superintendent nancy sarra holds student convocations

September 16, 2016 | Volume 1, Issue 2
IN FOCUS
We welcome you to the second issue of
News From the Hive, a weekly digital
publication of the Consolidated School
District of New Britain.
Each week, we will keep you updated with
numerous stories from around the district
and community.
Besides our staff and families receiving this
via e-mail, this newsletter will also be posted
on all of our digital and social media
platforms.
SUPERINTENDENT
NANCY
SARRA
HOLDS STUDENT CONVOCATIONS
If you have any suggestions or would like to
submit news, please contact Matthew
Cannata at [email protected]. Special
thanks to Pawel Figat for the design of the
newsletter.
OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE
What some said was impossible was
achieved on September 13 and 15 as
every student in grades 3-8 were
transported to New Britain High
School for Student Convocation!
This event, which is something that
has never been done before in the
history of CSDNB on a large scale like
this, drew rave reviews from
students, teachers and other staff
members.
Students were brought to the high
school by grade level and each grade
level had their own specific
convocation. While the focus was the
same, the message differed between
the different grades.
For example, Superintendent Nancy
Sarra spoke to all students on both
days about having an attitude of
gratitude, how to show self-respect,
respect for others and respect for
New Britain.
Sarra got on the level of our younger
students in elementary school and
relayed the message in a way that
they would understand.
At the middle school level, the same
type of message was relayed but Sarra
spoke in a much more direct manner
to help get the message through.
The middle school students also heard
from NBHS Dean of Students, Michael
Continued on page 2
September 22
Jefferson (6-7 PM)
NBHS (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
Pulaski (6-8 PM)
Transitional Center (6-8 PM)
September 26
CLIMB (5-7 PM)
September 29
Satellite Careers (6-7 PM)
MAIN STREET U.S.A.
Don’t forget that Main Street U.S.A. will be
held on Saturday, September 17 at Walnut
Hill Park from 10 AM - 10 PM. It will feature
live entertainment, food vendors, a kids
zone, helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides
and much more. Best of all, there are
fireworks at 8:45 PM!
FREE HIGH-FIVES FOR EVERYONE AROUND CSDNB!
A movement has started and it’s starting to spread across the entire
Consolidated School District of New Britain. It began as a group of
staff led by Dean of Students Michael Peterson and teacher
Michaelknight Zayas at New Britain High School. Just a few weeks
into the school year, it’s catching on and the momentum is building.
Every day, staff at NBHS greet students coming off the bus with a
simple high-five and a warm welcome. On Fridays, they add music to
the mix. This has spread to schools such as Pulaski, Jefferson,
Gaffney and more!
Next week, we will be recording footage of this movement for a
mini-video that talks about the movement, how it started, why it
started and what the plan is moving forward. It’s a great way to bring unity across the entire district and who knows - maybe
our actions here in New Britain will influence others around the state and country to implement something like this into their
own schools!
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Did you know that we have a large social media presence? Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by
searching for @CSDNBCT. We also have a Twitter account for New Britain High School - @NBHSCT. Additionally, be sure to
subscribe to our YouTube Channel, which you can find by searching for Consolidated School District of New Britain.
We post updates on a daily basis on all of our digital and social media platforms. Don’t miss out and become part of our
social media community!
continued from page 1
SUPERINTENDENT NANCY SARRA HOLDS STUDENT CONVOCATIONS
Peterson, who is also a nationally
recognized poet.
students to believe in themselves
to be the best that they can be.
He recited his poem, Where I’m
From, which is about growing up in
New Britain and how the labels put
on by others outside of this city
shouldn’t dictate what you become.
All students heard from our Student
Ambassadors. The elementary
school students heard from our
three high school ambassadors Emma Jensen, Dylan Washington
and Manny Benitez.
While the elementary school
students watched a short video
that talked about how an entire
community helps to raise children,
the middle school students
watched a short video that spoke to
them in a matter-of-fact manner
that giving low effort is not OK.
The video, along with the message
Sarra gave, focused around getting
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They spoke to them about doing
the right thing and how they must
carry themselves with pride and
dignity.
The middle school students heard
from one of our younger
ambassadors, Jeniye Acevedo.
He spoke to them about how
students like him look up to them
as role models.
A serious message that was filled
with bits and pieces of humor, he
drew several loud applauses
throughout his speech.
The New Britain High School
Tropical Storm performed for
students as they walked in and
helped create an electric environment leading into the program.
Melissa Oretade, teacher at Vance
Village, performed an amazing
rendition of the National Anthem
for our elementary students.
Every program ended with our
graduation video from the class of
2016 to remind each student that
their ultimate goal is here in the
Consolidated School District of New
Britain before deciding what to do
in the next chapter of their life.
