gMember National Federation of State High School ... › bulletins › may99.pdf · about 1.23% and...

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D r. Dennis Carrithers, principal of Simsbury High School, has been named CAS High School Principal of the Year and has been selected as Con- necticut's nominee for the NASSP Nation- al Principal of the Year Award. Dennis earned a bachelor of arts degree from Hamilton College, an M.A.T. from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. A 32-year vet- eran educator, Dennis began his distin- guished career in education in West Hart- ford where he worked as an English teacher, department chair, and assistant principal. He has served as principal at Simsbury H.S. since 1987. Under Dennis' leadership, Simsbury H.S. has emerged as one of the most high- ly-regarded high schools in Connecticut. Lauded for its outstanding academic and athletic programs, Simsbury's CAPT and SAT scores are consistently among the highest in the state each year; and, the school has won the prestigious Michael's Cup Award for athletics for the last three years. Simsbury has the largest number of National Merit Scholarship finalists in Connecticut. An active member of CAS-CIAC since 1980, Dennis has been a respected, influential, and energetic leader. He has served as a member and chair of the Eligi- bility Committee, a member of the High School Board of Control, and a member of the Legislation Committee. Dennis cur- rently serves as Secretary of the CIAC Board of Control. Dennis's extraordinary accomplish- ments as a principal are best described by his students. Former student Amber Roberts said, "As principal of Simsbury High School, Dr. Carrithers is an amazing man. Simsbury High School is academi- cally superior. However, although he strongly stresses academics, his primary concern is his students. Dr. Carrithers real- izes that for most students high school is a rather difficult and often stressful time, a time of trial and error, a time to make mis- takes and to learn from them. Although Dr. Carrithers is a principal, he is a person as well. He recognizes the internal struggles that his students are experiencing and strives to alleviate them. Every morning as his students enter the school lobby, Dr. Carrithers is there, waiting to greet us with a smile and a friendly hello. At lunchtime, he is the center of the social scene, always offering a "Hey, are you feeling better today?" or "Congratulations for scoring two touchdowns." His job extends beyond his office work. At the soccer games he is one of the loudest fans or at the school musicals he is the first on his feet for the standing ovation. He takes pride in each and every one of his students...His heart and arms are open to all." Another former student, Eric Dudley, wrote, "It is no difficult task to identify the exemplary qualities of this remarkable man...Dr. Carrithers is competent, dedicat- ed, energetic and personable, not to men- tion extraordinarily intelligent — the char- acteristics he encourages by his behavior and leadership in every one of his students. Though he is not a resident of Simsbury, his commitment to involvement in school activities is evident by his constant pres- ence in the crowd for sporting events or musical performances, clapping and cheer- ing as loudly as any proud parent beside him. He puts forth an unwavering display of enthusiasm for the diverse activities of our school community...He has led the school by example through its most proud and most mournful moments, and he has earned the respect of an entire town." BULLETIN VOL. 73 / NO. 8 MAY 1999 BULLETIN The Connecticut Association of Schools The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Affiliated with the National Association of Secondary School Principals g Member National Federation of State High School Asociations g Member National Middle School Association SIMSBURY’S DENNIS CARRITHERS IS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! ARTS! Dr. Dennis Carrithers, Principal Simsbury High School p p a a a u u d d R R T T ! ! ! ! ! ! S S t t h h e e a A A See pages 5-7 for our special “arts in education” section. p p l l

Transcript of gMember National Federation of State High School ... › bulletins › may99.pdf · about 1.23% and...

Page 1: gMember National Federation of State High School ... › bulletins › may99.pdf · about 1.23% and a decrease in the local share of about .95%. gFor the fourth consecutive year,

Dr. Dennis Carrithers, principal ofSimsbury High School, has beennamed CAS High School Principal

of the Year and has been selected as Con-necticut's nominee for the NASSP Nation-al Principal of the Year Award.

Dennis earned a bachelor of artsdegree from Hamilton College, an M.A.T.from Yale University and a Ph.D. from theUniversity of Connecticut. A 32-year vet-eran educator, Dennis began his distin-guished career in education in West Hart-ford where he worked as an Englishteacher, department chair, and assistantprincipal. He has served as principal atSimsbury H.S. since 1987.

Under Dennis' leadership, SimsburyH.S. has emerged as one of the most high-ly-regarded high schools in Connecticut.Lauded for its outstanding academic andathletic programs, Simsbury's CAPT andSAT scores are consistently among thehighest in the state each year; and, theschool has won the prestigious Michael'sCup Award for athletics for the last threeyears. Simsbury has the largest number ofNational Merit Scholarship finalists inConnecticut.

An active member of CAS-CIACsince 1980, Dennis has been a respected,influential, and energetic leader. He hasserved as a member and chair of the Eligi-bility Committee, a member of the HighSchool Board of Control, and a member ofthe Legislation Committee. Dennis cur-rently serves as Secretary of the CIAC

Board of Control.Dennis's extraordinary accomplish-

ments as a principal are best described byhis students. Former student AmberRoberts said, "As principal of SimsburyHigh School, Dr. Carrithers is an amazingman. Simsbury High School is academi-cally superior. However, although hestrongly stresses academics, his primaryconcern is his students. Dr. Carrithers real-izes that for most students high school is arather difficult and often stressful time, atime of trial and error, a time to make mis-takes and to learn from them. Although Dr.Carrithers is a principal, he is a person aswell. He recognizes the internal strugglesthat his students are experiencing andstrives to alleviate them. Every morning ashis students enter the school lobby, Dr.Carrithers is there, waiting to greet us witha smile and a friendly hello. At lunchtime,he is the center of the social scene, alwaysoffering a "Hey, are you feeling bettertoday?" or "Congratulations for scoringtwo touchdowns." His job extends beyondhis office work. At the soccer games he isone of the loudest fans or at the schoolmusicals he is the first on his feet for thestanding ovation. He takes pride in eachand every one of his students...His heartand arms are open to all."

Another former student, Eric Dudley,wrote, "It is no difficult task to identify theexemplary qualities of this remarkableman...Dr. Carrithers is competent, dedicat-ed, energetic and personable, not to men-

tion extraordinarily intelligent — the char-acteristics he encourages by his behaviorand leadership in every one of his students.Though he is not a resident of Simsbury,his commitment to involvement in schoolactivities is evident by his constant pres-ence in the crowd for sporting events ormusical performances, clapping and cheer-ing as loudly as any proud parent besidehim. He puts forth an unwavering displayof enthusiasm for the diverse activities ofour school community...He has led theschool by example through its most proudand most mournful moments, and he hasearned the respect of an entire town."

BULLETINVOL. 73 / NO. 8 MAY 1999

BULLETINThe Connecticut Association of SchoolsThe Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference

Affiliated with the National Association of Secondary School Principals g Member National Federation of State High School Asociations g Member National Middle School Association

SIMSBURY’S DENNIS CARRITHERS IS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!!AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!!AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!!AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!!AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!! AARRTTSS!!

Dr. Dennis Carrithers, PrincipalSimsbury High School

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a AASee pages 5-7for our special

“arts in education”

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2 CAS Bulletin

In 1998, the CT Department of Childrenand Families received 38,682 reportsthrough its Child Abuse and NeglectHotline. About 75% of those reports wereaccepted for investigation. Of those 75%,about half were confirmed cases of abuseor neglect. The following summary pro-vides a look at the incidence of childabuse/neglect during 1997.

