."

Such is the unimaginable loss felt by those who loved and admired DeMonte as they mourn an extraordinary man whose dedication and kindness improved the lives of so many. We are reminded yet again that police officers go to work each day understanding the enormous risk of their professional responsibilities yet willing to put themselves in harm's way to uphold the law and protect others. Dustin DeMonte made the ultimate sacrifice and for that we are beyond grateful as we grieve a good man who built a beautiful life for himself and his family. Perhaps we can celebrate all he did to make the world a better place by performing an extra good deed in his honor. May he rest in peace.

Police officers and civilians gathered on Friday, October 21 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford to honor and celebrate the lives of the two Bristol police officers.

CT Mourns as Double Tragedy Strikes Bristol Police Department

"Injured officer kills gunman following ambush and murder of two heroes in blue"

By Olivia Coish

On Wednesday, October 4th, unimaginable tragedy struck the Bristol police department as two officers were ambushed in a deliberate and calculated attack on law enforcement. The 35-year old shooter, Nicholas Brutcher, made a domestic violence call to 911 on Wednesday night. Sergeants Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy and Officer Alec Lurato responded to the call, reporting to the scene shortly after.

Upon arriving, the officers approached the side door of the house to speak with 32-year old Nathan Brucher, Nicholas’s brother. According to Connecticut State Police, “As Nathan Brutcher stepped out, gunfire erupted. Nicholas Brutcher fired well over eighty rounds from behind, fatally wounding DeMonte and Hamzy, and wounding Lurato in the leg.” Social media confirms Nicholas was obsessed with guns and violence and amid the firing, he shot his own brother, sending him to the hospital with severe injuries.

In spite of his incapacitated leg, Lurato miraculously managed to make his way around the house to access a Bristol Police Department cruiser. Through analysis of the footage captured by the officers’ body cameras, inspector generals were able to decipher Lurato’s call to the department. The officer could be heard shouting, “Shots fired. Shots fired. More cars. Send everyone...officer shot, officer shot,” as he took cover behind a vehicle and fired a single shot, killing Nicholas Brutcher. His actions were declared justified by inspector generals. Officers from throughout the state rallied around their Bristol "brothers" to help out and assist with

After an emotional interview with members of the Bristol Police Department, Chief Brian Gould expressed the gravity of their loss, commenting, “We lost two exceptional Bristol police officers. And a third was seriously injured as a result of senseless violence.” The impact the officers’ had on the department was immense. Gould explained that DeMonte was a school resource officer at two Bristol schools and an advisor for the Bristol police explorer cadet program, as was Hamzy. Their high stature was recognized by numerous letters of recognition and commendations, as well as multiple awards.

Their legacies are not solely defined by the badges they proudly wore on their uniforms, but also by the brokenhearted loved ones left behind. DeMonte is survived by two children, and a pregnant wife; Hamzy by his parents, wife, and two sisters.

The awful tragedy has been particularly painful for North Haven residents given that DeMonte and his family have been long-time residents and so many remember him as devoted husband and father, a trusted and caring friend and an extraordinarily dedicated police officer. His funeral was held on Friday October 21 with North Haven schools closing for the day in DeMonte's honor. The community and schools are organizing various events in support of DeMonte's family.

Gould concluded the interview by emphasizing the bravery it takes to be in the police force. He explained that, “They answered a call to duty, and they responded without hesitation. And that’s what they did every night before that. And that’s what all our officers do and will continue to do.”

NHHS New Track and Field Complex Includes Impressive Updates

School community excited about state-of-the-art facility

By Megan Faulkner

The North Haven Track and Field complex, famously known as Vanacore field, has been serving North Haven Athletics for 42 years! This past June they started construction of a new track which is projected to be finished by November 19th, 2022, perfect timing for the outdoor track season.

In addition to the track, the Vanacore football field is being redone. This immense project will completely upgrade the track and area surrounding it and will include tree removal, earthwork, concrete work, asphalt/concrete paving, a new chain link fence, and new drainage system. Workers are focusing on the task at hand involving a complete demolition of the original track to make way for new track surfacing as well as new track and field equipment. Improvements to the track will also include the addition of two extra lanes in the straightaway for a total of eight lanes, instead of the original six. The rest of the track will be a total of six lanes. The long jump and triple jump will be moved to the area of the finish line due to coding updates from the National Federation of State High School Federations (NFHS).

