Cable Connections

Cable Connections
CABLE ACADEMIC & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CENTER
PARENT NEWSLETTER
2ND ACADEMIC QUARTER 2013-2014
January Graduation &
Achievement Celebration
We are extremely proud of our January Graduates! Friday,
January 17, arrived quickly, but eight of our seniors reached
their credit goals and were ready to receive their high school
diplomas.
Alex C. is one of our distance learners who has gone to great
lengths over several months to earn his credits. After
successfully completing CJR’s Residential Program, he
continued classwork assignments from afar. Mr. LaBranche,
who regularly traveled to teach Alex, commented over again
how driven Alex is to better himself and that his outstanding
attitude and work ethic will benefit
him every day going forward.
Some Quotes from Recent Graduates
Lane plans to get his Associates Degree in Horticulture.
Advice to future students: Try hard, have integrity, and don’t
mistake kindness for weakness.
Jake has plans for college to study Criminal Justice and
Graphic Design. Advice to future students: Never stop trying.
Omar is moving out of state to live with family members,
but is working on his driver’s permit and plans to find a job
and have a career. Advice to future students: To do your work.
Jack Cor feels an accomplishment he has worked on is better
management of his behavior.
Advice to future students: Be respectful.
◊
Logan A. Winsted
◊
Alexis C. Bridgeport
◊
◊
Jack Cop. Independent Christmas Holiday Sing-Along
Jack Cor. Winsted
December 20
Furkan E. Putnam
◊
Lane K. Newtown
◊
Jake L. Winsted
◊
Omar P. Meriden
◊
PAGE 2
P HYSICAL E DUCATION
Music Class
Physical Education has gone very well the first half of the year. I
can not believe how fast time has gone by and spring weather is
right around the corner. I think all of us are excited for that
change.
In my P.E. classes, our boys have engaged in numerous activities
with a major focus and emphasis on teamwork, sportsmanship
and respect.Some activities we have participated in include:
football, kickball, basketball, hockey and weight training which
the majority of our students continue to excel in. Our students
have learned and applied safety guidelines, rules, and offensive
and defensive strategies in order to be successful. I am very proud
of our guys.
Another excitement that has taken over our school is the
assemblage of our boys’ basketball team. We had 25 excited and
interested students come out for the team and we were able to
break them up into two teams. We have just begun practicing as
a team and I look forward to being a part of our boys developing
a team chemistry and school environment where everybody looks
out for one another.
I am definitely looking
forward to the second
half of the year and know
our students will work
hard to accomplish their
goals. I am very excited
and happy about the
progress I have seen so
far. Keep it up, boys!
~ Mr. Mulhall,
Physical Education
The CJR Music program kicked off in full swing immediately
after the winter break with new classes being offered to students
at the Cable Education Center. Digital recording, lyric writing
and audio engineering techniques, plus general piano, drum and
guitar lessons can be heard throughout the day in our music
room. Students are composing original rap, classical and rock
songs as well as working together to produce an all-school
concert in the spring. An all-student compilation album is also in
the works! CJR students not interested in learning a new
instrument can also find their niche by learning how to run a
soundboard, operate digital audio recording equipment and help
with concert posters. The music department is also collaborating
with CJR’s Art and Graphic
Design programs to work on
our all-school album cover!
~ Mr. Walters, Music Teacher
FISH of Torrington
Again this year, both faculty/staff and students are invited to
participate in support of the FISH Shelter on South Main Street in
Torrington. For a monetary donation, staff may ―dress down‖ in
a relaxed outfit on Fridays. Also, both students and staff may
donate a canned good. All contributions will be brought to FISH
each Friday afternoon.
FISH is a multifaceted shelter that offers a food pantry, fuel
assistance, Health & Wellness support and Mental Health
Services. A G.E.D. Program, in conjunction with Education
Connection, is also available to clients. Moreover, a Case
Management System utilizes a voucher system to locate safe and
secure housing opportunities. Lastly, FISH is the only shelter that
delivers food to cancer patients with financial difficulties, as well
as to the fragile elderly.
Finally, on a nearby street, the Brooker House was initially a
transition house; yet, ―with a crescendo of families in need,‖ the
Brooker House is no longer ustilized as a three family home. It
has become a model similar to the McDonald House, with one
family per bedroom. Thank you in advance
for supporting the FISH Shelter.
James K. Obst, Director of Education and Student Services
~ Patricia A. Martin, Ph.D.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding your son’s education, always feel free
School Psychologist
to contact me at 860-567-9423 ext. 211 or at [email protected]
or CJR’s Director of School Operations, Chris Cook, at 860-567-9423 ext.269 or at [email protected]
or CJR’s Director of Special Education, Jan Calabro, at 860-567-9423 ext.289 or at [email protected]
PAGE 3
Agricultural Science
The 2nd Quarter of our school year has produced more new experiences
for the students in Agricultural Science. November and December found
the students deep into preparing the maple woods for another expansion.
