Superintendents Blog Archive

Co-Creation at Ellington High School
By Dr. Scott Nicol, Superintendent
April 2016

Co-creation is the ongoing exploration of creativity across converging worlds. For our purpose, “worlds” refers to the various diverse experiences and perspectives available right here at Ellington High School.

On a recent visit to another school district, I was exposed to several of Connecticut’s finest high school student leaders who had applied to Yale University. Predictably, some of these students were accepted and others were not.

As I learned of the student leaders’ application experiences, a common thread became clear. Those students who were able to demonstrate a mindset and communicate experiences that understood the value in co-creating with people from all walks of life were admitted into one of the most prestige universities of the world. Yet, those students who held a more narrow view of society derived from relatively isolated experiences were not admitted even though they possessed impressive academic credentials.

To be fair, I do understand the admission’s criteria for any post-secondary institution should not be reduced to one factor. Yet, these student leaders’ experiences did get me thinking about the essence of co-creation.

Diversity by definition is open ended; it is unlimited and multi-faceted. It is not limited to ethnicity or another demographically driven term. Diversity is the essence of co-creation. It is the ability to minimize the judgment of others. It is recognizing that when in service to others, one is actually in service to self. Co-creation is alive at Ellington High School and staying true to its form has expanded beyond its walls.

Ellington High School Senior Sapna Raghavan co-creates with others. Sapna represented Connecticut as Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2015 at the national level for the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2015. Sapna has served as an ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals by organizing various fundraisers. She has worked with CT Rhythms Music Troop to raise money for charities such as the American Cancer Society, St. Michael’s School for the Handicapped, and the Anbalayam School for the Mentally Challenged.

Sapna has embraced her cultural identity and shared it with Ellington. She is the founder of Ellington Youth Services’ Cultural Diversity Club and organized a cultural night event held on May 7th. Being a gifted dancer who has performed at the world renowned Cleveland Festival, Sapna recently visited Center, Windermere, and Crystal Lake Schools to share her love of dancing through Bollywood style artistry.

This fall, Sapna will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of its six year Business Management Bachelor of Science/Juris Doctor program. All citizens are invited to the Ellington Board of Education’s June 8th meeting where Sapna will share her co-creation experiences.

There is a special synergy when adults co-create with students. EHS adult volunteer Robert Williams was recently recognized by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) as the Distinguished Friend of Education. For the past decade, Mr. Williams has been in service to others as the Technical Director of the Opening Knight Players (OKP), Ellington High Schools’ Drama Club. On average Mr. Williams volunteers 15 hours per week and close to 40 hours during show times.

Mr. Williams’ service to others has supported OKP in co-creating several productions with advisor Mr. Bill Prenetta and students. OKP produced the play Anarchy, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Silent Sentinels and 30 X 60 (30 plays in 60 minutes written and directed by students). OKP will put on You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown on May 13th and 14th.

Students have remarked that Mr. Williams teaches integrity, cooperation and patience. It is when judgment of others ceases that artful co-creation may be fully expressed. Well done, Mr. Williams!

Recently, Mr. Williams, along with EMS volunteer Mr. Bruce Warkentin, were honored at the April 27th Board of Education meeting with the Board’s annual Ellington Friends of Education Awards.

Ellington High School, for the third time, was named as one of 425 school districts in the United States and Canada to the 6th Annual Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll by the College Board. This honor indicates that EHS has increased access to Advanced Placement coursework while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores 3, 4 and 5 on AP exams. No longer are Advanced Placement courses reserved for a small handful of students.

EHS has expanded its clubs and activities by adding Cycling Club, Math Club, Free Spirit Alliance Club, Unified Theater, and Hands Creating Hope - a community service to others activity. Longstanding clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America, Student Council, Mock Trial Team, and Cooking Club among many others still remain.

The EHS Unified Leadership Committee (ULC) is a group of ten students who organize the annual U-Knighted Week held in February which begins with a school-wide kick off assembly and culminates with a pep rally. The objective is to develop honorable individuals who are respectful, responsible, confident, and ethical by promoting acceptance among the student body through the use of self-reflection, open-mindedness and integrity.

The ULC strives to create EHS as a prejudice-free zone by promoting the student developed U-Knighted Pledge that includes the statement, “I will make a conscious effort to be aware of my own biases against the people whom are different from me.” Members of the ULC include Eric Amundarain, Ryan Browne, Ashley Cioto, Danielle Markowski, Erin Meaney, Eric Nordmark, Olivia Palmer, Randy Philavong, Brian Pho and Erin Wardrop.

The representatives of the ULC will present their experiences to the Ellington Board of Education at its May 25th meeting.

Nikola Tesla once stated, “Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine.”

Yes, the essence of co-creation lives at Ellington High School. It is where the future is present.