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PHOENIX NEWS
May 8 , 2015
AND THE WINNERS ARE… SO MUCH TO BE
PROUD OF AT HMTCA
A Jacob L. & Lewis Fox Foundation Scholar
Cameron Humphries, known to most of us as CJ,
was one of ten Hartford students who received the prestigious Jacob L. & Lewis Fox Foundation Scholar award.
The foundation, which was established in 1936, began
awarding college scholarships in 1937, to students who
reside in Hartford and will be graduating from a Hartford
high school. The students selected “were chosen on the
basis of scholastic achievement, financial need, outstanding character, demonstrated leadership, and a spirit of reverence.”
Ms. Cruz- Reis, our eighth grade Counselor,
serves as a Trustee of the Foundation and joins all of us in
congratulating CJ and the other recipients, who will hopefully continue to strive for excellence both academically
and in their service to others.
AND THE WINNERS ARE… SO MUCH TO BE
PROUD OF AT HMTCA (Cont.)
Ms. Beth Manke is a Finalist for Hartford’s
Teacher of the Year
Two Seniors Are Recognized for Excelling
in the Arts
Beth Manke, a sixth grade reading teacher, was
selected as one of the three finalists for Hartford’s Teacher
of the Year award. Each year, every Hartford school, submits one teacher for this award and the winner then goes
on to represent our district in the state competition.
Previously, Ms. Manke completed an extensive
application and was interviewed by representatives of
the district. Now that the field has been narrowed to just
three, Ms. Manke will be required to answer written essay questions and, for the final evaluation, she will teach a
class that will be videotaped.
Ms. Manke graduated from the University of Saint
Joseph in 2009 with a degree in Special Education, a certification in elementary education
and an award of excellence in student teaching. As she so beautifully expressed it, “I chose to teach in
Hartford because I wanted to help
foster an environment for learning in which students are learning their greatest lessons from one
another. I believe that we live in a
diverse and exciting world and the
educational path that we put our
students on should be the same.
Hartford’s diversity, commitment
to closing the achievement gap, creativity in fostering the
community school design and their desire for teachers
with passion and drive, attracted me right away. In the
past five years I have found that the best way to reach my
students at HMTCA , put my whole heart into my job and
to be my best self, is to get involved.”
We have the utmost confidence in her ability to show
everyone what an innovative and engaging teacher she is.
Best of luck Ms. Manke!
The Connecticut Association of Schools
(CAS) recognized two HMTCA seniors, Caylin
Pollard and Cameron Humphries, for excellence in
arts. The event, held on April 4th at the Aqua Turf
in Southington, was an exciting evening for all who
attended. The award was given to students who
demonstrated leadership and excellence in multiple
arts. It is quite an accomplishment to be talented in
one art but these individuals shine in several creative
areas. Caylin participates in dance, theatre, and chorus as well as taking on various leadership roles in
all three such as a teaching assistant, choreographer
and production staff. CJ is active in a wide array of
artistic endeavors including jazz band, concert band,
chorus, dance theatre and visual arts and unbelievably excels in them all. Our heartiest congratulations
go out to these two multi-talented students!
IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS AT HMTCA
Spring Cleaning in the Middle School
Fifty seven middle school students took part
in a spring cleanup at HMTCA on Saturday, March
28th. Students were busy wiping down desks, book
shelves and windows. They hung up new paper on
bulletin boards and tore down old ones. They wiped
down the media center from top to bottom and put
some extra elbow grease in the cafeteria. Locker surfaces were wiped down, scuff marks were scrubbed
and hallways were mopped. Students learned how to
work in teams to get their jobs done. For their efforts,
students earned some much needed service learning
hours. We would like to send special thanks to the
high schoolers who helped supervise the event: Josh
Vargas, Wade Porter and Chaniya Jackson. Great job
everyone.
