Superintendent's Fall Newsletter

I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of the Seymour Board of Education and myself, I invite you to explore our Fall 2024 District Newsletter. This edition highlights the remarkable achievements of our students and staff throughout the year.

We are dedicated to making decisions that prioritize the well-being and success of every child. The accomplishments featured in this newsletter reflect our commitment to providing the highest quality education within Seymour Public Schools.

Our students are our greatest asset, and they deserve nothing but the best. We pledge to uphold excellence in all our endeavors, ensuring that each student graduates as a lifelong learner, well-prepared for college, career, and life.

I encourage you to join our school board members, administrators, staff, parents, students, and the wider community as we continue “Celebrating Success and a Legacy of Excellence” in Seymour Public Schools. Remember, education flourishes when we work together as partners—students, teachers, families, and the community.

It is truly an honor to serve as your Superintendent of Schools. Wishing you all a wonderful fall season!

Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Compton

We are thrilled to welcome you back and want to express our gratitude for everything you’ve already accomplished. We believe this year will bring even more great achievements, and we can’t wait to see all that you will accomplish. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Lauren Reid (Bungay Principal) and Stacey Long (Bungay Assistant Principal)

welcoming their students on the first day of school!

David Olechna (CLS Principal) and Stephanie Ciccone (CLS Assistant Principal)

working together as a new administrative team to start the school year!

At Seymour Middle School, we’re all about teamwork and support! Our fantastic School Resource Officer, Officer Tomasella, took the time to help students master the art of unlocking their lockers. Students not only learned how to access their belongings but also built confidence as they navigated their new school year.

What a fantastic evening we had at our Seymour Middle School Welcome Back Picnic & Bonfire! Students and their families came together to enjoy the beautiful outdoors, making memories and rekindling friendships. This year, we were especially excited to debut our brand-new fire pit, affectionately dubbed "The Cougar Pit"! This wonderful addition was the perfect centerpiece for our bonfire, creating a cozy gathering spot for everyone to enjoy. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Superior Products Distributors for their generous donation of this incredible fire pit! Here’s to many more evenings filled with warmth, laughter, and community spirit around The Cougar Pit!

Seymour High School ignited the excitement of the new school year with a spirited Pep Rally featuring our talented student athletes! Our athletes are ready to take on the challenges ahead. Let’s keep this momentum going—Go Wildcats!

Bungay School: Fabian Gutierrez and Dustin Leo

Chatfield Lo-Presti: Penelope Sciacca and Amare Aboagye

Seymour Middle School: Ellie Gerstenhaber and Addie Dillon

Seymour High School: Rapture Layton

Bungay School: Evelyn Gonzalez and Dhuha Hadi

Chatfield Lo-Presti: Alicia Breda and Daisy Dushi

Seymour Middle School: Camden Kelley and Juliet Lin

Seymour High School: Zach McKirryher and Breyonce Feliciano

Proud moment for Seymour! 🎉 Our community and schools have been honored as a 2023-2024 Red, White & Blue Schools for going above and beyond in civic education. This recognition shines a spotlight on Seymour is Caring Project and our heartwarming Buddy Benches initiative, a true town-school collaboration. These beautiful benches symbolize friendship and inclusion, creating a welcoming space for all to connect and play. Let’s embrace this initiative that fosters community spirit and support for our children.

Here’s to building friendships and making memories! 🥳💚

We’re proud to announce that Jeremy has been nominated and elected as the junior class' Student Council Representative for the Board of Education! 🎉 As a representative, he will attend monthly Board meetings to share the latest happenings and events at Seymour High School. Jeremy’s commitment to giving our students a voice in the decision-making process is inspiring, and we can’t wait to see how he will champion our school’s interests!

Congratulations, Jeremy—your leadership journey is just beginning!

Members of the Class of '74 were back at SHS for a nostalgic tour. Their Wildcat pride was in full force as they reconnected with their classmates and reminisced about their high school days. From old stomping grounds to seeing how SHS has grown, the spirit of Wildcats lives on!