Physical abuse....................................4,351Sexual Abuse.....................................1,196Physical Neglect..............................14,315Emotional neglect............................10,214Medical neglect..................................1,210Educational neglect............................1,029Other (incl. high-risk newborns)................10,879(Source: Primarily Prevention, Spring 1999)

connecticut news & notes

Special Education in CT: 1997-98P The K-12 special education prevalence rate was 13.65%.P Students identified with the four most prevalent disabilities (learning

disabilities, mental retardation, serious emotional disturbances, and speech/language disability) accounted for 85% of the total number of students identified with disabilities.

P The prevalence rates for students within ethnic groups were as follows: African American 16.3%Hispanic 15.4%White 13.3%.

P 91.4% of CT's special education students were educated within their home school district;

P 57.5% of CT's students with disabilities spent 79% of more of their time being educated with non-disabled peers.

P Boys accounted for 66% of the special education population, but only 50% of the student population.

(Source: State Department of Education)

Youth Violence in Connecticut SchoolsOver 100 school districts in CT responded to the Safe Schools & CommunitiesCoalition's survey on youth violence. Preliminary results from the 1998 surveyfound that:

(Source: The CT School-Family-Community Partnership Project)

HIGH SCHOOL BOARDOFFERS CONFERENCE

ON DIVERSITY

The CAS High School Board ofControl, in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League's A WORLD of DIFFERENCEInstitute, is offering a conference on "best practices" inschool diversity programs in Connecticut. The board isencouraging schools to send "teams" of administrators,teachers, students, parent/board/community representa-tives, who will learn about diversity programs, and, withthe assistance of ADL trainers, begin/continue the devel-opment of their own plans. A follow-up conference isplanned for the fall.

The program will be held at Wesleyan University onWednesday, May 26th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Dr.Theodore Sergi, Commissioner of Education, will openthe conference and Jack Hasegawa, state department ofeducation consultant on equity, will deliver the luncheonaddress.

Registration brochures for this program, which isunderwritten by the state departments's Institute forTeaching and Learning, have been sent to all high schools.Representatives from other levels are welcome. Call TomGalvin at CAS for registration information.

CT EDUCATION EXPENDITURESIn February, the State Board of Education released a comprehen-sive report on public school expenditures in CT. According to thereport:g In the 1997-98 school year, CT's total expenditures reached

$5.0 billion, up from $4.7 billion in the previous year. g The breakdown of expenditures by source in 1997-98 was

as follows: 55.62% local; 39.56% state; 4.82% federal/other. From 1991-92 to 1997-98, the percentage shares of the state, local and federal/other expenditures have remained relatively stable, with an increase in the state share of about 1.23% and a decrease in the local share of about .95%.

g For the fourth consecutive year, the percentage of expenditures for salaries and employee benefits declined marginally.

g $3.36 billion was spent on regular education programs, up from 3.23 in 1996-97;

g $776 million was spent on special education programs (including transportation), up from $733 million in 1996-97.

• 36% of responding school districts indicated that student violence has increased over the last 3 years;

• the most frequently occurring types of school violence are vandalism (84%), assaults on students (81%), sexual harassment (63%) and weapons in schools (53%);

• perceptions of causes of violence in schools include family situations (85%), violence in the media (69%), lack of conflict management skills (70%), increased tolerance for violence by society and parents (64%), and abusive, violent role models (64%);

• the most effective school programs are student assistance teams (75%), school-police officer (75%), peer mediation (71%), staff development (67%), and youth leadership/support (58%).

�Be kind, for every one you meet is fightinga harder battle.� --Plato

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O The National Association of SecondarySchool Principals (NASSP), in collaborationwith Intercultura, is presently recruiting prin-cipals, teachers, and other interested educa-tors nationwide to participate in an outboundstudy mission to Italy. This professionaldevelopment program is being planned tenta-tively for Nov. 12-21, 1999 to Florence, Tus-cany. The program provides an opportunityfor U.S. educators to network with Italianprincipals and visit local schools. Participantswill also have a chance to engage in a 2-dayleadership seminar. The program activitiesare designed to assist U.S. schools with mak-ing their curriculum more globalized. For fur-ther information, contact Connie Fiorito at 1-800-253-7746, or [email protected].

O A recent survey conducted by PublicAgenda showed that neither parents norteachers are very enthusiastic about parentalinvolvement in school governance. Instead,parents and teachers are united in believingthat the most important action parents cantake is to raise respectful, disciplined childrenwho arrive at school ready to learn. Parentrespondents were most eager to take on suchtasks as chaperoning field trips, helping withevents, and volunteering in after-school activ-ities. They were far less interested in helpingto plan the curriculum or proposing changesin teaching methods. The survey results canbe accessed in their entirety at www.publica-genda.org/specials/parent/parent.htm.

O When 189 students in Western MichiganUniversity's educational-leadership programwere asked what factors were most importantin determining whether or not to "take the

plunge" into school administration, the resultswere somewhat surprising. Almost 85% ofthe master's degree candidates ranked therelationships between the board, the adminis-tration and the teachers in the school districtwhere they would work as their most impor-tant consideration. Salary which in other sur-veys has come out on top ranked second.

O According to a recent study by PreventChild Abuse America, the United States hasbecome a safer place for everyone exceptchildren. Between 1993 and 1997, thenation's overall crime rate decreased 22%,while the rate of child abuse and neglectincreased 4%.

O According to a new study by an outsideresearcher, students schooled at home scorehigher on standardized tests than their publicand private school peers in every subject andat every grade level. The study, whichinvolved 20,760 home-schooled studentsfrom 50 states, showed that home-schoolers'median scores across grade level and subjectarea typically fell in the 70th to 80th per-centile. Furthermore, almost 25% of thehome-schoolers were studying one or moregrades above normal for their age. However,the study also revealed that home-schoolerstended to come from families with higherincomes and education levels than the aver-age American student. The study's authoremphasized that the study does not prove thathome schooling is superior to private or pub-lic education but simply that home-schoolingworks for those who have made the commit-ment to it. The full report is available on-lineat http://olam.ed.asu.edu/ epaa/v7n8/.

O School uniforms accounted for $900 mil-lion in retail sales last year, or about 7% of alldollars spent on children's apparel. Accordingto NPD Group, a marketing-information firmin New York, the school uniform industry canexpect continued growth.

O The U.S. Department of Education and theNational Association of Attorneys Generalhave released a guidebook which recom-mends procedures that school districts shouldadopt to prevent sexual, physical, and emo-tional harassment and to punish students andteachers who violate the regulations."Protecting Students From Harassment andHate Crimes: A Guide for Schools" providesstep-by-step instructions on how to developanti-harassment policies and practical infor-mation about how to ensure a safe learningenvironment. The full guide can be accessedat http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Harassment/title.html.

O The Department of Health and HumanServices has launched a public-awarenesscampaign to encourage fathers to stayinvolved in their children's lives, even if theydon't live with them. The agency developed aseries of public service announcements whichwill be sent to thousands of TV stations, radiostations, and print publications. The ads fea-ture the slogan: "They're your kids. Be theirdad." According to the department, 17 millionU.S. children do not live with their fathers.Studies show that children who live withoutfathers are more likely to drop out of school,end up in jail, and need help for emotional orbehavioral problems.

national news & notes

3May 1999

Packed PacksAs more homework obligates kidsto bring home more books, andafter-school schedules include atleast one clothing change, studentsare practically carrying around their wholelives in their backpacks and the load isbecoming too much to bear. According tothe Consumer Product Safety Commission,more than 3,300 children aged 5-14 went tothe emergency room in 1997 for injuriesassociated with bookbags. Medical expertswarn that children should carry no morethan 10-20% of their body weight and thatthey may risk posture damage if they wear aheavy backpack the wrong way. Properform means wearing both straps and pullingthem tightly so that the bag hugs the bodyand its weight is evenly distributed acrossthe back and shoulders.

