Dear CREC Community Members, As I enter my third month at CREC, I think of the word “challenge.” It has been challenging for me to adjust to the differences between a local school district and a regional

educational service center, and it has been a challenge for me to understand the complexity of an organization as large and diverse as CREC. I believe I have met those challenges with reasonable success, but readily admit that it will take time to fully understand every aspect of the CREC organization. It will also take time to feel completely acclimated to leading CREC as it begins its next 50 years of service to the Capitol region. As I get used to my new role, I’ve identified an immediate challenge for the agency and one of great concern to me: We must face the reality of Connecticut’s fiscal crisis. I use the term “crisis” because there is no other way to describe it. The state’s options for fixing this financial crisis will have a direct impact on education in the state, including all of our member districts and our own operations. Regardless of how state leaders choose to meet the bottom line, there will be reductions in funding, and it will impact everyone.While I see this situation as a challenge for CREC, I also see opportunity.CREC, just like its partner districts, will be forced to take a hard look at its programs and services and reduce costs accordingly. In doing so, we will work hard to avoid passing any costs on to our partner districts, but the dire circumstance we face may make that unavoidable. Moving forward, we need to work collaboratively and need to find effective and efficient ways to deliver services, especially during these trying financial times. This will be crucial to our region’s success, and I know CREC staff members are ready to help our member districts meet this challenge so we all may continue to thrive.I have years of experience in dealing with local and state budgets, and I cannot recall a time when the economic outlook was ever touted as being good. Budget cycle after budget cycle the same clarion call has been made: education budgets are too high and spending needs to be reduced. That may never change, but now—more than ever—we do have the potential to improve our financial outlook by working together to serve all children’s needs.I am ready to show Connecticut what we can do when we collaborate, and I appreciate those who stand beside me as we begin to tackle this challenge.

Sincerely,Dr. Greg J. Florio

March 2016

In This IssueDistrict and School News .......2-3

Recognitions and Honors .......4-5

Events and Updates.................6-8

Executive Director’s Report A MONTHLY UPDATE BY THE CAPITOL REGION EDUCATION COUNCIL

Executive Director’s MessageGreg J. Florio, Ed.D.

fb.com/CRECExcellenceinEducation @CRECEducation

Attachment H A MONTHLY UPDATE BY THE CAPITOL REGION EDUCATION COUNCIL

2 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016

District and School News

A small Plainville High School fraternity gained a few more members last week.

In a ceremony at the school on Wednesday, Feb. 17, three members of the PHS student body were awarded with the Students Rock Award.

Seniors Jamilex Rosado-Rivera and Daniel Costantini and junior Robert Ryan received the honor, becoming only the 13th, 14th and 15th recipients of the award since its inception in January of 2010.

“We’re so proud to have them as members of our Plainville High School family,” said Maria Colangelo, who hatched the idea for the Students Rock Award, which is meant to recognize those who do the right thing every day. “The Plainville High School coat of arms includes a Latin transcription that includes ‘What you do, do well.’ Rob, Jami and Dan go about their business every day, living their lives well.”

Rosado-Rivera, Costantini and Ryan were acknowledged at the close of the school day Feb. 17 in front of the entire faculty. A teacher spoke on each individual’s behalf, reading statements that had been made by fellow educators about the recipients. The teachers also spoke of their interactions with the three students and how they impacted the PHS community.

“Robert is an amazing and delightful young man. I don’t think I have ever had an interaction with him that doesn’t bring a smile to my face,” said Donna Schwartz, a special education teacher at the high school.

Colangelo, a foreign language educator at PHS and the emcee at the ceremony, made note of all that the award recipients are involved with. Those contributions include academic honor societies, varsity sports teams, assisting

with Unified Sports and volunteering at church.

“I think it was just a huge honor, because this award is for all-around people. And it’s just kind of what PHS wants out of their students, and I feel like I am that. But it’s just nice to be honored,” Costantini said.

Costantini, Rosado-Rivera and Ryan received a book award and will have their names engraved on a plaque displayed in the front lobby showcase at the school.

“I was really shocked. Two of my friends got it last year, and I know they were so honored about it, and I was honored to be a part of it, too,” Rosado-Rivera said. “It’s hard to explain. I’m happy. I’m honored, too. There are 100 other girls in my grade and 400

girls in this school. I’m happy that they chose me.”

