Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Weekly Message - December 6, 2024

Dear Families and Staff,

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend ushered in colder weather that has us all bundling up in coats, hats, scarves and gloves on our way to and from school and work. If your family—or a family you know—needs support obtaining winter outerwear and accessories, contact your school’s parent facilitator for a list of agencies that can provide assistance.

The colder weather is also a reminder that cases of the common cold, flu, RSV and COVID will likely start to increase. The City of Stamford’s Health Clinic at 137 Henry Street provides free flu and COVID vaccines for children. Vaccination hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The clinic is hosting extended hours from 4 to 7 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through December 18. Appointments are preferred (call 203-977-5385 to schedule) but walk-ins are welcome.

The Centers for Disease Control has updated its Respiratory Virus Guidance for COVID, flu, and RSV. The CDC recommends the following when you may have a respiratory virus:

Stay home and away from others if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
You can go back to your normal activities when your symptoms are getting better overall AND you have been fever free (without the use of fever-reducing medications) for at least 24 hours.

Thank you in advance for helping to keep our school communities healthy this winter!

Stamford All-School Musical Opens This Weekend

The Stamford All-School Musical’s production of Anything Goes opens tomorrow night! Anything Goes is a delightful romantic comedy featuring the music of legendary composer Cole Porter, and this year’s production features 58 SPS students. Get your tickets now for performances on December 7 (7:30 pm), December 8 (3 pm), December 13 (7:30 pm), December 14 (7:30 pm), or December 15 (3 pm).

AgriScience Holiday Shop and Open House is December 7 & 14

The Stamford AgriScience Program at Westhill High School is hosting its annual Open House and Holiday Shop on Saturday, December 7 and Saturday, December 14 from 10 am to 3 pm in the AgriScience Building on the Westhill campus. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the AgriScience program and to show your support through the purchase of wreaths, poinsettias and other seasonal plants and gifts.

Stamford High Christmas Tree Sale Continues

Time is running out to get a Christmas Tree at the Friends of Stamford High (FOSH) annual Christmas Tree sale. Stop by this weekend to select a tree before they sell out! The tree lot will be open from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your child(ren)’s teachers to discuss their academic growth and any concerns you may have. Your child’s teacher(s) or the principal will send instructions to sign up for conferences.

Student Performances at Stamford Town Center

The Stamford Town Center’s Holidays in Harmony music series continues next week with the following performances:

Springdale Fifth Grade Choir: Monday at 6 pm
Stark Fifth Grade Choir: Tuesday at 5:30 pm
Westhill Jazz Band and Jazz Combo: Tuesday at 6 pm
Westhill Choral Program: Tuesday at 7 pm
Stillmeadow Chorus: Wednesday at 5:30 pm
Westhill Jazz Band and Orchestra: Wednesday at 6 pm
Westhill Choral Program: Wednesday at 7 pm

Please stop by to enjoy festive holiday music courtesy of our talented students!

PT Council to Host Flexible Schedule Information Session

The Parent Teacher Council of Stamford will host a Flexible Schedule information session on Monday, December 16 at 7 pm via Zoom. Associate Superintendent for High Schools, Dr. Lori Rhodes, will present about the schedule and answer questions. Please view this presentation and read the FAQ prior to the meeting. Submit your questions here.

Board of Education Welcomes New Members & Officers

Please join me in welcoming our newest Board of Education (BOE) members, Julienne Foy and Prasad Tunga, who were sworn in by Mayor Simmons at a special BOE meeting on Tuesday night. We also would like to acknowledge the newly elected BOE officers and committee chairs for the upcoming year:

President: Michael Hyman
Vice President: Versha Munshi-South
Secretary: Antonia Better-Wirz
Assistant Secretary: Prasad Tunga
Operations Chair: Antonia Better-Wirz
Teaching & Learning Chair: Julienne Foy
Fiscal Chair: Andy George
Labor Chair: Michael Larobina
Policy Chair: Gabriela Koc