Phoenix NewsJanuary 9, 2017

HMTCA Celebrates Computer Science Education Week

Jim Veseskis, our technology education teacher, has been one of the strongest proponents of getting computer science included as part of the core curriculum here at HMTCA as well as other schools throughout Connecticut. In celebration of Com-puter Science Education Week, which has now become an annual event honoring female pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper’s birthday, our students participated in the “Hour of Code”. On Monday, December 5th, we were privileged to have the Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell and the Acting Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools Dr. Leslie Torres-Ro-driguez join us in our activities. Our talented students were able to showcase their knowledge of computer programing and robotics as well as teach younger students and adults the basics of coding.Commissioner Wentzell had this to say, “Our students need to have a clear understanding of the principles and practices of computer science in order to be prepared for careers in the 21st century. The creativity, problem solving, and computational thinking skills that students gain from engagement with STEM subjects, including computer science, equip them with the tools they will need to be successful in life and the workplace. Com-puter science is an integral part of a well-rounded education and we are working hard to ensure every Connecticut public school

student has access to computer science courses.” The Acting Superintendent, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez praised HMTCA saying, “The Hour of Code provides an op-portunity to engage students in coding, which is the wave of the future in this very digital age. It is critical for our students to learn coding, as more than 60 percent of future jobs will entail some knowledge of coding. HMTCA has been one of our leading schools in combining coding and education, and we are proud of the school’s accomplishments.” Mr. Veseskis is keenly aware of and has made profound strides in ensuring that all students, but especially those who are traditionally underrepresented such as minorities, women and those from lower income households, have access to comput-er science classes. We are so proud of all of our students, Mr. Veseskis and Ms. Sharp who teaches the robotics classes. Truly, a job well done!

Launching “AIR”

TheBuildingBeautificationCommittee,establishedthis school year, has been working on evaluating all spaces in the middle and high school buildings for areas that could use ‘a little something special’. The focus began with the new high school, as it does not yet have that warm, welcoming feeling exhibited in the middle school lobby area. We have been actively pursuing donations of plants and otheritemstowarmupthespaces.Thepalmplantsflankingthehigh school main entrance on the Broad Street side were gra-ciously donated by Lowe’s. If any parents know of other local businesses that may be willing to donate to our beautiful new space, we would love to hear from you! Please contact any member of the HMTCA Building BeautificationCommittee,listedbelow,withanyquestionsorinformation regarding possible donations.

Ms. Brauman (braue001@hartfordschools.org)Ms. Augsberger (ballj002@hartfordschools.org)Dr. Lou (ShuinFen.Lou@hartfordschools.org)Mr. Camacho (camap001@hartfordschools.org)Mr. Sabean (sabed001@hartfordschools.org)

HMCTA values reading, and we require our students to independently read texts that they choose and love. Through our curriculum, we will be implementing Accountable Independent Reading (AIR). AIRhasfivepurposes:To engage and motivate students to learnthings they care aboutTo promote students’ love of readingTo build students’ vocabularyTo build students’ knowledge about the worldTo build students’ reading stamina Students in Middle School will be making regularly scheduled visits to the library to select books that interest them and are at an appropriate independent reading level. The students will engage in routines and activities that promote accountability for their reading. Some of these activities include; completing daily reading logs to track the amount of pages and minutes spent reading, conferences with teacher and

peers, and composing book reviews for authentic audiences. We encourage parents to have conversations with their child about what they are reading and it is our hope that independent reading will be so enjoyable for your child that it will lead to a lifetime of reading.

HMTCA’S First Arts and Science Expo

We are hosting an exciting, brand new event on Sat-urday, January 21st for students in 4th, 5th and 6th grade! It is a fun day of hands on, participatory learning with 14 different options for students to choose from. All classes will be taught by HMTCA staff. The students pick two classes and the program willrunfrom9:00AMto2:00PM.Theselectionsare:Sculpture Music TechnologyPainting EngineeringDrawing Mobile AppsGraphic Design RoboticsTheater Junior ForensicsDance Junior BeekeepingGuitar Mandarin For information on registration for the Arts & Science Expo visit our website or contact Janice Andrews at an-drj001@hartfordschools.org or (860) 695-7218. Also don’t miss our upcoming Information Sessions for those interested in attending HMTCA next year. There are still three left.

