Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear Families and Staff,

On Monday afternoon, I was honored to join Stamford Public Schools (SPS) staff and representatives of Sacred Heart University (SHU) for an event celebrating the inaugural Para Pioneers class. Para Pioneers is a collaboration between SHU and SPS through which paraprofessionals can earn a masters degree in teaching and a special education certification while learning and working full-time for SPS. Once these paraprofessionals complete the Para Pioneers program, they will work as special education teachers in SPS for at least three years, helping to fill a critical need shortage area. Please join me in congratulating our first four Para Pioneer students and their teacher mentors:  

• Erica Brown and Sarah Rysz-Erica (mentor) - Newfield Elementary School

• West Lyles and Lisa Colonna (mentor): Cloonan Middle School

• Shanice Morris and George Rigakos (mentor) - Westover K-6 School

• Namita Pendharkar and Mary-Kate Behnke (mentor) - Cloonan Middle School 

 

The celebration was capped off with the announcement of Sacred Heart University being awarded a nearly $4 million grant to expand this partnership in the coming years! 

Safety and Security Community Conversations: October 7 and October 10  

Next week, SPS will host two community conversations about school safety and security. If you want to learn more about our efforts to provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students—as well as what you can do to help—please plan to attend one of these meetings: 

Monday, October 7 at 6:30 pm during Café con la Super at the Government Center (4th Floor Cafeteria). Our guests will include SPS Director of Security Joe Kennedy, Lieutenant Jerry Junes of the Stamford Police Department, and Lou DeRubeis, the City of Stamford. This meeting will be presented in Spanish with interpretation to English. Please register to let us know you will attend.  

Thursday, October 10 at 6 pm at Strawberry Hill School. Our guests will include SPS Director of Security Joe Kennedy, Associate Superintendent Angela Asaro, a representative of the Stamford Police Department, and other city and school officials. This meeting will be presented in English with interpretation to Spanish and Haitian-Creole. Please register to let us know you will attend. 

Meeting for Families of Students with Special Needs is October 9 

The Stamford Coalition of Parents Expecting Success (SCOPES) will host its next meeting on Wednesday, October 9 at 6 pm at AITE. Attendees will learn all about CT Developmental Services (DDS), a state agency committed to helping individuals with intellectual disability live full lives. DDS representative Kaitlyn Drenzek will discuss how DDS can help families, how to register, and what to know about transition planning. The October SCOPES meeting will be presented with simultaneous Spanish and Haitian Creole interpretation. Please register to let us know you will attend. 

National Coaches Day is October 6 

This Sunday is National Coaches Day. More than 80 people work as coaches supporting SPS middle school and high school sports teams, not to mention the countless others who work to support our community’s many youth sports leagues. Thank you to everyone in our community who dedicates their time to helping our students develop athletic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship!  

5K Walk & Run for Education is This Sunday!

There’s still time to join the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF) this Sunday, October 6 in Mill River Park for the annual 5K Walk & Run for Education. SPS students under the age of 18 can participate in the 5K for free, while the race fee for adults is $35. For more information and to register, click here. 

All proceeds from this event benefit SPEF, which supports SPS through programs including the Summer Start Early Education Program for incoming kindergarten students and the Books Across Stamford initiative to support student literacy. 

Strive for 5 Attendance Campaign

SPS, the City of Stamford, and community partners are launching Strive for 5, a campaign to promote regular school attendance. Students who attend school regularly earn better grades and are more likely to reach academic goals at every grade level. Despite this, chronic absenteeism remains a problem in Stamford and many districts throughout Connecticut and the U.S. Strive for 5 is a call to action for students to miss no more than five days of school each year. Learn more about Strive for 5 here.  

Magnet School Info Sessions 

Last week, SPS hosted information sessions for those interested in learning more about the Magnet School Lottery process. If you missed these sessions, click here to watch the webinar or view the PowerPoint in English or Spanish. 

Enjoy the Long Weekend

Remember, all schools will be closed tomorrow and Friday in recognition of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Enjoy the long weekend with family and friends. 

 

Stay Safe & Healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero
Superintendent

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