Good Afternoon, CompSci Families,

We hope this weekend has treated everyone well. Last week was a great full week of school, with students focusing in on starting the 2nd semester off right. This week we welcome the start of Black History Month. Like other focus months, we will have a series of announcements, events, and activities related to Black History. Please take a few moments to review the information below.

With appreciation,

Mr. Carter

Racial Justice Action Week - February 11 - 14

February Break - President's Day Weekend - No School Monday and Tuesday February 17 and 18

Parent Teacher Conferences - March 12 & 13 (Half Days)

Day of Prevention Vendor Fair - March 14 - Half Day

SAT Day - 11th and PSAT 9th Grade - Wednesday March 26

The Academy of Computer Science and Engineering this week was named a National Magnet School of America - School of Distinction. This honor was given to 200 magnet schools across the country and only 2 other High Schools in Connecticut. In competition with 1,000's of magnet schools, CompSci High was recognized for its innovative and rigorous curriculum, diverse learning community, and long term focus on impacting student futures.

The week of February 10 - 14, students at CompSci High will be engaging in daily programming ranging from culinary activities, digital media, discussion panels, and much more. All activities will be facilitated by CompSci High Staff. More information will be coming up in the next week.

Per CREC and School Policy, students should not be utilizing a personal device within the school. Personal devices pose a threat to our network and technology system as they do not have the same filters and protections. Additionally, these items function the same as a phone and can cause a disruption to the learning of a student. This can include laptops, Ipads, and tablets. Students will be told over the next few weeks that theses items will not be allowed to be in use during class. They will be treated as phones during class time. Your support with this is very important.

If you are still in need of accessing Powerschool, please do the following below to either find or recover your username and password:

1. Check your primary email from mid August for an email from "CREC PowerSchool"

- If you do not find that email please do step 2

2. Email powerschoolsupport@crec.org - state that you cannot log into your account and they will provide you with your username and password

Homework Club is starting at Comp Sci High!

Who Should Attend:

• Any student that would benefit from working with staff members to complete work or require extra help.

When Does it Run:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15 – 4:30pm in the Library (with a snack provided).

Expectations:

• Students need to have work to complete - This is not a hangout club
• No Cell phones will not be allowed during HW Club.
• No Food Deliveries are allowed

Transportation Home:

• Both Hartford Late Bus and a Suburban Late busses are available.
• Please look at the list of stops here for more information https://docs.google.com/document/d/1llvZLHtkg921a0dfSb5tJif4vjIN5jnQenkQEkekLLo/edit?usp=sharing.

How to Sign Up:

• Parents/guardians only can sign up students for Homework Club starting at 8am Friday mornings through 8am Tuesday.
• Students cannot elect to stay without their parent signing them up.
• This allows us to provide enough time to staff members to prepare.
• If your student is interested in attending, please fill out this form https://forms.gle/7DWtastEU5XYxMSa7
  
• The form will ask you which days your student is interested in attending as well as how your student will be getting home.

We are looking to start clubs in then next few weeks. Students can look to join:

Esports - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - See Mr. McGurk/Ms. Jas

Robotics - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - See Ms. Windsor-Post

Homework Club - Tuesday and Thursdays - Club requires Parents to sign their student up each week. Info above..

Tickets for Boys and Girls Basketball are now required for all Home and Away games. You can use the link below to purchase tickets or a season pass.

Single Game Tickets for Adults and Students - https://gofan.co/app/school/CT87388

Monday

Girls Basketball Varsity 5:00 PM Hale Ray, @Comp Sci

Tuesday

Boys Basketball JV 3:30/Varsity 5:00 Away @ Enfield

Wednesday

Girls Basketball Varsity 4:45 PM Away @ International/Aerospace

Boys Basketball JV 5:00/Varsity 6:30 Home vs. Bacon Academy

Boys and Girls Indoor Track 5:00 PM

Friday

Girls Basketball JV 3:30/Varsity 5:00 Home vs. Classical

Boys Basketball JV 5:30/Varsity 7:00 Away @ Classical

Saturday

Boys and Girls Indoor Track Varsity 12:00

Robotics Competition - 9 - 3 @ University of New Haven

FAFSA is OPEN – Deadlines Approaching!

The FAFSA is available to all students. Many schools have priority FAFSA deadlines approaching. UConn’s priority FAFSA deadline is 2/15/25. Mr. Serrano is still available to meet with students and families for assistance in completing the FAFSA. As of today, 20% of Comp Sci seniors have completed the FAFSA. If seniors get to 70%, they will earn money towards senior activities.

