January Newsletter

Our Textiles and Clothing class was featured on NBC News for their Monster Project. We are in year three of this collaboration between ECS and CHS. Thank you to our ECS teachers and Mrs. Dooley for making this happen. Enjoy!

Our Residential Construction class completed their first shed for a local Cromwell resident. This class builds a shed at CHS, breaks it down, then rebuilds it on site. This authentic learning experience teaches our students the basics on construction. We would like to give a huge shoutout to Mr. Borgia and his students...the shed came out great!

Transportation: All buses will run at 11:30 AM on Tuesday, January 20th through Friday, January 23rd

Breakfast & Lunch: Breakfast will be available in the morning until 7:45 AM, and lunch will be available for purchase in the cafeteria at 11 -11:30 AM.

Grades for Semesters: Student semester grades will be calculated using the following formula:

• Q1 (45%) + Q2 (45%) + X1 (10%) = S1 (100%)

• Q3 (45%) + Q4 (45%) + X2 (10%) = S2 (100%)

Senior Assessment Exemption: Seniors who are taking a half-year elective are exempt from the assessment if they have a 90+ average. These students are not required to come to school during their designated exam block. Teachers will notify students who are exempt prior to the exam day. No early dismissals will be issued during exams.

What if I do not have a class during an assessment period? Students are not required to be in the building if they do not have an exam. Students without an assessment (study hall, academic support) do not need to come to school. However, students must provide their own transportation if they are arriving to school late or leaving school early as a result of an exemption. Example: On Tuesday, we have assessments for period 1 and period 2. If you only have a period 1 assessment, then you may leave after the assessment. Conversely, if you only have a period 2 assessment, then you may arrive at school late. In the former scenario, you need to provide your own transportation home and for the latter scenario, you need to provide your own transportation to school (Students, if you do not know what former and latter mean in this context I suggest you look it up…consider it SAT prep 😀).

Students with a free assessment block have two options.

1. Students can go to the library media center or the cafeteria.

2. Students can arrive late to school or leave school early.

Students are not permitted to wander the halls during the assessment period.

What if we have a Two-Hour Delay due to inclement weather? If Cromwell has a two-hour delay, the assessments will proceed as planned and school will be dismissed at our regular time (2:25 PM).

What if school is canceled for inclement weather? If school is canceled, the assessments scheduled for the cancellation day will take place on our first day back in the building. Example: If we have a school cancellation on Wednesday, January 21st, then the assessments scheduled for this day will be administered on Thursday, January 22nd. This creates a domino effect where we will move the next two days of exams accordingly (Thursday will move to Friday. Friday will move to Monday.).

Semester 2: The first day of second semester is scheduled for Monday, January 26th. Students and families can access their second semester schedule on PowerSchool. For a print copy of your schedule please stop by the School Counseling Office.

CHS has a Parent Advisory group that meets quarterly on Tuesdays. At our October meeting the idea of the monthly calendar was brough forward and has since been implemented. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend. At these meetings we solicit feedback from families with the primary goal of improving the student experience at CHS. All meeting times are at 6 PM in the Main Office unless noted otherwise. If you are interested or would like more information please reach out to Libby Nickols at enickols@cromwell.k12.ct.us. The meeting schedule for the 2025-2026 school year is as follows:

• January 13th
• March 10th
• May 12th

CHS held its annual winter concert in December. This concert included performances by our jazz band, concert band, select choir, and concert choir. They did an amazing job!

This year's Pulsera Project was a great success! Student's raised $492 for artisans in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Thank you to all who supported this amazing project and our students.

Pictured from left to right: Matthew Fresa, Evan Lopez, Chloe Nixdorf, Bryanna Marfella, Eva Gatland, Hunter Scheibe, Diyala Shalo and Izaiah Sanchez

Not pictured: Elijah Balagtas, Brianna Jones, Kennadi Marchese, Patrick Monahan, Madison Striker, Natalie Szwez, Zoi Spence-Anderson

Student of the month is earned by students who exceed expectations that are aligned with one of our demeanors and dispositions outlined in the Vision of the Graduate. For the month of December we are recognizing the following students:

· For Communication: Jack Weiss, Marcel Dudziuk and Addison Soltesz

· For Collaboration: Brianna Jones and Patrick Monahan

· For Innovation: Jacob Brightman and Jayda Ayala

· For Perseverance: Jack Drew

· For Compassion and Empathy: Rory Monahan, Karly Cruz, Michael Seabra and Kaelyn Beyer

Submit your photos today!

Students in the Textiles and Clothing Courses decorated a wreath for the Cromwell Historical Society Wreath Walk on December 14th and 15th. The wreath was then donated for the raffle, with proceeds going to benefit the work of the society.

Students pictured are Ava Janiak, Shianne Grasso, and Kayla Semino.

On Friday, December 19th, Phoenix the Therapy Dog brought warmth and pre Holiday cheer to CHS students.

Phoenix will be back at CHS on Tuesday, January 20th at 9am!

Pictured left to right: Christian Cicero, Phoenix the Therapy Dog, Abdullah Rafiq, Tim Rivera and Adrian Aires Reynoso

On Saturday, December 13th, student volunteers from CHS helped Animal Control Officer Cheryl Gagnon and Ms. Mazzarella run the Cromwell Animal Control Pet Photo Shoot with Santa which helps raise money for the animals in the care of Cromwell Animal Control. Officer Gagnon reported that students helped bring in more pets for the shoot than they have had in the past and they were able to raise $350.00.

