The Windham Connection

Dear Windham Community,

I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy a safe, peaceful, and reflective Thanksgiving holiday. With everything occurring around us, this season offers space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters: our family, our community, and the relationships that sustain and uplift us.

I am thankful for my family, for this beautiful community I am honored to serve, for our dedicated staff, our inspiring and brilliant students, and the families who entrust us with their children each day. I also hope you had the opportunity to spend time with those who bring you comfort, to share moments of connection and gratitude, and to find rest in the midst of life’s demands. As we give thanks, let us also remain mindful of those who may be experiencing hardship or uncertainty. May we continue to lead with compassion, extend kindness, and seek ways, big or small, to support one another.

May the spirit of gratitude carry us beyond the holiday, strengthening our commitment to our Windham community.

With gratitude,

Dr. Iris Gomero

Superintendent of Schools

The moments shared in this newsletter highlight some of the many ways we are building a strong foundation for a bright future in Windham Public Schools. Guided by our areas of focus this school year, we remain committed to creating the conditions for each student to thrive!

Areas of Focus:

• Daily Attendance: Every day matters for learning. “Every Thread Counts - Be in School Every Day!”

• Challenging and Supportive Instruction: All students will learn rigorous, grade-level, standards-driven content with the support they need to succeed.

• Safe, Welcoming Schools: Every student will learn in an environment where they feel included, respected, challenged, and supported.

Being in school is the first step to success! As part of our continued focus on daily attendance, our schools are showing powerful progress in reducing chronic absenteeism. These trends reflect the impact of strengthened student, family, and community partnerships as well as strong systems and practices. Thanks to our students, and to each and every one of you for making this possible!

⭐ Best Rates Ever (Lowest Since Tracking Began in 2016)

The following schools are reporting the strongest attendance outcomes on record!

• Natchaug: 10.95% - compared to 52% at this time of year in 2021 (at the height of the pandemic), and 13.23% in 2016.

• Windham High School: 25.52% - compared to 52% at this time of year in 2023, 37.14% last school year, and 26.11% in 2016.

📉 Best Rates Since 2021 (Post-Pandemic Peak Improvement)

These schools are now seeing their strongest results since the pandemic spike in 2021:

• WECC: 32.94%- compared 73.89% at this time of year in 2021 and 40.78% last school year.

• Charles H. Barrows: 12% compared to 23.39% at this time of year in 2021 and 16.64% last school year.

• North Windham: 15.65% – compared to 40.80% at this time of year in 2021 and 17.96% last school year.

• Sweeney: 24.49% – compared to 47.20% at this time of year in 2021.

• Windham Middle School: 22.40% – compared to 45.49% at this time of year in 2021 and 27.67% last school year. Making gains even with 178 additional 5th grade students this school year!

• Phoenix Academy: 64.29% – compared to 77.14% at this time of year in 2023 (when the program started), and 71% last school year.

Windham Middle School has been recognized by the Connecticut State Department of Education for its steady improvement in the Next Generation Accountability Index over the last three years. This recognition marks the school’s exit from the CTSDE turnaround status and represents the school’s highest performance in the past ten years! This is an incredible milestone that reflects the hard work, focus, and perseverance of our leadership, students, and staff.

Congratulations, WMS team, on this remarkable achievement!

​Windham High School was excited to have 30 students from our new Intro to Manufacturing class participate in the CT Manufacturing Careers Roadshow at the end of September, a fantastic initiative designed to raise awareness and pique student interest in the broad, well-paying, and modern career opportunities available in Connecticut manufacturing.

​The event successfully connected our students with local manufacturers, fostering meaningful interactions and providing valuable hands-on experiences. Highlights included:

• ​Innovation Stations with engaging, hands-on activities.
• ​A fun “scavenger hunt” that encouraged direct interaction with industry professionals.
  
• ​Career simulation experiences using virtual reality (VR) headsets.
  
• ​Mobile training labs demonstrating cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing and CNC machining.
  
• ​An interactive station featuring a “cobot” (collaborative robot).
  
