Maya McFadden Photos
Judge Robinson with Mauro seventh graders.
Retired Superior Court Judge Angela Robinson ordered seventh and eighth-grade students at Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School Thursday to chase their dreams.
Robinson handed down that ruling during her 25th annual guest visit at the school, this year to honor Constitution Day. She started visiting the school while a practicing civil law lawyer, then as a New Haven District state superior court judge, and now as a law professor.
Robinson’s first-ever visit was to a second grade class at Vincent Mauro School (which later merged with Sheridan) in 1997 for a read-aloud. Over the years she has visited the school for Constitution Day, Black History Month, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Robinson visited a seventh and eight grade class Thursday morning with school support staffer Sean Hardy, who has arranged visits to Mauro Sheridan for years along with the late social studies educator Lennell Williams.
During the classes Thursday, students learned about the U.S. Constitution and then made their own personal “constitutions” to keep them on track with achieving their future dreams.
In Colin McDonough’s eighth grade social studies class and Randy Francis’ seventh grade world geography and culture class, the students made a list of rules acting as “laws” that they agreed to abide by to reach their dream careers.
She urged the students to use their hand-crafted constitutions to help “hold yourself accountable for getting where you want.”
Students promised to study every day, work hard, appreciate their teachers and mentors, and stay determined to reach career goals like becoming a professional basketball player, a professional boxer, doctor, pilot, and engineer.
“Every year you should review your constitution to make sure you can keep up with your goals,” Robinson said.
The seventh-grade aspiring teacher, baker, therapist, plumber, senator, police officer, and neurosurgeon listed constitution rules such as:
• Try your best.
• Have patience.
• Never stop learning.
• Always act justly and fairly.
• Respect yourself and others.
• Stay humble.
Sean Hardy, Angela Robinson, and Principal Sandy Kaliszewski.
“When you were a judge, did you send any children to jail?” one student asked Robinson. o which she responded: She sent youth to juvenile detention centers.
Meanwhile, a seventh grader asked Hardy, “Why do you always bring the best visitors to our school?”
“To bring the community to you,” Hardy responded “And because you guys deserve the best.” A day earlier, the school was visited by Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell, who popped in on every classroom.
Robinson said after each visit she leaves Mauro feeling “hopeful for the future.”
