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The
mission of the Bridgeport Public Schools is to
graduate all
students
"college-ready"
and prepared to succeed in
life.
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Dedication
held for Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School in
Bridgeport
(Article
Courtesy of the Connecticut
Post)
(Pictures
Courtesy of James L. Vines, Communications
Department Intern)
 During
the dedication ceremony for the new school
Saturday, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch cited the
U.S. Green Building Council's definition of a
green school, which is "a school building or
facility that creates a healthy environment that
is conducive to learning while saving energy,
resources
and money."
The
new magnet school does all those things, Finch
said, but he said that "green schools are
educating the next generation of
conservationists," as will the Interdistrict
Discovery
Magnet
School. "We all know
the planet is in trouble and these students are
learning at a young age what we need to do to
improve our environment," said Finch, who added
that the school's science, math and technology
curriculum will include lessons on recycling,
storm water diversion and the importance of
planting trees. To commemorate the occasion,
each of the nearly 200 people who attended the
event received a sapling to plant, either a white
pine, white dogwood or a
river birch.
 
Finch
announced at the event that the school's library
will be named for Claire Gold, a former Westport
Superintendent
of Schools.
Mary
Beth Stickley, principal of Interdistrict
Discovery
Magnet
School, said school administrators
have been working closely with Discovery Museum staff
to develop
the curriculum.
Bridgeport's
Superintendent of Schools, John J, Ramos, said the
school's scientific and research-based curriculum
will be "hands-on and minds on." Ramos said
children from Bridgeport will
make up 70 percent of the
student population.
The
remaining 30 percent will come from the
surrounding communities of Redding, Easton, Monroe, Milford, Stratford, Fairfield, Shelton and Trumbull.
The
school system has received about 2,500
applications from Bridgeport and
more than 500 from the
neighboring municipalities.
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The
Discovery School
Dedication Song
(To the
tune of "Everybody Loves Saturday Night" from
Music Together.)
 Welcome
to our new beautiful
school
Welcome
to our new beautiful
school
Welcome,
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome,
Wecome
Welcome,
Welcome, Welcome
Welcome
to our new beautiful
school!
At
Discovery we are going
green
At
Discovery we are going
green
Going
green, going green, going green, going
green
At
Discovery we are going
green!
We
are learning how to care for the
Earth
We
are learning how to care for the
Earth
We
are learning, we are learning, we are learning, we
are learning
We
are learning how to care for the
Earth!
Everybody,
Everybody, Everybody,
Everybody,
Everybody
learn to care for the
Earth!
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GRADUATION
DAY!
Central High
School
Monday,
June 20, 2011
1:00
PM
Webster
Bank Arena
at
Harbor Yard
600
Main
Street
Bridgeport
Harding High
School
Monday,
June 20, 2011
6:00
PM
Webster
Bank Arena
at
Harbor Yard
600
Main
Street
Bridgeport
Bassick High
School
Tuesday,
June 21, 2011
6:00
PM
Klien
Memorial Auditorium
910
Fairfield
Avenue
Bridgeport |
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SCHOOL
VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION BOOKFAIR
TO
BE HELD AT
BARNES
& NOBLE
Barnes
& Nobles of Westport will
be hosting a Bookfair on Tuesday, June 7,
2011.
Author
Nina Sankovitch will hold a discussion and book
signing at
7
PM. Anyone who shops that day can recieve a
discount when they mention that their purchase
supports Bridgeport's
School Volunteer Association (SVA). Purchases
also can be made from June 7-June
12 using the
Bookfair ID#
10458669.
Barnes
& Noble of Westport is
located at:
Post
Plaza
Shopping
Center
1076
Post Road
East
Westport,
CT
06880
(203)
221-7955
Please
contact Anne
Gribbon for further
details at: agribbon@bridgeportedu.net
or
(203)275-1120 |
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The Best
is Yet to Come
Communications
Department Assistant
Graduates
from Housatonic
Community
College with Highest
Honors... And That's Just the
Beginning
Bridgeport
Board of Education
employee,
Gina Eaton,
has had her arms full
lately. Working in the Communications
Department always
requires a lot of juggling, but this time,
Gina’s arms were full of the fruits of her
educational labor. At an awards ceremony on
Wednesday, May 25th, the Communications
Department assistant received several accolades
for her stellar academic achievement—a 4.0 grade
average during all four semesters at
Housatonic
Community
College in Bridgeport.
“There
is a belief that a 4.0 grade average comes
naturally to some students,” Gina said. “But I
really had to work hard. When it comes to
learning, it’s essential to know what your
limits are. If you have limited abilities in a
particular area or school subject, then you have
to devote yourself more in order exceed those
limits. Do what you need to in order to get to
where you want to
be.”
Milford's
Jonathan
Law
High
School alumni was
also lucky to have great teachers to aid her on
her path toward success. “I took Professor
Mandel three times during my time at Housatonic. He taught my
Management, Introduction to Business, and
Marketing classes.”
However,
Gina’s business education never stopped outside
of the classroom. “As a Communications Assistant
for the Bridgeport
Public
School system
for the past three years, I have learned
valuable knowledge of marketing and technology.”