Right To Play is Right for our Kids
Another wonderful event was held on Tuesday, April 21st, at Trinity by their Right To Play
Chapter. As we explained in the last issue, this organization is a global initiative that strives to use play
to empower children and teach them life skills. The
ultimate aim is to help them overcome the cycle of
poverty and conflict and to promote lasting change
in their communities. Fifteen of our students got to
interact with 5 Trinity football players, 5 members of
the basketball team and 8 other students and spend
some “chill” time. The entire basketball court was
set up with three activities which paired out students
with Trinity students as they moved through the
games. Afterward everyone enjoyed dinner and con-
versation. This was the perfect time for our students
to experience, and see firsthand, the possibilities and
benefits that a higher education can offer.
Mr. Doran, our high school Dean of Students,
who has spearheaded this collaboration with Trinity has plans to continue this program next year. He
hopes to set up a few basketball clinics with the Trinity basketball team as well as a field day on the turf
for sixty to eighty kids. It is evident from how well
behaved and engaged our students are, that the mission of the program is being realized.
The Phoenix Nest is Hatched
In late March, HMTCA saw a new addition
to the positive behavior intervention program, PBIS,
which saw its implementation earlier this year. The
PBIS initiative has added a school store, dubbed the
“Phoenix Nest” which sells its wears every Tuesday afternoon during HMTCA’s lunch waves. The Phoenix
Nest exemplifies the true nature of the PBIS initiative
in many ways; students voted on the merchandise
they most desired to be stocked in the store, while
teachers, administrators and COMPASS staff members worked together to bring the student’s vision to
fruition. Middle school representatives from the student council helped to organize the store itself, and
they also help COMPASS staff to sell items during
lunch waves. No item on the cart is exchanged vfor
dollars or cents. The only form
of currency that is accepted are
the colorful PBIS tickets, which
school staff distribute to students who are seen “doing the
right thing”. PBIS is a dis
IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS AT HMTCA (Cont.)
trict wide initiative, aimed to reward those students
who follow directions, come prepared to participate
in class, and display positive life skills in the hallways
and yards of our school. The Phoenix Nest is a means
by which students can
cash those tickets in for
some sweet prizes. “I
LOVE the Rubik’s cube!”
commented one enthusiastic 6th grader. Prizes
include stress balls, fun
and funny school supplies, key chains, coin purses, and the always popular,
HMTCA gear. Inventory has changed, but thus far,
enthusiasm has not. Make sure you ask your “Phoenix” what goodies he or she has purchased from the
“Nest”, and please encourage each and every one of
them to do the things that will earn them more tickets!
PTO NOTES
Hello from the HMTCA PTO! To end the
year, with a smile on everyone’s face, our annual Family Fun Night was held on Friday, April 24th
from 6:00-8:00 PM. The evening featured a bouncy
house, video bus, photo booth, DJ and to top it all off
a parent “throw back” dance. The parents danced to
their favorite high school music while the kids “chaperoned” and made sure the parents behaved themselves! It was hard to tell who had a better time- the
kids or the parents.
As we look ahead to next year we hope there
are some parents out there who might consider joining our executive board. The PTO is a vital part of
the HMTCA community and it provides both educational and recreational activities for the entire family.
If you are interested in serving on the board please
contact Mrs. Heller in the main office at (860) 6957201 or at hellh001@hartfordschools.org .
COLLEGE CORNER
National College Fair
Our junior class visited the National College
Fair at the Connecticut Convention Center on Thursday, March 26th. Our students were able to spend a
few hours exploring and talking with college representatives from across the country. In preparation,
the juniors made a roadmap to help them navigate
the fair and maximize the use of their time. We look
forward to this becoming a yearly event.
On the Hunt for the Perfect College
On the heels of our senior college admissions
decisions, we move forward with our sophomores
and juniors helping them to look ahead to college. The counselors just finished 10 classes with our juniors on college and career planning and we attended
the Hartford College Fair. On May 4th and 5th we
are taking our sophomores to Rhode Island and juniors to Massachusetts to visit colleges. Sophomores will visit Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, University of Rhode
Island and Johnson and Wales University. They will
also tour Newport’s Marble House Mansion and do
the Cliff Walk. Juniors will travel to Boston to visit Northeastern University, Emmanuel College, Wentworth
Institute of Technology, Emerson College and Suffolk University. They will also take the Duck Tour for
Boston and visit the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The
next day they will visit Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester and wrap up
the day with a visit to Eastern Connecticut State University.
