The Windham Connection

¡Saludos, Windham Community!

Welcome to the Windham Connection, our monthly newsletter highlighting the great things happening across our schools! Each month, I'll share stories that capture moments of pride, progress, and learning across the district related to our district priorities. Our work this year will center on three priority areas that are essential to every student’s success:

I’m also excited to announce the launch of the Superintendent’s Advisory Boards, which will provide opportunities for staff, families and students to contribute ideas, collaborate, and problem solve around our district priorities. Meetings will be hybrid and will take place after school hours. Additional information on the dates and times will follow. I encourage you to apply using the link below and lend your voice to this important work.

To all our families, thank you for all you are doing to make sure students are in school and ready to learn!

Con gratitud,

Dr. Iris Gomero

At the October 8th Board of Education meeting we presented on the improvement made by Windham Public Schools students on high stakes assessments. Below are some of the highlights!

*Performance Index incorporates scores from grades 3-8 and 11 using Smarter Balanced, Next Generation Science Standards, SAT, Connecticut Alternative Assessment, and Connecticut Alternative Science Assessment. The score represents the average score on an index from 0 to 110.

**Growth uses Smarter Balanced and Connecticut Alternative Assessments for two consecutive years of test scores.

We have so much to celebrate! Across Windham Public Schools, we’re seeing exciting progress in attendance and meaningful drops in chronic absenteeism compared to this time last year.

• District chronic absenteeism improved from 22.64% last week to 16.72%, a 5.92 percentage point decrease.

• Year-to-date (YTD) attendance rate: 94%, up from 93% at this time last year.

• Weekly attendance rate: remains steady at 94%.

School Highlights:

• WECC: YTD attendance rose to 92%, up from 89% last year.

• Natchaug: Chronic absenteeism dropped significantly from 16.34% to 9.90%. YTD attendance rose to 96%, up from 94% last year. Weekly attendance climbed to 98%.

• North Windham: Chronic absenteeism dropped from 17.83% to 12.70%. YTD attendance remained steady at 95%. Weekly attendance climbed to 96%.

• Sweeney: Chronic absenteeism decreased from 24.59% to 20.08%. YTD attendance remained steady at 94%.
  

• Charles H. Barrows: Chronic absenteeism declined from 14.31% to 8.33%. YTD attendance increased to 96%, up from 95% last year, and maintained a strong weekly rate of 96%.
  

• Windham Middle School: Chronic absenteeism improved from 26.77% to 18.84%. YTD attendance rose to 94%, compared to 93% last year, and the weekly rate increased to 95%.
  

• Windham High School: Chronic absenteeism improved from 28.24% to 21.67%. The lowest rate in October since 2018! YTD attendance rose from 90% to 92%.

• Phoenix Academy: YTD attendance rose from 60% to 61%.

Across the district, more students are showing up and staying engaged every day. Our district average attendance is holding strong at 94%, and close to 40% of our students currently have perfect attendance!

Every day in school matters, for learning, connection, and growth!

Thank you to our families, educators, and leaders for making attendance a shared priority.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

Barrows students came together on September 26 and September 29 for assemblies focused on our monthly value of Responsibility and the importance of safety. Students learned that responsibility means taking care of what you are supposed to do and making good choices—whether it’s caring for a pet, cleaning up, or being the “boss of your own actions.”

Special guests Trooper Gary Allen and Mayor Tom Devivo shared how responsibility plays a role in their work and encouraged students to think about how they can be responsible and safe in their own school and community.

The assemblies also featured musical performances by Joni Torres, Aivee Gonzalez, and Qayonni Maldonado, and an SEL activity on Positive Self-Talk—reminding students to listen to their “inner coach” with phrases like “I can do this” and “I can ask for help.”

We celebrated progress in our 60-Day Attendance Challenge, with 379 students still holding perfect attendance, and recognized students who are modeling responsibility.

