Skip To Main Content

Header Wrap

Logo Image

Breadcrumb

Board Update: Nov 1, 2024

Every two weeks, the different departments of Norwalk Public Schools provide an update to the Board of Education of the work they've been doing to ensure an excellent and equitable education for all our scholars. We're sharing that update with our entire community now!

From the desk of Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools

**Para traducir al español, selecciona el idioma en la esquina inferior derecha de la página.**
**Pou tradui an Kreyòl Ayisyen, chwazi lang lan nan kwen anba dwat paj la.**

COMMUNICATIONS

Hispanic Heritage Festival 

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for our third annual Hispanic Heritage Festival, celebrating “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” Our scholars’ performances and presentations highlighted the rich culture and traditions of our Hispanic communities and celebrated the many incredible Hispanic figures whose contributions have shaped our world.

We also want to thank our incredible team of volunteers! Your herculean efforts in escorting students, feeding everyone, and cleaning up so that we left the school just as we found it, we’re much appreciated.

These events would not be possible without the inspiring vision of Superintendent Dr. Alexandra Estrella and Deputy Superintendent Sandra Faioes. Thank you again for your dedicated leadership. We also can’t thank Principal Barbara Wood enough for allowing us to host the festival at Brien McMahon.

National Principals Month


This October, Norwalk Public Schools is celebrating National Principals Month by highlighting our new school principals for the 2024-25 school year. We appreciate the leadership and dedication of our principals who work tirelessly to create a supportive school culture for our students, teachers and staff.

Norwalk BOE Town Halls: FY 2025-26 Budget

The Norwalk Board of Education will offer two more opportunities for the community to engage in early budget development both in person and virtually. The virtual town hall will use a similar format to the in-person sessions, using breakout rooms.

  • Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. (VIRTUAL)

  • Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School

ZOOM Information for Virtual Town Hall

ZOOM Link: https://zoom.us/j/91639588310?pwd=imbfkaqaC4quw3Vbgo7c2Yrwl2G1BP.1

Meeting ID: 916 3958 8310
Passcode: 856703

NPS School Choice

The Middle School Choice Lottery is currently open. It will close on Dec. 6, and the lottery drawing will take place on Dec. 16. If families missed the showcase, they have another opportunity to meet with the schools at individual school open houses taking place before Nov. 15.

Mark your calendars! The High School Showcase will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Brien McMahon High School. Click here for more information about High School Choice!

Quick Links

In Case You Missed It

¡Hola Familia! Episode 6 (VIDEO)

Check out the latest episode of “Hola Familia,” our award-winning Spanish-speaking news show!

Superintendent’s Book Club feat. Ulisa Guevara (VIDEO)

Dr. Estrella is inviting some of our best young readers to be part of her Superintendent Book Club this school year. Her second guest reader is Ulisa Guevara, a fifth grader from Tracey Magnet School, who is reading “The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López.

My Sister’s Keeper Retreat - October 2024 (VIDEO)

My Sister's Keeper took their annual retreat to Club Getaway last week to complete their Rites of Passage experience. Scholars and mentors pushed past their fears, encouraged each other and celebrated each other's accomplishments.

My Brother’s Keeper & My Sister’s Keeper at NAACP Norwalk Connecticut Branch

Thank you to the NAACP Norwalk Connecticut Branch for hosting students and mentors from our My Brother’s Keeper and My Sister’s Keeper programs at the 21st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Oct. 18.

NPS Shorts (VIDEOS) - Be sure to watch more of our NPS Shorts (VIDEOS). You’ll never miss one if you follow us on Instagram @norwalkschoolsct

Important Dates

  • Tuesday, Nov. 5 - Election Day/Staff Professional Development (No School); Central Office Retreat (at Pinstripes)
  • Monday, Nov. 11 - Veterans Day (No School/Central Office Closed)
  • Thursday, Nov. 14 & 21 - K-5 Conferences (2-Hour Early Dismissal)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving Break (2-Hour Early Dismissal)
  • Thursday, Nov. 28 & 29 - Thanksgiving Break (No School/Central Office Closed)

Upcoming Events

BMHS Presents “Romeo & Juliet”
Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.
Brien McMahon High School, Auditorium, 300 Highland Ave. in Norwalk

The Brien McMahon High School Drama Department will present a special performance of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” on Nov. 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. The production will feature a violin soloist, a BMHS student, performing throughout the show.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and NPS staff. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Nathan Hale Presents “Trap”
Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
Nathan Hale Middle School, 176 Strawberry Ave. in Norwalk

The Nathan Hale Middle School’s Theatre Department will present “Trap” by Stephen Gregg on Nov. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. Don’t tell the secret!