COLLEGE CORNER (Cont.)
A Job Experience with a Special
Connection
Career Day at HMTCA
Jeaneen Getfield shadowed her former visual
arts teacher, Heather Groenstein, who now teaches
at the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering. The
following is her letter of thanks.
Dear Ms. Groenstein,
I would like to thank you for allowing me the
time to let me shadow with you on Monday, March
23rd. I formed a better understanding of the visual
arts field and would like to pursue it as a possible career.
I didn’t expect such an extensive agenda from
you, but I am thankful for your graciousness and
time. You were very organized and on time to classes
and when meeting with other staff. I was happy to
see some of the teachers that worked at HMTCA. It
was very impressive to see how you do your own artwork in a place like your busy home. Thank you for
allowing me to visit and see your studio.
I would also like to thank you for agreeing to
partner with Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. Exposing high school students to different careers and the working atmosphere, prepares us for
the next step in our career.
Sincerely,
Jeaneen Getfield
On Friday, April 24th from 11:30 AM to 1:30
PM, HMTCA hosted their third annual Career Day.
The event was for students in grades 8 through 12.
Each year HMTCA collaborates with the local community and public figures, so that together, they can
educate students on the importance of furthering
their education and introduce them to a variety of
career opportunities. Students attending this wonderful event had the opportunity to speak with representatives from a variety of professional fields as well
as colleges and universities such as:
• Attorney
• Nurses
• Actuarial Accountant
• Dentist
• Dental Hygenist, Certified Dental Technician
• Detective, Hartford Police Department
• Veterinarian
• Lieutenant, Fire Department
• Professor
• Economist, State Labor Department
• Director of Government Relations & Political Affairs for ConnCan
• Financial Planner
THE ARTS THRIVE AT HMTCA
TALENT, TALENT AND MORE TALENT
On Friday evening, March 6th students from
our junior and senior classes presented the first annual HMTCA Variety Show. They dazzled the crowd
of over 200 at the Greater Hartford Arts Academy
Theatre with songs, dancing and hysterical skits.
Members of the staff and faculty enjoyed seeing
“themselves” represented onstage by the students that
they know and love so well. The standard, for future
shows, was set high but we have no doubt that the
upcoming classes will work hard to meet it. We can’t
wait to see you next year!
THE NORTHERN REGION MUSIC FESTIVAL
Five of our extremely talented students performed at the Connecticut Music Educator’s Northern Region Music Festival held at Central Connecticut State University on Saturday, March 7th. These
students auditioned and were accepted into the Festival’s Honor Ensembles.
Kimberly Manchester played the French
Horn in the Band and Jillian Norbut was selected
for the Orchestra as a flutist. Alexis Sargent sang alto
in the Treble Choir while Mila Hill and Marisa Rusyczk were both honored to perform as sopranos. The
students were accompanied by Mr. Jardim, HMTCA’s
chorus director.
POETRY AS AN ART FORM
On Thursday, April 9th HMTCA and Renzulli Academy students, performed together in Project
Poetry Live at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in
Hartford. The students put together original choreography that was inspired by poetry and incorporated
music, dance and various forms of visual art. These
students were taught and coached through their experience by the Matthew Westerby Dance Company
from NYC, along with teaching artists from the Litchfield Performing Arts Organization. This was the
culmination of a weeklong residency program that
began in February. The students were outstanding in
their performance and expressed true commitment
to the project. Our future seventh graders will be excited to know that Project Poetry Live will be back
next year! Many thanks to our Dance teacher, Lindsay Boyer, for making this all happen.
THE ARTS THRIVE AT HMTCA (Cont.)
