We will be raising funds as a district in support of hurricane relief efforts. Students, parents and staff can purchase a yellow wrist band for $1.00 (but larger donations may also be accepted) and then they can wear the wristbands to show their support of all the victims. Funds will be donated to one of three organizations: JJ Watts Foundation, Red Cross or Unicef. Each person can choose to which foundation he/she would like the money be directed. The campaign will begin as soon as the bracelets arrive. Parent Liaisons will spearhead the drive in all schools. They will collect all monies and then deliver them to the office of Family and Community Engagement, 236 Grand Street, Room 104 by 1:30 on that final day. 

The district will notify the parents of each student attending any Title I school through our website that the parent may request and the district will provide (in a  timely manner) information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teacher, including, at a minimum, the following:                                                           

Whether the student's teacher    

- has met the state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

- is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and 

- is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.  

Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and if so, their qualification. ESSA qualification of teachers and paraprofessional is attached.

Four Waterbury schools were recently awarded grants from the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Improving Student Achievement in Low-Performing Schools (1003(a)) Grant Program. The first year amounts are as follows: Gilmartin ($199,986), Wilby ($199,994), Sprague ($108,071), and Washington ($135,607). Year two awards in the same amounts are possible based upon year one progress. Each school has developed a plan to utilize the funds.

Rotella Magnet School has been named a Nationally Certified Magnet School by Magnet Schools of America, a national association of for magnet and theme-based schools. According to a press release, Rotella is one of the first 55 schools located in 12 states that successfully completed a nine-month evaluation process to demonstrate that it has established the best practices detailed in the Magnet School Standards of Excellence. 

Yolanda Lee, our current Waterbury Teacher of the Year, has been named a semi-finalist for this year’s Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Michael Clark, a teacher at Kennedy High School, and Mr. David Basile, a teacher at Wilby High School, have been recognized by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions as recipients of the 2017 Yale Educator Award. According to a press release, this program “recognizes outstanding educators who support and inspire their students to perform at high levels and to achieve excellence.” This year, 58 teachers and 30 counselors were selected out of 411 nominations. Matriculating students are invited to nominate the high school educators, and Yale admissions staff reviews the nominations and selects recipients. 

Congratulations go out to President Liz Brown, and Commissioners Ann Sweeney and Jason Van Stone, upon receiving CABE’s Certified Board of Education Member designation. To achieve this designation, Board members are required to earn a total of twenty credits in the areas of Board Relations, Policy, Curriculum, School Finance, School Law, Labor Relations, and Board Operations. This represents knowledge, skills and ability which can then be used here in Waterbury to help advance school and district improvements and policy. According to CABE, very few Board members earn this designation. 

The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center sponsored a fun evening for families on Wednesday evening, September 6th, with two of the Harlem Globetrotters, “Showboat” Jackson and “Blenda” Rodriguez, who not only engaged the audience with their tricks on the court but also spoke to students about staying safe and being kind to each other. The pair enlisted student and parent volunteers to come down on the court for some up-close demonstrations.