All three students were humbled and grateful, and the award came as a pleasant surprise that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

“I was like ‘Wow, this is happening pretty fast,’” Ryan said. “I was on the couch, and the next minute they told me about the reward I was going to get. I was like ‘Wow.’”

“It’s a day to remember for us,” said Sherri Ryan, Robert’s mother. “I was shocked, to be honest. He has come so far. To get an award like this is more than we ever dreamed.”Source—The Plainville Citizen article published by Nate Brown on February 23, 2016

At Plainville High, These Students Rock

Photo credit: The Plainville Citizen

“We’re so proud to have them as members of our Plainville High School family. The Plainville High School coat of arms includes a Latin transcription that includes ‘What you do, do well.’ Rob, Jami and Dan go about their business every day, living their lives well.”

— Maria Colangelo

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016 3

BRISTOL — Jillian Kovitch celebrated Digital Learning Day by teaching her fifth-grade class about some new software she had learned to use. What’s unusual is she was teaching her fellow students.

Digital Day of Learning is a national program, started in 2012 by the Alliance for Excellent Education, based in Washington, D.C.

“We did it last year at Mountain View School,” said Principal David Huber, who was principal at Mountain View. “We carried it over to here. The staff are taking ownership for learning new things and the kids are benefiting from it.”

Pat Zadrozny, school librarian, said South Side marked the day with a variety of programs, including a teleconference between second-graders and a first-grade class in Houston, Texas, to discuss the weather and a teleconference between third-graders and the Saint Louis Zoo about gorillas.

And then there was Jillian teaching her own class. Huber said she first learned how to use PowToon to prepare a class presentation.

PowToon is a free, web-based software that allows users to create animated presentations by manipulating pre-created objects, imported images, provided music and user-created voice-overs.

Jillian told her teacher, Julia Darcy, about it and then together they brought it up on the classroom smart board and walked the class through how to use it to do things like make animations enter and exit a slide.

“She is a 10-year-old teaching her teacher, teaching everybody — that is the point of this day,” said Huber.

“The student showed the teacher what her project was. The teacher went on her own to learn more about it so that all kids can learn how to do it,” he said. “A lot of what we’re doing today we didn’t know how to do a year ago or even six months ago.”

“Buying more devices without learning how to use them isn’t going to help our kids, so now this is our effort to learn how to use the tools so the kids can learn how to use the tools,” Huber added.

Alliance for Excellent Education is a national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work and citizenship, according to the group’s website.

The organization defines the goal of Digital Learning Day as a way of teachers keeping up with the latest advancements in educational technology.Source—The Bristol Press article published by Susan Corica on February 19, 2016

Bristol Fifth-Grader Teaches Class New Technology for Digital Day

GLASTONBURY – Five Glastonbury High School seniors have been named candidates for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.Seniors Paul J. Han, Ziv B. Kaputa, Kanika Malani, Marilyn R. Mossien and Nicholas A. Wing were selected out of a pool of 3.3 million students who are expected to graduate from high school this year. More than 4,000 students are selected as candidates for the program.Now in its 52nd year, inclusion in the program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors.

Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities.A panel of educators will review scholars and select 800 semifinalists in early April. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 citizens appointed by the President, will select up to 161 finalists and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the scholars in May.Source—The Hartford Courant article published by Peter Marteka on February 24, 2016

Five Glastonbury High School Seniors Selected for Presidential Scholars Program

Photo credit: The Bristol Press

This summer, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering sophomore Dharini Jasti will work on a cancer research project with a scientist from Yale University’s School of Medicine.

Jasti has this opportunity because she was named a winner of the Emperor Science Award, an honor given to only 100 high school students from throughout the country.

The Emperor Science Award program is designed to encourage high school students to explore careers in science, specifically cancer research and care, through unique mentoring opportunities.

Jasti will work with Stephanie Halene, assistant professor and physician scientist in hematology in the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center and Yale University School of Medicine. Halene’s group studies myelodysplasia and leukemia and seeks to determine how mutations in critical RNA binding proteins cause disease with the ultimate goal to develop novel treatments.

In addition to working with Halene, Jasti will also receive a Google Chrome Notebook, a $1,500 stipend for expenses, and will have the opportunity to continue the mentoring program throughout the rest of her high school career.

