Interim Schools Superintendent Eric Byrne’s weekly newsletter on Friday mentions activities of the Wave Strong Club, a bike and scooter safety workshop and a new Instagram page for the district.
It also mentioned a presentation on standardized test results, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival and Darien High’s many athletic meets this weekend.
Here’s the full text:
Dear Darien Community,
What a busy week! There is so much incredible work happening across Darien and I truly enjoyed spending time at Hindley & Holmes visiting classrooms and observing our kids and teachers in action. I also enjoyed being a guest speaker at the Holmes School PTO meeting on Wednesday evening. I truly appreciate the opportunity to speak with families and hear from them about the school experience. On Thursday I spent some time with the incredible parent volunteers of CDSP. So many of the wonderful opportunities in Darien are the result of our CDSP volunteers working hard to bring them to life. I encourage you to explore how you can support and become involved in the good work that CDSP does in our schools.
Wave Strong Club/World Mental Health Day
Our high school students from the DHS Wave Strong Club took the initiative to spread an important message around our District this past week in observance of World Mental Health Day – to check in on someone you love. Volunteers from the club visited all seven schools (plus the central office) to decorate them with thousands of blue hearts and signs containing messages of support and belonging. Another display of empathy in action – a core tenet of the Vision of the Graduate!
Safety
With the increase in the number of e-bikes and e-scooters on the roads these days, many are asking for additional information on helping our children be safe. The Depot is offering classes on safety and here is a link with details.
Instagram
We are stepping up our digital presence and we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new official Instagram page! This new platform is another way for us to celebrate our community and keep everyone informed. Finding our page is easy. Search for our official handle in the Instagram app: darienpublicschools_ct and click the “Follow” button. We encourage you to follow us today and share the news with your friends and neighbors!
BOE Meeting
At the Board of Education meeting that was held on Tuesday, October 7, Dr. Amy Fedigan presented a comprehensive assessment report highlighting the district’s performance on standardized assessments. If you are interested in learning more, please click on this link. The presentation begins at 7:50. The presentation was very impressive and I am so proud of our students and teachers. I hope you have a chance to watch the presentation.
From the Board of Education – Superintendent Search
Thank you to the members of the community that participated in the focus groups and/or submitted the survey to assist in the development of the ideal candidate’s qualifications and skills. School Leadership will present the profile for the next Superintendent of Schools at the Tuesday October 14 Board of Education regular meeting.
Around Town
Save the date for the annual Tokeneke Pumpkin carnival on Saturday, October 18 at Tokeneke school. Middle schoolers will also be given special Friday night access on October 17 thanks to The Depot; registration is required.
Weekend DHS Sports
It’s another busy weekend for our fall athletes. Today most of the action is at home starting at 3 p.m. with girls swimming against New Canaan, girls varsity and junior varsity volleyball playing Farfield Warde at 4 and 5:30 p.m., girls freshman soccer playing Ridgefield at 4 p.m. with boys varsity soccer playing Ridgefield at 6 p.m. and girls freshman volleyball traveling to Fairfield at 4:30. Tomorrow girls varsity soccer starts the day at Greenwich at 9:30 a.m., girls varsity and freshman field hockey play Brien McMahon and Greenwich at home at 10 a.m. with JV girls field hockey playing at home at 11:30, varsity football and cheerleading head to Bridgeport to play Central High School at 10 a.m. and boys varsity cross country heads to the Wickman Park Invitational at 11 a.m. Go Blue Wave!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Eric A. Byrne, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools