If you asked me about the word Zoom in January, I would have most likely responded in song, reflecting back on one of my favorite TV shows when I was a child.
Today, the word Zoom has become a necessary way in which humans have remained connected to work, groups, friends and family in this physically distanced world.
In a relatively short amount of time, I have become an expert Zoom participant, engaging in Zoom meetings ranging from family game night to ‘adjusted to virtual’, multi-day, conferences. I have effectively learned how to share my screen, unmute myself quickly when I need to speak, offer a virtual background and remove myself from video when I need to blow my nose. Most importantly, however, when on Zoom professionally, I have mastered keeping my personal life and interactions, hidden…
When Zooming at home, the first thing you should do is to pretend that you are the computer and turn around and face what it is your fellow Zoom participants will see in your background. If you like the naked picture of art you have hanging on the wall behind you, move your computer to Zoom in another location. If you don’t want your fellow Zoom participants to see your bored children playing video games in the background, move THEM to another location before joining the meeting. Once you have established a background that is free from distractions, make sure that YOU are also free from distractions in your appearance. It’s fine to look presentable from only the waist up in your Zoom meeting, but, if you think there is the slightest chance that you will have to stand up prior to removing yourself from video, make sure that you are wearing pants or a skirt or clothing, in general, from the waist down. Pajama pants are better than nothing, but it is best to try and maintain a consistent look.
After you have made sure that your appearance and background are professionally neutral, it is important to keep focused on your behavior. In a group setting, rolling your eyes when a person is speaking in a crowded room, far away from you, is different than rolling your eyes when on Zoom, with your video playing. The speaker, or anyone else with the ‘grid view’ selected, can actually SEE you rolling your eyes. My advice is to remain face expression neutral, unless you want to smile in appreciation or agreement with what someone else is saying.
In addition, if you are going to engage in the chat function, make sure you are aware of WHO you are chatting with. The chat function typically works on an initial setting of “All” and then remembers your last chat participant, so, if you select an individual to make a comment to and then want to send a message to all participants, you need to make sure that you select “All” again prior to typing in your comment. Errors in sending chats to the wrong recipients can be unpleasant…
Overall, when Zooming, it is best to keep in mind that even though you are separated physically, you are still connected visually and verbally with people you may otherwise not engage with socially, in your home, in your pajamas and whilst drinking a bottle of wine… ;-)
Mute. Mute.
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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Rotary
honors top
students
The Putnam Rotary Club recently honored the valedictorians and salutatorians from schools within its service area.
Each of them received a plaque acknowledging their accomplishments.
Honored were:
Marianapolis: Valedictorian Brendan Phaneuf from Danielson. He will be attending Providence College in the fall. Salutatorian Elizabeth Schoemer is from Oxford, Mass. She will be attending Trinity College and plans on majoring in engineering.
Pomfret School: Valedictorian Bao “Tintin” Nguyen. He recently graduated as a two-year senior. He was a member of the Outdoor Adventure Group, the Recreational Tennis Team, and the Math Team and took part in the Pomfret STEM Exploration Certificate Program (investigating Modern Cosmology and Black Holes through independent studies, learning Data Science programming on analyzing astronomical datasets, and initiating an observatory automation project). He wants to pursue astrophysics as a vocation, not just a subject or a future job. He will attend the University of Arizona and plans a double major, physics and astronomy in the next four years — his next steps towards unveiling the mysteries of the cosmos.
Salutatorian Eva Steinitz of Arlington, Mass., graduated after two years. She coxed for the varsity four for the men’s crew team and managed the varsity volleyball and women’s basketball teams. She was secretary of VOICE, the diversity organization; and was president of Hillel, the Jewish organization. She was also a QUEST leader in the Social Justice & Diversity pillar, creating and facilitating programming around those topics for juniors and seniors. She’s going to the University of Richmond to study studio art and psychology and continue coxing crew.
Putnam High:
Co-valedictorians: Molly McKeon is going to UConn and plans to major in accounting; Ellie Morissette is going to UConn and plans to major in mathematics.
