Dear Open Choice Partner;
To keep you informed regarding services, events, and information for the Hartford Region Open Choice program we have revived our newsletter, The Oracle, which you will receive on a monthly basis. We are thrilled to offer you another way to keep abreast of what is happening to help support children and families enrolled in your district through Open Choice. Please share this with your colleagues and contact us if you would like any additional information or assistance.
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The
Oracle
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September 2018 - In This Issue:
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DIRECTOR'S CORNER
What's New in Open Choice
A hearty
"Welcome back" to our Open Choice partners and families! This is such an exciting time of year for educators, families and students! As the weather turns cooler and the leaves begin to turn, we begin a new school year filled with hope and energy.
The Hartford Region Open Choice Program had a busy summer filled with a credit recovery program that served 31 Open Choice students (94% of which successfully completed courses taken), a small summer school program for middle schoolers that provided literacy and math instruction through a project based learning model, and our first new student orientation for 36 secondary students. We also enrolled over 400 new students in Open Choice and we piloted a home visit program for incoming pre-K and Kindergarten students in partnership with building principals. Finally, Open Choice staff worked on amending our mission, vision and goal statement. Please see picture below! (Click image for full, readable PDF)
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We are excited to announce Carole Kerkin as the new Assistant Director. Since 2016, she served as the Open Choice Managing Director for Early Childhood and Special Education. She is a certified school social worker and 25 year veteran of the human services and education fields. Carole's background and expertise brings valuable depth to the Open Choice program and I know you will enjoy working with her as much as we do. Michael Gonzalez, who was the Open Choice Family Engagement Specialist, has taken a position in Hartford Public Schools. He brought tremendous growth to this role and we wish him well. We are now recruiting for this position, please help us identify qualified candidates:
http://www.crec.org/careers/external.php?category=Professional&AppliTrackJobId=6740&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail&AppliTrackViewPosting=1
The Choice After School Academy (CASA) will continue to support secondary students with homework assistance, credit recovery and counseling starting in October. In 2017-18, 87% of CASA students improved their grades and 72% reported an increase in their self-confidence. The Oracle has more details about this year's academy. Our Middle School Resource Specialist, Mike Livingston, and our High School Resource Specialist, Roz Pacè, are available to assist with referrals.
We are also preparing for the Leadership Institute, which is a three-day, interactive workshop designed for district teams to engage in activities and discussions to help schools better support students enrolled in Open Choice. If you haven't attended, you should register for the first session on October 12. Gloria Mengual, the Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, is available to assist with any questions.
Did you know that September is Hispanic Heritage Month? Here are some ideas for celebrating the contributions of people from Hispanic backgrounds:
- Host a family dinner in school with foods from Hispanic countries
- Provide age-appropriate books on the Hispanic culture
- Have older students research great Hispanic Americans
- Listen to Spanish music
For advanced planning: October is Indian Culture month!
We look forward to working with you this year. Be well!
Sincerely,
Debra M. Borrero
PS Stay tuned for a video coming soon of Open Choice staff detailing our services and supports!
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES
While most professional development workshops take place within individual districts (with many available free of charge), some sessions are provided cross-district. These workshops include:
- The Open Choice Leadership Institute - a three-day, interactive series designed for attendance by district teams seeking to develop action plans to address identified issues that negatively impact students of color. Learn more about implicit bias, the stages in the cultural proficiency continuum, and systemic racism within education. This is an opportunity to hear about best practices being implemented in other districts, as well as ask questions of a panel of Open Choice parents and graduates. Dates: October 12, November 8 and December 6; this is a series; attendance is expected at all three sessions.
- Dine & Discuss - Educators are invited to participate in a conversation about strategies to increase family engagement in your school. Teachers and administrators from suburban school districts serving Hartford students will describe how their family engagement efforts - from home visits to conversations at a coffee shop or in a park - created a connection with new families prior to the start of the school year. Educators and families building trust and the capacity to partner with one another are key components of stronger, responsive schools and student success. Learn more about their efforts during this Dine & Discuss session, which will take place twice this Fall - November 27 and November 29, from 4:30 - 6:30 pm.
