Bomb Threat Prompts Police Search at Portsmouth High School

Police searched Portsmouth High School on Monday night after a note was found in the school.

  Portsmouth High School students arrived to school on Tuesday morning to police officers patrolling campus after a suspicious note was found in the school Monday night.  The note, according to an e-mail sent out to parents by Portsmouth High School Principal Robert Littlefield, referenced "an explosive device in the building."  Rhode Island State Police and their K-9 team searched Portsmouth High School last night, but discovered no device.  School resumed on Tuesday morning; however, police are on campus this morning as a safety precaution.  Featured here is the e-mail, posted verbatim, which was sent out to Portsmouth High School parents this morning.  I want to alert all members of the Portsmouth High School community of some events …

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Former Football Star, Navy SEAL Dies at 33

Rob Guzzo Jr., a former Portsmouth High School football player, Iraq War veteran and Transformers actor, died on Monday, Nov. 12.

Friends and family are mourning the loss of a beloved and well-known former Portsmouth High School graduate, Iraq War veteran and actor, after his death on Monday.  Robert Bryan Guzzo Jr., 33, died Monday, Nov. 12, in San Diego, CA, according to the Poway-Bernardo Mortuary.   Born on Jan. 3, 1979 in San Diego, CA, Guzzo was a graduate of Portsmouth High School and a former member of the football team. He was also a graduate of SUNY Cortland, where he received a bachelor's degree in sociology, according to his IMDB resume.  According to a local blog, Guzzo was a Navy SEAL who enlisted in response to the 9/11 attacks. He served in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.  Guzzo later went on to work as an actor in California, according to his IMDB …

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Standing Room Only: NewportFilm Packs the Pickens Theatre for "BULLY"

In partnership with NewportFilm, many community organizations help bring BULLY to the Jane Pickens theatre to rally administrators, teachers and parents together on this very serious subject.

Last week, NewportFilm, in partnership with community organizations, rallied administrators, teachers and parents together on the subject of bullying. They took the opportunity to raise the serious subject to the people who can make difference, while at the same time advocating for the service that their organization has to offer to the public and its schools. Camilla Gold, Portsmouth High School student, who originally hails from California, commented to the audience during the panel discussion. "I wish I saw the teachers and people who see bullying and let it happen here," said Gold. "I think this would be eye-opening for them." Some would say this statement is out of the mouthes of babes but for the packed house of administrators, …

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Patriots' Depth Too Much for Islanders in 5-2 Loss

The Middletown High girls' tennis team triumphed in the top two singles' matches, but won no other sets and bowed to host Portsmouth High in a Division-II South match Tuesday.

Done in by the Patriots’ superior depth. The Portsmouth High girls’ tennis team dropped the top two singles’ matches but nothing else Tuesday after while defeating visiting Middletown High, 5-2, in a Division II-South contest. The Patriots improved to 6-1 in divisional play after claiming the last two singles’ duels and all three doubles’ matches in straight sets. The Islanders fell to 4-3 this season. All seven contests Tuesday were decided in two sets, much to the pleasure of Portsmouth Coach Judy Colman and to the displeasure of Middletown Coach Marianne Packer. “I’m very happy and I think we have a strong team,” Colman said. “Our doubles’ teams are really strong and pulled it off for us today, while we won twice in singles’ matches by …

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Teaching Sept. 11, to a Generation Too Young to Remember [VIDEO]

Local educators say they're grappling with how to teach the events of that day to youth who weren't old enough to understand at the time.

Portsmouth High School Principal Richard Littlefield calls Sept. 11, 2001, and the days that followed the most challenging time in his career as an educator. "I can say that unequivocally," he said. "Our students at that time were looking for answers, they were looking to be assured, they were looking to understand the world around them. ... As far as they were concerned, they were seeing the world crumble around." Now 10 years later, Littlefield leads a school of students who can't fully comprehend those feelings of shock and disbelief. That's because the memories of Sept. 11 and the events that followed are at best a blur. Like those youth, most of this country's younger generations were just small children or infants at the time of the …

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Aquidneck Island's Bobby Sewall Gets Set for NFL Return

Aquidneck Island favorite Bobby Sewall, who played for the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, spent much of the NFL lockout running drills on his own at Gaudet Field in Middletown to ensure he's ready and set for the 2011 season.

Bobby Sewall, like many kids his age, had dreams of playing in the NFL. Throwing the winning pass in the Super Bowl, playing in front of 50,000 people, blasting down field to catch the game-winning touchdown. When he played for the Portsmouth Patriots from 2003-2006, he played a variety of positions on the field, and he played them well, taking the helm at quarterback and also playing as a defensive back. The difference between NFL dreams and reality is a matter of skill and determination. Bobby Sewall had those both in spades and, not surprisingly, he made his way to the NFL in 2010, signed as a free agent for the Tennessee Titans. When Sewall found his rookie year later shadowed by the longest NFL lockout in history, he didn’t let all …

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2011 Playoffs: Patriots End Islanders' Title Hopes

The Middletown Girls Lacrosse Team played against Portsmouth High for their opening round playoff game Friday night and saw their 2011 season end with an 11-8 loss.

"You girls have nothing to be ashamed of. You should all be proud," shouted one parent as the Middletown High School Varsity Girls Lacrosse team walked off the field Friday night. There were eyes shrink wrapped in tears.  Some teammates were hugging each other. For the seniors on the team, it was their last game ever in an Islander uniform of any kind. The game started out well for Middletown. They struck first and fast, as Riley Smith scored 13 seconds into the game. Sophomore Zoe Mazzulli scored a short time later to give the Islanders an early 2-0 lead. Portsmouth struck back a minute later, cutting the lead to one. Middletown then took the two-goal lead back on a rocket from Kirsten Perry. Portsmouth then rattled off three unanswered …

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Angela Lemire

9:53 am on Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Thanks Jim and Tracy for your nice feedback for Kal's stories and for reading Middletown Patch! ~ Angela   more ›

This Week at Middletown Schools

Yoga Comes to Gaudet, Little Compton Visits Middletown High School, and More

Sign up now for February vacation activities, plus get a look ahead for the week filled with fun school activities.

Middletown schools have a lot going on this week. Here's an overview of happenings, announcements and events for parents, students and educators. For changes in time or cancellations, please refer to the Middletown School Department website, www.mpsri.net. Classes and school department offices are closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. That next school vacation will be here before you know it. The Middletown Public Schools Department has announced a Vacation Enrichment Program for Feb. 22 to Feb. 25. Students in grades K-8 are eligible to participate in the program, to be held at the Gaudet Middle School. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., students will participate in games, arts and crafts, music, and snacks. Students …

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