THE ORACLE —
January 2020
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DIRECTOR'S CORNER
DEBRA BORRERO, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS
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Happy New Year!
We are excited to introduce two new members to our team. Please join me in welcoming Karla Cruz, Family and Community Engagement Specialist and Lauren Allen-Jones, College and Career Advisor both come to Open Choice with a wealth of experience in their respective roles and will round out the team nicely. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with them and we have asked them to begin scheduling face-time with building administrators and members of the school counseling teams. They may also stop by informally if they are in the neighborhoods of your schools for a quick hello. A little more about them below:
Lauren Allen-Jones, College and Career Advisor (photo below left)
In her new role, Lauren will be supporting school counselors in assuring Open Choice students are matriculating, have a post-high school plan in place, and assist students and families in the college application process.
She will focus the remainder of this year on the graduating seniors, but will also begin to engage juniors, as well. If there are any ways you believe she can help support any of your Hartford resident high school students, please reach out to
lallenjones@crec.org
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She looks forward to meeting you soon!
Karla Cruz, Family Engagement Specialist (elementary/middle, photo below right)
Karla comes to us after 15 years working in the Hartford Public Schools in a variety of programs. She has experience providing training on family engagement, parent leadership, parent advocacy, community engagement, and school governance councils; and nine years of managing district programs. She has also served on the Support for Pregnant and Parenting Teens Advisory Committee with Catholic Charities, the City of Hartford and Hartford Public Schools. Karla's passion is working with at-risk youth and children and helping develop parent leaders.
Warmest Regards,
Debra Borrero
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OPEN CHOICE SHINES!
POSITIVE STORIES FROM OPEN CHOICE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS
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Paul Waweru, Avon High School
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Congratulations to Avon High School Senior and Hartford resident, Paul Waweru, Hartford Yard Goats 2020 Youth Community Service Award and 2020 HYG Foundation College Scholarship recipient
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Naii'lya, Birch Grove Primary School, Tolland
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In Kindergarten at Birch Grove Primary School, Naii’lya is mastering reading and writing words. Here, she was able to change a letter in one word to make a new word. Amazing progress for our youngest students!
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We would like to feature the excellent work and partnership we have with our Open Choice districts. Please share your brief stories about Open Choice students and their positive experiences in your school/district, along with any high resolution photos. We will share them here and on CREC's Facebook and Instagram pages. Stories can be sent to
openchoice@crec.org
Join us on social media to catch all the Open Choice buzz!!
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RESOURCE SPECIALIST UPDATES
FROM KIM GUZZO, JENNY MALDONADO, AND CELIA NOE
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Elementary Resource Specialist, Kim Guzzo
How welcoming is your IEP meeting?
After attending meetings in dozens of districts, and sometimes hearing from parents they “feel like outsiders,” I have put together a short checklist of suggestions based on some best practices and observations.
- Are parents greeted warmly at the school entrance? Does someone offer to hang their coat? As guests, parents are oftentimes the only ones with a coat on or at their chair during the meeting.
- Do you offer parents water or a cup of coffee? At schools most staff members carry a water bottle or drink with them. Parents may be the only one without a drink at the meeting.
- Where are parents offered a place to sit at the table? Putting them at the head or foot of the table often makes them feel isolated. Include parents surrounded by staff and make them feel a part of the “team.”
- Leave a notepad and pen at the place of each parent invited. School staff often come prepared with a laptop or notebook, and parents may want to write an idea down or question during the meeting.
- Thank the parent(s) for taking time to attend the meeting. Re-arranging work schedules, transportation, childcare, etc. is not always easy. Reinforcing that everyone at the table is there for their child will make the parent feel valued.
- Do you allow parents to speak about their child? It sounds simple enough, but is forgotten or overlooked often enough to make this list.
- Are staff members using abbreviations and educational terms without explaining them? “DRA, Fundations, Fountas & Pinnell, Second Step, Bridges, etc.” Parents are not going to ask about something when they perceive they are the only ones in the room who don’t know what is being talked about. Take time to explain, briefly and clearly, whatever is being referenced.
- Review what has been decided in simple terms and ask if parents have questions. Offer the phone number and email of someone at the school the parents may contact. Many times after the meeting, parents may have a question that arises. Having someone they can contact will help build a stronger relationship.
I hope these tips help you, and the rest of your PPT, strengthen connections with families at your upcoming IEP meetings.
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High School Resource Specialist, Celia Noe
Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) 2020
This year we have created a cohort of schools that will be participating in the YES summit event at the University Of Hartford on March 17-18. Our goal is to bring together a diverse group of students (Hartford residents and suburban residents) to discuss various experiences connected to identity and differences. Students will share honestly, listen reflectively, and practice skills for empathy and community building. The group will engage with the topics of race, equity,power, and community transformation. Students will participate in a process of problem identification and action planning to create a plan and structure to support more inclusive and engaging learning environments. Seeking students who are representatives from school Diversity, Unity, Multicultural Clubs, and individuals and groups who want to create an Equity Team at their school.
