CSDNB Back to School Guide 2024: Everything You Need to Know

If your child will be entering kindergarten, middle school (6th grade), or high school (9th grade) in the fall, please note that the State of Connecticut requires that all children entering these grades must have an up to date physical exam (“check up”) and up to date immunizations. 

All students need to have an up to date immunization record (“shot/vaccination record”) on file with the school nurse. State of Connecticut Immunization requirements can be found here. 

If your child had a Physical exam on or after July 1, 2023, they do not need a new physical. Just ask your child’s doctor or clinic to complete the blue physical form. This form can be sent by email, fax, mail, or dropped off at your child’s elementary, middle, or high school OR you can take a picture of all pages of the form with your phone and send it to Jacqui Maddy RN, CSDNB Nursing Supervisor via email at maddy@csdnb.org or by fax to 860-827-2273. If you email or scan the form, please turn the original completed form into your child’s school nurse on the first day of school. 

High School Students - If your child is planning on participating in sports - All students trying out for, or participating in, any sports programs at the High Schools must have an up to date SPORTS physical form on file in the nurse’s office. Sports physicals can be recorded on the State of Connecticut Health form. The sports physical form is required every year and is valid for 13 months from the date it is done. It is important to get the physical form to the nurse’s office before tryouts or practices in order for the athlete to be cleared to play. Physical forms are available in the nurses’ office, on-line, or from your child's medical provider.

No cost (“free”) physicals and immunizations will be available from our school-based health centers located at Pulaski Middle School, Gaffney Elementary School, Smalley Elementary School, New Britain High School and the Roosevelt Campus.

These school-based health centers will be open before the start of the school year, and you can make appointments for your child's physical by calling 475-231-6978. Leave a message, and the clinic staff will call you back to set up an appointment date, time, and location.

Families can call 475-269-6893 to make an appointment for their child(ren) to be seen at our school based health centers. As we get closer to the start of the school year, it is important that families who would like their child(ren) to get their required physicals done at the SBHC call right away to set up an appointment. As a reminder all students who entering kindergarten, grade 6, and grade 9 along with those students who are entering from out of state need to have a physical exam.

For students who need immunizations: The New Britain Public Health Department, located at 61 Pearl Street (now located in the east wing of the New Britain Senior Center which is across the street from the courthouse), is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 am - 4 pm. The Health Department provides free immunizations to all children in New Britain who are under the age of 19. If your child needs immunizations, you can either walk in or make an appointment with the Health Department at 860-826-3464. If you have any questions about the medical requirements for school entry or about medical care for your child during the school year, please feel free to contact any of our school nurses, the nursing supervisor (maddy@csdnb.org), or the nurse on duty at the Central Registration Office (860-223-5501).

Our PowerSchool Parent Portal is available for students and their parents and guardians of ALL grade levels. It is a confidential, web-based application that allows students and parents to view current and historical grades as well as class assignments, attendance, report cards, schedules, and busing information. It also allows for quick access to School Messenger, School Forms, and My School Bucks. The purpose of this tool is to improve communication between students, teachers, and parents.

To access the parent portal, parents and guardians will need to create a registered account. Once an account is created, add students by using the AccessID and AccessPassword assigned to each student. Multiple students can be added to one PowerSchool Parent Portal account. All guardians can create separate PowerSchool Parent portal accounts for their students using the same AccessID and Access Password.

Please contact your child’s school secretary if you don’t have AccessID and AccessPassword for your child so you can set up a PowerSchool Parent Portal account.   

Click on this link and follow the directions to set up your account: For quick access, you may wish to add this link to your "favorites" on your home computer. 

Please remember the importance of privacy and security when accessing grades via the portal. Usernames and passwords should not be shared. Below, you will find more detailed information, including instructions for accessing the parent portal and answers to frequently asked questions.

If you are still experiencing problems registering or accessing your account, please contact your school’s main office. You may also contact our IT Help Desk between 8 AM - 4 PM (Monday-Friday) at 860-832-4692 or 860-801-1223 (English/Spanish). Additionally, you can fill out our form requesting technical assistance at any time and someone will follow up with you as soon as possible.

There is an app one can download for both  iPhone and Android devices. However, you MUST FIRST create an account through the website and connect the student's access id and password there before you can connect the app to your account. There is a separate access id and password for every child. The district code is WDFH.

> Click here for more information and resources regarding the PowerSchool Parent Portal
> Click here for a video on how to create a parent account
> Click here for PowerSchool App Instructions
> Click here for the PowerSchool Parent and Student Resource Center

All students entering the Consolidated School District of New Britain need to register online and schedule an appointment online to bring all the required documents to the appointment. PK-8 appointments are held at the Central Registration Office located at 120 Newington Avenue (rear entrance of Chamberlain Elementary School.) NBHS Appointments are held at the NBHS Guidance Registration Office located at 110 Mill St. For more information on how to register your child at New Britain High School, please click here.