How can teachers and parentsmotivate students to completetheir schoolwork? The answer

may be to praise them, a group ofresearchers from North Carolina CentralUniversity suggests. A survey of 1,063 stu-dents aged 8-17 was conducted to deter-mine what kinds of rewards students pre-ferred to get for completing homework cor-rectly. Both from home and from school,the students overwhelmingly opted forpraise. Fifty-nine percent said they pre-ferred receiving praise from their parents;eight percent chose additional play or freetime; eight percent wanted something moreconcrete, such as food or money. In school,praise even won out over good grades.Ironically, the study revealed that studentsrarely get the rewards they seek.

DROPOUT RATE HIGH AMONG HISPANICS While the gap in the dropout rates of black

and white students is narrowing, the latestdata from the U.S. Department of

Education show that Hispanic students contin-ue to leave school in alarmingly high numbers.The department's 10th annual report ondropouts showed that overall dropout rateshave been decreasing slightly since the1970's. Much of the improvement has comeamong black students, who now leave schoolat rates comparable to those of white students.However, in 1997, 9.5% of Hispanic studentsin grades 10 through 12 left school without adiploma. Only 3.6% of white students and 5%of black students dropped out of school thatyear. To access "Dropout Rates in the UnitedStates: 1997" visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999082.pdf.

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4 CAS Bulletin

Editor’s Note: The CAS Bulletin is once again featuring a series of articles on ConnecticutLearns, Connecticut’s School-to-Career (STC) system. Last year’s series focused on STC’s 8“career clusters.” The 1998-99 series highlights the 5 STC service delivery models. For addi-tional information on STC, contact Ann Gaulin, Program Manager, at (860)807-2102.

School-to-Career systems restructure education so students improve their academic per-formance and become motivated to learn. Students are exposed to a variety of opportu-nities and career paths. Every STC system must include school-based learning, work-

based learning, and “connecting activities.” An STC system can be organized around one ofseveral service-delivery models. The purpose of these models is to provide a structure forschools and businesses to implement the goal of their School-to-Career System. The Service-Delivery Models are: (1) Career Academy; (2) Comprehensive School Conversion; (3)School-Based Enterprise; (4) Magnet School; and, (5) Tech Prep.

Featured Service-Delivery Model: The Comprehensive School Conversion model isbased on the premise that all students of a school have the opportunity to receive an authenticsecondary education, grounded in the School-to-Career elements of school-based learning,work-based learning and connecting activities. All curriculum subjects are revised to reflect CTSchool-to-Career skill standards, leading to the CT Career Certificate.

MANCHESTER LEARNS

Manchester Learns is the moniker for Manchester Public Schools' School-to-Career Ini-tiative, which began in the mid-1990's. During the last year, the district opted to pursue theComprehensive School Conversion model for its School-to-Career (STC) System.

Comprehensive school conversion offers advantages to all of our students. The students:

Within the Comprehensive School Conversion model teachers have options to pursue new,creative delivery systems for students. For example, a team of four staff members is design-ing a prototype model which will enable creation of student-run school based business enter-prises. Several members of our STC Business Advisory Committee will join with staff to coop-eratively develop realistic business prototypes which can be replicated across all curricula.Teachers in various departments can then join several classes together, involving many stu-dents. As part of the Comprehensive School Conversion model there will be a systematic,developmental program in place which provides instructional services to every Manchesterstudent.

Incoming freshmen will be offered the "Skills for Success" course, a ninth grade founda-tions course. (A faculty team is currently developing the freshman foundation course.) Thecourse will be integrated with classroom instruction and will be augmented by special pro-grams and workshops offered by the Career Services Dept. and the Guidance Dept.

All sophomores will be strongly encouraged to participate in at least one job shadow dur-ing the year. Additional shadows will be encouraged. The emphasis is that STC is for all stu-dents, since all students must eventually support themselves. Special programs such as ourannual Career Night will supplement the integrated experience.

During the junior year, the primary emphasis will be on completion of an internship. Allinternships will have a skills manual based on the Connecticut Career Certificate commoncompetencies. Internships are highly recommended but not required. Juniors have the oppor-tunity to participate in one or more of the Pathway Tech Prep programs that are articulatedwith Manchester Community-Technical College and Capital Community-Technical College.

Senior year programs emphasize attendance at programs tailored to specifically meet theneeds of students. These programs include the Job Fair in the Community, First GenerationCollege Support System, Senior Workshops and a variety of other programs designed to com-plement the classroom experience.

All in all, more than half the teaching staff is actively involved in training and planning forthe conversion. This new level of integration, along with the commitment of Central Office andour Career Services Department, assures our sustainability, with strong potential for growth ineffective services to students.

For additional information about Manchester Learns, contact Donald Sierakowski, Direc-tor of Career and Vocational Education, at 860-647-3562.

P receive a strong skill base which enhances their academic success andP see the linkages between classroom instruction, employability skills and their

opportunities to be successful in the employment marketplace.

Sorner

chool-to-careerGOVERNOR’S SCHOLARSHAVE PASSION

by Laura Ferrante Fernandes, Assistant Principal, Masuk H.S.

Connecticut's twenty Governor's Scholarswere feted at a breakfast with CommissionerTheodore Sergi on Thursday, March 31, 1999,in the Old Judiciary Room of the Capitol Build-ing in Hartford. Daniel R. Hatch of Amity Reg.High School was outstanding as chairperson ofthis event as well as the Master of Ceremonies.

The 1999 Governor's scholars are:r Stephanie Brewer - Masuk HSr Evan Tschirhart - Staples HSr Wendy Chou - Westhill HSr Carolyn Choi - Bristol Eastern HSr Anne Ouellette - Bristol Central HSr Emily Bright - Rockville HSr Mashito Ogasawara - Wilton HSr Kelly McCabe - Plainville HSr Lindsey Barske - Tourtellotte HSr Mathew Cherackal - E.O. Smith HSr Crystal Kahn - Fairfield HSr Aiden Evenski - Stonington HSr Michelle Tabone - East Lyme HSr Alison Schary - Trumbull HSr Kristen Underhill - Glastonbury HSr Jason Gerhart - Ellis RVTSr Joshua Greenwald - Waterford HSr Raquel Schaedel - Wilbur Cross HSr Melissa Magner - Mercy HSr Kristina Zdanys - North Haven HS

The Commissioner congratulated the stu-dents and praised them for "having reached thevery highest levels of achievement" and "there-fore, being representatives of the very best inthe high schools of our state."

The students were asked a series of ques-tions to which they responded with intelligent,thoughtful answers. When asked what were thecharacteristics of an effective teacher, AlisonSchary from Trumbull H.S. responded, "Ateacher's role in the classroom is to learn as wellas teach." Raquel Schaedel of Wilbur CrossH.S. replied, "Good teachers must have a senseof humor and they have to love what they areteaching...They have to have passion."

The twenty Governor's Scholars will berecognized formally by Governor Rowland at aluncheon at the Hartford Club on May 27th.Many thanks to our event sponsor, AmericanExpress® Financial Advisers, and to our manyhonored guests: David Larson, MiddletownSuperintendent and President of the CT Assoc.of Public School Superintendents; Allen Taylor,Member of the State Board of Education;Robert Radar, Executive Director, CT Assoc. ofBoards of Education; Daria Plummer, President,CT Education Association; George Springer,President, CT Federation of Teachers; AlanBookman, Principal of Glastonbury HS andPresident of CAS and Jack Henehan, AssociateField Vice President of American Express®Financial Advisers.

