FOR SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LEADERS

CENTER LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE RESOURCE BANK

We are pleased to announce a new online resource that is now available to all members. The Center for Leadership and Innovation’s CONNECTIONS webpage - or “CLIC” - is a quick and easy way to learn about programs you may be thinking about starting in your school or may be looking to expand or improve. All listings on CLIC have contact information for an administrator who is willing to share program information and/or host a visit if you would like to see the program in action. You are also be able to submit an inquiry to see if someone has a program you are interested in exploring.

CLIC is designed as a simple “yellow page” of best practices to easily connect you to programs and practitioners. This will be an evolving resource as inquiries lead to new additions. So, be sure to check back regularly!

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RESPONDING TO HATE & BIAS INCIDENTS | MARCH 20 | 8:30-11:30 AM

Schools across Connecticut are experiencing incidents of bias and hate with unsettling frequency. Join us on March 20th for Hate & Bias Incidents: Lessons from the Field and learn how to effectively respond to these complex incidents. This morning workshop, sponsored in partnership with CAPSS, CABE and the ADL, will include an interactive presentation and panel discussion.

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GET ON BOARD FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING | March 22 | 9:30-11:30 AM

CAS is working with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) to offer regional, mini-day professional development seminars focused on social and emotional learning (SEL). The first will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on March 22nd at the CAS office. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in an exploration of new dimensions of SEL. Presenters will share best practices and weigh in on the content and delivery change levers that will help you support your students’ comprehensive development. You’ll gain ideas for weaving social, emotional and academic growth into the fabric of your school/classroom.

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SCHOOL-AVOIDANCE AND ATTENDANCE ISSUES | MARCH 26 |2:00-4:00 PM

The CLI will offer a two-hour seminar on attendance issues from 2-4:00 pm on March 26th. Our presenter will be Joe Pedemonti from the Institute of Living's Webb School. School avoidance and attendance problems present school systems and parents with particularly difficult challenges. The reasons why students are unable, or unwilling, to attend school routinely are varied, often requiring a variety of different assessments and intervention approaches. Although the objective is usually the same - to help students reintegrate back into their public school communities and progress academically, socially, and emotionally – the roads which lead to achieving that objective may be quite different. Join us on March 26th and leave with ten tips to help support students with school-avoidance tendencies.

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LEADING FOR STUDENTS' EMOTIONAL HEALTH | April 12 | 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Interested in best practices for working with students who have experienced trauma? Then don't miss “Leading for Students’ Emotional Health” on April 12th at the CAS office. In this morning workshop, participants will learn what trauma and traumatic stress are, how to identify them in students, and the impact trauma has on learning and educational success. Presenter Kimberly Jewers-Dailley, a director at the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven, will offer strategies for how to make a school trauma-informed. There is no cost for attendance but registration is required. (NOTE: The event is open to ALL school leaders even though it is listed under New Leaders Academy.)

CONFERENCE FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS | APRIL 27 | 8:15 AM - 3:15 PM

In conjunction with National Administrative Professionals Week, CAS will host the 2018 Administrative Assistants’ Conference on Friday, April 27th, at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. This full-day program is designed to support the daily work of school secretaries and administrative assistants and spotlight their important role in the success of the school. This year’s conference features an impressive lineup of speakers. Attorneys Tom Mooney and Gwen Zittoun from Shipman & Goodwin will cover new laws and updates on legal issues critical to every administrative assistant’s work. New this year is Scott Driscoll, founder of Internet Safety Concepts, who will provide critical tips on the safe use of technology. 

Additionally, the CAS Administrative Assistant of the Year Award will be presented at the conference. This annual award recognizes a high-performing school office assistant who demonstrates excellent leadership, ongoing commitment to staff and students, and meaningful contributions to the overall school experience. Please consider making a nomination.

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FINAL AP LEADERS’ MEETING | MAY 2 | 4:00-6:00 PM

The final Assistant Principal Leaders' meeting of the 2017-18 year will be held on Wednesday, May 2nd, from 4-6 p.m. at the CAS office. This will be an open forum style meeting to discuss next year's activities. Dinner will be provided. Mark your calendars now. Details will be coming soon.

FOR STUDENT LEADERS

KiDSMARATHON REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Registration is now open for KiDSMARATHON 2018, an eight- to ten-week nutritional and fitness regimen for students ages 5-12 that can be easily implemented in any school setting. Participants complete a full marathon by running incremental distances each week and finishing the last mile at a regional site along with hundreds of their peers. The training can take place before, during or after school. Using the mantra "winning is finishing and finishing is winning," KiDSMARATHON helps students develop life-long fitness skills, self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

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RECENT HAPPENINGS

On February 14, the CLI hosted a workshop on building a trauma-informed restorative culture in the school setting. Restorative justice expert Joe Brummer shared innovative strategies that move away from punitive measures towards healing, accountability and change.

On February 27, CAS Assistant Executive Director Donna Schilke presented the CAS Distinguished Friend of Education Award to Judy Keane, founder and director of the Keane Foundation in Wethersfield. The foundation was established in 2002 in memory of her husband, Richard Keane, who died on 9/11. Judy and her loyal stable of volunteers have enriched the lives of thousands of Wethersfield youth through innovative after-school enrichment programs and rich extra-curricular experiences.