PUTNAM — An Art Show Closing Reception featuring the works of Dot Burnworth, owner of Sawmill Pottery, will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at The Corridor Gallery at the Putnam Municipal Complex.
All are invited to attend this closing reception to enjoy one of the last days of her show. Light refreshments will be served. The event is sponsored by the Putnam Arts Council. Her show is currently on display so those wishing to see the art ahead of time can visit the Municipal Complex during normal operating hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30am-8:00pm; Fri 8:00am-3:00pm; Sat 10:00am-3:00pm.
Attendees will enjoy a creative show like no other featuring a new series of wall-hung ceramic pieces from Dot’s creative hands. She summed up her show: “I incorporated a number of themes while mixing together some old and new styles and concepts. Some pieces offer a simple reflection of nature while others speak to the idea of environmental fragility.”
Burnworth is a potter, a mountain biker and a community builder. She never imagined a career as an artist, but several serendipitous events changed the course of her life and led her in that direction. Dot attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in anthropology and communications. At the beginning of her sophomore year, she entered a drawing at a street festival and won a free class at a nearby community art school which changed the trajectory of her life. She fell in love with pottery and soon bought a second-hand wheel to put in the barn behind her house.
After graduation, she worked as a wilderness trip leader, first for a year-round therapeutic program, and then for Hyde School. During this time, she continued to build her clay skills, and when a ceramics teaching position came up at Hyde, she took it. In the summer of 2003, Burnworth left the boarding school and opened Sawmill Pottery which has thrived for 19 years, through two recessions and a pandemic. The studio started as a way to turn her hobby into a job, but she soon discovered that the true value of what she was offering went much deeper than turning clay into bowls and mugs. Over the past two decades, she has been continuously reminded about the important role that art can have in bringing a community together.
Recently, Dot has begun taking this concept beyond her own studio, working as a public art organizer. During the summer of 2020, she recognized the opportunity for color and beauty to lift spirits during a time of fear and darkness, and rallied community members to paint the cement barriers that lined the new outdoor seating in Putnam. This year she spearheaded a local committee as part of a statewide initiative to get large scale civil rights murals painted in towns across the state. She is now the head of RiseUp for Arts’s Northeast CT Public Art division.

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WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Academy AP Biology Teacher Valerie May was nationally recognized for sharing her lifelong learning with her students, colleagues, and the biology community, receiving the 2022 Kim Foglia AP Biology Service Award.
This award, given annually, recognizes an AP Biology teacher who displays a willingness to share materials, serves as a mentor to both students and professional colleagues, creates an innovative and student-centered classroom environment, and exemplifies a personal philosophy that encourages professional growth as an AP biology teacher and member of that community. The award includes a $1000 honorarium, a recognition plaque to be presented at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Professional Development Conference, and one-year complimentary membership to NABT.
In a letter of recommendation for the award, Woodstock Academy Dean of Academics Michael Harten wrote, “Her many years as an AP Biology teacher, professional development facilitator, curriculum writer, Board of Trustees Academic Committee member, club advisor, and learner have made a significant impact on her colleagues, our students, and The Woodstock Academy.”
 “While my primary goal as a biology teacher is to guide my students to better understand the natural world, my ultimate goal is to prepare students for the world they will encounter outside my classroom,” said May. “When facilitating professional development workshops for other biology teachers across the country or contributing to online communities of AP Biology teachers, I try to focus on building other teachers’ confidence to take on the work in a way that benefits students. It is a great honor to be this year’s recipient,” she added.
 “Her student-focused lesson planning and high standard of providing quality instruction to all students is part of what makes Val an exemplary teacher,” said academy science teacher Melany Gronski. “I am proud to call her my colleague and excited that she has been honored with this award as it is well-deserved.”

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PSA
national
champs get
rings
During an early-season basketball practice last fall, Tom Espinosa once remarked to his coaching staff that their team “does everything really well.” But neither Espinosa, the coaches, nor the players ever rested on that, and in March finished off the greatest season in PSA basketball history, winning its third national championship with its first undefeated season at 38-0.
Wednesday night, the team put the final touches on that perfect season with its championship ring ceremony.
“This was an incredible night,” Espinosa said. “That was an incredible team. I said it during the ceremony that they are the best team in Putnam Science Academy history, and that’s saying something because we’ve had other teams that have been really talented, won national championships, just been really great teams.
“I learned a lot from this team. These guys reminded me that basketball was supposed to be fun. They played with energy, they played with swagger. People don’t like Putnam Science Academy, and this year we really embraced that. It’s true when we say, “Putnam Science vs. everybody,” it’s a true statement. So what we did was go into these prep schools and kicked their butts. We punched them in the mouth and we kicked their butts. Then we went into their locker rooms, and we celebrated. It was a very unique year, a special year. It was a fun year. And to celebrate that again tonight, it just brought back all those special memories and feelings.”
In all, 36 rings were handed out to players, coaches, and support staff. Six players – Darryl Simmons, Mouhamed Dioubate, Miles Rose, Duane Thompson, Adamu Muazibini, and Travis Upchurch – return for this season and were part of the in-person ceremony. Former players who are now playing in college joined the livestream and were texting their former teammates throughout the evening.
“Sitting there tonight, there were a lot of memories,” said Simmons, who was also part of the 2020 title team. “Thinking about Barry (Evans), Arturo (Dean), DayDay (Gittens), and all the other guys. We had a great bond. All those memories came back, thinking about the pep talks before the games, how we always said we weren’t going to lose. I was thinking about the practices and the 6 a.m. training that we did and how hard we worked, the sacrifices we all made to make it possible. It was a good night of remembering all that stuff.”
The Mustangs officially open their season with their first practice on October 15. They will unveil the new championship banner and begin defense of their crown at the season opener against Lee Academy on November 4.
“You win one, you want two,” Espinosa said. “You win two, you want three. Now we have three and we definitely want No. 4.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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