Looking ahead, October’s value is Respect: treating people, places, and things with care and kindness—because, like a boomerang, what you throw out comes back to you!

Cheers!

I’d like to give a HUGE shout out to the Attendance Task Force at Natchaug School, headed up by one of our social workers, David Sanz! The ATF has been very proactive this month with student attendance and it shows! We offered “Set for Success” meetings to all parents to explain the importance of daily attendance. At Natchaug School we are asking all families to “keep it in the singles,” meaning keep total absences for the year under 10!

Jeannine Enamait

Principal, Natchaug School

Pupil Services would like to recognize and congratulate our 25-26 team leaders. We had our first meeting in September and we are thrilled with this amazing group of educators!

Team leaders in order on the photo are the following:

Lindsey Stevens-Barrows Academy

Amanda Arnold-Sweeney

Kathy Bentley-North Windham

Katherine Siegelstein-Windham Middle school

Henry Haye-Windham High School

Emily Damon-Natchaug

Anu Mathew-WECC

This year’s Grade 7 Dual Language Team has two new members and a highly positive energy and team dynamic. Modeling authentic relationships and bringing joy to the work matter. Student, parents, and peers notice. Thank you for your dedication and energy!

This August, NWS art teacher Noah Yilmaz headed to Iowa for the 2025 Midwestern and Eastern U.S. Mini-Institute for Educators. He was 1 of 10 teachers selected from Connecticut to join educators from Iowa, Michigan, and North Carolina. The program is hosted by the National Gallery of Art and partner museums, and it focuses on how looking closely at art can deepen learning across all subjects, build dialogue skills, and support social-emotional growth. Sessions include workshops with artists, scholars, and educators from across the country.

You can check out more details about the program here:

https://www.nga.gov/educational-resources/2025-regional-mini-institutes-educators

Big Shout out to the Dynamic Dibeling Team! This talented group of coaches and interventionists worked tirelessly traveling around the district to administer this important testing to so many of our students! I appreciate their hard work and dedication and thank them for their work with our students at Natchaug School!

Jeannine Enamait

Principal, Natchaug School

• October 21: WHS Girls Soccer Senior night vs Windham Tech 6:30pm Ferrigno Field

• October 22: WHS Boys Soccer vs Windham Tech 6:30pm Ferrigno Field

Across our schools, students, families, and staff have come together throughout the month to honor the richness of our Hispanic and Latino community. The cultures, traditions, and contributions that make Windham so vibrant were highlighted in every celebration. From music and dance to art and storytelling, these moments remind us of the power of identity, pride, and unity in education.

There is no other place like Windham! 💫

We celebrate every student’s heritage and story because together, we are stronger!

Click on the video link below to see highlights from our celebrations!

We are extremely grateful for the generous donation provided by the Liberty Bank Foundation. This donation will help offset the cost of the Windham Public Schools after-school tutoring program! The after-school tutoring program provides additional learning time, parent engagement activities and expand partnerships that enrich student learning experiences. These programs are designed to complement the school day by providing full academic support, particularly in literacy and math, homework completion time, and meaningful enrichment opportunities to enhance connections to school. The funds will go towards certified teachers' wages who provide extra tutoring during program hours,. The tutoring program will be held twice a week after school at Sweeney, North Windham, Natchaug and CHB STEM Academy starting October 1st and ending May 29th. This school year there are 12 certified After School tutors servicing 110 students.

Congratulations to Superintendent Dr. Iris Gomero for her recognition as one of the "50 Outstanding Latinos of Connecticut" celebrated by Identidad Latina, Inc. on October 9th! The highly anticipated recognition ceremony paid tribute to the efforts, leadership, and contributions of the state's Hispanic community. The gala, organized by Latino de Oro Inc., took place at West Hartford City Hall, bringing together leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and artists who have made a positive impact in their communities.

Superintendent of Schools

Windham Public Schools

Email: igomero@windham.k12.ct.us

Phone: (860) 465 - 2300