We are thrilled to announce that Coach Federowicz has reached an incredible milestone—her 500th win as our remarkable Volleyball Coach! The gym was buzzing with energy and excitement as former players and current Wildcats united to honor this achievement. Coach Fed's unwavering dedication and passion for the game have inspired countless athletes over the years. Her commitment to excellence not only elevates our team but also shapes the future of our young athletes. Here’s to Coach Federowicz and many more victories ahead! 🏐🎉

Our dedicated team of administrators, school counselors, psychologists, and social workers recently engaged in a transformative professional learning session led by JoAnn Freiberg. Together, they explored effective strategies for building stronger relationships and managing student behavior in the classroom. This commitment to professional growth reflects our unwavering dedication to meeting the diverse needs of all our students. We're excited to see how these new insights will enhance our school community and support our learners!

Our staff participated in a series of professional development sessions featuring Raz-Plus orientation, de-escalation strategies, and NEWSELA's differentiated instruction for grades K-8; followed by DIBELS assessments. Other topics cover school improvement, Raz Kids, AI in the classroom, and multilingual assessment strategies. Keynote presentations focus on the role of art educators and play-based learning in STEM. Overall, the sessions aim to equip educators with practical tools and strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Our new reading program incorporates structured literacy principles

to build a strong foundation in early literacy.

Key elements include:

1. Explicit, Systematic Instruction: Lessons are carefully sequenced and scaffolded, ensuring students receive clear, direct instruction on phonological awareness, decoding, and comprehension strategies.
2. Phonemic Awareness and Phonics: A focus on phonemic awareness helps students understand the sounds within words, while phonics instruction bridges these sounds to letters and words, building critical decoding skills.
3. Vocabulary and Comprehension: The program introduces vocabulary in context and uses activities to reinforce comprehension, allowing students to understand and retain what they read.
4. Multisensory Engagement: Hands-on, visual, and auditory activities engage multiple senses, helping all students to better process and retain literacy skills.
5. Data-Driven Support: Teachers regularly assess progress to tailor instruction and provide targeted interventions, ensuring each student progresses at their own pace toward literacy milestones.

By integrating these structured literacy practices, we’re fostering confident, capable readers.

Thank you, teachers, for your dedication to implementing these

strategies with such commitment and enthusiasm!

We are thrilled to announce the induction of seven former standout athletes and a dedicated supporter into the Seymour High School Sports Hall of Fame for 2024! This prestigious honor celebrates their remarkable achievements and contributions to our school’s athletic legacy.

This year’s inductees are:

• John Hummel (Class of 1950)
• Paul Pawlak, Jr. (Class of 1958)
• Russ Rotko (Class of 1961)
• Milt Cochran (Class of 1964)
• Bill Heffernan (Class of 1974)
• Susan Baxter (Class of 1980)
• Ben Michaelson (Class of 1999)
• Kim Bogen (Class of 2009)

Join us in celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of our inductees and

the lasting impact they’ve had on our community!

The Bungay Elementary School Building Committee appointed by the Seymour Board of Selectpersons on January 2, 2024.

The Board of Selectpersons charged the Committee as follows:

To develop and present to the Board of Selectpersons and the people of the Town of Seymour design plans and cost estimates thereof utilizing the findings as set forth in the Report of the Bungay School Facility Needs Study Committee dated December 14, 2023 for vote at a referendum, and if the vote is positive, to develop construction plans and undertake and renovate/expand Bungay Elementary School within the approved plan cost of the referendum vote.

The Committee held its organizational meeting on January 25, 2024 at which time Peter Kubik and Fred Stanek were elected as Co-Chairpersons of the Committee, Tim Connors was elected Vice Chairperson and Rebecca Bennett was elected Secretary.

The Committee has met since the organizational meeting and after issuing a request for proposals and interviewing four firms, the Committee selected Antinozzi Associates to develop a feasibility study/facility assessment review of the current conditions of the infrastructure of Bungay Elementary School and the development of conceptual level design plans and cost estimates for the options of renovation of the school as new, extension/alteration of the school and new construction.

It is anticipated that the feasibility study/facility assessment review and development of conceptual level design plans and cost estimates will be completed by early January, 2025. Thereafter, a referendum will be scheduled for the voters and electors of the Town of Seymour to hopefully approve the funding for a renovated/expanded Bungay Elementary School.

Building Committee Members: Rebecca Bennett, Tim Connors, Trisha Danka,

Peter Kubik, Beth Nesteriak, Thomas Nobili, Andy North, Fred Stanek, Ed Strumello

The KinderCats program is a heartwarming initiative that connects our kindergarten students with high school seniors. This unique partnership fosters friendships and mentorships, allowing younger students to learn and grow while high schoolers gain valuable leadership experience.

