Dear CompSci High Families,

This past week was filled with incredible moments for our school community! Both our Boys and Girls Basketball teams competed in the second round of the state playoffs, facing off against higher-seeded teams. While their journeys ended there, their hard work, fight, and dedication led to the most successful state playoff run in our school’s history! We are so proud of them, and with both teams returning their full rosters next season, the future is bright for CompSci basketball!

We also had an amazing showing at the CREC Art Show, where our students showcased their talent and creativity. Thank you to all who participated and supported this event!

Looking ahead to next week, please take note of the following important events:

• Half Days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday and Thursday. This is a great opportunity to meet with teachers and discuss student progress.
• African Pop-Up Market on Wednesday from 4-7 PM. Stop by to support local vendors and celebrate culture!
• Family Climate Survey: If you haven’t already, please take a few moments to complete it—your feedback is invaluable.
• 10th and 11th Grade Families: If you haven’t yet submitted the college fair permission slip, the deadline is Monday afternoon.

Thank you for your continued support! Let’s make it another great week at CompSci High!

Best,

Mr. Carter

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

Pop Up Shop - CompSci High Parent, Student, Staff business Expo - March 12 4 - 7 pm

Day of Prevention Vendor Fair - March 14 - Half Day

College Fair @ CT Convention Center - All 10th and 11th will attend - Thursday March 20

9th Grade to the Bushnell - Friday March 21

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

The college fair at the CT Convention Center is quickly approaching. All 10th and 11th grade students are encouraged to attend. Permission slips will be accepted online, on your PowerSchool Parent Portal through Monday. Please get this in so your student does not miss out on a great trip to see 100's of colleges and universities.

Greetings CompSci High Families,

It is time to begin scheduling conferences. Please mark your calendars for: Wednesday March 12th, 12pm-3pm and 5pm-7pm and also Thursday, March 13th, 12pm-3pm. We will also be holding an African Market to celebrate our Black History and Women's History Months the evening of March 12th during conferences. There will be activities and opportunities for shopping here at the school. There will also be a food truck serving authentic African cuisine for dinner. See the attached flyer.

We use https://compscihigh.schoolappointments.com/ to schedule conferences. We will be using this website (compscihigh.schoolappointments.com). This site allows parents to schedule meetings in person, by phone, or by video. Meetings will last 10 minutes and you will have several time slots to choose from.

How School Appointments Works:

1. You can register an account and add your student(s) to your account at compscihigh.schoolappointments.com

2. You then find the teachers you want to visit for your student and book appointments.

3. Available 10 minute time slot for each Parent Teacher Conference will appear 3/12 12pm-3pm and 5pm-7pm, 3/13 12pm-3pm

4. In person is preferable, but phone or video conferences are also available.

5. See attached document for more detailed instructions.

6. Feel free to reach out to Mr. Caldwell if you are having difficulty.

You may begin scheduling immediately. Scheduling closes Sunday, March 9th. You will be allowed to schedule conferences for up to 10 staff members. Please feel free to schedule time to speak with your student’s counselor, social worker, assistant principal or principal. You have the option of choosing in person, video or phone conferences. If you select a video conference , but there is any trouble with the video conference, we will call the main number we have on file for you. The call number may be from the school or from a private number. Please answer any calls during your scheduled meeting time. If you have any questions please contact dcaldwell@crec.org

Thank you and we look forward to our upcoming conferences!

Congratulations to Cassandra Stewart and Mikiyah Smith for their entries into the Connecticut Science Fair and moving on to the interview process. Best of Luck competing in the next round!

It is that time of year again to take the National School Climate Survey. We are asking each family to take the 20 minutes and complete it for us. Each year we utilize the information gathered from Families, Student, and Staff to make decisions and plans based off the results and areas that our stake holder groups want to see improved, tweaked, or changed. Your voice is very important and a critical piece in our planning for the remainder of this year and next year. Please use this link - https://rezed.io/1PDH2H

Once you have completed the survey, please email me and your family will be entered into a raffle!

Great opportunity to get some dinner and support the Art of CREC Students - Including many pieces from students at CompSci High. If you find yourself out and about, stop at Parkville Market in Hartford and check it out.

CompSci High continues its partnership with the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) . Last year we created a student group, Partners n’ Prevention Teen Advisory Committee, with a handful of students from our school. The group has worked to create resources that promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence. This is also the first committee of its kind in the state. This group of amazing individuals is hosting the 2nd Annual Day of Prevention & Wellness, which will be held on Friday, March 14th from 8:30-10:50 am at our school. This event is only open to our students and will include various activities and community partners so that students can explore new opportunities and gather more information on wellness, mental health resources, and prevention. If you have any questions about this event please feel free to reach out to Joel Weisel (School Social Worker) or Heather Venitosh (School Counselor).

