Tag Archives: Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Celebrate Veterans Day with Music, Memories, Speeches and Salutations

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The keynote address at LOL Middle School was given by Dr. Jennifer Hall, US Coast Guard Lieutenant (Ret.) All photos courtesy of Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

LYME/OLD LYME—On Tuesday, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools commemorated Veterans Day with a breakfast for local veterans followed by ceremonies in each school incorporating speeches, music and singing to honor all veterans. Students of all ages were involved in the day’s events.

This Middle School student was busy preparing a hearty breakfast for the Veterans.

Each Veteran was presented with a thoughtful gift (below) from the Middle School student body.

After breakfast at the middle school, the veterans attended a program in their honor in the school auditorium. The program included a keynote address given by Dr. Jennifer Hall, US Coast Guard Lieutenant (Ret.) and the presentation of Patriot’s Pen Essay Winners.

Bandmaster Jacob Wilson leads the musicians in a rousing piece honoring the Veterans.

Later the Veterans moved to Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) for another event at which the LOLHS Band played …

… and the LOLHS Chorus sang.

This trio of Veterans—VFW Post 1467 Trustees David Griswold, (left) and Doug Wilkinson (right), along with VFW Post 1467 Commander Richard Mason (center)—enjoyed the high school reception..

A reception was held at the high school after the program there allowing the veterans to mingle with the students.

The Veterans were also enthusiastically welcomed at Lyme Consolidated School, as this young man’s face clearly shows!

These youngsters sang lustily at Lyme Consolidated School for their esteemed guests …

… and down at Mile Creek School, the students also gave a wonderful presentation for the Veterans.

After the event, David Griswold commented to LymeLine via e-mail, “Veterans Day at the school is special. The support we receive from the administration and facility along with the food, music, speakers, and especially all the students means so much to us. “

The sign says it all … and here at olwenonline.com/, we add our sincere thanks to all the Veterans who have served, continue to serve and, in some cases, made the ultimate sacrifice.

TOP STORY: Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Welcome Back Students, Spirits High Despite ‘Temporary Upheaval’ of Construction

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Center School preschool teacher Kinny Newman promised her classroom—a work of progress as of Monday morning—would look “stunning” by the start of school on Wednesday.

OLD LYME–Preschool teacher Kinny Newman early this week sat at her desk in a Center School classroom preparing for the start of school on Wednesday.

Newman, surrounded by rows of signature fern plants, reviewed a class list with instructional assistants Jennifer Martin and Sakura Gemme. 

Six students on the roster were siblings of previous students, according to the teacher. 

“It makes it all really real when you read their names,” she said. “And then you get really excited about it.” 

Newman said the ongoing renovation project to update the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in the building – as well as three other schools in the district – slowed down classroom preparations, but she predicted the latest crop of preschool students wouldn’t be bothered by the temporary upheaval. 

“They’re resilient. We’re resilient. We’ll figure it out,” she said. 

The staff members were working on a tighter timeframe than usual because the renovation project had closed the doors of Center School, Mile Creek and Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School for most of the summer. Operations at Lyme Consolidated School during the same timeframe were condensed as staff members relocated within the building. 

Ian Neviaser, Superintendent of Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, said on Monday that the contents of all the classrooms were emptied into the auditorium for summertime storage while crews abated the building’s original ceilings of hazardous components. 

The previous Friday was the first day teachers could get into their classrooms, he said. The crunch to prepare for Wednesday’s opening had teachers, assistants and cleaning crews working throughout the weekend. 

“Normally, our teachers come back early and set up their classrooms – and many of them come in long before they’re required to be here,” he said. “They didn’t have that option this summer.” 

In Newman’s classroom, spirits were high after all the hours put in over the weekend left the women in a good position to be ready on time. 

“We’re not quite finished yet,” Newman warned. “I have a whole reading tent coming from Amazon.”

The renovation project involves upgrades to the HVAC and security systems in the four buildings, plus an addition and an expanded parking area at Mile Creek School. Voters in late 2022 authorized spending up to $57.5 million on the project, though the district will save about $17 million due to grant funding and lower than expected interest rates.

