TRUMBULL TIMES — October 7, 1999

Looking to the stars:
Middlebrook School’s Observatory Opens
By Joseph Grinnell, TRUMBULL TIMES

It was a cloudy, drizzly day outside Middlebrook Elementary School Tuesday. But the overcast skies did not dampen the spirit of the dozens of smiling students who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the reopening of the school's telescope observatory building.

The observatory building fell into disrepair in the '70s, but the dreams of a fourth grade teacher came true when it officially reopened.  Teacher Stephen Lemoine, an astronomy buff, said he remembers looking at the observatory building one day and wondering what it was.

"A light bulb went off and I saw [Principal Richard] Witten right away," Lemoine said.  According to Lemoine, the observatory building was filled with cobwebs, paint was peeling off the walls and the gears controlling the roof-opening mechanism were corroded.  With Witten's support, school officials sought and received a $2,000 grant from the Trumbull Technology Foundation, which paid for a new telescope.

Under the direction of Board of Education maintenance director Don Walsh, maintenance workers Izzy Acevedo, Tom Hughes, Mario Hering and Bobby Chrostowski repaired the observatory building. The building is about 12 feet square and 12 feet tall, and its exterior is painted light brown.   Lemoine praised the men for sanding ridges into the telescope platform's wooden steps, making them safe for children to walk on.  Lemoine said the telescope probably will be fitted with eyepieces with 200 or 300 magnification. "You can see the Andromeda Galaxy 1.2 million miles away," he said.  Lemoine said hands-on learning is the best way for children to learn about astronomy.  "[The telescope will allow children] to look at rings around Saturn and at globular clusters and nebulas," he said. "You can dream about what is going on in other planets."

School Supt. Ralph Iassogna said he is ecstatic about the telescope and wants to honor Lemoine at the next full board meeting with the "Teachers Make a Difference" award.  "I looked through the telescope and I was most impressed and fascinated," lassogna said. "It was like being in a planetarium. It was an overwhelming feeling."  Fourth- and fifth-grade students belonging to the 75-member Middlebrook School Explorers program will use the telescope Oct. 18 to look at the quarter-moon.

The observatory will be open to members of the general public one day per month starting in November.  Kayla Walsh, a fourth grader in Lemoine's class, said she never looked at the heavens through the Middlebrook telescope, but looks forward to the experience.  "I just want to see something impressive," Walsh said.

THE TRUMBULL TIMES — June 22, 2000

Teacher and students visit hospitals 'Books for Babies' representatives

Daniels Farm School reading teacher Sally Lohne accompanied several of her students to Griffin Hospital Childbirth Center in Derby Tuesday afternoon when they presented 45 books they had made to the hospital's "Books for Babies" literacy program.  The students made the books in Lohne's reading classes for third- fourth- and fifth-graders.  They will be given to new parents who leave the hospital with their newborn babies.  Lohne's participation in the program was made possible by a grant from the Trumbull Technology Foundation, which enabled her to purchase a computer, printer and book-making supplies and software.  When completed, the books were bound and laminated. According to Lohne, she was presented with a home-made book by a student when she gave birth to a daughter at the hospital 13 years ago, and the idea has stuck with her ever since.  "This is a great program to promote early literacy and encourage parents to read to their children," Lohne said.

Trumbull kids write books, then read them to newborns at Griffin Hospital
By Catherine Creegan, Register Correspondent

Newboms at Griffin Hospital's Childbirth Center got their first taste of literature Tuesday in the form of handmade books specially designed by children in Trumbull. Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders from Daniels Farm Elementary School traveled with reading teacher Sally Lohne to the hospital to deliver 45 original works. Titles of the brightly-decorated books ranged from "A Trip to Disney World," and "Parts of the Body" to "The Book of Mr. & Mrs. Bull Baby." "The children just finished making the books this week," said Lohne, who in her classes emphasizes reading at the earliest age possible. Lohne, 44, won a grant this year from the Tnimbull Technology Foundation and used the money to buy a computer and special book-making software, as well as a laminator lo prolong the life of the books.

The pupils gathered around a crib to read their books to little Justin Raymond, one day old, as parents Laura, 36, and Cilenn, 31, ofNaugatuck, looked on with pride. "We've already collected most of the Dr. Seuss books for our baby," said Laura Raymond, in bathrobe and slippers, still recovering from giving birth the day before. "Green Eggs & Ham" is one of my favorites. So is "Hop on Pop." "We plan to read to him as much as possible," said Glenn Raymond. "And this will be a good start." Alexandra Piechota, 11. said she had fun trying to think of an object for every letter of the alphabet for her book called "All the ABCs." "Reading books to babies is good, because they can start learning at an early age," Alexandra said. adding that it took two months to complete her book. Lohne said she chose Griffin Hospital as the recipient of the books because she gave birth to her children at the facility's Childbirth Center. "Thirteen years ago, when I gave birth to my daughter I was in the birthing center when a small child gave me a book she had written all by herself, and I never forgot it," Lohne said. Reading to the babies Tuesday were third-graders Eryn Barcia and Larry DiLibero; fourth-graders Doug Palko and Sasha Caceres; and fifth-graders Robert Maier and Alexandra. The children had the chance to try out the books at a special reception at Daniels Farm Blernentary School shortly before they traveled to Griffin Hospital, said Lohne, who has taught at the school for 17 years.