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FOODSHARE CALLS LINCOLN
SCHOOL A MODEL FOR BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM
On September 14, James Arena-DeRosa, President and CEO of
Foodshare, visited Lincoln Elementary School as part of his week-long
#SchoolBreakfastChallenge to raise awareness for the need for
breakfast for all students in every school.
Foodshare's vision is for a community where people can get all of the
food they need. As the region’s food bank, they work toward that
vision by getting food donations from the food industry and
distributing them to 300 food pantries, community kitchens, homeless
shelters, and other partner programs.
Last year, Foodshare
distributed enough food for 11.5 million meals!
“Breakfast in the classroom is a proven, effective approach to getting
kids breakfast, and the best part is that funding is readily available in many towns,” said Arena-DeRosa in his first blog entry
highlighting the hunger challenge. “Thanks to Governor Malloy and the Department of Education for changing Connecticut
law a few years ago, kids are now allowed to eat a small breakfast while they do classwork.”
However, as Arena-DeRosa mentions in his blog, the decision on how the program is executed often falls to individual school
leaders, which creates inconsistency around the state of Connecticut.
“That’s why you end up with some school systems like Newark with 95% breakfast participation, Bridgeport in the 80
percentile and rising, and Hartford vying for worst in the nation checking in with a meager 40% participation rate,” he said.
Did you know that one in five kids in America don’t get enough nutritious food? In one of his blog posts, Arena-DeRosa
mentions how research shows that starting every day with a healthy breakfast has life-long benefits for both the individual
and the community. The USDA, in partnership with the School Nutrition Association, has significantly improved the nutritional
value of food served in schools. As a result, children who receive school breakfast experience lower obesity rates and greater
productivity both in the classroom and in life.
These issues around the state only goes to show just how right we are doing things here in New Britain. Arena-DeRosa agrees
with that statement and called us the shining star for school breakfast in Greater Hartford. He said that it is clear we are doing
everything right, engaging the entire community in an effort to connect more kids with food. After his visit on Wednesday,
Arena-DeRosa posted another blog entry and raved about his morning with us.
“I was immediately struck by the beehive of activity and things moving like clockwork. When administrators are asked to
consider breakfast they, along with the janitorial staff and teachers, are typically most concerned with logistics. But if they
were to visit Lincoln Elementary in New Britain, they would see there is nothing to worry about. Each kid grabs their own
pre-packaged meal provided by the food service team––a few minutes of breakfast and social time, some milk, some juice
and a banana muffin. When finished, each child would clean up using a special trash (to avoid smell throughout the day), say
the pledge of allegiance and move on to their math assignment.”
He continued, “One young boy Jayden was very proud…’watch me do math,’ and it was great to see another little girl helping
a classmate with his assignment. Ever the professor, I couldn’t resist sitting with a kid who was stuck on a problem to help him
figure it out. I have written in the blog about studies that often demonstrate the efficacy of school breakfast. But stats aside
you can see it in the energy and excitement as the kids start their day.
To read all of his blog entries during the #SchoolBreakfastChallenge, including the one about Lincoln, please visit
www.foodsharect.blogspot.com. We thank James and members of the Foodshare staff for paying a visit to Lincoln School!
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ROOSEVELT EARLY LEARNING CENTER CELEBRATES
NATIONAL TEDDY BEAR DAY
MRS. BASIA MASELEK’S CLASS FEATURED ON WFSB AS
PART OF THEIR 9/11 SPECIAL
15 years ago, the United States was struck with tragedy when two
airplanes collided into the World Trade Center. Shortly after on that
day, we learned there were more hijacked airplanes, with one of them
crashing into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and another one being
taken down by heroic passengers in Pennsylvania.
On September 9, students at the Roosevelt Early Learning Center
celebrated National Teddy Bear Day! Thanks to a generous donor,
each student had the opportunity to make their own teddy bear
with fluff and a rainbow wish star to take home with them. Each
bear came with a birth certificate and children were able to name
their own bear.
This year’s freshmen class is one of the first ones to enter high school
where they either weren’t yet born or just a few months old on
September 11, 2001. To capture that understanding and emotion,
WFSB came into Mrs. Basia Maselek’s class to see how she teaches
this historic tragedy to students who have no understanding of that
day.
Before making their bear, each class read My Friend Bear, which is a
story about a bear, a boy, loneliness, hugs and friendship. Each class
also received a copy of the book to bring with them back to the
classroom.
It was a great day for our youngest students and one they won’t forget! For more photos, please visit our Facebook page!
NBHS HOLDS PEP RALLY BEFORE FIRST FOOTBALL GAME
On Friday, September 9, New Britain High School held a pep rally for
the entire student body.
The pep rally was designed to get students excited for the first football
game of the season later that night against East Hartford (which we
won!!). It was also designed to get students involved by participating
in various activities around the football field and track.
