Interdistrict Update - January 2007

Coming Soon: Nancy Vitale, EASTCONN’s Interdistrict Grants Program Manager, and Maureen Crowley, Director of Planning and Development, will convene a series of focus groups for those districts currently participating in various programs to obtain feedback on existing programs and to generate ideas for new opportunities.

For more information, contact Maureen Crowley at mcrowley@eastconn.org or Nancy Vitale at nvitale@eastconn.org, or call 860-455-0707.

Creating Community Builders
Creating Community Builders provides an opportunity for students in grades 7-12 to integrate art, science, and technology education in the service of others through student-produced projects. Interdistrict teams of students collaborate on the planning, designing, coordinating of tasks, construction and final distribution of the finished projects to the community. Participating students are from Stafford, Vernon, Windham and Woodstock Academy. For more information, contact Nancy Magnani at 860-455-0707, or via e-mail at nmagnani@eastconn.org.

Some recent Creating Community Builders activities:
Eighth-grade students participated in a “bridges” workshop with guest presenters from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Students assumed the roles of community members for a “town meeting” simulation. In addition they built bridges to weight and height specifications. The community projects for this year include teaching younger students basic woodworking skills. Students are designing and building bird feeders and planter stands that don’t require senior citizens to bend over to care for their flowers and vegetables. The goal is to build 50 bird feeders and 12 planter stands.

Elementary Connections
Elementary Connections bring 350 students from grades 2-4 together to engage in thematically rich, interdisciplinary projects such as An Exploration of Diversity in Long Island Sound and The Key to Survival: A Study of Plant and Animal Adaptations. Learning experiences are built around the Connecticut Science Framework K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards, and allow students the opportunity to participate in science-inquiry-based explorations. Participating students are from Andover, Bozrah, Hartford, Marlborough, Plainfield, Voluntown and Windham. For more information, contact Mary Lou Smith at 860-455-0707, or msmith@eastconn.org.

Some recent Elementary Connections activities:
A group of 165 fourth-grade students spent time at Bluff Point State Park in Groton working together in teams as they discovered the variety of life in the diverse ecosystems of the area. Student groups rotated between a salt marsh, a sandy beach, a rocky bluff and intertidal zones as they collected and identified the water creatures that inhabit each ecosystem.

Expanding Horizons
Opportunities to participate in real-world, scientific endeavors that require problem-solving skills, content knowledge, creativity, and teamwork help students in grades 6-8 gain a greater understanding of how scientists come to understand and explain the physical phenomena of the world. Each interdistrict team of students will undertake a yearlong exploration based on authentic, science-related community problems. Students are from Colchester, East Hartford, Plainfield, Windham, and Windsor. For more information, contact Peter Landry at 860-455-0707 or plandry@eastconn.org.

Some recent Expanding Horizons activities:
This fall, students incorporated inquiry-based learning and used temperature sensors in their ice-to-water “Phase Changes” science task. Sixth-graders are currently engaged in a weather unit using weather sensors that measure air pressure, humidity, temperature, and dew point. This follows investigations using temperature and absolute-pressure sensors. Seventh-graders are using force sensors to explore friction. Later this year, they will investigate the effects of different music styles on pulse rates with heart rate sensors. Eighth-grade students will use motion sensors, force sensors and photogates as they master a unit on Newtonian physics.

Faces of Culture
Faces of Culture engages students in grades 8-12 in an interdistrict, interdisciplinary study of culture from several historical periods combined with a full array of visual, media and performing arts. Culminating art projects and performances will be showcased at the annual arts symposium. Participating students are from Coventry, Norwich Free Academy, Region 11, Plainfield, Pomfret, Region 19, Windham and Woodstock Academy. For more information, contact Nancy Vitale at 860-455-0707 or nvitale@eastconn.org.

Some recent Faces of Culture activities:
High school students attended a bookmaking session where they learned about handmade books in different cultures. They then created two different books that were later used to document their field experience at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Students have also begun clay, papermaking, and plein-air drawing projects. Planning for their Spring Symposium is underway. Middle-school students are participating in a yearlong project that integrates history, service learning and art and will culminate in the painting of panels depicting local history.

Imagination Connection
Using literacy as a common foundation for enhancing multicultural awareness and appreciation, second-grade students will develop positive relationships among a diverse group of peers while writing, illustrating and producing their own storybooks or books of poetry. Participating students are from Coventry, Chaplin, East Hartford, and Windham. For more information, contact Lisa Taylor at 860-455-0707 or ltaylor@eastconn.org.

Some recent Imagination Connection activities:
Students from five different schools have been paired with a sister class to write an original storybook or collection of poetry. Students are learning about each other as they share in writing and illustrating their books. Six different books from the participating classes will be produced this year. Students receive writing enrichment instruction from Lisa Taylor, EASTCONN’s writer-in-residence. Two bilingual classes are working on poetry in both Spanish and English. Bilingual writing activities and multicultural, bilingual literature have been added to the program.

Legacy Explorations
Through the words, voices, visuals and life experiences of human rights heroes and heroines, students in grade six will work with original documents and artwork to better understand the struggle for social justice, rights, and freedom. Participating students are from Brooklyn, Canterbury, Griswold, and Windham. For more information, contact Cathy Smith-Carolan at 860-455-0707 or ccarolan@eastconn.org.

Some recent Legacy Explorations activities:
An administrator at Griswold Middle School is teaching a workshop based on his experience as an immigrant from Vietnam. This year’s theme of immigration is one that sixth-graders can identify with, in their challenge to transition to being successful middle-school students.

MAPPs: Matching Areas & People Project
The Matching Areas and People Project (MAPPs) incorporates the theme of place and belonging for third-graders and promotes a sense of pride in students’ communities through the theme of exploration (orienteering) and map-building activities. Participating students are from Ashford, Chaplin, Hampton, Hebron, Killingly, Scotland, and Windham. For more information, contact Cathy Smith-Carolan at 860-455-0707 or ccarolan@eastconn.org.

Some recent MAPPs activities:
Now in its tenth year, MAPPs has a waiting list of teachers who want their students to participate in the program. Third-graders are learning how to read maps, skills that are essential to their culminating orienteering experience, when they will need to figure out where they are and where they must go to complete the challenge.

MOSAIC
The MOSAIC Program is an experientially based leadership training program for students in grades 7-12. Students come together to experience new roles and responsibilities as they grapple with real-world, service-learning projects using team-building and positive interrelationship skills. Leadership and community engagement are strong components of this diversity-based project. Participating students are from Columbia, Region 11, Plainfield, Windham, and Windham Technical High School. For more information, contact Cindy Curry at 860-455-0707 or ccurry@eastconn.org.

Some recent MOSAIC activities:
Two hundred middle and high school students spent two days at UCONN learning anti-bullying techniques, participating in team-building and developing their leadership skills. Students will develop service-learning projects that are both school and community-based. This spring, students will spend a day at EASTCONN’s low ropes course in Goodwin State Park.

New Images: CT Youth Learn Together
Students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to meet and work with students from other districts as they explore digital photography and creative writing together. In the process of creating their own books, students take photographs and write poems or short stories describing their views on how people express or elicit emotions. Students will participate in a final exhibition of their photography and writing that will also provide an “open mic” opportunity. Participating students are from Bloomfield, Griswold, Norwich Free Academy, Windham and Woodstock. For more information, contact Barbara Greenbaum or Peter Landry at 860-455-0707 or bgreenbaum@eastconn.org or plandry@eastconn.org.

Some recent New Images activities:
Students recently traveled to Crandall Park in Tolland where they participated in a full day of workshops that included team-building, photography, and creative writing. Students explored how emotions are expressed through facial images and body language. In addition, they learned how emotions can be elicited through poetic images.

Skills for Success
Skills for Success addresses the need for young adults to master both the personal and interpersonal skills that are necessary to be effective in the workplace and post-secondary educational settings. High school students participate in team-building and workshops to develop project-planning and management skills, technical writing and reading skills. They also learn how technology can be effectively used to market oneself. Participating students are from EASTCONN Northeast Regional School, Killingly ALPS, Plainfield Alternative, Windham Alternative, and Windham English Language Learners. For more information, contact Cyndi Wells at 860-455-0707 or cwells@eastconn.org.

