Education News From Northeastern Connecticut volume 41, number 4
www.eastconn.org
Summer 2021
Reconnecting with Students & Tackling Attendance Concerns
Educators are identifying new strategies to help students and families reengage with schools and learning, and improve student attendance.
The pandemic has created engagement challenges for many of us, but those challenges are especially pronounced in school-age children who are struggling to reconnect. And as educators continue learning how to balance distance-learning with in-person classrooms, concerns have emerged around students whose engagement and attendance have declined during the pandemic. “Very often, these two concerns go hand-in-hand,” said Diane Dugas, EASTCONN’s Director of Leading and Learning, “because when students feel disengaged, they are far less motivated to attend class. In many cases, the pandemic and remote learning have compounded their sense of isolation and uncertainty, which amplifies other social-emotional, mental health or academic issues.”
See Reconnecting, page 2
ACT Students Film DMV Videos to Help New Drivers Get Licenses
ACT Audio/Video students focused on different aspects of filming while taping a series of informational videos for the state DMV.
“Jake. Learner’s Permit. Take 3!” EASTCONN Audio/Video (A/V) teacher Daniel Boisvert briefly held a film clapperboard in front of Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Agent Supervisor Jake Kowalyshyn. Boisvert snapped down the clapperboard stick with a clack, marking the next scene before the camera rolled again. Standing onstage with a green screen as the backdrop, See DMV, page 4
EASTCONN 376 Hartford Turnpike Hampton, CT 06247
...Reconnecting, from page 1
EASTCONN has joined the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), experts from the national non-profit, Attendance Works, and educators from across the state to identify new ways to help students reconnect with their schools – of particular importance since data show that attendance is a critical predictor of student success. Studies indicate that by sixth grade, chronic absence is a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school; students are considered to be chronically absent if they miss two or more days of school each month. Dugas noted that improving attendance by as little as 10% among chronically absent students can increase the academic success rates for all students by 30%. Dugas shared tactics for addressing student engagement and attendance. “Research and experience tell us that whether it’s online or in-person, we need to forge strong relationships with both students and parents,” she said. “Ongoing, personal and small-group communication efforts are key to building those critical relationships, which spark engagement. We need to create welcoming school environments, whether online or in-person. We need to hear student voices, understand their interests and passions, as well as their home challenges and needs. We must build stronger connections with families, too, since their engagement is a critical component of any child’s engagement with school.”
Youth Employment Student Speaks at Press Conference
“…when students feel disengaged, they are far less motivated to attend class.” – Diane Dugas, Director of EASTCONN’s Leading & Learning Hedy Chang, Executive Director of Attendance Works, agreed. “Building the capacity of schools and community partners so they can work together to engage families and support chronically absent students is an essential component of ensuring they have an equal opportunity to learn, especially given the challenges of COVID-19.” Dugas cited a number of other key engagement strategies, such as making universal home visits; explicitly teaching students self-regulation, with clear ways to manage distractions that interfere with learning; providing equal shares of synchronous and asynchronous learning time; and helping educators understand the connection between student engagement and attendance. “We have to think about how we can build students’ sense of well-being and belonging,” Dugas said. “That common feeling of belonging for both students and parents builds their passion for engagement, which goes to the mission and vision of all schools.” Dugas also said that many families and students are facing an uncertain future, as the pandemic’s twists and turns continue. “There is fear there,” she said. “Going into next year, while we have to focus on in-person learning, we still have to understand how the trauma of this pandemic has affected our students and families. We need to build trust, communication and connections. We need to focus on self-care for staff, students and parents, and we need to reimagine our environments for learning. We simply can’t return to the same ways of attending school.” Final plans for addressing student absenteeism across Connecticut will be implemented in the fall, Dugas said. To learn more, contact Diane Dugas at ddugas@eastconn.org.
EASTCONN Connections
During Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s press conference earlier this month, Luci, a Norwich Free Academy senior (at the lectern above), shared positive outcomes from her work at Norwich Human Services while a participant in EASTCONN’s Connecticut Youth Training Program. Lamont called the conference to announce that new federal dollars would enable the state to expand the scope of its employment and training program for young adults.
Agency Professional Notes
Dianne Talbot, M.A.
The Adult Numeracy Network (ANN), a non-profit community dedicated to quality mathematics instruction for adults, has published an article by EASTCONN Adult Education Program GED Instructor Dianne Talbot, M.A., titled “From Student to Teacher – A Full Circle Math Story.” Talbot’s article appeared in ANN’s The Math Practitioner Spring 2021 newsletter.
