FPS Last Day Of School - June 13
Congrats Class of 2023 Graduates!
Elementary school principals will reach out to families regarding moving up ceremony dates and plans.
Summer Support Program Update
You will be notified if your child is being offered a spot in the Summer Support Program for grades K-5. The program will be held at Stratfield Elementary School from 8:30am-12:30pm beginning on July 5 through July 28. The purpose of the program is to provide students with focused and specific instruction that will help maintain and advance their reading and math skills.
There will be opportunities for participating students to engage in whole group and small group instruction in a "station-rotation" model. In literacy, a variety of materials will be used to support students' reading and writing skills, while students will engage in math instruction that focuses on the major work of the grade in order to teach and/or reinforce the concepts and skills they have learned throughout the year. More information will be shared with families as time gets closer to the first day of the Summer Support Program on July 5!
PK-12 Curricula Review Process Update
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading (K-5) and McGraw Hill's World of Wonders (PK) have been selected as the programs we will be recommending for adoption as primary resources to inform our curriculum design work for fall 2024 implementation.
Materials to support our secondary schools are still being explored. Both programs will be proposed to the BOE at the April 25 meeting where Dr. Margie Gillis, President of Literacy How, and Janine Goss, Fairfield's Executive Director of PK-12 Literacy, will provide professional learning related to the Right to Read legislation and the Science of Reading, followed by the publishers' overviews of the proposed programs.
Lost Boy of Sudan John Dau Brings Curriculum To Life For Grade 7 Students
Author and Humanitarian John Dau spoke to Grade 7 RLMS and Woods students as part of a culminating experience in their Sub-Saharan Africa unit of study.
Students read “A Long Walk to Water" and viewed the documentary God Grew Tired of Us. The documentary features Dau's story, which recounts his survival of genocide in Sudan and his leadership of the Lost Boys, a group of 27,000 refugees who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety.
Dau’s message of perseverance and hope resonated with students who posed insightful questions and showed their admiration at the end of his presentation.
Burr Odyssey Of The Mind Teams Earn Spots At Upcoming World Finals
Congratulations to two of Burr’s Fifth Grade Odyssey of the Mind teams, which recently competed in the Statewide competition and were invited to the upcoming World Finals in Michigan. An example of one of the team's long-term problems this year was putting a spin on the popular concept of the "Trojan Horse" by creating one of their own.
Holland Hill Principal Receives Outstanding Elementary School Principal Award
Congrats to Holland Hill Principal Molly Farrell on receiving the "Dawn Hochsprung" Outstanding Elementary School Principal Award! The award was named in honor of Sandy Hook's Principal. Principal Farrell was joined by central office and school staff as well as Holland Hill's PTA co-presidents to celebrate.
Ludlowe Student Places In National Art Competition
Congratulations to Fairfield Ludlowe High School Artist and Photographer Jane Freiler for placing in the Boys and Girls Club of America National Art Competition. Jane competed in the Speaking Up category with her mixed media artwork titled "Voyage." Jane will represent Fairfield at the highly competitive national event.
FPS Art Show season kicked off with the Mill Hill Art Show. Teacher Jessyca Giannetta did a wonderful job orchestrating the celebration and showcasing our very talented student artists!
FPS Students Named PTA Reflection Winners
Burr Elementary School: Siara Patra
Fairfield Warde High School: Savana Chov, Hannah Pressman
Fairfield Woods Middle School: Alexander Majewski
Fairfield Ludlowe High School: Victoria Beniston, Caroline Charron, Connor Cowan, Megan Mazzeo
Holland Hill Elementary School: Charlotte Chu, Chloe Chu, London Lombardi
Mill Hill Elementary School: Shelby Becker, Elias Contratto, Nathalie Filipek, Glaston Reed, Luma Reed
Riverfield Elementary School: Josie Dommu, Gianna Gamiello
Roger Ludlowe Middle School: Naisha Maheshwari, Nathim Mughal, Sohana Reed
Timothy Dwight Elementary School: Sophia Bruneau, Victoria Kim, Tierney Sherriff
Jennings Grade 4 and 5 students spent time with Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick to learn about local government and how to be active and engaged citizens in their community.
Fairfield Woods Middle School staff and Grade 7 and 8 students participated in No Place For Hate training with the Anti-Defamation League in March.
Walter Fitzgerald Campus students have access to equipment from Jackson Laboratory, taking a hands-on approach to learning techniques used by molecular biologists to study DNA.
Culinary Students Showcase Tasting Menu Utilizing Local Produce
Ludlowe High School students prepared an impressive tasting menu to demonstrate culinary skills, while celebrating a partnership with Whitsons to bring seasonally available, locally sourced produce to FPS cafeterias. Attendees Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick , Tony Hwang CT, Christine Vitale/Fairfield BoE, Superintendent Testani and district administrators and community partners sat down with students to enjoy the meal.