Center School preschool instructional assistant Jennifer Martin on Monday helped prepare the classroom for the 2025-26 school year.

The most noticeable changes to the schools will be seen in the front vestibules that welcome students on Wednesday, according to Neviaser. He said security changes made as a “retrofit” following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting more than 10 years ago have been overhauled to align with state requirements for new construction. 

“These are more modern,” he said of the new doors and windows. “They are both blastproof and bulletproof, and allow us to monitor the comings and goings of visitors more easily due to increased visibility.”

With work at Center School, Lyme Consolidated and the middle school expected to be completed by the new year, he said the project at Mile Creek will extend for about a year and a half. 

Parents hoping for improved traffic flow due to the expansion will find themselves disappointed because the pickup and dropoff area is not slated to be reconfigured until next summer. 

“So this year the traffic flow is probably going to be about the same as it was in the past,” he said. 

He said the school added a preschool class at Lyme Consolidated after a new state law required students to be five-years-old by Sept. 1 to start kindergarten, resulting in fewer kindergarteners and more preschoolers. Officials condensed four kindergarten classrooms, which were evenly spread between Lyme Consolidated and Mile Creek, into three while moving a Lyme Consolidated kindergarten teacher to the preschool level. Preschool classrooms are traditionally in Center School. 

Neviaser this month emphasized at a Region 18 Board of Education meeting that Lyme Consolidated will house a preschool class for one year only because the shift promises to reverse itself when this year’s four-year-old cohort enters kindergarten next year. 

“So that’s new and unique,” the superintendent said from the school Monday as he prepared for the new school year. “And then we will be living through construction for a few more months.”

Fire Marshal Dave Roberge, in an email to Neviaser shared with the Region 18 PreK-8 Building Committee, acknowledged construction is ongoing. Roberge said he found the buildings are in compliance with fire detection, notification and evacuation requirements, and he will continue to monitor the situation as construction continues.

UPDATED: Death Announced of Anthony David Carrano, Beloved Former Assistant Principal in LOL Schools; Celebration of Life to be Held in New Haven, Sept. 16

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Anthony David Carrano

UPDATED Aug. 7 with additional biographical information and details of the Celebration of Life.

The death has been announced of Anthony David Carrano on July 18, 2025. He was born in New Haven, CT on June 12, 1950 to Andrew and Carmela Carrano and has a younger brother, Andrew (Buddy) still residing there.

Anthony graduated from Cross High Scool in 1968 and Quinnipiac University in 1972.

He married Lois Parisi (1950-1989)and they had a daughter, Valeria, who resides with her husband , Francesco Camperlingo, and their three children in Salerno, Italy.

After teaching history in Westbrook Middle and High Schools, he moved to Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools in 2000 where he served as Assistant Principal of LOL Middle School for many years and subsequently moved to Lyme-Old Lyme High School where he took the same role.

Anthony and his wife, Patty Doran retired 13 years ago to Bonita Springs, FL, a place which he dearly loved.

He leaves behind his beloved wife, Patty; his daughter, Valeria Carrano, her husband, Francesco Camperlingo and their three children, Joseph, Stella, and Angelo. He also leaves his brother Andrew Carrano; and two stepsons, Stephen Doran, his wife, Leah, and their children, Eleanor and James; and Christopher Doran.

There will be a Celebration of the life of Anthony Carrano at Bar, 254 Crown Street, New Haven, CT on Tuesday, September 16th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Please RSVP to 239-980-2024 and send any photos of Tony to be included in a video program.

There was no official obituary but Tony’s wife Patty wrote this beautiful tribute to her late husband and gave us her permission to publish it.

How do you say goodbye to the love of your life? Tony, Anthony, Antonio, Ant, were names that those of us who were lucky enough to share the days of our lives with you, called you. It was a long 7-month battle with multifocal glioblastoma, but now you are at peace. During those months we shared stories of our entire lives and those who made it special. I always say that I moved to CT to find you. You taught me about Italian food, Italy, friendship, kindness, and most of all, love. We shared each others families and built a beautiful life together these 20+ years.