Tickets are $10 (with a $2.51 online fee). Click here to purchase your tickets. 

High School Showcase

Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Brien McMahon High School, Gymnasium, 300 Highland Ave. in Norwalk

Norwalk Public Schools will host its fourth annual High School Showcase on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Brien McMahon High School. Join us to learn more about Brien McMahon High School, the Center for Global Studies, Norwalk High School, and P-TECH Norwalk.

Each of our four schools will have booths set up in the CGS Community Room along with their respective choice programs such as the Marine Science Academy at Brien McMahon or the Digital Media and Communications Academy at Norwalk High School.

Representatives from each school and choice program will be available to speak with our current eighth graders and their families about the amazing opportunities available for them next year.

EXCELLENCE, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Testing & Accountability
Students' 2024 state testing results have been distributed to families. Families also received fall NWEA student reports (grades 1-10, math and reading) and DIBELS (grades K-3, reading).  

2024 state testing results for Kendall, Ponus Ridge and P-Tech have been reported by performance level and subgroup to support the district's Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP).  

Analysis of fall DIBELS8 benchmark trends from 2022 to 2024 show a larger percentage of students reached benchmark in 2024 compared to 2022.  Overall, 49.5% of students reached benchmark in 2022, compared to 54.8% in 2024, a 10.7% increase. High Needs students moved from 37.8% to 44.7%, an 18.3% increase.  MLLs increase from 24% in 2022 to 29% in 2024, a 20.8% increase.  Compared to the recently released fall 2024 DIBELS8 national benchmarks, Norwalk has a high percentage of students at/above benchmark at each grade level, compared to the national norms. 

Research and Analytics
School visits have been taking place in collaboration with the scientific resource-based intervention and school counseling teams. Improvement teachers, mental health professionals, and leadership have been using data from the dashboards to inform decisions about tiered intervention strategies for academics and social-emotional learning.

The Portrait of a Graduate fall feedback surveys for families and staff launched last week, gathering over 630 responses. The surveys will close on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. NPS staff focus groups, conducted in partnership with Digital Promise, will begin next week. These surveys and focus groups will offer valuable insights into the initiative's initial launch and guide the next steps in the Portrait of a Graduate initiative.  

In collaboration with the Curriculum and Leadership Development team, professional development for Principals, Assistant Principals and Coaches was designed and delivered. The focus was both on continuing to norm on what critical thinking looks like in instruction, tasks and samples of students work, and on reflection and revision to school improvement efforts. 

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Building Leadership Capacity  

 

 

On Oct. 23 and 30, we continued our monthly learning series for principals, assistant principals and coaches. Leaders analyzed student work samples to determine if it met the NPS Portrait of a Graduate’s critical thinking competency and practiced providing feedback to teachers using the new educator evaluation expectations. 

2024-2025 Leadership Development Cohort  

 

 

The first session for the 2024-25 Leadership Development Cohort was held on Oct. 29.  During this session aspiring leaders reflected on their personal leadership preferences and explored the expectations for effective educational leaders using the Professional Standards for Educational Leadership.  Participants are beginning to identify a focus area for an action research project that they will complete throughout the program. 

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Food Services
Chartwells started the Mood Boost kick-off at Fox Run Elementary school this week.  

The Mood Boost program helps students make the connection between the foods they eat and how they feel. 

There were two schools that won the Apple Crunch photo contest Congratulations to Brookside and Silvermine. 

At the Secondary schools the fan favorite hot chocolate milk is back at breakfast to warm up our students. 

