The Week Ahead

Dear KHS Students, Families, and Staff,

As we head into another week at Killingly High School, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible people who make KHS such a special place. From preparing students for their futures to welcoming our newest Trailblazers, there are so many examples of Responsibility, Excellence, and Dedication throughout our school community!

🎓 College Fair – Thank You!

A tremendous THANK YOU to our School Counseling Department, especially Ms. Tilton and Counseling Secretary Wendy Baker, for their hard work, planning, and coordination of our College Fair!

• Events like these provide students with valuable opportunities to explore colleges, discover new possibilities, and begin thinking about their futures.

• We are grateful for the time and effort that goes into connecting our students with postsecondary opportunities.

• Students, remember that exploring your future is a journey! Continue asking questions, connecting with your school counselor, and taking advantage of the resources available at KHS.

❤️ Link Crew – Leading with Compassion!

I also want to give a BIG SHOUT-OUT to our amazing Link Crew members!

Our Link Crew students play a critical role in helping new students feel welcomed, connected, and supported as they transition to Killingly High School.

• Their leadership begins with our recruitment visits and continues through orientation and throughout the school year.

• They serve as mentors, role models, and friendly faces for our newest Trailblazers.

• Their kindness, compassion, and willingness to help others reflect the very best of our KHS community.

To our Link Crew leaders: Thank you for making a difference! Your commitment to helping others feel a sense of belonging is truly commendable. You are demonstrating what it means to lead with empathy and make KHS a place where everyone belongs!

📅 Important Reminders for the Week Ahead

Monday, October 12 – No School

• Killingly Public Schools will be closed in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

• We encourage our school community to take time to recognize and honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

Wednesday, October 14 & Thursday, October 15 – Early Release Days

• KHS will follow an early release schedule both days to accommodate Parent/Teacher Conferences.

• Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held from 1:00–3:00 PM and 5:00–7:00 PM on both days.

• Families can schedule conferences through ParentSquare using the appointment links shared by teachers.

🤝 Parent/Teacher Conferences – Stronger Together!

One of the most important partnerships in a student's education is the connection between home and school. Our upcoming conferences provide a valuable opportunity to strengthen those relationships and work together to support student success.

We encourage families to:

• Celebrate strengths: Ask teachers what your student is doing well and where they are demonstrating growth.

• Discuss learning: Ask about priority learning goals, classroom expectations, and your student's progress toward meeting them.

• Identify opportunities for improvement: Discuss specific strategies that can help your student succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

• Set goals together: Identify one or two meaningful goals and the steps that students, families, and teachers can take to achieve them.

• Stay connected: Establish positive communication with teachers and school counselors throughout the year, not just when concerns arise.

Students, we encourage you to be part of these conversations! Take ownership of your learning, reflect on your progress, celebrate your successes, and identify areas where you can continue to grow.

Remember, our shared goal is to help every student feel supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.

❤️ A Final Thought

As we continue our work with Capturing Kids' Hearts, I encourage everyone to think about the positive impact we have on one another. Whether it is a Link Crew member welcoming a new student, a counselor helping a student explore future opportunities, a teacher providing encouragement, students raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness month, or a family partnering with us to support learning, relationships are at the heart of everything we do.

Thank you to our students, families, faculty, and staff for your continued dedication to making Killingly High School a place where students feel connected, valued, and inspired to succeed.

Great Things Happen Here!

Forge On, Trailblazers!

Carrie Apanovitch
Principal, Killingly High School

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