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The Fourth Annual Arts RecognitionBanquet was held at the Aqua TurfClub on April 6th. The awards pro-

gram, sponsored annually by WestfieldCorporation, recognizes two seniors in eachof the state's high schools for outstandingability in the performing or visual arts. Twohundred five students from 104 schoolswere recognized this year. More than 1,100parents and educators were in attendance toshare in their students' success.

The banquet was once again an enjoy-able and heartwarming celebration ofConnecticut's young artists. Highlights ofthe evening included musical performancesby the Masuk H.S. Chamber Choir and theHonors String Quartet of the Hartt Schoolof Music. An art exhibit was set up in theballroom to showcase the work of many ofthe visual arts award recipients.

In his fourth appearance, Tom Chute,Program Director for WATR Radio, servedas Master of Ceremonies. Introductoryremarks were offered by Dr. AlanBookman, principal of Glastonbury HighSchool and President of CAS, Gary Karl,Executive Vice-President of WestfieldCorporation, and Dr. Elaine Bessette, prin-

cipal of Hall H.S. and chair of the StudentActivities Board of Control. "You havebrought beauty to our world. You have pro-voked our thoughts. You have enriched usthrough your creativity," praised Dr. ElaineBessette.

Education Commissioner TheodoreSergi delivered warm congratulatoryremarks to the honorees and participated inthe presentation of award plaques.

Robert Morrison, vice-president ofVH1 gave an inspiring keynote address,encouraging students to embrace opportuni-ty, to accept responsibility and to provideleadership. "We complain of the successesof others and at times use this as reason forour own failure to act, to do, tochange...What we want to happen we our-selves must make happen....If we do notlead, who will? We cannot wait for some-one else, somewhere else...," said Mr.Morrisson.

Many thanks to our sponsor, WestfieldCorporation, for making this importantevening possible. Westfield is represented inConnecticut by the Connecticut Post Mall,Meriden Square Mall, Trumbull ShoppingPark, and Enfield Square.

BANQUET CELEBRATES CT’s YOUNG ARTISTS

"To our honorees, I give you a respon-sibility. The responsibility to neverallow a music or arts education pro-gram to be cut wherever you live, with-out at least trying to fight to keep itgoing. Others fought so that youwould have a chance, now it isyour responsibility to ensurethat others may follow you."

— Robert Morrisson

Robert Morrison, Vice President, VH1

CAS and SNET have joined forces to promote arts education and encourage creativi-ty among CT's students. Last month, every public and private school in the state was invit-ed to submit one original, student-created composition of SNET's well-known jingle. Eachcomposition was to be performed by the school's music department and could include theband, orchestra, jazz ensemble, chorus, and other school singing ensembles or any combi-nation of these musical groups.

Entries, which were due to CAS by April 30th, will be judged on musical quality andinnovation. The school submitting the first place entry will be awarded a grant of $2,500and two runner-up schools will receive grants of $1,000 each. Selections will be made thismonth.

Both SNET and CAS have an ongoing commitment to promoting arts education inConnecticut. "We recognize the value of school music programs and how they foster inno-vation and creativity as exciting elements of their curriculum", said Dr. Robert Carroll,Assistant Executive Director at CAS. "Our jingle contest should be a really fun way to get

the creative juices of high school students flowing."According to Tom Buckley, Manager Education Relations SNET, "This

is a great way for student musicians to express themselves and to demonstratetheir considerable musical talent. We're looking forward to what we know will

be unique and extremely creative renditions of our SNET jingle."Questions about the program should be addressed to Dr. Robert F. Carroll

at the CAS office (203) 250-1111.

CAS & SNET TEAM UP TO STIMULATE STUDENT CREATIVITY

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CAS OFFICERS 1998-99President..............Alan Bookman, GlastonburyV. President................Tony Molinaro, DanburySecretary.......................Donald Gates, PortlandTreasurer........Allen Fossbender, New Fairfield

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFFMichael H. Savage..............Executive DirectorRobert Carroll............Asst. Executive DirectorTimothy Doyle...........Asst. Executive DirectorThomas Galvin...........Asst. Executive DirectorAnthony Mosa............Asst. Executive DirectorKaren Nastri...........Editor, Asst. Exec DirectorAnn Malafronte.......Director of Unified SportsJ. Robert Ford............Director of Development

THE BULLETIN Published monthly except July, August and Sept. bythe Connecticut Association of Schools at 30 RealtyDr., Cheshire, CT, 06410. Phone: (203)250-1111.Subscriptions to the BULLETIN are a membershipservice; subscription costs are $5.00 for senior highschools; $1.00 for middle leveland elementaryschools; $1.00 for associate and retired members.Third class postage paid at New Haven, CT. Permit#561. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to --BULLETIN, 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, CT 06410.

5May 1999

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6 CAS Bulletin

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ART EDUCATORS RECEIVERECOGNITION

Each year, the Connecticut ArtEducation Association recog-nizes outstanding art educators.

Congratulations to the 1998 CAEAEducators of the year.

e Outstanding Elementary Educator:Nancy B MacBride, Voluntown E.S.

e Outstanding Middle Level Educator:Kathleen Sulots, Cromwell M.S.

e Outstanding Secondary Educator:Donna Gorman, Farmington H.S.

e Outstanding Museum Educator:Sharon Stotz, Hillstead Museum

(Farmington)e Outstanding Arts Advocate:

Dr. Stephen Murphy, PrincipalStonington High School

e Distinguished Service To the Profession:Eileen McVicar (retired), Rocky Hill HS

e Outstanding Art Educator:Chip Zillner, Wilton High School

Not only is Chip Zillner Connecti-cut’s Art Educator of the Year, he is alsothe National Art Education Associa-tion’s Eastern Regional Art Educator ofthe Year and was recognized on March26th at the National Convention inWashington DC. Robert Saunders, ArtConsultant Emeritus, State Dept. ofEducation, was also recognized at thisyear’s national convention. Robert wasawarded the prestigious LowenfeldAward by the National Art EducationAssociation, for a lifetime of significantcontributions to Art Education through-out the country. He presented theLowenfeld Lecture at the convention.

CAEA sends out Educator of theYear nomination forms to superintend-ents each May. Take the time to write aletter of nomination so your teacher canreceive the recognition he/she deserves.An awards dinner is held as the openingof the CAEA Fall Conference. Thisyear's conference will be held at theSheraton Four-Points Hotel in Water-bury on October 18, 1999. Encourageyour art teachers to belong to their pro-fessional organization, CAEA/NAEA,(1-800-299-8321 for membership infor-mation) and to participate in this impor-tant professional development opportu-nity.

SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

The Regional Scholastic Art Exhibition was January 17 -February5, 1999, at Taub Hall Gallery, Hartford Art School. Four hundred sixty-three works of art were on display, chosen by judges from approximately 1,200pieces entered. The awards ceremony was held at the University of Hartford,Lincoln Theater, on January 30. Works which won the Special and Gold Keyawards are sent on to a national competition in Washington DC. The Scholastic ArtAwards National Exhibition will be held at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC,in June.

This year's Special Award winners are:

O American Vision Award (national honor)Paul Badeau, Manchester H.S. Matthew Beauchemin, Norwich Free Acad.Jeong Eun Kim, Westover SchoolJulie Lucca, South Windsor H.S.Dony Permedi, Northwestern Region #7

O CAAA Binney and Smith Award Group 1 - Drawing: Tatiana Klacsmann, Hotchkiss SchoolGroup 2 - Drawing:John Wanczyk, Manchester H.S.Photography: Jeong Eun Kim, Westover

O CAEA Judges Award Group 1: Natacha Diosa, Sheehan H.S.Group 2: Allia Strong, Norwich Free Acad.

