The Engineering and Science University Magnet School Newsletter
A Steady Move Toward a September Opening |
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A Steady Move Toward a September Opening
The Engineering and Science University Magnet School, which has enrolled 84 sixth-grade students for its first class, will open in September in a temporary location in the former St. Louis School in West Haven.
The result of a partnership between the University of New Haven, the New Haven District Magnet School Office and nine participating suburban school districts, the school will be housed at 89 Bull Hill Lane. It is the only New Haven-area magnet school scheduled to open for the upcoming school year.
The school will begin its first year with sixth-grade students, and will progressively add a grade each year over the course of the next seven years. By the beginning of the academic year 2014-2015, 616 students are expected to be attending the school. By then, it is projected that the Engineering and Science University Magnet School will be settled into its permanent quarters on a site adjacent to the University of New Haven.
Magnet, Summer Institute,
A Strong Lure for Girls
Recognizing the urgency of attracting more women to the science and engineering professions, the University of New Haven and District Magnet School Office have made a concerted effort to attract girls to the Engineering and Science University Magnet School. Their work has resulted in an enrollment ratio of 28 girls to 56 boys, surpassing the national average of 8 percent female enrollment for similar programs.
UNH already had been successful in planting the seed of interest in science and engineering through a number of programs, including its Engineering and Science Summer Institute for Young Women, run by Assistant Chemistry Professor Dr. Nancy Ortins Savage. Dr. Savage’s efforts on behalf of women and chemistry were recently recognized by the Connecticut Quality Improvement Partnership, which awarded the University a silver CQIA Innovation Prize for the Institute.
West Haven Lends Hand
In Curriculum Creation
The West Haven Board of Education and UNH’s Department of Education have been actively involved from the inception of the Magnet School. Along with other community stakeholders, they have had input on curriculum matters, staffing and other start-up concerns. Those involved from the school district’s central office include newly appointed West Haven Superintendent Neil Cavallaro, Math Coordinator Amy Jo Palermo and Science Coordinator Raffaela Fronc.
“This is a unique opportunity for students from our community to be part of a program that will prepare them to compete in a global economy in which math and science skills will be essential, ” said Cavallaro, pictured at left, a strong supporter of the effort. As a result of the school being built in West Haven, 20 percent of the spaces available will be reserved for West Haven students. When the school, which includes grades 6 through 12, is complete, enrollment will include 80 West Haven children.
Members of the West Haven Board of Education, who have indicated strong support for the magnet school initiative, continue to be kept informed on the progress being made.
The University’s Department of Education was particularly supportive, providing office space, mentoring, curriculum development, and assistance with staff recruitment.
Particular thanks go to Dr. Paulette Pepin, Dr. Judi Randi, and Susanne Murphy, all of whom have been instrumental in guiding the establishment of an infrastructure based on sound pedagogical practices.
An Innovative Curriculum Awaits
Educators at the new Engineering and Science University Magnet School will be using a variety of ground-breaking approaches to help students master the curriculum. They will:
1. Use the renowned STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) approach. STEM uses activities and challenges that cultivate critical thinking skills in students, and that encourage a passion for imaginative learning and self-discovery.
2. Use activities, projects and problems in a format that has been used successfully by Project Lead the Way, a curriculum that teaches a team approach, along with mastering the science of research, data collection and analysis, public speaking and more.
3. Embrace a college-preparatory approach, offering art, music, physical education, foreign languages and other electives.
4. Participate in the Early College Program, which exposes students to college-level coursework, teachers and administrators before they enroll in post-secondary programs.
A Plan for the Future
Planning, communication and collaboration will be the keys to the success of the new school, says Dr. Reginald Mayo, the New Haven superintendent of schools. Dr. Mayo has been meeting regularly with educators, community leaders and member schools including those from West Haven and the University of New Haven. He has also invited parents to become involved.
of the University of New Haven Tagliatela College of Engineering
The opportunity for the Tagliatela College of Engineering at UNH to partner with the New Haven and West Haven Public School districts in the Engineering and Science University Magnet School is truly exciting. It seems incredible that this new entity was nothing more than a figment of our collective imaginations only 24 months ago. It was November 2005 when I first met with NHPS Superintendent Dr. Reginald Mayo – and it was not until mid-2006 that this improbability started to become a possibility.
With the enthusiastic participation of many, this project gained momentum. I’d especially like to note Dr. Joanne Andrees, outgoing superintendent of West Haven Public Schools; Neil Cavallaro, the new superintendent of West Haven Public Schools; Dr. Mayo; Dr. Marjorie Edmonds-Lloyd, start-up facilitator; Richard Therrien, district director of Science; Ken Mathews, district director of Mathematics; and University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan.
In the past year, two committees have been formed – one under the chairmanship of Julia K. Parker, the University’s vice president for Facilities, to work on issues related to the temporary and potential permanent sites, the temporary buildings and eventually, the new school itself. A second committee, which I have chaired, has brought together representatives from the University, the New Haven public schools and the West Haven public schools who are interested in the curriculum and operational aspects of the new school. Marjorie Edmonds-Lloyd will be providing additional information about her work on the curriculum and on recruiting the first teachers in due course.
I am very excited about the close relationship that has already developed between the participants, and about the opportunity to produce a unique school that will provide a wonderful education to its students. We have had some very good discussions about how the school will operate, how it will interface with the University of New Haven and - from my perspective - with the Tagliatela College of Engineering, its students and its faculty. I look forward to telling you more about these opportunities in a future newsletter.
Dr. Barry J. Farbrother
effectively preparing graduates for the pursuit of further education and careers in a range of scientific,
engineering and technological fields. Opening in September 2008, the school will have a total enrollment of
616 students by 2014-2015, and will serve students from New Haven, West Haven and eight other participating districts
in the New Haven area.
For more information, please contact Dr. Marjorie Edmonds-Lloyd at mmelloyd@yahoo.com or
Dr. Barry Farbrother at bfarbrother@newhaven.edu.
