www.crecschools.

org/mlc Page 1 October 2014 Issue 2 Metropolitan Learning Center (860)242-7834

Congratulations to the following students for being recognized for as our IB
Learner of the Month for the Month of September. This month students were
recognized for exemplifying the trait of open minded.
Open-minded students critically appreciate our own cultures and personal
histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. They seek and evaluate
a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.


Grade

Name Name Trait
6 Bharat Krishnan Anastasia Reid
Open Minded
6 Bryce Djan Amaya Caez
Caring
7 Mahendra Vadlamudi Jaeda-Maya Small
Open Minded
8 Nicholas Duffus Indya Lumpkin
Open Minded
9 Zanagee Artis Chandler Davis
Open Minded
10 Joseph Stanley Jada Facey
Open Minded
11 Tremaine Reynolds Alexus Beckford
Open Minded
12 Malcom McKnight Sheldon Brown
Open Minded

A Message from MLC Administration:









MLC Passport
As we approach October, it's imperative we stay focused on the
goals we set forth for ourselves at the beginning of this school year.
The end of quarter 1 is just around the corner and therefore we must
assess our personal growth and accomplishments to date. If the goals
set are being met then we must acknowledge and celebrate those
successes. However if we aren't meeting those goals the good news
is that it's not too late. Remember that our IB standards foster a growth
model, which incorporates and calls for active reflection on a
continual basis. Students, I challenge you to take advantage of that
forum to critique your performance and invest in a plan for academic
and social gains. Seek out your teachers, engage in a dialogue for
improvement, but most importantly know we are here to help you,
guide you, and support you every step of the way!
Mrs. Gish High School Dean of Students
Happy Fall
from MLC
www.crecschools.org/mlc Page 2 October 2014 Issue 2 Metropolitan Learning Center (860)242-7834

















































Metropolitan Leaning Center
1551 Blue Hills Avenue

Bloomfield, CT 06117
Phone: (860)242-7834
Fax: (860)242-0732
www.crecschools.org/mlc
MLC Leadership Team
Sasha Douglas, Principal
Jennifer Hoffman: Asst. Principal,
High School
Henry Munoz: Asst. Principal,
Middle School
Heather Gish: Dean of Students,
High School
Todd Zenczak: Dean of Students,
Middle School
Emily Wright: IB Coordinator, MYP
Caroline Alexopoulos: IB
Designate, DP Candidacy

The CREC Family Resource Center is holding a parent workshop titled
Back to School for Parents: Ways to Support Your Child and
Yourself for a Successful School Year.
This workshop will be held at the CREC Family Resource Center on October 8th
from 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. at the Wilson-Gray YMCA, 444 Albany Avenue,
Hartford.
Topics covered will include:
Building a relationship with your childs school
How to support your child
Organizational tips
How to use PowerSchool

The first 15 parents who RSVP by October 5th, 2014, will receive a
backpack filled with supplies.
For more information or questions, please contact Cristina De Araujo, Office
Administrator at (860) 244-0376 or email cdearaujo@crec.org.
Congratulations11
th
grader Parker Louison on being one of the two
students selected (out of 80) to participate in the Connecticut Youth
Forums Debating our Broken Political System: Whats wrong and how to
fix it. This is a presentation at the Bushnell that will take place Thursday,
October 9th. Parker did an incredible job at the Legislative Office Building
as he discussed many issues facing our country today with his peers as
well as CT state representatives.
The schedule dates are:
Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6th.
Please contact Ms. Martinez
lamartinez@crec.org
860.242.7834 x2344 for
information and prices
Who? What? When?
Middle School Parents Parents Coffee Hour 10/6 8:00-9:00 am
MLC Families Back to School Workshop 10/8 6:00-7:30 pm
9
th
& 10
th
Parents PSAT/NMSQT 10/15 8:00 am
MLC Families Hispanic Heritage Festival 10/23 5:30-9:00 pm
Middle School Parents Hartford Wolfpack Field Trip 11/5 9:00-2:00
MLC Families International Food & Drink
Festival
11/6 5:00-10:00 pm

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The single most important aim of MYP assessment is to support and encourage student learning. This means that
teachers constantly gather and analyze information on student performance and provide feedback to students to help
them to be empowered to improve their performance. It also means that students have a responsibility to evaluate their
own progress using self-assessment and reflection. Through all of this, students should develop effective critical-
thinking and self-assessment skills.
Assessment in the MYP is called a criterion-related model. This means that student work is assessed against an agreed-
to set of criteria (which I included in the September edition of the Passport). Every subject in the MYP has four criteria
for assessment; for each individual criterion, the highest level of achievement is 8, for an overall possible criteria total of
32.
The reason that this is so helpful is because before they do any work, students know what needs to be done in order to
reach a high level of achievement. It also allows teachers to clarify and express their expectations in ways that are clear
to students; these expectations are consistent across all five years of the MYP. Students receive feedback based on the
criteria level descriptors/rubrics (which are available on CRECs MLC website: www.crecschools.org/mlc).



