Dr. Semmel's November Update

Take as little or as much time as you want to better understand each topic. Have a question? Email me at msemmel@trumbullps.org

This time of year reminds us of the importance of gratitude and connection, and I am truly thankful for the incredible community we have here in our schools. Each of you, staff, parents, and guardians, plays a vital role in shaping the experiences of our students. Your collaboration and care make our district stronger and more vibrant every day.

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” That sentiment reflects the strength of our partnership. As we head into the Thanksgiving break, I encourage you to take time for yourselves and those who matter most. May your holiday be filled with peace and joy.

At some point, snow and ice will fall upon us, and we all need to be ready for delays, early dismissals, and school closings. We will continue to notify families through our messaging system and through the media. When inclement weather is in the forecast, I will be up by 4:00 a.m. speaking with a local weather forecaster, the Trumbull Police dispatch, the TPS maintenance lead, and the person in charge of keeping the Trumbull roads clear of dangerous conditions. I strive to make a decision by no later than 5:30 a.m., but weather patterns can sometimes play havoc with decision making. If weather predictions are calling for dangerous road conditions, I will always make a decision in the best interest of student, parent, and staff safety. I appreciate your understanding that certain decisions have to be made before we know what will actually happen with the weather.

The Board of Education unanimously adopted the 2026/2027 and the 2027/2028 calendars as presented at the October 28, 2025 meeting. These calendars are first created by the district calendar committee comprised of a wide range of representatives from school staff to school community members. The calendars then go through my review before bringing them forward to the full Board of Education. Please note that four (4) additional half-days for students were added to both calendars. See the calendars here.

At the BOE meeting on October 28, 2025, Dr. Iwanicki reviewed the rationale for these half days with the BOE. You can review this presentation through our YouTube video here, starting at 01:56:13, or review the slide deck on this topic here. There was a great deal of consideration and conversation by all parties on how these half days would impact parents. Ultimately, we believe that the benefits that our students will see from the additional professional learning and collaboration time for our staff are worth the investment in time. It should be noted that while most districts use up to 10 half days for this work, we attempted to minimize the impact on families by keeping our half days to four.

We will begin registering students for the Class of 2038 on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. If you are looking to register your child for the 2026-2027 school year, please click here for all the information you need.

Consider visiting us at Next Chapter Books, 2 Daniels Farm Road, for holiday shopping or to pick out a book for yourself to enjoy! There is always a large selection of books available, as well as a wide variety of holiday crafts. See you at NCB!

Please see the flyer for the Financial Planning for Special Education Families event.

School avoidance can be overwhelming, and you don’t have to manage it alone. Trumbull Public Schools, in collaboration with The Mary J. Sherlach Counseling Center, is hosting a parent workshop on December 11, from 6:00–7:30 pm at the Long Hill Administration Building. Learn about underlying causes, gain practical strategies, and connect with other families. Dinner will be provided. Please see the flyer for information and the RSVP link, here.

Webinar hosted by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the UCLA Computer Science Equity Project

December 12, 2025

12-12:30pm PT

This free 30-minute webinar will feature a panel of researchers, educators, and parents who will present a new FREE guide created by parents for parents about why ALL kids should learn about the good and bad of technology. This resource aims to support families in understanding what CS is and how AI is a part of it, why it matters for all young peoples’ futures, and how to take action to ensure all students have access to, and enroll in, high-quality CS education. The guide answers questions parents often ask about CS and AI such as:

• What is Computer Science (CS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) anyway?
• Why is it important for ALL students to learn about CS and AI?
• Why do some schools offer CS while others don’t?
• What should kids know about the good and bad of tech?
• What does ethics have to do with CS and AI?
• How does CS and AI education prepare for college, careers, and beyond?
• How can parents support CS learning in their home, school, and community?

At the webinar, we will share a new Request for Applications (RFA) for parent organizations and LEAs interested in partnering with us on furthering this initiative through a research-practice partnership. Click here to access to register for free.

Trumbull Community Theatre is proud to present Irving Berlin's "White Christmas". Please see the flyer here for more information.

Trumbull Little League Spring Registration opens December 1st. Please see the flyer here for more information.