FSA ID Video – 6 minute How-To video to complete the first step in doing your FAFSA – both students and parents must do this

Create your account – begin creating account here **You will need your social security number**

Schedule an appointment – Mr. Serrano will be at Comp Sci High each Wednesday for FAFSA assistance. Students and parents can request a meeting for Wednesdays or another time that works for you.

Regular Decision Application Deadlines Approaching

Be sure to complete any outstanding applications as deadlines for schools are fast approaching. Many regular decision deadlines are coming up. Some schools with rolling deadlines do have separate deadlines for special programs (nursing, music, etc) so be sure to check those.

UConn – January 15

Trinity College – January 17

Quinnipiac – February 1

Rolling (but filling up so get those apps in!) – CCSU, ECSU, WCSU, SCSU, University of Hartford

CT State Community College Applications

Ready to apply to community college?

Now is a great time to complete your CT State application! Come see your counselor if you would like assistance. Don’t forget community college is FREE!

CT State Application- The application only takes a few minutes!

Free Tuition at CT State- Qualifications for free community college. You MUST do your FAFSA to be eligible!

If you need a copy of your Immunization Records for your college or post-secondary institution, you can request a copy from Mrs. Maurice (School Nurse).

Please note, she may not have a complete record; if you require additional documents, we recommend you contact your personal doctor/pediatrician.

You can request a copy of your immunization records from Mrs. Maurice (School Nurse) using this form: https://forms.gle/J6HDSKwokvWiJmNb8

Additional Links & Resources

Niche- Direct Admissions with Niche: get accepted by participating colleges based on your Niche Profile - no application needed!

UConn Scholarships- Merit Scholarships specific to UConn

NCAA- Thinking about sports in college? Make sure you are registered with the NCAA if you are considering D1 or D2 athletics

Senior Year Post Secondary Planning Tasks – Hand out from when we met in small groups during senior workshops

All Post Secondary Resource Links – a link to all important resources/forms you might need!

CommonApp – one application system to complete majority of your college apps

SchooLinks – be sure to add your colleges to your SchooLinks college application page and request teacher recommendations for EACH SCHOOL. Recommendations will only be sent to the schools that you individually request.

The importance of recommendations and essays – a 3 minute informative video!

This school year, CREC Schools will continue to use PowerSchool’s Parent Portal, the one place for parents and guardians to stay connected to their child’s school with real-time access to attendance, grades, schedules, permission slips, and more!

How to Access PowerSchool’s Parent Portal

· New and returning families to CREC Schools received an email the week of August 13th from CREC PowerSchool <no-reply@rackspace.powerschool.com>, titled, “PowerSchool Account Change” including their Parent Portal account information and login instructions.

· Returning families with existing PowerSchool Parent Portal accounts who have new students new to CREC will have their students added to their accounts. They will receive an email from <no-reply@rackspace.powerschool.com> titled, “Your PowerSchool Parent account information has changed.”

· Please remember to check your SPAM/Junk folders if you do not see either email in your inbox.

For further Parent Portal information such as how to download the mobile app, add additional children to your account, and what to do if you forget your username or password, visit https://www.crecschools.org/for_families/family_resources/techtools.

Questions about your Parent Portal account? Email powerschoolsupport@crec.org.

CREC has moved to a digital Permission Slip for all Field Trips. In order to access the Permission Slips for your student do the following:

1. Log into your Powerschool

2. On the left side there is an option that says "Forms"

3. Once in the "Forms" tab, a section will be there for "Permission Slips"

4. If your student has a Field Trip they are eligible to attend, the trip will be listed there.

5. Click into the Field Trip and Esign the form.

If the permission slip is "Closed" it indicates the Permission Slip signing period has closed and students will no longer be eligible to attend the trip due to CREC Field Trip protocols.

Cell Phones and other non-school provide electronic devices are distractions during the class time. With this in mind we have made the change to our policy to align with the other CREC Secondary Schools. For the 24 -25 school year students will:

• check their phone in at the start of the period to the teacher's electronics holder and will get it back at the conclusion of the class period
• be allowed to view their cell phones during passing time between classes
• be allowed to view their cell phones during their lunch wave

Not Allowed at Any Point during the day:

-Students are not allowed to film, photograph, play music, or be on social media during school time.

-Students are not allowed to take or make phone calls, including Facetime, unless in a designated location assigned by a staff member.

-Students, during transition time or lunch, that choose to wear earbuds/headphones must be have volumes low enough that they can hear directions from staff members.

• CompSci High would like to remind all families of the Attendance Policy. There are actually two Attendance Policies that all schools run - School Attendance and Meeting (class) Attendance.