Lastly, Vanacore field updates include complete demolition of the original field and complete new seeding and sodding. There will be two new scoreboards along with updated sports field lighting around the entire field. While people will be able to use the track by this fall, the Vanacore field will be ready for use and gameplay for the 2023 fall season!

spotlight on career and technical education programs

"North Haven High School is fortunate to have a robust Career and Technical Education Department. We have 10 teachers at the high school who specialize in a career-focus field: Business, Family and Consumer Science, Technical Education, and Media. The goal for any student who graduates from high school is to become a productive contributing member of society. There are many ways we prepare students for their futures, and in High School, students can take courses which interest them, connect with their future goals, and apply skills they have learned throughout their years of schooling in non-traditional settings. Our goal in the CTE department is to help students develop transferable skills and become dynamic, 21st century thinkers!" - Coordinator Ms. Amy Alessi

a,b,c... active learning takes place in child development ...1,2,3

Pictured above, Independent Study Student, Anna Kattis, enjoys fun and learning with preschool students. Upon graduation, she will have earned nine college credits through the College and Career Pathway Partnership with Gateway Community College!

Pictured above, Independent Study/Child Development 2 student, Chloe Halkovetz, guides a preschooler through a planned lesson about seriation.

Pcitured above, Independent Study Student, Molly Lillis, shares a laugh with preschoolers. Lillis shares the responsibilities of designing bulletin boards, planning learning activities, and writing monthly newsletters with her classmates.

sew much fun! sewing and fashion design class

Pictured above, Clare Cullagh actively designs and constructs a pair shorts.

Captured above are the wonderful wedding dresses designed by Advanced Fashion students and made from toilet paper!

Pictured above is Makenzie Alogna using the sewing machine to construct a pair of shorts.

grab your toolbox: introduction to engineering

The Introduction to Engineering students recently completed their Candle Extinguisher project. In this project, the students were tasked with designing, building, and improving upon a complex machine that extinguishes a candle. The candle starts a process that incorporates various simple machines combined into a complex machine otherwise known as a Rube Goldberg Machine. Grading depended on the length of time from the start of the process to the extinguishing of the candle. Student designs took into account a plan to aim for either the fastest or slowest time.

Pictured above, students Minh Nguyen, Mason Mansar, and Angela Lin mastering equipment use.

Pictured above, Max Pugliese, Bryce Petersen, and Nathan Ori collaborating and working together.

Mr. Mark Fagan working with Minh Nguyen.

STUDENTS LEARN ESSENTIALS IN THE CLASSROOM

Pictured above, Mrs. Karri Fleming instructing students about the world of business and the many exciting opportunities available to them.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Pictured above, Mr. Justin Falcon teaching NHTV students about the cutting edge technology of television and broadcasting production.

culinary students Learn to prepare great food

Mohan Baheti, captured above, dicing onions for a dish.

Pictured above, teacher, Traci Planinshek, and students, Joseph Phillips and Braeden Hess are preparing food for the "Fall Feast", successfully held on November 2nd in front of the cafeteria. (See highlights below)

Pictured is Brianna Aubrey practicing cutting techniques.

Culinary arts presents Fall Feast Dining

Restaurant owner, Traci Planinshek, adds professional "flavor" to NHHS

beep beep! autoshop coming through!

Pictured above, Mr. Christian Johnson and his students working hands-on in the Auto-Tech classroom learning how to repair and maintain vehicles.

library evolves into a comfortable and productive work space

Elisabetta Sposito and Tai Moffat collaborate on a digital project.

Samantha Adams contemplates her approach to a new literacy assignment.

Khalil Thompson and Dominic DeSimone work collectively on a math activity.

Pictured above, Mr. Anthony Giordano awaits an incoming history class visiting the newly renovated library to work on a project.

The redesigned space is student-friendly with furniture that can be reconfigured in order to accommodate different types of work sessions.

