Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice offers this update:
While we soak up another gorgeous fall day, I want to express my gratitude for all of the generous notes and kind words following my recognition as National Superintendent of the Year.
Thomas Scarice
It means a great deal to me, and I consider myself most fortunate to serve a community that cares so deeply about its schools and children.
As I have said multiple times, this recognition truly reflects the work of our faculty, support staff, administrators, students, parents and community, whose contributions I have the privilege of seeing every day.
Helping Our Children Fall in Love with Reading
If there is one gift we can impart to our children, it is fostering a love of reading.
Of all the things I miss about having young children, nighttime reading together might be at the top of my list. “The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear,” “Ella the Elegant Elephant” and “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site” still have a place on our family bookshelf.
Looking back, I appreciate how much those moments offered, the closeness, the shared attention and the conversations that began with the story but found a way to wander somewhere entirely unexpected.
Those years pass quickly. Now, those moments feel like water through my hands.
Nurturing that love of reading is an important focus in our schools, particularly at the elementary level. Alongside the elemental work of teaching children “how” to read, we want them to discover the pleasure of becoming absorbed in a story, following a question, or seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.
Ideally, in a world fighting for every second of our attention, we want reading to become something they choose.
Of all the partnerships we enjoy with our families, the support of pleasure reading is among the most meaningful that can last a lifetime. Families have a powerful role to play. Read to your children, read with them, and let them see you enjoying a book. Follow their interests. Leave room for the conversation that a story invites, even if it means taking a little longer to finish the page.
Trust me, that connection only continues to grow. Reading the same book as your teen (looking at you, 8th grade parents — another read of “Animal Farm” is worth the investment!), trading book recommendations, or talking about something each of you has read can open a conversation you might otherwise never have had. Especially in those years when it is challenging to talk to your teen.
Family schedules are already full. A few enjoyable minutes together can be enough. Your efforts, dovetailing with ours, will help our children come to associate reading with curiosity, discovery, and time with someone who loves them.
Safety Through Partnership and Preparation
Thursday’s incident offered another example of the close coordination between our schools and the Westport Police Department. I’m deeply appreciative of this exemplary partnership and the preparation behind it. This does not happen by accident, but by design.
The communication, processes and protocols we have developed together add an invaluable layer to our efforts to keep students and staff safe. In addition, the School Safety Officers assigned to our campuses significantly increase our ability to speed up response times in the event of an emergency.
Westport’s school security officers (red shirts) were honored at this year’s opening convocation. (Photo/Dan Woog)
This year, we modernized our emergency response protocols using the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol. The framework establishes common language and actions for responding to emergencies, helping faculty and the school community understand the response as a situation unfolds. All staff have been trained in our updated protocols.
We also implemented the Campus Shield Emergency Communications System at Staples High School this year. This unfailing radio-frequency-based communication system is an additional investment in strengthening our emergency communication capabilities in a 500,000 square foot facility and exterior campus.
These improvements support the people responsible for responding when concerns arise. Our ongoing work with the WPD remains central to that preparation. I’m especially grateful for the care and professionalism our WPS security team (the team in red shirts) and building administration bring to our schools.
Investing in Our School Facilities
The Board of Education has adopted our capital improvement request, which now moves to the Board of Finance for consideration on November 4. Final funding approval remains ahead with the Board of Finance and RTM.
A significant focus is replacing aging mechanical, heating, cooling and ventilation systems that have exceeded their useful lives, as well as a new roof for Greens Farms School. These investments may attract less attention than a new building, but they matter every day to the comfort of our classrooms and the dependable operation of our schools.
Please see the funding requests made to the Board of Finance from Elio Longo, Chief Financial Officer on behalf of the Board of Education. The full request and project descriptions are available here on pages 10-82.
We are also developing an ambitious vision for transforming athletic facilities at Staples High School. This work encompasses both outdoor fields and related indoor athletic facilities. As recommendations are finalized, the administration will share this vision with the Board of Education’s Finance and Facilities Committee in the next month or so. Once reviewed, the plan will go to the full Board of Education for final approval, before advancing to the Board of Finance and RTM for funding approval.
This 20-year-old sign still hangs in the Staples girls locker room.
Faculty Written “White Paper”- Preparing for the Future, Preserving Student Thinking: Staples faculty members Jacob Brewer, Amy Parent and Edward Grillo have written a thoughtful white paper, AI: Past, Present, and Economic Future for the school community. The paper provides an academic framework examining the history, future trajectory, economic impacts, and educational imperatives of artificial intelligence.
Jacob, Amy and Ed have brought profound intellectual leadership to this work. For parents wondering what these developments might mean for their children, the paper offers context and an invitation to think alongside us. It contributes to an informed community conversation. The full plan can be found here.
Thank You to an Anonymous GFS Mom
Last Thursday morning before a visit to Greens Farms Elementary School, I made my way up the sidewalk at 9:01 a.m. The school doors had closed as the final drop offs rushed up the driveway. In 4 fleeting seconds I watched an SUV pull to a stop and a young girl exit, while hearing the voice of a mom yell “Love you!” just before the door closed.
The girl looked up and gave a smile that only a parent could feel. It said so many things, but above all her eyes said “Love you!” right back.
Perhaps this mom’s morning was like so many of mine over the years, with those precious minutes relentlessly ticking away. You drive away or watch your child board the bus, promising yourself that tomorrow will be a little less hurried.
But in those few seconds, something important had made it through the rush. I hope that mom knows it.
Small moment has big impact.
As a parent on the other side of those years, I know how much I miss the everyday moments that once seemed so ordinary.
Read with, and to, your child. Make room for those slow moments. You won’t get those years back, but you’ll never regret the time you chose to spend together.
Thank you to that anonymous GFS mom for the reminder. And thank you to her daughter for those eyes that show how much those words matter.
Thank you too for the trust you place in our schools, and for your continued partnership. I hope you and your families enjoy a wonderful fall weekend.
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In addition, the Board will receive the results of our district-wide Screen Time Audit, conducted in response to one of the foundational questions that emerged during strategic planning: How can we leverage the power of AI while minimizing screen time?
“The Board of Education has managed the risk associated with electricity supply, rate, and volatility by contracting a fixed rate to December 2027,” according to the budget summary provided.