Editor/Writer: Teddie Sleight, Director of Marketing & Communications, tsleight@eastconn.org Assistant Editor & Writer: Dona Prindle, Communications Specialist, dprindle@eastconn.org Graphic Designer: Angela Dean, adean@eastconn.org EASTCONN Administration: Gary S. Mala, Executive Director, gmala@eastconn.org EASTCONN, 376 Hartford Turnpike, Hampton, CT 06247, 860-455-0707 Fax: 860-455-0691
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2021 Summer Learning Programs at EASTCONN
Adult Programs Adult & Community Education: Free classes in high school completion, U.S. Citizenship, English-as-a-Second-Language, Employment and Training, as well as job-search assistance, are available for eastern Connecticut adults, 17 and older, throughout the summer. Classes and support are offered online and/or in-person. Call for an appointment. Co-located with American Job Centers in Willimantic, 860-423-2591; and Danielson, 860-779-3770. Email: aded@eastconn.org. Facebook: @EASTCONNAdultEducationPrograms
Early Childhood Initiatives Birth to Three: Services and programming for young children and their families enrolled in this early-intervention program will continue uninterrupted this summer. Early childhood specialists provide support for young families by helping them build on skills that meet the developmental and health-related needs of their infants and/or toddlers. Services are delivered both remotely and in-person across northeastern Connecticut. Contact Birth to Three Coordinator Rebecca Breen at rbreen@eastconn.org.
Head Start/Early Head Start: In Danielson, EASTCONN will offer a 5-week summer program, Monday through Friday, from July 12 through August 13, for currently enrolled children who are kindergarten-eligible or on an individualized education plan (IEP). Location: EASTCONN’s Northeast Learning Center, 562 Westcott Rd., Danielson. In Tolland County, the Head Start HomeBased program will offer summer home visiting services from June 22 through August 13. Services include weekly home visits, parent groups and playgroups. Contact Head Start ERSEA Coordinator/ Project Specialist Jen Snyder at jsnyder@eastconn.org. K-12 Special Education EASTCONN Autism Program (EAP): Students enrolled in this comprehensive, center-based, educational and behavioral services program can attend summer classes Monday through Thursday, from July 6 through August 5. EAP is located at 10 Commerce Drive, Columbia. Contact Autism Program Director Dr. Lindajeanne LaMagna Schwartz at lschwartz@eastconn.org.
K-12 Clinical Day Treatment (CDT) Programs: Summer programming will be offered Monday through Friday, July 6 through July 30. Merging best practices in academic, vocational, clinical and behavioral programming, our CDT programs enroll students in grades K-12 with significant social, emotional and behavioral issues. Contact Pupil Services Director Amy Margelony at amargelony@eastconn.org. Magnet High Schools Arts at the Capitol Theater (ACT): Current and incoming students may attend a free summer program, Arts on Main, from July 12-23, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The program will feature arts workshops, service learning, academic enrichment and acceleration, with breakfast and lunch provided. Transportation available. Contact Principal Sarah Mallory at smallory@eastconn.org. Quinebaug Middle College (QMC): Current and incoming students may attend a free, educational summer program from July 5-22, Mon. through Thurs., from 9 a.m.-12 noon. The session will feature literacy acceleration and instruction around healthy habits. Contact Jean Hemmig at jhemmig@eastconn.org.
David Brown is Selected to Lead Quinebaug Middle College EASTCONN is pleased to announce the appointment of David Brown to the position of principal at its Quinebaug Middle College (QMC) public magnet high school in Danielson. “We’re delighted that David has joined our QMC team,” said Diane Dugas, EASTCONN’s Director of Leading and Learning. “His energy and his professional background in science, project manDavid Brown agement and educational leadership, as well as his experience with magnet schools and personalized, competency-based learning, make him a wonderful choice to lead QMC.” Brown’s appointment takes effect on July 1. He will replace QMC Interim Principal Sheldon Neal. “At my core, I value inclusion, equity and acceptance,” Brown said. “My focus this year is to build strong relationships, foster collaboration and strengthen academic programs. I look forward to the challenges of tomorrow and, with that, I am excited for the future of QMC. Together we will continue to move forward and find new ways to achieve academic greatness and create lasting high school memories.” Brown has worked for New London Public Schools since 2015, holding a variety of positions, including Diversion Leader-in-Residence; SRBI Instructional Coach; 21st-Century After-School Site Co-Coordinator; Board of Education Policy Committee Chair; and Freshman Academy Coordinator. He was a UConn Joule teaching fellow while a science teacher in New London’s Science and Technology Magnet High School.