O CAEA/Arnini Award Group 1 - Best in show - 2D: John Matos, Kingswood-Oxford SchoolGroup 2 - Best in show - 3D: Brittany Zuckerman, Cornwall Consolidated

O University of CT Best in Show: Dony Permedi, NW Region #7Best in Painting: Matthew Beauchemin, NFABest in Drawing: John Wanczyk, Manchester H.S.Best in Sculpture: Wesley Jenks, East Hampton H.S.

O CT Graphic Arts Center Printmaking: Sheena Gordon, Central H.S.

O Farmington Valley Arts Center Group 1 - Crafts: April Carlin, Tominson MS

O Wesleyan Potters Award (scholarship) Group 1 - Ceramics: Rebecca Evans, Robbins Middle SchoolGroup 2 - Ceramics: Ella Chorabik, Plainville High School

O Koenig’s Art Emporium Award Group 2 - Artisan: Alissa Simkowski, NFA

O Dick Blick (Plainville) Award Group 1 - Artisan: Brittany Zuckerman, Cornwall Consolidated

O Hartford Art School Scholarship Monica Sendrowski, Plainville H.S.

Art Portfolio Award• Elizabeth Abbott, Tolland H.S.• Lisa Bell, Simsbury H.S.• Kajsa Brown, Aces Educational Center for the Arts

• Kevin Clemente, Nonnewaug HS• Tim DeVoe, Nonnewaug H.S.• Katherine Green, Hall H.S.• Dayna Leavitt, Aces Educational Center for the Arts

• Jungmin Lee, Westover School• Alexis Neider, Miss Porter's• Whitney Oat, Norwich Free Acad.• Ian Pawluk, Norwich Free Acad.• Lucinda Pittari, Nonnewaug H.S.• Monica Sendrowski, Plainville H.S.

• Alex Stocks Prandy, Tolland H.S.• Allia Strong, Norwich Free Acad.• Kimberly Taylor, Norwich Free Academy

• Jessica Volinski, Greenwich H.S.• Erika Walter, Avon H.S.• PaulWei, Windsor H.S.

Photography Portfolio Award• Jessica Banning, Maloney H.S.• Erica Ferorovich, Hotchkiss• Erin Herzeelle, Westover School• Gigi Monroe, Central H.S.• Marianna Pang, Daniel Hand H.S.• Mark Pfeffer, Litchfield H.S.• Eric Porter, Wilton H.S.• Adriana Rodgiguez, Central H.S.

Congratulations to all participatesin this year’s Scholastic Arts andgood luck to all who are competingat the national level. ScholasticArts is sponsored by the CT ArtEducation Association, HartfordArt School, Unversity of Hartford,The Hartford Courant, TheTravelers Insurance Group, and theCT Commission on the Arts.______

(Items on this page submitted byDenise Malnati, Chair of the CASArts Committee)

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7May 1999

Several years ago, the president ofthe Board of Directors of LPA (Litch-field Performing Arts), a communityorganization whose focus lies in bring-ing cultural events to the public, collab-orated with interested school administra-tors and teachers from several local dis-tricts. The plan was to implement andintegrate an art education program intothe 7th grade curriculum at theseschools.

Project Poetry Live! is an innova-tive, multi-school district arts-in-educa-tion residency program that teachespoetry, music, dance and art in an inte-grated curriculum with ethnic diversity.

This January, the Alvin AileyRepertory Ensemble, under the directionof Sylvia Waters, taught the dance com-ponent of the project to l,500 7th gradersfrom Litchfield, Waterbury, Watertown,Torrington, Thomaston, Wamogo, andWinsted during a week long residency.

Choreographer Earl Mosley, origi-

nally from Raleigh, North Carolina, cre-ated a dance based on selected pieces ofpoetry that had been written in the fall bystudents, under the guidance of profes-sional poets who visited their Englishclasses. All 7th grade students weregiven the opportunity to audition for aplace in the dance number. After the try-outs, 34 boys and girls were selected toperform for their peers and the public. Inaddition, blues pianist Henry Butlerwrote a dance score which also evolvedfrom the selected students' poems. Asix-year-old Arts-in- Education Programdesigned and developed by LPA Execu-tive Director Vita Muir made these expe-riences possible.

The project also brought studentstogether with musicians, a variety oflocal community artists who encouragedthe expression of poetry through a hostof art forms, and set designer ManuelVega, of New York City. Mr. Vega men-tored a team of artistic students from

each of the seven schools as theydesigned and painted colorful panels thatwere used to decorate the stage for thedance presentation.

The culminating event of the projectwas an art show and dance performancehosted by Naugatuck Valley CommunityCollege, in Waterbury. Students fromthe participating schools had an oppor-tunity to view the artwork and danceduring special times set aside for them.A formal opening reception and perfor-mance was held for the public on Fridayevening, March 12.

Project Poetry Live! obtains back-ing from the Sheer Thoss Foundationand is conducted in partnership withEducation Connection and the StateDepartment of Education.

Marilyn Geurrera-Ferency, a teacher atLitchfield High School, is currently serv-ing as “teacher-in-residence” at theState Department of Education.

Lots of classes. Lots of practicing.Even more studying. Too manylate nights and early mornings.

Not enough sleep. Reputation as a badperformer. Reputation as a music ed.geek. No time. No time. No time.

Does this sound familiar? It seemsto be a common agreement that musiced. majors are stressed. Why? Becausewe live hurried lives. We do all the workand don't get any of the glory. Why dowe do it though? Is it because we could-n't cut it as performers? Is it because wearen't secure enough to risk a career inperformance? Is it because our mom anddad made us? Is it because we are glut-tons for punishment?

I think not.We do it because we love music and

we love people. We do it because welive our lives seeking challenge afterchallenge for a reward of knowing thatsomewhere along the line we're going tomake meaningful artistic impressions.We major in music education because wewant to work with people. We major inmusic education because we believe inthe value of a well-rounded educationalexperience for everyone. We major inmusic ed. because we believe in thepower and wonder of expression. Wemajor in music education because welive and love the arts.

Some uninformed people believethose who can't do teach. I disagree withthat. I have been taught to live by a phi-losophy that those who can do, do. Butthose who do more teach. Joseph Jou-bert said, to teach is to learn twice. Thisis truly the credo of our chosen profes-sion.

Let's think about being a music edu-cation major for another reason now. Isubmit to you that majoring in musiceducation is truly the most comprehen-sive undergraduate program in music.Music education majors take a wealth ofcourses in theory, history, conducting,piano, education, psychology, liberal artsand sciences, not to mention appliedlessons and performance ensembleswhile participating in productions suchas operas, musicals, etc. What othermajor can afford to provide so much in afour (or possibly five) year curriculumthan that of music education? Theanswer is obvious. No program can. Soif majoring in music education for thesake of people and the arts is not enoughfor you, think about how prepared forgraduate school you will be if that helps.It should not have to, but why not.

To the rest of you though, I believethat the new millennium will bring withit a refreshed view of American culture.A 21st century Renaissance if you will.

We will realize that we have existed in averitable cultural Dark Age since the late1970's and a resurgence of the Arts willsweep the nation. As classroom teacherswe will be responsible for educating apopulation of literate composers, per-formers, and responders of music. Weshall step up to the task of creating theeducation generation. Seek hopethrough all this work. See truth in allthis grand rhetoric. The truth is onlyas true as a person makes it. If webelieve enough of the power to educatethe arts we will succeed. If our life mis-sion is truly to live a service professionthat has been dumped upon consistentlyfor the last twenty years, we will do itand we will do it well. We shall provewrong all those who devalue society'smirror, the Arts.