Students were seated in the stands according to grade level and the
contests throughout the rally were designed to pit the classes against
each other in a fun, friendly and exciting way.
The pep rally organizers - Michaelknight Zayas, Michael Peterson and
Kevin Williams - kicked things off with a traditional stadium wave and then again in slow-motion. Then the games began, with
a relay race against staff, a performance by the marching band, Cane-ettes and color guard, the cheerleaders, a dizzy bat race
and much more!
WFSB Reporter Sujata Jain, a former teacher, remarked afterwards how impressed she was with the lesson. The lesson began
with a focus on a painting in the New Britain Museum of American Art, which was commissioned by the museum to
commemorate a New Britain native, Scott O’Brien, who died that day. The painting, completed by Graydon Parrish, is titled
The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy.
Maselek said it’s a way for students to see a tragedy in not-so much of a tragic viewfinder because even though so many
people died and there was a lot of tragic death with a lot of people coming out of the building, this lets them think about it
and not make them so upset.
In In her report during the 9/11 special, Jain said the students, based on the lesson that also analyzed various photographs of
that day, left the classroom with a deeper sense of the devastation. At the end of the school year, to coincide with the history
textbook, Maselek will show a documentary of 9/11 to help students gain an even better understanding. For her though, it’s
about easing them into the discussion.
“I think easing into it and not flashing those horrible pictures helps students understand that this was a really sad day. I think
people need to remember that.”
We thank WFSB and Suijata Jain for coming into New Britain High School to highlight our work in the classroom. To view the
full segment, check out our Facebook page and search for Maselek WFSB.
At the end of the rally, all of the fall athletic teams were introduced and ran out onto the field through a line that was formed
by the cheerleaders. It was a great afternoon filled with lots of fun and excitement! For more photos of the pep rally, please
visit our Facebook page!
COLLEGE VISITS TO NEW BRITAIN HIGH SCHOOL
It’s that time of the year where colleges are starting their visits to New Britain High School. Here are some of the upcoming
visits, with more listed on the New Britain High School website under the School Counseling tab - www.nbhsct.org.
September 20
Monroe College - 10:30 AM
Lincoln College of New England - 11:15 AM
September 22
Eastern CT State University - 9 AM
University of St. Joseph - 11:15 AM
The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001, 2002-2006. Graydon Parrish(b.1970). Oil on Canvas, 76 x 210 in. New Britain Museum of American
Art, Charles F. Smith Fund and in memory of Scott O’Brien who died in the World Trade Center, given by his family, 2006.116
All visits will take place in the Career Center. Please see your teacher for a pass if you wish to hear more information.
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NBHS SCHOOL GOVERNANCE COUNCIL GETS READY
FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR
NEW BRITAIN COMMUNITY WORKS TOGETHER TO
SECURE A $183,004 GRANT TO TACKLE DRUG ABUSE
On every third Wednesday of the month, the School Governance
Council at New Britain High School has a meeting in the school
Media Center to discuss important issues noticed by board
members.
The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services (DMHAS) recently awarded the Klingberg Family Services,
Inc. funding in the amount of $183,004 to implement the federally
funded Partnership for Success (PFS) in Connecticut to address
underage drinking and/or prescription drug abuse/misuse
prevention.
The mission of this organization is to improve the school climate and
increase parent involvement in the school. The board consists of
students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community
members. Although we are a relatively small group, they stay
connected to the Board of Education as well as the PTO to make
decisions that can benefit the entire school as a whole. Since they
have members with various backgrounds, we have access to many
different perspectives and opinions. We have had an impact on
many decisions throughout the school such as the school-wide retake policy for tests and the administration of the first
in-school SAT at New Britain High School.
Some current topics of discussion include the equity of students taking courses outside of school in order to earn high school
credit, the changes in administration in the school and across the district, and the possibility of restructuring the house offices
in the future. The SGC will meet Wednesday, September 21 at 6 pm in the NBHS Media Center.
BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES TO MOVE REGULAR
BOARD MEETINGS INTO THE COMMUNITY
The Coalition for New Britain’s Youth, Consolidated School District
of New Britain (CSDNB) and Klingberg Family Services worked
together to secure this grant. The ability to collaborate across all
community sectors is one of New Britain’s greatest strengths. Just
recently in June, the city was named an All-American City by the
National Civic League, America’s oldest and most prestigious
community award. This award recognizes exemplary grassroots community problem solving and is awarded to communities
of all sizes that collaboratively tackles challenges and achieve results. Receiving this grant is just another example of the work
that is done in New Britain throughout the entire community.
“The Coalition is very excited about this grant award. With these funds we will be able to implement new strategies as a
community to help our youth reach their full potential,” stated Robin Lamott Sparks, Executive Director of the Coalition for
New Britain’s Youth. “We truly appreciate DMHAS recognizing our ability as a community to work together on behalf of our
youth.”
