The Week Ahead

Dear Trailblazer Families, Students, and Staff,

What an exciting week ahead at Killingly High School as we celebrate Homecoming Week, student achievement, wellness, and school spirit!

First, I want to extend a sincere thank you to all of our families who participated in Parent-Teacher Conferences last week. Your involvement and partnership are essential to student success. I also want to recognize our teachers for the time, preparation, and intentional outreach they put into connecting with families. Strong school-home partnerships make a difference, and we appreciate everyone's commitment to working together to support our students!

📅 This Week at KHS

• Wednesday, October 21 – PSAT Day: All students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will participate in PSAT testing. We encourage students to get a good night's sleep, arrive on time, and come prepared to do their best!

• Wednesday, October 21 – Senior Postsecondary Planning Workshop 8:00-10:45 am: While underclassmen participate in the PSATs, our seniors will engage in activities designed to help them prepare for life after high school, exploring opportunities and planning their next steps toward college, careers, and beyond.

• Thursday, October 22 – Homecoming Football Game: Come out and support our Trailblazers! We look forward to seeing our school community come together to cheer on our team and celebrate KHS pride!

• Friday, October 23 – Great Things Happen Here Assembly & Wellness Day: We will kick off Wellness Day by coming together to recognize and celebrate the many great things happening at KHS! Throughout the day, students will have opportunities to focus on wellness, connection, and the importance of taking care of themselves and one another.

• Saturday, October 24 – Homecoming Dance: We will wrap up an exciting week with our Homecoming Dance!

🎉 Homecoming Spirit Week!

We encourage ALL students and staff to participate in our Homecoming Spirit Days! Please see the Spirit Week themes below and join us in showing your Trailblazer pride throughout the week.

A HUGE shout-out to our Student Council members and advisors for their tremendous work planning Homecoming activities and creating opportunities that bring our school community together. Your creativity, leadership, dedication, and enthusiasm are helping build an incredible sense of school spirit and belonging at KHS. Thank you for all that you do!

❤️ Celebrating Our Trailblazer Community

As we head into this busy and exciting week, I encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate what makes KHS special-our students, our staff, our families, and the many ways we support and celebrate one another.

From academic achievement and planning for the future to wellness activities and Homecoming traditions, this week is a wonderful reminder that Great Things Happen Here!

Thank you for your continued partnership, and let's make it a fantastic Homecoming Week!

Forge On, Trailblazers!

Carrie Apanovitch
Principal, Killingly High School

All 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 21. Students in Grade 9 will take the PSAT 8/9, while students in Grades 10 and 11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT.

The PSAT provides valuable benefits for students, including:

• SAT Preparation: The PSAT measures the skills needed for college and career success and serves as an excellent benchmark for future SAT preparation.

• Scholarship Opportunities: For juniors, strong performance on the PSAT/NMSQT may qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Program and other scholarship opportunities.

• College and Career Exploration: PSAT score reports connect students to BigFuture resources that help them explore careers, research colleges, and plan for life after high school.

• AP Readiness: Score reports indicate which AP courses students may be prepared for, helping guide future course selections.

• Experience with Digital Testing: Students gain familiarity with the Bluebook™ testing platform used for the digital PSAT and SAT, helping them feel more confident with future assessments.

We encourage all students to put their best foot forward and make the most of this opportunity. To perform their best, students should:

• Be sure to charge their chromebook Tuesday night and bring it to school on Wednesday!

• Get a good night's sleep the night before testing.

• Eat a healthy breakfast.

• Arrive at school on time.

• Come prepared to focus and do their best.

• Power down and store cell phones during testing.

Seniors are expected to attend school on this day and will participate in workshops designed to support their postsecondary plans. Students will have opportunities to:

• Learn about and work on the Common Application.

• Complete applications for CT State Community College - Quinebaug Valley.

• Meet with representatives from workforce training programs, the military, and technical schools to explore additional career pathways.

We look forward to a productive day that helps students prepare for their future educational and career goals.

Stay connected with the Killingly High School Counseling Department! Our counselors are here to support students throughout the school year with academic planning, college and career exploration, scholarships, social-emotional support, and so much more.