If you have any questions about this event please feel free to call or email Celia Noe, at 860-539-7591
cnoe@crec.org
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MARKETING AND OUTREACH MUSINGS
FROM RENITA EZELL, OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT COORDINATOR
Open Choice (then Project Concern) Class of 1983, West Hartford
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You, and your family and friends, still have time to submit your RSCO application at
www.choosecrec.org
The Welcome Center at CREC Central, 111 Charter Oak Ave. in Hartford, is also open to help with applications and any questions about CREC or school choice. You can call them at 860-509-3700.
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TRANSPORTATION TIDBITS
FROM RUDY THOMAS,STUDENT SERVICE COORDINATOR AND TRANSPORTATION LIAISON
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Transportation
Recently, many districts have shared concerns about the Late Bus for after school activities. The Late Bus policy was sent to all districts in August of 2019. It stated in the letter that most late buses will not run until after 4:30 p.m. or later. Many districts continue to request an earlier time with the hopes that the bus will arrive earlier. Unfortunately, the buses will not arrive before 4:30.
Your contacts for late bus inquiries are:
- Contact Jeanine Wojcik at 860-509-3756 or email jwojcik@crec.org. If you cannot reach her, contact Michael Morales at 860-509-3556 or email mimorales@crec.org.
- The district can also contact me if unsuccessful contacting Michael and Jeanine: ruthomas@crec.org
CASA
The Harford Region Open Choice After School Program (CASA) is moving into it’s second, nine-week cycle. Students are gearing up for mid-terms and finals. The rush is on to bring up their grades and increase their study hours to ensure success. Now is the time to refer struggling high school students and middle school students to CASA for support. Homework/skills building support and credit recovery for high school students
Continue to make referrals on our website, www.crec.org/casa
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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NEWS
FROM CURTIS PORTER III, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
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The holiday season has officially come and gone. As a Family Engagement Specialist, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on if your school has provided space and opportunity for students to share and celebrate the holiday that is acknowledged in their family. If you are open to ideas to build more inclusion in your school community please let me know. I would be happy to come and collaborate with your team on school-wide initiatives that can be inclusive for all families.
This year Open Choice was able to connect with families at the annual CREC Family Resource Center holiday gathering held at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. During this event, families networked, took pictures with Santa, and received gifts. For Open Choice one of the major highlights was recognizing Farmington Superintendent, Kathleen Greider for her work with students and families and for receiving the 2020 Superintendent of the Year Award.
At the start of the New Year, we also had the opportunity to participate in the annual Hartford 3 Kings Day parade held on Park Street. The parade concludes with local public figures riding camels down the parade route at the end of the procession. To conclude, families and community organizations gather at the Pope Park Community Center to further celebrate with a parranda which is the Latino version of caroling.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES
FROM GLORIA MENGUAL, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COORDINATOR
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Collaborative Learning Community in Canton – Feeling Better Prepared
A group of 15 elementary, middle and high school staff in Canton met for four, three-hour sessions throughout the autumn and winter of the 2019-2020 school year to enhance their cultural proficiency through collaborative study, an exchange of ideas and experiences, deliberative dialogue, and practice sessions. The areas of concentration during these sessions included:
- Understanding Implicit Bias and its impact within educational settings
- Storytelling – sharing of a personal experience that had a profound impact on one’s life and changed the way one lives and relates with others
- Facilitating a Civil Discourse - when race, religion, sexual orientation, politics or other potentially sensitive topics surface, how to facilitate the strong, often prejudicial opinions that may accompany those conversations
- He/She Said/Did What? – effective ways to speak out against incidents of bias and/or discrimination in classrooms, cafeterias and hallways, including use of the ‘N’ word
- Scenarios and Suggestions – educators share tough situations they have needed to address and together discuss successful approaches they’ve taken
Among the reactions from this year’s collaborative learning community who attended the sessions this year:
- "I am going to break my silence the next time a difficult situation arises.”
- “I will use storytelling to connect and share with my students.”
- “From this point on, I will be more aware of my own responses when racial/ethnic tensions arise.”
- “Discussing possible responses when a student makes a racist comment was helpful to me. I’m feeling better prepared to address them as these situations come up and will share this information with other staff.”
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February 2020
- Trauma Informed Restorative Practices
- February 4-5, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- CREC University of Hartford Magnet School, 196 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117
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Hartford Region Open Choice Program
111 Charter Oak Ave., 3rd Floor
Hartford, CT 06016
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