We have been receiving a few calls about our schedule during the first week of January. Some families have noticed that the Hartford Public Schools will not have school for students on January 3rd, 4th or 5th. Please be aware that AAE and all CREC magnet schools will return from Winter Recess on January 3rd and we will have school as normal on Jan 3, 4 and 5. We will be closed on Friday, January 6 in observance of Three Kings' Day.

Thank you for always keeping up with our newsletters. Our goal is to always ensure that AAE parents are informed and have an accessible resource that is easy to review and revisit when needed. We hope that this newsletter is meeting those needs!

Please also always feel comfortable reaching out to us directly. Alternatively, you can always email aaemainoffice@crec.org if you have a question for the main office team or aaeadminteam@crec.org if you have a question specifically for AAE school administrators.

Thanks very much!

Your AAE Administrative Team

• Tuesday: PRETTY IN PLAID- Tuesday, December 20th
• Rock your favorite plaid or flannel looks. Combining multiple plaids in one look is also encouraged. The more the merrier!
• Wednesday: FESTIVE & FANCY- Wednesday, December 21st
• Break out your best holiday party looks- glitter, bow ties, suits, dresses, etc. are all the expected attire for the day!
• Thursday: UGLY & UNUSUAL- Thursday, December 22nd
• All you ugly sweater lovers… this is your day! Tacky, unusual, ugly articles of clothing- all of them are welcome! Ugly sweaters are best worn with jeans- so wear those too

As a token of our appreciation for taking the time to provide us with this feedback, we will be gift card raffles for the rest of the week. Once you have finished with the survey or if you completed it last week use the google form below to be entered into the raffle.

Please expect to hear frequently from us encouraging all parents to take the survey!

2022-2023 AAE School Culture & Climate Survey

Click Here to Enter the Family Raffle

On Thursday, December 15th, our middle school staff and students had a chance to compete in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Students and staff had a lot of fun competing and cheering each other on! Our student team, Top G’s, earned bragging rights with their championship win!

Grade 12 Counseling News:

• Please ensure that ALL college applications with January 1st deadlines are submitted prior to the start of Winter Break on 12/23. No applications will be processed over break, so please ensure that all materials are submitted prior to the close of school!

• The FAFSA application for Federal Student Aid is now available to complete online at www.FAFSA.gov. This form is REQUIRED in order for students to receive any form of Financial Aid (Scholarships, grants, loans, work-study) from the post-secondary program they attend. This includes 4 year colleges, 2 year community colleges, trade schools, and other training programs. Our goal is for 100% of AAE senior students to complete this form.

• Mr. Rich Serrano, CREC’s College and Career Readiness Coordinator, is available on Mondays by appointment to assist students and families in completing this form if needed. He is available for in-person or Zoom meetings. Please contact him directly to schedule an appointment at
• Cell: 860-990-0098
• Email: riserrano@crec.org

• Please remember to check the Class of 2023 Schoology Page for new and upcoming scholarships. Several were posted just this week! Here is how to access:
• Log into your Student Schoology Account à Click on Class of 2023 Page à Click on Materials Tab on the left à Click on the Scholarship Folder.
• Within the Scholarship Folder, descriptions and links for scholarships can be found in each posting. This is your opportunity to earn FREE money for college above and beyond your financial aid package. Do not miss this opportunity to avoid student loans and GET YOUR COLLEGE PAID FOR FREE!!

• Students MUST log all college acceptances and denials in Naviance by doing the following:
• Log into Navianceà Click on “Colleges I am Applying To”à Go to application column and click on “Edit”à Enter the result and click “Save”

• Mid-year grade reports will be sent to ALL colleges at the end of January. Seniors should keep doing their best academic work, because colleges DO consider senior year grades for admission and scholarships.

Dear AAE Families,

We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and loved ones. As we return to school, we are reaching out to thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to implement our tardiness and detention policies. In recent weeks, we have seen a precipitous decline in the numbers of students arriving tardy to two or more of their classes each day. It is our hope that this trend will continue as we maintain the current policy.

As we continue to encourage students’ timely arrival to classes, we are also developing policies to address students who skip classes and those who leave class without permission. These infractions and their consequences can be found in the matrix below. It is our hope that clear policies and their consistent implementation will result in improved student attendance and promote favorable academic outcomes.

Parent notification of detentions for class tardies and ISS for skipped classes will occur via e-mail each afternoon. It is vitally important that you verify the accuracy of your e-mail address in PowerSchool. In the event you believe your child has been issued a consequence as the result of an attendance error, please reach out to the teacher who recorded the attendance in question. We hold firm in our steadfast commitment to the safety and success of all students and are appreciative of your ongoing support. Please reach out to a member of the administrative team with any questions or concerns.

Thank you and Parent Support

As parents we appreciate your support in our efforts. We ask that you speak with your AAE students about this ahead of time to reinforce the importance of being on time to class and general good behavior at school.

Thank you!

Adam Johnson, Principal

Note: This is now an "old" newsletter item but leaving it here for a few more weeks as folks often like to refer to these links, dates, etc.

Students who want to participate in one of our Winter Sports need to register through the Final Forms Website: https://crecmagnet-ct.finalforms.com

Students have an option of playing Basketball or Indoor Track. All athletes need to have an up to date physical on file to play.

Registration runs through December 9.

First day of practice will be after school on December 12.

ALSO…put Dec. 8 from 7-8 PM on your calendar for the AAE Winter Sports Parent Information Night. This meeting will be held virtually and we will cover schedules, transportation, pick-up procedures, and grade/attendance/behavior requirements. Also, each team’s coach will have some time to share specific team information. Invitations will be sent out next weekend to all registered athletes.

Contact Mr. Campbell (ccampbell@CREC.org) with any questions.

Friday, December 23 - Monday, January 2 - No School for Winter Break

Friday, January 6th - No School for Three Kings Day

Wednesday, January 11th - Early Dismissal: Professional Learning Day

Monday, January 16th - No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

As a reminder, students dismiss at 10:50 AM on early dismissal days.