Schools

Student Artists Run Like Aliens & Bankhead Bounce

by | Nov 1, 2023 8:16 am | Comments (1)

In Ty Scurry’s advanced drama class …

…and Carissa Kee's dance class, at New Haven Academy.

In a dim and costume-filled drama classroom at New Haven Academy, time slowed down as an alien ran away from two space cadets looking to capture it.

Time then sped up, and back down again, as theater educator Tyheed Scurry gave the student actors a lesson in tempo. 

Continue reading ‘Student Artists Run Like Aliens & Bankhead Bounce’

Hispanic Heritage Celebrated At Wilbur Cross Panel

by | Oct 25, 2023 4:40 pm | Comments (4)

Maya McFadden Photo

Wilbur Cross' Hispanic heritage panel Wednesday.

What do a retired educator, the city school district’s superintendent, an information technology director, a nonprofit program manager, a former New York City Councilman, and a social justice activist all have in common?

For one, they all love their Hispanic heritage.

They also all visited Wilbur Cross High School Wednesday morning.

Continue reading ‘Hispanic Heritage Celebrated At Wilbur Cross Panel’

Childcare, Early Ed Get $3.5M City Boost

by | Oct 25, 2023 12:50 pm | Comments (4)

Thomas Breen file photo

At Georgia Goldburn's Hope Child Development Center in October 2022.

More early childcare providers, higher wages for those teaching the city’s toddlers, and better help for parents struggling to find the right daycare or pre‑K for their kids.

Those are some changes that could happen here in New Haven, now that the city has committed $3.5 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to help its struggling childcare system — so long as providers come through with proposals about how to spend the money. 

Continue reading ‘Childcare, Early Ed Get $3.5M City Boost’

Ex-School To Become Winter Overnight Shelter

by | Oct 24, 2023 4:35 pm | Comments (21)

Thomas Breen photo

The ex-Strong School site at 130 Orchard.

The vacant former Strong School on Orchard Street in the Hill will reopen its doors to the public this winter as a 47-space warming center — thanks to a Board of Education vote in support of creating more cold-weather shelter options for the city’s homeless.

Continue reading ‘Ex-School To Become Winter Overnight Shelter’

In Ms. Chambers' Class, "Math Is Everywhere"

by | Oct 23, 2023 1:58 pm | Comments (11)

Maya McFadden Photo

Math teacher Charity Ann Chambers helps students "embrace mistakes."

As her ninth-grade students puzzled through box and dot plots, Achievement First Amistad High School math teacher Charity Ann Chambers urged them not to be discouraged. Sometimes, she said, trying is more exemplary to me than accuracy.”

Continue reading ‘In Ms. Chambers' Class, "Math Is Everywhere"’

Super Parent Honored For Family Organizing

by | Oct 20, 2023 9:40 am | Comments (4)

Contributed photo

LaToya Howard (right) with Elm City Montessori's David Weinreb.

The following writeup was submitted by Elm City Montessori School to celebrate Thursday’s recognition of statewide parental involvement awardee LaToya Howard.

Elm City Montessori School parent and former NHPS T.A.P.S award winner LaToya Howard was honored at the Connecticut Family & Community Engagement Conference in Rocky Hill on Thursday as one of five recipients of this year’s State Education Resource Center (SERC) Parental Involvement Recognition Award.

Continue reading ‘Super Parent Honored For Family Organizing’

After Covid Bump, Suspension Drop In Sight

by | Oct 19, 2023 4:01 pm | Comments (18)

NHPS data

NHPS first-month suspension data from 2019 to 2023, with no data for 2020's remote year.

In-school and out-of-school suspensions are on the decline, with 151 taking place during the first month of the current school year — in comparison to 205 during that same time last year.

Even with that drop, the suspension numbers are still above where the district was pre-pandemic, when the district saw 142 suspensions in the first month of the 2019 school year.

Continue reading ‘After Covid Bump, Suspension Drop In Sight’

Language Learners Dive Head First Into Spanish

by | Oct 19, 2023 9:40 am | Comments (4)

Maya McFadden photo

Nathan Hale's Trudy Anderson on the Spanish-teaching job in class.

Nathan Hale Spanish teacher Trudy Anderson showed the seasons el invierno, la primavera, el verano, and el otoño on her classroom Smart Board then asked students “¿Cuál es tu favorito?” 

El verano,” answered Cameron Troutman. 

¿Por qué?” Anderson followed up. 

Es mi cumpleaños,” Troutman responded.

