At the same time that 500+ freshmen from nine different Connecticut towns arrived for their first day of school at Norwich Free Academy, NFA social studies teacher Michael Byrne had his very first official day of teaching.
All across the state, teachers found themselves returning to classrooms where they’ve taught generations of students—or, in a back-to-school reunion of a different sort, set foot in the same schools where they were once students.
Convocations took place in courtyards and auditoriums throughout Connecticut, from East Hampton, which celebrated both its Teacher of the Year and its Rookie of the Year, to East Haven, where educators wore RedforEd shirts in a show of solidarity during a difficult negotiations process.
At Haddam-Killingworth, fun was the name of the game as teachers, administrators, and staff took part in pool races, inflatable jousting matches, tricycle relays, and live-action versions of Hungry Hungry Hippos. In another example of two towns coming together, Region 6 and Litchfield public schools assembled for their first-ever joint convocation, kicking off a new partnership for the districts.
We hope your school year is off to a productive and upbeat start, and CEA is here with everything you might need—from professional development to support at the bargaining table—to make that a reality.
