www.ces.k12.ct.us

ooperativeTimes

Summer 2015

Pilobolus residency a hit with RCA students, staffThis spring, a generous grant provided a tremendous opportunity for C.E.S. Regional Center for the Arts stu-dents to learn from a world-renowned dance company performer.

Matt Del Rosario, who has performed all over world as a member of the prestigious Pilobolus Dance Company, served as an artist in residence during the Spring 2015 semester. He taught RCA students the many facets of modern dance.

Pilobolus draws its name from a species of fungus that grows with extraordinary speed and strength. The com-pany has performed all over the world and has been fea-tured on the 79th Annual Academy Awards broadcast, Oprah, and many other programs.

The C.E.S. Foundation provided a $3,000 grant to bring Del Rosario to the school. On June 1, students invited their classmates, teachers, and Foundation members to demonstrate their newfound techniques.

Their movements awed C.E.S. Foundation President Nancy Cetorelli.

“The experience was not only educational, but life changing for the students and the staff,” Cetorelli said.

TOP: RCA students look on as guest dance instructor Matt Del Rosario describes Pilobolus. BELOW: Students Marietza Mondesir and Jacob Hernandez incorporate a fight into choreography.

Photos by Matt Engelhardt/C.E.S.

PEER alliance draws top educators for June 2 retreat

Photo contributed by Leir Retreat Center

On June 2, many of the top early childhood educational leaders in the state met at the Leir Retreat Center in Ridgefield to set the agenda for the Partnership for Early Education Research (PEER). The research alli-ance is a partnership between Yale University, C.E.S., the Education Development Center (EDC), the Connecticut Department of Education, the Connecticut Office of Ear-ly Childhood, and the communities of Bridgeport, Nor-walk, and Stamford. Jill Weber, the Director of the EDC Regional Educational Laboratory, served as keynote speaker. Dr. Dianna Wentzell, Connecticut’s new Com-missoner of Education, attended the retreat, along with other leaders from throughout Fairfield County.

ABOVE: Yale researchers Joanna Meyer and Clare Irwin; Yale Psychiatry Professor Dr. Michael Stramber; Connecticut Ed-ucation Commissioner Dr. Dianna Wentzell; Jill Weber of the Regional Education Laboratory; George Coleman of C.E.S.; and C.E.S. Executive Director Dr. Evan Pitkoff.

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The mission of Cooperative Educational

Services is to identify and provide quality

educational opportunities for educators, students,

families and communities.

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Have a wonderful summer!

Run with C.E.S. in the 5k Fall ClassicWe’re counting down to the 8th annual C.E.S. 5k Fall Classic! The event has become an autumn highlight and we’re hoping the 2015 race is the best yet.

The event was formerly known as the C.E.S. 5k for Kids. It was renamed this spring.

We’d love for you to run with us! The course along Seaside Park in Bridgeport is ideal for serious and casual runners alike and medals will awarded to top finishers in each age group. Also, the first 150 peo-ple to sign up will receive an official long-sleeve race t-shirt.

For more information on the race, vis-it www.ces.k12.ct.us/5k. Online reg-istration is also available at http://register.aratrace.com/search/event.as-px?id=33205. Contact race coordinator Matt Engelhardt with any questions at engelham@ces.k12.ct.us

Six to Six holds successful toiletry drive for Bridgeport familiesOn May 4, John Brannelly, the chief de-velopment and communications officer for the Bridgeport Center for Family Justice, accepted 23 large boxes full of goods from the C.E.S. Six to Six Interd-istrict Magnet School. The donation was the result of a toiletry drive organized by the Student Council to collect items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodor-ant, diapers, shampoo, and soap. All the donations were brand new and con-tributed by Six to Six students, families, teachers, and staff, as well as the central office of Cooperative Educational Ser-vices, which runs Six to Six.

The Center for Family Justice provides support and service for women, men, and children seeking to escape from abusive relationships and other forms domestic violence. The Center places families in temporary housing and safe houses throughout the city, aiding in their recovery by providing them relief.

“Sadly, not every child is raised in a loving, supportive family,” said John

Brannelly, chief development and commu-nications officer for the Center. “Sometimes families are forced to leave behind all their belongings. Donations like those from Six to Six provides the resources that families need to get through the day, the night, and the next day.”

Student Nicole Jaczek displays a pack of diapers col-lected as part of the Council’s toiletry drive.

Photo By Matt Engelhardt/C.E.S.

Our mission is to identify and provide quality educational opportunitiesfor educators, students, families and communities.

www.ces.k12.ct.us

Our goal is to provide innovative, cutting edge programs and services tomeet the demands of our member school districts and communities.

