Janet Garagliano, Chair of the Student Activities Board of Control (SABC), is pleased to announce on behalf of CAS and Big Y the 2004 Thomas R. Flanagan Memorial Grants Awards. The following outstanding student activities have been selected for awards from the forty-three applications received at the elementary, middle and high school levels:

Farmington High School - $550 Leadership 2004 is a summer-based leadership workshop for approximately 100 students representing a variety of clubs, groups, and athletic teams. The objective is to teach leadership skills to attendees so that they may effectively lead the groups they are involved with throughout the year.

Holy Cross High School, Waterbury - $550 Stockings for Seniors ’04 continues a two year old tradition, supported by every student at Holy Cross High School, of providing a Christmas stocking to each resident of the Cedar Lane Nursing Home in Waterbury. This project is one of several that at certain points of the year provide assistance, entertainment, and companionship to this “adopted” home.

Somers High School - $550 Students Supporting Students is a diverse group of students drawn from each class who develop the skills and knowledge to be effective support resources for their peers. SSS was initiated 12 years ago to fill the gap between students’ tendency to rely on each other and existing adult support resources. The grant will support the annual retreat that is essential to sustain this important school resource.

Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School, Hamden - $600 The Mini-Conference for Youth is being organized by the Peer Mediators at Wintergreen and will provide 225 students in grades 6 – 8 the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops related to conflict resolution, self esteem, internet safety, substance abuse prevention , and bullying and harassment.

Wooster Middle school, Stratford - $450 Wooster Steps Up to “Fat Like Me” is the response of students and staff to the recent ABC special on obesity filmed at Stratford High School, Wooster’s pathway high school. The grant will support a community health fair focusing on the plight of overweight teens.

J.F. Kennedy Middle school, Enfield - $450 The JFK Community Service Club is a 4 year old activity involving approximately 130 students or 10 percent of the school. The club meets weekly to choose, plan, and complete a variety of community service projects which are completed on a monthly basis.

Annie E. Vinton School, Mansfield - $930 The Monarch Habitat Restoration Project aims at having every Vinton student help reverse the negative influences of development on the habitat of the monarch butterfly. All 250 will plant Asclepias curassacica, a tropical variety of milkweed and favorite monarch host, in family gardens and/or strategic locations in the community. This project coordinates with the existing school practice of tagging monarchs for Project Monarch Watch.

Holmes Elementary School, New Britain - $500 The grant will support The Holmes School Singers production next year of “The King and I.” This extra-curricular activity for students in grades 2 – 5 provides extended opportunities to develop an appreciation for and the ability to perform in the area of musical expression.

Union School, Unionville - $450 The Garden Club is a weekly after school service club initiated this year to support the ongoing educational purposes of the outdoor classroom at Union School known as the Reader’s Garden. The grant will support expansion of the club beyond the fourth grade to involve more students in garden maintenance as well as science, environmental, and literacy activities.

The purposes of the Flanagan awards program are to stimulate the growth and improvement of student activities and to provide recognition for outstanding student activities. The award recipients will be recognized at a reception at the CAS Conference Center on May 10, 2004.

Thomas Flanagan was the former principal of Waterford High School. A member of the CIAC program, basketball, and football committees, Tom was most closely identified with the Student Activities Board of Control (SABC) during its years of transition and growth. He was also a highly respected member of the NASSP Standing Committee for Student Activities. In 1976, he was awarded CAS’s highest honor, a Citation. The Thomas R. Flanagan Student Activities Memorial Grants are dedicated to his legacy.

Big Y has been a dedicated corporate partner of CAS since 1997. In addition to sponsoring the Flanagan Memorial Grants, it produces a highly acclaimed nutritional newsletter mailed to all CT students and funds the prestigious Governor’s Scholars Program. Big Y was founded in 1936 and currently employs over 7,600 people in Massachusetts and Connecticut.