Continue reading ‘Language Learners Dive Head First Into Spanish’

Star Martinez Teacher Wins $25K Milken Educator Award

by | Oct 18, 2023 3:33 pm | Comments (3)

Maya McFadden Photo

Alyssa Basso teaching her audiovisual class earlier this month.

STEM teacher Alyssa Basso landed a surprise recognition on Wednesday of her hard work making learning exciting and interactive for her students at John S. Martinez School — in the form of a Milken Educator Award, along with a $25,000 cash prize.

Continue reading ‘Star Martinez Teacher Wins $25K Milken Educator Award’

New Haven Academy Stages "Paradise"

by | Oct 17, 2023 8:49 am | Comments (2)

Brian Slattery Photos

Jeremiah McCullough, Christopher Samuels, Azaad Mamoon.

All through the play Paradise Blue by Dominique Morisseau — running at New Haven Academy from Oct. 19 to Oct.21 — trumpeter Blue struggles with his music. He’s trying to play just the right note. Some days he gets close. Some days he’s a million miles away. But he’s starting to think he’s never going to get it. It’s an encapsulation of the conditions of his life, the way everything he has is starting to slip away from him. And it’s driving him a little crazy.

Continue reading ‘New Haven Academy Stages "Paradise"’

In Hillhouse Classroom, "Art Is Power"

by | Oct 10, 2023 10:18 am | Comments (1)

Maya McFadden photos

Emonie Jackson, mastering pop art with Hillhouse art teacher Rebecca LeQuire.

Carlos Kirklan: Art is "an escape," and a chance to create.

With pop artist Keith Haring in mind, Hillhouse High School junior Emonie Jackson imagined up a chicken leg, to-go cup, and ketchup bottle all with arms and legs — and then penned those images to paper, honing her own creative style and skills amid her classroom’s dive into recent art history.

Continue reading ‘In Hillhouse Classroom, "Art Is Power"’

Floyd Little Track Repair Costs Bubble Up & Up

by | Oct 4, 2023 4:52 pm | Comments (20)

Frank Fanelli File Photo

Moisture bubbles and tears in the field house track as of Wednesday.

The city school district’s facilities team is sprinting towards a roughly $100,000 short-term fix for dozens of moisture bubbles and tears in the Floyd Little Athletic Center track surface — in the runup to a longer-term $1.3 million needed overhaul.

Continue reading ‘Floyd Little Track Repair Costs Bubble Up & Up’

Roberto Clemente Principal To Retire

by | Oct 4, 2023 11:47 am | Comments (4)

Maya McFadden photo

Principal Mia Edmonds-Duff, with her NHPS longevity award.

It wasn’t until Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy Principal Mia Edmonds-Duff looked over at a longevity plaque” on her office desk thanking her for three decades of work in NHPS that she thought to herself: I was having so much fun I didn’t realize how far along I was.” 

With that revelation, Edmonds-Duff has decided that, after 38 years working for the city’s public school district, it’s now time to retire.

Continue reading ‘Roberto Clemente Principal To Retire’

New School Year, New Approach To Teaching Reading

by | Oct 3, 2023 10:15 am | Comments (6)

NHPS slide

Maya McFadden photo

Supervisor of Elementary Reading and Language Arts Jennifer Tousignant.

In an effort to improve reading levels for the city school district’s youngest students, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) has created a new 90-minute literacy block outline for kindergarten through third-grade educators — all based off of the district’s recently adopted core literacy program.

That block includes 30 minutes of phonics instruction, 20 minutes of whole group structured literacy learning, and 40 minutes of small group instruction. 

Continue reading ‘New School Year, New Approach To Teaching Reading’

Kickball, & Push-Ups, & Staying Active In PE

by | Oct 2, 2023 8:35 am | Comments (1)

Maya McFadden Photo

Best friends Monserrat Martinez and Dazani Hough: Ready for gym class.

As a white ball bounced towards Monserrat Martinez, the Roberto Clemente school sixth grader locked eyes with it — and then kicked it with all her might, sending it across the gymnasium and giving her the chance to sprint towards the safety of first base.

Continue reading ‘Kickball, & Push-Ups, & Staying Active In PE’

Absenteeism Update: "Encouraging," So Far

by | Sep 28, 2023 3:58 pm | Comments (15)

NHPS data

Daily attendance rates for the first 15 days of school.

Maya McFadden File Photo

Office of Youth, Family & Community Chief Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, at Tuesday's meeting.

Hopes are high among chronic absenteeism-combatting public school district leaders, as average daily attendance rates show that 85 to 90 percent of students showed up during the first two weeks of the school year.

Continue reading ‘Absenteeism Update: "Encouraging," So Far’