From the CTKG Cabinet: Paula Learns about the Cultural Ambassador Program in Plainville Community Schools

Happy Summer everyone!

I am Paula, a member of the 2024 Kid Governor’s Cabinet. My platform focuses on Diversity & Inclusion. In April, I was invited by Liliber Cornielle, the EL, Equity and Student Support Specialist for Plainville Community Schools, to visit and be a part of the Cultural Ambassadors table during the Plainville Superintendent Showcase.


The Cultural Ambassador Program showcased the different cultures and countries represented in the Plainville Community School District. It was a pleasure to attend and learn about Pakistan, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Superintendent Brian Reas, Assistant Superintendent David P. Levanduski, and Plainville Middle School Assistant Principal Melissa Orfitelli to discuss ways to promote Diversity & Inclusion in schools.

It was an honor to be part of the Cultural Ambassador Table and learn about different countries and to be able to share my Puerto Rican heritage. By listening, learning, and sharing at this event, I was able to continue to spread the importance of diversity and inclusion!

As always, I love hearing about ways my peers around the state are making a difference towards diversity and inclusion! You can email me at Paula@CT.KidGovernor.org to tell me all about it. You can also visit CT.KidGovernor.org/Cabinet2024 to read about what my fellow cabinet members are doing in their communities! 

I would like to leave you with this quote by M.F. Moonzajer:

“My culture is my identity and personality. It gives me spiritual, intellectual, and emotional distinction from others and I am proud of it. ”

Paula Sanchez-Barreto

2024 Kid Governor's Cabinet 

Ivy Drive School

Bristol

From the CTKG Cabinet: Clare discusses her Hobby Fair!

Hello everyone. I’m Clare Perreault, a member of the 2024 Kid Governor’s Cabinet. 

My platform focuses on kids finding hobbies that bring them happiness. One part of my three-point plan of action is for schools to hold Hobby Fairs for students to learn about different organizations that offer places for them to participate in activities that connect with their interests.


My school, Gainfield Elementary School in Southbury, recently had our first Hobby Fair. On Thursday, May 2nd, thirteen businesses made their way into the gymnasium of GES. It was a lively two hours of students learning about opportunities to explore their interests. It was filled with fun, laughter, and raffles!


I would like to give special thanks to my Mom and Dad, my school Media Specialist Mrs. Schwenger, Mr. Cofrancesco, Mr. Olamuyiwa, and all my family and friends. Big thanks to you all for helping me and believing in me as I made this dream of mine come true. I had so much fun! I would like to think everyone who attended did too! If you came, I would love to hear what you thought.


Now that you know a bit more about the Hobby Fair, what if I told you that there’s a way for you and your school to have one? Hobby Fairs are fun, open to the whole school, and best of all, free! Here’s all you need to do:

1. Talk to your school principal and teacher for permission and to come up with a date, time, and location for the Hobby Fair.
   
2.  Ask students what hobbies they enjoy or want to learn more about. 
3. Brainstorm local businesses and organizations that may want to participate.
4. Create an invitation and Google Form signup (we included a QR code on the invitation for people to easily access more information and the Google Form).    
5. Get businesses interested!   

• Email your invitation
• Call Businesses
• Drive around town and drop paper copies of invitations

6. Get official RSVP’s from businesses about a week before the Hobby Fair

7. Get your school interested! Distribute flyers, send emails, speak during the morning announcements, or post on your school’s social media account.

8. Determine a layout for your space, where each business is going to go, and what they may need.

9. The day of, set up tables, chairs, and anything else businesses or attendees may need.

10. HAPPY HOBBY FAIR!!!

After my school's Hobby Fair, I felt extremely proud and excited about what I had just done. I hope you give it a try at your school too!


You can email me at Clare@CT.KidGovernor.org telling me all about your experience!

Clare Perreault

2024 Kid Governor’s Cabinet

Gainfield Elementary School

Southbury

From the CTKG Cabinet: Max talks about Internet Safety

Hey there fellow fifth graders! My name is Max Parisi and I am a member of Kid Governor Cristiano’s Cabinet. 

Today, I want to talk about something super important: staying safe on the internet. You know, the internet is like this huge playground with tons of cool stuff, but just like in real life, there are some things we need to be careful about.