Your wish was to have your ashes and spirit brought back to your beloved Amalfi and spread out at sea while Neapolitan music and Frank Sinatra play and the ghosts of your ancestors dance with those of us who will mourn and celebrate you. I also hope that you will forgive me if I take part of you back to CT, The Cove, New Haven, Westbrook, and Old Lyme so that your many family, friends, former students, and I can celebrate you in the place where we fell in love.

I will love you forever, but now you are at peace.

Your loving wife, Patty or Patricia as you loved to call me.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Announce Quarter 4 Honor Rolls

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Lyme-Old Lyme High School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 12: Ella Austin, Micah Bass, Gavin Biega, Molly Boardman, Nathaniel Bradley, Mark Burnham, Chase Calderon, Dylan Carnaroli, Andrew Clougherty, Tabitha Colwell, Andrea DeBernardo, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Caeli Edmed, Anna Eichholz, Davis Fallon, Grace Ferman, Benedict Frazier, Hoshena Gemme, Manu Geronimo, Elias Goldberg, Nicolas Hatch, Yucheng Hou, Shyla Jones, Thomas Kabel, Simon Karpinski, Ella Kiem, Skylar Kobelia, Peter Kuhn, Ada LaConti, Brenden Landry, Andrew Liu, Lana Lopes, Elizabeth Lopez, Colette Marchant, Tirill Mundal, Kayla Navarro, Abigail O’Brien, Kanon Oharu, Sophie Pennie, Ysabel Rodriguez, Madelin Salazar Cajamarca, Josephine Small, Andrew Sprankle, Madeline Supersano, Charlotte Tinniswood, Nicholas Turtoro, Giovanni Winters, Ava Wood-Muller, Wenyao Zhang, Gabriella Ziegler

Grade 11: Trevor Buydos, Caden Camarra, Tyler Cann, Julia Clark, Maya Cook, Annabelle Coppola, Colman Curtiss-Reardon, Christopher Dagher, Sophia D’Angelo, Rose Dimmock, Alexa Donovan, Chase Gilbert, Alexander Glaras, Elizaveta Gregoire, Oliver Hatchel, Anne-Marie Hinckley, Christopher Kachur, Thomas Kelly, Jayden Livesey, Emily Looney, Poveda Lucas, Daniela Marin Yanza, Nayeli Marin Yanza, Serena Mazzi, Carter McGlinchey, Samuel McKenzie, Rowen Meisner, Ryan Miller, Madeline Murphy, Isabella Presti, Jacob Prokopets, Lance Sanford, Sophia Shaposhnikova, Luca Signora, Addison Spooner, Carson St. Louis, Andrew Taylor, Meredith Thompson, Madeleine Trepanier, Connor Vautrain, Oliver Wyman, Stella Young, Carl Zapatka

Grade 10: Addison Arndt, Phineas Barrett, Ceciley Buckley, Morgan Buerger, Brooke Burgess, William Burgess, Anna Bussmann, Lillian Calabrese, Aidan Carpentino, Isaac Chartier, Johanna Coker, Brady Donovan, Samson Edmed, Lauren Fulara, Angeline Gencarella, Antonio Gencarella, Gavin Goulis, Harrison Goulis, Skylar Graybill, Tessa Grethel, Owen Holth, Josephine Kiem, Allisondra Krol, Autumn Newbury, Ainsley Rinoski, Cameron Russell, Owen Shapiro, Kevork Shegirian, Milo Stiles, Carli Teixeira, Magdalena Tooker, Ethan Trepanier, Kaylyn Vernon, Caterina Wilson, Brody Ziolkovski