Be sure to check out the latest School Counseling News & Updates for important information, upcoming opportunities, deadlines, resources, and announcements for students and families.

• As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we ask for your assistance in completing your child’s KPS Annual Student Information Forms through PowerSchool. Each year, it is essential that our records are accurate and up-to-date to ensure student safety and effective communication. This process will now be completed digitally through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Please open this letter HERE that walks you through important next steps in ensuring we have accurate information for your child.

📣 Join the Killingly High School Governance Council!›

Are you passionate about making a difference at Killingly High School? Do you want to help shape decisions that impact students, teachers, and families? We’re looking for students, teachers, and parents to join the Killingly High School Governance Council (SGC)!

What is the SGC? The School Governance Council is a collaborative team of students, educators, parents, and community members who work together to:

• Influence school policies and priorities

• Review and advise on school improvement plans

• Promote a positive school culture

• Help strengthen school-family partnerships

Why Join?

✅ Have your voice heard
✅ Collaborate on real decisions
✅ Gain leadership experience
✅ Make a lasting impact on our school community

Who Can Join? We’re currently recruiting:

• Students (Grades 9–12) who are committed to representing their peers

• Parents/Guardians who want to be active partners in school success

• Teachers & Staff who are invested in continuous improvement

How to Get Involved: Interested? Click here and complete this form.

Let’s work together to make Killingly High School the best it can be — your voice matters!

Senior Recognition Ads are available with an “Early Bird Discount” through November 20th! Click the link, design your ad and save! https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01028490

Ms. Lajoie has been working hard behind the scenes to bring this newsletter together, gathering all the important updates and highlights from our clubs and student organizations. From events to achievements, this is your go-to place for everything happening in our school community. Be sure to check out the new newsletter and stay connected!

Class Advisor: Mrs. Jarvis

Sjarvis@killinglyschools.org

860-779-6624

Senexet Grange #40, a local community organization based in Woodstock, CT, is organizing its 2026 Annual Winter Boot Drive benefiting TEEG, which supports individuals and families throughout northeastern Connecticut.

We are inviting families to donate new or gently used winter boots and new socks in all sizes to help children, adults, and seniors in our region stay warm and safe during the winter months.

Donation Details:

· Collection Period: Throughout October 2026

· Community Drop-Off: Saturday, November 7, 2026

· Drop-Off Location: Putnam Town Hall - Parking Lot

· Items Needed: New or gently used winter boots and new socks

· Sizes: All ages and sizes

Families wishing to participate may bring donations to the community drop-off location on November 7.

If your family is in need of winter boots or socks this season, we encourage you to contact TEEG directly to learn more about available resources and assistance.

Every donation, large or small, can help make a difference for someone in our community. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us keep our neighbors warm this winter!

Senexet Grange #40

Woodstock, CT

Dear KPS Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to announce that Killingly Public Schools will be transitioning this summer from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare as our primary communication platform for families, students, and staff.

ParentSquare will provide a more streamlined and reliable way for you to stay connected with your child's school. The platform combines school announcements, notifications, messages, event reminders, and other important communications into a single, easy-to-use platform.

One of the greatest benefits of ParentSquare is its all-in-one communication experience. Families can receive and view school communications directly within the ParentSquare app, in addition to the more typical text message, phone call, or email. This gives you a centralized location to access and review messages at any time from your child's school. We're hoping this will remove a lot of the worry of missing an important call, email, or text from the district.

In addition, ParentSquare offers other helpful features such as:

• A user-friendly mobile app and web portal

• Secure document delivery

• The ability to communicate more directly with teachers and school staff where appropriate

• Day-to-day school, classroom, and district-wide announcements viewable all in one location

• More targeted and relevant communications based on your child, school, activities, or programs

Over the coming weeks, we will share additional information about ParentSquare, including instructions on how to activate your account and download the mobile app. ParentSquare accounts will be automatically created using the contact information currently on file with the district.

We believe this new platform will strengthen communication between our schools and families and provide a more convenient and engaging experience for everyone.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we implement this exciting new communication tool.

Sincerely,

KPS Administration