AAE Family Newsletter

Hello AAE Families,

Today, as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on his enduring call for dignity, justice, and belonging for all people. At AAE, these values are not abstract ideals—they guide how we care for students, how we partner with families, and how we work to ensure every child feels respected, supported, and valued.

Our school community is strengthened by the many backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences our families bring. Creating an environment where students can learn, grow, and thrive requires shared commitment, thoughtful decisions, and ongoing collaboration between school and home.

Thank you for your continued partnership and trust as we work together to support our students and strengthen our community.

As a reminder, this week we will have 12:00 PM dismissals on Tuesday and Wednesday as we conclude midterm exams.

For high school families:
As the second semester begins, we will be piloting a new approach in 10 high school classrooms focused on reducing the negative impact cell phones can have on learning and classroom engagement. Our goal is to ensure that cell phones interfere as little as possible with instruction, focus, and day-to-day school operations.

Based on a growing body of research and our collective experience as educators, we believe this is best achieved when phones are not on students’ bodies during class time. As part of this pilot, participating classrooms will use secure cell phone lock-boxes. Students will be expected to place their phones in the lock-box at the start of class and retrieve them at the end.

Tomorrow, I will share an overview video and email with high school families that provides additional details about this pilot. We encourage you to begin talking with your student about this upcoming change so they are prepared.

Finally, thank you for your support and flexibility during the midterm exam schedule.

Sincerely,

Mr. Johnson
Principal

Tuesday 1/20 and Wednesday 1/21 - 12:00 Dismissal - Midterms (Grades 8-12)

Monday 1/26 - Start of Second Semester

Grades 8 - 12 will be taking midterms starting Thursday 1/15. Please see the schedule below. Grades 6 &7 will not be taking midterms but will also have a 12:00 dismissal on these days.

Dear 11th Grade Families, We are writing to let you know about an important change to the date of our upcoming field trip. Our trip was originally scheduled for Wednesday March 18th. However, due to the Broadway show, Hell's Kitchen, closing earlier than expected, we have needed to move the field trip to an earlier date. The trip will now take place on Wednesday, February 4th. We will still see this fantastic show! The information about this closing is below: https://playbill.com/article/alicia-keys-hells-kitchen-sets-closing-date-on-broadway-brandon-victor-dixon-will-return All other details of the trip will remain the same. If your student was signed up for the trip on March 18th, your student is also signed up for the trip on February 4th. No new permission slips will be released. We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause and appreciate your flexibility and understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Erin Bednarzyk

REMINDER: All Field Trip permission slips are now completed through the Powerschool Parent Portal. All Field trip permission slips are due 2 weeks before the field trip day

1. It is recommended to use an internet browser to log into the parent portal to complete permission slips:

PowerSchool Parent Portal Login Link

2. Once you login, you will click on Forms on the left-hand side

3. Complete the form by giving permission and click SUBMIT on the bottom right

4. If you are having any Parent Portal issues, email PowerSchoolSupport@crec.org

OPT IN TO RECEIVE SCHOOL MESSENGER TEXT MESSAGES

Simply text the word, YES to 67587. That’s it! You’ve completed the opt-in process!

When done correctly, you will immediately get the following text response:

You're registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply. msg freq varies. schoolmessenger.com/tm School Messenger does not charge recipients for text messages they receive or send to the short code (67587). However, wireless providers may charge you for individual text messages, depending on your individual cell phone plan. Please consult your carrier if you are uncertain.

Calling all writers and visual artists! Submit your work to CREC's first district-wide art and literary magazine for a chance to be published! See attachment -

Spring Sports registration is now available on Final Forms. We will offer baseball, softball, track and field, Flag Football, and tennis. You must have a 2.2 Q2 GPA, No Fs, a recent physical of less than a year and all forms signed on Final Forms.

Important Note Regarding Eligibility:

As mentioned in the parent's meetings, students can be dismissed from the team if their Q2 GPA is below 2.2 and has 1 F or more. Please make sure you're doing everything you can to make sure Q2 GPAS meet these standards by checking in with your teachers, getting your work done in the classroom and asking for help when needed.

Important note regarding half days:

We will still have practice at the normal times. We will be implementing a study hall during this time for students to prepare for exams. We highly encourage students to take advantage of this.

AAE Basketball Game protocols

The games will be $3 for students and $5 for adults via Go Fan. A link will be send out Wednesday vs SMSA via Final Forms. We will take forty home visitors and away along with a student section. This first comes first serve.

We will not allow bags in the gym to allow more space. We highly encourage you leave your bags in the cafeteria. Furthermore, we will not allow food in the gym as well because we want to keep the gym in great condition.

Important note:

As the basketball season begins, please adhere to the following mandatory safety protocol regarding court and sideline access.

No unauthorized photographers are to be granted access to the court or sideline area during games.

Safety Rationale: Due to the limited space between the sidelines/baselines and the bleachers/gym walls, allowing individuals to stand in these areas during gameplay presents a significant safety risk along with a CIAC violation.

Games Roles & Protocols - Please see this email from Jon Winer, below: I hope this email finds you well and that you are having a great start to your winter! I am writing to remind you that, at every sporting event, there are four roles-

Players

Coaches

Officials

Spectators

These roles are separate and should not be mixed. The coaches should coach and nothing else. The players should play and nothing else. The officials should officiate and nothing else.

Finally, the spectators should spectate and nothing else. They shouldn’t officiate or provide feedback to the officials. They shouldn’t coach or yell instructions to their children as this causes confusion for the student-athlete. They should cheer.

We appreciate your passion and want as many of you to come and provide support for our student-athletes as possible. We also know that officiating is a very difficult job. Officials make mistakes just like we all do. We must support them and give them grace just as we would expect from our employers. Yelling at them only sets a bad example for the student-athletes and drives more and more of them away from the profession. As you know, we have a significant official's shortage which causes issues when scheduling games. It is critical that we provide an environment in which they can grow and improve rather than quit without a replacement.

Thank you for all of your support and I look forward to seeing you at a game.

Please note that if spectators refuse to follow our official or other sportsmanship protocols they will be asked to leave without a refund.

This week in HS Sports

Tuesday 1/20

3pm JV Boys Basketball vs Classical Magnet

4:30pm Boys Basketball vs Classical Magnet

5pm Girls Basketball vs Capital Prep @ AAE

Wednesday 1/21

Indoor Track Meet @ Wesleyan

5pm Girls Basketball vs Northwestern @ AAE

Friday 1/23 3:30pm Freshman boys Basketball @ SMA

5:15pm Girls Basketball @ Hartford Public

5:30pm JV Boys Basketball vs Bulkeley

7pm Boys Basketball vs Bulkeley

Saturday 1/24

12pm Track Meet @ Hartford Public

• Refugee Assistance Program - https://portal.ct.gov/dss/economic-security/refugee-assistance-program
  Hartford Public Library Main Branch - https://tap.hplct.org/immigration/
• Hartford Public Library Frog Hollow Branch

Graciela Rivera – Branch Manager

O: 860-695-7502/C: 860-500-8492

Email: grivera@hplct.org

• Center for Latino Progress - https://ctprf.org/services/immigration-services/
• Connecticut Institute for Refugees & Immigrants - https://cirict.org/