Grade 9: Lillian Acosta, Lauren Belval, Scarlett Blatter, Vivian Boller, Lana Brunza, Trevor Camarra, Naomi Cameron, Gabrielle Clark, Katharine Ferman, Jonah Filardi, Cortland Forbes, Avery Goiangos, Gavin Gray, Sawyer Graybill, Kinsley Grenier, Maia Guisti, Colleen Harrington, Reese Holland, Sophia Huang, Henrik Hummervoll, Fiona Judge, Jillian Kleefeld, Kaedyn Koproski, Treyton LaConti, Holden Leonardo, Alice Li, Graham Macadam, Benjamin Mattox, Menzi Mbele, Charles McEwen, William McKeever, Addyson Morosky, Grace Morrissette, Marielle Munster, Theodore Neary, Gwenevere Osborne, Mila Pacelli, Mattea Parnoff, Remi Patz, Nicholas Porto, Jonah Scheckwitz, Audrey Sheehan, Avery Spooner, Hailey Suisman, Charlotte Thuma, Ashlynn Ward, Ella Ziolkovski

HONORS

Grade 12: Emma Arelt, Hannah Bonilla, Dominic Clark, Hunter Coffey, Christopher Gibbons, Janna Graves, Abigail Greene, Kaela Hoss, Gage Kaulfuss, Olivia Kelly, Bronwyn Kyle, Elise Leonardo, Amahle Mdluli, Nathan Morgan, Max Novak, Ryan Shapiro, Nola Slubowski, Spencer Spezio, Erika Teixeira, Kathleen Walsh

Grade 11: Charlotte Antonino, Sienna Bari, Zoe Brunza, Makayla Calderon, Braden Dawson, Michael DeFiore, Claire Engdall, Benjamin Goulding, Quinn Hadarik, William Landon, Sebastian Lopez-Bravo, Ian Maeby, Sybil Neary, Ryan Ortoleva, Quenten Patz, Marleigh Piacenza, Tanner Snurkowski, Sydney St. Pierre, Margaret Thuma, Eve Videll, Elisabeth Viera

Grade 10: Mohammed Ali, Zachary Belval, Mia Bonatti, Logan Buckingham, Kacey Cajamarca, Evan Coffee, Amirah D’Lizarraga, Elliot Dunn-Sims, Edward Fiske, Elsa Jungkeit, Callahan Lacourciere, Logan Landry, Olivia Lovendale, Kaylee McCarthy, Sean Olsen, Alexandria Sanford, Allegra Schaedler

Grade 9: Noah Brant, John Comstock, Nathaniel Condon, Colin Discordia, Frederick Goss, Morgan Harris, Ryan Hill, David McAdams, Rowan McCormick, Ava Novak, Delilah Tooker, Renee Viera, Charles Zapatka, Avery Zbierski

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School
2024-25 Quarter 4 Honor Roll

HIGH HONORS

Grade 8: Josie Arndt, Anna Block, Emily Bonatti, Cassidy Buckley, Ewan Cabell, Emily Campbell, Finnegan Choisnet, Reagan Christopher, Eliana Cicchiello, Emerson Coker, Miles Coppola, Ezekiel Daily, Maya Desai, Parker Fedorich, Jackson Fiske, Parker Forbes, Samantha Fulara, Ava Fuller, Olivia Gerardo, Victoria Glaras, Kylie Grethel, Olivia Griffith, Cole Haslam, Charles Holth, Quinn Hoss, Griffin Karpinski, Collin Langley, Zoey Langley, Ellison Lodge, Isabel Martel, Harland McKenna, Maxwell Mooney, Sofia Noti, Thomas O’Connor, Kanato Oharu, Giovanni Orlando, Jack Ouellette, Adrian Raby, Benson Reis, Tristan Reyes, Lillian Reynolds, Beatrix Rubino, Addison Sapia, Juliette Small, Mia Stokes, Natalie Suisman, Olive Vautrain, Benson Wang, Reagan Weinstein, Samuel Zelek, Lily Zerkowski

