Despite the threat of severe storms, more than eighty brave colleagues – both active and retired – trekked to Cheshire on May 15th for CAS’ 66th Annual Membership Reception. The stream of weather alerts heard echoing throughout the conference center added an element of adventure to what might have otherwise been a more low-key affair.

Looking for a fantastic summer leadership experience for your students? Look no further! The 8th Annual New England Student Leadership Conference (NESLC) is scheduled for July 17-20, 2018, at Worcester State University (MA). This four-day residential event offers powerful learning and leadership development opportunities for students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 in the fall of 2018. Activities focus on respect, positive values, sportsmanship, teamwork, healthy lifestyles and community service. Registration closes on June 1st!

The Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS) will host its second annual gala on Friday, June 1, 2018, at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown. CALAS will be honoring six outstanding individuals – including Deputy Commissioner Ellen Cohn - for their efforts to advance equity and expand resources and opportunities for Hispanic/Latino students and educators. Click here for ticket information. All are welcome!

The CT Association of National Honor Societies is hosting a workshop to re-design the programming, services and structure of the organization. We are looking for advisers and students to help design and lead the organization into its new iteration. We need your ideas, your leadership and your talents to bring a new CANHS into being! Please join us in this promising venture by attending a planning session at CAS on May 31, 2018. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. There is no charge for this event.

NAESP Connections is a quarterly newsletter prepared by our NAESP State Representative, Michael Litke. In each issue, Mike provides updates on national association news and events as well as federal education policy that impacts school leaders locally. Check out the spring edition!

Members of Congress recently introduced the Military Education Savings Accounts Act (H.R.5199/S.2517), which would create a private school voucher program for students with an active-duty parent in the military. There are likely to be efforts in the next few weeks to attach this bill to the National Defense Authorization Act, must-pass legislation that funds the military. We need you to take action to urge your members of Congress to oppose adding vouchers to the defense authorization bill.

The 2016-17 Health Services Program Information Survey Report released by the state department of education this past November contains important data about the incidence of concussions among preK-12 students in Connecticut. According to the report, nearly 6,800 Connecticut students were diagnosed with a concussion during the 2016-2017 school year. The breakdown of where/when those concussions occurred is as follows:

• Phys Ed Class - 407 
• School Recess - 224 
• School Sports (Intramural) - 220 
• School Sports (Interscholastic) - 2,079 
• Any other school-sponsored activities - 205 
• Non-school sports-related (i.e. local town recreational sports) - 1,071 
• Outside of school - 1,822 
• Don’t know - 505 
• Other - 265 
• TOTAL - 6,797 

The report contains other useful data including a breakdown of concussions by sport, accommodations provided to students diagnosed with concussions and school days missed due to concussions (see pages 3-5 of the report).

Twenty-one students from the CTMSDL joined peers from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Colorado to compete in the English in Action Middle School Debate Championship on May 5 in New York City. Several CAS member schools, including Bethel Middle School, Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, and Middlebrook School in Wilton were represented.

On October 4th and 5th, the Hamden Public Schools are hosting a two-day ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training course. Open to school personnel at all levels, the course provides a set of proactive, options-based strategies that increase one’s chances of survival during a dangerous intruder or active shooter event. Participants will gain skills and strategies for minimizing risks and maximizing safety and will learn how to teach others those same skills and strategies.