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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, June 7, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

Henry David Thoreau

Good Morning,

Well, this weekend was certainly much better than last. I could stand to do without the humidity, but the sunshine was great! It appears this week will cool down as we close out the 20-21 school year. I cannot believe another year has come and gone. I know it was not the easiest for most. Next year promises to be much more normal in terms of schedule and procedures. As I shared, this week I will be providing staff and families an opportunity to review the initial plans and to provide feedback being submitted to the State on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 for the reopening of school next year. A separate communication will go out tomorrow for everyone to access the Google form and register for a Google Meet. The plan is straightforward. It will be revised as new information becomes available over the summer. A longer more detailed plan will be provided for all staff and families in August as was the case last year.

I would like to thank all of the staff across the district who are working so hard to make this last week of school a memorable experience for all of our students and families From promotions and field days to class parties and graduations, everyone has rallied to plan events to help our students feel a sense of meaningful closure to a less than normal school year. These efforts do not go unnoticed by families or administration. We appreciate your willingness to take the time to plan thoughtful opportunities.

In closing . . .

As I conclude my time in Wallingford as Superintendent, I want to thank everyone for their help in continuing to seek opportunities for student and personal growth. When I think back to my first days on the job in 2009, I smile thinking about all of the positive changes that have been investigated, planned, and implemented in collaboration with countless staff members. I fondly remember and appreciate all of the teams of teachers coming together to write curriculum on a regular basis. The thoughtful discussions about assessment and the hard work of the Innovation Teams guiding our work towards Mastery Based Learning and Design Thinking.

Through it all, hundreds of staff members have committed so many hours transforming our district. I know many will say, “That was Sal’s idea, agenda, or brainstorm.” The funny thing is that was definitely not the case. I think I was often given too much credit. Many of the most significant and impactful initiatives that have been implemented in Wallingford came from the bottom up. My role was to simply provide an environment for them to take root and to grow. For that, I am so proud of the legacy of so many staff members on transforming how we teach and students learn in our district. I am 100% confident that this culture of innovation and professional growth will continue with the support of our central office team and the Board of Education. They stand committed to make sure the ship continues to sail and does not turn and go back to the dock to set anchor. We all know that continuing personal and professional growth is essential. Without that, we revert to our old ways which most times are not good for ourselves or others. I am so excited for all of you at this moment of change.

So, good luck, good health, and continue to keep students at the center of all you do.

Make it a great last week of the 20-21 school year!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

"Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future."

Elie Wiesel

Good Morning,

We made it to June! I am not sure about all of you, but it is a little of a blessing and a curse. There is so much to be accomplished over the next nine days before all students and staff leave for the summer. I really appreciate everyone’s hard work and focus on maintaining student engagement as the year comes to its earliest end ever. I know some people were not happy with not having traditional snow days; however, I assume many of those individuals are now pleased with having nearly three full weeks of June as part of summer break. As I was always told by my grandmother, everything works out for the best in the end.

I hope that everyone took a moment yesterday to honor the many men and women who served our country to protect our freedom. Memorial Day is such an important time for us to pause and be thankful for those who have and are presently serving to maintain peace and safety in our own country and around the world. Thank you to all of those who have served and lost their lives while serving. Their sacrifice is forever appreciated.

This week the Rotary Club will be honoring its Citizens of the Year for 2020 and 2021. Please join me in congratulating the recipients from Lyman Hall High School and Mark T. Sheehan High School.

2020 Awardees

Lyman Hall High School

Caitlin Trutnau

Jack Murphy

Mark T. Sheehan High School

Emma Candelli

Matthew Zuccaro

2021 Awardees

Lyman Hall High School

Shannon Turner

Ryan O’Boyle

Mark T. Sheehan High School

Janai Martinez

Eric Bottone

Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan

Last Thursday, we received the latest guidance on the development of a new Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan as required by the ARP ESSR funding from the Federal Government. This weekend, I updated our information that was developed in collaboration with central office staff and Kathy Neelon, Nurse Coordinator, into the template provided by the State. We will share this plan with union leadership across the district over the next two weeks for feedback. Based on that feedback, we will then offer Google Meets for any interested staff and families the week of June 14, 2021. Following that, the plan will be shared with the Board of Education at its meeting on June 21, 2021 for approval and then submission to the State and posting on our website by June 23, 2021.

Ideas for the use of funding will also be sought during these sessions and incorporated in the second part of the grant due by August 16, 2021. Every six months, the district will seek feedback on the plans from stakeholders.

The chart below details the purchases/services that the district requested in the ESSR II grant. The grant priorities funding needed to address are as follows:

Priority 1: Academic Supports, Learning Loss, Learning Acceleration and Recovery

Priority 2: Family and Community Connections

Priority 3: School Safety and Social-Emotional Well-Being of the "Whole Student" and of Our School Staff

Priority 4: Remote Learning, Staff Development, and the Digital Divide

Cost

Narrative Description

110,7833

19.0 FTE Interventionists to provide instructional support to students experiencing learning loss at the K-8 level

69,728

1.0 FTE School Psychologist to address mental health needs and an increase in the need for evaluations due to the pandemic

61,344

1.0 FTE Speech Pathologist to provide additional support to students experiencing learning loss as well as the additional need for evaluations

58,307

1.0 FTE Special Education teacher to provide instruction for learning loss and conduct evaluations Districtwide

51,700

12 Teachers @ 5 hrs/wk for 24 weeks for Special Education recovery services

32,000

1.0 FTE Translator

27,600

12 FTE 4hrs/wk for 16 weeks for HS credit recovery/learning loss

6,462

30hrs/wk for 6 weeks mental health recovery services for students at risk

4,500

15 special education evaluations @ 6 hours an evaluation over the summer

241,306

Benefits for 22 FTE staff described above

100,000

District license for Lexia to address learning loss and recovery needs for students in the area of literacy

65,000

Consultation by BCBA to address student needs

40,000

Transportation for summer and after school recovery instruction (38 weeks)

32,789

In-District training in Attuned Schools for staff and parents by CTARI (The Center for Great Expectations) for the two Middle Schools and follow-up training for four Elementary Schools

31,200

Communication Specialist to support the District in communicating critical timely information to all community stakeholders

3,000

Mental Health groups for staff over the summer and spring

95,067

Replace 2 HVAC Rooftop Units and convert controls to variable speed operation at Mary G. Fritz

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Unsung Heroes

I want to give a shout out to the continued hard work of our maintenance staff across the district. This group never skipped a beat throughout the pandemic. From moving furniture to delivering PPE on a daily basis, this team has risen to the challenge time and time again. Thank you to all of our maintenance staff for going beyond the call of duty all the time without questioning contract language or past practice. Your professionalism did not go unnoticed, and I am confident that all of our students, families, and staff appreciate your efforts.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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Weekly Update - Monday, May 24, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere

and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

Christopher Reeve

Good Morning,

What a great weekend! I was able to head to Mystic on Saturday. It was crowded, but the overcast skies were perfect to sit out and have a wonderful late lunch. I hope that you were also able to partake in the beautiful summerlike temperatures.

Congratulations to the Lyman Hall Powder Puff Team on their victory yesterday. Sheehan made it a very close game up to the final play. Both teams played with such passion and intensity. The girls did a fantastic job. As always, the boys also lent their spirit to the game on the sidelines and during halftime. Thank you to the staff who volunteered to make this event a reality for the students. It was another proud moment for Wallingford!

This past week was a busy one with Varsity Scholar events at both high schools and the musical production at Mark T. Sheehan High School. It is so great to see people again and be able to talk and catch up. Our students continue to be the highlight of the transition back to normalcy. Their resilience continues to inspire me. With only 14 days until graduation, I am more confident than ever that these students will be successful.

Wallingford Superintendent Search - Focus Groups and Survey

The Wallingford Board of Education invites you to participate in the search process for a new Superintendent of Schools. Please see the link below:

Wallingford Superintendent Search - Focus Groups and Survey Invitation

Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions

Starting today, students will not be required to wear masks while actively participating in physical games outside at recess or in physical education. Social distancing will need to be maintained at all times. If students are sitting and participating in non-physical activities, masks and social distancing will be required. We thank you for your continued support as we navigate the existing and new requirements for schools. As I shared last week, schools are operating under different rules than businesses. We must follow those rules while also trying to make some appropriate modifications. The Governor’s orders require everyone inside schools to wear masks. This will remain the case for the remainder of the school year. We do not have any official word on next year. We will keep everyone posted.