This is the first year of the Emperor Science Award. Genentech, along with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis, has provided funding to honor 100 students each year for three years, and the opening of award applications was announced in September by partners Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and PBS LearningMedia, a media-on-demand service designed for kindergarten through grade 12 classrooms. Nearly 1,200 students applied for the award.

“Genentech is proud to recognize Dharini Jasti as an Emperor Science Award recipient, chosen from a pool of almost 1,200 10th and 11th grade students from across the country,” said Sara Kenkare-Mitra, PhD, senior vice president development sciences, Genentech research and early development. “In order to help people with serious diseases, we’re relying on the next generation of scientists like Dharini who possess the curiosity, passion, and critical thinking skills that lead to everyday discoveries. We’re honored to help Dharini continue her exploration of science and medicine through this mentorship program.”

4 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016

Recognition and HonorsAerospace and Engineering Student to Work With Yale University Scientist

Discovery Academy Design Firm Wins Award Amenta Emma, a design firm, recently won an award from the International Interior Design Association for its design of CREC’s Discovery Academy. The design was named “Best in State.”The firm helped transform an abandoned electric utility site into the CREC Discovery Academy building that you see today. The new building, located in Wethersfield, is 72,000 square feet and was built to enhance the school’s theme of interactive exploration and science, technology, engineering, and math. Its exterior design provides interactive ways

for students to explore nature. Rolling topography and extensive vegetation create nature trails; discovery areas; planting beds; fields; playscapes; and play yards. There are also segregated automobile and bus drop offs. There are dramatic features and exhibits in the main lobby, 24 core classrooms, and additional classrooms for science, literacy, art, and music. There’s also a computer lab inside a new library and media center.CREC’s Discovery Academy opened at the start of this school year.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016 5

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is recognizing five students who attend the CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School. The alliance’s annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards honors middle and high school artists and writers from throughout the United States. Each year, more than 300,000 works are judged at the regional level in 29 categories. Gold Key winners go on to compete at the national level. The following CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School students won regional honorable mention awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition: • Elissa Cox, a senior from Hartford, in

painting• Joslynne Houlder, a junior from

Vernon, in painting• Madison Woiten, a junior from

Torrington, in sculptureGold Key winners include:• Zoe Grinfeld, a senior from

Colchester, for her portfolio in fashion design

• Kellan Navarre, a senior from Marlborough, for her portfolio in poetry

“We were excited to learn that five deserving students are being recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers,” said CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School Principal Jeffrey Ostroff. “We have so many talented artists and writers at our school, and we are proud of all of their accomplishments.”The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a nonprofit organization, and its mission is “to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.”

Arts Academy Students Recognized for Their Remarkable Work A CREC Greater Hartford Academy

of Mathematics and Science senior recently won the annual Trinity College Brain Bee and will go on to compete in the U.S. Brain Bee in Maryland this month. Angela Marinello, of Avon, was one of 12 students from five area high schools to compete in the Trinity College Brain Bee, which was held February 7 on the college’s Hartford campus. During the bee, Sarah Raskin, a Trinity psychology and neuroscience professor, asked the participants challenging questions on neuroscience, including questions about anatomy, emotions, neurological disorders, and memory. To win the all-expenses paid trip to the U.S. Brain Bee, Marinello answered a tie-breaking question correctly.Brain Bee competitions began in 1999 as a way to motivate students to learn about the brain, and the competitions encourage them to pursue neuroscience careers that will help treat and find cures for neurological and psychological disorders.

Students from CREC’s Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science and CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering compete annually in the Trinity College Brain Bee. In 2004, Bhakti Nagalla, a former CREC Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science student, won the International Brain Bee.

CREC Math and Science Student to Compete in U.S. Brain Bee

Three students from CREC’s Montessori Magnet School recently grew crystals that won awards in the U.S. Crystal Growing Competition. One award-winning crystal was a collaborative effort between two fourth-grade students. Anna Maria Tippner, of Cheshire, and Jayla Walker, of Hartford, and it won first prize in the overall competition in the division for kindergarten through grade eight students. They received a $200 cash prize. Fifth-grade student Natalie Norbut, of Bristol, won sixth-place in the best quality category.

