Dear Bloomfield Public Schools family:
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, we are hosting a ribbon-cutting to commemorate the renaming of Laurel Elementary School to Laurel Literacy Academy.
This official change has been in the works for the past several months. The new name is reflective of the intensive work being done over the past couple of years in reading, writing, comprehension, speaking and problem-solving at Laurel.
The Academy is a key lever in driving school improvement and putting our children on a more coherent and productive path to reading on grade level by Grade 3. Currently, Metacomet Elementary School third grade students are scoring above the state average in reading, which attests favorably to the instruction going on at Laurel. National education studies regularly affirm that third-grade reading proficiency is a critical marker in measuring student progress and potential.
A steering committee last year was formed to study the viability of a Literacy Academy and set timelines, in phases, for implementation. The discussion this year has been on the types of professional development, partnerships and new events needed to enhance the Pre-K to Grade 2 experience at Laurel. The goal is to have the academy fully implemented in the 2024-25 school year. The Connecticut State Department of Education this summer approved our proposed name-change for Laurel Elementary School.
In 2022, the district launched its first pre-school class for Bloomfield families at Laurel. Also, in partnership with the Laurel PTO and Bloomfield Public Library, a new Free Library book-drop was opened on campus. It provides 24-hour access to children’s books, donated by the library.
We are continuing to remind families and members of our community about the district’s re-designed website and launch of our new mobile App. A brief instructional video on how to download the app via the QR code is available on our website: www.bloomfieldschools.org/ and social media platforms – X , formerly known as Twitter, ( https://twitter.com/BloomfieldPS) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bloomfieldpsfb). The QR code is also available on those platforms.
The district, through Oct. 15, is celebrating national Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a time when our country celebrates the contributions, cultures and rich histories of Americans whose ancestors were reared in Spanish- speaking countries.
Over the past two weeks, our schools have been conducting Open House events to welcome families and to reinforce school expectations. On Thursday, Oct. 5, Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School will host an Open House, at 6 p.m. An optional tour of the building will be offered at 6:30 p.m.
Mark your calendar: The Back-to-School event – 2023 Extravaganza Day- postponed a few weeks ago has been rescheduled to Sunday, Oct. 8, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Rockwell Green, located on Rockwell Drive. Book bags and supplies will be available for free. There will also be games, entertainment food and ice cream.
Our first month of school has been completed. We now start October and look forward to the the emergence of the fall season.
Dr. James Thompson, Jr.
Superintendent, Bloomfield Public Schools