INTERNSHIPS OFFER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

STUDENTS LEARN SKILLS AND MAKE CONNECTIONS

"The 2022-2023 year will be our second year of Student Internships for Credit at North Haven High School. Students who are Juniors or Seniors may apply for an internship with a community partner or business in the field of their choice. The possibilities are endless and can provide an industry or specific level of knowledge to prepare students for their future careers. Students must complete 60 hours of unpaid internship time while journaling and reflecting on the experience. The program allows students to earn .5 credits, which equates to a 1/2 year course of elective credit. So far, students have held engineering, accounting, finance, event management, personal training, athletic training, and medical-based internships. See Mr. Anthony Giordano or Ms. Amy Alessi for more information. Applications are on a rolling basis." - Ms. Amy Alessi

Bryce Petersen

Software

What do you feel are the greatest benefits to participating in the internship program and what are some skills you learned and/or experiences you enjoyed that offered teachable moments?

"I think that a couple of the benefits of the internship program definitely includes seeing a possible career path out of high school, or a similar job that is you are being exposed to while in the field. Some of the skills I’ve learned are how to use professional software that actual engineers use, connecting different idea from school and other departments into each other, and communicating with my coworkers when we are all working together on a project. A teachable moment would be when I went on a job site visit and had to map certain things like fixtures and circuit board labels. It took me a while to get into a rhythm but I got the hang of it."

What are some of the challenges that you encountered, solutions you implemented and ways those situations might help you as you pursue college/career goals?

"Some of the challenges was when I first started and had no clue how the software worked or was organized. It took me a solid 3-4 hours to understand the software, but I can use it now a lot easier. Some solutions were just asking for help, my coworkers are gladly able to help

me and are very understanding."

What are your future plans after graduation from NHHS?

"My career goals/life after high school are going to college for robotics engineering and either working for NASA or Boston Dynamics."

Luke Hamling

Photography

What do you feel are the greatest benefits to participating in the internship program and what are some skills you learned and/or experiences you enjoyed that offered teachable moments?

"I honestly think the greatest benefit of participating in the internship has been the ability to gain experience and insights into my area of interest, photography. I feel like that's the default response but it's true! That hands-on experience is really important to honing your craft, especially in the arts. I think the most important thing I've gained is to be more in the moment. Event photography is a lot more fast paced and this has forced me to adapt and be more in the moment, compared to my usual calculated approach to photography. This has helped in all the photography I've done with the internship but also outside of it as well."

What are some of the challenges that you encountered, solutions you implemented and ways those situations might help you as you pursue college/career goals?

"The biggest challenge was always being present and the fear of missing out, in this case missing out on the next perfect shot. I overcame challenges like these through more work on my internship and gained experience, along with insight from Mrs. Wade."

What are your future plans after graduation from NHHS?

"I plan to go into college, either majoring in photography or digital arts. Beyond that, I hope to pursue a career in photography and maybe even open my own photography shop."

Keeping us safe: nhhs welcomes new student resource officer

Pictured below, new SRO Stanley Lofquist, interacts with students playing with the newly constructed corn hole boards featuring images of the Nighthawk mascot designed last year by 1983 NHHS graduate and famed illustrator, Tim O'Brien.

north haven teachers train and prepare to keep students and one another safe

Ways to take action when life/safety is in jeopardy and time is of the essence

Members of the North Haven fire department were invited to NHHS on Tuesday November 8 to present the "Stop the Bleed" program to members of the education community including teachers and administrators. As part of professional development, the event featured presentations and hand's demonstrations designed to share knowledge, skills and life-saving procedures that can be administered during time of emergency by a good Samaritan until professional help arrives. Often the first hour or even few minutes are crucial to survival and can mean the difference between life and death. The event included hand's on CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training that offered ways to effectively assist with victims of cardiac arrest/bleeding/choking and more.

Pictured above is the Deputy Chief of Operations of the North Haven Fire Department, Scott Bission, as he is introduced to faculty and staff by North Haven Public Schools Superintendent, Patrick Stirk.

