THE ORACLE —
Decem
ber 2019
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DIRECTOR'S CORNER
DEBRA BORRERO, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS
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Happy Holidays from our CREC family to yours!
Through our conversations and professional learning experiences, I am constantly reminded of the importance of listening to the stories and hearing the voices of our students and families. I encourage you to share your personal stories about your memorable holiday traditions with students to build stronger relationships and connections.
As we being to prepare for 2020, I am looking forward to expanding the good work that CREC and many of you are engaging in around equity and inclusion. We send you our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a very happy new year.
Warmest Regards,
Debra Borrero
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OPEN CHOICE SHINES!
POSITIVE STORIES FROM OPEN CHOICE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS
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Farmington Collaborative Preschool
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The Farmington Collaborative Preschool hosted a Harvest Feast where students and families came together to share good food, build relationships and strengthen the classroom community. Diem, an Open Choice student, enjoyed spending time with her mother and introducing her to the friends she has made in the classroom.
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Simsbury High School's Spanish Teacher, Kara Petras, is making connections. Three of her former students spent time with her to help prepare materials for her class' Day of the Dead activity and then in their free time they worked together to complete the Breakout activity, which was all in Spanish! Relationships Matter.
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Open Choice Instructional Coaches Jodi McNamara
and Claire Serrantino
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We conducted a successful Enfield Open Choice Preschool Program. Preschoolers attending Stowe’s Early Learning Center STEAM Academy, enjoy exploring inquiry & problem-solving, through authentic hands-on experiences in cooperative-learning environments that inspire curiosity & support social-skill development. The teachers at Stowe & the Open Choice Instructional Coach collaborate closely to develop cohesive STEAM units that incorporate rich children’s literature to teach multicultural awareness, early literacy skills, and vocabulary-development. Students used the book
Pumpkin Jack
to explore their five senses, sinking and floating, and a plant's life cycle. They used the book
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
to construct their own trees to affix letters to.
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Open Choice Instructional Coaches are also working collaboratively with district teachers to select storybooks with diverse characters. These storybooks are thoughtfully selected, by the team, to more accurately reflect the races and cultures of all students in their classrooms. Teachers and coaches read aloud these stories, as part of a well balanced literacy program, to support vocabulary development. Wethersfield Kindergarten teacher Sarah Eastwood, is pictured below with her class after reading one of the current selections,
Saturday
by Oge Mora.
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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
Connecting with students and families is one of the best parts of our jobs. Please remember to highlight the following in student conferences:
- student academic strengths: Where does the student shine? What is their passion?
- admirable personality traits: Is the student a good friend? Are they kind?
- areas for growth: Where is the student on the cusp of moving up? What can the family do to help? What resources and tips can you give to “take home?”
Make the effort to have a phone conference if the family can’t attend in person, or, offer a conference at CREC Central and call me to reserve a space at 111 Charter Oak Ave. Keeping the communication open and relationship ongoing is SO important at this time of the school year. Thank you for your continued support of our shared students and families. Your work matters.
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Middle School Resource Specialist, Jenny Maldonado
As the Middle School Resource Specialist for the Hartford Region Open choice program I have been conducting monthly check-in groups at a few district schools. Currently check-in groups have been completed in 11 districts and 14 schools. These groups will provide an opportunity for middle school students to talk about their experiences in attending schools in suburban areas. The group topics may include: school adjustment, academics and development of advocacy skills, and equity. Please contact me if you are interested in check-in groups at your school.
jumaldonado@crec.org
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High School Resource Specialist, Celia Noe
Thank you to CREC's Director of Family Engagement for this amazing educational experience field trip to see the movie
Harriet. We had over eighty students both Hartford and town residents from the following districts attend this event Avon, Cromwell, Simbury, and South Windsor. It was a great success and we appreciate everyone's help that made this possible.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world” - Harriet Tubman
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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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Open Choice Information Session
Join us on Tuesday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m. as we share information about Open Choice with prospective Hartford families. This is a great opportunity to share information about your school and the wonderful educational experience their children can have if they receive a placement in your district. Our information Session will be held at CREC central, 111 Charter Oak Avenue in Hartford. If you plan to designate someone to represent your school/district, please forward the individual’s name and email address to Renita Ezell at
rezell@crec.org
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RSCO Application Summary Report
On Friday, January 10th, we will begin distributing weekly application summary reports to superintendents. These reports contain data on the number of applications SDE received that selected your district as their first choice in the following categories:
- Enrolled sibling applicants (sibling applicants of currently enrolled students in your district)
- Open Choice only applicants (these applicants did not apply to magnet schools)
- Applicant siblings (multiple applications in one family)
Students in this applicant pool receive a placement preference. By sharing this information, our hope is that district leadership will review their capacity and make efforts to provide new seats to accommodate as many students as possible. More detailed information will be provided in January.
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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NEWS
FROM CURTIS PORTER III, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
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In November, CREC Open Choice joined the CREC Family Resource Center for their annual Thanksgiving Dinner event. This neighborhood-focused initiative included families from CREC Magnet Schools and the Open Choice Program. Families took pictures at the photo booth and some received turkeys. Special thank you to Thompson Brook Principal, William Duffy, and his staff for joining the community effort along with some Thompson Brook families. At this annual event, families and school staff come together in Hartford to break bread and strengthen relationships. Having events in the community is always my first recommendation. If you are interested in utilizing the Family Resource Center at the Wilson Gray YMCA for meetings or small events please contact me at
cporter@crec.org
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES
FROM GLORIA MENGUAL, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COORDINATOR
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District Staff Appreciate Lessons from the Leadership Institute for Equity 2019 Series
Forty educators from 10 school districts attended the Open Choice Leadership for Equity Institute this Autumn. “I will continue my own journey to expand my equity lens while also working at a higher systems level within the district,” noted one participant following the third and final session of the Institute. The Institute content included:
- Courageous Conversations on Race - Compass Quadrants
- Principal Describes Development/Implementation of Equity Plan in her School
- Implicit Racial Bias: Implications for Education
- Discussion of Racial Equity Detours within Education and Principles of Equity Literacy
- Explanation of Interpersonal, Institutional and Structural Racism
- Hartford Families shared their School District Experiences; Parental Advice to Educators
- White Fragility
- Completion of Equity School Self-Assessments
- Hartford Student Voices on Equity - Video
- Equity Action Planning by District Teams
- Narrated Bus Trip throughout Hartford Neighborhoods
Some participants appreciated the time spent assessing their schools using equity-related measurements. Others described benefiting from both the racial equity detours discussion, as well as hearing first-hand from a principal into her team’s third year of implementing their equity plan. One teacher noted, “I leave enlightened about issues that I would have thought no longer existed.” Many expressed appreciation for the time allotted for them to work on action plans, along with hearing about the equity plans workshop attendees from other districts will be implementing.
The Leadership for Equity Institute is offered at least once a year.
See what Open C
hoice can do for you! For more information about any of our Professional Development Services, including the opportunities below, visit
www.crec.org/choice/pd
, or contact Gloria Francesca Mengual at
gmengual@crec.org
or 860-509-3768.
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January 2020
- Open Choice Information Session
- January 14, 5:30-7 p.m.
- CREC Central, 111 Charter Oak Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
- Paraeducator/Instructional Assistant Blended Learning Training Series from CREC Resource Group
- January 8, 10, and 15, 8:30 a.m - 3:30 p.m.
- CREC Central, 111 Charter Oak Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
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Hartford Region Open Choice Program
111 Charter Oak Ave., 3rd Floor
Hartford, CT 06016
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