School Day Attendance - Impact on state reporting for Truancy and course credit

• What is an "Excused School Day Absence"? An absence that the school has confirmed the student was not/will not be in due to something occurring outside of school through documentation.
• Per State of CT Policy - All families can "excuse" the first 9 school absences with a parent note, email, or phone call.
• After Nine (9) School Absences, an excused absence will only be put in the system if a:

  • Student illness as documented by an appropriately licensed medical professional;

  • Student observance of a religious holiday;

  • Death in student’s family or other circumstance outside the student’s family’s control;

  • Mandated court appearances;

  • Lack of transportation that is normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends;

  • Extraordinary educational opportunities pre-approved by CompSci administration

  • Disciplinary purposes (as decided by CREC and/or CompSci)

• Any School Absences that do not meet the above will be coded as Unexcused

Class (Meeting) Attendance - Impact on Credit being Awarded in each Class

• Types of Absences with Class Attendance:
  
• 1. Exempt Absences - do not count as absences in a class. These include:
• Religious Holidays - Parent communication is required
• Standardized Testing - Documentation is needed
• College Acceptance Orientation - Documentation is needed
• Death in the Family - Parent communication is required
• Appointments with Student Support Staff - School managed
• Long Term Illness (3+ Day) - Medical documentation is needed
• Mandated Court appearance - Official documentation is needed
• Field Trip - School managed
• Suspension(s) - School managed

• 2. Appealable Absences - class absences that can be appealed and removed if student/family complete the process. These include:
• College Visits: Parents/Guardians are asked to schedule all visits during school vacations or weekends.
• Student-initiated Appointments
• Short Term Illness: Up to two (2) consecutive school days verified by a note
• Non-emergency Medical Visits: Doctor and dental appointments should be scheduled for after-school hours.
• Family Vacations/Trips: Discretion should be used in planning such events. CREC Magnet Schools strongly discourages travel outside of school vacation periods. Students and parents/guardians should realize that if extended vacations contribute to excessive absence, an appeal for reinstatement of credit will not be possible.
• Visits to Nurse: Visits to the school nurse will count as Appealable absences if the student brings a pass from the teacher and the nurse deems the visit necessary.
• Early Dismissal: Proper documentation for early dismissal will include official documentation from the school nurse or documentation from the parent/guardian including the reason that early dismissal is necessary.

Very Important - Just because a student has an "Excused School Absence" does not guarantee their class meeting attendance is "Exempt", it may be "Appealable" instead due to the reason for the absence.

• 3. Unappealable Absences - Absences that cannot be appealed
• Class Cuts (in school and skipping class)
• Leaving School Grounds (suppose to be in school but have left school grounds)

The Essential Rule regarding Dress Code:

All students must cover certain body parts at all times.

All students’ attire must fully cover genitals, buttocks, midsection, chest/breasts, & nipples with opaque fabric, cannot be seen through, at all times.

(a) Students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent (for example: dresses, leggings, or shorts) and shoes; no slides, slippers, or flip flops.

(b) Shirts and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides (under the arms).

(c) Clothing must cover undergarments (visible waistbands and straps are permitted).

(d) Fabric covering midsection, breasts/chest, genitals and buttocks must be opaque (unable to be seen through).

(e) No Slides, Slippers, or Open Toe footwear is allowed. All footwear must have a hard sole. Crocs are ok.

(f) Face must be visible at all times to staff. Hats or hoods but not both may be worn in the building. Any other headwear must allow the face to be visible to staff, and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff. Hoodies must allow the face to be visible to school staff. Ski masks and Sunglasses are not permitted.

(g) Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical

education, science labs, wood shop, and other activities where unique hazards exist. Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear.

(h) The dress code further clarifies prohibitions on attire or grooming “depicting or advocating violence, criminal activity, use of alcohol or drugs, pornography, or hate speech;” defines parent, student, and staff responsibilities; and addresses appropriate enforcement.

(i) No Blankets or pajama pants are permitted to be worn at school.

(j) Costumes of any kind are not permitted with the exception of school sanctioned days.

Greg Carter - Principal

Desmond Caldwell - Assistant Principal

Jessica Sanborn - Assistant Principal

Latoya Malcolm - Dean of Students

Email: gcarter@crec.org
Website: https://acse.crecschools.org/
Location: 1617 King Street, Enfield, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 253 -0274

Mission: The Academy of Computer Science and Engineering High School is a community that promotes student-centered practices by challenging each student in and out of the classroom to be the writer of their own future.

Vision: The diverse learning community of students, staff, and families at the Academy of Computer Science and Engineering High School partner together to create a comprehensive magnet experience. Every member values ongoing feedback, improvement, and development. Our community strives to create a safe, joyful, inquiry-driven environment embracing collaboration, creativity, and innovation through equitable learning experiences. Students learn to master the habits of success that prepare them to be college and career ready as the writers of their own futures.