Prior to 2015, Brown worked as a science teacher and curriculum fellow at Achievement First, Amistad Academy in New Haven. He was for several years a coastal restoration ecologist at the Nature Conservancy, as well as a visiting scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to that, Brown was a graduate fellow and geospatial analyst for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. He previously worked as a marine aquarist at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn. Funded by competitive grants from education foundations, and state and federal agencies, Brown has conducted extensive research into coastal erosion control, artificial reefs and the protection of shoreline habitats; his research may be found in a number of federal publications. Brown holds a certificate in Educational Leadership (092) from Sacred Heart University; a master’s in Environmental Science from the University of New Haven; a bachelor’s in Earth Science from Eastern Connecticut State University; and is certified to teach both biology and general science. He also holds a graduate certificate in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS Mapping) from the University of New Haven’s Graduate School of Environmental Sciences. Located on the campus of Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC), EASTCONN’s QMC opened its doors in 2008 to capable, independent learners, who can enroll in free, for-credit college classes at QVCC while attending QMC. About 160 students in grades 9-12 are currently enrolled. Motivated QMC students can graduate with both a QMC high school degree and an associate’s degree from QVCC. To learn more, email Diane Dugas at ddugas@eastconn.org. Contact David Brown at dbrown@eastconn.org.
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“You would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between ACT’s final product and an outside, professional video.” – Ernie Bertothy, Assistant Director of Communications for the state DMV ...DMV, from page 1
Boisvert recently joined Kowalyshyn and three of ACT’s A/V students at EASTCONN’s Arts at the Capitol Theater (ACT) magnet high school to film a How-To video for the DMV. The DMV had commissioned ACT’s A/V department to film a series of three, 90-second informational videos to help Connecticut residents successfully obtain their learner’s permits and driver’s licenses on the first try. The videos will appear on the DMV’s website. “Often, people arrive at a DMV office to take the written driver’s test, or take a road test, and discover that they’ve missed a required step, and we, unfortunately, have to turn them away,” said Ernie Bertothy, Assistant Director of Communications for the state DMV. “By making these videos, ACT is helping us address an issue that affects a lot of residents statewide.” Bertothy spoke from ACT’s auditorium, as he and DMV Communications Director Shaun Formica watched the taping on ACT’s main stage. “We want to help our customers meet DMV requirements before they arrive at our offices, which will prevent them from having to return a second time. It all goes back to the power of video. If our customers missed reading the steps on our website, we’re hoping they’ll see them in these videos.” Bertothy said the DMV’s decision to commission ACT also served another purpose. “We liked giving ACT students an opportunity to take part in a hands-on, professional film experience that may benefit them in their future careers.” Several years ago, the DMV commissioned ACT to film a recruitment video for their inspectors. “You would be hardpressed to tell the difference between ACT’s final product and an outside, professional video,” Bertothy said. Since then, ACT A/V students, under Boisvert’s direction, have filmed videos for the Willimantic Police Department and other businesses around Willimantic, where ACT is located. After the DMV filming ended, the three ACT A/V students,
ACT students joined A/V teacher Dan Boisvert in front of the green screen that was used during the DMV taping. Left to right, Jackson Trottier, Dan Boisvert, Olivia Briggs and William Frank.
all sophomores, shared their thoughts about the experience. “I think it’s really fun to be able to do multiple films like this that have something to do with our future,” said Thompson resident Jackson Trottier, who ran the camera and video monitor onstage. Olivia Briggs, from Preston, ran the ACT script teleprompter. “It was fun for me, too. I learned a lot!” William Frank, a resident of Willimantic, was the sound engineer. He said he really liked being able to work on something that allowed him to prepare for a career in film. “We’re still very inexperienced, but we’re learning.” ACT Principal Sarah Mallory and Boisvert were pleased that their students had been asked to work on another DMV film. “It’s been a great experience for our students to have authentic, hands-on learning experiences, especially during the pandemic,” said Mallory. “It just continues to strengthen our relationship with the DMV, and gives our students a chance to get real-world experience,” said Boisvert. Learn more about ACT at www.eastconn.org/act.
EASTCONN Adult & Community Programs 2021 Graduation
In early June, teachers and families proudly watched 23 EASTCONN Adult Education students receive their high school diplomas during a joyful ceremony at EASTCONN’s Hampton Conference Center. More than 100 EASTCONN adult students were eligible to graduate this year.
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