- Facilitating a Civil Discourse in the Classroom* - School districts are expressing a strong interest in this newest professional development session available from Open Choice. National surveys of teachers have found that many are not comfortable discussing racial, ethnic or religious issues in class. Through training in facilitation of these difficult conversations, educators can learn how to address the elephant in the room. This free, full-day workshop is being offered within districts for a group of 10 - 12 participants.
*A new workshop available within individual districts.
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TRANSPORTATION & CASA TIDBITS
Rudy Thomas here! I have been very busy lately acting as a liaison between your district and RSCO, as well as, Specialty Transportation. Since the beginning of the school year our office has already received many phone calls and emails requesting our help for a variety of transportation concerns. Although we do not supervise RSCO or Specialty Transportation; we are always glad to help address your transportation woes. Please do not hesitate to contact me at
[email protected], via cell at 860-462-8003, or office at 860-524-4075.
I also have been busy planning for our after-school program (CASA) that will begin on October 1, 2018 for transitioning first time Open Choice middle school and high school students and October 15 for all middle school and high students. The focus of the program is on homework assistance, credit recovery, and enhanced student performance. Michael Livingston and Roz Pac
è have begun reaching out to your school counselors for referrals to this program.
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RESOURCE SPECIALIST'S RAMBLINGS
From Roz Pac
è (High School Resource Specialist)
The Hartford Region Open Choice Program is excited to announce its first collaborative work with the University of Saint Joseph Social Work Program. Please welcome Dejanee Castleberry, Paola Rivera, Johanna Moreno, and Kiana Dorce in accepting their field placement in our program. During this school year, our interns will be working closely with our resource specialists to ensure all students and families enrolled in Hartford Region Open Choice Program are fully engaged and successful members of their school district. The interns will be applying their social work skills, while learning through direct practice, by focusing on student's individual, family, and community well-being. The interns will also have support from Kristen Martel and Roz Pacè, alumni of University of Saint Joseph.
Please join us in welcoming our interns!
From Mike Livingston (Middle School Resource Specialist)
The
Hartford Region Open Choice welcomed incoming middle and high school student
s to the program Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13 with a New Student Orientation. The orientation consisted of breakfast and lunch, ice breakers, and group activities. Students participated in a proactive, facilitated circle identifying their hopes and concerns as they enter the Open Choice program. Student feedback regarding this orientation was overwhelmingly positive.
More than 80 students will start their middle and high school careers through Open
Choice this school year!
From Peggy Gomez-Hixson (Elementary Resource Specialist)
In an endeavor to further support our Open Choice families and students, we are delighted to report that several districts have initiated home visiting during the summer to Open Choice families
. Working together, principals and Open Choice staff strategized and set up appointments with new and existing families to try to start the year off strong by meeting, chatting and getting to know each
other a little bit better. It was a great success!
Many of our families invited us into their homes making for a very special experience. It'
s pretty neat for students to see their principals sitting at their kitchen table. There were some dad's that cleaned up for us and everyone was so proud. Playing at the park with teachers, parents, and principals is powerful. It was a humbling experience for me. I felt lucky to be a part of the experience. We also met at other great spots like community agencies, the library, and even neighborhood parks. We all learned a little more about each other and had a bit of fun along the way.
Our next gathering is coming up so, please join us if you can. Noah Wallace School is hosting a "Play in the Park with the Principal" Tuesday, September 18, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at Goodwin Park in the South End of Hartford. Flyers are being sent home in backpacks.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Event Title
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Date |
Time |
Location |
Family Advisory Council
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September 22 |
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
CREC Central
111 Charter Oak Ave.
Hartford, CT 06016
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Liaison's Breakfast |
September 26 |
8 - 9:30 a.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106 |
CASA Family Orientation |
September 29 |
10 - 11:30 a.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106
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CASA Start Up - New Students |
October 1 |
3 - 6 p.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106
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Family Café |
October 4 |
5:30 - 7 p.m. |
TBD |
Leadership Institute (Click to Register) |
October 12 |
8 a.m. - 3 p.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106
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CASA Start Up - All Students |
October 15 |
3 p.m. - 6 p.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106
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Directors of Pupil Services Meeting |
October 18 |
8 - 10:30 a.m. |
Open Choice 55 Van Dyke Ave. Hartford CT, 06106
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