Please see below for the list of community partners that have been invited to participate in this event:

Americorps

Amplify- Regional Behavioral Health Action Organization

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of CT

Billings Forge

Boys and Girls Club - Hartford

Center for Children's Advocacy

Change the Script

Chris Murphy’s Office

Circle Keepers

CT Clearinghouse

Coaching Boys into Men Project

Comp Sci Support Staff - Self Care

Compass Youth Collaborative

CompSci HS Honor Guard

Connecticut Center for Poison Control

Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery

Connecticut Science Center

Cornerstone Counseling

CREC Communiations

CREC FACES (Family Engagement)

CT Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families

CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) Survivors Network

CT Public Defenders Office

CT Center for Non-Violence

DMHAS- Prevention and Health Promotion

Enfield Police Chief

Governor's Prevention Partnership

Hartford Athletic

Hartford Detectives

Hartford Proud

Hartford Wolfpack Community Foundation

Hartford Yard Goats Foundation

Injury Prevention Center- CCMC

Institute for the Hispanic Family

Interval House CT

Judy Dworin/Justice Dance Performance Project (JDPP)

Leadership Group

Loaves & Fishes

Love 146

Meditation, Crystal Bowls, Essential Oils, Sand Art, Yoga

Men Make a Difference, Men Against Domestic Violence (Interval House)

Mental Health Connecticut

Mondazzi Book, Bead & Crystal

My People

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) CT

New Britain Homeless Shelter

Our Culture is Beautiful

Our Piece of the Pie

Partners ‘n Prevention (Comp Sci HS Teen Advisory Committee)

Planned Parenthood

Poison Control

Politicians (Tentative: CT Attorney General, Local Representatives)

Project Prevent

RiseUP

Safe Connect

Sandy Hook Promise

Saving Teens Together

The Alliance Against Sexual Violence

The Greater Hartford NAACP - A Million Jobs Campaign

The Network

The Petit Family Foundation

UConn Feel Your Best Self

UConn Therapy Dogs & Self Defense Demonstration

Youth Service Corps

YWCA New Britain Sexual Assault Crisis Services

Dear Families,

Does your student love gaming? Are they looking for a way to build leadership skills, develop teamwork, and gain workforce-ready experience—all while doing something they enjoy?

Our Esports Team at CREC CompSci High is gearing up for an exciting spring season, and we’re inviting new players to join us! This isn’t just about competition—it’s about building a strong community, collaborating with teammates, and learning real-world skills that can translate into careers in technology, communications, business, and beyond.

Why Join?

✅ Develop leadership and communication skills through competitive play
✅ Learn teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving—essential workforce skills
✅ Connect with like-minded students in a supportive, high-energy environment
✅ Compete using state-of-the-art gaming setups and represent our school

The CREC CompSci High Esports Team is already making an impact, and with the spring season ahead, this is the perfect time to jump in and be part of something great.

📢 Limited spots available—sign up now! ➡️ https://bit.ly/CSHesports25

If you have any questions, please reach out to [contact info, if applicable]. We can’t wait to see our team grow this season!

#CRECCompSciEsports #LeadershipThroughGaming #WorkforceSkills #SpringSeasonReady

All 10th Graders taking AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) have been provided the guidelines for their "CREATE TASK" for the AP Exam. All students in this class are REQUIRED to complete the "CREATE TASK" and have it turned in by March 15th. This task is 30% of the AP Exam score and is half of your students 4th Quarter grade for the class. The students heard about the requirements and all the necessary learning to complete this task with success. It is imperative that you ask your student about this and continue to engage them in ensuring they are adhering to the timeline. As a school, we will remind and support as much as possible. If you have questions, please reach out to your student's AP CSP teacher. If you would like to read more about it, please use the link here... https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-csp-student-task-directions.pdf

Please have your student check their Schoology page "Class of 2027" for information about upcoming Field Trips and other information.

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

Parent Advisory Board meetings are held on Zoom the last Tuesday of every month. In these meetings families hear updates, ask questions, and are asked for input. The notes can be found in this link. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dayana Perez-Hernandez @ dayhernandez@crec.org for assistance. The notes from each meeting can be found here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PbUU0bq_N_iB5PX5SeWjpqLdaN4Uy1bXrQHp_33J_xQ/edit?usp=sharing

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..

Weightlifting Club - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Any student that is wishing to participate in Spring Sports must do the following:

1. Complete Final Forms

2. For sports with Tryouts - Student must have a 1.7 GPA from Quarter 2 Report Card with no more than 1 failing grade to try out and a 2.2 with no failures to compete.

3. For sports with no Tryouts - Students must have a 2.2 GPA with no failures to compete.

4. Physicals must be up to date as well.

We want to take a moment to recognize some great highlights of both our Boys and Girls Basketball teams competed in the second round of the state playoffs, facing tough, higher-seeded teams. While their seasons came to an end, their hard work and dedication led to the most successful state playoff run in our school’s history! With both teams returning their full rosters next year, we’re already looking forward to another great season. Thank you to the families, players, and Coaches for a great season.

Spring Sports Soon to Come!

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.

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

Any student with 12 or more absences in a half year course or 24 absences in a full year course will lose credit and be required to go through the Appeal Process to potentially have credit restored.

• 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.