Dear Common Ground Students & Families,

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, Common Ground community. We have passed the shortest day of the year, and starting today, we have longer and brighter days ahead. Let’s make the most of them together, be kind to each other, and push ourselves and each other to grow into our full potential.

This Monday is a half day of school – Common Ground’s annual winter celebration.  Students will start in guidance from 8-9, continuing with fun winter activities from 9-11 (students will sign up for activities during guidance), and wrapping up with a POWER assembly from 11-12. Our kitchen team is preparing a hot community breakfast; we will dismiss at noon, so no lunch will be served. Huge thanks to our student council leaders, Ms. Candi Fulcher, and Mr. Jesse Campbell for leading the organizing!

Before we head off on winter vacation, we want to shout out: 

• Rhiannon Anoh, who earned admissions to Yale University this week, and Benjamin Polnett, who earned admissions to University of New Haven, Western New England University, Morgan State University, & UMASS-Boston, with merit scholarship from 3 out of 4!
• Kai Krieger, who took on THREE early college courses this semester, and earned 2 As and a B+!
• All the students and staff who joined in our winter spirit week, and who purchased candy grams to support future student activities — and to our student council for organizing these celebrations!
• Our Core 10 students, who asked great questions and engaged fully in interviews with environmental and housing justice changemakers from across New Haven and Connecticut!
• And, a celebration from Ms. Field: “I want to shout out Isonnette and Aaliyah for giving so much of their time today to have brave conversations with Ms. Sharnick's Core 9 classes about identity and their experiences, and also a shout out to Core 9 for embracing the challenge of learning about identity and diversity with open minds and open hearts." 

Students and families, we wish you peaceful, safe, warm, and joy-filled holidays at the end of 2024. And we look forward to seeing you back on Thursday, January 2nd, for the final 14 school days of the fall semester.

Sincerely,

Monique Frasier

School Director

What's In This Newsletter

1. SENIORS & FAMILIES: Upcoming Scholarship Opportunities & Deadlines!
2. ASP Updates: Complete End of Program Survey, Academic Labs & Saturday Academy Continue Through The End of the Semester
3. FAMILIES: Seeking Self-Nominations for our Parent Board Representative
4. Winter Solstice Celebration & Other Upcoming Programs for Children and Families
5. Green Jobs Corps Updates: Seeking GJC Coordinator, Celebrating Fall Successes!
6. The CGHS Lottery Is Now Open. Spread the Word!
7. Important Early College Updates
8. Community Service Reminders

1. SENIORS & FAMILIES: Scholarship Deadlines Approaching!

Looking for scholarship opportunities to help put college within reach? Check out this great database of scholarships created by our partners at Higher Heights -- including many with deadlines in January!

2. ASP Updates: Take Our End of Program Survey & Show Up for Academic SUpport!

If you joined fall programs, we want your feedback!!! Please fill out this end of program survey for each program you attended. You can use your survey confirmation page to log 15 minutes of service fo each suvey completed!

After-School Academic Support & Saturday Academy will resume after winter vacatin. If your midterm grades show that you need additional support, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of after-school academic labs (M/T/Th/Fr 3:15-4:15) and Saturday Academy (Sat 9-12). It is CRITICAL that students show up for these supports when assigned by a teacher. Drop-ins are also welcomed. Academic support run through the end of the semester in January.

3. Seeking Self-Nominations: Parent Rep for CG's Board!

We are seeking the parent of a current Common Ground student to join our Board of Directors! Board members are expected to attend monthly public board meetings, contribute to meetings of one of our standing committees (Audit, Development, Finance, Governance, School), and support fundraising efforts (including by contributing to the organization at a level that is personally significant). Board members find that they spend an average of 10 hours a month on board-related tasks and can attend most meetings virtually. If you’re motivated and excited to help Common Ground serve our community and contribute to a just and sustainable world, please email Board Chair Alexis.Smith@nhep.com with a resume or bio to express your interest.

4. Mon, Dec 30: FREE Nature Playdate for Children & Families!

Families, you are invited to join us Mon, Dec 30 from 10-1 for a Nature Playdate at CG! FREE, all ages welcome, children must attend with and be supervised by an adult. No dogs please.

Campus play spaces will be open for kid-led play and adventure, including:

• farm animal visits (apple slices and lettuce provided for you to feed them, your fresh fruits or veggies also welcome. No bread or other foods please.)
• mud kitchen and sandbox
• fort building and nature play in Forest Village
• children's garden exploration
• field and blacktop games (hula hoops, chalk, balls available)
• campfire (no food provided but you are welcome to bring marshmallows or other things to roast!)

No RSVP required -- families are welcome any time between 10 and 1!

