Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) (formerly Hartford Magnet Middle School, HMMS) is a magnet school in Hartford, Connecticut which was recently named a Blue Ribbon School and operates as part of the Hartford Public Schools. Starting July 1, 2011 HMMS was renamed Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy and will add a high school grade each year until the school includes grades 6â€"12. The school will operate in partnership with Trinity College.
Awards and recognition
During the 2006â€"07 school year, Hartford Magnet Middle School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement." In 2011, Hartford Magnet Middle School was recognized as a "Magnet School of Excellence" by Magnet Schools of America and was the recipient of the Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Award recognizing the top magnet school in the country.
School Criteria and Curriculum
Administration
HMTCA's administration consists of the principal, who manages school-wide decisions and how severe disciplinary actions are handled. Vice and assistant principals are in charge of managing day-to-day operations within the school and punishing students who break the HMTCA Code of Conduct. They also manage the clusters they are in charge of. The current principal is Sally A. Biggs and the assistant principals are MariAnne Lalama and Karleka Norman.
Flex Days
In addition to the daily curriculum, there are special days where students are able to pursue additional interests in the form of Flex classes. These Flex classes are employed to exert a greater feeling of academic enrichment. These classes take place on half-days, covering a range of topics that include: Magic: the Gathering, RTS game playing, movie critique, fantasy football, sports camp, and others.
School Achievements, Honors, and Academic Notations
The Marching Phoenix
HMTCA is known for its award-winning marching band, the Marching Phoenix. The Marching Phoenix and Wings of Gold have performed at the Hartford Civic Center, the Oxon Hill Invitational Band Competition in Maryland, the Special Olympics, the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Philadelphia and Hartford, Music in the Park in Williamsburg, VA, and in the Memorial Day Parade in Hartford. In 2007 â€" 2009, they won first place in the Philadelphia Saint Patrick's Day Parade. In 2011, the Marching Phoenix and Wings of Gold performed in seven parades including the Connecticut Gubernatorial Inauguration Parade and the UConn 2011 Championship Parade. In 2014-15, they won first place in the Philadelphia Saint Patrick's Day Parade again, but won against high school and adult bands.
HMTCA Honor Society
At HMTCA, a thriving honor society (NJHS) has been able to make a significant impact upon the communal well-being of Hartford and the world. Its meetings take place on every other Monday of the month. These meetings are a way to solve issues that are currently transpiring in the school so that they can be examined and resolved easily and without incident. This council has dealt with many issues, even though the academic standards of HMTCA are incredibly equalized and set at a high bar for all at the school to be adequately challenged. The current honor society is made up of a cadre of different personalities and people who provide a varied and diverse thought group.
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