Saturday,January28that9:00AMSaturday,February4that9:00AMMonday,February13that6:30PM

HMTCA Gets a Facelift

Music Abounds at HMTCA

The HMTCA music department was extremely busy during December. Our student musicians showed their talent, skills and effort in six concerts. The concert season began with the high school choir and orchestra performing at the beautiful Trinity College chapel to a full house. The following week we had a concert every day! Monday, December 12th was the high school band, Tuesday evening the middle school bands and jazz band, Wednesday the middle school choir and Thursday the mid-dle school orchestra performed. The week was capped off with a wonderful afternoon concert by the chorus on Friday. Amazingly, nearly half of HMTCA students are part of a music ensemble! Hats off to our entire music department, Ed Jardim, Eddie Hass-pacher, Tom Franklin and Jeff Kenniston.

National Assessment of Educational

Progress Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy will partici-pate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on February 9, 2017. NAEP is the largest nationally representa-tive and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessment because it provides a

common measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public. Your child may take a mathematics or reading assess-ment. The assessment also asks students questions about their daily routine and their educational experiences. For example, students are asked if there is a computer at home and about the amount of reading they do. Student responses are anonymous, and they provide context and meaning to the assessment results. Pleasevisithttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.asp to review sample questions. The assessment takes about 90 to 120 minutes for most students.Theresultsarecompletelyconfidential(inaccordancewiththeConfidentialInformationProtectionprovisionsofTitleV, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347). The information collected is used for statistical purposes only. - Your child’s grades will not be affected.

- Students may be excused for any reason, are not required to complete the assessment, and may skip any question. - While the assessment is voluntary, NAEP depends on student participation to help policy-makers improve education. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify me in writing by February 1, 2017 There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do their best. A brochure that explains what participation in NAEP means for you and your child is avail-ableathttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf.ContactKarlekaNormanat(860)695-7220 or at Karleka.norman@hartford-schools.org if you have any questions. We are excited that our school is participating in NAEP. We know that HMTCA’s students will show what our nation’s students know and can do.

HMTCA On the Go! As always there is an abundance of activity going on at HMTCA. Some things challenge our stu-dents here in the classroom and some take the classroom outside of our building. Either way, we constantly strive to offer our students opportunities and experi-ences that will awaken their curiosity and broaden their horizons.During Trin Prep some of our 6th grade students were learning and practicing their STEM (science, technol-ogy, engineering and math) skills. The challenge here was to design and build a boat, with limited and designated materials, thatwouldfloatandholdthemostpennies.Thepicturesshowthat activities such as these provide hands on, engaging activities which also teach valuable skills. Another “compe-tition” was done by COM-PASS on one of their “Fun Fridays” It was pajama day and the kids were making ginger bread structures. Although it appears to be pure fun, just think of all the creative skills involved with this!! A touching activity that happened within our building, was done by Ms. Manke’s 6th grade adviso-ry. For the holidays and in memory of the Sandy Hook tragedy, the students decided to do 26 acts of kindness. As part of this they made goodie bags for all of the teachers and wrote kind notes to put on other stu-dents’ lockers. This is truly what the holiday season is about. A different way to explore new things with-out ever leaving school is through our Virtual High School (VHS) program. The Virtual High School students have been working diligently towards the end of their semester experience online. They are completing individualprojects,groupprojectsandarepreparingforfinalexams. Coursesstudentshavetakenthissemesterinclude:APPsychology, AP Statistics, AP Biology, Creative Writing, The Glory of Ancient Rome, Sports & Society, Criminology, CAD,