5. Green Jobs Corps Updates: Seeking GJC Coordinator, Celebrating Fall Successes!

Job Opening - Green Jobs Corps Coordinator:

FAMILIES, Common Ground has an opening for a part-time (25 hours/week) Green Jobs Corps Coordinator! Help us spread the word and find a strong candidate! Details and application here.

Green Jobs Corps Youth Take the Lead in Shaping New Haven's Future

Green Jobs Corps (GJC) students demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement through impactful initiatives.

1,000 Trees and Growing:

In partnership with Urban Resources Initiative (URI), GJC celebrated the planting of 1,000 trees in New Haven. On December 10th, GJC students in the URI Green Skill Crew received certificates recognizing their contribution to this milestone -- Tatianna, Alex, and Joshua were there in person to receive theirs! The GJC Youth Planting team was key in planting 101 trees in the spring and 150 trees in the fall. They also supported URI by canvassing and recruiting Tree Adopters across the city.

Inspiring Future Environmentalists:

To further their impact, GJC students, URI interns, and GJC Director Crystal Fernandez met at the Downtown New Haven Public Library on December 11th to plan a student-led project promoting collaborative problem-solving. The initiative will culminate in an interactive event at a local elementary school, engaging families in activities highlighting URI's work, the importance of trees, and the Tree Adoption program. The event will feature a collaborative mural designed and painted by children and families. Shout out to Cye, Kamari, and Alex for joining this week's planning session!

Youth Voices Shape New Haven's Vision:

Also, on December 11th, the City Plan Youth Vision Leaders team hosted their second Teen Night, focusing on arts and culture in the Vision 2034 Comprehensive Plan. Young people shared their ideas for creating a more inclusive New Haven, ensuring access to arts education and opportunities for creative expression for all. The event featured a special performance by Joshua Colon, CG '25.

"It's inspiring to see our students taking the initiative to make their voices heard," said Crystal Fernandez, Green Jobs Corps Director. "Their participation in the Vision 2034 planning process is a testament to their commitment to creating a better future for themselves and their community."

Empowering Youth Leadership:

Each GJC crew has received $2,000 to design and implement projects in collaboration with community organizations. This funding, made possible by the EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving grant awarded to Common Ground in November 2023, empowers students to address environmental challenges and promote positive change in New Haven.

6. The CGHS Lottery is Open. Next Open House is January 11. Spread the Word!

Do you know a young person who's blazing a path to college success and ready to help build a just and sustainable world? Common Ground's Lottery for 2025-26 is now open!

FAMILIES, please support Common Ground by inviting your networks to join us at our next Open House for Future Students & Families on Saturday, January 11th from 10-12, and sharing this link on social media:

https://www.commongroundct.org/high-school/become-a-student/

7. Important Early College Updates

Common Ground students who meet the eligibility requirements can choose to take college courses, free of charge, at local universities. Now is the time to consider whether you qualify and are interested! If you are, your next steps are to:

1. Complete this interest form
2. Review these Key Early College Resources.
3. Follow up with Mr. Tolman with questions -- in person, or at jtolman@commongroundct.org!

Here are the Latest Early College Updates:

1. The SCSU Spring early college application is open, and classes are filling up fast. ALL students who plan to take an SCSU course, whether they have taken courses in the past or not, MUST complete this application to register for classes and avoid receiving a bill. New Early College students will need to wait to receive their SCSU ID before they can register. 
2. SCSU has just tightened its early college eligibility criteria. Only juniors and seniors with a 3.0 GPA or higher will automatically be approved to take courses at SCSU. If a student is a 9th or 10th grader, or has a GPA below 3.0, we must now provide written justification as to why they should be allowed to participate in Early College. To provide this justification, we will need students who do not have a 3.0 to provide evidence (e.g., their current grades in schoology) that they are succeeding in their current Common Ground courses. Any 9th graders interested in participating in Early College must submit a teacher recommendation AND have college-ready scores on the PSAT or MAP; any 10th grader interested in taking Early College must have a teacher recommendation OR college-ready scores.
3. Yale & Gateway Early College applications are now open as well for qualifying students (juniors and seniors only, 3.0 GPA for Gateway and 3.5 GPA for Yale). Students interested in Yale courses should talk with Mr. Tolman directly. Details here. Gateway students must complete an online application before January 2. Details here.

14. Community Service Reminders!

All Common Ground students are required to complete 15 hours of service each year in order to earn credit on their transcript in guidance.

Students must complete this online form every time they complete community service, and must attach proof of service signed by the supervisor of that service. Paper community service sign-off forms are available in the main office. Any student can check the service they've logged here at any time.

Have questions? Talk to your guidance teacher or Mr. Tolman for support!

Connect with us

Common Ground High School | (203) 389-4333 | https://commongroundct.org/