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CGHS Student & Family Newsletter
Week of December 16, 2024
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Dear Common Ground Students & Families,
Here’s what to expect for the week ahead, CG students & families:
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Fall recreation & enrichment after-school programs have wrapped up, but after-school academic supports continue! We are just 4 short weeks from the end of the semester – NOW is the time to lock in, make sure you are doing your best work, and end the term strong!
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Celebrate Winter Spirit Week, and buy some Candy Grams to support future student activities – details from our Student Council below!
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This Wed is an A Day - Guidance, 1, 2, 3, 4, Guidance
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Next Mon, Dec 23 is a half day – don’t miss our annual Winter Celebration and POWER assembly, also organized by our incredible Student Council!
As the end of the year approaches, we want to shout out:
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Members of the Class of 2025, applying to college and earning admissions! Keep reading for good college news from three of our seniors.
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Our Green Jobs Corps members – planting 1,000 trees, leading community meetings, planning action projects, and more. Details below!
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All the CG students who explored nature and stewarded our environment this week, whatever the temperature! Nathaniel, Ash, Alondra, and Cye braved the cold in Field House Guidance to check out fish swimming beneath the ice in the wetlands. The cold didn’t hold back Wetland Club members, GJC Forest Stewardship crew members, Early College Sustainability students, Farm Interns, or Nature Year Interns who spent a full day leading activities for their groups this week!
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Ms. Bergman's 3rd period Alg 2 class, who had perfect attendance this Thursday, and ALL the students showing up to school every day! Our Algebra 2 and Statistics students working with Mr. Morales and Ms. Bergman broke another IXL record this week, completing 130,000 problems! That's what's possible when you show up to school and put in your best work every day!
Let’s make this week a great one, students & families – full of CG spirit, kindness and respect for our fellow students, and only our best work at the end of the semester! Lots of great opportunities and updates below – keep reading to make sure you don’t miss any!
Sincerely,
Monique Frasier
School Director
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What's In This Newsletter
- Winter Spirit Week!
- College Aceptance Celebrations
- Buy Candy Grams This Week!
- FAMILIES: Seeking Self-Nominations for our Parent Board Representative
- Winter Solstice Celebration & Other Upcoming Programs for Children and Families
- Open Through Dec 18: Holiday Virtual Farm & Gift Store!
- Green Jobs Corps Updates: Seeking GJC Coordinator, Celebrating Fall Successes!
- The CGHS Lottery Is Now Open. Spread the Word!
- Important Early College Updates
- ASP Updates: Complete End of Program Survey, Academic Labs & Saturday Academy Continue Through The End of the Semester
- Tuesdays After School: Green Jobs Corps Pathfinder Workshops!
- Green Jobs Corps Applications Are Re-Opened! Apply TODAY!
- Common Ground Is Seeking Our Next Executive Director
- Community Service Reminders
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1. Winter Spirit Week!
The Student Council has organized Spirit Week, showcasing their creativity and school pride. Join the fun and show your CG spirit!
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2. Celebrating College Acceptances!
College acceptance letters are rolling in for the Class of 2025! This week, we want to shout out ...
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Kai: Albertus (with a $28k scholarship), UHart, St. Joseph's, Western, Central, Southern, Quinnipiac, and NOVA Southeastern
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Na'vaeh: Albertus Magnus, Southern Connecticut University, Quinnipiac, and University of New Haven
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Jayda: Anna Maria College, American International college, Dean college, and Fisher College
Be sure to share your acceptances with Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Tolman, so we can celebrate your next steps and successes as well!
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3. Candy Grams On Sale This Week!
Student Councill will be selling Candy Grams during lunch waves throughout Spirit Week as a fundraiser to support future student activities.
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4. 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.
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5. Winter Solstice Celebration & Other Upcoming Programs for Children and Families
CGHS families, we'd love to see you at our upcoming community programs!
- Sat, Dec 21: Free Winter Solstice Celebration plus Holiday Farm Stand, 1:30 - 3:30 PM.
- Mon, Dec 30: FREE Nature Playdate,10 AM - 1 PM: Great for children and families!
Get all the details and RSVP for the Winter Solstice Celebration!
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6. Holiday Virtual Farm & Gift Store!
Still looking for that perfect holiday gift or local produce for your favorite holiday recipes? From lavender bundles to honey, popcorn and carrots, the CG Farm has what you are searching for! Visit our Holiday Virtual Farm and Gift Store! Order by Wednesday December 18th. Pick-ups will be at Common Ground Friday December 20thand 21st.
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7. 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.
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8. The CGHS Lottery is Open. 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, December 14 from 10-12, and sharing this link on social media:
https://www.commongroundct.org/high-school/become-a-student/
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9. 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:
- Complete this interest form
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Review these Key Early College Resources.
- Follow up with Mr. Tolman with questions -- in person, or at jtolman@commongroundct.org!
Here are the Latest Early College Updates for The Week of December 9th:
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The SCSU Spring early college application is now open. 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.
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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.
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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 must attend a mandatory zoom info session Mon, Dec 16. Details here. Gateway students must complete an online application before January 2. Details here.
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10. ASP Updates: Take Our End of Program Survey & Show Up for Academic SUpport!
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.
Our fall recreational and enrichment programs have ended -- thanks to all who participated!
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 programs operate 3:15-4:15. Remember, for every 75 hours of ASP time you participate in, you get .5 credit towards graduation!
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11. Tuesdays After School: Green Jobs Corps Pathfinder Workshops!
Want to build the skills you'll need to GET and KEEP a Job? Get a leg up on future Green Jobs Corps opportunities? Join our GJC Pathfinder Workshops! If you have questions or want to RSVP, email Crystal Fernandez, GJC Director, at crystal.fernandez@commongroundct.org.
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13. Common Ground Is Seeking Our Next Executive Director
We are in the midst of our search for our organization's new Executive Director, and we need *your* support to help spread the word far and wide! Do you know our next leader?
The new Executive Director will lead Common Ground High School, Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center in our mission to invite people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, and contribute to a just and sustainable world.
Learn More and Apply Here!
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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.
Did you know:
- Students can volunteer Wednesdays after school on the Farm. Meet at the Harvest Pavilion!
- The Wetland Club/Green Team -- which meets Fridays after school -- also earns community service!
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!
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