Tourtellotte:
Valedictorian Jesse Trottier said he enjoyed learning new things since a young age, and this school system facilitated my curiosity. He said somewhere along the way he found his passion was math and science. He will attend UConn and major in biomedical engineering.
Salutatorian is Nima Sherpa.
The Woodstock Academy:
Valedictorian is Nathan Craig. He was a captain of the varsity soccer team, ran track, participated in math team, robotics club, Earthsave, and was also a member of five different honor societies. He also volunteered at Daily Bread food bank in Putnam and at Day Kimball Hospital. He plans to attend Brown University to study physics.
Salutatorian is Caitlyn Sroczenski and she took part in the Science Bowl club, the Writing Centaur, tennis, and a number of honor societies. She said she is an avid reader, coffee enthusiast, and dog-lover. On the weekends (and some weekdays) you’ll find me at JC Penney, folding clothes and running the cash register. She is going to UConn as a nursing major, and hopes to get a masters and advanced practitioner license after that.
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June ...
... must be time for roses. Linda Lemmon photo.
caption: Thrilled
Putnam High School graduate John Espinosa is "thumbs up" thrilled at the PHS graduation June 10. More photos online on Wednesday night at: putnamtowncrier.com. Photo courtesy of Portraits by Nan.
PUTNAM — The Putnam High School Class of 2020 June 10, celebrated their graduation — an unusual one thanks to COVID 19, but a graduation nonetheless in the Putnam Middle School athletic field.
Three special awards were made: Educator of the Year: Shane Donahue; Citizen of the Year: Ellen Pellegrini; and Student of the Year: Molly McKeon.
The valedictorians are: Molly McKeon and Ellie Morissette. There is no salutatorian this year.
Graduates include:
Gabriel Alejandro Archeval-Herrera
Samantha L. Barylski (HH)
Nicademus X. Berrios
Hailey Blanchard
Autumn L. Bocash (H)
Riley J. Carpenter
Matthew Chzaszcz (H)
Tanner S. Clark (HH, NHS)
Haley Paige Cutler (HH, NHS)
Niajah Ann-Marie DeWolfe (H)
Jordan Dolbey
Nathaniel Dolbey (HH)
Paige Marie Dziembowski
John Espinosa
Toni Lee Field
Autumn Rose Fikter (H)
Malaki N. Fitzgerald
Katilynn Marie Flood
Patrick Franks
Jaden R. Garcia
Reece D. Gardiner (H)
Abigayle Elizabeth Gardner (H)
Aldo Gomez
Jillian Rose Gray (HH)
Clara Lorane Greiner
Nicholas A. Hanley
Madison Dee Hayes
Kyle Haynes (H)
Zoe Christine Hetrick (HH, NHS)
Samantha S. Huff (H)
Michael Alexander Ionkin (H)
Jeremy E. Irizarry
Ezaviar Armando Key
Azalei Savannah LaBonte (H)
Emily P. Langlois (H)
Alexandria V. Lawson (HH)
Kayleigh Renae Lyons (H, NHS)
Daytona S. MacDonald (H)
Jordan Marks
Molly Kate McKeon (HH, NHS)
Steven T. Merritt (HH)
Ryan Metivier
Jade A. Montpelier
Janete Morente-Uz (HH, NHS)
Ellie Alexandra Morissette (HH, NHS)
Anthony D. Navedo (H, NHS)
Alyiahmary Negrón Encarnación
Charlotte Rose Nichols (HH)
Nicholas J. Perreault
Edward Glenn Perry Jr. (H)
Jordyn Poole (HH)
Andrea Yuliza Prochowski (H)
Alison Racicot
Hunter David Roberts (HH)
Michael Rosario
Hannah O. Smith (HH, NHS)
Justin Michael St. Martin (HH, NHS)
Jenna N. Stebbins
Jacob Tatro (H)
Melayna B. Titchen (H)
Noah Tomkins (HH, NHS)
Valedictorians: Molly Kate McKeon and and Ellie Alexandra Morissette
(H) = Cumulative average of 85% and above
(HH) = Cumulative average of 90% and above
(NHS) = National Honor Society