Welcome Back FPS: A Message From The Superintendent
Welcome back to a new and exciting 2024-25 school year! I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating summer. The first day of school for Fairfield K-12 students is Tuesday, August 27. ECC students start on Tuesday, September 3.
As we begin the school year, I am filled with immense pride and optimism for what we will accomplish. I look forward to seeing the halls once again filled with students, teachers, and staff, ready to embark on a journey of learning and growth. This year holds tremendous promise and opportunities for all of us.
To read the complete welcome letter from FPS Superintendent Michael J. Testani click here.
A Message From Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras
Dear Fairfield School Community,
As the new school year begins, I want to extend a warm welcome to all students, parents, teachers, and staff in our Fairfield community. The start of the school year is an exciting time filled with new opportunities, and the Fairfield Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring that our schools are a safe space for everyone — especially our children.
With students returning to classrooms, our streets and sidewalks will be bustling with activity. It’s more important than ever that we work together to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian safety. Whether you’re walking, biking, or driving, each of us plays a crucial role in keeping our community safe.
To read the complete letter from FPD Police Chief Robert Kalamaras click here.
Chromebook Insurance - October 1 Deadline
Fairfield Public Schools is pleased to offer you a protection plan for your Grade 3-12 child’s Chromebook or laptop. The annual fee is $30 for a Chromebook and $50 for a laptop, and will cover two incidents of damage, including loss. Damage to a Chromebook could be a cracked screen, a keyboard with missing keys, or other issues. Insurance enrollment will end October 1, 2024. For additional information click here.
Congratulations to the FPS educators who have been with the district for 25 years!
Get To Know Your SRO
Welcome back to our wonderful School Resource Officers (SRO)! FPS is pleased to partner with the Fairfield Police Department to ensure a safe environment for all. Our SROs play an integral role in our school communities, including placing an emphasis on important topics such as peer pressure, bullying, internet safety and stress through the SHAPE Program. Click here to view 2024-2025 SROs.
Officer Edward Kovac
SROs are part of the school community. We want kids to be comfortable coming to us so that if they do need us for an emotional issue or otherwise, they will see us as a trusted resource. - Officer Kovac
Number of years as a Police Officer: 27 years
Number of years serving as SRO in Fairfield: 8 years
Fairfield Schools: Officer Kovac serves as SRO at Ludlowe Middle School, Riverfield Elementary School and Roger Sherman Elementary
Awards & Honors: Officer Kovac was recently awarded the prestigious title of “Practitioner” by NASRO for his dedication to the SRO field.
In-School Programming: The S.H.A.P.E program is presented to grade 5 and 6 students each year. S.H.A.P.E focuses on peer pressure, bullying, internet safety, stress, drugs and alcohol.
Favorite part of the job: "Greeting the kids in the morning, saying hello, and hearing what they are excited about."
Reporting Dismissal Changes & Absences
Parents and guardians of middle and elementary school students should use School Dismissal Manager to update the school regarding dismissal plans. The system can be accessed via a smartphone, tablet or PC. Please be on the look-out for further information from your school’s principal on how to sign-up and download the application.
Attendance Policy Parent Handbook
Regular uninterrupted attendance at school is essential to successful learning. In addition, Connecticut state law requires that children, ages five through eighteen attend school regularly.
To help answer questions and provide additional information regarding student attendance, the FPS Attendance Team has developed a parent handbook. The handbook, which can be found by clicking here, includes the following references:
+ FPS Board of Education Attendance Policy Quick Reference Guide
+ Frequently Asked Questions
+ FPS Board of Education Attendance Policy 5113
For further information regarding excused and unexcused absence guidelines from the state click here.
We appreciate your continued help in supporting student attendance.
Fairfield Student Wins National Civics Bee Connecticut State Final
After completing eighth grade at Tomlinson Middle School , Faizan Seyal won the National Civics Bee Connecticut State Finals. The competition was judged by former governor M. Jodi Rell, former secretary of state Denise Merrill, and Travelers head of civic engagement Janice Brunner. With his victory, Seyal secured a spot in the National Civics Bee, Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C.
“It’s a feeling of relief,” Faizan said after the June 18 competition at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. “I feel really great and happy that I won this.”
The National Civics Bee is an annual competition aimed at improving civics education and literacy among middle school students, their families, and communities.
We wish Faizan the best of luck at Nationals!
Fall NWEA Assessments
Beginning September 9, students in grades K-9 will be administered the Northwest Evaluation Association assessment (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) . The NWEA assessment has been linked to Connecticut Core Standards and was administered three times during the 2023-2024 school year. Students in K-3 will be administered the Acadience Reading assessment in lieu of NWEA (see below story for additional details).
NWEA measures student progress in reading, math, and language usage. Over time, a student’s progress and growth may be tracked across multiple years and against standards and normative data. To read more about NWEA click here.
Grade K-3 Acadience Reading Assessments
For two weeks beginning September 25, all Grade K-3 students will be administered the Acadience Reading Assessment.
This assessment will be administered three times a year in September/October, January, and May.
Acadience Reading is a universal screener that measures early literacy skills that students must master in order to become proficient readers beginning in kindergarten.
For more information on Acadience Reading, please visit the assessment page on the FPS website listed under Acadience Reading Assessment.
Teachers who are new to the district gathered this week for orientation. Welcome to Fairfield!
State Assessment Results Available On Infinite Campus - September
Spring 2024 Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) assessment results will be available to review on the Infinite Campus Digital Backpack Portal in mid-September.
The SBA report for Grades 3-8 will indicate your child’s achievement on the assessment which is aligned to the Connecticut Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics.
If your child was enrolled in grades 5, 8, or 11 last year, you will also be able to review NGSS results. The NGSS assessment reports student progress and achievement in science overall, as well as in specific disciplines including life, physical, and earth and space sciences.
Please note, test scores provide one source of evidence about a student’s performance. This information should be included with other assessments and data to draw the most accurate conclusions and inform decision-making.
Please contact your school’s administration with any questions.
Stay Connected Through ParentSquare
Maintaining easily accessible and consistent communications with families is an important part of establishing a collaborative and positive school climate. To stay better connected with families the district uses a tool called ParentSquare.
Through ParentSquare, all district, school and classroom messages are sent to your computer or phone via email, and/or text. This includes emergency messages.
Families should have received a link to log in to their ParentSquare account from their principal. If you have not received a link, please reach out to your school directly. Note: families who previously signed up for ParentSquare will not need to do so again. However, to continue to receive messages via ParentSquare, please ensure that your contact information is updated in Infinite Campus.
Infinite Campus will continue to be used for a variety of purposes including report cards, grades and assignments, lunch payments, fees/school store and real-time attendance information.