Through
her work within the Communications Department,
Gina has become skilled in crafting business
letters, press releases, and she has helped
organize events that have brought positive media
attention to the scholars of Bridgeport.
During this time she got a better understanding
of the challenges of Public Relations in the
school system. Gina has gained extensive
knowledge of email marketing while assisting in
the production of the weekly Great
News, which promotes the
district’s achievements, and reaches out to
the Bridgeport community
and stakeholders throughout the state. With her
graphic design skills, understanding of
technology and ability to create a quality
product, Gina has produced the district’s
quarterly newsletter, Great
Expectations, which won
the statewide CABE (Connecticut Association of
Boards of Education) Award of Excellence for
Educational Communications two years in a row
(2008 & 2009).
“Gina
is a remarkable young lady,” said
Veronica
Douglas-Givan,
Director of Communications and External Affairs.
“She adds to an equally awesome Communications
team. I have had the wonderful opportunity to
see her grow and flourish, using her raw talent
and creativity to bring a unique perspective to
every one of the department’s
endeavors.
"Her
talents in graphic design has saved me time as
the Director of the department and the district
a lot of money, keeping the work in house. I
love assisting young people in following their
dreams, and Gina is well on her way to
accomplishing all of her
goals."
 There
is no doubt that this real life
experience in business was a tremendous
benefit to her fellow students in the classroom
during her time at Housatonic. And there is
no doubt that she will continue to be an asset
in college as she strives toward her
baccalaureate degree. “I’ve applied to
Yale
University, Southern
Connecticut State University, and the University of
Connecticut,”
she said, excitedly. “I’m confident that
attending one of those schools can give me the
opportunity to build upon the skills that I‘ve
gained in business, as well as develop a
cutting-edge knowledge of technology that will
keep me be competitive in today’s
market.
“A
passionate goal of mine is to become an
entrepreneur creating quality services and tools
by using innovative technology that will empower
people to reach their full
potential.”
At
Wednesday’s award ceremony, Professor Michael
Mandel handed Gina an award for Academic
Achievement in Business Administration. Prior to
that, Gina also received the Academic Dean
Prize, the Dale Ward Scholarship, and the Dale
Ward Endowed
Scholarship.
However,
Gina had one more prize to claim before she
formally received her Associate’s Degree at
Housatonic
Community
College’s graduation
exercises on Thursday, May 26th. On the stage of
the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport,
Gina stood beside three other high achievers to
receive the Board of Trustees Medallion for
Academic Excellence. Gina’s family members
enthusiastically cheered her on as she received
the medallion, and later, her diploma—with
highest
honors.
“’One
man can make a difference, and every
 man
should try,’” said Judge Eddie Rodriguez quoting
John F. Kennedy at the closing the graduation
exercises.
And
Bridgeport Board of Education employee, Gina
Eaton, is well on her way toward making that
difference.
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Bridgeport
Public Schools'
Supplemental
Education
Service
Tutoring
Program Receives High
Marks
The
Connecticut State Department of
Education
Visits
BPS Tutoring
Site
On March 31, 2011, the Bridgeport Academy
of Learning, a supplemental tutoring
service provided by the Bridgeport Public
Schools, participated in a monitoring visit
conducted by the Connecticut State Department of
Education. The purpose of the visit was to
evaluate the effectiveness of the tutoring
program.
Presently, the Bridgeport Academy of Learning
provides reading tutoring to Kindergarten
through eighth grade students in ten of our
elementary schools. During the visit, the
Connecticut State Department of Education
evaluation team reviewed documentation based on
the eleven indicators for Supplemental Education
Service providers which
are:
 communication
amongst all
stakeholders
- professional
development opportunities for tutoring
staff
- tutor
qualifications
- student
goal setting
- progress
monitoring of student
achievement
- instructional
strategies and learning
tasks
- student
portfolios
- alignment
of instruction to district and state
standards
- evaluation
and monitoring of tutoring
staff
- compliance
with state regulations
After reviewing the documentation, the
evaluation team interviewed both tutors and
parents to obtain their opinions regarding the
program. The final component of the visit
was to observe the instruction being provided by
the tutors at Cesar Batalla
School.
The Connecticut State Department of Education
requires all supplemental education service
providers who are in their first year of
operation to participate in this visit. A
final report is submitted to both the provider
and the Connecticut State Department of
Education Supplemental Education Services
director to determine whether or not the
provider can continue providing services.
The report outlines commendations and
recommendations.
The Bridgeport
Academy of
Learning re
ceived
an overall score of 97.2 %. The
staff received commendations from the
Connecticut State Department of Education in the
following areas:
- Specific
and measurable goals identified for each
student
- Range
of assessments and data driven decision
making
- Evidence
of improved student
outcomes
- Overall
high degree of fidelity to approved
application
- Strong
sense of attention to details in the
administration of the
program
- English
Language Learners and students with special
needs are supported by tutors who have
additional certification in these specialized
areas
As a result of the overall score,
the
Bridgeport
Academy of Learning received approval from the
CSDE to continue as a supplemental education
service provider for the 2011-2012 school
year.
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