C.E.S. Has Talent!

Students showed off their skills during a talent show held on stage at the C.E.S. Regional Center for the Arts on May 22. LEFT: Emily Cholakian performs John Legend’s “All of Me.” RIGHT: Staff members cheer on while student Jaiden Jones channels his inner King of Pop as he dances to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”

As the end of the school year approaches, several su-perintendents and other administrators throughout the state have announced their retirements. As a result, C.E.S. Executive Searches has been in demand to coor-dinate searches for new superintendents.

Since the winter, C.E.S. has successfully completed four searches in Connecticut school districts, resulting in new hires in Plymouth (Dr. Martin Semmel), Lebanon (Robert Angeli), Suffield (Karen Berasi), and Brookfield (John Barile). C.E.S. consultants are nearing the final stages of other superintendent searches in Orange and Mansfield. Additionally, Ridgefield Public Schools has hired C.E.S. as a consultant in its search for a new As-sistant Superintendent of Special Services and Weston Public Schools has hired C.E.S. in its search for a new middle school principal.

C.E.S. is the only one of the six Regional Educational Ser-vice Centers in Connecticut that offers executive search services. The four main consultants – Dr. Salvatore Corda, Dr. H. Kaye Griffin, Thomas Jokubaitis, and Dr. James Ritchie – all have significant experience as superintendents.

C.E.S. Executive Director Dr. Evan Pitkoff also coordi-nates searches.

To learn more about C.E.S. Executive Searches and current vacancies, visit www.ces.k12.ct.us/executive-searches.

C.E.S. leads a successful season of executive searches

Photos by Matt Engelhardt/C.E.S.

It is the policy of C.E.S. that no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise discriminated against under any service or program on account of race, color, religious creed, age, marital or civil union status, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, residence, present or past history of mental disorder, mental retardation, learning disability or physical disability including, but not limited to, blindness, or pregnancy and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding C.E.S. nondiscrimination policies should be directed to the Associate Executive Director’s office, C.E.S., 40 Lindeman Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611, (203) 365-8831.

Southern Fairfield County’s Regional Educational Service Center

40 Lindeman Drive • Trumbull, CT 06611 • (203) 365-8800 • www.ces.k12.ct.us

found himself working alongside some of the show’s main cast. As Dylan, he plays a rich and entitled friend of Xanthippe, the daughter of Kimmy’s new employer.

“On my first day, Ellie Kemper came up to me and introduced herself and made me feel welcome. She's such a goof on and off set,” Boardman said. “Even when things got tedious after a long day, she still had so much pos-itive energy. That’s something I ad-mire as an actor.”

Boardman took a year off after grad-uating from high school and will en-roll next fall at Pace University in the Musical Theatre program.

More roles are on the way for Board-man who just finished filming as the title character in “Miles,” an in-dependent film about a high school senior who joins the girls’ volleyball team in pursuit of a college scholar-ship.

Boardman said that his family and his experience at RCA both prepared him for success.

Boardman said the school taught him technique, time management,

In less than a year, Tim Boardman has gone from performing with his former C.E.S. Regional Center for the Arts (RCA) classmates, to con-tributing his acting talents to a Net-flix smash hit and the leading role in an Independent Feature Film.

Boardman, who graduated from R.C.A. in 2014, is a guest cast mem-ber on Tina Fey’s original comedy se-ries “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” The entire first season of the show is available for streaming on Netflix.

“I found out that I got the part, and had to be at a fitting in Brooklyn that same day in two hours!” Boardman said.

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is the story of a young woman who moves to New York after escaping from a Doomsday cult in Indiana. Ellie Kemper, whose comedy credits include Erin on NBC’s “The Office” and Becca in the hit film “Brides-maids,” plays the title character.

Fey, the “Saturday Night Live” leg-end and comedy A-lister, created “Unbreakable” with her “30 Rock” collaborator Robert Carlock. A day after getting cast, Boardman

perseverance, and the importance of preparation, among other skills. “The teachers made sure that none of the other kids in my class ever gave up,” Boardman said. “They worked with us and pushed us to be the best that we could be as performers and made us stronger people.”

His teachers are delighted to watch Boardman succeed professionally.

“From the time Tim entered R.C.A. he had a magic about being in the room. ” teacher Scott Handley said. “Tim was an excellent student who was always passionate about per-forming.”

From RCA to Tina Fey Tim Boardman ’14 lands role on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

photo by Leslie Hassler

Tim Boardman