Lots of forest management skills were learned.
Firewood production was a residual of
this forest management. The students
harvested, processed and marketed
firewood from last year and continue to
produce it for next year.
Facility management skills
have been a major focus of
this quarter, with plenty of
snow and cold temps to deal
with. Everyone learns the
needs of the animals as well as
the buildings and equipment
during these extreme events.
Reproduction of swine has
been introduced and applying proper calving strategies for our mother
cows has been a focal point as we enter January.
By our next writing, we should have exciting news to report about
new births which have taken place at the farm.
Until then, No Farms, No Food.
Ben S. was thrilled when Mr. E.
No Farms
~ Mr. Elwell, Agricultural Science
gave him a chance to sit on the
Instructor & Farm Manager
No Food®®
tractor! He looks good up there.
Exploratory & Plant Science
Hello and Welcome to the 2nd Quarter Newsletter. As we
mentioned in our last issue, the Plant Science & Exploratory class was
getting ready for the upcoming holidays. Our poinsettia project went
extremely well in the CJR greenhouse. Students took great care every
day getting this delicate crop to market quality. Temperature, feeding
and light take a big role in achieving success with this plant that is
originally a native of Mexico and regions south.
In addition to decorating the school, students created forms and took orders from staff to sell
finished products from their hard work. We offered poinsettias in three beautiful colors: red,
white and marble (pink & white). Handsome, made-fresh-to-order wreaths were also a hot item,
and all donations benefit our FFA program.
Another holiday project the students worked on was beautiful pine cone
holiday trees. The hand-built ornamental trees feature woodland creatures,
sparkly decorations, and varied color lighting that weave through the pine
cones.
In our greenhouse, students are learning how to propagate tropical plants from
One of the pine cone trees was an
cuttings and caring for and growing rare orchids and carnivorous plants. We
entry for auction and display at the even have a pineapple plant that produced a pineapple!
Festival of Trees, benefitting the
~Mr. Budny, Exploratory & Plant Science
Oliver Wolcott Library, in Litchfield.
PAGE 4
CONSTRUCTION
MAINTENANCE & DRAFTING
Construction classes have been working hard and
they have finished most of the rough mechanicals in
our project house. This year also includes a front
porch on the house. This gave students the
opportunity to learn about ledger boards, flashing
and frost lines. The windows are going in and then
we will start the students’ favorite part of the class, the drywall. We are currently figuring
out how much Sheetrock will be needed, so we
can hang it, tape it, break it, and repair it. When
the drywall is complete, the students will paint
and install cabinets to get ready for finish trim.
Spring will be here soon and I hope there will be
some opportunities to get outside and repair
Mr.O’s after school FREE Program
things around the school.
―construction team‖ had a role in removing
~ Mr. Ouellette, Construction Maintenance & Drafting the snowman display doors from the Art
Room to prank Mrs. Rinaldi. Mr. Malahan
instructs Culinary Arts after school, too,
and I’m sure he and his guys were ―egging‖
them on. Our James G. is pictured putting
Wood Technology
it back on its hinges! Classroom doorways
Congratulations to our January graduates, we’re proud of them and wish
throughout the
them the best as they move on to a new chapter in their life.
school were adorned
With the emphasis on safety, the students are introduced to a variety of skills, techniques, in spirited, holidayand methods in cabinetmaking and furniture construction. Mortise and tenon joints,
themed materials.
rabbets, dados and spindle turning on the lathe were some of the skills the students
I used sleigh bells,
experienced. Projects from a heart shape jewelry box to a
angelic items and a
corner entertainment center were constructed, including a
strand of gingerbread
replica of a phone booth.
men. ~ Ms. LaPlante
The majority of our projects are constructed with white pine.
Pinus strobus L, eastern white pine, is the largest conifer of the eastern and upper Midwest forests, reaching 150 feet in
height and up to 40 inches in diameter. Its evergreen needles are in clusters of 5, soft, flexible, 2 1/2 to 5 inches long, and
bluish-green in appearance. Its cones are about 4 to 8 inches long and 1 inch thick. Eastern white pine grows on a variety of
soils ranging from light, sandy to heavy textured soils. The wood of white pine is light,
durable, and easy to work. It is good lumber for toys,
boxes, cabinet work, and similar items.
(http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pist.pdf)
I look forward to many more great projects.
~ Mr. Webb, Wood Technology
S. T. E. M.
Science <> Technology <> Engineering <> Mathematics
The S.T.E.M. classes this term worked on units about
sound and light as well as kinetic and potential
energy. S.T.E.M. students started the second quarter
working with potential and kinetic energy through
building marble roller coasters in teams. Each group made very creative and functional coasters.
Students made instruments and compared different types of sound waves and learned about how
sound travels. They also looked at different types of light and the electromagnetic spectrum and
learned about how their eyes interact with the visible light spectrum. In all the projects, students
showed their great ability for creativity and ingenuity.
~ Mr. LaBranche, Mathematics & STEM
PAGE 5
C REATIVE
&
A PPLIED A RTS
The art students have been quite busy over the fall-winter
quarters with several unique projects. Students have worked on
drawing and shading skills, paper maché, painting self –portraits,
and many diverse independent projects.
During the holiday season, the students were found working
diligently toward their finished art work so that they can gift
them to family members. The students at CJR worked very hard
on painting their self-portraits, as it was a challenging assignment
that took weeks to complete. As the semester came to a close,
they were very involved with their paintings, assuring that they
were all in finished stages to take home or to display.
The pride and care that goes into the students’ artwork is
tremendous. The finished product makes the challenges all
worth it in the end.
~ Mrs. Rinaldi, Creative Arts
"Art is not what you see, but what
you make others see."
Integrated Science
All the Science classes have been working on
Individual Science Reports. Each student has
selected an animal or animal home he wishes
to study. The student is responsible for
finding information about the animal. They
looked for physical characteristics, habits,
habitat and unusual adaptations of the animal
or animal home. They explored the Internet to find interesting
information and seek colorful and unique photos to enhance their
study. They searched for their own information and will present
their report in forms such as Power Point presentations, poster
boards, and brochures in computer or hand written form.
Upper Middle School
Since many of our students work on the farm,
we have been reading Charlotte's Web to
reacquaint us with "Wilbur", a rambunctious
pig, and the many story characters. Charlotte's
Web is a children's novel by American author,
E.B. White, published in 1952, and is a
considered a classic of children's literature,
enjoyable to adults as well as children. We continue to work on
our math skills. We
explored the "Math
Touch Points" as a new
strategy to help us with
our multiplication
facts. In Science, we
learned about
volcanos and how
impressive they can
be. We created our own erupting volcano with plaster and
poured vinegar and baking soda into the "crater" to make an
amazing eruption. Did you know...deep inside the Earth's crust,
the temperature is as high as 3000 degrees Celsius? We enjoyed
making para-cord survival bracelets and learned about the many
uses it has. Next month, we will focus on Black History Month
and learning the Lines of Latitude and Longitude…
~ Ms. Stevens, Science & Academics
-Edgar Degas
G RAPHIC
A RTS
Our focus for much of the
second quarter has been on
the completion of 2014
calendar, and its bindery stage. This step is a lengthy process
and truly tests the patience of all my students. First we must
collate all months together, drill holes in them so they can hang,
punch holes for binding, and lastly, we hand bind them using
plastic comb bindings. This whole process takes us around six
weeks and we wind up with about 4,000 CJR calendars to send
to the mail house. Though I had a few stand out students, all the
kids contributed in one
way or another. It may not
have been the most
enjoyable quarter, but we
finished the job and
instilled some nice work
ethic into the students.
~ Mr. Clark, Graphic Arts
PAGE 6
English
During quarter 2, students at the Cable
Academic and Vocational Education
Center enrolled in English classes have
studied a variety of works and writing techniques. While reading John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, students utilized the writing process to
compose their own literary analysis about the work. Additionally,
students proposed and completed personalized units of study
pertaining to their individual interests and
needs. Currently, students can be found
reading one of S.E. Hinton’s major
works. They are also analyzing lyrics to
increase reading comprehension, as well
as learn and utilize the content specific
vocabulary necessary to be successful
English students.
~Mr. Dickau, English
Therapeutic
Respite
Assessment
Center
The TRAC Program classroom students keep
busy trying to earn credits toward their high
school diplomas. James has
graduated from high school and is
taking an accounting class on-line
through Tunxis Community
College. All boys are enthusiastic
about their trade classes and their
Work Study programs. We also
have six boys who joined the A level
basketball team! The winter season
brings outdoor activities to the boys
with plenty of sledding and trips to
the CJR farm. A Super Bowl party
and a ski trip to Mount Mohawk are
planned for February.
~Mrs. Gagne, TRAC Academics Teacher
Middle School News
~ We are studying Tall Tales—first told in the
American wilderness back in the 1800s.
Storytelling was the entertainment of those that
lived and worked in the wild frontier.
Come by and see our pictures of
Pecos Bill howling at the moon.
~ In Science
We are learning how light
travels through the air.
We have also completed
reports on bats, turtles
and frogs.
~ In Reading
We are working on an article about the
people who raised lions in their home.
The book and movie Born Free was
based on George and Joy Adamson’s devoted work
and life with the orphaned cub, Elsa.
~ Numbers are all around!
Multiplication and division are what we work on each
day. We also work on extreme dot-to-dots.
