Dragon Passport

The week of June 15th-18th students will be Dismissed at 10:50AM.

Exams will be held on these days for High School Students only!

High School Exam make-up will be held on June 22nd.

2025-26 CREC DISTRICT CALENDAR

CALENDARIO DEL DISTRITO DE CREC 2025-26

On March 5th, our school community came together for an unforgettable Black History Month Celebration! Students put on an amazing showcase, performing a total of five shows throughout the day for their peers and in the evening for families. The performances highlighted culture, history, and creativity in powerful ways. Our students honored women in the military with a meaningful tribute, brought energy to the stage with dance performances inspired by the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s, and paid homage to legendary soul singer Nina Simone. A standout moment of the celebration was our Men of Vision and Excellence (M.O.V.E.) group delivering a powerful rendition of I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr., leaving the audience inspired and moved. Students also used their voices through impactful slam poetry, highlighting the achievements of influential Black innovators such as Madam C. J. Walker, George Washington Carver, and Lewis Latimer. The celebration continued with electrifying dance tributes to Doja Cat and Beyoncé, which also featured an exciting live band showcase that truly brought the performances to life!

We are so proud of our students for their hard work, talent, and dedication in making this event such a success. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Black history, culture, and excellence as a school community.

As part of their recent learning, students took on a hands-on challenge: designing and creating their own “home heaters.” Using their understanding of chemical reactions, they combined different materials to produce heat—and then put their creations to the test to see how well they worked!

This engaging activity allowed students to think critically, experiment, and apply real-world science concepts in a fun and meaningful way. It was amazing to see their creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in action as they observed how chemical reactions can be used in everyday life. Great work, 7th grade scientists! 🔥

AIS Middle School students participated in the first Middle School Model United Nations Young Delegates Conference hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. Our students represented Greece, Bahrain and the United States and joined with other middle school students from around the state to discuss the issues of Water Rights and Scarcity. They researched, shared perspectives, collaborated and deliberated to come to joint resolutions about the issue.

Young ladies in our school had the incredible opportunity to learn from a dynamic group of women during our Women’s Panel Event!

We were honored to welcome an inspiring lineup of panelists, including Monica, owner of Red Label Cosmetics; Sylvia, a current parent, certified life coach and leadership coach, and founder of You Emerge Motivations Inc.; Chakiri Eley a representative from AAA; Claudia Cupe owner of Doggie Treats; and Lorence Deka-Wise owner of Lorie’s Hair braiding and Salon.

Each panelist shared their personal journeys, career insights, and words of encouragement, empowering our students to think big and stay focused on their goals. During small group sessions, students were able to connect more closely—asking questions, hearing real-life experiences, and engaging with the panelists they were most interested in learning from. Lorence Deka-Wise – Lorie’s Hair braiding and Salon.

Thank you to our amazing guests for pouring into our students and helping to inspire the next generation of leaders! 💫

This week in 10th grade biology, students took a hands-on approach to understanding the structure and function of DNA by creating their very own DNA necklaces!

Using KINEX kits, each of the pieces represented the four nitrogen bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, students modeled base pairing rules and built segments of DNA sequences. As they worked, students explored how DNA stores genetic information and how sequences translate into traits.

The activity didn’t stop at building models. Students were challenged to “decode” their DNA strands, practicing key concepts like base pairing, transcription, and translation. By wearing their DNA necklaces throughout the school, they also engaged the community by answering questions from peers and staff and explaining the science behind their DNA samples in their necklaces.

This interactive lab brought an abstract concept to life while reinforcing key skills aligned with IB MYP Sciences, including modeling, identifying patterns, and communicating scientific understanding. Most importantly, it supported students in developing as IB learners; curious, collaborative, and confident in sharing their scientific thinking.

Great work, sophomore; science never looked so stylish!

Students had the opportunity to connect with nearly 30 community partners, learning more about mental health, healthy coping strategies, and ways to manage stress in their everyday lives. The day was centered on empowering students with tools and resources to support their overall well-being—and it truly made a difference.

A huge thank you to our amazing community partners for showing up and supporting our students: ReadyCT, Project Prevent, Interval House, Favor, Bloomfield Police Department, Thornton Martial Arts, Careforth, OPP, and Hartford Athletic. Your presence and dedication helped make this day so special!

Our Middle School Spring Career Day was an engaging and inspiring experience for our students! 🌟

Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to hear from a variety of professionals who shared their career journeys, experiences, and valuable life lessons.

We were excited to welcome Ms. Redd from Channel 3 WFSB, who gave students an inside look at the world of television news and shared her personal path into the industry. Nurses Chantelle and Olivia provided an informative session on careers in nursing, even showing videos about cardiac arrest to deepen students’ understanding of the field and the importance of quick, informed action.

Students also heard from the owner of One Touch Detailing, who spoke about entrepreneurship and how owning his own business has opened doors—including opportunities to connect with various celebrities. To round out the day, Ms. Jasmine led a fun and interactive charades activity, helping students explore nonverbal communication and better understand how we express feelings without words.

This meaningful day gave our students a glimpse into a variety of career paths while building their awareness of communication, health, and entrepreneurship. Thank you to all of our guest speakers for inspiring the next generation! 💼✨

APRIL - Principled

This month, the IB Learner Profile trait we are celebrating is principled. Principled individuals “act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. [They] take responsibility for [both] their actions and their consequences.”

In today’s world, it is critical for people to know what they value and how their values can guide their life choices and decisions. To support your IB learners as they develop as principled individuals, here are some ways to encourage ethical, informed decision-making at home:

Ask your student about what they value and believe in, and how their choices and actions should reflect these;
Share times when you acted with integrity and honesty with your student, and why it mattered that you did; and
Support your student to take responsibility for their own actions:

Help them as they take on new responsibilities: talk through their new role and ask them to think about how that could impact their other responsibilities
When they make a mistake, process through how they can take responsibility for their actions, and support them as they do so.

Consistent Attendance Matters!

Spring is here, and we’re moving full steam through the second half of the school year! March is a great time for students to refocus, work on new goals and make the most of every day at school. One of the most important habits that drives success? Consistent attendance.

Being present in school helps students stay connected with lessons, participate in class, and build strong relationships with teachers and peers. Even a few missed days can create gaps in learning and make it harder to keep up.

For high school families:
Students who have missed more than 12 classes could be at risk of losing credit. To support students, counselors will be meeting with families to review attendance, discuss options, and create plans for success.

Thank you for partnering with us to make every school day count. Let’s keep the momentum going and finish the year strong—together! 💪🎓

As a reminder:

The school day is from 7:30-2:05.

Scholars missing school for 3 cores or more will be considered absent for the day.
Absences for more than 20 minutes from a class is considered an absence. Time will be noted in PowerSchool.
Attendance matters for all classes so if a scholar can only attend 1 or 2 cores for an excused reason, we highly recommend they do.

Please remind your child of the importance of waking up early and being in school daily. If you need support and resources please contact Ms. Gibson at sgibson@crec.org or their school counselor (listed below).