CAS is thrilled to announce that Jill Hale, recently retired principal of Guilford Lakes Elementary School, has joined the central office staff as an assistant executive director. A 35-year veteran educator, Jill is well known for her expertise in the area of early childhood education and for her work with special needs children. She has been hired to lead CAS’ elementary division following the retirement of Roxanne Augelli this past June.

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The deadline for nominations for the 2018 CAS Assistant Principal of the Year Award is Friday! If you know or work with an exceptional assistant principal, please consider nominating him or her for this prestigious award. Click below for more information.

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Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded its current Title IX guidance concerning sexual harassment. To assist schools with understanding their obligations concerning investigation and adjudication of Title IX complaints, the department issued interim guidance in the form of a questions and answers document. For additional information and a link to the interim guidance, see Shipman & Goodwin LLP’s recent School Law Alert.

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With over 250 million enthusiasts around the globe, esports is one of the fastest-growing activities in the world – and it is making its way into high schools across the country, starting here in Connecticut! Esports are competitive, team-based video games that bring players together in high-skill environments to play against opposing teams while cheered on by their supporters, much like traditional sports. The fall launch event is TOMORROW! Sign up now to attend our information session facilitated by EGF. Don't miss this opportunity to bring esports to your school or district!

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Assistant principals at all levels are invited to CAS on Wednesday, September 27th, for the first AP leadership forum of the 2017-18 school year. The session is designed as an opportunity for informal networking and knowledge sharing among colleagues. Topics will include SRBI processes, paperwork, work flow, RTI, and Tiers of Intervention in use in CT schools. There is no charge for this event but registration is requested.

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A proposal to expand the boys basketball championships from four divisions to five and revamp the way those divisions are determined was approved by the CIAC Board of Control at its meeting last week. The changes will be implemented for a one-year trial period beginning with the 2017-18 championships. The proposal, which came from the CIAC Boys Basketball Committee, was vetted by all conferences as well as the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors (CAAD) and the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) prior to its approval by the board.

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CAS is pleased to announce that Alisa Wright, health and wellness teacher for Region 6, has been selected as the recipient of the CAS 2017-2018 Elementary Level Educator of the Year Award. As elementary wellness teacher and TAG mentor, Mrs. Wright plans lessons with real-world application and skillfully adjusts her instruction to meet the needs of each of the learners in her classes. Read more about this award-winning educator!

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The ever popular New Leaders Academy is back this fall and all school leaders in years 1-3 of their leadership careers are encouraged to join! The six half-day workshops, offered at no charge to CAS-member schools, run from 8:30-12:00 at the CAS office. This year’s topics include:

• Legal Update for New Leaders;
• Providing High Quality Feedback;
• Holding Difficult Conversations;
• Building a Trauma-Informed School Culture;
• Leadership and the Special Needs Student; and,
• Leading for Students’ Emotional Health. 

Registration is by individual session so participants can customize their professional learning and attend as many or as few as they wish.

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The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and Prudential Financial have launched the 23rd Annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. This unique youth recognition program honors middle level and high school students for making meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service. The program gives schools an opportunity to reward and shine a spotlight on students who have distinguished themselves through volunteer activities - and an opportunity to call attention to the role that schools play in promoting community service. Applications for 2018 awards are now open to students in grades 5-12 who have volunteered in the past year.

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On October 17th, Rick Wormeli, national educational consultant, author and acclaimed presenter, is coming to Connecticut to talk about the challenges of working with rapidly morphing humans ages 10 to 15. Sponsored by NELMS, this event promises to be a provocative and practical day of exploration into what really works with this age group!

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The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) is now accepting applications for the 2018 Aspirations in Computing Awards. NCWIT, a national body working to increase women’s participation in computing and technology, sponsors annual awards for both high school students and educators. The Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women at the high-school level who have demonstrated interest and achievements in computing and proven leadership ability. Any US high school woman in grades 9 through 12 is eligible to apply. The Aspirations in Computing Educator Award publicly celebrates educators who encourage high school women’s interest and participation in technology. Teachers, counselors, administrators, mentors and other educators are all eligible and welcome to apply.

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Are you interested in further supporting ESL populations at your school and developing global leaders? Check out Global Minds! Global Minds is a for-youth by-youth organization that inspires students to bond socially, form intercultural friendships, and consider global issues through youth led extracurricular activities. Check out its website at http://globalminds.world/.

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Back by popular demand, the World of 7 Billion student video contest helps bring technology and creativity into middle and high school classes. The contest challenges students to create a short video connecting world population growth and one of three global challenges: Advancing Women and Girls, Feeding 10 Billion, or Preventing Pollution. Students can win up to $1,000 and participating teachers will receive no-cost curriculum resources. All entries must be submitted by February 22, 2018. Full contest guidelines, resources for research, past winners, and more can be found at https://www.worldof7billion.org/student-video-contest/.

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