2/27/2026

STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER

55 Strawberry Hill Ave. Stamford, Connecticut 06902 

Week Ending Friday, February 27, 2026

Mr. Matthew Forker, Principal

SHS RESEARCHERS HEAD TO UB RISE 2026!

We are thrilled to announce that several Stamford High School students have been selected to present their original research at UB RISE, the University of Bridgeport’s premier annual symposium for Research, Innovation, Scholarship, and Entrepreneurship.

This competitive platform allows high school researchers to showcase their work alongside university-level peers. To be selected, our students met rigorous collegiate standards, submitting abstracts, digital posters, and video presentations for evaluation based on intellectual merit and scientific clarity.

Under the mentorship of SHS teacher Susan Dougherty, these students have gone above and beyond their standard coursework, dedicating time before and after school to develop their projects. Their work spans cutting-edge fields including climate data science, genetic responses in microgravity, and Martian colonization.

The 2026 Finalists and Projects:

Space Medicine & Biology

• Julia Akramovich (Grade 11): Tracking how cancer cells react to heat in microgravity.

• Daniela Hernandez (Grade 11): Studying the genetic shifts of cancer cells in space.

• Rylie Haynes (Grade 11): Researching how microgravity affects the human immune system.

• Basil Lintern & Amitai Telrav (Grade 11): Investigating how deep-space radiation impacts human cell survival.

Advanced Lab & Biotech

• Alexander Polletta & Magnus Smail (Grade 11): Testing how bacteria (S. aureus) responds to clay in microgravity.

• Amelia Nandikesan (Grade 10): Using cell-free systems to study gene transcription in space.

Engineering & Planetary Science

• Jaydee Cruz-de Los Santos (Grade 11): Designing CubeSats (mini satellites) to decode atmospheric data.

• Samiksha Dhanapal (Grade 9): Identifying the best plant genetics for colonizing Mars.

Congratulations to these brilliant young scientists for representing Stamford High on the university stage!

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Here are some quick updates and reminders for the academic week ending February 27, 2026.  Links have been provided, where applicable, to help with further details.  Have a great weekend with your families!  

FEBRUARY DATES TO REMEMBER

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

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

The SPS Family Climate Survey is now open!  We encourage all families to participate to share your thoughts and let us know how WE are doing for YOU!

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER

The College and Career Center with DOMUS hosted a HBCU Voices of Experience Speaker Workshop. Students were able to hear highlights of the speaker’s college experiences and learn about their HBCU schools.

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

 Below are highlights, read the full newsletter for more resources and details.

Stamford Dollars for Scholars Application (Local Scholarship Session for Stamford) Session- March 5, 2026

CT State Application Day- March 6, 2026

CT State Community Field Trip- Norwalk- March 12, 2026 Form

Sorority 101 Workshop- March 13, 2026

SHS WELCOMES SWEDISH HOCKEY TEAM

This past week, SHS welcomed hockey players from Sweden as they visited the USA as part of an ongoing relationship between the Stamford Youth Hockey Association (SYHA) and Enebyberg.  Players came to SHS as guest shadows for the day, staying with host families and enjoying other attractions in the area, like going to NYC and eating CT Pizza!  We had a great time hosting, and it seemed they enjoyed being here as well! Thank you to all of our host families, students for chaperoning, and teachers for welcoming our guests with open arms!

More about Stamford’s connection to Swedish Hockey:

Since 1983, the Stamford Youth Hockey Association and the Enebyberg Sweden Team have participated in a unique international exchange program. This program was started in 1983 with an advertisement placed in European newspapers by the parents involved with Stamford Youth Hockey. A Sports Club in Enebyberg (a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden) answered the ad and the exchange began. Unlike your typical student exchange program, the "Swedish Exchange Program" has involved hundreds of 13 and 14 year old hockey players and their families from Stamford, Connecticut and Enebyberg, Sweden. The Stamford Bantam Hockey Team, their parents and siblings travel to Sweden and the following year the Enebyberg Team (now the Stockholm-Danderyd-Enebyberg Team) and their families come to Stamford, Connecticut. The program has become a tradition and a major highlight of Stamford Youth Hockey.

SHS BASKETBALL PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE SENIORS

The SHS Basketball programs, as they both gear up for both the FCAIC and CIAC playoffs, took a moment to honor graduating seniors from their programs, many of whom have played all four years of high school.  While it is always sad to say goodbye, there is still work to be done in the playoffs!  Best of luck to the players as they prepare for their next chapter!

SHS STUDENTS ATTEND STATE CONFERENCE

On Thursday, DECA students participated in the DECA State Career Development Conference with approximately 1,200 students from high schools across the state, held at the Aquaturf in Southington, CT.  Students Juan Garcia Ortiz (12); Betly Muralles Bonilla (11); Isabelle Brooks (11); Sebastian Rosa (11); Amelia Nandikesan (10); Mira Paul (10); and Rhea Sadhu (10) attended and competed in the Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making, Human Resources Management, Principles of Finance, and Restaurant and Food Service Management events.  Congratulations to Amelia Nandikesan for placing fourth overall in Principles of Finance.  We are so proud of our Stamford DECA chapter!

SHS CHEER CONTINUES ITS WINNING WAYS!

It was a first-place finish across the board today! Varsity held onto their throne, while our JV team made history with the program's first-ever 1st place win! In the specialty categories, our Top Gun stunt group (Captains Bianca & Allie, Matilda, Daphne, and Kai) took home the gold again, and Kai dominated the mat with 1st place wins in both tumbling and jumping.

SPIRIT “KNIGHT” IS BACK!

Spirit Knight is a special event that brings our SHS Community together to celebrate Fashion, Fun and School Spirit - all while supporting a great cause!

Volunteers link for Spirit Knight https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5UQAyHQ7pv1FFOCbqmqcMr73pfOYlu0TmbafzzfD1BAhN8Q/viewform

Spirit Knight & Fashion Show Ticket purchase website is NOW LIVE -https://our.show/SpiritKnight26

ATTENDANCE GRADE RECOVERY (AGR) INFORMATION

Questions about the AGR process?

Grades 9 and 12: jcarde@stamfordpublicschools.org 

Grades 10 and 11: dostasiewski@stamfordpublicschools.org

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.