Being a music educator does notseem to be about performance highs orfalling back into a career. It's about hav-ing a passion for a higher level of thehuman experience. It's about wanting tohelp people grow as total human beings,to be literate contributors in an artisticsociety, and to learn about the wonderthat we call life.

Sean Burton is a junior majoring inmusic education at the Hartt School,University of Hartford.

SEVENTH GRADERS COME ALIVE THROUGH PROJECT POETRY LIVE!By Marilyn Guerrera-Ferency

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MAJOR IN MUSIC EDUCATION?By Sean Burton

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8 CAS Bulletin

middle school news

Children Who Read Reap Many BenefitsChildren who are always reading books on their own — above andbeyond school requirements — are "different" from kids who rarelyread, according to Keeping Kids Reading: How to Raise AvidReaders in the Video Age, by Mary Leonhardt.

After teaching high school English for 25 years, Ms. Leonhardtdiscovered that avid readers:

Source:Mary Leonhardt, Keeping Kids Reading: How to Raise Avid Readers in the VideoAge, 1996 (Crown Publishers, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022)

Many thanks to CAS middle level prin-cipals for their cooperation inresponding to several recent sur-

veys conducted by the Central Office. Allsurveys have been underaken in responseto requests for information from memberschools. The high response rates showthat, despite busy schedules, principals aretaking the time to complete these question-naires and, thus, recognize the value ofsharing information with their colleagues.Thank you for your participation.

STUDY DISPUTES POPULAR MYTH ABOUT BULLYING A study by a professor at the University of Bergin in Norway looked at the characteristics ofchildren who were bullies as well as those of children who were bullied. Research found thatthe popular belief that bullies have underlying insecurity and anxiety is NOT true. In fact,bullies have a low level of anxiety. The typical bully has "an aggressive personality pattern"combined, at least in boys, with physical strength. The factors which were determined to helpcreate an aggressive personality problem were found to be:

* negative emotional attitudes of the primary caretaker characterized by lack of warmth;* permissiveness by the primary caretaker for the child's aggressive behavior;* use of "power-assertive child rearing methods" such as physical punishment; and* the child's temperament.

Eighty percent of the children who were bullied "seem to signal to others that they are inse-cure and worthless individuals who will not retaliate if attacked." Younger and weaker chil-dren were bullied more than older and stronger kids. It was not found to be true that kids whowere bullied did anything to provoke the bully. Boys were found to engage in three times asmuch bullying as girls.

2-1-1 CALL CENTER BEGINS

OPERATION

Who would you call if youwere a teenage runawayand wanted to come in offthe streets? Or if your heatwas cut off in the middle of

the winter? Or if you just moved to a new cityand wanted to find volunteer opportunities?

Now there is a three-digit number to callin CT for the answers to these and many morequestions. The number is 2-1-1 and will ringthrough to Infoline, an established information,referral, and crisis intervention service (previ-ously 1-800-203-1234). In recent years, appx.180,000 calls have come into Infoline annual-ly. They've included requests for everythingfrom where to place a stray animal to crisiscalls for emergency shelter or suicide-relatedcalls. Infoline expects the calls to increase byabout 50% as a result of the new number. Aspart of last year's budget, Governor Rowlandappropriated nearly $1.7 for Infoline capitalexpenditures and operating expenses. Themoney was used for a state-of-the-art tele-phone system and additional staff.

The United Way of Connecticut serves asthe administrator of Infoline, which operates 24hours a day, 365 days a year. Professionalcase workers help callers with simple andcomplex problems. Caseworkers are continu-ally trained, including instruction in suicide pre-vention and crisis intervention.

CAS Assistant Executive Director TomGalvin worked with representatives from Unit-ed Way in the launching of the Infoline 2-1-1awareness campaign.

A recent survey by theJosephson Institute of Ethicslooked at students’ ethics atschool. Of the 10,069 middleschool students surveyed,

54% had admitted to cheatingon an exam and 70% had

admitted lying to a teacher atleast once in the 12 months

prior to the survey.

MM

Q are better readers AND writers.Q concentrate better.Q score higher on Standardized Achievement Tests (SATs).Q have more diverse interests.Q weather personal trauma more easily.Q master new academic areas with less effort. (Their reading gives them a more

extensive "framework" in history, science, and other areas that helps them put new learning in context.)

Q are better thinkers — more able to "sift through" information and understand how unrelated facts fit into the larger picture.

Q better understand how other people think and feel.Q are more flexible in their thinking — more open to new ideas.Q enjoy learning more.

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9May 1999

elementary news

Research hasshown that high quali-ty preschool experi-ences positively affectoutcomes for children,both in later schoolsuccess and even into

adulthood. Many factors affect the quality ofofferings of preschool experiences. Theyinclude the curricular experiences, the qualityand stability of staff, opportunities availableto staff for ongoing professional develop-ment, including parents as an integral part ofthe program, and the extent to which compre-hensive services are provided to children.

The State Department of Education(SDE) provided funding to programs in twotowns, New Haven and West Hartford, foreach to establish a Laboratory School forpreschool age children who are 3-5 years old.Funding for the two programs was authorizedthrough Public Act 98-243: An Act Concern-ing Early Reading Success.

Each Laboratory School is a collabora-tive venture between an early childhood edu-cation program and a higher education insti-tution. The New Haven Board of Educationand Yale University Child Study Center willbe responsible for New Haven's LaboratorySchool and St. Joseph College and the WestHartford Public Schools for West Hartford's.

The underlying vision for the operationof the Laboratory Schools is that these pro-grams will:P provide practical, site-based demonstra-tions of high quality preschool and child care

programming;P provide access to early childhood practi-tioners and others who provide professionaldevelopment and training for child care andeducation teaching and support staff; andP exemplify high quality practice where the-oretical information about preschool studentlearning and classroom management can bedemonstrated and appropriately disseminatedto effect successful age-appropriate learningin children.

The ProgramThe Laboratory Schools will serve as modeldemonstration sites of high quality earlychildhood programming. These programswill support the overall well-being of childrenand their families by providing comprehen-sive early childhood services and a range ofservices to families. The Laboratory Schoolswill participate in research that shows thebenefits of high quality early childhood pro-grams to children, families and communities.

These schools will operate from a devel-opmental early childhood philosophical baseand will include the following areas:P Early childhood curriculumthat is devel-opmentally appropriate, significantlyaddresses early literacy development and islinked with the public school curriculum andkindergarten entry requirements of the town;P Child care servicesas a continuum of theearly childhood curriculum, which will beprovided for 10 hours per day and 52 weeksper year for working parents or parents ineducation or training programs;

P Comprehensive early childhood serviceswhich include health screening, immuniza-tions, mental health support, dental treatmentand follow-up, health education and nutrition;P Integration of children with disabilitiessoas to provide an environment where childrenwith special needs or disabilities can benefitfrom inclusion with their non-disabled peers;P Partnership with parentsin the successfuldevelopment and education of their children,including decision making and enhancing thefamily's ability to meet the needs of children,including those with disabilities;P Training and support for program staff pro-vided on an ongoing basis, based on staffneeds, programmatic needs of children andfamilies and priorities established by the SDEand the higher education institution;P Assessmentof children on an ongoingbasis through the use of approaches that areappropriate for documenting and reportingthe development of children across a range ofabilities; andP A transition planfor ensuring the smoothtransition of children and families into theLaboratory School and from the LaboratorySchool to kindergarten.

The establishment of the LaboratorySchools provides an exciting opportunity forchildren, families, and communities to high-light two high quality early childhood pro-grams, advance early childhood research andsupport professional development for earlychildhood educators.