FPS is the first school district in Connecticut to participate in Whitsons’ Greenleaf program partnership with food hub Red Tomato and their EcoCertified™ program. Students currently receive locally sourced apples, and future seasonal produce will be sourced as available from local farms in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Thank you to FLHS Teacher Melanie Underwood Karmazin for all of her hard work!
April 25 BOE Meeting
As a reminder, the next BOE meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 25. Please click below for additional information.
FPS Wellness Committee Members Needed
FPS cares about the health and well-being of all our students and staff. As part of the district’s Wellness Policy, the FPS Wellness Committee meets throughout the school year to evaluate progress, serve as a resource to school sites, and share positive strides being made to endorse a high level of wellness within buildings.
We are looking for representation from the following groups to join the Wellness Committee. Members will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Food service worker
- Parents
- Students
- Staff
- Administrators
- School nurses
- Health teachers
If you are interested in possibly being a part of the Wellness Committee, please contact Special Education Program Coordinator Jonathan Goodison.
Tomlinson students learned about the future of advanced manufacturing with a visit to the state-of-the-art Goodwin University mobile classroom.
Warde Students Explore Latin/Hispanic Culture Through Local Tour
Warde Spanish class students took a day trip with their teachers and parent chaperones to explore authentic Latin/Hispanic art and cuisine available right here in our area. Students visited the MOCA Museum in Westport to view an exhibit by Puerto Rican Artist Paul Camacho, followed by lunch at Venezuelan Restaurant Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk.
Woods Jazz Band Students Attend Clinic With Renowned Saxophonist
The Fairfield Woods Middle School Jazz Band attended a clinic with Saxophonist Jeff Coffin. Although Jeff is well-known as a member of the Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, his work as a studio musician and live performer is a testament to his professional musicianship. Students experienced Jeff's insight into musical improvisation through performance and in-depth analysis.
Tomlinson Writers Honored
Each year, The Connecticut Writing Project sponsors a magazine honoring excellence in writing by students. Almost 2,000 students from across the state submit entries demonstrating their passion for writing. We are very proud of Tomlinson Middle School students Sassu Barborak, Juliet Olmstead and Sofia Shey, whose work was chosen to appear in the 30th issue of the Connecticut State Writers magazine!
EyeRecycle Visit To North Stratfield
EyeRecycle Redemption Center Owner Mike Stallings visited NSS to educate students about proper recycling habits and the benefits of bringing 5¢ bottle deposit beverage containers to a redemption center instead of placing them into the recycling bin. Mr. Stallings is partnering with Warde to host a school fundraiser benefitting the Sustainable Warde Club on June 3 from 9am-12pm to collect redeemable containers.
Way to go FPS inventors! Fairfield 5th graders participated in the Connecticut Invention Convention as part of the district’s STEAM program. Students created their own inventions to solve a problem of their own choosing and present to a panel of judges.
Sherman students enjoyed breakfast smoothies to celebrate National Breakfast Week!
No-Cost Meals for All Kids, All Summer
The CT Summer Meals Program is federally funded by the USDA and state-administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The program provides free, nutritious meals to kids during summer break. Summer Meals meet federal nutrition guidelines and are composed of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains and meat or another protein.
Summer Meals are offered at hundreds of sites around the state from June to late August, serving combinations of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Meals are free to any child age 18-and-under, no questions asked.
FPS School Breakfast Program Reminder
The FPS School Breakfast Program offers breakfast each day to all students, and is free this year. Students may stop by school cafeterias in the morning for breakfast.
Ludlowe Junior Sofia Dillabough earned the prestigious Gold Congressional Award and will be honored by members of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. in June. To meet goal requirements, Sofia partnered with RLMS Principal Meg Tiley, and completed a minimum of 400 hours across four different areas.
Woods Band Director Jeff DesRosier Named Fund For Teachers Fellow
Fairfield Woods Middle School Grade 7 Band Director Jeffrey DesRosier, has been awarded a fellowship grant from Fund for Teachers! This summer, Mr. DesRosier will study with professional musicians both stateside and in Ireland, to broaden his musical repertoire and bring unique experiences back to students. Congratulations Mr. DesRosier on applying and receiving this grant!
As a professional musician in the band The Jolly Beggars, Mr. DesRosier inspires students with his love of music and serves as an example of how the knowledge they are gaining now can be a springboard to a lifelong passion.
Fund for Teachers is a Grant Fellowship Program that inspires teacher leadership, creativity, curiosity and exploration through an individualized professional learning grant proposal.
Stratfield students spread kindness! The 5th annual Stratfield School Kindness Week began with “honk for kindness” at arrival. Students and staff participated in kindness challenges throughout the week.
