Ellington program Cowbell offers in-house student work experience; staff purchases allowed through June 2

Ellington Public Schools staff described Cowbell, a new in-house work site for students in the district’s Eclipse program, and said employees may make purchases during a soft opening through June 2 ahead of a planned fall grand opening.

School staff said Cowbell is intended to give students work and life skills — including product production, register operation, marketing and basic bookkeeping — in a supervised, on-campus setting rather than sending students offsite to multiple job sites. “The idea behind the Cowbell is that they would then have more chances to be part of the production, more chances to be on the register, more chances to be part of marketing, more chances to be part of, balancing our checkbook,” a staff member said.

Staff described the program as connected to the district’s Eclipse program, which moves participating students among different job sites during the school day. “Ellington is a very unique district. So they have the eclipse program. So those students move around to different job sites. So we transport them throughout the day,” the presenter said, and added that Cowbell will serve as an in-house site where students can gain experience as a small-business team.

Staff urged Ellington Public Schools employees to use the current soft-opening purchase window, saying an email from Dr. Laporte contains ordering details and a QR code. “We still have opportunities for Ellington Public Schools employees only to make a purchase between now and June 2,” the staff member said. Staff identified John and the speaker as contacts for questions and said the district will hold a grand opening in the fall.

Remarks included informal praise for staff involved in the program. One speaker said of an individual named James, “James is always in a good mood. He always comes in with a smile. He's, so personable. Everybody loves James.” The transcript did not specify James’s role.

The meeting’s remarks were descriptive: no formal votes, contracts, or funding sources for Cowbell were stated in the transcript. Staff described the program goals and logistics but did not specify budget amounts, staffing assignments, or long-term implementation timelines beyond the soft opening and the planned fall grand opening.

Ellington Public Schools did not specify a precise date for the fall grand opening in the transcript. Staff said interested employees should refer to Dr. Laporte’s email or contact John or the presenting staff member for more information.