Teachers, Mrs. Traci Planinshek and Mrs. Wendy Wade, gather with other faculty and staff members for the important and potentially life-saving "Stop the Bleed" presentation. It is always better to be prepared!

pass the paintbrush: NH k-8 art program nurtures and prepares students with knowledge and skills for future nhhs successes

Congratulations to Maria del Carmen Canca-Barraso, North Haven's 2022 "Peace Poster" winner!

Members of the NH Art Department gather with Maria's parents and Lion's Club member, Alan Sturtz, to congratulate the winner of the Peace Poster competition. The contest is designed to promote the concept of "Leading with Compassion" and "bringing peace to the world through one child at a time". The North Haven Lions Club has long supported students and programs in the North Haven community and offer opportunities for children to use their time and talents to make a difference. Thank you and best wishes to all!

Two new art teachers have joined NHPS at the elementary level!

Veteran art educators (left) Sheri Schwarz (Green Acres Elementary School) and Nancy Snow (Ridge Road Elementary School) share insights and information with new Art teachers Kaitlyn Lenti (Clintonville Elementary School) and Emily Clark (Montowese Elementary School) (right). Many NHHS students have fond memories of Schwarz and Snow from their elementary art experiences. As they transition to the NHMS and the NHHS they build upon the foundation of knowledge and skills they develop through the various lessons and programs K-8.

it's a spooky season for nhhs to show halloween spirit

Joseph Bernardo, Kyle Clark, and Kayleigh Quinn show their school spirit on "Wear a Costume" day!

Adobe Photoshop students in Mrs. Wendy Wade's class put their own spin on Halloween by transforming Principal Dr. Russell Dallai's photos into a variety of zombie images that were featured in a hallway exhibit. The school community later voted on which piece was Scariest in show.

The fun and spirit of learning is "ghoulishly" alive and well at NHHS where Dr. D is always willing to participate in support of students, teachers and memorable/meaningful educational experiences!

English teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Zettergren, gathered with students at the pumpkin "fun" table in the cafeteria!

Students submitted some wonderfully spooky/clever/funny pumpkins!

Students participated in activities such as guessing how many candies were in a jar and voting on best decorated pumpkin.

PRESCHOOL FUN: Child Development teacher, Mrs. Michelle DeGiacomo, gathers her NHHS Nursery students and preschoolers to show their Halloween spirit! To the right, parent Anthony Giordano distributes candy to the kids with Samantha Ide as Eeyore.

The cafeteria staff joined in the festivities as they continue to provide the school community with delicious and nutritious breakfasts and lunches! Thank you for all your hard work!

Winning Pumpkin: "Dr. AP Gourd-rich"

Dr. Lisa Ball-Goodrich, advisor of National Science Honor Society, celebrates the success of the organization's pumpkin entry with some of its members.

Congratulations to all!

Pictured above (left to right): Alex Ranciato, Andre Ohanyan, Evan Looney, Katelyn Spader, Victoria Pachnik, Dr. Lisa Ball-Goodrich, Zohaib Saleem and Jonathan Chin

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Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, and First Priority Club Host Wounded Warrior Benefit Concert

Thank you to the following who helped make this event possible and another huge success:

Band director, Mrs. Susan Oakley

Choral director, Mrs. Sarah Iadarola

First Priority Club Advisors, Mr. David Jacob and Mr. Matthew Proto

State Representative, Mr. Dave Yaccarino

Teacher and war veteran, Mr. Brent Heidenis

Color guard of the American Legion Post 76 and Mr. Robert Maturo

All students involved in Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, and First Priority Club

And a huge thank you to all who have served and sacrificed for our country! Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Mr. Brent Heidenis, a war veteran and teacher at North Haven Middle School, spoke to fellow veterans, professionals, and concert attendees.

State Representative Dave Yaccarino discussed the importance of honoring Veterans Day.

Pictured above, honored guests and members of the American Legion Post 76 joined State Representative Dave Yaccarino.

~ North Haven Education Foundation: PRESS RELEASE ~

The North Haven school community extends heartfelt appreciation to the North Haven Education Foundation for its steadfast commitment to and support of NH students and programs over many years. Stay tuned in our Winter issue for more information about the amazing opportunities financed by foundation grants.

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