THE MARCHING PHOENIX BAND
WINS A MAJOR AWARD
FOOTLOOSE GETS EVERYONE’S FEET
TAPPING
The Marching Phoenix Band went on an
overnight trip to Philadelphia to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade which took place on Sunday, March
15th. The parade is the second oldest in the country
and has approximately 20,000 participants and over
150 groups performing.
There are bands, dance
groups, youth groups and
Irish Associations that all
compete for awards. This
year our middle school
marching band, Wings of
Gold and Royal Creation
took the top honor for the most Outstanding Musical
Unit by winning the Hon. Vincent A. Carroll Award!
What makes it so incredible is that they beat bands
that included high school and adult participants.
This is truly a tribute to our students and the amazing direction of our staff Ms. Pike, Mr. Franklin, Mr.
Kenniston and Ms. Baltimore. WAY TO GO!!
Another feather in the cap of our talented
band and dancers was an invitation to be part of the
victory parade celebrating the 2015 NCAA Basketball
National Championship won by the UCONN Women’s Basketball Team. On the absolutely magnificent,
sunny Sunday of April 12th, we lead off the festivities thanks to Ms. Brauman being one of the parade
organizers. The crowd was in a fabulous mood so
the cheers were loud and the enthusiasm was at a fever pitch. Our students, looking sharp in their brand
new uniforms, made us all proud.
The Black Box Theatre at the Greater Hartford
Academy of the Arts came alive as the high school
put on a high powered, energetic, and moving production of the musical Footloose. The show is about
forgiveness and the right to self-expression. After
moving from Chicago to Bomont, Ren McCormick
leads a band of teenagers in their effort to change the
law which prohibits dancing. Ren and his friends
take on the city council and the minister, who believe
that dancing will cause irresponsible teenage behavior. The two shows on April 10th and 11th were both
sold out and the audience response was tremendous.
Once again HMTCA was fortunate to produce this show in collaboration with Hartford Stage,
who sent director, Erin Frederick, to work with our
talented student actors . Starring roles were performed by seniors Sophie Silver, Sean McCarthy,
Zachary Woodstock, Victoria Piccard, Caylin Pollard, CJ Humphries, Emily Squatrito and freshman
Alexxus Hales.
Another wonderful aspect of the show was
that it was entirely student run with a technical crew
of ten and a cast of eighteen. The production also
benefited from the musical talents of staff members
Mr. Hasspacher on bass, Mr. Kenniston on guitar,
musical director Mr. Jardim on piano and a stellar
performance by sophomore Willis Moore on percussion.
SPORTS NEWS
Winter Sports Awards
HMTCA had another very successful athletic season which was celebrated at the Winter Sports
Awards Night held on Wednesday, March 25th. We
would like to share our student athletes’ accomplishments with you.
Spring Sports Start Picking Up the Pace
Now that spring break is over our spring
athletic season is in full swing. For information or
questions please contact your child’s coach.
High School
Softball Head Coach
Jason Smith SMITJ001@hartfordschools.org 860 695-7304
Softball Asst. Coach
Angie Kumm kumma001@hartfordschools.org 860 695-7235
Baseball Head Coach
Jeff Kramer
KRAMJ001@hartfordschools.org 860 695-7304
Outdoor Track Head Coach Chrissy Kemp Christian.Kemp@hartfordschools.org 860 695-7281
Outdoor Track Asst. Coach James B.
BENGJ001@hartfordschools.org
860 695-7310
Boys Volleyball – At Bulkeley
Boys Tennis – At Bulkeley
Girls Tennis – At Bulkeley
Boys and Girls Golf – At Bulkeley
Middle School
Softball Head Coach
Melvin Mitchell
MITCM001@hartfordschools.org
Baseball Head Coach
Alex Camire Alex.
Camire@hartfordschools.org
Outdoor Track Head Coach Theresa Kemp
KEMPT001@hartfordschools.org 860 695-7333
UPCOMING EVENTS