Over the course of a
unit, students
complete formative
work so that they
(and their teachers)
can gauge their
growth in content
and skills.
A summative
assessment task is given
or assigned which
contains a task sheet
and assessment criteria,
so students know what
they are expected to do
and how they can
succeed.
Students reflect on
their performance,
then the teacher
scores assessments
and provides feedback
based on the
assessment criteria.
This process is
repeated over the
course of a quarter.
(By the end of the
school year, all criteria
in each subject are
assesed at least twice.)
At the end of the
quarter, each teacher
analyzes students'
individual scores and
uses their
professional
judgment to award a
level of achievement
for each criterion
The criterion levels in
each subject are then
added together to give a
score total for that
subject. This is then
converted to an overall
final grade (out of 7)
using the MYP grade
boundary table.
Quarter grades are
communicated in report
cards, which include
individual criterion scores
for each subject, as well
as an overall score for
each subject. In addition
a "Commitment to
Learning" score is also
reported.
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Dear MLC Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! We are off to a great start, already incorporating a number
of rigorous and engaging activities in your students mathematics classroom. Our curriculum,
instruction and assessments are enhanced through rich technology integration across all grade
levels. This exposure strengthens academic achievement both in the classroom and on standardized
tests, such as State Assessments, ECE UConn/AP examination, PSAT/SAT as well as in college or any
future mathematic endeavors.

Each MLC mathematics classroom is equipped with one class set of grade-level appropriate
calculators. We highly recommend though that you purchase of a calculator for your student so he
or she can practice at home. Middle school students (Grades 6-8 Pre-Algebra) will use the TI-34 II
while students in the high school mathematics courses (including Grade 8 Algebra I) will use the TI-84
Plus.

As a Mathematics Vertical Team, we wanted to fully inform you of the benefits of purchasing a
calculator for your student:

The calculator is used as a springboard to learning and serves as a tool for exploration and
investigation solidifying mathematical understanding
Students will be able to practice at home on the same calculator that is used in school
Independent practice is encouraged and supports homework tasks
Homework will be more manageable
A graphing calculator is required for all high school mathematics courses
The graphing calculator can be used in high school AND later on in college
Both calculators are allowed on standardized tests

For the next four weeks, calculators can be purchased through your students teacher at MLC for a
discounted price of $25.00 for the TI-34 II and $120.00 for the TI-84 Plus.

Office supply stores such as Staples and Office Depot, price these calculators similarly. MLC provides
this offer to parents to make it easier to purchase this valuable learning tool. The school does not
profit in any way by offering this purchase.

We know that this may be an expensive purchase. However, we ask that you consider the purchase
an investment in your students mathematical career. If you plan to purchase a calculator, please
complete the order form included here and return it with payment in the form of cash or money
order to your childs mathematics teacher no later than Friday, October 17th.










We'll choose 20 semi-finalists from your nominations, followed
by a voting period that will determine one winner to receive a $5,000 grant. If you know an educator who's inspired and
mobilized a community, we want to hear about them. Celebrate the educator who inspired you by nominating them
now: http://outreach.facinghistory.org/nominate

Who planted the seed of social
responsibility for you? Nominate an
educator for the 2014 Facing History
Together Teacher Recognition
Contest.

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Middle School Visits the Wolf Pack 11/5
Middle School students will be taking a field trip to
Educational Day with the Wolf Pack hockey team.
Focus will be on Health, Science, and Math. Each
student will receive an educational booklet that is
designed to engage the students throughout the
game. Students are asked to answer questions
during every time out and intermission. There will be
a college fair as well where students will be exposed
to various CT colleges. Contact Ms. Thibault for more
information. tthibault@crec.org
Grade 6 News:

What a fantastic first month of school it has been for our new 6th graders.
We had a great Team Building Field Trip on September 12. Be on the
lookout for a permission slip coming home in regards to an upcoming field
trip in early November.

Thank you to all the parents who were able to come to Open House! We
were excited to get such a wonderful turn out. Remember to log in to
Power School with your children to go over assignments and grades.
Also, dont forget to check teacher schoologly webpages as well in order
to keep up to date with what is happening in the classrooms.
Grade 7 News:

Just a reminder for seventh grade parents
that the $75.00 deposit for the New York
City trip is due on Oct. 15
th
.
There are two payment options. You can
pay online using a debit or credit card at
the following address
http://www.gerbertours.com or you may
send cash in with your child.

If you have any questions, please contact
Mrs. Bourque at ybourque@mlc.crec.org
or 860-242-7834 ex. 2366.

Attention Middle School Parents
Parents Coffee Hour
When: Thursday October 16
th

Time 8-9 am
Where: MLC Library
Topic: Lets talk about planning for your
childs future- Guest Speaker
Kris Peruccio
How to fund your childrens education
Ways to reduce debt
Retirement saving strategies
The three different savings account
you need
The high cost of waiting to save and
more
To sign up please contact Mrs.
Thibault tthibault@crec.org RSVP by
October 12
th


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On Friday, October 24, 2014 all 9th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting
field trip. We will be traveling to Middletown, CT for a two part program involving leadership and team
building activities at Empower Leadership Sports Adventure Center. The second part of the program is
designed for your child to learn more about college opportunities and the important steps it takes to get
there. We will be meeting with the admissions staff at Wesleyan University for a college information
session and then a guided tour of Wesleyans campus.
Busses will be leaving MLC at 8:00 in the morning and returning back to school by 3:00pm dismissal.
Lunch is included in the cost of the trip.
We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity. If you have any further
questions, please contact Mrs. Jamin at 860-242-7834 ext. 2382 or ajamin@crec.org.
Permission slips and $28 cash are due by Monday, October 20, 2014.
Sincerely,
The 9h Grade Team