Air Conditioning

As warmer weather approaches, the use of central and split AC systems should be allowed. In addition, portable AC units can be used providing the discharge is directed up or away from people. If you have any questions or concerns about the type of systems you have, please contact your principal.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Unsung Hero Campaign

As we move closer to the end of the school year, I would like to continue to offer everyone in our school community a chance to show their appreciation for those who have worked so hard over the last year and a half to keep us safe and allow us to continue in our roles. To this end, we are launching an Unsung Heroes Campaign. This will be a twitter campaign for which we are asking everyone to take a picture or a short video highlighting an individual or group of individuals that have significantly impacted our lives in our school district this past year during the pandemic. We ask that you post it to Twitter using the hashtags #WallingfordUnsung and #wpschools. If you would also like to tweet them to me @SalMenzo, I will retweet.

This is just a little gesture of appreciation for those who have demonstrated commitment to, conviction, and consideration. Thank you for your support.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, May 17, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”

Walter Elliot

Good Morning,

I hope that everyone enjoyed their weekend. I cannot believe that we are only four weeks from the close of the school year. The virtual snow days certainly did have a positive impact on the calendar. I am hopeful that they will be permitted by the State next year as well. We will have to see what is decided over the next few months.

Speaking of planning for next year, we are in the process of revising the reopening plan for the fall of 2021. A draft will be developed and the reopening committees from last year will reconvene to provide feedback. This is all necessary as part of the latest round of federal funding. Not spoil any surprises, but I am sure everyone can assume that the plan will account for all students and staff returning full time for full days in the fall. Lunch will be served in all buildings. With that said, we will follow all relevant CDC and DPH guidance. We do not have any final word on masks for next year. We will have to await that later this spring into the summer. We do know that masks are required in all schools for the remainder of this school year. While the rest of the State is readying for some changes come Wednesday, according to the Governor schools must stay the course and require masks be worn at this time.

With all the above stated, we are looking for guidance as to outdoor activities, masks, and social distancing requirements. I have a State call tomorrow morning, and I hope to receive additional guidance. Needless to say, it is becoming increasingly difficult to require certain rules be followed when the CDC and the Governor are suggesting otherwise. I will keep everyone posted.

One High School Discussion and Update

As I shared with you all on Friday, this evening at 6:30 p.m., there is an Operations Committee meeting at which there will be a presentation from representatives from Silver Petrucelli on the possibility of building one new high school on the present Lyman Hall High School property. This would be an entirely new structure. Included in this plan are new athletic fields that incorporate the existing football field. I have been privy to the initial draft plans, and I have to say this is very exciting for the future students in Wallingford.

If you would like to watch the meeting, please access the meeting at the following link.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

Vaccination Clinics

As part of the continued rollout of vaccinations in the State of Connecticut, as of today the Hartford Healthcare vaccination site at the Oakdale Theater in town is now vaccinating individuals 12-15 years old. The Oakdale Clinic site is accepting walk-ins as well as appointments. Below is the contact information for individuals looking to schedule appointments.

Hartford Healthcare at Oakdale Clinic site: https://hartfordhealthcare.org/health-wellness/covid-vaccine/schedule-

your-vaccine#. Access Center at 860-827-7690 or toll free at 833-949-5721 to register.

Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Wednesday - 11:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Last walkins accepted 30 minutes prior to closing.

Preferred if birth certificate or social security card is brought with the child if no photo ID, but is not required.

YALE NEW HAVEN Vaccination Site

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

I want to offer a special thank you to all of the staff and administration at the high school level for persevering and offering students Powder Puff this coming Sunday. I know that this has not been easy to plan, but your commitment, conviction, and consideration for our students and the tradition has been wonderful. I know that those playing really appreciate the extra effort that you all made to see that the game did not go unplayed this year. Your kindness will forever be in the memories of this graduating class. Thank you again!

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, May 10, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

Andy Warhol

Good Morning,

What a great weekend! I am sure all the moms in our community were treated well yesterday. I made a nice dinner for my mom. We enjoyed reminiscing and telling stories from the past. While I see her often, it was very nice to spend this special day together. I am cherishing every moment we have. I know this day can also be sad for many. I hope you too were able to spend a little time fondly remembering this special person in your life.

This week begins the busy end of the school year. From awards ceremonies to all things graduation, we are now officially in the homestretch. I am so pleased that there is a greater level of normalcy this spring. While not every event is the same as it used to be, many more activities are planned for students at all levels. I do encourage everyone to continue to be vigilant with our safety precautions. While we know all students will be back full time at all levels in the fall, we want to end this school year strong while maintaining our mitigation measures.

Instructional Committee Meeting

This evening, there will be an Instructional Committee meeting of the Board of Education. You can find the links for the agenda and to access the meeting below.

https://www.wallingford.k12.ct.us/board-of-education/board-of-education-meetings

Operations Committee Meeting

Next Monday night, there will be an Operations Committee meeting at which the Board of Education will hear a presentation from Silver Petrucelli on the design for one high school on the Lyman Hall High School campus. I am very excited for this presentation. I truly believe the one high school is the best option for the students of our district.

While it will not be my responsibility to implement this plan, I am hopeful the Board of Education takes action prior to the end of the school year, so that the new superintendent can get to work right away on the planning. I know this person may have other new initiatives to investigate and execute based on personal and Board of Education goals, but the one high school plan is key in ensuring a strong educational future for our students in town. I am excited for the district because change is good, and I know everyone will be eager to learn and implement new initiatives to increase student success.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

National School Nurses Day is this Wednesday, May 12, 2021. I bring special attention to this day because I think our nurses are one of several groups of unsung heroes in our district. I am not sure that everyone realizes the many hours beyond the school day, on the weekends, and over vacations, that the nurses have committed to contact tracing and notification of families and staff regarding COVID-19. Led by our Nurse Coordinator, Kathy Neelon, this team has taken on this challenge flawlessly this year. There have been few matters to resolve based on the work of our nurses. Their professionalism and personal approach has been able to calm and set the minds of parents at ease which in turn impacts all of us in a positive manner. With that said, I wanted to provide a special shoutout to this group of highly committed professionals who selflessly went beyond the call of duty.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”

T.S. Elliot

Good Morning,

I trust that everyone was able to take advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend even if just for a few hours. It was nice to get back outside to enjoy the springtime weather. It was also nice to have the Yankees win a few games. I know we are not looking too good right now, but it is only May and it is a long season. At least that is what I am telling myself.

I want to thank everyone for the kind emails of congratulations this weekend. It was a difficult decision, but I am excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead for me and you as a district. Wallingford will always hold a special place in my heart. I know many of our paths will continue to cross, and I am grateful for that. But in the meantime, we still have the last part of the year to complete, and I know we will do so with great success.

Voluntary Distance Learning

The State Department of Education issued a statement on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, with initial guidance on voluntary distance learning for the 2021-2022 school year. The statement included the following information.

The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) continues to emphasize that access to in-person learning opportunities is a priority, both for educational access and the importance of the social-emotional support provided to students in the school building. The Connecticut State Department of Public Health (DPH) and the CSDE do not anticipate the need to mandate, due to public health necessity, continued voluntary remote learning options next year. The CSDE is already engaging with stakeholders to provide future detailed guidance around the innovative and deliberate use of technology in concert with in-person learning, so we may move forward and learn from our experience during the pandemic.

Therefore at this time, our planning for next year does not include a voluntary distance learning option for students based on this information.

IMPORTANT

Principals will be reaching out to ask all staff who have any personal items in storage in the gym or other spaces outside of your classrooms at your school, to kindly take them home permanently by Tuesday, June 1, 2021. We anticipate the need to continue to maximize floor space in classrooms come the fall, and we also need to utilize all gyms and other spaces for programming. Therefore, the removal of as much from storage is essential. Also, if you find that there are items that you would like to discard, please make your principals aware of those as well. We are starting another discard list for the Town at this time too.

Thank you for your help.

Rotary Club Essay Contest Winners

I would like to congratulate the following students for being recognized for their essays in the 27th Annual Tom Collette 8th Grade Wallingford Rotary Club Essay Contest. Thank you also to the teachers for their hard work in helping their students with the essays.

