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(New Britain, CT) This school year, Smith Elementary School in New Britain benefited from more than 30 days of technology training and development courtesy of CREC’s Division of Data Analysis, Research and Technology. In a Smith Elementary School flexible resource room, students used Osmo, an educational game system for the Apple iPad that can help students with spelling and enhance certain subject areas. Another classroom used QR codes and digital devices to help with various phonics and writing concepts, and they used the Seesaw Learning Journal app to capture and document their learning through videos, photos, and audio recording, creating a digital portfolio. “The technology is amazing,” said Malyka Henderson, a flexible resource room teacher. “It meets many needs and supports students where they are and truly engages them.”Ratosha McBride, an education technology specialist for CREC, used the Curriculum Revision Infusing Technology model to guide an intensive training process. This model is strategically designed to support student symmetric growth and change through the infusion of technology into teaching and learning. A key component in this process comes through modeling, coaching, and continued support and guidance. New Britain’s teachers and students benefited greatly from the step-by-step approach. In many instances, McBride instructed while the classroom teachers and paraprofessionals observed, learning along with the students. This made teachers feel less anxious about incorporating technology into their classrooms, and they gained confidence and proficiency when using electronic devices. Because of the training, a team of teachers at Smith Elementary School is now charged with the task of ensuring that the school continues to utilize technology in creative and helpful ways. They will provide professional development for staff, will assist students when they use technology, and will receive ongoing training to stay informed of new tools, resources, and strategies.To learn more about the Curriculum Revision Infusing Technology model, visit www.crec.org/curit. ###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) Students enrolled in the creativity in the community course at CREC’s Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School have been busy sharing their artwork with others.Under the instruction of Nancy Doherty, students develop an appreciation for the arts within both the school community and the larger Hartford community. During the course, students look at websites for museums around the world and study specific works to learn about design, composition, and color. They also collaborate to learn how images, word, dance, and music can benefit and enhance other art forms. This year, students participated in the Global Art Project, a program that allowed them to share art with students from India. CREC’s students made collages out of tissue paper to illustrate their personal ideas of peace. The designs were later made into a large prayer flag and sent to student artists in India. In return, the students in India will send a gift to CREC. Creativity in the community students also painted clay garden pots for this year’s Center for Children’s Advocacy Spring for Kids event and wrote short messages in each. The pots were table centerpieces at the event, which was held this month at Infinity Hall in Hartford, and they were auctioned off at the end of the evening. As the school year comes to a close, students are working hard to complete another final project. They are painting scenes of Hartford for the dining room at Avery Heights, a local senior living facility. The paintings will be professionally framed and then installed in the dining room. An art opening will be held on June 3 to mark the occasion. ###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) Aleema Kelly, a sixth-grade student at CREC’s Montessori Magnet School, won first place at the elementary school level in the Letters about Literature national essay contest. The annual reading and writing contest is sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and is for students in grades four through 12. Students read a book, poem, or speech. They are then asked to write a letter to that author about how the literature affected them personally. The letters are judged at both the state and national levels. Kelly, of Hartford, wrote her letter about “George” to author Alex Gino, and her writing will soon be published on http://read.gov/letters. She will also receive a $1,000 prize and a congratulatory letter from the Library of Congress. This is Kelly’s second Letters about Literature honor. Last year, she won the essay contest for Connecticut at the elementary school level and received a $100 reward, but did not place at the national level. “We are so proud of Aleema’s amazing accomplishment,” said Principal Antonio Napoleone. “To win a national contest is not easy, and our entire school is celebrating her success.”###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) Over the next few months, 28 local teachers will earn their special education endorsements—a welcoming statistic for many Connecticut school districts. There is a great need for special education teachers in Connecticut, and CREC's Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program aims to both supply schools with the staff they need and support teachers as they explore new career opportunities. The Connecticut State Department of Education is required by state statute to announce teacher shortage areas every year, and kindergarten through grade 12 comprehensive special education has made the list for more than 10 years. Each year, school districts, such as Norwalk, have a difficult time finding a sufficient number of special education teachers to cover their vacancies.“It is common knowledge across the state that special education teachers are at a premium,” said Michael Cicchetti, interim operations director for Norwalk Public Schools. “Traditional recruitment efforts are no longer effective in yielding a pool of qualified candidates.”CREC's Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program helps districts like Norwalk, Bridgeport, and the Connecticut Junior Republic by partnering with them to help their teachers develop the skills they need to become certified in special education. School districts pay the Advanced Alternative Route to Certification's tuition. In return, teachers who go through the Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program agree to remain employed by their districts as special education teachers for a certain period of time. Eligible candidates for the Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program can also apply without the support of a school district. If accepted, these individuals spend 12 to 14 months engrossed in a rigorous, portfolio-based program that aligns with state and national special education standards. “The Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program helped me to expand my work responsibilities in my teaching position at the time and reach my goal to become a special education teacher," said Jill Horan, a preschool special education teacher at Region 12 Public Schools. "I feel that graduates of the program are self-motivated individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge about special education. The final portfolio is proof that the graduate is a hard worker who is determined and motivated to succeed.”Like individual teachers, school districts, such as Ellington, are also pleased with the Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program and its benefits. “I have been fortunate to hire and retain four graduates from the Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program," said Kristy LePorte, director of special services in Ellington. "All four candidates came to our district with a high-level skill set in the area of developing quality IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) based on the individual needs of each student. The teachers are skillful in reading and math instruction with knowledge in multiple progress monitoring tools to ensure student growth is consistently reviewed. Moreover, our Advanced Alternate Route to Certification teachers have been asked to present to other teachers on the development of goals and objectives based on present levels of academic achievement and functional performance." In June, while it celebrates the success of its current teachers, the Advanced Alternate Route to Certification program will accept new candidates for next school year’s cohort. For more information, visit www.crec.org/aarc, or contact Sonya Kunkel at skunkel@crec.org.