1/16/2026

STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER

55 Strawberry Hill Ave. Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Week Ending Friday, January 16, 2025

Mr. Matthew Forker, Principal

SHS TEACHER MARCHES IN THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE!

SHS’ Choral and Orchestra Director, Mrs. Erin Ring-Howell, recently performed in the 137th Tournament of Roses Parade held on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.  Ms. Ring-Howell joined 400 elite musicians and educators from across the United States and Mexico to march as a member of the “The Band Director’s Marching Band.”

Mrs. Ring-Howell expressed to me when she found out she was participating, that this was a “lifelong bucket list experience” and was “extremely thrilled and excited to be a part of this long-standing American institution!”

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Here are some quick updates and reminders for the academic week ending January 16, 2025.  Links have been provided, where applicable, to help with further details.  Have a great weekend with your families! 

JANUARY / FEBRUARY DATES TO REMEMBER

January 19: MLK Day (No School)

January 23: End of Quarter 2

January 28: Early Release for Students

January 30: Add/Drop deadline for 0.5 credit courses (Quarter 3, High School)

February 6: Add/Drop deadline for 1 credit courses (Semester 2, High School)

February 6: Quarter 2 Grades accessible in Parent Portal

February 13: Presidents Day Weekend (No School)

February 16: President’s Day (No School)

February 18: Early Release (students) Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 19: Early Release (students) Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 20: Early Release (students) Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 25: Early Release (students)

February 27: 3rd Quarter Progress Reports accessible in Parent Portal

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH:

Share Your Input with ThoughtExchange!

Do you have ideas about the priorities for the next Superintendent of Schools? Share your ideas online anonymously with ThoughtExchange. 

ThoughtExchange is a way for everyone—parents, staff, students, and the community—to share their views and to rate the thoughts of others in the community. 

The ThoughtExchange survey is available in dozens of languages, including Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Ukrainian, and many more. 

There’s Still Time to Join a Search Session!

There’s also still time to participate in superintendent search input sessions either in-person or virtually. Please register to participate and to indicate if you need interpretation services. Remaining sessions are: 

Parent/Family Sessions:

• Tuesday, January 20 @ 9 am via ZOOM 

• Wednesday, January 21 @ 8 am via ZOOM  

• Wednesday, January 21 @ 5:30 pm at the SPS Welcome Center (presented in Spanish) 

• Thursday, January 22 @ 7 pm via ZOOM  

     Student Session:

• Wednesday, January 21 @ 7:30 pm via Google Meet 

     Community Sessions:

• Tuesday, January 20 @ 10 am at the Stamford Government Center 

• Thursday, January 22 @ 8 pm via ZOOM

COLLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING SEMINAR

As part of our ongoing effort to educate and support student-athletes and their families, we are excited to host another NCAA Recruiting Seminar on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 PM in the SHS Auditorium. We are pleased to welcome back Wayne Mazzoni, author of Get Recruited, who will provide valuable insight into the college recruiting process and lead a Q&A session.

If you are interested in learning more about college athletics and the recruiting journey, we strongly encourage you to attend. Registration is available via the link on the flyer.

LAST CALL FOR SENIOR YEARBOOK PORTRAITS!

WHEN: January 20-23

WHERE: Room 101 (small auditorium)

HOW TO SIGN UP:    

1. Click the link to view available times: 2026 Senior Portrait Sign-ups (FINAL CHANCE)

2. Email Mr. Lutz (rlutz@stamfordpublicschools.org) AND Ms. Vivirito (avivirito@stamfordpublicschools.org) to request a time slot. 

First come, first serve, so have multiple options if necessary. Please provide a first, second, and third choice to ensure you get a spot. 

DEADLINE: January 16th

Please note: This is NOT a typical senior portrait session. There is no $25 sitting fee, so you do not get multiple wardrobe changes, and you are only allowed up to five poses. You still can purchase the portraits, but the picture selected for the yearbook may be chosen by Legacy due to time constraints. 

Contact Ms. Vivirito or Mr. Lutz with any questions.

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER

The College and Career Center Newsletter is up to date and can be found here. Follow the department on IG for updates and information @shscounselingdept

• Congratulations to all the students that were accepted on Albertus Magnus Instant Decision Day, they received over $100,000 in scholarships

• Resume Building Workshop- January 22, 2026- Register on Naviance

• UCONN Storrs Field Trip- March 31, 2026

• All permission slips for field trips (Porter and Chester/ Lincoln Tech) must be returned to Ms. Vazquez. There are limited seats on all trips and priority will be given to students that have an interest in a trade

• Check out the scholarships available in the College and Career Center

• Look out for information on the HBCU speaker series in February

AP Exams- all students that were enrolled in a College Board AP classroom received an email with their AP exam order status. If your exam was not ordered and this is incorrect, please email Ms. Vazquez.

ACTION PHOTOS OF THE WEEK!

Mr. Barron (Science Teacher) is back!  Here are some highlights from recent sporting events!

EARLY COLLEGE STUDIES (ECS) TO HOST A PANEL DISCUSSION

Artificial Intelligence: Wield it for Good or Stop It Now?

Please join us for a panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence to be held Thursday January 22nd during Period 2.

Our panelists have over 100 years of combined experience in the tech industry and will give their perspective on the current state of AI, what effect it is having on the labor market, how to market your skills to employers in light of AI, and ultimately whether or not AI is something that should be embraced or is it something we should fear.

Hear the answers to these and all of your other questions about AI at this not to be missed event! Students must pre-register at this link by Wednesday January 21st to attend!

SHS “U-KNIGHTED NATION” TUTORING

If any student needs extra academic support throughout the school year, the SHS U-Knighted Nation organization is here to assist!  Made up of student volunteers, the UKN tutors are available to assist and help ANY student that may need it.

CELL PHONE POLICY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)

For cell phone Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

“OPEN CAMPUS”

Parents and families, as a reminder, the SPS “Open Campus Policy” is only permissible for students in GRADES 11 and 12.