 

 

This week, our Fresh Food and Vegetable Program schools enjoyed Learning & Tasting: Carrots  and  Learning & Tasting: Black Grapes 

Next week our FFVP schools will be learning & tasting Baby Spinach and Watermelon. 

On Nov. 6 and Nov. 13, our upper schools Global Eats Menu will be serving Chicken Tikka Masala and Mango Lassi. 

School Safety 
Brien McMahon-CGS will begin installing Wi-Fi door alarms the first week of November, this is the final school in the project which began in July 2023. 

The Norwalk Police Department has increased the number of SROs from seven to nine. As of Oct. 24, 15 NPD officers (9 SRO, 5 patrol) are assigned to cover NPS schools and properties on a daily basis. NPS is extremely grateful for the NPD’s ongoing support. 

NPS has extended the lease agreement for Ambient.AI Surveillance Monitoring at BMHS-CGS for the remainder of the school year. 

Transportation 
National School Bus Safety Week was celebrated Oct. 21 -25. The Transportation Office partnered with NPD during Operation Safe Stop the beginning of the week, 13 violations were issued at several stops throughout Norwalk along the Route 1, 7 and West Ave areas.   

We celebrated bus drivers on Wednesday with a pizza lunch at the bus depot.   

Friday morning our middle and late elementary schools conducted bus evacuation drills.  Due to the unexpected rain on Thursday, we needed to reschedule for this Friday for the high schools, parochial school and early elementary schools.   

Bike, Walk, Roll events were celebrated during this week at Wolfpit, Kendall and Fox Run!  Many families came out on bicycles, scooters and walking to school on these beautiful fall mornings. Bike lights, water bottles, pens, stickers, book markers and fun educational resources were shared with students.  We ended the week with a dance party at Fox Run where Dr Estrella, Ms Flaherty Ludwig, Mr Burnett and others joined us for the celebration.  Thank you to Norwalk Bike/Walk commission members, Nuvance Health and City of Norwalk Health Department for sharing in the festivities and educating our students on how to bike, walk and roll safely.    

Wolfpit Bike Walk Roll         Kendall Bike Walk Roll     Fox Run Bike Walk Roll    Celebrating Drivers 

Channel 12 Clip       The Norwalk Hour Coverage 

The Norwalk Community Health Center Family Health and Wellness Center, located at the Family Center, is closer to its opening this Fall as anticipated! Increasing access to quality health care, the Family Health and Wellness Center will address the physical and behavioral health needs of the whole family. The ribbon cutting and first day of operations are being scheduled. More information to come! 

 

 

On Oct. 25, SHS met with one of NPS’ partners, the Community Health Center (CHC), regarding mobile dental services provided to middle and high school students. Routine dental assessments and cleanings are provided at school during the school day during the Fall and in the Spring. 

Since the last board update, school nurses have assessed 1,461 student injuries and 2,384 student health concerns; 600 medications and 241 treatments were administered. 

Grants 

Norwalk Public Schools received the paraeducator subsidy grant funded by the Connecticut General Assembly. This program aims to reduce healthcare costs for paraeducators employed by local or regional education boards. With this grant, we can reduce the employee share of health insurance for paraeducator’s who work 25 to 30 hours a week. We also received good news this week that the US Department of Education will continue to fund our efforts in supporting students and families to complete the FAFSA work. Through a summer grant, Brien McMahon and Norwalk High School were able to assist students in submitting an additional 160 FAFSA applications that otherwise wouldn’t have been completed without this funding. 

CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION & SPECIALIZED LEARNING

Humanities
In the world of Humanities, teachers are coming to the end of Unit 1. Feedback surveys have been created and shared. Based on that feedback, revisions to the units will take place. The inquiries for SS continue to develop for grades K-8.  

Members of the team worked to support the learning at the School Leaders meetings. We continue to support school walkthroughs and teacher planning at the schools. Professional Development for Instructional Leads at BMHS also took place around the work of Critical Thinking.   

Creating opportunities for critical thinking has begun to take off in many schools. Here is sample work from a 5th grade classroom as they investigated whether Hernan Cortes was a hero, villain, or both?  The “See It, Feel it, Name It” strategy is a favorite! 

