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60 Minutes' Byron Pitts Brings Inspiration and Sound Advice

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Joveto DeCarvalho '11 listens as Byron Pitts, 60 Minutes contributor and Chief National Correspondent for CBS Evening News, spoke with our students over dinner at the ABC House on February 23. The Emmy Award winning journalist recently wrote a book, "Step Out on Nothing" in which he tells of his struggle with illiteracy and stuttering as a youth. Citing personal experience, Pitts urged the boys to work hard to be as "mentally and physically strong as possible" and encouraged them to go beyond just dreaming of a profession to actually "putting a specific address to that dream." Pitts noted that more than simply wanting to work at 60 Minutes since the age of 18, working hard has made his dream a reality. Story and photo by Diane Knetzger.

NBC4 New York's style magazine LX New York visited New Canaan recently and were shown around town by our very own Tucker Murphy. Watch the segment.

Joveto Wins 1st Prize

NCHS Ranks #1 in Education Survey

Seniors Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Joveto DeCarvalho '11 and Jeanne McDonagh, digital photography teacher at New Canaan High School with Joveto's photograph "Great Uncle" for which he won first prize in the Student Category in the Carriage Barn Arts Center 30th Annual Juried Photography Show. See more.

New Canaan Public Schools recently emerged at the top of its reference group, ranking No. 1 in education for Connecticut towns with populations of 15,000 to 25,000 residents, according to the November issue of Connecticut Magazine. See school rankings online.

General Honoré Follow Up

Seniors Jelani Alladin, Darryl Cummings, and Shameil Gonzales were among this year's featured speakers at New Canaan's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration hosted by the Methodist Church of New Canaan. Story to come.

Chief Justice Rogers Visits Students

Recent guest speaker Russel L. Honoré, cites A Better Chance of New Canaan in an interview published in the Gallup Management Journal "Fighting Poverty: The Business Case".

Students Elijah Westbrook, Darryl Cummings, Jelani Alladin, Justice Rogers, Devaun Bovell, Shamiel Gonzalez and Joveto De Carvalho meet with Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court Chase T. Rogers. Rogers, a New Canaan resident, met with A Better Chance students at the ABC House on Locust Avenue on January 12, giving the boys an overview of her current job responsibilities. During her visit at the house, Rogers discussed the daily tasks of overseeing the operations of the judicial branch and hearing cases that have been appealed to the Supreme Court. To give students a flavor of the work done by trial judges, she shared the story of a case she presided over, involving allegations of abuse and neglect by the parents. After providing students with the particulars of the case, she asked each boy to evaluate what decision he would have made and why. Following the case review, Rogers encouraged the students to consider exploring a career in law. Before assuming the position of chief justice, Rogers served as a Superior Court trial judge for eight years in Connecticut. Ms. Rogers has also served on the Board of Directors of A Better Chance of New Canaan. Photo by Diane Knetzger. Story courtesy of the New Canaan Advertiser.

New Canaan High School - The Day to Day Business of Being #1

With the support of New Canaan High School Principal Tony Pavia and staff like Media Center director Michelle Luhtala (left), Darryl Cummings '10 (middle) and Devaun Bovell '14 (right) go about the day-to-day business of being students at a top high school in Connecticut and indeed the United States.

New Canaan Public Schools recently earned a first place ranking among public school systems in Connecticut towns with 15,000 to 25,000 residents, according to the November 2009 issue of Connecticut Magazine. A rating system based upon standardized test scores and the percentage of graduates who attend college put New Canaan in the top slot among the 30 school districts.

We spoke with New Canaan High School Principal Tony Pavia to ask how such a first place ranking is earned. What happens in a school on a day-to-day basis that builds such educational excellence? Among many contributing factors, Mr. Pavia highlights the cultural environment within the high school.

“In this building, people go the extra mile for kids,” said Mr. Pavia, “That includes the highly dedicated professional staff, but also the non-professional staff, the custodians, the cafeteria staff. People care about kids in this building, and the students feel that the adults are invested in their success.”

He added, “Conventional wisdom once held that school environment and culture was just an addition to a good school. Current research shows that school culture is critical to how kids succeed.”

The ability to confide in and be assured of support from at least one adult also is now considered a key to the emotional health and development of young people. “I suspect New Canaan High School students would tell you they have more than one such adult in their life, whether that is a classroom teacher,

a coach or a club advisor,” noted Mr. Pavia.

And for the record, Mr. Pavia, who has been Principal at New Canaan High School for eight years, states, “I thought this was a great school long before that ranking. We did not need that ranking to appreciate what we do here.”

Perhaps the best evidence of the students’ full engagement with the school can be seen in the hours the students keep. “We have a large number of students who are here from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, or even 10:00 at night. Very few students walk out at 2:05 p.m. as if they have just finished their job for the day,” said Mr. Pavia, adding, “One of the things you want to combat in a high school is social isolation and alienation. You minimize behavioral and discipline problems when students feel they are part of the school, feel ownership with the school.”

New Canaan High School offers a particularly wide array of sports teams, musical and theatrical groups, and other clubs. And student interests are actively supported, so if a student proposes, say a kayaking group or a cartooning club, the student will find administrative support to organize that activity.

Said Mr. Pavia, “The critical piece is having a guiding force in this building toward student learning. We have a large number of professionals and non-professionals all pulling in that same direction.

Volunteer ABC Web Editor Laura Walbert is a partner in New Canaan- based FraserWalbertMedia LLC

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February 2010