Greetings WPS Families:

We had an awesome first week of school! It was great to visit classrooms and see our students and staff engaged in learning. This is a reminder that our school campus is a busy place. I would ask that you kindly refrain from walking through our campus during the school day. As we strive to provide a safe and secure campus, it becomes very challenging for our security specialists, staff, and students when people walk through playgrounds and fields. Pedestrians should not approach school windows from the outside. There is additional signage reinforcing this message on campus. Thank you for your support.

Staff Convocation

On August 26 WPS held an Opening Ceremony with an Olympics theme for district staff. This special welcome back began with a French inspired breakfast and school golf cart parade followed by an Olympic torch relay. I would like to give a special shout out to our assistant principals for serving as the torch bearers and WIS Principal Mrs. Falber who sang the National Anthem. The staff participated in a unity walk to the auditorium for a keynote address on the importance of a positive school climate. where we had a guest speaker give a keynote address.

Educational Consultant Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg gave a presentation focused on the importance of schools Creating Supportive and Healing Environments for children. She stressed that there is a direct correlation between fostering a positive classroom community and high academic outcomes. She also shared research based on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Staff found Dr. Freiberg to be inspiring and look forward to her return on our November professional development Day.

The Anxious Generation will be at the heart of our professional learning this year. It is so important to continue our focus on the profound impact of connections, both in our classrooms and across the district. The strongest academic outcomes are achieved when educators cultivate meaningful relationships with their students by showing that they genuinely care about their well being. I highly recommend this book.

Summer Professional Development

During our summer vacation, many staff members engaged in professional learning opportunities both locally and abroad with the purpose of enhancing their instruction. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some highlights from this summer. Fifth Grade Teacher Ms. Huynh spent two days touring Mystic Seaport, exploring archives of maritime history, participating in presentations at the planetarium and rowing in a whale boat. Eighth Grade Social Studies Teacher Mr. MacDonald attended the "Reframing Lincoln" Summer Teacher Seminar at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, Illinois. The program was organized by the Gilder Lehrman Center for American History. Twenty-three teachers from 19 different states participated, engaging with other educators about history education across the country. Sixth and Eighth Grade Science Teachers Ms. Nolle-Berg and Ms. Welsh had an incredible experience in the Galapagos Islands as part of an educator team from across the country. Their goal was to investigate the diverse organisms and ecosystems of the galapagos so that they would then inspire our middle school students’ curiosity about this natural world.

HES Special Education

Teacher Ms. Hettenback completed two courses,Orton Gillingham Morphology Training and Assessment in Mathematics WHS Math Teacher Mr. Brennan attended a workshop run by Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF). Mr. Brennan teaches Personal Finance to our high school students. The state of CT has set the expectation that all students complete a half-credit course in personal financial management beginning with the Class of 2027. WHS Physics Teacher Mr. Walker attended the AP Summer Institute in preparation to teach AP Physics 2.He also participated in the High School Physics Teachers Day at the American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting in Boston. WHS Social Studies teacher Mr. Passarelli participated in the AP Psychology Course Seminar. He will teach three sections of this course this year. WHS Social Studies Teacher Ms. Klein participated in the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship this summer. Ms. Kelin spent a week in Poland studying the Holocaust. Ms. Klein teaches two sections of the course Facing History and Ourselves this year. When asked why she applied for this opportunity, Ms. Klein said, "I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish life in 2 Poland and the Holocaust. This fellowship will allow me to encounter more individual stories of those who were voiceless, those who resisted, and those who survived. I will carry their experiences into my courses, making my classroom an even richer space for inquiry and learning."

WHS Social Worker

Ms. Coggins attended a mental health summit in Arizona this summer. Sessions included What True Belonging Means to Mental Health and Let Me School You: Mental Health in School Settings. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Sincerely,

Lisa R. Barbiero

Superintendent of Schools

Back to School Dates

September 5: HES PreK and Kindergarten BTSN, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

September 10: WIS Grade 3 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 11: WIS Grade 4 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 12: HES Grade 1 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 17: WIS Grade 5 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 18: WIS Grade 2 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

September 19: WMS Grades 6 - 8 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

September 26: WHS Grades 9 - 12 BTSN, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 3