Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear Staff and Families,

What an amazing long weekend last week!  I hope you had an opportunity to celebrate and say “thank you for your service” to one of our community’s many veterans.  

You can also check out highlights of how our school communities commemorated Veterans Day.  Honoring our veterans is an important tradition that is part of our commitment to service learning.

Congratulations to the Stamford High School Varsity Boys Soccer Team for advancing to the state championships! The Black Knights defeated hometown rival Westhill in the quarterfinals last weekend and went on to defeat Greenwich in the semifinals on Wednesday night. The Black Knights will play Hall High School for the Class LL State Championship this weekend at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford. 

Finally, a huge well-done to The Strawberry Hill Players and The Northstar Playmakers for their wonderful fall productions.  These actors, crew members, and staff should be celebrated for their commitment to their craft.  I’m already looking forward to spring when I hear Chicago and Mama Mia will be coming to town.

Speaking of great theater, the Stamford All-School Musical opens in just a few weeks on Saturday, December 2.  This year students from across Stamford will perform Legally Blonde the Musical.  Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Congratulations and thank you to our students, teachers, and staff who raised awareness and funds in support of breast cancer awareness month.  Once again this year, our schools went above and beyond with multiple pink-out events during October, which you can read about here. These activities are wonderful examples of acts of kindness.

High School Information Night for 8th Graders 

In case you missed it, Stamford Public Schools hosted High School Information Night for Grade 8 Students and Families on Wednesday night.  Stamford High and Westhill High offer many rigorous, specialized programs that are open to students regardless of their zoned high school, including several that require students to apply for admission during eighth grade.  If you missed this informative event, you can watch the webinar and view the PowerPoint online.

School Attendance is Critical for Success  

With the first quarter marking period behind us, this is a good time to remind everyone about the importance of regular school attendance, which is critical for student academic success and sense of belonging.  

The Connecticut State Department of Education defines chronic absence as missing 10 percent or more of the days in a school year, whether absences are excused or not.  Missing only two days of school each month can put students at risk of chronic absenteeism.  To help address this issue, each of our schools has an attendance team of teachers, administrators, social workers, and other staff who monitor absences and work with students at risk of becoming chronically absent.   

For more information about the importance of attending school every day, check out this infographic in English and Spanish from AttendanceWorks.org. 

Filling in the Blanks Food Pantry

The Filling in the Blanks mobile food pantry returns to Stamford this Saturday, November 18 in the rear parking lot of Cloonan Middle School.  If you are in need of this service at this time, please plan to attend between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.

If you are interested in learning more about this amazing organization or are interested in volunteering please contact volunteer@fillingintheblanks.org.

Stamford Downtown Parade 

The Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular returns this Sunday, November 19 at noon. This year’s parade will feature the Westhill High School Vikings Marching Band; a float celebrating the 2023-24 SPS Teacher of the Year Elba Simms; 15 giant character balloons; dance companies; and much, much more.

It is truly an amazing event and a great way to spend time with family and friends. Please plan to join us on Sunday in downtown Stamford!  For event details, please click here.

Stay Safe and Healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero

Superintendent

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