Dag Hammarskjold Middle School

#1 ED by Colleen McBride

#2 Shackled Minds by Elizabeth McKnight

#3 The Dark Hole I Fell Into by Hannah Bludnicki

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical author

by writer):

Elephant by Maddie Buccheri

Overthinker by Haylee Gonzalez

A Made Up Utopia by Kate Negro

James H. Moran Middle School

#1 “I love New York-because New York loves me.” by Suprya Sarkar

#2 Ladybugs in My Room by Willow Pickerign

#3 Time to Speak by Omee Ahsan

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical author

by writer):

Is Equality Too Much to Ask For? by Alina Bui

Novels by Katreen Chen

Schizophrenia by Shawn Keenan

OVERALL ESSAY Winners

ED by Colleen McBride - Dag Hammarskjold Middle School

The Grade Paradox by Espen Fenstad - Holy Trinity School

“I love New York-because New York loves me.” by Suprya Sarkar - James H. Moran Middle School

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

I would like to recognize the following staff who have retired or plan to do so at the end of this school year. Thank you to your commitment to the students and families of our district. I wish you all good health and happiness in the next chapter of your lives. May it be filled with amazing adventures and endless weekends.

Administrators

Victoria Reed

Clerical Staff

Beth Allard

Ginette Anziano

Mary Mele

Flo Mulcahy

Maintenance Staff

Ted Burdacki

Nurses

Carol McDonald

Paraeducators

Deborah Grzesik

Donna Wolther

Lisa LaPlante

Leslie LaClair

Marilyn Bolles

Rosemary Kaliscak

Teachers

Margaret Wheeler

Mary Reid

Stephanie Conlan

Vicenta Coppola

Lisa Fachini

Jean Witz

Serwaa Anokye

Patricia Gormley

Sandra Kiertz

Bernstein, Kelly

Thomas, Julie

Robbins, Charlotte

McKeehan, Donald

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

Voltaire

Good Morning,

Well, Saturday was certainly a beautiful day. I decided to head to Mystic for the day. It was amazing weather. Even though it was relatively crowded, it made for a nice day away from home. I hope that you were able to enjoy the weather on Saturday as well.

Summer School Update

We need your help. We continue to need to have staff help with summer school opportunities this year. In an effort to increase staff involvement, we are raising the hourly rate to $50.00/hour for this year only based on the use of new State and Federal funding. We know that money is not the main reason for people potentially not wanting to teach, but we thought that we would try to offer some additional incentive to do so.

If you are interested and have not signed up, please do so by accessing this link. We ask that you signup by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Thank you again for your consideration.

Middle and School Schedules

At this time, we are going to continue to maintain the present schedules at both the middle and high school levels. I have received a many emails from parents requesting a change to full day; however, in discussions with Kathy Neelon and Steve Civitelli, we plan to maintain the present schedule for now. If something should change, we will let everyone know.

Board of Education Meeting

Tonight, there is the monthly meeting of the Board of Education. We will honor the Lyman Hall High School Boys Basketball Team for its State Championship. Recognizing student accomplishments always makes for the best meetings. If you would like to watch the meeting you can go to the YouTube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

Town Council Hearing on the Budget

Last Thursday evening, the Town Council reviewed the Board of Education budget. I am happy to report that it was very successful. The questions were minimal and the Town Council seemed supportive. Now, they will vote on the Mayor’s recommended budget on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Following that approval, the Board of Education will finalize and approve the budget at its Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 24, 2021.

I would like to thank all of the administrators and Central Office staff for their hard work in developing and presenting this budget. I would also like to thank the Board of Education for its continued support.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

A couple weeks back, I was made aware of a project being conducted by the Impact Club and Positive Impact Clubs at Mark T. Sheehan High School. Over the past couple of months they teamed up to collaborate on a project with the Wallingford Rotary Club. The students created positive greetings that are being turned into origami cards to be distributed to those who receive Meals on Wheels in town. This is such a nice gesture to help to brighten the day of those in need.

I would like to thank Erica Cerny, Kevin Ainsworth, and John Wodatch for helping to facilitate this great example of commitment, conviction, and consideration on the part of our students.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, April 19, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." – Charles Darwin

Good Morning,

I hope that everyone had a great spring break! While the weather was not necessarily the best around here, I am confident you all found some ways to relax and recharge. If you went away, I also hope you had a great time. I know that a lot of people did travel, and I am confident that they did so safely.

This week, we have an Operation Committee meeting this evening. The focus of the meeting will be on this year’s budget projections and also a discussion of the possible installation of a generator at Mark T. Sheehan High School. The generator is being donated to the school district from the Town Water and Sewer Division. If you would like to watch tonight’s meeting, please go to the YouTube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

Vaccination Offer from Hartford HealthCare for Family Members and Children

Hartford HealthCare is offering an opportunity for standby vaccines for any staff and staff family members. At the end of each day, they have vaccines that need to be used. They are offering these doses to our school family. If you would like to sign-up a family member or yourself if you have not already been vaccinated, please complete this form. The deadline for doing so is Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 9 a.m. This information will then be sent to Hartford HealthCare to use on a daily basis. If a person is registered and there is a dose available for him/her, they will be called directly by Hartford HealthCare with directions.

Vaccine Clinic for Family Members

Student Vaccine Clinic

I am pleased to announce that Hartford HealthCare is hosting a dedicated student vaccine clinic for the Wallingford School District at the Oakdale Theater on the following dates/times:

Friday, April 23 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Students with appointments during school hours will be excused with proof of vaccination.

Saturday, April 24 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

To schedule a vaccine, please follow these instructions:

You will need an active Hartford HealthCare MyChart account. Please use the following link to access MyChart:

https://mychartplus.org/myChart/Authentication/Login

If you do not have a MyChart account, you can sign up online via Hartford HealthCare’s MyChart. Instructions for activation:

https://hartfordhealthcare.org/file%20library/health%20and%20community/pdfs/mychart-self-signup-and-direct-scheduling-instructions.pdf

Once logged into MyChart:

Click “Make an Appointment” and select COVID Vaccine

Answer the questions displayed on the screen. One of the questions will be: “Have you been provided with an event ID for vaccination at a specific clinic site? Please respond “Yes” to this question. Continue entering the questions as displayed.

Please select the organization or school that provided you with an event code. If organization is not listed, please select “Other”.

Enter the Event ID. The Event ID for this vaccination clinic is Oak@2021 (caps sensitive).

NOTE: If a child does not have a social security number, they may signup by inputting 999-99-999.

I want to thank Hartford HealthCare and the Wallingford Health Department for their collaboration and support of this clinic. This is a game changer for many of our students. I cannot thank them enough for making this happen.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

All Staff Appreciation Day

As we have done for the last few years, we will celebrate the hard work and commitment of all staff on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. We know there are special days for so many members of our school community; however, in an effort to not miss anyone, we choose to honor all of our staff on one day. Like in the past, a special treat will be provided to everyone in their schools on that day. Thank you again for your commitment, conviction, and consideration.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“This is no longer a vacation. It is a quest. It is a quest for fun.”

Clark Griswold - Vacation

Good Morning,

While it was a disappointing weekend for UCONN basketball, the weather improved and made for a nice couple of days to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Personally, I cannot believe that it is April already. I am certainly not complaining, but I am amazed as to how fast time passes as you get older. My grandmother always said that to me when I would talk about my future plans. She always said don’t rush today for tomorrow. I am really heeding her words.

Budget Update

On Thursday afternoon, the Mayor called and shared that he is recommending a .88% increase to the Board of Education budget for next year. This is good news in that it accounts for the sustained services and offers us some funding towards sustained services priorities. He also approved the full $460,00 of capital requests.

2021-2022

Budget Request Update

Sustained Services

106,335,848

.52%

Strategic Plan

983,302

.93%

Total Budget Request

107,319,150

1.45%

Mayor’s Allocation

106,716,916

.88%

Difference

-602,234

On Monday, April 12, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. is the Town Hearing on the budget. I will be present to answer questions from the public. On Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 6:30 p.m., the Town Council will hold the hearing on the Board of Education budget. That evening the councilors will ask questions of myself and Dominic Barone.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. the Town Council will vote to approve the 2021-2022 Town budget. Following that approval, the Board of Education will finalize and approve its budget on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.