Mathematics/STEM
Last week, the STEM department supported additional professional learning for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teachers using Open Sci Ed for the first time this year. The response from teachers has been extremely positive regarding the activities and learning arcs the new resource is providing to enhance the learning experience for students. The department has also been supporting math coaches with feedback about their practices throughout the month. Coaches select an area they would like to have the AEA of STEM visit and observe, debrief conversations and reflections are had, and through support coaches identify next steps to move their individual practices forward to support the teachers and students in their schools.   

Pedagogical shifts about instruction of mathematics continue to be seen! The last two years, professional learning centered around visible thinking and Building Thinking Classrooms has been offered over the summer and during the school year. We are seeing these practices taking hold in classrooms of different levels, with a focus on student engagement, collaboration and discourse, and visible learning for mathematics. Last week the AEA of STEM was invited to visit a 4th grade co-taught classroom at Fox Run engaging in such pedagogical strategies. See the visible student work below.

Multilingual Learners
The countdown is on! The MLL Department has partnered with seven schools to support for the 10 weeks prior to the start of the LAS Links assessment. Schools have engaged in deep data dives into LAS Links data for their schools using the ATLAS protocol and identifying modalities that need the most support, then creating purposeful groupings using the data. The MLL Dept. will support the administration of pre-assessments, scoring, analyzation of data, and provide strategies to support students within the classroom.  

The Family Center is excited for our third annual Halloween Spooktacular Drive-thru event scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3 to 5 pm. You won’t want to miss an evening of music, free spooktastic goody bags, and fun!  This event is open to all scholars. This is a family friendly experience where vehicles will drive around the Family Center and our staff will be handing out goody bags.      

School Counseling
NPS College & Career Specialists and School Counselors K-12 engaged in Professional Learning at City Hall, which included Building Team Capacity with Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Resources for Scholars, EdSight Data Dive, Resiliency Coaching, and RISE Datahub Training. The team had the opportunity to present the NPS Resource Mapping work to the Board of Education, which has recently been shared with all our community stakeholders. Please see “Norwalk Helps” for more information and resources. In Grades 8 to 12, as scholars meet with their School Counselors, the meeting reason data is being housed to review the data to work to support scholar and staff needs. The District Attendance Team meets consistently to support the schools’ attendance team. We have shared a survey with each school attendance team to assess their needs and provide support. The district RISE Network team has just completed the post-secondary collaborative meeting and is preparing for the upcoming Grade 9 Collaborative meeting, in which we help schools support their scholars based on their needs. The team presented Norwalk Public Schools’ work at the MTSS Conference hosted at Fairfield University. Later that day, we presented the Districts’ Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness at the Principals Meeting.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Workforce Development
The CT State Norwalk partnership meets weekly to review potential courses for next year and possible funding and support scholar needs. NPS has created an Early Childhood team in which to work on a possible Early Childhood pathway for scholars. Scholars and families who are 18+ and interested in a trade should register and attend the upcoming Eversource Career Event! The NPS Internship Application is Now Live. If you are an NPS Scholar in Grades 10-12, Have Earned a 2.0+ GPA, and are 16+ years old, there may be a Paid Internship that interests you! The Red Fashion School is now accepting applications for a free class experience in Costume and Fashion Design. “Are You In, Or Are You Out?”

For all NPS Workforce Development Opportunities and more, visit www.norwalkps.org/careertraining. Please be sure to bookmark the site and check back regularly for new and exciting opportunities!

 

 

 

 

Specialized Learning
The specialized learning department held its second new teacher academy for new staff last Tuesday.  The focus of this training was on CT SEDS implementation.  It was a continuation of the first CT SEDS training that happened last month.  Staff worked together to troubleshoot and work on current IEP’s they were working on.  Staff found the training to be very beneficial.  The next new teacher academy is next month on Nov. 19, 2024, where we will focus on Standards aligned goals and objectives.   

The specialized learning department is also planning for the second board workshop on Nov. 6, 2024.  The focus will be on specialized programs.   