The crystals began as a class project. More than 25 students at CREC’s Montessori Magnet School met in small groups to experiment with different conditions when growing their own crystals. They checked on their crystals daily, and the two best crystals were sent to the national competition. “The winning crystal was submitted by two students who worked together, and we are very proud that they were able to collaborate and produce such a specimen,” said Vivian Novo-MacDonald, the school’s assistant principal.

Montessori Students Grow Award-Winning Crystals

As part of their social studies curriculum, second-grade students at CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School are learning about making a difference—a lesson they are taking to heart.Literacy coach Sarah Mangiafico’s challenge is to successfully link language arts with social studies, and as she worked with 10 of her enrichment students this year, she decided to show her students how to make a difference in the lives of others. Community service projects were discussed, and the students ultimately chose to help the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. The students are also raising money for a new school in Kenya. During the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School’s Kindness Week, the 10 students asked their peers to create cards for patients at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. They also assembled “joy kits” for patients who need to stay at the hospital for an extended period of time. The kits include items made by students

and their parents, such as soap and bead projects, and other items, such as UConn window stickers, small toys, books, and jars that contain daily words of encouragement. The students did not stop there. UConn NEAG School of Education students Erin Holden and Cristina Eberhart are pre-service teachers who, through an internship, are working closely on curriculum efforts with Mangiafico and her colleagues, and they suggested that CREC’s Academy of Aerospace

and Engineering Elementary School hold a JonaTHON, a fundraising effort that is part of UConn’s HuskyTHON. The HuskyTHON, an annual UConn fundraiser, raises money for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and JonaTHON is the name given to smaller fundraisers organized by kindergarten through grade 12 schools. CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School raised $380 for the cause, and the enrichment students attended the HuskyTHON on February 21 to participate in the event and announce what the school raised. “We are pleased to be partner with UConn students for this worthy project,” said Gayle Hills, principal of the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School. “Our students have learned a great deal from their participation, and they continue to share with their peers within our school.”Mangiafico had similar thoughts. “I never imagined the possibilities this curriculum work would lead to,” she said. “I am the luckiest teacher in the world to be able to work with such amazing students, including our pre-service teacher friends from UConn. This is something our students worked on their own to achieve, and I know they will carry this memory with them forever.”

6 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016

Events and UpdatesAerospace Elementary Students Help CCMC

Phot

o cre

dit:

Conn

ectic

ut C

hild

ren’

s Med

ical C

ente

r

Juvenile Detention Center Students Learn Life LessonsIn February, students at the Juvenile Detention Center participated in three informative workshops.

Students learned about teen dating violence and healthy relationships from David Rivera, of Interval House. The discussion allowed students to better understand acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Students and staff at the Juvenile Detention Center also celebrated Black History Month in February. During a luncheon, Bambi Mroz, of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, spoke about African American heroines.

The CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School’s Looking In Theater visited the center on February 18 to perform skits on topics like teen pregnancy, teen dating violence, drug use, suicide, and sex.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016 7

Middle School Students Learn AboutCollege at First-Ever SummitThe Hartford Region Open Choice Program held its inaugural Middle School Youth Empowerment Summit on February 15 at the University of Hartford. Instead of relaxing at home on Presidents Day, 22 students from 11 towns participated in the summit, demonstrating their commitment to education and their futures. During the summit, DeLois Lindsey, assistant vice president for student development at the University of Hartford, and several college students held a town hall meeting about college and incentive opportunities available through the University of Hartford, such as the Hartford Scholars Program. The Hartford Scholars Program is a half-tuition scholarship available to students who live in Hartford and graduate from Hartford Public Schools or a suburban school through the Open Choice program. The college students offered advice about the college experience, and they talked with summit participants about the challenges of integration and assimilation, discussing how diversity provides opportunities for cultural exchange between minority students and non-minority students. Deviely Salcedo, a sixth-grade student from Suffield Middle School, asked the University of Hartford students about their most difficult year of college, and he was surprised when they said their freshman and junior years were most challenging due to the course work and the transition to becoming an independent student.While the students are only in middle school, Rudy Thomas, student services coordinator for the Open Choice program, reminded them that they will need to make decisions about college soon. “Where will you be in five years? Thomas asked. “Many of you will be college freshmen, or in your senior year in high

school. Five years will go by very quickly.”In addition to learning about college, summit participants enjoyed lunch a Hawk’s Nest, a student café. The Open Choice program, formerly known as Project Concern, was established in 1966. It is managed by CREC, and it offers Hartford students the opportunity to attend public schools in suburban towns and suburban students the opportunity to attend public schools in Hartford. These opportunities are at no cost to families, and the goals of the program are to improve academic achievement; reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation; and provide all children with a choice of high-quality educational programs.