Special Board of Education Meeting and Instructional Committee Meeting Tonight

Tonight, the Board of Education will meet at 6:15 p.m. for a Special Board of Education meeting to review the Food Services contract and to appoint the new principal of Highland Elementary School. Following that meeting, the Board of Education will hold its monthly Instructional Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Both agendas can be found here. You can watch the meetings live at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

Voluntary Distance Learning

I have received a few questions regarding Voluntary Distance Learning for the remainder of this year and next year. The State Department of Education announced that the option for Voluntary Distance Learning would continue for the remainder of this school year. They have not finalized plans for next year. They also have not made a decision on the use of virtual learning on snow days. At this time, we must wait until a decision is made. Not to anyone’s surprise, we have been planning for a variety of scenarios for the fall pending the final decision from the Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education. I will keep everyone posted.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

I want to thank all of the staff who completed the summer school survey expressing interest in working this year. We are in the process of finalizing plans. The next step will be to determine which classes we will offer, and then survey families as to the level of interest. The programming we plan to provide this summer for students at all levels will offer a wide range of opportunities for students to re-engage with school. We all know that many of our students still feel disconnected and isolated.

The goal of such a program, being recommended by the State, is to reconnect with students to help ease their social transition back to our schools come the fall. With a focus on academics as well as enrichment, we are hopeful that students will access these opportunities and reap the intended benefits.

Thank you again to all of the staff that have signed up to facilitate sessions. We know that this is a tough year to ask for assistance, and we are grateful to those who were able to offer their support. We definitely know there were more people interested, based on emails we received, and we understand why it was not feasible for those individuals to teach at this time.

If you missed the survey, here is the link. This is for certified staff at this time only. Paraeducator support will be solicited once we are certain as to the programming we will offer.

Make it a great pre-vacation week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, March 29, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Oh, I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved the idea of summer,

and sun, and all things hot!”

Olaf - Disney’s Frozen

Good Morning,

What a beautiful Saturday! I would take 365 of those if possible. I guess that would probably mean moving to San Diego. I hope everyone got outside and enjoyed the day. I did my best in between errands and watching some basketball.

Speaking of basketball, what about the Lyman Hall boys basketball team’s first ever SCC Tournament Championship win over East Haven Friday night? It was awesome to be there to witness this historic win. I was so impressed by our boys. They held their composure throughout the game. Their defense was the game changer. Congratulations to all the players and coaches. We all know how difficult sports have been this year with COVID-19, but these young men overcame those challenges and took home a State Championship for Wallingford!!

On Saturday, Sheehan senior Amy Bui led a peaceful demonstration in the center of town on the topic of growing up Asian in Wallingford. Emily and other Asian students were joined by guest speaker, Attorney General William Tong. I want to congratulate these students on organizing this event to bring awareness of the stress and anxiety Asians experience daily in our community, state, and nation. The maturity demonstrated on their part was exceptional. While not everyone can appreciate the need to hear these stories, I am confident that their effort did have an impact and will empower others to share their stories as we continue to try to create a town-wide sense of understanding, empathy, and acceptance.

As I shared last week, the Board of Education approved a revised 2021-2022 school calendar Monday night. The new first day of school is Monday, August 30, 2021. The last day of school will be Thursday, June 9, 2022. Also the first 8 days lost to school closings will be made up at the end of the school year. Any days beyond 8 will be made up at the beginning of the spring vacation, starting with April 11. In the event of more than 12 days, or a school closure after spring vacation, the BOE determines the last day of school. In the event the CSDE authorizes districts to implement Virtual Snow Days, the district will have 1 traditional snow day and the remaining snow days will be virtual snow days. Please see the link below for the revised calendar.

WPS 2021-2022 Calendar

Travel Advisory

The State of Connecticut lifted the requirement for testing and/or quarantining for traveling out of state. Therefore, we are no longer requiring this information at this time. We would continue to advise anyone who plans on traveling to continue the mitigating measures of mask-wearing, social distancing, and frequent hand washing. If you travel and at any point are not feeling well upon your return, we would encourage you to quarantine, be tested, and do not come to school until symptom improvement for at least 24 hours and you receive your test results. If during your travel you find out that you are a contact of someone who tested positive you will need to quarantine and consult with the school nurse. Please note that this is always subject to change based on what the State of Connecticut may do in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

I heard from many staff members over the weekend that were extremely grateful for the second dose of the vaccine. I am so pleased that we were able to make this a reality for so many members of our school community. This could not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of Steve Civitelli, Health Director, and Danielle Bellizzi, and David Bryant. As I continue to share with everyone, we have an amazing team willing to do whatever it takes for students and staff.

Therefore, as we continue to move into the spring season, I want to challenge everyone to do so with a sense of hope and patience. I know many want everything back to normal tomorrow. I know others still have grave concerns about the pandemic. Regardless on which side you may be, I suggest that we all may want to channel our inner Olaf from Disney’s Frozen. I am not recommending we go back to winter and build snowmen: however, I am thinking a bit of optimism tempered with vigilance will go a long way over the final few months of the school year. Known as one of the most optimistic of all Disney’s characters, Olaf tackles his life zest and a positivity that is infectious. His innocence is always refreshing and inspiring at the same time.

In that spirit, I encourage everyone to continue with their commitment, conviction, and consideration. Be a "Morale Booster" like the group of staff and teachers who work to bring some joy and levity to those at Mary G. Fritz Elementary School. With no budget, they volunteer to provide staff with special treats about once a month. As was shared with me by a member of the school community, “They are our bright spot this year!”

I know there are others around the district. Please continue to share those with me. In the end we must take consolation that we have come this far and made such great progress. I know we can move forward with our schools safely opening successfully.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, March 22, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful,

more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”

Alice Waters

Good Morning,

The weather is certainly improving. Now that Spring is here and the temperatures are rising, I am enjoying getting back outside to run. It really does help clear the head and provide time to just listen to music and enjoy the surroundings. It is nice to see that business, in the West Hartford Center where I run, is picking back up and new restaurants are opening. I am hopeful this summer I can enjoy some outdoor dining again. I hope all of you are doing what you need to have some balance and relaxation in your life as well.

Board of Education Meeting

Tonight, there is a Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda can be found here. Below is the YouTube link at which you can tune in to view the meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

At tonight’s meeting, we will honor the Board of Education members for their hard work and commitment to our district. March is Board Member Appreciation Month, and as volunteers, these individuals give of their time freely to discuss important policy and curriculum matters. They deliberate over the budget while always placing students at the center of all their decisions. Personally, I know these members very well, and I am proud to work with them to advance the mission and vision of our district. Much of their time commitment and hard work goes overlooked sometimes. That is why the short recognition at tonight’s meeting is so important. As has been the case for the last 12 years, a book will be donated in the name of each Board of Education member to a library in our district. I could not think of a better way to show appreciation to them while also forwarding their goal of supporting the students in our district. Thank you each member for all that you do for the students, families, and staff in the Wallingford Public School District.

Quarantined or COVID-19 Positive Staff Needing Second Dose of Vaccine

I have reached out to Hartford Healthcare and they need to cancel and reschedule your appointment only if you are quarantined or recently tested positive. If you need to reschedule due to being quarantined or now having tested positive, please email David Bryant - [email protected] - or Danielle Bellizzi - [email protected]. They will provide a master list to Hartford Healthcare who then will be in contact directly with you. Please notify your school nurse as well.

2021 Invention Convention

On Friday evening, Wallingford’s 2021 Invention Convention was broadcast on YouTube. I want to congratulate all of the inventors. Their work was incredible! A full list of award winners can be found here.

Please enjoy this video of the awards ceremony.

2021 Wallingford Invention Convention.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Last Thursday evening, I had the pleasure of joining several staff members for two games of BINGO. This event was initiated by Kristina Jensen and Emily Banach as part of an effort to provide some fun events for staff to destress during COVID-19. While I did not come close to winning either game, I did have fun playing. The half hour allowed me to take my mind off the many events of the day and gratefully pulled me away from my email. Thank you, Kristina and Emily, for taking the time to plan this event. I know everyone who attended had a good time.

I know throughout the district there are individuals and groups of people who are trying to raise the spirits of their colleagues, students, and families. I appreciate those efforts and would like to highlight more in future Weekly Updates. Please share these activities with me, so I can share more widely. I think it would be wonderful for everyone to gain a better understanding of the commitment, conviction, and consideration that is occurring across the district in these challenging times.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to share your stories.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, March 15, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”

C.S. Lewis

Good Morning,

Who would have thought we would still be impacted by the pandemic a year ago? I remember the first meetings I attended with local officials. It was characterized as something we could manage like the flu. A short closure period was recommended, but there was confidence things would be back to “normal” soon.

