Dear Bloomfield Public Schools families:
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Our first day was Aug. 30.
The week of our school opening, we also hosted a convocation and a professional development session for staff. Everyone is exited to build on what was a transformative school year in 2022-23.
From pre-K to grade 12, new academic initiatives were launched to provide more rigor in the classrooms and better cohesion to the grade transitions. We implemented:
- A pre-K program at Laurel Elementary School, called The Nest.
- A Gifted &Talented program for those in Grades 4 through 8.
- New strategies to reaffirm and expand corporate partnerships that enhanced experiential learning and college/career readiness.
These initiatives are connected to the robust community-conversations we hosted over the past few years that sharpened our vision of a Portrait of a Graduate
We will continue to focus this year on that vision of resilient students who are avid readers, skilled writers, critical thinkers and problem-solvers. As such, goals were set for this school year, including:
- Strengthening and streamlining district communications – We want to better serve our families and stakeholders with a revamped website and a new district App.
- Creating a Welcome Center within Central Office – Our district is sincere about its commitment to family and community engagement.
- Executing the District Plan of Excellence – This is a primary measuring tool to monitor academic progress and assure goals are achieved.
We will also continue to cultivate new corporate and community partnerships that provide tangible learning experiences for students.
This will be my last year as your Superintendent. I am retiring after working 55 years in the education sector. Over the last 13 years as Bloomfield’s Superintendent of Schools, it has been my privilege to lead talented and passionate educators, engage with families and have the steadfast support of the board of education.
Together, we have:
- Created cultures of high expectations in our classrooms
- Promoted family & community engagement
- Valued diversity of thought and ethnicity in our work environment.
- Sustained a theme that has our students aspiring for Excellence in academics, athletics and the arts
I am confident that our district’s agenda and progress will put us on an upward trajectory for years to come.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Thompson
Superintendent of Schools