Klingberg, a primary partner with the CSDNB and a key member of the Coalition, will use this grant to take another step
towards helping achieve the community-wide vision of developing the whole child to be successful in school, careers and life.
The New Britain Board of Education recently voted to move the
Regular Board meetings out in the community throughout the
remainder of the school year.
“Klingberg strives to serve the community through partnerships whenever possible,” said David Tompkins, Vice-President of
Klingberg. “We are proud to be awarded this grant as the fiduciary, partnering with the Coalition and the CSDNB to reduce
underage drinking and substance abuse in New Britain.”
By going out into the different schools, the Board of Education will
be more accessible to the community and parents. In addition, it will
allow the Board members to visit and see each of our schools
throughout the year. Effective immediately, here is the new
schedule. All meetings begin at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted.
In an effort to better serve the whole child, CSDNB recently implemented the Search Institute Survey for all students in grades
6-12. This helped them collect drug use data that was not previously available. The results of the survey have helped narrow
the focus of where intervention is truly needed among youth in New Britain.
September 19
October 3
October 17
November 7
November 21
December 5
December 19
Gaffney Elementary School
NB Educational Administration Center
Lincoln Elementary School
NB Educational Administration Center
Smalley Academy
NB Educational Administration Center
Northend Elementary School
The remaining schedule and locations meetings for the 2016-2017 school year will be announced within the next few months.
To stay up to date with all of the latest news regarding Board of Education meetings, please visit www.csdnb.org and click on
the Board of Education tab.
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“This is another step in us moving in the direction of serving and developing the whole-child. Studies have proven that it is
not simply about what happens in the classroom,” said Superintendent Nancy Sarra. “It is more. It is about their social and
emotional well-being and this grant will help us achieve this vision.”
JOE VAVERCHAK FEATURED ON FOX 61
It’s been a busy first few weeks of school for us not only in the classroom, but also making
rounds in the media! Our Attendance Officer, Joe Vaverchak, was recently featured on FOX
61 News to talk about how our efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism have paid off in a big
way over the past several years.
For example, at the Kindergarten level, we have reduced chronic absenteeism from 30% in
2011-2012 to 17% now in 2016. At the second grade level, that number went from 19% to
9%. To watch the full interview segment, please visit our website at www.csdnb.org and
find the link in the featured news section at the top of the page!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Note: All soccer and football games listed here
take place at Veterans Memorial Stadium. All
volleyball games take place at New Britain High
School. All cross country meets take place at
Stanley Quarter Park.
September 16 - 3:45 PM
Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Berlin
September 16 - 6:30 PM
Varsity Football vs. Manchester
September 19 - 3:45 PM
Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Bulkeley
September 19 - 6:30 PM
Board of Education Meeting at Gaffney
NBHS VS. MANCHESTER VOTED WFSB
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
Thanks to the efforts of those around New Britain and even Manchester, the
New Britain vs. Manchester game on Friday, September 16 has been voted as the
WFSB Game of the Week!
On Wednesday morning, we were down by 20 percentage points, losing 30% to
the 50% held by Wethersfield vs. Middletown. After numerous posts on social
media along with a few e-mails, our game was in the lead just hours later.
All throughout Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning, the lead kept
growing and when the polls closed at 6 PM on Thursday, we had pulled ahead and
won easily, 53% to 41%. The Northwest Catholic vs. Rocky Hill game pulled in 6%.
This means that WFSB and sports reporter Joe Zone will be at Veterans Memorial
Stadium on Friday evening. They’ll do a live segment leading up to the game
during their evening newscasts. They will also be showing highlights from the
game during their late evening broadcast.
Coming off an exciting win on Opening Night against East Hartford, our boys are
ready to play and pick up another win. Let's be sure to fill the stadium prior to the
6:30 PM kickoff and show Connecticut how great and electric our stadium is on a
Friday night!
September 20 - 3:45 PM
NBHS Cross Country vs. Bristol Central
September 21 - 6:00 PM
NBHS School Governance Council Meeting
September 21 - 5:15 PM
PM Preschool Family Night at Gaffney
September 22 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
NBHS Parent Conferences and Open House
September 23 - 5:00 PM
Varsity Girls Volleyball vs. Plainville
September 23 - 3:45 PM
Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Rocky Hill
September 27 - 3:45 PM
Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Hartford
September 29 - 5:00 PM
Kits for Kids with United Way of New Britain
and Berlin at New Britain Stadium
(photo credit: Paul Salina)
Consolidated School District of New Britain
www.csdnb.org
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Copyright in this publication is owned by the Consolidated School District of New Britain and no part of it
may be reproduced without the permission of the District. For further information, please refer to
www.csdnb.org.