Then, the virus really took hold of the whole world, and our lives were changed forever. From a run on toilet paper to contactless pickups, we all became immersed in a new culture known as COVID-19. At first, I have to say it was a little novel. Working from home sometimes was a nice change of pace. I met my mailman, socially distanced, for the first time in some years. When my day ended, I was home already. There was no commute and more time for things I often was unable to do like exercise and enjoying my neighborhood.

As time passed like many of us, I turned to home improvement projects that had been neglected in the hectic pre-COVID world in which I lived. This was exciting and actually fulfilling. However, there was a trade off occurring that became more and more noticeable. Getting things accomplished around the house was replacing the many social activities that once filled my life. Be it school events or Yankees games with my dad, those very important times were missing. I soon realized that no matter how much you improve your home, personal improvement and well-being takes more than a new paint color. It takes those times of sharing and caring with the ones you love.

So, as I reflect on the year we are continuing to survive, I am confident everyone is looking forward to regaining the ability to be with the family and friends we love. Being able to enjoy a meal together and going to a baseball game will be amazing. I know this may be months away, but hope is here and alive.

As I said at the beginning of 2021, I was choosing “hope” as my word. I am still committed to it more than ever. I hope you are as well.

Budget Update

On Friday, Dominic Barone, Business Manager, and I met with the mayor and his team to review the budget. It was a good meeting, and he appreciated the hard work that went into the budget development. Now, we wait until April 1 for him to announce his proposed budget.

The Town hearing on the budget is scheduled for Monday, April 12, 2021 at 6 pm. That is a time for residents to ask questions of departments on their budgets. The Town Council budget hearing, at which Councilors ask questions, is on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 6:30 pm.

The final budget is set on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Then, the Board of Education will adopt its budget on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 6:30 pm.

I will continue to keep everyone posted as the process continues.

Federal COVID Relief Funds

As many of you know, there are federal funds coming to each school district to assist with the impact of COVID-19 on our schools. Much of the funding is geared towards providing opportunities for students to regain potential skills and knowledge lost or not acquired during this time. Monies will also be allocated for professional development for staff on instructional practices and social and emotional needs of students and families.

We are in the process of finalizing the ESSR II grant. We have not received information on the most recent federal legislation passed last week. We will keep everyone updated as we gain more information.

The most important fact that we all know and must take into consideration is that the money cannot supplant existing expenses. That means it cannot pay for services we already offer in the district that are budgeted for annually. It also should not be used for resources or services that need to be purchased on an yearly basis. That would not be prudent because those services/resources would not be funded once the grant funding is finished.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

As I visited schools this week, I was pleased to hear that staff and students want to get back to as much normalcy as possible. The students I spoke with at the middle and high school level really miss their peers. The staff misses more students in person to complete the class dynamic that has been missing all year. While the staff is working hard to integrate the technology, it was clearly stated that having more students present would be preferable.

With that said, we are moving in that direction. I continue to review plans with the Health Department and our Nurse Coordinator. I will be sharing a plan with the Board of Education at their meeting on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 6:30 pm. The key is that we continue to implement our mitigation strategies with mask wearing being the most important of all. Together we will get back to normal. With your continued commitment, conviction, and consideration we will persevere.

Thank you!!

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, March 8, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Helen Keller

Good Morning,

I want to thank everyone for the very kind emails and tweets regarding this weekend’s vaccination clinics. I am so glad that everything went smoothly. Hartford Healthcare was easy to work with on this project. I also want to continue to thank Danielle Bellizzi, David Bryant, and Steve Civitelli. None of this could have been possible without their hard work.

I know everyone is a one dose away from being fully vaccinated and that provides a sense of relief on some levels. However, I cannot stress enough that vigilance still needs to be a focus for all of us. Please continue to wear your masks at all times and wash your hands and surfaces. Try, when possible, to maximize social distancing. We need to keep all of these mitigation measures in place regardless if we have been vaccinated. I appreciate everyone’s support and continued hard work.

Facility Study Update

At last week’s Instructional Committee meeting, the Board of Education took consensus for us to seek a proposal for an extended study on the potential of building one high school on the Lyman Hall site for all students. This, unlike the last proposal, would be 100% new construction.

The Board of Education will review the proposal for the next study and potentially take consensus for its funding, from previously allocated 2% funds, at the Operations Committee meeting this evening. The agenda and link to watch that meeting can be found here. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live.

Invention Convention

This week on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Invention Convention will be held virtually from the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. I was fortunate enough to watch all the student presentations in order to select the 2021 Superintendent’s Award recipient.

I will share the winners with everyone in my update next week. I want to thank all of the STEP teachers, especially Ms. Valentin, for all of their hard work in continuing this program during this COVID-19 times. I really liked the videos that were required this year. I hope that they remain part of the program for future years as well.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

For the past few months, I have highlighted emails sent to me by members of our school community highlighting staff across the district. As I reflected on them as a whole recently, I was struck by the themes of commitment, conviction, and consideration. Be it if a staff member provided additional resources to a student or family or personally made the effort to engage the students in a special way, each email highlighted what so many have done this year to maintain a sense of community and connection with their students and families.

As we begin to see more normalcy return to our district, community, state, nation, and world, I want to challenge all of us to continue to look for new and unique ways to engage our students and families. There is so much that we must learn from the pandemic and incorporate into our practice moving forward. With that said, we are fortunate to have marketing/communication students from Quinnipiac University working with our district to determine what communication and engagement strategies we want to keep, stop, or change from our COVID-19 experiences. In the coming weeks, they will be issuing surveys to staff and families initially to help provide a plan for the district to act upon moving forward. I would greatly appreciate your participation in this survey. I will highlight it in an upcoming Weekly Update and Central Office News. Thanks in advance for your help as we begin to plan for the post-pandemic era of teaching, learning, communication, and engagement in our district.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

0 notes

salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, March 1, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Genius is eternal patience.”

Michelangelo

Good Morning,

I hope that everyone enjoyed the rainy weekend. I am hopeful that the snow is behind us and that warmer weather will soon be the norm. We had a taste of it this past week. I was unable to get outside, but I heard it was beginning to feel like spring.

I do want to remind everyone that we need to continue to wear masks at all times. We know mask fatigue has set in, but we cannot let our guards down now. Please wear them in our schools and in your lives outside of school. Even though more people have been vaccinated in our state, it does not mean that there is less of a presence of the virus in our communities. Please remain vigilant for your sake and that of those in your families and our school communities.

Vaccination Update

I imagine many of you got up very early this morning to try to schedule a vaccine appointment. Please let us know if you were able to do so. We will remove you from our list as we continue to work to accommodate the requests of all staff. As I shared in the email yesterday, we will be vaccinating 200 people this week. Those individuals will be contacted tomorrow morning with their time slot. They will have until Wednesday at 10 am to accept their appointment. If they do not, we will move on to another name of the list.

We know that everyone wants to be vaccinated as soon as possible. We are working to try to find other resources to expedite the process. As I shared yesterday, it was very disappointing to not receive any additional allocation specifically for educators this week. This confused me since the Governor made such a bold adjustment to his initial vaccination plan to move educators up on the list. One would have assumed that would mean requests for additional vaccine would have been accommodated on some level without having to take doses away from the general public. But this obviously was not the case.

Again, I know you will hear of towns that are planning to vaccinate their entire staff in a matter of a week's time. I cannot speak to how that is being achieved. I can, however, assure you that the Wallingford Health Department has done and is doing everything they can to accommodate our needs as quickly as possible. I will keep you updated on any new developments moving forward. Like other districts, we were prepared to announce full distance learning days to facilitate the vaccination of our entire or a significant portion of the staff at once. Unfortunately, at this time, that is on hold while we await the necessary quantity to do so.

With all this stated, that is why we approached this process the way we did. You have all options open to you. You can go to the open market or wait for our clinics. As I shared before, we wanted to approach it in this manner to provide you with the greatest alternatives.

We will get through this. The Governor has committed to providing the first dose to all educators by March 31. Today is only day one. I am hopeful this timeline will be met for all of us in an equitable manner.