Pictured here: Evan Lopez, Jennifer Chen, Aryan Chanda, Jacob Brightman, Kaelyn Petrella, Izaiah Sanchez, Ms. Mazzarella

Pictured here with Santa: Jacob Brightman, Evan Lopez, Aryan Chanda, Jennifer Chen

A group of Cromwell High School (CHS) students participated in a job shadow event at the Birdon America facility in Portland, CT. The program focused on the U.S. Coast Guard 47' Motor Lifeboat (MLB) Service Life Extension Program, an initiative dedicated to the comprehensive refurbishment and modernization of rescue and recovery vessels.

During the visit, students toured vessels at various stages of production, gaining firsthand insight into the specialized roles required for maritime engineering and manufacturing. Organized by Junior Achievement (JA) Maritime, the event also featured demonstrations from several other prominent marine industry partners, highlighting diverse career opportunities within the sector.

Colin Early, Nate Paindiris, Tyler Roberts & Justin Hall learn about marine industry

Alex Murray, Olivia Cloutier, Tyler Roberts, Luke Midgley & Nate Paindiris enjoy a presentation on Jonesport.

Pictured in photo: Nate Paindiris, Luke Midgley, Colin Early, David Kniec & Tyler Roberts

December was an exciting and productive month in the Career Center as students explored different careers and prepared for their futures. Our Career Speaker Series welcomed professionals from cosmetology, nursing, fire services, EMS, and paramedicine, giving students a chance to learn what these jobs are really like and ask questions about training and daily responsibilities. Many students also received one‑on‑one help creating new resumes, applying for jobs, and writing cover letters. In Career Connections classes, students began their final unit focused on Career Pathway Exploration, where they researched careers, learned about different pathways, and connected their skills and interests to possible career fields.

Looking ahead to January, we’re excited to continue the Speaker Series with guest speakers from architecture, the military, and real estate to help students keep exploring their options and planning next steps.

Cromwell High School’s DECA chapter and Student Council recently teamed up to make a difference through a five-day online fundraiser benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Thanks to the generosity of our school and local community, the fundraiser successfully raised $716 in support of St. Jude’s mission.

The funds raised will help provide critical medical care, advanced research, and life-saving treatments for children facing serious illnesses—all at no cost to their families. This support allows families to focus on what matters most: helping their child heal.

CHS DECA and Student Council would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated, shared, and supported this cause. Your kindness and generosity demonstrate the strong sense of community and compassion that defines Cromwell High School. Together, we are proud to make a positive impact beyond our classrooms.

Pictured left to right: Rudra Bhatt, Sagar Dave, Jack Drew, Jenna Kastenhuber, Kaelyn Petrella, Jacob Brightman.

On Friday, December 19th, the Cromwell High School Dance Team hosted a Holiday Zumbathon with our own Spanish teacher and Dance Team advisor as the instructor! The room was filled with holiday cheer, voices singing, and lots of laughter! The team had a successful event and raised $123!

We would like to thank everyone who attended.

We will be performing at the following basketball halftimes:

• January 7, 9, 12,16, 23, 30, February 3, 6

We hope you will come to check out a performance!"

The CHS football team had a fabulous season finishing 9-1 and winning the Pequot Conference Championship and qualifying for the state playoffs.

Pequot Conference Player of the Year, First Team All Conference and Shoreline Scholar Athlete

First Team Honorable Mention goes to Jayden Augustin and Mason Stachura

Congratulations All!

Please click on the link below to view our schedules for the fall sports season.

CHS has high expectations for our student athletes and those in the music and drama programs. In order to maintain eligibility:

• Students must have no quarter grade below a 65
• 75 average unweighted in all classes

We have raised the academic expectations of our students participating in extracurricular activities. The attached document outlines the changes and clearly communicates our eligibility criteria.

The breakfast and lunch prices for the next school year will be as followed:

• Breakfast at CHS will be $2.05

• Lunch at CHS will be $3.30

Arrival: All students will use the main entrance in the morning. Parent drop off will continue to be located at the band/gymnasium entrance and students will walk to the main entrance. We will lock the main entrance doors at the first bell, 7:40 AM. Students arriving via the bus will be dropped off at the main entrance. We are encouraging families to factor in time for traffic. Parent drop off is not permitted in front of the main entrance between 7 AM and 7:45 AM.

Dismissal: CHS will have one wave of buses to accommodate the new middle school. Families picking up their children should park in front of the band entrance. Please do not park on the main road as it is an emergency access road.

All students and staff have assigned parking at CHS. Visitor spots are in front of the main entrance and clearly labeled "visitor". Please use these locations to park when visiting while school is in session.

All students have one to one devices. If the student’s device is lost or broken, the student must report this to the tech help desk in the Library Media Center. Prior to the start of the school year, students can reach out to the high school and set up an appointment to get their Chromebook fixed.

• During school hours: students should report to the Library Media Center and complete a tech ticket.

• After school hours: send an email to the Tech Support team at techsupport@cromwell.k12.ct.us. Please provide a detailed message with your contact information (after school hours applies to students in quarantine as well as during summer break).