Page 8 - Ben Bronz Academy

A Message from the Education Director
Each year, it is important to take the time to reflect. This reflection helps
us to identify the many successes and areas for growth that helps us set goals for the upcoming school year.
The students and their academic
and social achievements are the focus
of my reflection this year. With the
help of Cynthia Fries, the Assistant
Education Director, we worked as a community to learn about and implement restorative practices. Students learned that it was important to identify how their energy contributes to the community and how they can help or make amends when their interactions affect the community. Academically, the students focused on the standards and strands identified in the Common Core Standards for Literacy and Mathematics, the NGSS standards and the Connecticut Social Studies Framework. While this was hard for some, many others thrived and flourished in the academic environment, progressing in their reading decoding and reading comprehension skills. It was amazing to hear the confidence in their new skills as they applied them to researching transportation and Hartford in the fall and spring Research Weeks. Students presented what they learned to their classmates, families and friends and did so using impressive communication and problem solving skills.
Always supporting the students on their
road to success was an amazing group of families, faculty and staff. Each one of the student’s team members rose to the occasion, bringing to the table knowledge that allowed for growth in both academics and social skills. Mediators continued to build their knowledge about best practices in the
classrooms to help with reading, writing, mathematics and social learning. Families worked with mediators to communicate their individual child’s strengths and then helped to implement these strategies at home. Staff helped
to provide communication to all so that each knew of community building events.
This year was a good year for growth. Students learned that they could apply their academic skills in the research and presentation formats. They enjoyed and built relationships on field trips like the Ropes Course in Storrs and the Winding Trails trip. They learned that they could individually
and with support from their peers they could try difficult tasks and problem solve so that it became a successful experience.
Finally, I would like to congratulate our students, families and staff on a great year that showcased academic and problem solving achievements. Good luck to our five seniors
as you embark on your next journey!
Christina Lamphere, Education Director
6