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Volume 19, Number 47
Friday, November 25, 2022
Lake Compounce celebrates 10 years of lights Display to stay open until end of year By Christian Metzger Record-Journal staff
SOUTHINGTON — Lake Compounce reopened Saturday, Nov. 19 for its 10th annual Holiday Lights celebration. This year, the park has extended its winter season, which usually begins on Black Friday. It will remain open until New Year’s Eve. Holiday Lights will run from 5 to 9 p.m on Fridays and 4 to 9 p.m on Saturday and Sunday, though it will be open Monday through Saturday during the final week of December. Admission is $24.99 online and $39.99 in-person, with juniors and senior tickets priced at $19.99 (children under 3 get in free). Over 500,000 lights are strung up around Lake Com-
pounce, alongside other festive decorations that have transformed the park into a winter-themed wonderland. Events across the season include ugly sweater days Dec. 2 to 4 and Pawliday Lights on Dec. 11, where guests are invited to bring their dogs for pup cups and other activities. The Holiday Lights celebration is capped off with a firework show, bubble dance party and juice box toast on New Year’s Eve. A full schedule of events is available online at lakecompounce.com. The season was extended due to public demand, according to Lake Compounce Marketing Director Lynsey Winters. “We saw such strong demand with guests throughout the summer and See Compounce, A2
Lake Compounce park employee Danielle McClendon wraps lights around trees in the park, ahead of the Nov. 19 opening. Christian Metzger, Record-Journal
Officials review student performance Area schools scoring higher than state averages in certain categories By Christian Metzger Record-Journal staff
SOUTHINGTON — Student performance in local schools exceeds the state average, though several areas still demonstrate a need for improvement, according to findings presented to the Board of Education. The results were part of an assessment of the 2021-2022 school year, using the state’s performance accountability system to gauge student success in English, science and math.
The number of students who met or exceeded performance expectations in English language arts (ELA) was much higher than the state average — 64.1% across the district compared to the overall 49.1% state average. However, a higher percentage of students are not achieving ELA learning goals after the pandemic — with 14% in 2022, over 10% in 2019. Academic growth targets for individual students also fell just below the state average, at 58.4% compared to the state’s 60.4%.
Overall the district placed sixth in comparison to 24 socioeconomically similar districts in the state, though for individual student achievement the district ranks 18th. “While achievement in our [district] was high, we fell lower in our target achieved by students,” said Stephanie Lawlor, district curriculum coordinator for Southington schools. In math and science, however, the schools had a higher performance average than the state See Report, A9
D.A.R.E. program has changed with the times By Nicole Zappone The Citizen
PLAINVILLE – In 1983, the Los Angeles Police Department recognized that enforcement alone was not enough to slow the rising tide of illicit drug use in the city. So a partnership was established between the L.A.P.D. and the Los Angeles Unified School District to develop a drug resistance education program for elementary school students. Today, that program, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is used across the country. See D.A.R.E., A4