Marketing and the Internet, Astronomy Principles, Entrepreneur-ship, Poetry Writing, Forensic Science, Horror Writers, My-thology, Epidemics, Latin 2, German Language & Culture, and Psychology I. The vast offerings are of great interest to our students. We encourage students in grades 10-12 to consider the online learning experience. Feel free to take a look at the VHS online coursecatalog,perhapsthereisacourseforyourstudent!https://my.vhslearning.org/PublicStudentCourseList.aspx We also had a great many activities that took our students out into the community. As the winter winds began to blow in full force, the 7th graders at HMTCA boarded school busses and headed to Colebrook, CT for their annual Nature’s

Classroomfieldtrip.Much like a summer camp, the trip was filledwithgreatfood,songs, laughter, and little sleep. Students attended classes and learned a lot; they dis-sectedfish,performedscience experiments, studied erosion and the importance of recy-cling. And of course, they had plenty of time to play. The campus included t-ball and soc-cerfields,basketballcourts, a petting zoo (made complete with a personalityfilledpignamedStanley),andeveryone’sfavorite;agigantic slide. The trip, although attended by HMTCA teachers, wasleadprimarilybyafabulousstaffofqualifiededucatorsfromNature’sClassroom;anoutdooreducationnonprofit,basedinMassachusetts. Although snow blew through the camp every day, students braved the elements and had a great time. One night, theyevenadventuredintothewoodswithoutflashlightstolearnaboutnocturnalanimalsandlookatthenightskyfilledwithstars.Students and teachers alike enjoyed every moment of this trip.

On Thursday, December 8th members of our middle school chorus performed at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Each year, under the direction of our choral teacher Ed Jardim, we have been invited to perform during the annual Festival of Trees. It is a magnifcant setting and the holiday music adds to the warmth and beauty. On December 10th, The National Honor Society part-nered with the Hartford Hospital craniofacial unit for a service project. Members of the NHS volunteered at the hospital’s annual patient holiday party. Students facilitated crafts, played games, and even created reindeer food with the patients! In addition to this, the NHS created Santa’s mailbox, an activity where patients could write wish lists and place them in the mailbox for Santa. Overall, they had a wonderful experience with the patients and staff at Hartford Hospital and look forward to working with them in the future.

Back in November, six HMTCA high school students joined hundreds of students from across northern Connecticut and auditioned for the Northern Region Music Festival. Two of our students received qualifying scores and will have the honor of performing at the festival on January 14th at New Britain High School. They are Willis Moore a drummer who will be part of the jazz band and Elise D’Addio who plays the cello and will per-form with the orchestra. This is truly an honor and we congratu-late our outstanding young musicians!

Counselor’s Corner It has been a very busy fall for the counselors in both the high school and middle school this semester, with lots of classroom work in Encore and TrinPrep, visits to colleges, special events for parents, large group presentations for students and visits from college representatives.Seniors:We continue to support our seniors in taking the steps they need to have a plan in place following high school graduation. More than a third applied by December 1st to college and many more will have applied by the end of January. Counselors have been helping students complete the process by following the checklist we provide. We have also encouraged our students to work with us on their college and scholarship essays. We have been providing our up-perclassmen with many different views of what life after high school might look like.- We took a group of 30 students for a visit to Manchester Community College with their applications and supporting docu-ments for on-site application submission. - Sgt. Jessica Roman of the Army Nation-al Guard came to speak with juniors and seniorsabouttheopportunitytofinanceacollege education through service in the National Guard. - Scholarships are rolling in and we are posting them on Naviance for our seniors to follow up on. We also share information through TrinPrep on the opportunities for scholarships for our students.- A College Panel was held on December 22nd for the high school student body with several of our graduates reporting back on theirfirstyearexperienceincollege.Ms.Kaizer was Master of Ceremonies and our panelists shared their experiences openly, giving an introspective look at college life and offering fabulous advice to our current students as they prepare for the future. A note for parents: Please make sure you complete the FAFSA to be in an advantageouspositionforfinancialaidawards. Counselors are available to help. Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors are getting a good, solid introduction to Naviance and its many resources through our Trip Prep curriculum. TrinPrep is held every Tuesday and Thursday. The juniors will work with the counselors on the steps to prepare for postsecondary options. The curriculum for fresh-

men and sophomores includes career development, the Naviance curriculum, study skills, SAT prep support and character develop-ment. As we head into exams, we encourage our students to endthesemesterwithastrongfinish,earninggoodgrades. Up-coming events: JuniorPlanningNightonJanuary25@6:30inTrinity HallCollege Trip to Lincoln College and Tunxis Community College on January 27 (tentative).