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Enfield, CT) Khahari Mangual, a senior student-athlete at CREC’s Public Safety Academy, was recently named both Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford and Connecticut Youth of the Year.“Khahari is a sharp young man,” said CREC Public Safety Academy Principal Jeff Larson. “He has been able to master being a great citizen, student, and athlete, but more importantly, he is a great person. CREC’s Public Safety Academy is so proud of his accomplishments and looks forward to him changing the world as he embarks on his collegiate journey.”Mangual, who lives in East Hartford, is an honor roll student, and he accepted his award at the organization’s annual gala, delivering an acceptance speech to an audience of more than 500 people. He received a standing ovation.In addition to diligently pursuing his studies, Mangual has served as captain of both the CREC Public Safety Academy baseball and basketball teams, earning all-league honors. He was also captain of the CREC Colts football team. “CREC Athletics has given me the opportunity to serve as a captain in three varsity sports,” Mangual said. “The discipline and leadership skills that I have gained, I will use for the rest of my life.”CREC Athletic Director Jonathan Winer says the primary goal of CREC’s sports program is to promote the overall growth of CREC students into young adults. “Khahari is a perfect example of an individual who grew into a leader on and off of the athletic playing field,” he said. “We are very proud of his development and are excited to see the amazing contributions he will make to society as he moves on to the next stage of his life.”Mangual started going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford when he was 6. He now volunteers for the organization, and he’s participated in several of its programs, including a financial literacy program and the Keystone Club, a teen leadership and service program.“The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford is MY safe haven,” Mangual said. “It is where I find safety and comfort and escape the troubles in my home.”Due to his hard work and persistence, Mangual will attend college next fall. He hopes to become a lawyer.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) CREC’s Montessori Magnet School’s courtyard is now a certified wildlife habitat, and this new designation means that the school community must take extra care of school grounds. On April 23, the school held a clean-up day. About 50 students, parents, and staff members helped to beautify the courtyard. They swept, weeded, and worked on planting and landscape projects, preparing the courtyard for its new monarch butterfly recovery garden.The courtyard earned its new wildlife habitat status from the National Wildlife Federation, and the school’s parent-teacher group will purchase a plaque that highlights this honor. A $500 grant from the Lego Community Fund and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association will help the school start its butterfly garden, providing the money needed to purchase plants that attract monarch butterflies. The grant will also allow the school to buy supplies to help with planting. In addition, funding from the two organizations will send two CREC Montessori Magnet School teachers to a day-long professional development session, which will teach them how to setup and maintain a monarch butterfly recovery garden. The teachers will also be provided with lesson plans that they can use with their students. CREC Montessori Magnet School teacher Nancy Rawn is leading the school’s efforts on this project and secured the grant for her school. “I am very excited to decorate the courtyard with plants that butterflies love,” she said.###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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(Hartford, CT) Thirty high school students who participate in the Capitol Region Interdistrict Leadership Academy (CRILA) recently packed and delivered more than 10,000 meals to St. Francis Hospital’s Mount Sinai campus. “One thing that stuck out to me while we were working was that every action we did would help improve someone’s day,” said Jameson Toper, a student at CREC’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering. “We may never meet that person, but knowing that we may have changed someone’s life with our simple project is a fantastic feeling.”CRILA is a program for high school juniors and seniors in Greater Hartford, and it is managed by CREC. It aims to provide a forum for students to practice ethical and collaborative leadership through research and community service. Participating students reside in 22 communities and attend 24 high schools in the Greater Hartford area.The students spent several months planning and organizing their community service project and raised more than $2,500 to support their efforts. On April 23, they met at CREC Discovery Academy in Wethersfield to pack thousands of meals. They then delivered the meals to the Joan C. Dauber Food Bank at St. Francis Hospital. “Creating and accomplishing our group service project was an experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life,” said Tate Knapp, a student at Wethersfield High School and a leadership academy participant. “It was remarkable that we, as a group, could collaborate to execute such an impactful project.”This selfless project was made possible because of the program’s commitment to leadership, teambuilding, and service. Last summer, students participated in a week-long formal outdoor leadership program at the Colorado Outward Bound School in Leadville, Colorado, and they learned lessons that they’ve used throughout this school year. The group also meets regularly to develop their leadership and problem-solving skills.The idea for their community service project came about because the students identified hunger as a major concern in the Hartford community. In March, the students visited the Joan C. Dauber Food Bank to hear from Joan Dauber, its founder, and to learn about the organization’s mission, activities, and major areas of need. “Food insecurity is a growing problem for many families in our community,” said Dauber. “The food donation from this project will provide much-needed nutritious food for families that are struggling day-to-day to survive.”###The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966 and is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changings needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 18 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org....

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