Father and son Jeff and Tristin Franklin on the first day of school: “We’re going to be OK” despite first-day nerves.
Atkinson-Green checks that students’ phones are off, to be sure their day is distraction-free.
Tristin Franklin got his nerves out Monday on his first day of becoming a high-schooler — as his school continued on its journey into becoming the city’s second arts high-school.
Tristin’s father Jeff hugged Tristin good-bye and took a photo to remember the day, in the parking lot outside the Betsy Ross Arts & Design Academy (BRADA) where Tristin began his first day as a ninth-grader.
BRADA is also transitioning, into a 7-12th grade high school from a 5-8th grade middle school, in order to better accommodate students’ high demand for arts instruction. It is in the process of adding a high school grade each year while shedding its lower grades. As of Monday, it begins with seventh grade. Tristin is in the second-ever ninth grade. Last year, the school stopped serving fifth graders and began serving its inaugural freshman class. This year, the school cut sixth grade and introduced tenth grade with future grades to be added in each of the next two years.
While Jeff said he’s nervous about Tristin starting his high school journey, he affirmed to his son and to himself on Monday, “We’re going to be OK.”
Tristin said he’s excited and nervous about finding old and new friends at the new school. Tristin graduated from Beecher School last year and hopes to pursue the art of animation.
The biggest transition for the Franklins is an earlier school day than they have been used to with middle school. Before this year, Tristin’s school day started around 9:30 a.m. Now the first bell for class rings at 7:30 a.m.
His dad, however, said that Tristin did great Monday by waking himself up and getting ready for the morning.
BRADA’s middle school-to-high school move was announced in October 2024 when the district was awarded $15 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP).
This conversion means that NHPS will have two arts magnet high schools in the district — BRADA, on Kimberly Avenue in the Hill, and Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School, on College Street downtown.
School district leaders previously explained that they had decided to introduce the second arts high school because Wilbur Cross and Hillhouse high schools are exceeding their capacity and BRADA’s arts education will emphasize visual arts, while Co-Op’s emphasis is performing arts.
BRADA Principal Jennifer Jenkins reported Monday that BRADA has just over 300 students currently enrolled. The removal of sixth grade and addition of tenth makes it so enrollment numbers are similar to last year, she said.
Once the transition to being a full high school is complete, Jenkins said, the student body will have 475 kids, max.
This year is also the second year New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) high schools have been phone-free, thanks to Yondr pouches.
Jeff said on Monday morning that he believes Yondr has been effective in making sure students aren’t on their phones while being taught in class. He said he hopes no emergencies will occur, but if anything happens, he knows the school will relay the message to parents.
Tristin said he is also OK with Yondr because he typically keeps his phone stored away all school day in his bag. “I never really use it until the end of the day,” he said.
When students entered the building on Monday, they were met with several staff greeters, Jenkins, and school security. Science teacher Tammika Atkinson-Green and Joyous Pittman Rambo, the school’s business manager of 17 years, welcomed students with hugs while reinforcing the expectation at the start of the day that phones must be away.
While students were going through the metal detectors, Atkinson-Green called out, “We need your phones powered off, not just silent.”
After security check, students showed Atkinson-Green and Pittman Rambo that their cellphones were off.
Atkinson-Green, who also previously worked as a correctional officer, introduced herself to new students and checked in with those returning. She noticed students’ new hair colors and cuts, bags, and growth spurts and celebrated them each at the entrance on Monday.
After Tristin got his schedule in the school’s cafeteria, he again ran into Atkinson-Green, who said, “You’re new.”
Tristin nodded and Atkinson-Green helped him figure out where each of his classrooms are.
New students picked up their Yondr pouches on Monday while many returned with locked ones from last year that they needed unlocked.
“You can’t leave this area until you’ve powered it off and I see it,” Atkinson-Green told a student. “If you take it out again, I am taking it.”
When one student arrived on Monday, Atkinson-Green tapped their phone screen and said, “Look at this, shining bright like a diamond.”
The student gave Atkinson-Green a hug and then powered off the phone.
“They know I’m about safety. Phones, proper dress code, all of it I try to do to help out the security team,” Atkinson-Green said.
“They all should see a smiling face at the start of their days,” Pittman Rambo added.
Assistant Principal Amy Migliore and Principal Jennifer Jenkins on Monday.
Newly painted walls and columns to make the building feel like a high school.
Jenkins welcomed students on Monday with hugs and directions to the cafeteria for them to pick up their day’s schedule.
Over the summer, BRADA got a “facelift,” which makes it feel more like a high school environment, Jenkins said. The process began a year ago.
Jenkins and Assistant Principal Amy Migliore said the newly painted hall and branding changes make the space feel refreshing and new for the students and staff.
“With all of the work done over summer, it feels good. It’s starting to look like what we’re becoming — a high school,” Migliore said
“We couldn’t make the changes in the first year because we already had so much happening, but we saw that for students and staff, they were tired of it feeling the same here,” Jenkins said.
As high school grades are added, middle school grades have been phased out. Last year, BRADA served its last-ever sixth-grade class, making it so the building now enrolls 7-10th graders.
Jenkins said the transition to high school is on schedule to continue adding a high school grade each year.
BRADA also added additional high school counselors this year and is currently working on building out its dual credit opportunities for sophomores, Jenkins added.
Shage Edwards (right) and her uncle Khris Edwards made sure to start her first morning of 8th grade with their goodbye handshake.
Eighth grader Angelyz Vega Manso (right) said she’s excited to immerse herself more in the arts this year. Her mom Liz Vette Manso dropped her off on Monday and said that she’s excited for her daughter to finish middle school strong.