Instructional Committee Meeting

Tonight, there is an Instructional Committee meeting at 6:30 pm. Here is the link to the agenda and the YouTube information. A variety of policies will be discussed. The Board also plans to reopen its conversation regarding the facility study.

Electric Buses

You may have read that the district is working with Durham School Services to write a grant to fund electric school buses. The key to this becoming a reality for the district is that we cannot take on any of the expense for these buses. Durham is aware of this and is working to make this a reality for our community. I will keep everyone posted as we learn more.

Center for Innovation and Design

Work continues on the Center for Innovation and Design at Mary G. Fritz Elementary School. We have received several new donations and a grant to help complete the next phase of work. We would like to thank the PTOs from Mary G. Fritz, Highland, Parker Farms, and Cook Hill for their donations. Also, our new corporate sponsor, allnex, and a second donation from the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce. We cannot wait to have students return to the center. It is an amazing resource for the entire community.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Here are this week’s shout outs. Thanks again for your continued hard work during these challenging times. Normalcy is approaching. We all need to hang in and stay the course.

I wanted to take a moment to highlight Stephanie Niezgorski during this difficult time. She is an educator that goes above and beyond to meet the needs of her students both "in person" and "virtually." She invests so much time in planning for targeted explicit instruction and has moved a second grade student forward in his reading from a 1G to 2B in IRLA! This growth has also been seen through results of PAST, CORE Phonics, STAR Early LIteracy, and STAR Reading. He is moving from a tier 3 back to tier 2 and is feeling very confident and successful! Awesome success!

I also wanted to highlight another instance where her intuition and empathy for the wellbeing of our students and families is amazing. Stephanie was working in a virtual lesson and was able to see that something was very wrong in the environment and asked the child and parent if they were OK. This opened the door and a parent disclosed a crisis whereas basic needs, safety, and security were not being met. The parent was amazed that the reading interventionist noticed this in her child's face and is so grateful that she went above and beyond. We have been able to connect the family to community resources and hopefully they are on the road to a better place. We are so lucky to have her in Wallingford Public Schools... a true professional!

I want to take this opportunity to highlight one of our amazing teachers this year. Miss Wolfrum has been an inspirational and motivating teacher for our son. She exudes a passion and love of learning that is evident to all her students and often teaches without students knowing she is developing their skills or pushing them to reach farther. However, the most amazing thing for us as parents is to watch her embrace our son's accommodations allowing him to access the curriculum. When the assistive technology team reviewed accommodations, she not only understood how important it was for our son to receive them but saw value in implementing one accommodation as a best practice for her entire class. Her approach to teaching each student and using best practices in the classroom for all students has made our son feel like he's learning like every other student. That's true inclusion and we are very grateful for her efforts. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our experience.

Mrs. Spagnola,

I saw how patient you were with all of your students on the snow days. You are a saint and please know we appreciate everything you do for our son. He is so much more confident in everything he does including reading! He is so proud to share his schoolwork and what he learns each day. I always told my husband it only takes 1 exceptional teacher to change how a child feels about school and now he gets it. Thank you for being that teacher for our wonderful (sometimes difficult ) boy.

Since my district decided on traditional snow days this year, I was home doing chores yesterday while Stephen did his virtual school snow day. I overheard some of his English class with Ms. Sagnella. I was impressed by her efforts to keep students engaged with the double challenge of a virtual format and their association of snow with getting a day off. In this 8:30am class, she engaged her students through her caring demeanor, with a gentleness in her voice that helped welcome them to the day. She also drew them in to her lesson on rhetoric by having them read President George W. Bush's speech on 9/11 to address a frightened and confused nation. Though, as she acknowledged, these students weren't even born yet (!! making me feel old right now), they all knew and understood how powerful this moment was in the lives of their parents and their country. From what I could hear as I was working in the other room, the students were extremely involved in the discussion. Ms. Sagnella took a challenging situation and turned it into a warm, caring discussion that involved all the students and created a sense of community despite the physical distance.

I have been especially impressed with Ms. Sagnella this year because I know that she was not originally planning to be a classroom teacher this year, but instead if I remember correctly, a library media specialist at Lyman? Due to Covid, she switched schools and roles. She rose to the challenge, dusted off her metaphorical binder of teaching strategies from past years, and made the best of this situation. She really shows that she cares about her students, which is especially important this year. I am very thankful that Stephen has had her as a teacher this year.

I wanted to take a moment to send a quick note. I can’t thank Mrs. Harris enough last year or Mrs. Ricci and Ms. Kelley enough this year for the AMAZING job they are doing with our son. Last year when my husband and I made the then difficult decision to keep him back in first grade I wasn’t sure how this year would go but he has come so far and I know WE wouldn’t have been able to succeed without their love, support and dedication. I’m sure you know what wonderful teachers they are (well in Ms. Kelley’s case will be soon) and they are an essential part of why people love MYB so much. I’m sure they’ve been recognized in the past but in a world where so much negative is always brought to attention I want to make sure that the positivity out shines it. Thank you for having staff that gives their all and more to kids.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, February 22, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’”

— Robin Williams

Good Morning,

Hopefully, this week will be one filled with less winter weather. I am confident that we will be moving into the spring sooner rather than later. With spring training upon us, baseball and the smell of the best season of the year will raise our spirits in anticipation of all being vaccinated.

We are still anticipating starting all staff vaccinations in the middle of March. It is dependent on the Governor’s further opening group 1B. From the latest reports, it appears that educational staff will be included as essential workers. Again, we have begun to vaccinate staff who are 65 years old or older. We will get to everyone else once we are allowed to do so. Another vaccination center is slated to open at Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theater. That may be another option for staff. More information will be provided as the time draws closer. We appreciate your patience.

Last week, I shared the case update on Friday. This will be the practice moving forward unless we see a significant uptick in numbers. For the last three weeks, we have been seeing less than 2 cases a day on average over a seven day period. This remains low compared to what we were seeing in late December and early January. We ask that all staff continue to follow all mitigation strategies. We have had some reports from staff that some members of our district have become a little laxed over the last few weeks. I implore you to not become complacent. Now more than ever, we need to keep our attention focused. We are too close to being vaccinated to let our guards down. Thank you for your continued efforts.

Tonight, the Board of Education will officially approve its budget to be sent to the Mayor for his review. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. You can watch by logging in to the site below.

https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Here are this week’s staff shout outs!

I wanted to give you Robin Beecher's name as a teacher who deserves a shout out during these difficult times. Robin is a special education teacher at Cook Hill who can always be relied upon to go the extra mile for her students and for being a true team player. I spoke today with a substitute virtual special education teacher who shared with me what a great support Robin has been to her while she worked with some virtual students from Cook Hill. When I shared this compliment with Robin, she simply said, "of course! Even though I'm not seeing virtual students right now, they're still my students!' When I shared with her that home school special education teachers would be servicing both in-person and virtual students after the holidays, she said, "that's fine! I'll make it work." In all the time that I've known Robin, this has been her attitude. She is always there when you need her and always seems genuinely happy and eager to help.

She has been a teacher who I've had on my evaluation list a number of times and her care and love for her students always shines through when she is teaching. She is truly an asset to her students, colleagues, and administrators. I am thankful she's a member of the special education team!

Since the beginning of this year Laurie Moreno has been working tirelessly to perfect her craft when it comes to instructional strategies used both in the physical and virtual classroom settings. She has been one of the biggest resources for all staff when it comes to troubleshooting virtual learning struggles and trying out new programs or platforms with her students. She is an ever present source of positivity and has been willing to offer her help and knowledge to everyone who has asked. She is a perfect example of someone who is willing to take a risk and try something totally new, with the reasoning always being for the benefit of her students.

Kristen Balsamo - When you walk into Kristen's grade two classroom, you can feel the happiness and joy. Kristen helps her students to become their best selves. She has embraced the current chapter and conducted outdoor morning meetings throughout the fall. Kristen has worked to bring the entire school community together by creating a Monthly Morning Show. Her students took the lead on this film project by reporting on different school-based activities, interviewing staff for a book review, and leading the school in this new style of town meeting. This year, Kristen led her students to spread gratitude and kindness around the building by painting kindness rocks that line the entranceway of E.C.Stevens and by sending notes of gratitude to staff around the building. Kristen's hard work and dedication not only benefit her students but the entire school community.

