E.B. Kennelly School in Hartford, Connecticut, hosted its fourth-annual “UConn Day” on April 19, an event that included a schoolwide parade and a basketball game with students playing against Neag School student teachers and staff.
The idea for UConn Day came from the Neag School of Education’s 2018 graduating interns, who wished to drive student excitement about college and end the school year on a celebratory note.
“The Kennelly students are proud to be connected to the culture of UConn,” said Principal June Cahill ’93 (ED), ’94 MA. “They love being extensions of campus as little Huskies in Hartford. Their student teachers and interns become an important part of their school family, and they have difficulty separating from them at the end of the semester. This event allows for a celebratory send-off which helps students cope with the separation.”
“This event demonstrates a true partnership. The Neag School students support the Kennelly students in many ways,” Cahill said. “In return, we want to support and celebrate their graduations and the next stage of their educational careers.”
The Kennelly School has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with UConn’s Neag School of Education, in which students in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s program get hands-on experience through student teaching and internship opportunities during the school year. In 2016, this partnership was honored as a national model with the National Network for Educational Renewal’s Richard W. Clark Exemplary Partner School Award.
In addition to the parade and basketball game on Wednesday, Kennelly students also participated in a poster-making contest to express their artistic talents. The Neag School student interns judged the posters and gave out prizes, and Kennelly students displayed their posters during the parade.
One of the UConn Day organizers, Neag School master’s student Elizabeth “Lizzie” Huliston, feels this event is special for the Neag School students because “it shows that we are valued at Kennelly and help make a difference.”
“It was a great feeling to hear our students shouting our names and supporting UConn, as we are proud graduates from the University,” Huliston said. “All of the interns kept saying how cool this UConn Day would be at other schools with UConn student interns/teachers because it helped us all feel recognized for our efforts.”
Huliston and three other graduate interns – Kayna Bañez, Hailey DuBois, and Alexa Freitas – organized the poster contest where students from all grade levels competed to make the best UConn-themed poster.
Kennelly hosts several education students from the Neag School every year. This year, the school hosted 11 Neag School students, ranging from juniors to master’s students. All 640 Kennelly students are impacted by the juniors, senior student teachers, and master’s year interns, who work closely with them through intervention groups, tutoring, service-learning projects, and student leadership opportunities. UConn Day was developed to recognize the partnership and give the children a chance to give back to the University for its impact.
Kennelly is a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) school where students are rewarded for good choices. “Bee” bucks are awarded for the three BEES (be safe, be respectful, be responsible). Students who showed outstanding effort in this area were rewarded with a “Golden Bee Buck,” their ticket to the basketball game, providing an incentive for all students. In addition, all Hartford Public Schools support college and career readiness opportunities. The partnership with UConn allows elementary and middle school students firsthand access to college students, encouraging them to view college as a realistic goal.
“This event was successful because it celebrated the invaluable work of our Neag School student teachers and interns,” Cahill said. “Hosting a parade where over 600 students are cheering and supporting our UConn students is highly validating.”
“The entire school community recognized the value of the work they do with our students throughout the semester,” she concluded.
