Staples Principal Announces October Students of the Month

(L-R) Eleni Braga, Nina Lauterbach, Logan Noorily, Samantha Henske, Jeffrey Pogue, Morgan Tamm. Contributed photo

Principal Thomas has announced Staples High School's recipient’s for October Student of the Month:

• Eleni Braga. Gr. 9

• Logan Noorily - Gr. 10

• Samantha Henske- Gr. 10

• Nina Lauterbach - Gr. 11

• Jeffrey Pogue - Gr. 12

• Morgan Tamm - Gr.11 

The Students of the Month award program recognizes students who help make Staples High School a welcoming place for their peers and teachers alike.  They are the “glue” of the Staples community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.

Students of the month are nominated by their teachers, who are asked to think of those students who come to school regularly, are friendly to the staff and to fellow students, and make positive contributions in class as well as the Staples community. In short, these students are all-around good citizens of our school.  Students of the Month are not necessarily star athletes, high honor students, or lead performers, and even if they are, this award recognizes the positive attitude they bring to school every day in making Staples High School a genial place in which to learn and teach.

ARKAI Duo Heads to Staples Orchestra for Two Day Residency Program

(Front) Violinist Jonathan Miron, (Rear) cellist Philip Sheegog. Contributed photo

ARKAI will conduct a two-day residency program with Staples High School Orchestras in October.

ARKAI is a dynamic duo featuring violinist Jonathan Miron and cellist Philip Sheegog. Winners of the 2021 Astral Artists National Auditions, their diverse genre-bending music forges new possibilities for violin and cello. Miron and Sheegog met at Juilliard where they joined forces to conduct performances at acclaimed concert halls around the world.

Their workshops will include performances interspersed with inspirational talks exploring concepts of life as 21st-century performing artists, finding one’s creative voice through curiosity, listening as an art, and sharing tips on using music technology within a diverse and rapidly-evolving world. Additional workshops will be interactive, including playing one of ARKAI's original tunes with the orchestras and introducing aural learning and improvisation. 

This program, coordinated by Music for Youth, is brought to Staples High School by the Town of Westport through an allocation of a portion of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to local non-profits arts organizations. The Westport Art Advisory Committee organized the application process. 

Superintendent’s Update as School Begins: “I am most optimistic”

Superintendent Thomas Scarice

Good afternoon,

I always say that we are not perfect, but beyond some operational challenges mentioned below, we have had a very successful start to the year!!!  There is renewed energy and a positive vibe in the school culture, something that was challenging as we confronted the pandemic.    

Back to School Nights are underway, the summer heat has subsided, and as we complete our second week of the school year, I want to emphasize that we intend to sustain the early momentum we have experienced.  

Our primary focus has been to reestablish a positive, inviting school climate for all in our school communities.  You will notice additional efforts and gestures to this end.  Engaging our kids in the learning process, while maintaining child-centered practices is a high priority.  

A great start does not guarantee a great school year, and my responsibility is to support our team in delivering on our promises.  I am most optimistic after these first two weeks. We have problems to confront, but with a strong school culture, I have no doubts that we will meet those challenges, some quite formidable.  

And on with some updates…

22-23 School Calendar Changes

The Westport Board of Education voted on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, to revise the existing 2022-2023 student calendar. (See attached and linked here)  The changes to the calendar are as follows:
 

1. Schools will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2022, to mark the observance of New Years Day. Students and staff will return from the winter recess on Tuesday, January 3, 2022.

2. The last day of school will now be Thursday, June 15, 2022.

3. The five built in snow days will now be June 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

4. The Westport Public Schools will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2022, to mark the observance of Juneteenth. This closure will only go into effect if two or more snow days cause the school year to extend beyond June 15, 2022.

It is important to note that the built in snow days could potentially move the last day of school to Friday June 23, 2022. Therefore, please keep in mind, when making summer recess plans, that schools may be in session from June 20 - June 23. 

Transportation

Unfortunately, transportation continues to be a disappointment. The students and parents who are impacted by issues in transportation are highly frustrated.  We share that frustration.  

I can assure you that our team is working feverishly to resolve these challenges.  We have experienced modest success in thinning out some dense rides in order to shorten the overall bus ride and increase reliability in pick up and drop off times.  We will continue to apply similar interventions to other routes where possible.

The unfortunate truth is that we continue to be at a disadvantage due to the driver shortage.  We ordinarily operate with approximately 58 drivers and we are currently functioning with approximately 51.  We have not approached the level of disruption that some other CT districts have experienced as one CT district had to close school this week due to insecure transportation routes.  

That said, we have identified specific buses that we are targeting for further intervention to increase reliability and assure pick up and drop off times.  Additionally, we have tightened up our communication protocols to get messages to parents as soon as possible about any changes in routes.  Finally, the “WheresTheBus” app is scheduled to go live in the next couple of weeks. As much as we would prefer to go live immediately, it would be a significant error to activate the app while some routes remain in flux as we intervene, and until we are certain the app is accurate and useful.  

Again, students and parents who are impacted by these issues have every right to be frustrated.  We share that frustration.  As I mentioned last year when speaking about facilities, we have an expectation of a certain standard for our schools.  We have some facilities below that standard that warrant remodeling or new construction.  Likewise, the current level of transportation service is below the standard we expect in our district.  We will continue to work to improve this level of performance until it meets the community’s expectations.  

COVID

As we continue the start of the school year, the District is operating as close to pre-pandemic practices as possible.  The District Health Team will employ thoughtful mitigation strategies, monitor COVID-19 cases, and implement respiratory prevention strategies as necessary. Project COVID DeteCT (weekly monitoring),  the use of the COVID dashboard, the COVID hotline and daily notifications to classrooms will no longer be in effect. We ask that COVID cases be reported to the school nurse. 