In engaging sessions, high school seniors assist kindergarteners with reading, arts and crafts, and playful activities, creating a nurturing environment. Through shared stories and laughter, both groups benefit from this enriching experience, enhancing social skills and building confidence. The KinderCats program beautifully demonstrates the power of connection across generations, making learning fun and meaningful for everyone involved! 🐾✨

Our local fire department visited our elementary schools to teach students essential fire safety skills. Through engaging demonstrations and interactive discussions, firefighters educated the kids on how to prevent fires, what to do in case of an emergency, and the importance of having a fire escape plan. Students learned valuable lessons while having fun and even got a chance to explore the fire truck! This exciting visit helped reinforce the importance of safety in a way that was both informative and memorable.

Seymour Pink Day was a vibrant celebration dedicated to raising awareness for breast cancer. Students, staff, and families came together in a sea of pink, donning T-shirts and accessories to show their support. Together, we celebrated courage, hope, and community spirit, reinforcing our commitment to making a difference. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this day a success! Let’s continue to spread awareness and support each other year-round!

Honoring the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans today and every day. Seymour Public School District is proud to salute those who have served and continue to protect our freedoms. Our students proudly presented each branch of the military, shared biographies of local veterans, and handed out heartfelt thank you cards. #VeteransDay #ThankYouVeterans #SeymourPride

On November 13, students throughout our district came together to participate in a variety of activities centered around kindness. Each school held assemblies, hosted guest speakers, and organized school-wide and classroom activities that highlighted the importance of compassion, respect, and empathy. It was truly inspiring to witness the genuine kindness radiating from our students, spreading not only throughout our schools but also into the surrounding community.

We are proud of the positive impact these efforts had and look forward to continuing to foster a culture of kindness throughout the year. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this day a memorable and meaningful experience for our students!

As we gather to celebrate this season of gratitude, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you. This Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to reflect on the diverse traditions and stories that enrich our community. May this time be filled with joy, connection, and appreciation for the support we share.

I am grateful for the dedication of our students, families, and staff, and I look forward to continuing our journey together. Wishing you a peaceful and fulfilling holiday surrounded by loved ones.

November 27-29th

• Thanksgiving Recess - Schools Closed

• Board of Education Meeting

• Early Dismissal for students

• Holiday Recess - Schools Closed

• First day back to school after break

• What’s something new you learned this week that really excited you?
• Can you tell me about a challenge you faced in class and how you solved it?
• Which subject do you feel you’ve improved in the most, and what helped you?
• Who did you spend the most time with at school today, and what did you do together?
• What’s one way you helped a classmate or friend this week?
• Did anything funny happen with your friends today? Can you share the story?
• Is there someone in your class who inspires you? What do you admire about them?

Is Your Child Struggling with School or Homework? Here’s How We Can Help!

If your child is having difficulty coming to school or keeping up with homework, we’re here to support you! Each week, we’ll provide clear and specific resources to assist you at home.

Weekly Resources:

1. Homework Help: Consider setting up a consistent homework time and a quiet space for your child to focus. Utilize online platforms like Khan Academy or IXL for additional practice.

2. Study Tips: Encourage your child to break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Creating a checklist can help them feel accomplished as they complete each item.

3. Emotional Support: If your child is feeling anxious about school, try discussing their feelings openly. Sometimes, just talking about what’s bothering them can provide relief.

For personalized support, please reach out to our school counselor, who is available to help both students and parents. You can contact them at:

Bungay Elementary School

Dana Mitchell

Email: dmitchell@seymourschools.org

Phone: 203-881-7500 x1311

Chatfield Lo-Presti

Jessica DeNigris
Email: jdenigris@seymourschools.org
Phone: 203-888-4640 x1419

Kayla Salvati
Email: ksalvati@seymourschools.org
Phone: 203-888-4640 x1479

Seymour Middle School

Jennifer Severino
Email: jseverino@seymourschools.org
Phone: 203-888-4513 x1200

Trisha Hazzard

Email: thazzard@seymourschools.org

Phone: 203-888-4513 x1202

Seymour High School

Melissa Anelli (Dept. Chair)

Email: manelli@seymourschools.org

Phone: 203-888-2561 x1111

Together, we can create a positive and supportive learning environment for your child!

Phone: 203-888-4564

Email: scompton@seymourschools.org
Website: www.seymourschools.org