Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear SPS Community: 

Our staff returned to work this week for the 2026-27 school year. On Monday, I was honored to speak with the teachers who had been hired over the summer during New Teacher Orientation. 

Wednesday marked the annual Convocation event when staff from all 22 schools/programs and the central office gather together across Stamford to officially open the new school year. Teacher of the Year, Marcella Barrios, and Paraeducator of the Year, Mery Lopez, joined me onstage at Rogers International School to address our colleagues. I would like to thank Marcella and Mery for their unwavering commitment to Stamford’s children and for exemplifying what it means to be an educator. 

The theme for the 2026-27 school year is Building Together. As I said during my remarks on Wednesday, building is about creating something that lasts. And anything worth building begins with a strong foundation. To build together, our foundation must be made of trust, respect, positive relationships, communication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our students. Everyone who works for Stamford Public Schools is part of that foundation and plays a vital role in Building Together for the benefit of Stamford’s children. 

While this year is an opportunity for new beginnings, I was clear that being positive does not mean ignoring the things that need to change. We can celebrate what is working and also acknowledge what needs to improve. This year, we will look honestly at our challenges, ask difficult questions, and identify where we can do better for our students. We are also going to look at data and strive for continuous improvement. This is what strong organizations do.

During last week’s District Leadership Team Meeting, I shared my expectations for our school leaders. On Wednesday, I did the same for our certified educators and other staff.

My expectations are: 

• Collaboration. None of us can educate students alone. We are better when we all work together rather than separately.
• Being here. I asked that staff prioritize being at school daily to make a difference for our students.  
• Accountability. Accountability is about ensuring that everyone is doing as they said they would and that everyone is being held responsible for their actions. Being accountable is about taking action and owning the results.
• Positive learning environment for adults and students. I asked our staff to recommit to creating school communities where people want to go and where everyone is respected. It takes all of us to create such an environment. 

I want to thank the administrators, teachers and staff at Rogers International School for hosting Convocation and for bringing such positive energy and enthusiasm to our opening day celebration.

Looking ahead, auditions for the Stamford All-School Musical are coming up soon. This year’s production is open to all Stamford resident students in grades 5 through 12. I have heard great things about the All-School Musical and look forward to attending my first show in December. Complete information about audition workshops, auditions, and callbacks is available here. 

Classroom assignments and student schedules are now available to view in PowerSchool, as are bus assignments for those students who qualify. Please note, bus assignments must be viewed through the PowerSchool desktop application, not the Mobile App.

Parents can help us get the new year off to a strong start by activating their ParentSquare account, completing required forms in PowerSchool, creating a MySchoolBucks account to pay for school lunches, and applying for free or reduced-price lunch if you may qualify. Information about how to complete these tasks is shared below. 

A new school year is a time of great excitement and anticipation, and I am looking forward to beginning my first school year as your Superintendent. I will be visiting each of the 22 schools and programs next week to ensure our school year gets off to a strong start for students, families, teachers, and staff. I look forward to meeting many of you next week or in the weeks and months ahead.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being an important part of the Stamford Public Schools community. 

Sincerely, 

Adrian B. Talley, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

ParentSquare is how teachers and school administrators will communicate with parents and families. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to activate your ParentSquare account.

Important: You must activate your ParentSquare account using the email address or phone number on file in PowerSchool. 

Activating your account will enable you to: 

• Send direct messages to your child's teacher(s), 
• Receive posts and alerts via the ParentSquare app
• Receive secure documents 
• Complete permission slips for field trips
• RSVP to events  

Once you have activated your account, set your language and notification preferences for the best ParentSquare experience:

• Click the down arrow next to your name in the top right corner
• Click "Manage Account"
• In the left column, click "Language Settings"
• Choose your preferred language from the dropdown menu and click "Save"
• In the left column, click "Notification Settings"
• Select how and when you want to receive Posts, and Direct Messages. Digest setting is recommended for Posts.  

Complete Required Forms in PowerSchool

The following forms must be completed in PowerSchool by Tuesday, August 25:

1. Stamford Public Schools Responsible Use Agreement
2. SPS Educational Technology Device Agreement
3. Media Consent

These forms are required for your child to be able to use school technology, including devices and digital accounts. We must also have permission for your child to appear in photos or videos posted in ParentSquare or on social media.

Complete forms from a desktop computer:

1. Log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal from an internet browser.
2. Select "Forms" from the left column
3. Select a required form from the yearly forms list
4. Complete the form and click submit

Complete forms from the mobile app:

1. Open the PowerSchool mobile app and login if necessary. (If you do not have the app, download it for iOS or Android. District code is JQJK.)
2. Click "More" (...) from the lower right-hand corner of the Dashboard.
3. Select "Forms"
4. Select a required form from the year forms list
5. Complete the form, and click submit

Set up Your MySchoolBucks Account to Pay for Student Lunches

Stamford Public Schools will revert to a paid student lunch program in 2026-27.

School breakfast will continue to be free for all students through funding from the State of CT.

Payment for school lunches will be accepted through MySchoolBucks, a quick, secure, and convenient way to add money to your child’s lunch account. Students may also pay cash for lunch at the cafeteria each day.

Families will need to create or log into their MySchoolBucks account to add funds for school lunches. 

Lunches are $3 for elementary students and $4 for middle and high school students.

Stamford Public Schools has ended the COVID-era program in which all students received school meals at no charge. Beginning this school year, families will need to submit an application to find out if their children qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. 

Families may qualify for their children to receive free or reduced-price lunch based on the USDA income guidelines, through participation in certain assistance programs, or through direct certification. 

Please click the button below to apply online. The online application is available in English or Spanish.

Health Forms Required for Students Entering Kindergarten, Grade 7, Grade 10

Connecticut State law requires all students to meet certain health requirements for school attendance. Updated medical forms must be provided for:

— All Kindergarten students and new transfer students in grades 1-12.

— Returning students entering Grade 7 and Grade 10.

Failure to provide this documentation will result in your child being denied entry to school.

Download the required health form from ParentSquare or the SPS Website.