CREC photo: Hartford Region Open Choice Program students walk the University of Hartford campus during the Middle School Youth Empowerment Summit.

On February 18, CREC held a well-attended legislative breakfast at the Capitol in Hartford.

The breakfast was an opportunity for school superintendents, boards of education members, lawmakers, and members of education groups to meet new CREC Executive Director Greg Florio. It also provided an opportunity to discuss issues affecting school districts and municipalities in the Greater Hartford area.

During a lively discussion about education policy and school budgets, Florio stressed that he wants to help find a way to transform public education. He said that school districts must work together and that long-term plans are needed to ensure sustainability.

“The reason why I came to CREC is that I personally believe that the state of education can’t look the same 10 years from now,” Florio said.

CREC Holds Legislative Breakfast

CREC

pho

to

8 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT – March 2016

Events and Updates (continued)

CREC Holds First-Ever History Day Sixty students from seven CREC magnet schools showcased projects at CREC’s first-ever CREC History Day on January 30.The district-wide competition, sponsored by the CREC Foundation, was held at CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School, and students in grades six through 12 participated. The goal was to build academic excitement and engagement in students and to sharpen inquiry and research skills. The competition followed the model of state and national competitions in this subject area, and participants were encouraged to register for Connecticut’s upcoming regional contests.In advance of CREC’s History Day, students conducted in-depth research about specific topics, such as gender equality, Antarctica-1911, and Air Jordan-Nike, using both primary and secondary sources, and they analyzed these sources, synthesizing the information gathered to explain their topic’s significance in history as it relates to this year’s National History Day theme: “Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange in History.” They could work alone or in groups. During the January 30 event, students presented their findings in several ways, in-cluding through theatrical performances, website design, short documentaries, exhib-its, and papers. Winners were named in both the junior division (grades six through eight) and the senior division (grades nine through 12) in the following categories: individual exhibit; group exhibit; group documentary; individual documentary; group performance; individual website; group website; and individual paper.

Girls Rock STEM!Today, only 25 percent of women hold jobs in fields that relate to science, technology, engineering, and math, and women hold a disproportionately low share of degrees in these subjects. CREC is working to change these statistics by holding events like Girls Rock STEM! The February 19 event allowed female students from CREC’s high schools to meet and learn from successful women in science, technology, engineering, and math careers. Participating schools included CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, CREC Two Rivers Magnet High School, and CREC’s Medical Professions and Teacher Preparation Academy.Presenters included:• Chinma Uche, computer science

teacher at the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering and CREC’s 2015 teacher of the year

• Rachael Manzer, engineering teacher at the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering and a Teacher In Space Program participant

• Melissa Jacques, military assembly/disassembly tooling engineer at Pratt & Whitney

• Leticia Colon de Mejias, chief ex-ecutive officer of Energy Efficiencies Solutions, co-founder of Green Eco Warriors, and children’s author

CREC photo: Students stand next to their History Day project.

CREC photo: Rachael Manzer, a teacher at CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, talks to students during Girls Rock STEM!

CREC Health Services and the CREC John J. Allison, Jr. Polaris Center’s outpatient mental health clinic recognize that mental health is a critical component of a student’s overall health and wellbeing. They are dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding, and compassion for individuals with mental health needs, and one way to accomplish this is through education.

In November, Tony Ferraiolo, a certified life coach and a transgender youth advocate, facilitated a workshop that helped participants create a safe and welcoming environment for transgender students. Concerns about providing medical care to transgender students were also discussed.

In February, Harold I. Schwartz discussed school violence and helped behavioral health professionals better understand the etiology of developmental issues that might contribute to risk. Schwartz has a long list of credentials, including psychiatrist-in-chief at the Institute of Living and vice president of behavioral health at Hartford Hospital. He a member of the Sandy Hook Commission.

Polaris Holds Workshops on Mental Health