Central Registration is open from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Monday - Friday. A Spanish, Arabic translator is available during office hours. We have the services of Language Line available for other Languages. For further information about Prek-8, contact the New Britain Central Registration Office at 860-223-5501 or visit the Central Registration webpage. For further information about the high school registration office please call 860-225-6300 ext 1610 or visit the New Britain High School Registration webpage.

6th and 9th graders will start school a day early this year on Friday, August 23, 2024. The early start will run on a half day schedule with an early release. The early start will give these students transitioning into big changes to their environment a chance to meet teachers, classmates, follow their schedule and familiarize themselves with the building before the rest of the students return. Transportation and lunch will be provided. This includes DiLoreto, HALS, New Britain Transitional Center, Brookside, Pulaski, Slade and NBHS students.

The Consolidated School District of New Britain is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) as part of the National School Lunch Program for the 2024 - 2025 school year. Under this provision, participating districts and schools provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at all times.

All students enrolled in the New Britain Public School District may participate in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program at no charge. Household income applications are no longer required to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals at schools participating in the CEP.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no charge to all students who attend a school within the New Britain Public School District.

For additional information please contact Ann Alfano, Chief Financial Officer , Consolidated School District of New Britain, 272 Main Street, New Britain, CT 06051, or at 860-827-2259.

Every student in the Consolidated School district of New Britain’s public schools will be supplied a student device that is checked out to the student. Students are expected to care for the device.

We all know accidents can happen. Without CSDNB's Student Device Insurance Program, you could be on the hook for costly device repairs or replacement costs. The Student Device Insurance Program ($20/school year) is designed to protect students and families in the event that the Chromebook issued to a student is damaged or malfunctions due to no fault of the student.

CSDNB reserves the right to charge the student the entire replacement cost if student negligence is determined to be the cause of the damage.This coverage is effective from the first day of the 2024-25 school year until the first day of the following school year. Insurance must be renewed annually.

> Click to learn more about CSDNB’s Student Device Insurance Program or to enroll.

To help guide you as you shop for your student, we've put together a universal supply list for each grade level. Please note that these are recommendations only - further guidance will be coming from your child's school and teacher in the first week of school. If you have any questions related specifically to your child's school, please call the main office. A full directory of schools, along with emails and phone numbers, can be found here.

> Click here to view the supply list recommendations for all grade levels (English)
> Click here to view the supply list recommendations for all grade levels (Spanish)
> Click here to view the supply list recommendations for all grade levels (Arabic)

Regular transportation will be available for students who live outside their walk radius. Special transportation will be provided for students who have special transportation identified in their IEP and/or 504 plan. Information regarding transportation for the upcoming school year will be mailed in mid-August. Please make sure your information is up-to-date in PowerSchool by calling your child's school. A full directory of schools, along with emails and phone numbers, can be found here.

CSDNB’s uniform policy includes a universal uniform amongst K-8 schools consisting of a solid white, navy blue, red or yellow collared polo top, and khaki, navy blue, or black dress slacks, skirts, jumpers, dress shorts, or skort bottoms. CSDNB’s uniform policy identifies clothing and items prohibited in grades Pre-K through 12.

The New Britain Board of Education determined that reasonable regulation of school attire can further important educational interests by reducing distraction, minimizing disruption, enhancing school community and pride in the school. Additionally, the implementation of uniforms ensures that schools provide a solution for some social disparities, provides an equal opportunity within the educational setting and maintains the focus of academic achievement.

> Click here to read the full policy, as revised on July 11, 2022 in English
> Click here to read the full policy, as revised on July 11, 2022 in Spanish
> Click here to read the full policy, as revised on July 11, 2022 in Arabic

The New Britain Board of Education voted in July 2022 to reinstate the pre-pandemic School Attire Policy for students in grades K-8 with changes designed to provide more color options for families after surveying families. The majority of respondents were in favor of reinstating the School Attire policy. This information was used to inform the Board of Education’s decision.

The previous School Attire policy included school-specific color choices that may have made it more difficult for families who may change schools throughout the year or pass on clothes to others. The revised policy increases flexibility for families.

Many of our outstanding partners offer Before and Afterschool Programming. Please reach out to the below organizations if you are in need of Extended Day services for your child.

Click to view calendar in full page

Please join us for CSDNB's annual Back to School Bash!
Thursday, August 15, 2024 4 - 6 PM at Walnut Hill Park

During the Back to School Bash, students and families will have the opportunity to meet and greet their school administrators and other staff. Vendors and community partners will also be present. Families will have the opportunity to visit the various booths to learn more about the resources and opportunities available in the community.

Every student should check in with their school tent upon arrival. There, students will receive a passport to carry with them as they connect with different vendors and community partners upon visiting their tables. After visiting vendors, students can return the passport to their school tent to be entered into a raffle to win various prizes such as sunglasses, backpacks, tshirts, and other items.

We would like to thank the New Britain Parks and Rec Department and Whitsons Culinary Group for partnering with us yet again to make this event happen for New Britain families!

We hope to see you there!