In the event that there is a cluster or outbreak with several cases of respiratory illness including influenza or COVID-19  in one class, parents/guardians will be notified through a classroom letter. We will continue to follow guidance from both the CDC and the State Department of Public Health and will adjust mitigating measures as indicated.

Vaccinations continue to be the most important line of defense in preventing respiratory diseases like influenza and COVID-19. Updated COVID boosters are now available and recommended for people 12 years and older and can be found at Vaccines.gov - Find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you.

The Aspetuck Health District also has available appointments for influenza and updated boosters and can be found on their website at Aspetuck Health District – Public Health Services and Information. Additional information on State DPH guidance can be found at   Link to DPH/CSDE/OEC guidance.

For more specific information on isolation and other COVID specific guidelines please see our Return to School Plan for the 2022-23 School year at Return to School Plan.

Successful Start With New “Healthy Use of Technology” Approach

In full candor, we held our collective breath as we implemented a “healthier use of technology” approach.  It is not perfect, but I am proud to report that the initial implementation is very positive.  Teachers report significantly more dialogue between students in transition times, before and after class, as well as during interactive instruction.  

Though they might not admit it, we believe that many students are relieved to some degree.  I’ve personally watched the insidious comparisons on social media compromise the happiness and welfare of my own children.  This phenomenon is pervasive.  We will not halt this phenomenon due to these changes, yet, we are seeing positive signs in our schools and classrooms by limiting distractions and restoring much of the humanity that was lost over the past few years.  

This is only one strategy that we have employed in restoring our school culture and encouraging healthy interpersonal development, but the early feedback has been very positive.  

Respectfully,

Thomas Scarice

Superintendent of Schools

Westport Superintendent: “The energy in our halls and classrooms is palpable”

Superintendent Thomas Scarice: 

Good afternoon,

I truly hope that each of you have taken time this summer to unwind, unplug, and connect with family, friends and loved ones.  The calendar says “August”, and within days we will be welcoming back over 5,000 students!!

Today, our entire WPS team returned to finish final preparations for the start of the school year.  The energy in our halls and classrooms is palpable.  It is so refreshing to feel the “new school year energy” again!!!

First Day!!
Our first day of school is Tuesday August 30.  If you have not already received information, please expect follow up from your child’s building principal about the schedule for the first day and beyond.  Your child’s building principal is the best source of information at the school level.  

Healthy Use of Technology
This is the first school opening since 2019 where the pandemic did not play a primary role.  The district is fully committed to fostering community in our schools, returning to a more active learning environment, and restoring much of the humanity of our work that was lost over the past couple of years.  With a focus on well-being, the district will move to encourage and implement a healthier use of technology.  

As we know, technology has become a natural part of our learning environments, and critical to surviving the pandemic. However, the distractions of personal devices have compromised the instructional setting, and the interpersonal relationships in our schools.  

Each level (i.e. elementary, middle school, high school), has revisited the research that was conducted just before the pandemic, and developed expectations for smartphones, smartwatches, etc., in order to limit distractions and encourage healthy interpersonal development.  

Building principals will communicate this information to parents and students at the start of the year, and again throughout the year.  Middle school students will be asked to keep their personal cell devices out of use and off their person once the school day begins, and high school students will be expected to do the same during individual class periods.  

Again, further information will be provided by your child’s building principal, particularly related to the specific parameters of your school, the most expeditious manner to contact your child during the day, etc.

We will do our best to limit unnecessary technology use and we ask for your support in these changes.  I can assure you that it will not be perfect, but it will be better for our children.  Your support will be consequential.  

“WheresTheBus” Parent App 
With the transportation challenges school districts are facing across the country, we will be implementing a new “app” for parents to help with communication.  

“WheresTheBus” is a tool for parents to know when the bus will arrive at your stop with up-to-the-minute ETAs to reduce the uncertainty.  The app can be downloaded on any Apple or Android device.  

Bus times at the start of the school year tend to settle into a routine by the end of the second or third week.  New routes, morning pictures of the “first day”, new drivers, all contribute to this.  As a result, the app will go “live” later in the month of September once routes are firmly established.  

Again, I am certain that this will not be perfect, but it has the potential to significantly increase the timely flow of information to parents.  Stay tuned for more information from the Transportation Department.

Calendar Change - January 2 Holiday
Some families may have vacations planned over the holiday break. In response to a state law regarding the placement of holidays that fall on a weekend, I have asked the Board of Education to modify the school calendar in order to make January 2 a holiday.  As a result, one school day will be added to the end of the school year. 

Brief Note on Covid-19
Following a strong finish to the 2021-2022 school year, we will begin this year as we ended last year. The goal will be to continue to maximize in-school learning and return to normalcy and pre-pandemic status.

The risk of COVID-19 continues to change for the better with protection from vaccines and growing immunity from prior infections. We will continue to follow guidance from the State Department of Public Health and the CDC on minimizing the effects of respiratory disease in school. Our focus this year will be on promoting vaccinations, monitoring symptoms and utilizing at-home self testing.

We continue to encourage all students, families and staff to stay up to date on vaccinations.  Vaccinations are the first and most important defense for preventing respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza. Everyone 6 months and older can now receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Options are plentiful in our community and can be found at Vaccines.gov - Find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you

COVID-19 at home self test kits will be available to all families and staff and their use is encouraged. Families may also obtain tests by visiting COVID.gov/tests. A more detailed document with specific information will be available on the District website prior to the start of school.

Other Critical Start of School Information
Please see the attached document for a list of where to find forms and other important back-to-school information for families.

Thank you for your continued support!!  We all eagerly await the first day of school!! 

Respectfully,

Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools