Dear CompSci High Families,

Last week was a great start to the 4th quarter! We were proud to honor two of our seniors, Jazlynn Feliciano and Kemar Hall, for their incredible accomplishments in art. Congratulations to both of them! We also kicked off our spring sports season, and our student-athletes are off to a strong start.

As we head into the final week before Spring Break, it’s critical that students are present, focused, and setting themselves up for a strong finish to the school year. Let’s keep the momentum going!

This week, we also take a moment to celebrate and thank our two outstanding Assistant Principals, Mr. Caldwell and Dr. Sanborn, for their leadership, dedication, and support of our students and staff. We are lucky to have them!

A few important and time-sensitive reminders:

• Monday is the LAST day to purchase a yearbook—don’t miss your chance!

• Field trip permission slips must be completed on PowerSchool for all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students.

  • 10th Grade: Two permission slips must be signed by Tuesday, April 8

  • 11th Grade: One permission slip due by Tuesday, April 15

  • 9th Grade: One permission slip due by Thursday, April 17
    Please take care of these items as soon as possible to ensure your student can participate.

Finally, a reminder that daily school attendance matters. Being on time and in class every day plays a huge role in student success. If your student must be out, please be sure to call or email the school and provide documentation so the absence can be appropriately coded.

Thank you for your continued support, and let’s make it a strong and productive week!

Best,

Mr. Carter

• Spring Break - Monday April 14 - Friday April 18
• 10th Grade College Trips - Wednesday April 23 - Esign Permission Slip due by Tuesday April 8
• 10th Grade Trip to Dunkin Park - Friday April 25 - Esign Permission Slip due by Wednesday April 9
• TechFest - Saturday April 26
• 11th Grade College Trips - Tuesday April 29 - Esign Permission Slip due by Tuesday April 15
• 10th Grade - AP CSP CREATE TASK DUE - Wednesday April 30
• 9th Grade - Southwick Zoo Trip - Thursday May 1 - Esign Permission Slip due by Thursday April 17
• Half Day - Thursday May 15
• 10th Grade AP Computer Science Test - Thursday May 15
• Junior/Senior Prom - Friday May 23
• Senior High Meadow Trip - Monday June 2
• Graduation - Tuesday June 10th @ CCSU

Yearbooks are currently on sale. They can be purchased online now through April 7th. Please use the link below to access the site. Once there use the school code to find CompSci High - 14812625

https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order

This past week two outstanding senior artists from CompSci High were recognized for their outstanding effort and work in the Arts over their four years of school. The students were honored at a banquet and represented the Academy of Computer Science and Engineering High School. Please join us in congratulating:

Jazlynn Feliciano and Kemar Hall

Update: Parent Advisory Board meetings are held on Zoom the last Tuesday of every month. Link will be messaged out the afternoon of the meeting. 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

Please take a few minutes to review next years calendar!

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.

As a reminder for all our 9th, 10th, and 11th grade families,

If you student is planning on playing a Fall Sport (Football, Soccer, Cross Country, or Girls Volleyball), their eligibility will be based on their Quarter 4 GPA and the classes they pass.

All eligible student athletes in order to TRY OUT and Practice must

1. Have a 1.7 GPA in Quarter 4 or their Y1

2. Have No more than 1 Failing Grade. (A student that fails a course may use summer school to fix the failure.)

A student eligible to Tryout/Practice/ and Play immediately must have:

1. A GPA of 2.2 or higher for Quarter 4 or Y1

2. Have No Failing Grades ( A student with a 2.2 GPA with 2 or less Failures, can use Summer school to fix the Failure requirement)

Note:

-Summer School CANNOT fix a GPA. In order for Summer School to fix a failure, the student athlete must take and pass the course in Summer School.

-A student that failed more than 2 courses is not eligible to practice or play in the Fall.

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..

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.

Monday 4/7

Boys Baseball Varsity 3:45 PM Canton, @East Windsor/Comp Sci/International

Girls Softball Varsity 3:45 PM HMTCA, @Comp Sci

Boys Volleyball Varsity 4:00 PM Comp Sci, @Cheney Tech

Tuesday 4/8

Boys Outdoor Track Varsity 4:00 PM

Girls Outdoor Track Varsity 4:00 PM

Wednesday 4/10

Girls Softball Varsity 3:30 PM Comp Sci, @International

Boys Baseball Varsity 4:00 PM East Windsor/Comp Sci/International, @Coventry

Boys Volleyball Junior Varsity 4:00 PM Innovation, @Comp Sci

Boys Volleyball Varsity 5:00 PM Innovation, @Comp Sci

Thursday 4/10

Boys Baseball Varsity 3:45 PM Parish Hill, @East Windsor/Comp Sci/International

Girls Softball Varsity 3:45 PM Comp Sci, @East Windsor

Boys Volleyball Junior Varsity 4:00 PM Comp Sci, @Windsor

Boys Volleyball Varsity 5:00 PM Comp Sci, @Windsor

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!

Attention 11th Grade Families,

• 11th Grade College Trips - Tuesday April 29 - Esign Permission Slip due by Tuesday April 15

-There will be no exceptions made for permission slips that were not filled out. If you need assistance, please call the school or email Ms. Mikan - nmikan@crec.org. Please see directions on how to fill out the permission slip on Powerschool in the section above.

Attention 10th Grade Families,

Please be sure to ask your student to show you their Class of 2027 Schoology page for all upcoming events for 10th graders.

• 10th Grade College Trips - Wednesday April 23 - Esign Permission Slip due by Tuesday April 8
• 10th Grade Trip to Dunkin Park - Friday April 25 - Esign Permission Slip due by Wednesday April 9

-There will be no exceptions made for permission slips that were not filled out. If you need assistance, please call the school or email Mr. Eustace - reustace@crec.org. Please see directions on how to fill out the permission slip on Powerschool in the section above.

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.

Attention 9th Grade Families,

• 9th Grade - Southwick Zoo Trip - Thursday May 1 - Esign Permission Slip due by Thursday April 17

There will be no exceptions made for permission slips that were not filled out. If you need assistance, please call the school or email Ms. Gates - mgates@crec.org. Please see directions on how to fill out the permission slip on Powerschool in the section below.

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.