Grade 5 Visit to Yale

The grade 5 visit to Yale University has become a tradition for West Haven students and serves as an early introduction to college life. The Carrigan youngsters, who take the trip in groups of around 100 over a few days, receive a tour from Yale students, eat lunch on campus, learn the history of the university, and take in a presentation on the college experience. The visits began about seven years ago and stem from the West Haven School District's and city's partnership with Yale University. The mayor and superintendent typically stop by to meet with West Haven students during their trip. In the photo above, Mayor Edward M. O'Brien and Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro chat with Carrigan kids during a visit in spring 2014.

"We have the trip because we want the students to see a college campus to get them excited about education and see that college is attainable for everyone," Carrigan Assistant Principal Rich Weber says. "They tour the Yale campus, visiting classrooms and science labs to see that what they are learning in school today is preparing them for the future--especially in the science and technology areas that are on the forefront of today's educational environment."

Caring Cougar Campaign

Carrigan School has a Caring Cougar Award Ceremony each month. It involves teachers and students nominating one child from each 5th and 6th grade classroom as that month’s Caring Cougar, detailing what positive actions the student took that month, and honoring those youngsters at an assembly attended by each student’s entire grade.

Each student has an equal chance to be nominated by their teacher.

In the spring of 2015, Carrigan received a Connecticut School Counselor Association Professional Recognition Award for Outstanding Student Program this year for the initiative. 

A Caring Cougar is selected for demonstrating one of the following qualities: citizenship, acceptance, respect, responsibility, integrity, generosity, achievement and nurturing.

In most classrooms, students nominate peers for the honor and contribute to descriptions that teachers write about Caring Cougar students for the presentation in the auditorium. Then during the assemblies—one is held for each grade--administrators read the information about the students while presenting each with a certificate and a bumper sticker.

After all the Caring Cougars are announced, the social work and guidance department presents an interactive lesson on something being covered in the classroom, such as gossip or bullying. 

Family Mystery Night

Carrigan Intermediate School hosts a family mystery night in the fall for the sixth grade, offering a skit by staff members and a mystery for students to solve. Kids carry out "detective work" at various stations in classrooms and complete group activities that provide clues.