1/23/2026

STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER

55 Strawberry Hill Ave. Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Week Ending Friday, January 23, 2025

Mr. Matthew Forker, Principal

A "PAWSITIVE" IMPACT: STUDENT’S MISSION TO SUPPORT STAMFORD ANIMALS

Stamford High School sophomore Leah Inverno recently turned her passion for animals into a meaningful community project. As part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP), Leah organized a donation drive to support Stamford Animal Control.

Leah, an aspiring veterinarian who hopes to attend Penn State, wanted to give back to the shelter but was too young to volunteer in person. Instead, she used her IB community project to fill a critical need. Between October and January, Leah used Instagram and Venmo to collect funds and supplies from friends and family.

In early January, Leah delivered a variety of much-needed items to the shelter. The staff expressed deep gratitude, noting that donations are always in high demand. For Leah, seeing the animals at the shelter firsthand reinforced her commitment to the cause.

Leah plans to make this an annual tradition to continue supporting local shelter animals.

You can read about Leah’s journey here (Stamford Advocate)!

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Here are some quick updates and reminders for the academic week ending January 23, 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 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 14: Valentine’s Day

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

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER

Scholarship season is starting for SHS. Check out the scholarship list and the available applications in the College and Career Center! There are multiple opportunities for SHS students to win funds for college!

• Lincoln Tech Permission Slips are due Monday!

• Roberta B Willis Scholarship Form is due February 2, 2026

• Any student take participated in ASVAB testing will have an exam review on February 12, 2026

• HBCU Speaker Series- information coming soon

• State Street Scholarship Packets are due to Ms. Vazquez- February 20, 2026

• Financial Aid Award Letter Workshop- February 23, 2026

• UCONN Storrs Trip - March 31, 2026

• Financial Aid Assistance if offered weekly on Wednesdays from 9:30AM - 12:30PM

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.

SWEET SUCCESS: BAKING AND PASTRY CLASSES FACE OFF IN "CUPCAKE WARS"

On Wednesday, January 21, our Baking and Pastry students brought their "A-game" to a high-stakes, Cupcake Wars-style competition. Each class demonstrated remarkable creativity, technical precision, and teamwork, making the final decision incredibly difficult for our panel of judges.

While every group performed exceptionally well, one team was selected from each class to move into the final round. Ultimately, a single group rose to the top: the creators of the Campfire Cupcake. This standout entry earned top honors for its impeccable flavor profile and stunning presentation.

Congratulations to our Overall Winners: Seniors Kripa Rao, Disha Rathod, Divya Rathod, and Daniela Granillo Romero (not pictured).

We are incredibly proud of all our participants for their hard work and culinary talent. Thank you for making this a truly delicious event!

HELP SUPPORT SHS!

SHS Student Council x Minted.com 

Did you know that Minted.com now has classroom valentines as well as many other fun Valentine's Day gifts?

SHS families and friends can enjoy 20% off all Valentine's Day orders plus FREE shipping using our code FUNDRAISESTAMFORD until January 25th.

For every purchase, Student Council will earn a percentage of the proceeds to help support the growing costs of prom and graduation!

Please consider checking out Minted.com!

ACTION PHOTOS OF THE WEEK!

Mr. Barron (Science Teacher) is back! 

This week the boys’ varsity claimed a victory against Ridgefield 61 to 60.  Here are some photos of the JV and Varsity game against Ridgefield.

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.