Superintendent: 11 New COVID-19 Cases in District over Weekend; 7 Reported at Saugatuck El.
From Superintendent Thomas ScariceDear Westport Families and Staff,
We have had 11 new cases of Covid-19 associated with our schools reported over the weekend. The positive cases came from the following schools.
Coleytown Elementary School - 1
Greens Farms Elementary School - 2
Saugatuck Elementary School - 7
Staples High School - 1
Please remember that families are asked to report positive Covid-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email. Please follow this link for more information on reporting.
Additionally, we want to remind families that students with pending Covid-19 tests should not return to school until receiving negative results. This approach is critical in helping us minimize the potential for transmission in our schools.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent Provides Update on Anti-Semitic/Racist Incident Allegations during Football Game
From Superintendent Thomas ScariceDear Westport Families and Staff,
I would like to provide the community with an update related to the allegations of antisemitic and racist incidents Friday evening at the high school football game between Cheshire High School and Staples High School.
As the community is aware, there were allegations made on social media Friday evening including: antisemitic and racist comments made in the stands, the presence of a Confederate flag, and the waving of an Israeli flag. School administrators and law enforcement from both Cheshire and Westport immediately commenced investigations.
Because of the rise in reports of antisemitic and racist incidents, we also immediately sought input from the Anti-Defamation League office in Connecticut. ADL works with schools and law enforcement to help ensure incidents are addressed appropriately.
The Cheshire Public Schools administration and the Cheshire Police Department have been most collaborative and in constant communication with our administration and police department, sharing information and supporting each other’s investigation. We are most grateful for this cooperation.
Today, we were informed by Cheshire Superintendent, Jeff Solan and Chief of Police, Neil Dryfe, that their investigation has determined that the Israeli flag was not intended to intimidate Jewish people or motivated by antisemitism. Police reports indicate that the students who brought and waved the flag are Jewish and have shared that they brought the flag to the game because it was a school spirit “Red, White & Blue Nite” in the student section.
At this point in the ongoing investigation - which includes the review of photos, video, and interviews with numerous students, staff, and police officers – there is no corroborating evidence to substantiate the presence of a Confederate flag.
Additionally, we were informed by the Cheshire Superintendent and Police Chief that when Staples High School cheerleaders observed students in the stands waving an Israeli flag, and made a complaint to a Cheshire Police Officer; the officer informed the Cheshire High School Administration and an administrator directed the students holding the Israeli flag to put it away. Fortunately the use of police body cams have confirmed this finding.
That said, the Westport Public Schools is fully committed to finishing our investigation by speaking with every student or community member personally impacted by these events. We will listen to each first person eyewitness account of these events and will reserve actions before concluding our investigation. Receiving this information from our Cheshire colleagues is helpful, yet we must fulfill our obligations to listen to each and every account. The administration will continue these efforts and provide ongoing updates to the community.
It is critical that the community understands the level of transparency and thoroughness that we have taken.
The Westport Public Schools, and ADL, along with the Cheshire Public Schools, remain committed to fighting antisemitism and racism in any form and remain united in that effort. School administrators will be available to discuss this situation with any students who wish to do so. We are continuing to gather facts from eyewitnesses, so please allow us the time needed to fully assess what occurred and determine the appropriate response. Please contact us if you have relevant information.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent
Westport Public Schools
Seven Seniors Named as National Merit Semifinalists
Staples High School is proud to announce that seven members of the Class of 2022 who have qualified as National Merit Scholarship Corporation semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
The Staples High School semifinalists are: Emma Alcyone, Natalie Bandura,
Zachary Bishop, Michael Brody, Chloe Nevas, Maxwell Tanksley and Julian Weng
Nationwide, approximately 16,000 semifinalists -- fewer than 1 percent of the over 1.5 million students who took the 2020 PSAT/NMSQT qualifying exam --will compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million.
Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas Jr. praised the achievements of these students, saying “It is an extraordinary honor for these students to be recognized for their academic abilities, and an honor for our school because each of these students demonstrate talents and passions beyond academics every day, making them wonderful representatives of the Westport Public Schools.”
Niche Names Staples #1 High School in the State; Westport #28 School District in the Country
Staples’ Grades from Niche for 2022Niche, an online database of schools and communities, rated Staples High School as the #1 public high school in Connecticut and #103 in the United States, while the Westport School District as a whole was noted as #28 in the Country. Staples received A or A+ grades for all areas except Diversity, where it was given a B-.
Westport Elementary schools were rated in the State as:
#4: Greens Farms Elementary School
#5: Coleytown Elementary School
#7: Long Lots Elementary School
#8: Kings Highway Elementary School
#10: Saugatuck Elementary School
Bedford Middle School was rated as #2 in the State and #133 in the United States. Coleytown Middle School was not yet listed.
Niche grades all of the schools and districts in their surveys and studies based on academics, staffing, social life and other factors - with data being pulled from SAT and ACT scores, student, parents, and staff surveys, and community demographics and safety profiles.
The #1 high school in the country was The Davidson Academy based in Reno, Nevada. Behind Staples in Connecticut was New Canaan High school.