Sports News Our winter sports are just getting underway and the athletes are working hard to hone their skills and gel as teams. If you have any questions or concerns as the season goes along please feel free to contact your child’s coach. You can always reach them by email and it is a good idea to CC our athletic direc-tor, Adam Leonard, so he can be of assistance if need be.

High School Sports Boys Basketball - Blaise Brescia (blaise.brescia@hartford-schools.org) and Stockton Farmer (farms001@hartfordschools.org)Girls Basketball - Cindy Turcotte (turcc001@hartfordschools.org)Indoor Track - James Bengiovianni (bengj001@hartfordschools.org)Boys Swimming - Juan Domiguez (domij001@hart-fordschools.org)Cheerleading - Lindsay Hansen (Lindsay.boyer@hartfordschools.org) Middle School Sports Boys Basketball - Diego Lopez (diego@premierfa.com)Girls Basketball - Jason Smith (smitj002@hartfordschools.org)Swimming - Max Olsen (max.olsen@hartfordschools.org) and Tom Franklin (frant001@hartfordschools.org)Cheerleading - Andrea Heller (andrea.heller@hartfordschools.org) and Sarah Magalhes (magas001@hartfordschools.org

Adam LeonardAthletic Director, Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academyleona001@hartfordschools.org

The HMTCA staff would like to inform you of the new policy regarding students attending middle school basketball games. In order to monitor students in a more structured way, we are requiring a signed permission slip for students who want to watch. This will reduce the amount of unsupervised time prior to games. If your child is interested in attending a basketball game aparent/guardianmustsignapermissionslipandthestudentmustreturnittothemiddleschoolmainofficebytheendoftheday on game days. Permission slips will be available in the mid-dleschoolmainofficeandtherewillbeaboxatthefrontdeskwhere they can be returned. When the school day is over, the stu-dents will report to an assigned room where they will remain until game time. We will provide adult supervision in that location and a teacher will escort the students to the gym. Remember, if you do not return the permission slip, you can’t stay to attend the game. Parents are responsible for picking up their children after the games. Each permission slip will specify the appropriate pick up time. Unfortunately, if you are unable to pick up your child at that time, they will not be allowed to attend the game. If you have questions please feel free to contact our Athletic Di-rector, Adam Leonard, at leona001@hartfordschools.org. Thank you and GO PHOENIX!!

Upcoming EventsPTO Grade Level MeetingsTuesday, January 10th6:30PMHighSchoolStudentCenter

EARLYRELEASE12:00NOONFlex Day #3Wednesday, January 11thNO COMPASS

8th Grade to Trinity CollegeThursday, January 12th

Winter Dance ConcertThursday, January 12th6:30PMTheatre

8th Grade ExamsFriday, January 13th - Friday, January 20th

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 16thNO SCHOOL

Middle School End of 2nd Marking Pe-riodHigh School End of First SemesterFriday, January 20th

HMTCA Arts and Science Expo for 4th, 5th and 6th GradersSaturday, January 21st Register On-line

Middle School 3rd Marking Period Be-ginsHigh School 2nd Semester BeginsMonday, January 23rd

Governance MeetingMonday, January 23rd5:30PMHighSchoolConferenceRoomHigh School Junior Planning NightWednesday, January 25th6:30PMLibraryMediaCenter

HMTCA Information SessionSaturday, January 28th 9:00AMHighSchoolTrinityHall

Middle School Evening Parent Confer-encesWednesday, February 1st

EARLYRELEASE12:00NOONMiddle School Afternoon Parent Confer-encesThursday, February 2ndNO COMPASS

HMTCA Information SessionSaturday, February 4th9:00AMHighSchoolTrinityHall

What’s Brewing at HMTCA?Coffee With the PrincipalTuesday, February 7th7:30–8:30AMHighSchoolConferenceRoom