SRBI
The team has been able to complete data team meetings. All schools K-8 will have the opportunity to engage in this protocol to support reviewing student and school-wide data.  These meetings include team members from the Central office and the school. 

DIGITAL LEARNING & TECHNOLOGY

Enterprise Software/Data 
We shared visual analytics on department-funded application usage for September 2024 with Central Office department leaders. This report marks the first of our quarterly updates. 

We also collaborated with several new vendors to implement software aimed at enhancing NPS student outcomes: 

  • Level All: Partnering with the Mayor's program to support students in exploring career choices. 
  • UPchieve: Working alongside the VILS initiative in our middle and high schools, providing online tutors and counselors. 
  • Elevation: Collaborating on virtual learning initiatives. 

One of our team members is developing an NPS support chatbot named Buddy! This chatbot will allow users to ask questions related to the Norwalk Public Schools environment, as well as general inquiries beyond NPS. We are excited to launch this new tool! 

Infrastructure/Operations 
New access points have been installed at Roton and Naramake, completing our WiFi upgrades for this year. We have replaced 200 APs across five buildings. 

We will be purchasing an additional 200+ access points through E-rate funding for the upcoming fiscal year. 

We are finalizing our grant application for the FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Program, which will distribute approximately $200 million to K-12 schools and libraries nationwide. The application is due November 1st. 

Digital Learning 
Digital Learning Coaches will attend Fairfield University's Educational Technology Forum on Friday, Nov. 1. They will present on a variety of topics, including producing a podcast with Canva and Google Drawing. We look forward to sharing insights and learning from like-minded participants. Meanwhile, VILS coaches are in Miami this week: 

 
 

 

 

Library Media 
Lynn Payton-Roby, Sara Zawoiski, Casey Andersen, and Katie Angelidis have begun their training in the MicroCredentialing AI in K-12 Education Course. EdAdvance has partnered with Southern CT State University (SCSU) to provide this six-week program. Upon completion, each participant will receive a credential from SCSU. The course includes asynchronous coursework, webinars, and an educator’s portal for communication and sharing ideas. 

Lynn Payton-Roby and Amanda Kennedy attended the CES Library Media and Technology Workshop on Oct. 23. The day focused on AI implementation and its impact on libraries. The audience was divided into interest groups, and Amanda and Lynn engaged in discussions with districts implementing AI. Norwalk appeared to be further along in its AI journey than some other districts. 

 

FINANCE

Budget and Financial Planning
In Budget and Financial Planning, the finance department conducted the FY26 Digital Learning Budget review and led departmental budget planning sessions. They collaborated with the Cabinet Team to review school enrollment figures and update projections as part of the budget planning process. Weekly finance review meetings were held, encompassing variance analysis, regular finance check-ins, and audits. Additionally, the department engaged in discussions regarding unfunded templates and city FTE allocations to maintain comprehensive financial oversight.

Project and Grant Management
Within Project and Grant Management, the finance department reviewed grant narratives and monitored progress payments for ongoing projects. Regular standing meetings were held to ensure effective grants management and to follow up on project payments, aligning with project milestones.

Departmental Coordination
In Departmental Coordination, the finance team facilitated joint meetings with HR to align departmental functions and provide stakeholders with updates on collaborative initiatives. They also addressed ongoing tasks such as team financial reviews and health insurance budget updates to sustain operational continuity.

City and District Collaboration
The City and District Collaboration efforts included organizing FMLA working sessions and finance committee meetings with city officials. The finance department also prepared for an insurance meeting involving the Board of Education and city representatives, fostering alignment on shared financial responsibilities.

Audit and Reporting
For Audit and Reporting, the department conducted audit progress meetings to monitor ongoing audit activities and reviewed updates on city financial reports. Updated reports were generated for internal reviews, ensuring transparency and thorough documentation.

Administrative and Planning Duties
In Administrative and Planning Duties, the finance department scheduled monthly meetings, discussed payment structures, and managed updates to keep relevant stakeholders informed. They also held standing review meetings to provide organizational updates and support ongoing planning initiatives.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Our district has successfully reduced certified staff vacancies by 73%, minimizing the impact on our students since the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.