First things first, let's talk about passwords . Make sure your passwords are strong and unique. Mix it up with letters, numbers, and even symbols. And never ever share your password with anyone, not even your BFF!

Next up, let's chat about personal info. Remember, not everyone online is who they say they are. So, keep information like your full name, address, and school a secret. It's like playing hide and seek – you wouldn't want to be found too easily, right?

Oh, and speaking of chatting, be careful who you talk to online. Stick to chatting with people you know in real life like your classmates or family. If someone you don't know tries to talk to you, it's okay to just ignore them or tell an adult that you trust.

Now, let's talk about clicking. You know when you're exploring a new video game and you come across a shiny object that looks too good to be true? Well, sometimes those flashy ads or links are just like that shiny object – tempting, but they may not be safe. If something looks suspicious or weird, it's best to steer clear and keep on scrolling, just like you'd avoid picking up a strange item in a game that might make your character lose points!

And last but not least is cyberbullying. It's being mean to someone, but online. If someone says or does something mean to you online, don't keep it to yourself. Tell an adult you trust like your parents or a teacher. And remember, it's never okay to be mean to someone else online either.

So, there you have it, some simple tips to help you stay safe in cyberspace. Just like we look both ways before crossing the street, let's remember to think before we click! Together, we can make the internet a safer and happier place for everyone.

If you have any questions about Internet Safety or any part of my three point platform, you can reach me via email at Max@CT.KidGovernor.org.

Max Parisi

2024 Kid Governor's Cabinet 

East Haven Academy,

East Haven

From the CTKG Cabinet: Alexa at the Angel of Edgewood Women’s History Month celebration of Community, Culture, & Cuisine!

 Hello fellow fifth graders! My name is Alexa Adgers and I am a member of Kid Governor Cristiano’s Cabinet.

In March, I had the opportunity to attend The Angel of Edgewood Women’s History Month celebration of Community, Culture, & Cuisine, hosted by Angel of Edgewood and sponsored by The Hartford Yard Goats, Hartford Healthcare, The Connecticut Sun, and Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity (CWCSEO). The purpose of the event was to highlight some of the special women in the greater Hartford community.

At this luncheon, I was privileged to give a speech and receive the Unsung Hero Award for my hard work in the community. In addition to being a member of the Cabinet, I volunteer for projects run by Angel of Edgewood including the Back-to-School Extravaganza, Coats and Cocoa, Christmas Toys Giveaway, and holiday community lunches.

In my speech, I talked about two women I admire: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and social activist Harriet Tubman. I admire Justice Sonia Sotomayor because she sets goals and accomplishes them. I admire Harriet Tubman because she was intelligent, confident, and brave. I was excited and nervous to give my speech. I had never given a speech before in front of a large crowd.

I was surprised and happy to receive an award and to be recognized for making a difference. I am excited to continue making a difference with my platform that addresses mental and physical wellbeing during my term in the Kid Governor’s Cabinet. 

You can learn more about my platform at CT.KidGovernor.org/cabinet2024 or email me at Alexa@CT.KidGovernor.org!

Alexa Adgers

2024 Kid Governor’s Cabinet

Renzulli Academy

Hartford

Kid Governor Cristiano's interview with Mr. Tony Loomis

Hello everyone!

By far one of the most exciting opportunities I’ve had as Connecticut’s Kid Governor has been turning my campaign platform into a reality! My first platform point is to “Create a Fit4FunKids video series with interviews” for 5th graders to watch, learn, and enjoy. These interviews will be with professionals in the field of physical health and fitness.  

I am so happy to share with you that I conducted my first interview for this video series! It was with Mr. Tony Loomis, President of The Connecticut Association of Administrators of Health and Physical Education (CAAHPE) and Southington High School’s Health & Physical Education Department Leader.  

Thanks to the collaboration that the Connecticut Democracy Center has with the Department of Families and Children (DCF), I had the opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Loomis in a real TV studio! The show was DCF’s “Doors to Hope and Healing” on Nutmeg TV.  It felt really official and I couldn’t believe all the lights and cameras and editing technology that surrounded me. It was really cool. Being in a real TV studio made me a bit nervous to conduct my interview, but I had the support of Ms. Jackie Ford from DCF who was the host of the show, and she thought of really great additions to the whole interview. It helped that I had my questions prepared ahead of time, but in the moment of the interview I was able to think of a few additional questions that Mr. Loomis had great answers for!

You all NEED to see this interview with Mr. Loomis! Imagine sitting next to  someone whose name is infamous in the field health and physical education in Connecticut. That was how I felt, and it was a good feeling.! Mr. Loomis is really passionate about physical fitness, and an expert in physical education. A bonus is that he’s from Southington (just like me), and  I found out during the interview that he previously worked with my dad who is also a physical education teacher! With a career spanning decades and more achievements than I can count, Mr. Loomis is the kind of person that everyone should hear from to learn how all students around Connecticut can be Fit 4 Fun!

I can’t wait to make more videos and interviews like this one.   There are so many experts out there that can contribute great fitness tips, and I want to learn from them so together we can make Connecticut 5th graders healthier and happier! 

Cristiano Almeida 

2024 Kid Governor

Oshana Elementary School      

Southington

Poster Contest Updates from Kid Governor Cristiano Almeida

Hello, everyone!

I hope you're all having a fantastic day! I've got some exciting news to share with you all!

In March, I partnered with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and CT Family Day on my statewide poster contest. I asked you to submit artwork that answered the question: In what ways do you and your family stay physically active? As your Kid Governor, one of the best parts of my job is seeing all the incredible creativity and talent that the 5th graders of Connecticut possess. And let me tell you, we received some truly outstanding submissions in the poster contest! I'm thrilled to announce that my amazing Cabinet Members and I have completed the challenging task of reviewing all the 5th-grade poster entries and selecting the top 13 posters to advance to the finals! Trust me when I say it wasn't easy, but it was my favorite part of our April Cabinet Meeting. Each poster submission was creative and brought its own fantastic fitness ideas. It was so hard to select the finalists. Now, you're probably wondering, "What happens next?" Well, hold onto your hats, 5th graders, because the excitement is far from over! I will be collaborating with DCF to determine the ultimate winner from among these amazing finalists. Together, we'll carefully examine each poster and consider creativity, originality, and of course, meaningful fitness ideas! To all the incredibly talented 5th-grade artists who submitted their work, thank you for participating in this really fun opportunity! I can honestly say I am inspired by the awesome job you all did. I am also so thankful for my Cabinet Members for making the tough process of narrowing down the poster submissions a little easier.

Lastly, I am grateful to the Connecticut Democracy Center for working hard to make the poster contest—which is the second point of my platform —a reality! 

Cristiano Almeida 

2024 Kid Governor

Oshana Elementary School      

Southington

From the CTKG Cabinet: Meet Paula!

Hi, my name is Paula! I am a 5th grade student at Ivy Drive School in Bristol and I was a final candidate in the 2023 Connecticut’s Kid Governor Election. I’m now a member of the Kid Governor’s Cabinet working with 2024 Kid Governor Cristiano!

I ran on a platform of Diversity and Inclusion. I chose this issue because I want everyone to feel included and special no matter their differences. My three-point platform is:

1. Create posters to help celebrate and create awareness about Diversity and Inclusion

2. Educate Connecticut’s 5th graders on Diversity and Inclusion with 5-minute Ted Talks.

3. Create an Interactive Welcoming Classroom for CT kids to learn about everyone’s culture and languages.

Since the Statewide Election, I have been working on my Welcoming Classroom on Google Classroom. I have made interactive videos about diversity and inclusion, a presentation of my own culture as an example of what students can create for theirs and I also added online reading stories that are related to my platform. I will continue to work on my platform by continuing to give talks to the 5th grade classes in my school to teach kids more about diversity and inclusion. I will also continue to post activities and videos on my Interactive Welcoming Classroom.

 

If you would like to support my platform, you can ask your teacher to create your very own “Welcoming Classroom” for your class to learn more about diversity and inclusion, and to add all the different cultures that are in your school. You can also create posters that reflect this topic and post them around your classroom and school.

I would love to hear about how you are making a difference around Diversity and Inclusion in your own community. Email Paula@CT.KidGovernor.org to tell me all about it! You can also visit CT.KidGovernor.org/Cabinet2024 to read about the other members of the Kid Governor’s Cabinet. 

Paula Sanchez-Barreto

2024 Kid Governor's Cabinet 

Ivy Drive School

Bristol