Sue Pallotta - As E.C. Stevens School Nurse, Sue has been an extraordinary asset to E.C. Stevens School. Sue has embraced the current chapter and puts in a tremendous amount of effort when communicating with students, staff, and families every single day. Members of the school community know when they consult with Sue, they will always get a thorough response with the next steps that need to be taken. This has been comforting to families and to staff during this time of uncertainty where lots of questions and situations have arisen. Sue's patient and caring demeanor provide those around her with a sense of calmness no matter what medical situation arises. The connections she has made with students, families, and staff have allowed her to engage in difficult conversations, always resulting in positive outcomes. In addition, Sue is a true partner to the office staff and school administrator.

My grandson is in Mr. Stone’s 5th grade class at POND HILL SCHOOL. He has made an extremely challenging year seem very normal. He is thriving! He and his sister live with me (grandmother). My granddaughter had Mr. Stone as well and she thrived. I sent a letter requesting that her brother be placed with a male teacher due to the fact that since they’ve been in my care the only male influence that he has is his uncle as a role model. I’m a widow so it’s just me and the kids. I’m very happy that my request was granted because Mr. Stone is an incredible role model for him and it shows in his joy and eagerness to go to school every day. Mr. Stone rewards the kids when deserved with Certificates and my grandson has brought home several! He just beams with pride when he shows me. He is learning a ton, and never talks about or is sad about any of the new restrictions from COVID-19. I sincerely believe this is due to the great work of the Pond Hill staff and especially Mr. Stone. He is always kind and upbeat and it truly shows he enjoys teaching the students. He follows all safety protocols, while still meeting with smaller groups during class. My grandson had to do distance learning and he was very well prepared for the 2 weeks he was home. This is due to Mr. Stone making sure the kids are prepared. I’m grateful that elementary school is still in session, since his sister is at DAG her first year and they have been distance learning for most of the year. The kids in school are thriving! Thank you for all the work the District, School, and Mr. Stone has put into keeping this year as safe and normal as possible.

I wanted to reach out to you to express my sincere appreciation for the laborious task of keeping kiddos in school this year, and the undeterred dedication I have seen from the Wallingford Public School District. I am so impressed by the planning that has been conducted in order to ensure that our children are learning in the safest environment possible.

In light of your recent request of acknowledging educators, I can't say enough about my son's kindergarten teacher at Moses Y, Mrs. Stoessel. Her dedication to the children and positive energy has given us hope during scary times. The education he is receiving, despite the pandemic, is bar none, the best. He comes home every day excited about school, sharing everything he has learned; the growth has been tremendous.

I also have to mention my son's experience last year. He was enrolled in Moses Y pre-k, and just like this year, I was literally brought to happy tears on a frequent basis at how much he was learning with Ms. Graminski (and having so much fun while doing it!) She built a very strong foundation.

These two educators have certainly set the bar high, but I have no doubts Wallingford Schools can live up to rigorous expectations.

Thank you again for all your hard work and dedication, and for the amazing staff you have put in place at Moses Y.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”

Walter Elliot

Good Morning,

I hope that you enjoyed the long weekend. As I continue to say, I am hopeful this winter comes to an end soon. I miss running in the morning, and I think most of us have seen enough snow and can stand a little warm weather. In the meantime, we will continue to persevere.

Student Activities and Updates

Lyman Hall Culinary Arts now has a Facebook page. The page is filled with tips, tricks, and information on fitness, food, fun, and finance. They’d love for everyone to join them on it! Please consider sharing this page with your followers. Thank you for your continuous support of our program!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Lyman-Hall-Culinary-Arts-and-Hospitality-Management-104907028229218

Follow High School Sports from Home

Both Sheehan and Lyman Hall have live stream capabilities for athletic events in the gymnasium via NFHS Network (subscription rates apply).

Sheehan Gym NFHS Live Stream

Lyman Hall Gym NFHS Live Stream

Live stream options for other SCC member school sites will be communicated once that information is compiled by the league.

Both Sheehan and Lyman Hall are working with Northford Ice Pavilion to establish live stream capabilities for hockey games. Virtual swim meets will also be filmed. If the meet is not live streamed, footage will be available to watch after the meet.

Sheehan High School Dramatic Arts Society

This is just a reminder that the Sheehan High School Dramatic Arts Society drama production 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine will be streaming on February 19 & 20, 2021 beginning at 7:00 PM. A streaming ticket for this event is $20.00 and will allow you to have your family watch the show. Streaming tickets can be purchased from our website: http://bit.ly/SheehanDrama. Each ticket has its own unique streaming code.

If you're spending a long time at home, it can be a challenge to keep yourself occupied. Luckily, 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine is full of handy solutions, from putting on a musical with your dog, to becoming an announcer for a made-up sport, to falling in love with an inanimate object. Hey, we promised handy solutions - we never said they wouldn't be strange. Whether or not you're inspired to take up origami and squirrel observation, this play is sure to bring a laugh to anyone who finds themselves unexpectedly indoors.

Sheehan’s production stars:

Arianna Kaplan ‘21, Emma Connors ‘21, Ryan Villano ‘22, Vincent Atienza ‘22, Heather Gaydowen ‘22, Jacob Shook ‘22, Julie Rochniak ‘22. Marissa Capozzo ‘22, Travis Karosi ‘23, Emily Conte ‘23, Hailey dela Chevrotiere ‘23, Julian Bingham ‘23, Ava Kaplan ‘23, Ava Lewellyn ‘23,

Ronan Liu ‘24, Jesse Heinrich ‘24, Trinity Duffey ‘24, and our hosts for the event Shane Kaplan ‘21 and Shannon McKenna ‘22.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Here are this week’s shot outs! Thank you again to everyone for their commitment and hard work.

Chrisy Rich, Dag Health Teacher, has truly embraced our request to first and foremost address student mental health. She begins each class with a mindfulness activity which allows her to check-in on students and more importantly provides students time to learn and practice a powerful life skill. A variety of mindfulness strategies are utilized so students can figure out what is most effective for them. She even encourages students to participate in a fun activity with their parents/guardians to reinforce the importance of connectedness not just in school but at home.

If I could stand on the roof tops and sing the praises of Lauren Young, our dynamically dedicated School Nurse, I would!

Lauren has been a ROCK STAR this year, not only continuing her regular responsibilities, but buzzing around the school with her stand up cart, now desk, with her portable phone attached to her at all times and keeping a calm smile on her face always! She's amazing with our students AND staff and she is the QUEEN of contact tracing (even on the weekends!) and is constantly following up with parents whether it's related to an active case or just that she notices a student was out and she's checking in! She even has a bulletin board that she updates for the season with inspirational tips for students!

Lauren is soooo deserving of a shout out! I am so grateful everyday that she's on MY team!

Gina Cabrera-paraprofessional

Ms. Cabrera goes above and beyond to connect with our students and families. She calls and texts parents before, during and after school. She drops materials off to families and will certainly do whatever it takes to keep our students engaged and connected. Rock Hill is so lucky to have her on our team!

Chris Vece-instrumental teacher

Mr. Vece is amazingly talented and has worked so hard with his team to develop an instrumental program that meets our needs during this pandemic. Students can be seen carrying their keyboards up to Mr. Vece's room with a bounce in their step ready for a fun time. Additionally, Mr. Vece has been an all-hands-on-deck staff member helping out in a myriad of ways. He is certainly a valued community member.

Danielle Marcellino-third grade VDL teacher

Mrs. Marcellino has taken virtual learning to new levels. Whether she is operating from her multiple screens, creating interactive presentations with technology, or differentiating work for each of her learners, Mrs. Marcellino is an outstanding educator who has embraced the world of virtual learning. Her students love to go to school through their computers and we are so appreciative of all of her time and effort.

I wanted to let you know that I have been discussing with my son about his experiences with his advanced math curriculum at Sheehan and more specifically his current AP Calculus professor Kevin Ainsworth. In the environment we are in now it is more important than ever to have engagement between teachers and students. Keeping the interest and being available for assistance is so critical.

Kevin Ainsworth has been all of this and more as he has engaged with students, I know from my own example witnessing my son's math interactions, and taking the extra time to ensure that they understand the material. This is more challenging now with distance learning and certainly can require more time and patience but I can say from what I have seen Kevin Ainsworth has been exceptional.

