Happy 2010, Stonington Public Schools! It’s a pleasure to introduce this new blog site as we usher in the new year together.
As your new Superintendent of Schools, I am eager to continue our collective work towards excellence for all of Stonington’s children. I hope you’ll visit this site often for information and insight into our work; but ultimately, while technology helps to ease communication, it is the personal interactions that truly make a difference. For those I’ve had the pleasure to meet and work with over the past two and a half years, I look forward to our continued collaboration. For those I have yet to meet, I look forward to doing so and to developing strong working relationships. Each month, I plan to host a public coffee hour for citizens and an open invitation cocoa hour for students. Please join me for conversation, as I’m eager to hear your ideas for improving our schools.
All the best in 2010,
Leanne Masterjoseph, Superintendent of Schools
Strategic Planning: Stonington Public Schools have much to be proud of, and much to look forward to, as we prepare to embark upon the next iteration of strategic planning. Every growing organization needs to simultaneously reflect and look to the future. Members of our community who are interested in participating in this process should contact my office for details. Please call 860.572.0506, ext 2, or email Michele Melia at mmelia@stoningtonschools.org. More details will also be available on the district website.
Budget Process: Please consider attending the January 14th Board of Education Meeting, to be held at 7pm in the SHS Auditorium, at which I will present the 2010-2011 proposed Superintendent’s Budget. In these difficult economic times, I view my responsibility as two-fold. First, I must continue to advocate for the students of Stonington by sharing my thoughts concerning the needs of the system with our Board. Second, I must bring forward a budget that is fiscally responsible for the citizens of our town. I invite you to participate actively in this process. Attend meetings, ask questions, express your opinions. Most importantly, help us get out the vote when the time comes.
Welcome to SPS!: We are thrilled to welcome our new Assistant Superintendent, Mrs. Nikki Gullickson. Nikki comes to us from Salem Schools. She brings a combination of experience as a former high school teacher, and an elementary and middle school principal. While she does not officially join us until mid-January, she has already started attending meetings and events in Stonington. Please join us in welcoming Nikki. She can be reached at ngullickson@stoningtonschools.org or by phone at 860.572.0506, ext. 3.
Future Delays?: A clarification for the parents of students in kindergarten… If we have delayed openings we will run morning K as advertised in our orientation and registration materials. Please access the schedules posted on stoningtonschools.org for more information. Click on Home School Connection and select School Hours.
Hi Leeanne,
Are you in the skipping in the rain stage of your new position or neck deep in the deep end of the pool?! Either way, happy 2010.
What “big” changes do you see happening to SPS? Or ideas that you have about needed changes?
Sincerely,
Stephanie
Stephanie,
I envision much of the outstanding work that we’ve been doing continuing. I also look forward to the outcomes of the upcoming strategic planning. In addition to the “Got joy?” movement, I believe we must do everything we can to customize and personalize instruction and programming for students and that in many cases that will require purposeful re-design. The Stonington Schools are poised to move to a new level of excellence. Teachers like yourself will help lead the way.
Leanne