Some recent Skills for Success activities:
A group of 75 high school students experienced team-building while addressing issues of diversity at the EASTCONN low ropes course this fall. Students are forming a student chapter of the National Association of Home Builders; the Association has been collaborating with students on a variety of building projects for several years. This year, students and local contractors are working to build bookshelves and dog houses. In another collaboration, a group of Windham English Language Learners and students from Northeast Regional School are being trained as Project Adventure facilitators. Once they complete the training, they will teach younger students.

Successful Journeys
Students in grades 8-9 develop and master new habits for studying, building and enhancing their own learning skills and strategies, and for building relationships and sustaining friendships as they navigate the difficult transition to high school. Writing, reflecting, journaling, exploring and mastering effective study and learning skills are key aspects of this program. Participating students are from Coventry, Killingly, Norwich Free Academy, Plainfield, and Stafford. For more information, contact Barbara Greenbaum at 860-455-0707 or bgreenbaum@eastconn.org.

Some recent Successful Journeys activities:
In December, more than 375 high school freshmen from Plainfield, Norwich, Killingly, Stafford and Coventry visited the ACT performing arts magnet high school in Willimantic to see Looking In, a performance group of young people from central Connecticut who address teen issues through theater and discussion. Students toured the performing arts school and took a guided walking tour of the University of Connecticut. Successful Journeys is a program designed to help freshmen transition into high school by promoting leadership, community and personal responsibility.

Systems Explorers
Systems Explorers encourages students in grades 5-8 to build positive relationships as they work together as diverse engineering teams to tackle “big systems ideas” and solve complex challenges. Through the use of LEGO construction challenges, students build problem solving, critical thinking, mathematical and technology skills. The culminating event each spring is the annual EASTCONN Robotics Challenge where student achievements are showcased. Participating students are from Canterbury, Marlborough, Stafford, Vernon, Voluntown, and Windham. For more information, contact Nancy Magnani at 860-455-0707 or nmagnani@eastconn.org.

Some recent Systems Explorers activities:
From balloon cars to nine-piece robotic cars, 300 students are building math and technology skills, while designing and programming vehicles. In interdistrict class meetings, students explored “magic water,” built robotic arms, and engaged in Adventure Learning team-building activities. Students learn programming skills using LEGO Robolab software to control their robots.

WWP (Water, Wildlife, People)
Water, Wildlife & People allows 375 fourth- through sixth-grade students to explore the concept of diversity through the study of our natural environments — from local aquatic fresh-water streams to the estuaries of eastern Long Island Sound. Students will focus their research on ecosystems, the human impact on water resources and wildlife habitats, and environmental changes over time. Participating students are from Coventry, Hartford, Marlborough, and Windham. For more information, contact Mary Lou Smith at 860-455-0707 or msmith@eastconn.org.

Some recent Water, Wildlife & People activities:
A group of 230 students spent an early autumn day at Mashamoquet Brook State Park collecting and identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates in order to evaluate the ecological health of the water. To begin their day, students first participated in a series of EASTCONN Adventure activities that allowed them to experience the value of diversity in each other. As a result, students found that they shared many similarities with their new friends.

Waves of History
Waves of History focuses on the history of cultural change, reflecting the many different voices, cultural heritages, and experiences of the varying waves of immigrants who have found their way to Connecticut. The program works closely with local writers and historians in selecting appropriate literature and original source documents, such as journals/diaries, letters, newspapers, and town meeting reports, to help describe and explain the immigrant experience. The vibrancy of their experiences underscores our common heritage. As one participant noted, “I never knew how hard my ancestors worked to get what they had.” Rich discussions and creative writing products are the outcome. Participating students are from Bloomfield, Plainfield, Windham and Windham Technical High School. For more information, contact Cindy Curry at 860-455-0707 or ccurry@eastconn.org.

Some recent Waves of History activities:
Students have discovered that, collectively, their ancestors originated in 46 different countries. More than 250 students are in the process of writing “I Am From” poems that will be included in published collections. Students participated in workshops that included team-building, skits on stereotyping, and titles like “Examining an Immigrant’s Bag” and “Create a Character.”