

Eagle Parent News
Academy of Computer Science and Engineering Weekly
2/8 - 2/15/25
Black History Month 2/1 - 2/28
Racial Justice Action Week
Message from the Principal
Good Afternoon, CompSci Families,
Happy Snowy Superbowl Sunday! As we head into the upcoming week, please be aware that winter weather is in the forecast. Be sure to stay tuned for any potential delays or cancellations—we will communicate any schedule changes through our usual channels, including text, email, and the school website.
We are also excited to kick off Racial Justice Action Week, happening Tuesday through Friday. This is an important opportunity for our students and staff to engage in deeper learning, conversations, and activities centered on racial justice.
A few reminders:
- No School on Monday, February 17, and Tuesday, February 18. Please mark your calendars!
- Senior Families: This Monday is the Senior Panoramic Picture. Make sure your senior is present and ready for this memorable event.
- Attendance - If your student will be out for any reason, please be sure to call, email, or send documentation when they return.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and let’s make it a great week at CompSci High!
Mr. Carter
Upcoming Events for our Students
Racial Justice Action Week - February 11 - 14
National Honor Society Induction - February 14
February Break - President's Day Weekend - No School Monday and Tuesday February 17 and 18
Blood Drive sponsored by National Honor Society - Wednesday February 26
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
SAT Day - 11th and PSAT 9th Grade - Wednesday March 26
Announcements
Attention Seniors - Tomorrow - Monday February 10th is the Senior Panoramic
Seniors, do not forget that Monday February 10th is the Senior Panoramic Picture for the Yearbook. Please come dressed for this picture.
Racial Justice Action Week is this Week!
This week, February 10 - 14, students at CompSci High will be engaging in daily programming in honor of Racial Justice Action Week. Students were provided the opportunity to hear about sessions offered and choose the ones that they found most intriguing. Each day, Tuesday through Friday, students will engage in a 75 minutes sessions ranging from culinary activities, digital media, discussion panels, and more to learn more about racial justice and how both educate themselves and learn about other cultures beyond their own. All activities will be facilitated by CompSci High Staff. All of the sessions will have some type of intentional output. We will be displaying these outputs at the CREC wide presentation in April.
Attention Families- We Need your help !
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. We will be sending out specific information in the coming days. Please plan to complete it.
CompSci High Cyber Eagles compete at our first Robotics Competition
Please join us in congratulating our first ever, Vex V5 Robotics Team - the Cyber Eagles. This Saturday our Cyber Eagles with their two robots, competed at the State Qualifier competition for the first time in school history. Our teams did exceptionally well for their first time engaging in open competition. Both robots performed well, scoring points, match victories, and representing CompSci High very well. We look forward to this being the starting point of a very successful team at CompSci High!
Comp Sci High Robotics Team Qualifies for States!
The CyberEagles, our school’s robotics team, made an impressive debut at the VEX Robotics Competition at the University of New Haven on Saturday, February 8th. Their hard work, innovation, and teamwork were on full display, and we’re proud to announce that one of our teams has qualified for the VEX Robotics Connecticut Qualifier at Total Mortgage Arena on February 24-25, 2025!
Special congratulations to Isaac F. and Henry L., whose robot, "Leonard," earned them a spot at states! This is an incredible achievement for a first-time team, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.
Please join us in celebrating the CyberEagles and wishing them the best as they prepare for their next competition!
Attention 10th Grade Families - AP Computer Science Principles
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
Personal Electronic Devices
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.
Attention Parents Trying to Access Powerschool
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
Happenings Around Hartford!
Resources for 24 - 25 School Year
AfterSchool Activities
Homework Club - Tuesday and Thursday
Homework Club - Please read below for how to sign your student up
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
- 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.
- 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.
Clubs and Afterschool Activities
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..
Sports
Spring Sports are coming - Read Below
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.
Ticket Purchase - Boys and Girls Basketball
Tickets for Boys and Girls Basketball are now required for all Home and Away games. You can use the link below to purchase tickets.
Single Game Tickets for Adults and Students - https://gofan.co/app/school/CT87388
Sports this week
Saturday
Boys and Girls Indoor Track Varsity 12:00
Robotics Competition - 9 - 3 @ University of New Haven
Monday
Girls Basketball Varsity 5:00 PM East Windsor/Bloomfield , @Comp Sci
Tuesday
Boys Basketball Varsity 6:30 PM Aerospace, @Comp Sci
Wednesday
Girls Basketball JV 4:45/Varsity 6:15 Home vs. East Granby
Class of 2025 - Our Seniors
FAFSA Is OPEN
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.
Application Deadlines are Approaching
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!
Attention Senior Families - Immunization Information
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
Important Information Links for Seniors and their Families
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!
Class of 2026 - Our Juniors
Class of 2027 - Our Sophomores
Class of 2028 - Our Freshman
Parent PowerSchool Accounts - Important - Please Read
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.
PowerSchool Field Trip Permission Slip signing
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.
Important School Items
CREC Secondary Cell Phone Policy - 24 - 25
- 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.
Attendance Reminder
- 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.
- 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)
CREC Secondary Dress Code
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.
Academy of Computer Science and Engineering
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.