Colchester ConnectED

Dear Students, Staff and Families:

This has been a busy year in the Colchester Public Schools, and I would like to thank you for making it all happen. We are fortunate to have a hard-working Board of Education, dedicated administrators, committed faculty and staff, supportive families, and a wonderful student body here in Colchester. As a result, the district has been able to advance several initiatives, while also seeing gains in several academic areas.

One area of focus this year was wellness, which is an all-encompassing term for all aspects of our lives – academic, social-emotional, environmental, etc. As a district, we strive to educate the whole-child, and care about the experience of all members of our school community. With that in mind, I would like to recognize a few specific initiatives that were undertaken this year.

• Worked with the community to develop a Vision for Student Wellness
• Selected Second Step as a K-5 SEL curriculum (planning for implementation in 23/24)
• Started the 6-12 review of the school counseling curriculum (including SEL)
• Piloted the DESSA Screener with plans to fully implement in 23/24
• Completed the first year of the Bobcat Block at Bacon Academy
• Hosted school-wide training in SEL/CASEL at WJJMS
• Hosted the first WJJMS Wellness Day and third BA Wellness Day
• Trained a first cohort of WJ student leaders via BRIDGES and a second cohort at BA
• Assembled a district chronic absenteeism committee
• Submitted for the School Mental Health Grant
• Utilized ESSER/ARPA funds to hire BCBA/RBT services for the BASES programs
• Consolidated a District and school-based Student Wellness Committees
• Implemented the RAPTOR safety system
• Hosted Stop the Bleed training district-wide
• Developed and trained a Threat Assessment sub-committee

As the school year draws to a close, I encourage all of you to pause and reflect. What was your greatest accomplishment this year? What is the thing that seemed overwhelming or impossible, that you overcame? What will you do differently because of your experiences this year? This type of reflection is important because it’s easy to forget how much actually happened since late August. Even if the year didn’t go as planned, you likely did a lot more than you give yourself credit for. While this paragraph may sound like it’s geared towards students, it’s truly for everyone. While only the students advance to the next grade, the education of children is a team effort, and everyone encounters challenges across the school year!

Best wishes for a wonderful summer. Please stay healthy and safe.

Daniel Sullivan

Meet our Food Services Team!

Our food services staff provides the fuel needed to help students reach their maximum learning potential. Every day the food services staff supports students make healthy food choices and receive nutritionally balanced.

• June 15-16 - Early Release Days
• June 15 - WJJMS Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony
• June 16 - Last Day of School
• June 16 - Bacon Academy Class of 2023 Graduation 🎓

2023-2024 School Year Calendar

• August 31 - First Day of School

Protecting the health and welfare of students is a concern that all school administrators face each and every day. Student Accident Insurance helps ease those concerns by providing benefits for injuries that occur during school hours and or school-sponsored and supervised activities (i.e., athletics, gym class, playground, field trips, etc.).

Here are some key reasons why providing Student Accident Insurance coverage can help your school:

• Reduces or completely eliminates any out-of-pocket expenses not paid by primary coverage, including copays, deductibles, coinsurance, etc.
• Pays on a primary basis in the absence of other collectible coverage
• Provides protection when parents do not have health insurance

Email: boe@colchesterct.org
Website: www.colchesterct.org
Location: 127 Norwich Avenue, Colchester, CT 06415
Phone: (860) 537-7267
Facebook: facebook.com/colchesterpublicschools
Twitter: @COLschools