The registration deadline for the annual Connecticut Association of National Honor Societies’ student leadership conference has been extended until May 13th. The conference, which will be held on Friday, May 22, at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, will challenge NHS students to look inward as part of transitioning to higher levels of leadership and creating lasting, meaningful change. Breakout sessions will walk both middle and high school students through a process of defining their core leadership values and creating a plan for authentic leadership roles.Donations for the CT Veterans Home in Rocky Hill will be accepted up until May 20, 2015. Join us for the day and help support CT veterans. 

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The finalists in the third annual Student Voices video contest have been named. Now, it’s time for the public to vote for their favorites! To view this year’s finalists, go to www.ctstudentvoices.com and click on the ‘middle school video’ and ‘high school video’ links. Please encourage your colleagues and students to make their voices heard. Voting closes TODAY, so don’t delay!

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The CT State Department of Education is partnering with the Department of Economic and Community Development to publish a CT State of the Arts Report in 2015. To that end, the new Education Consultant for the Arts, Jackie Coleman, is preparing to collect data for this report and is asking schools to complete an arts survey. The information gathered in the survey will help to define strategies for supporting arts learning for all Connecticut students.

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In this constructive commentary, CIAC Associate Executive Director Steve Wysowski talks about how the benefits of Carol Dweck’s growth mindset on students in the classroom can be easily applied to athletes on the playing field.

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The CAS Annual Summer Leadership Institute is one of the association’s largest and most lauded educational gatherings, attracting school leaders from around the state. Registration for this year’s conference is now open! Join us at the Heritage in Southbury on June 25th and 26th to learn from regional and national experts how to forge a coherent, student-centered approach to preparing students for life and learning in the 21st century.

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CAS, in conjunction with ReVision Learning, is offering a free workshop to CAS members: DISC Leadership: Leveraging Understanding of Self and Others for Improved Performance. Workshop participants will receive an analysis of their leadership styles by completing the short online DISC survey. Using their analyses, participants will delve into the dimensions of their leadership and communication patterns and examine how they interact with others. This workshop, which will be held on May 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., is sponsored by the CT State Department of Education. Materials and meals will be included at no cost.

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Look no further! The annual New England Student Leadership Conference will be held at Stonehill College on July 14-17, 2015. This four-day, residential event is designed to help talented, committed young people become better citizens who will be positive, contributing adults and role models for youth. Mark your calendars. Registration will be open soon!

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The CSDE Academic Office website is dedicated to materials and resources that support Connecticut Core Standards implementation in schools and districts. The website is refreshed three times each week and there is always NEW material. Its resource list includes work developed by Connecticut teachers. Please consider submitting a unit that your teachers have created. The Academic Office team will provide feedback to you and possibly feature the work of your teachers on its site. Questions about the website should be directed to Jennifer.Webb@ct.gov. The website is found at: http://ctcorestandards.org/.

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The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence will be holding four free Safe Dates trainings for school-based personnel including administrators, teachers, counselors, social workers and paraprofessionals. Safe Dates is an evidence-based, highly engaging and interactive program designed to help teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive dating relationships. Designated as a Model Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Safe Dates can be used in middle and/or high schools with an emphasis on both prevention and intervention.

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