~ For Everyone
Come by and see our
puzzles we work on
in our free time!
~ Ms. Stotland,
Middle School
Academics
Mathematics
Students started the
second term with a
math project looking at nutritional values of various
lunch meals. Many students seemed to learn a lot about
what goes into some of their favorite meals. This term
has also seen many students work on consumer math
topics such as interest rates and credit card payments.
Some students applied their math and problem solving
skills to areas such as construction and agriculture with
great success. In each class, we saw students advance
their skills at all levels ranging
from fractions to logarithms.
The third quarter looks
promising with students
showing focus on attaining their
various goals in math, whether
its preparing for college
placement or learning how
math affects the world and
careers around them.
~ Mr. LaBranche, Mathematics
Photo courtesy of Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, RD, CSCS
PAGE 7
Litchfield Community Residential Program (LCRP)
The Litchfield Community Residential Program is pleased to announce that
three of our students have successfully completed the graduation requirements
here at The Cable Academic and Vocational Center at The Connecticut Junior
Republic. Alex C., Furkan E., and Omar P. graduated from high school on
January 17, 2014. We wish each of you
continued success!
As the third marking period commences, we have
begun our study of the United States Government
in social studies and will be exploring all areas of
a healthy diet in science. Geometry and algebra, as well as fractions and
decimals, will be learned and reinforced in mathematics class. Our
Language Arts curriculum will continue to focus on composition,
comprehension skills, vocabulary and biographies.
Our students also excel in their vocational classes including Vocational Agriculture, Wood Shop, Culinary Arts, Graphics,
Construction and Fine Arts. The young men truly enjoy the time spent in these classes and produce some fabulous projects! We
applaud their hands-on skills!
We look forward to spring, when a young man’s ―fancy‖
turns to more academic success!
,
and
~ Ms. Silano, LCRP Academics Teacher
American Studies Civics
Social Studies
CULINARY ARTS
The Culinary Arts classes at CJR have been very busy as we
wrap up the second quarter and look towards the spring.
Having just completed the holiday season as well as January
graduation, the students will be hard at work on all new units
and themes.
One of the themes that we
will be covering this quarter is
the integration of Social
Studies and Culinary Arts.
The students will focus on a
particular countries where we
will study the culture,
geography, and history while
cooking authentic
ethnic dishes.
Other future
units will cover
careers in
Culinary Arts,
~ Mr. Malahan,
commercial
Culinary Arts
kitchen
production, and
kitchen life skills.
On behalf of the
Culinary Arts
classes, we wish
you a happy and
healthy spring.
Happy New Year and congratulations to our January graduates!
Here at The Cable Academic and Vocational Center students
enrolled in American Studies have started off the new year learning
about The United States' relationship to the other countries on the
globe. Students have watched The State of the Union Address and
have been going through the books, the news, and social media to
understand where our country is going and what countries stand
behind us. As opposed to the classic learning styles in the typical
American Studies class, students have been working on independent
projects to further their pursuit of knowledge in the areas that
interest them the most. Students have been watching world events
unfold and how it will affect us as citizens. As the students learn
about the event, they reflect on what that means for our economy
and our status around the world. As we progress into 2014 we hope
to see our June graduates working tirelessly to get that diploma!
~ Mr. Hall, American Studies
Special Events Calendar
Cable Academic and Vocational
Education Center (CAVEC)
Winter Vacation February 17th-21st
Daylight Saving Time Begins March 9th
Good Friday No School April 18th
Graduation & Achievement Day June 27th
at the Connecticut Junior Republic
provides academic, vocational and
related educational services.
Accredited by
New England Association
of Schools and Colleges
(NEASC)
W e lc om e N ew S tu d en ts !
Anthony A., Berlin . Juan A., New Britain . Nicholas B., New Fairfield . Dajuan B., Hamden . Timothy C., Bristol
Zachary D., Farmington . Connor D., Newington . Benjamin F., Bristol . Jaison F., New Haven . James G., Bristol
Johnathan G., Waterbury . Noah H., Wethersfield . Dustin M., Winsted . Patrick M., Torrington
Justin M., Plymouth/Terryville . Adrian P.S., Simsbury . Salvatore R., Oxford
Luis V., New Britain . Matthew W., Westbrook
W el c o m e N e w S t a f f
Ms. Alyssa Cook, Assistive Technology Consultant . Mrs. Belle McCartan, Paraprofessional . Mr. Matthew Walters, Music
To provide all students with a supportive educational
environment which nurtures their ability to maximize
their individual potential and strengthen their social
and academic experiences, now and throughout
their lifetimes.
Mission Statement
550 Goshen Road • P.O. Box 161
Litchfield, CT 06759
Phone: 860.567.9423
Fax: 860.567.2670
www.ctjuniorrepublic.org
ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CENTER