Grade 7: Charlotte Anton, Jack Antonino, Annalisa Archbald, Miella Bard, Sawyer Barreto, Cole Barris, Jackson Basham, Zakary Benedetto, Braydon Boisseau, Conor Buckeridge, Thomas Calabrese, Rowan Cantner, Mason Catalano, Jackson Chapps, Ainsley Conroy, Oliver Constantine, Brennon Coyle, Ella Davis, Amy Diaz, Daphne Eisensmith, Hunter Emma, Kate Ewers, Camryn Fedorich, Estelle Filardi, Beckett Goss, Delana Green-Oldfield, Aibhlinn Hall, Julia Haslam, Sean Hunter, August Jungkeit, Devon Kiem, Rowan Kilfoil, Eva Levonick, Yago Lobo, Jamie Maloney, Mary McAdams, Ariana McEwen, Finn McLaughlin, Henry Miller, Ryann Montesanto, Broderick Morris, Isla Morrissette, Maya Munster, Maura Murphy, Avery Olson, Gunnar Palmer, Juul Parrott, Quin Parrott, Quinn Quarto, Caliana Rand, Charlotte Reynolds, Olivia Rozanski-Rose, Linden Sarnoski, Ari Shegirian, Maya Smith, Reed Snurkowski, Grace Strekel, Molly Supersano, Weston Taylor, Liam Ward, John Young

Grade 6: Mylo Awwa, Ella Boudo, Cecelia Bradley, Brody Burr, Luz Cajamarca, Finn Celic, Andrew Chonka, Maizie Curtiss-Reardon, Croix Demars, Lucia D’Onofrio, Catherine Fisher, Maxwell Garvin, Natalie Gibbons, Walter Glenn, Gabriella Gonzalez, Niall Hallahan, Joy Haney, Gerald Holland, Emma Hoxha, Ofelia Karsten, Aiden Lapinski, Parker Lee, Benjamin Lott, Roosevelt Lowry, Siena Maguire, Emma Morales, Loretta Newbury, Nico Orlando, Alexander Reid, Jack Reiter, Connor Rice, Taylor Rooney, Magnolia Sahl, Reid Sapia, Kate Scheckwitz, Colton Schroder, Madison Seckla, Piper Spiegel, Leif Sullivan, Audrey Thuma, Tobias Tooker, Carina Vakili, Henry Whalen, Charlotte Zeng

HONORS

Grade 8: Trent Cameron, Colin Farrell, Curran Livesey, Oliver Newbury, Jack Parker, Nikolas Reid, Cooper Thomas, Teya Vernon

Grade 7: Liam Carpentino, Daniel Crisp, Jaxson Glantz, Ekaterina Gregoire, Thomas Hayes, Callen Hill, Camden Novak, Emily Randak, Roman Schlachter, Jackson Staab, Lucius Stebbins-Wallen

Grade 6: David Acosta, Finn Cabell, Ryan Campbell, Liang Chang, John Hornyak, Callie Kelo, Colton Lodge, Linnea McLachlan, Gabriella Norris, Mason Polski, EmmaLeigh Reed, Brandon Reyes, Graycie Riquelme, Michael Soriano

Lyme-Old Lyme MS ‘Eco Warriors’ Go Into Trenches at Food Share Garden

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Members of the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Eco Warriors club visit the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden at Town Woods Park to learn more about the group that they help support through lessons learned in the middle school greenhouse.

LYME/OLD LYME–A partnership between the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG) and Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools continued last week as a group of “Eco Warriors” descended on the garden at Town Woods Park in Old Lyme. 

Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden Board Member Peter Hunt said the members of the LOL Middle School Eco Warriors club were given a tour of the food share and pollinator garden. They also helped roll up row cover in the cabbage patch to help prevent the cabbage from overheating and bolting during a hot spell as the plants enter their final weeks of maturation.

The visit stemmed from last year’s joint effort to restore the greenhouse at the middle school to benefit the schools and wider community. A fundraising push by the LOLFSG yielded $8,000 in donations from the community and the statewide SustainableCT initiative. 

Eco Warriors uncover cabbage in the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden at Town Woods Park.

The project included replacement of polycarbonate panels on the roof, sides and gable end of the greenhouse. Exhaust fans, shutters, and vents were added, along with an irrigation system and hydroponic tower. 

Hunt said the Eco Warriors were especially interested in where the crops go after harvesting. All produce is donated to local free food distribution programs in Old Lyme and New London County.