For further information, please contactDr. Jackson Alleyne at (860) 807-2053.

SUBSTITUTE “TIPS”: In January, CAS surveyed its member schools to learn what strategies have been implement-ed locally to cope with the ever-growing subtitute shortgage. Because this problem is ongoing, we plan to publish a few “tips” eachmonth. We encourage you to share your strategies with us by writing to Maureen Fitzpatrick, Principal, Killingworth Elem., P.O.Box 609, Killingworth, CT 06419 / Fax: 860-663-3827 / E-mail: [email protected].)

O From Jeffrey Forman, Acting Principal, Dwight School in Hartford: “Rarely does a day go by where we are not short of asubstitute. It is very distracting and usually results in sacrificing services from other classes. We tend to do one of the following:* Pull one of our paraprofessionals, or a series of para, who are certified by the district as substitutes (there

are three in our school). They do not like this nor do their assigned teachers who are relying on them.* Break up the class to other classes in that grade, and/or the grade above it and below it. Our school is

PK - 6 and has 625 students so there are 3-5 classrooms per grade.* Reorganize the substitutes we do get. For example if we get a sub for phys-ed or kindergarten and none

for fourth grade, the fourth grade class would get the sub.* We do not pull special teachers or resource teachers except in a rare emergency.* We need to make certain that lesson plans are of high quality and are accessible when substitutes or our

own paraprofessionals go into the class for these emergencies.Substitutes in our district make approximately $75 per day and have their own union. A solution, but probably expensive

option, is to have at least one permanent, certified teacher assigned to the building who would serve as a substitute on a dailybasis and be a resource to other teachers when not being used as a sub. This would also ensure high quality teaching and con-tinuity of instruction when the regular teacher is absent. In our district, which has 34 schools, this would cost over $1 million butwould be somewhat offset by saving on substitutes. Another solution is obviously to decrease the need for substitutes by improv-ing teacher attendance through increased accountability tools and wellness programs.

Research to Practice, Practice to Research in Early Childhood EducationBy Dr. Camille Jackson Alleyne, Education Consultant, State Dept. of Education

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(received viae-mail 3/8/99)

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Launch of On-Line Eligibility System a Huge Success!The CIAC Central Office staff extends its most sincere thanks to the memberschools who used the new on-line eligibility system to file their spring eligibilityforms. Although the use of the on- line system was not mandatory this season,more than 61 schools took advantage of the opportunity to file their forms elec-tronically. We are pleased to report that, aside from some minor operating "glitch-es," the debut of the new system was a huge success. The on-line system receivednear unanimous support and praise from its users. At the start of the spring sea-son, the Central Office fielded more than 150 calls about the new system, withprincipals, secretaries and athletic directors alike offering very favorable reviews.We are pleased that members found the system to be user-friendly and we aregratified to know that they are in full support of the direction in which we aremoving.

10 CAS Bulletin

WE CREATED THIS SPORTSABOMINATION

By Dan Bickley, The Arizona Republic

The first mistake is thinking we can relate,applying the laws of society to an athletes' worldthat has none.

They can choke their boss and beat the sys-tem. They can fail eight sobriety tests and walkaway unpunished. They can smoke dope ontheir way to practice without repercussion. And,yes, they can even get away with murder.

You can't wiggle out of a parking ticket.So now you're outraged, wondering how the

monster got out of control. Well, time to look inthe mirror. We have created what we scorn. Youhear the Suns are raising season ticket prices awhopping 18% so they can make the rich evenricher. You will scream and complain, and thenyou will reach for your wallet.

You don't mind that Mike Bibby hasfathered a child out of wedlock, as long as he'stearing up the court. You forget about JakePlummer's nightclub act, as long as he's com-pleting passes. And the moral indignationdirected at the hooligans of sport inevitably dis-appears once they're playing for your team.

No Need for Us AnymoreOnce upon a time, it wasn't hard for the pro-

fessional athlete to remain grounded in civility.Most of them knew they had to return to workonce their careers were over. Some had to findjobs in the off-season. Only the great ones couldafford to act like boors.

We like to romanticize about a forgotten erawhen athletes willingly connected with fans, butin truth, they simply needed us. They had to stayin tune with our lives.

Now, one contract and they're set for life.And even the worst misfits of society can't screwit up, for no matter the digression, another teamis always clamoring for their skills. That com-bination is lethal.

But the corruption of perspective beginsmuch earlier. There is so much money in sportsthat it trickles all the way down to the gradeschools. In pursuit of the college scholarship,parents push Junior to make all the necessarytravel teams. Street agents comb the play-grounds, lining pockets with cash. And collegerecruiters engage in a covert bidding war, tryingto lure signatures.

continued on following page

ciac news

Eligibility Database Stats:# of schools using the on-line system: 61# of teams registered electronically: 352# of athletes entered into database: 9,176 athletes

CIAC ADOPTS NEW FINE POLICY

At its April 22nd meeting, the CIAC Board of Control adopted a new policy gov-erning the minimum fines which can be levied against member schools. Prior to itsadoption, the policy, which was drafted by a sub-committee of the board, wasreviewed by and discussed with the state’s athletic directors.

4.30 CIAC FINE POLICY

Minimum FinesEffective July 1, 2000

1. Violations of rules of eligibility, Art. IX - CIAC Bylaws, inclusive.....................................$100 per player per game

(not to exceed $500)

2. Violations of CIAC regulations as described in the 1999-2000 Handbook.....................................$250 per incident

(not to exceed $750)

3. Recruitment violations............................................$1,000 to $10,000 per incident

4. Failure to comply with Player/Coach Disqualification Policy..........................................................................$250

5. Violations of Sports Committee game and tournament regulations as described in individual sport information brochures and publications.........$250

6. Filing of athletic schedules, administrative forms, eligibility lists, and tournament information after the deadline...........................$50

7. Failure to comply with regulations which affect tournament outcomes........$1,000

8. Incorrect tournament information provided to sport committees.....................$250

This fine schedule does not preclude the CIAC Board from determining finesfor violations not specifically covered above. In all cases these amounts areminimum and may be increased by the CIAC Board. Punitive monetary finesnot to exceed $10,000 may be imposed.

u e s tE D I T O R I A LG

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11May 1999

The Connecticut Commission onHuman Rights and Opportunities hasdismissed a complaint against theCIAC involving a charge of discrimato-ry practices. On March 26, 1999, theCIAC was informed by the Commis-sion that its regulation which preventeda Greenwich male athlete the opportu-nity to participate on a female fieldhockey team was not in violation ofConnecticut general statutes and TitleIX of the Education Amendment Act of1972.

The Commission ruling stated thatGreenwich High School and the CIAC arenot “places of public accommodation, norare they entities engaged in the businessof offering such. A public high school isby its very nature and purpose, a facilitywith significant restrictions on those whomay avail themselves of its facilities andcore programs. None of its athletic teams,which are regulated and overseen by theCIAC, are open to the general public.”Further, the Commission said: “Nothingsuggests that the legislature intended tovest any enforcement authority for Sec-tion 10-15c in the Commission on HumanRights and Opportunities. The Commis-

sion having no jurisdiction in or responsi-bilities over discrimination in access topublic school activities and programs, thecomplaint must therefore be and hereby isdismissed.