My son is a very good math student but there are times when he needs a better understanding of a specific concept. As a college bound engineering major that is trying to transfer his AP Calculus I & II credits he needs to have this understanding to support his engineering curriculum next year. Kevin Ainsworth has always been there there for him and as a parent I couldn't be any more happier to have him help build my son's core skills. I am confident that he will succeed going forward and Kevin Ainsworth has played a large role. My son has even been tutoring students in Wallingford that are struggling with distance learning and has been working with Wendy Eaton-Soto in this effort. I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin's efforts have rubbed off on him.

I just wanted to send you this note to let you know how impressed we are with the type of teachers you have on your team. Your leadership during these fluid times is paying off for students like mine that are willing to push to ensure that their learning isn't reduced, and teachers like Kevin Ainsworth are certainly making this happen.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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salmenzo · 3 years

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Weekly Update - Monday, February 8, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“In a world where so many are throwing bricks on others,

be the one who builds bridges with them.”

Emma Xu

Good Morning,

I hope that everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl. I know it was very different due to the pandemic and snow. I usually spend the day with my dad, but with the combination of the bad weather and the virus, we had to text and talk throughout the game. Next year will be different and hopefully Tom Brady won’t be playing in the game. Sorry, once a New York fan always a New York fan.

I do want to reiterate my plea for patience and kindness to one another as we continue to address the challenges of the pandemic. None of this is easy for anyone. With that said, I would like to remind people that oftentimes kindness is a key in solving problems. If you have a challenge you are facing, please try to approach those who may be in a position to help you in a proactive and positive manner. The way you handle such situations really does impact everyone. Being potentially aggressive or disrespectful never serves any situation well. Again, I know there is a lot of stress at this time for everyone. Therefore, it is even more important that we all do our best to treat each other respectfully.

Budget Update

Wednesday evening, the Board of Education approved a 2.13% increase for the 2021-2022 school budget. The following items were included in addition to sustaining our present levels of service.

The next step in the budget process is to submit the budget to the Mayor for his review. He will then issue his budget proposal to the Town Council in April 1.

I will keep you informed as to next steps and the dates of the public meeting on the budget and Town Council.

Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management

The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management 3 class at Lyman Hall High School has recently launched a Facebook page. They will use this media platform to share information about their program and connect to the Wallingford community. Their page will feature some of their most popular student-operated businesses such as The Cook’s Table, A Healthy Drive, and events such as their Signature Pop-up shops, and take home meal service Pure Fresh.

Due to the pandemic they needed to adapt and change from their traditional learning format and had to find new and safe ways to apply their skills. With that in mind, they are proud to announce FIT4YOU!. This program will share helpful tips, information, and ideas on food, fitness, finance, and fun. As they move forward, you should look for some of their favorite recipes, health and wellness tips, financial insight, music, books and podcast recommendations.

You can find them at the link below:

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/Lyman-Hall-Culinary-Arts-and-Hospitality-Management-104907028229218

WTNH Link to What's Right with Schools - https://www.facebook.com/48010180735/posts/10157789402220736/?d=n

This week, Mark T. Sheehan High School is being highlighted on WTNH’s - What’s Right with Schools. The story focuses on the upcoming virtual production of 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine.

The show is February 19 & 20, 2021 beginning at 7:00 PM. A streaming ticket for this event is $20.00 and will allow you to stream to your TV and have your family watch the show. Streaming tickets can be purchased from our website: http://bit.ly/SheehanDrama. Each ticket has its own unique streaming code.

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Here are this week’s faculty shot outs!

I just wanted to make you aware of the support my family received from Sheehan High School. While it was not direct instruction, the social-emotional support my son received from his teachers was integral in navigating the death of his father in October. Ms. Cerny worked behind the scenes to assist him in returning to school and in particular, Mrs. Zigmont went above and beyond to support him and make sure he was comfortable with the curriculum being presented, particularly when cancer was being discussed. Both the cross country and basketball teams stood close to my children during this difficult time. Coach Gaetano was integral in helping my older son manage our situation and Coach Mohr kept my younger son running when I found it difficult just to get out of bed. Other past teachers that reached out to my son to include Mr.Lombardozzi, Mr. Wodatch and Ms. Miller. I’m sure there were more. Then to top it off, the entire Sheehan staff did a fundraiser for my family.

I just want to reach out to you to express my sincere appreciation for all of the staff for Wallingford schools. I have a child at Lyman Hall and a child at Fritz. We unfortunately were diagnosed with covid over Christmas break so my younger daughter has not been back to school yet.

We also moved from Rock Hill to Fritz this year so a lot of change for my 5th grader. But it has been the most positive experience ever!!

Mr. Brumleve has gone above and beyond to make my daughter feel included in the classroom. He reached out to her when school first began so she would feel comfortable in a new school. He came to my house to drop off her book club book so she didn’t get behind while she was out with covid. Mr. Brumleve has been an absolute joy to work with and I feel so lucky to have him as my daughter's teacher! He has great parent communication and even though we can’t go to the classroom, I do not feel disconnected this year. I wish we could keep him through the rest of school years for my daughter! Thank you Mr. Brumleve!!!

Ms. Toman has been absolutely wonderful! The class had to be quarantined for a bit and I had a chance to overhear snippets of the conversations she had with the children. She is so warm, encouraging and patient! I can’t imagine how tough it must have been for her to handle the class remotely, while also caring for her own small children. I heard Ms. Toman have to ask the children repeatedly to mute/unmute/put the pet down/pay attention, etc. Yet she was so patient! My son showed me an e-mail she wrote to the class one morning. It talked about a task the children had trouble with the previous day and she said that she couldn’t wait to explain to them how to do the task properly. That’s the kind of communication children need and I’m so happy my son is with the teacher who speaks that way to her children.

Also, my husband’s parents had COVID. Ms. Toman had the whole class write letters to them. They are both retired teachers and receiving the letters absolutely made their day! Not only did it make them feel better, it also made him feel like he was doing something additional to help. It was worrisome for him to know that grandpa was in the hospital. Having those conversations in school really helps relieve children’s anxiety, gives them a sense of purpose and some control of this challenging environment. I’m so glad Ms. Toman understands that and teachers from that place of compassion.

He enjoys being in Ms. Toman’s class. He seems to be doing well academically, after just a couple of months in Ms. Toman’s class I noticed a significant improvement in his writing. I’m so glad to have Ms. Toman as his teacher!

My granddaughter is having a wonderful year in second grade with Mrs. Balsamo at Stevens School. She is happy to go to school and is learning so much. Her teacher has interesting material for the children, but more than that she encourages the children to be kind to each other. Her classroom is a happy place. I commend Mrs. Balsamo for her hard work, and I am grateful Leah is in her class.

I am the proud parent of an MYB 2nd grader. I wanted to take the time to let you know what an amazing teacher Ms. Rochefort is. I was sick with covid at the beginning of this month and as a result Kaylee had to stay home, quarantine, and distance learn. As you well know, distance learning is challenging, especially at the elementary level. Ms. Rochefort was truly remarkable and instrumental in making distance learning engaging and as straightforward as possible. My daughter was able to navigate her assignments independently with minimal assistance. I could not be prouder of both my daughter and Ms. Rochefort. Everyday, Ms. Rochefort would send her assignments with detailed instructions. She also set up several daily google meets for my daughter to learn along with her peers and be part of the class virtually. Numerous times Ms. Rochefort took the time from her day, whether before or after school, to bring her assignments to our house and drop them off at our mailbox. Ms. Rochefort’s love of teaching and dedication to helping her students learn is absolutely incredible. She is extremely committed and has gone above and beyond to help my daughter learn both virtually and in the classroom. MYB is very fortunate to have such an incredible and caring teacher and I could not be happier to have my daughter in her class. My daughter truly loves her teacher and looks up to her. I am grateful Ms. Rochefort has joined the MYB family and I hope my younger daughter will also have the opportunity to be in Ms. Rochefort’s class when the time comes.

Teachers deserve recognition for the work that they do everyday. Their work has a tremendous impact on the lives of our kids. Teachers work extremely hard to foster a love of learning in our children. I believe we as a society have taken a teacher’s work for granted until now. This pandemic put a spotlight on how hard teachers work and the importance of their efforts. Again, I would like to applaud all the hard work and effort Ms. Rochefort put in over the last few weeks. I am extremely grateful to her and and to MYB for finding such a talented and caring educator.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

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