• ​Showcases from robotics teams, illustrating how STEM activities directly align with the manufacturing industry.

​These unique experiences are vital in helping our students explore diverse career paths and see the direct link between their classroom learning and future success. We look forward to building on this momentum! 💡🏭

In the BMET Department, students are actively connecting what they learn in the classroom to real world applications that prepare them for life after graduation. Through meaningful, hands-on projects, they build valuable skills that support both college and career readiness. These experiences directly reflect WHS’s Portrait of the Graduate, helping students become empowered learners, informed decision makers, and innovative problem solvers.

In Intro to Computer Applications, students are learning how to create professional websites using Google Sites. This project helps them develop digital literacy, organization, and design skills that are essential in today’s workforce.

In Marketing, students take these skills a step further by designing a website for a product of their choice. They apply what they have learned about the Place component of the Marketing Mix to create an engaging online presence, just as real companies do when reaching their target markets.

These projects highlight how BMET courses integrate academic content, technology, and creativity to prepare students for success beyond high school, whether they plan to enter the workforce, pursue higher education, or start their own business.

As our students move forward toward accomplishing one of the first major milestones in their

young lives, many are beginning to really consider the question: What’s next? There is no single

path or narrative that leads to success. Just as our student population represents a diverse range

of talents, backgrounds, and dreams, so too do their postsecondary goals. Some have their sights

set on four-year universities, others are exploring opportunities at CT State Community College,

and many are preparing to enter the workforce, pursue a trade, or join the military. Of course,

some students are still undecided. Every student’s path is unique and shaped by their individual

goals, strengths, interests, and circumstances.

My goal, as the College and Career Readiness Coordinator, in collaboration with our Guidance

Department, is to support students in identifying and pursuing the path that best fits who they are

and what they ultimately hope to achieve. We do this by providing students with meaningful

resources and experiences that help guide and shape their decisions, including but not limited to:

• Assisting students and families in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a requirement for most colleges and universities.

• Supporting students with the completion of the Common Application and pursuit of scholarship opportunities.
• Hosting college, career, and trade fairs to expose students to a wide range of postsecondary options.
• Partnering with community agencies and employers to provide access to internships, job opportunities, and career exploration experiences.
• Coordinating visits to colleges and universities to help students experience campus life firsthand.
• Preparing students for the workforce through mock interviews, resume writing workshops, and job-readiness support.

Our collective goal is to ensure that every student leaves WHS with a clear plan and the

confidence to take their next step—wherever their journey may lead.

Fifth-grade students at Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy recently took their learning outdoors with a hands-on field study at Devil’s Hopyard State Park. The trip served as a culminating experience to their science unit on weathering and erosion. During the visit, students explored the park’s unique rock formations, waterfalls, and trails—observing firsthand the powerful effects of wind, water, and time on the landscape. Using their science notebooks, students documented real-life examples of weathering and erosion, making careful sketches and notes to connect what they learned in class to the natural world around them. This authentic field experience helped students deepen their understanding of Earth’s changing surface while sparking curiosity and appreciation for the science in their own backyard.

Our friends from the Willimantic Fire Department visited Natchaug School during Fire Safety Week to teach students about fire prevention and safety. They brought their smoke trailer, giving students a hands-on learning experience where they practiced what to do in the event of a fire. We’re so thankful for our local heroes and their dedication to keeping our community safe!

Grade 4 students at Natchaug School were thrilled by a surprise visit from the Windham Tech Football Team, who took over recess and organized an unforgettable football experience! This event provided valuable leadership opportunities for the Windham Tech students while offering our Natchaug students positive role models to look up to. A big thank you to Coach Edinger and his athletes for making it such a fun and memorable day! We are grateful for our continued partnership!

Natchaug students in grades K–2 recently enjoyed a visit from UConn Allied Health Sciences students, who taught them about dental hygiene. Under the guidance of Dr. Valerie Duffy, José Matute Gálvez, Anna Brodeur, and Christopher Dooley provided a hands-on learning experience where students brushed play-doh “plaque” off tooth molds and explored how a balanced diet supports healthy teeth. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with the University of Connecticut, which continues to bring enriching learning experiences to our classrooms!

