Superintendent’s Report

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As the 2022-2023 school year comes to an end, I would like to say thank you to the community for your continued support of the Suffield Public Schools. A strong school system is important to every community, and we are grateful for the investment you are willing to make for our students and families. On behalf of our faculty and staff, thank you for partnering with us in our commitment to excellence in the Suffield Public Schools.

One of the hallmarks of great school districts is a commitment to continuous improvement. Reflecting on this past year, there are many key areas where we established goals very early on and continued to challenge ourselves to do better, create new opportunities, and raise student outcomes. Our 2023 Board of Education goals served to guide our district’s improvement efforts, and resulted in the development of several key initiatives with all of our School Advancement Plans. To monitor our progress, we established measures of accountability and calibrated on them throughout the academic year. The following provide a list of key initiatives of our four schools that were in alignment with the 2022-2023 BOE District Goals.

Collaborative Partnerships: The Suffield Public Schools will be a collaborative partner with parents, guardians, staff and other community resources to ensure the academic, social and emotional needs of students are met.

Initiatives:
• Parent/Community Listen and Learn Events
• Parent Feedback Surveys
• Student Programming Initiatives with Parks and Recreation, Suffield Community Aid, Suffield Library, The Suffield House
• School-based Equity Teams (Parent/Student/Administration/Faculty)
• Open Houses and Student/Parent Social Events
• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• School Committees, Clubs, Councils

Student Achievement: The Suffield Public Schools will systematically collect and use meaningful data to measure student achievement and growth, provide interventions and improve instructional practices.

Initiatives:
• Universal Screening Assessments (multi-subject)
• School and District Assessment Data Studio
• Professional Learning Community Protocols
• Student Achievement Meetings
• Tiered Intervention Data Benchmarks
• Secondary Counseling Data Research, Analysis, and Program Planning

Professional Growth: The Suffield Public Schools will provide opportunities for professional growth to cultivate a talented workforce that will contribute to a challenging, innovative and collaborative culture defined by continuous improvement.

Initiatives:
• ALICE (Safety and Security Training)
• Professional Learning Communities
• Viewsonic Technology Training
• Trauma Informed Practices and Risk Assessments
• CT SEDS Adaptive Electronic IEP Program
• Participation in State and National Professional Conferences/Workshops:
• Curriculum for Agriculture Science (CASE) Education Institute (PA)
• Manufacturing and Home Builders Institute (CT)
• Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic (IL)
• Physical Education and Health Standards Seminar (CT)
• New Britain Museum of Art – Art in the Classroom Critique (CT)

Building Blocks to Success: The Suffield Public Schools will develop curriculum and provide programming to engage students in rigorous, dynamic and relevant learning experiences in alignment with the Suffield Portrait of a Graduate.

Initiatives:
• PreK-12 Portrait of a Graduate Developmental Benchmarks
• SHS Capstone Experience
• Multi-Tiered Academic and Social/Emotional Systems of Support (Intervention Programming)
• 6-12 Alignment of School, College and Career Counseling Programming
• Math Workshop & Science of Reading Programming
• STEM/CTE Program Alignment with Home Builders Institute Pre-Apprenticeship Program
• Middle School Science Lab Aids
• State of Connecticut Physical Education Standards Alignment

Safe School Climate and Culture: The Suffield Public Schools will continue to engage our students, parents, staff and Suffield community in fostering an inclusive, responsive, safe and accepting environment built on mutual respect, civility and non-discrimination.

Initiatives:
• Elementary Family Picnics
• Student Athletics and Activities Programs
• Visual and Performing Arts Events (Displays, Concerts, Theater Performances)
• School-based Equity Teams
• SERC Collaborative Equity Trainings (Policy and Practice)
• Community Outreach
a. Suffield on the Green
b. Senior Center Technology Workshops
c. Suffield House Performance
d. Earth Day Cleanup
e. Veterans Day and Memorial Day Events

The aforementioned initiatives illustrate some, but not all, of our points of progress for the 2022-2023 school year. We certainly acknowledge that there are always areas for further improvement, and we will continue to focus our resources and energy on initiatives intended to improve outcomes and create new opportunities for our students.

In closing, and on behalf of the Board of Education and the faculty and staff of the Suffield Public Schools, I would like to offer our congratulations and best wishes to the SHS Class of 2023. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our Wildcat graduates, and we look forward to sending off this accomplished, ambitious, and fun-loving class of students as they begin the next chapter of their lives. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize and make special note of our Class of 2023 Valedictorian Brynna Tinnirella and Salutatorian Vincent Nguyen on their very high achievement throughout their academic careers. While their habits of mind earned them the top two spots in the graduating class, their aspects of character are equally as impressive. Congratulations Brynna and Vincent!

I wish everyone a very safe and enjoyable summer vacation.

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