Although the Commission deter-mined it had no jurisdiction in this matter,its decision included some statements onthe merits of the case. Those statementswere supportive of the CIAC’s regulationto prohibit boys from playing on girlsteams. The decision states: “The legitima-cy of the rule at issue was in factaddressed by the file contents. Therespondent, CIAC, did in October of1997, submit an inquiry to the UnitedStates Department of Education, Office ofCivil Rights (OCR)...That specific inquirywas as to whether the respondent’s long-standing and published male/female teamexclusion was proper. Lengthy writtenresponse was returned from OCR which,after reviewing a number of elements ofthe issue, case cites, and other practicalsamples, stated in conclusion: ‘Given thisanalysis, the OCR concludes that theCIAC’s regulation is consistent with theprovisions of and purpose behind Title IXand its regulations.’”

ciac news

CIAC WINS FAVORABLE RULING FROM CHRO

Guest editorial, continuedThe line between success and failure isdrawn at an early age, and too often, it istied to athletics. Those who can't cut it arescarred before high school. And those whodo are flooded with adulation, thrown intothe vacuum in hopes they'll emerge fromthe other side, making the family proud.And famous. And rich.

They are pampered and coddled,blessed with a safety net of unlimited toler-ance. They are told they are different, sin-gled out as a rare gift to humanity. Thenthey reach the pros and find ridiculousmoney thrown in their laps.

Only a select few can see through thisavalanche of stardust. Would you?

Abuses Turn CriminalOnce it was staggering when we dis-

covered athletes who would retire withoutthe ability to read or make an airline reser-vation. Now, the abuse of privilege is farmore serious, meandering off into the crim-inal arena. But no matter the outcry, ourallegiance never changes. We are burnedby our own gullibility, our fierce addiction

to sports.Charles Barkley slanders white people

and everyone laughs. Lawrence Phillipsdrags his girlfriend down a flight of stairsand is reinstated in time for a bowl game.Tony Phillips is busted for crack cocaineand within hours of being charged as afelon, he is allowed to dress for the Califor-nia Angels. And as he wanders on the fieldat Comiskey Park, people in the stands lineup for his autograph.

Yes, they believe they're different onlybecause we make them feel that way. Weprovide the pedestal, the lifestyle, and thelicense to act like sloths. And all the while,we can't stop cheering.

They are not us, but they are our cre-ation. So save your anger for somethingelse; the athletic immunity they enjoy is agift we willingly bestow. The indictment ismore of us than them.

ADVANCING YOUNG WOMEN INSPORTS CAREER

SYMPOSIUM A SUCCESS!By Ann Malafronte, Chair

CIAC Women in Sports Committee

One hundred and twenty-four highschool females from Hartford County gath-ered in Wilde Auditorium at the University ofHartford to hear the inspirational remarks ofPam Batalis, formerly of the New EnglandBlizzard and the American BasketballLeague. Ms. Batalis’ address was just one ofthe highlights of the April 7th Sports CareerSymposium sponsored by the CIAC and theCT Women’s Sports Council.

The event was designed to encourageand prepare high school girls to become life-long participants in sports. Legendary rolemodels in women's sports history, such asDonna Lopiano, Executive Director of theWomen's Sports Foundation; Debbie Chin,Athletic Director at University of NewHaven; Brenda Reilly, former college coachand official; Diane Uccello, Madison SquareGarden Event Management; and Carol Stiff,ESPN Program Planner offered their words ofadvice on selecting a career.

Plans are underway for next year’s sym-posium in the southern part of Connecticut.Thank you to all who assisted to make thisday the wonderful one that it turned out to be!

Donna Lopiano (l), executive director of theWomen’s Sports Foundation and Suzi D’Annolfo, member of the CIAC Women in Sports Committee

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12 CAS Bulletin

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEW HAVEN, CTPERMIT NO. 561

Right Steps to Sports©ERASE (East of the River Action for Substance-AbuseElimination), the Connecticut branch of the NationalYouth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) and theCT Parks and Recreation Association have joinedforces to create a special outreach effort to coaches ofyouth sports. This effort involves the implementation ofRight Steps to Sports©, a program that teaches youthcoaches the importance of being positive role modelswho encourage kids to be substance-free. It is designedto raise awareness about the substance abuse problemamong youth and help coaches to find simple and effec-tive ways to help their community, their athletes, andparents to promote drug use prevention.

Individuals can be trained to serve as trainers/facilitators and can themselves train their local coaches.The training of trainers/facilitators involves the comple-tion of a five-hour training session. The next "Train theTrainer" session will be held on June 7th, 1999 from 3-8:00 p.m. at the ERASE building (70 Canterbury Street,East Hartford). To participate in the training session orfor further information, contact Anita Miazga at(860)568-4442. There is no cost involved in participat-ing in the Right Steps© program.

1. Immediately following the conclu-sion of the fourth quarter, a coin toss isto be held with the visiting team captaincalling heads or tails. The winner of thetoss shall be given the choice of the ballor playing defense. The loser shall begiven the choice of direction to put theball in play.2. After a three minute rest period,during which both teams may conferwith their coaches, the offensive teamshall put the ball in play, first and ten, onthe twenty-five yard line.3. The rules for loss of possession arethe same as during the regulation game.If a touchdown is scored, the try for anextra point(s) will follow. Field goalattempts are permitted during any down.When a team scores via either a fieldgoal or the try for point following atouchdown it gives up possession of theball.4. After loss of possession, the defen-sive team shall become the offensive

team with the ball, first and ten from thetwenty-five yard line at the same end ofthe field.5. Each team will be allowed oneadditional time out for each extra period,and any unused regulation game time-outs.6. Rules pertaining to offensive anddefensive pass interference remain thesame in the overtime period.7. If the defensive team gains posses-sion of the football by recovering a fum-ble or intercepting a pass, the ball imme-diately becomes dead. The defensiveteam may not score points.8. The team scoring the greater num-ber of points in the overtime shall bedeclared the winner. If the scoreremains tied, the aforementioned proce-dure shall be repeated a maximum ofthree (3) times. If the score is still tiedco-champions will be declared. Thesemi-final game(s) will continue until awinner is declared.

New Rules Governing Tie Games in FootballThe CIAC Football Committee has voted to adopt the NCAA tie-breaker sys-tem for playoff games. The following procedure will be effective this fall:

CIAC News & NotesO The National Federation is instituting new sanctioning procedures effec-tive August 1, 1999. Any game or multi-school event sponsored by an out-side agency must now be sanctioned by the NF. In addition to some minorchanges in sanctioning procedures, all NF sanction forms have beenchanged. For further information about the changes, please contact TonyMosa in the CIAC office.O State high school associations will no longer have the option to alterweigh-in procedures in high school wrestling, effective with the 1999-2000season. The NF Wrestling Rules Committee has instituted a rule requiringthat all contestants weigh in during the allotted time periods outlined inRules 4-5-1 and 4-5-3 of the NF Wrestling Rules. In a dual meet, wrestlersshall weigh in a maximum of 1 hour and a minimum of 30 minutes beforethe scheduled start of the meet. In tournament competition, contestantsshall weigh in at the site a maximum of 2 hours and a minimum of 30 min-utes before the first session begins. Weigh-ins for subsequent days of atournament, however, may be established by the state association.O Congratulations to Frank Berlinger, longtime softball official fromAnsonia, who was recently inducted into the Amateur Softball Associationof America's prestigious National Indicator Fraternity.

1999 Girls Soccer Tournament Dates Set

1st Round — Nov. 82nd Round — Nov. 10Quarter-finals — Nov. 12-13Semi-finals — Nov. 16-17Finals — Nov. 20

Rules governing tie games:1st: A ten minute "sudden victory" overtime period shall be

played.2nd: A second ten minute "sudden victory" overtime period

shall be played.3rd: Penalty kicks

a) Five (5) players from each team each kick once alternately or until the lead is insurmountable.

b) Five (5) different players from each team kick once alternately or until the lead is insurmountable.

c) Repeat (b) until tie is broken. Players who have kicked may be used a second time.