The Natchaug Family Resource Center recently hosted a MIKE (Males Involved in Kids’ Education) event, celebrating the important role that fathers, stepfathers, uncles, and other male role models play in supporting student success. Dads and family members were out in full force, demonstrating their commitment to their children’s education!

Students from ECSU’s Department of Fine Arts visited Natchaug School to perform selected scenes from their opera Cinderella! Our students thoroughly enjoyed this enriching cultural experience and demonstrated outstanding audience behavior. A special thank you to Dr. Emily Riggs for continuing to provide these wonderful opportunities for our students!

Resources we used:

• Kindness = Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Empathy, Including and Integrity.
• After watching a video, https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RmQczPAz5Os?playlist=RmQczPAz5Os&autoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&start= students returned to their classrooms to take part in many different learning opportunities. https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ has curriculum for prek-12 based on the CASEL framework

Windham’s Two-way Dual Language Program, Compañeros (in its 32nd year), employs the partner teaching model in grades K-5. Our 12 partner-teacher pairs represent a range of years of both individual teacher experience and partner teacher experience. The same is true of their partnerships: Several Dual partner-teacher pairs have been working together for many years, and several are newer pairs.

To be successful Dual Language partner teachers, both teachers in the pair must commit to things like a relationship that is both grounded in and that promotes parity, a high level of communication to ensure routines and transitions are the same across classrooms and both students groups that the teachers share, fastidious planning to ensure that the pacing and delivery of curriculum and instruction is kept up for both student group, and shared accountability, assessment, and parent communication.

Dual Language partner teaching relationships require a level of trust, shared responsibility, and collegiality that is difficult to achieve by individuals. While partner teachers do not necessarily have to jump out of a plane together, we’d like to highlight partner-teacher pairs in our programs who have achieved and exemplified these high levels of trust and collegiality.

This month we are highlighting the Dual Language Partner-Teaching relationship and work of Kaeley Vera (Spanish partner teacher) and Tamara Brierley (English partner teacher) in Compañeros Grade 3 at North Windham School.

"As partner teachers, we’ve discovered that our shared core values are the foundation of our teamwork. We both believe deeply in creating a positive, inclusive classroom, where students feel seen, supported, and productively challenged. We’re in constant communication to maintain high expectations and consistency across both rooms. We make sure to have students celebrate exciting progress in either language with both teachers. One of our favorite shared interests is identity formation — helping students discover who they are and the way their choices impact themselves and those around them. We believe that our students thrive because of our partner teaching bond. By honoring each other’s ideas (including jumping out of a plane) and approaches, we bring out the best in one another and in our students, too".

Enjoy this special clip from WECC’s very first Turkey Trot! Our WECC students kicked off a new tradition with joy and a sense of community!

📹Click the link below to watch the video and celebrate this great moment with us!

On November 25, students, staff, and community members came together for the Sweeney Thanksgiving Feast, a cherished tradition that has brought the community together for over 40 years! It was a beautiful reminder of the joy and togetherness that define our school community.

Another one of our firsts, Natchaug proudly hosted its first Turkey Trot, bringing students and staff together for a joyful celebration of wellness, and school spirit. Moments like these remind us that we are not only honoring long-standing traditions, but also creating new ones that strengthen our community and build a strong foundation for the future!

We are proud to share that Robert Cardona, a member of our WHS staff, was recently featured for his outstanding work as a Puerto Rican artisan. Through his wood carvings, Robert honors Puerto Rican culture and tradition, sharing his artistry well beyond our local community. His work has received international recognition. We celebrate his talent and the pride with which he represents our Windham school community!

Our very own Ayda Parra-Rojas will be conducting a webinar as part of MABE's DLBE Teacher & Coach Network! Click on this link for additional information!

Thank you for representing WPS!

Superintendent of Schools

Windham Public Schools

Email: igomero@windham.k12.ct.us

Phone: (860) 465 - 2300