5/15/2026

STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER 

55 Strawberry Hill Ave. Stamford, Connecticut 06902 

Week Ending Friday, May 15, 2026 

Mr. Matthew Forker, Principal 

STAMFORD HIGH'S AMELIA NANDIKESAN NAMED "GENES IN SPACE" SEMIFINALIST 

Stamford High School sophomore Amelia Nandikesan has been named a semifinalist in the prestigious 2026 Genes in Space competition, an elite STEM contest challenging students to design biotechnology experiments for space exploration. Out of hundreds of national applicants, Amelia stood out with her project, "Lost In Translation? Investigating the Impact of Microgravity on Gene Transcription Mechanisms," which aims to help scientists understand why humans lose bone density in space. This achievement follows her recent first-place victory at the UB RISE High School Science Research Symposium. 

Amelia developed her proposal by working extensively outside of regular class hours alongside seven of her peers. The students were mentored by Stamford High teacher and Women of Innovation awardee Sue Dougherty, who runs the after-school program to provide students with authentic, NASA-affiliated research opportunities. 

As a semifinalist, Amelia is now competing to be one of just five finalist teams. Finalists will receive mentorship from Harvard and MIT scientists to refine their designs before traveling to Houston, Texas, to present their ideas at the ISS Research & Development Conference. The grand prize winner will see their experiment launched into orbit and conducted by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. 

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE 

Here are some quick updates and reminders for the academic week ending May 15, 2026.  Links have been provided, where applicable, to help with further details.  Have a great weekend with your families!  

MAY DATES TO REMEMBER 

May 25: Memorial Day (No School) 

May 26: IB Celebrations Night 

May 27: Early Release / National Honor Society Induction Night 

SHS GRADUATION DATE SET! 

Wednesday June 17, 2026 

2:00 PM 

Boyle Stadium 

(Rain Date Thursday June 18; Time TBD) 

SENIOR PROM INFO 

Payment to attend (both students and guests) is due by Midnight on Tuesday 5/19/26.    

Please check your email for the appropriate links (sent by senior advisors Mr. Keller or Ms. Valentine-Fabiano) if you wish to complete this process online.   

Please reach out to either advisor via email or see them in person with any questions or concerns.

GRADUATION LAWN SIGNS! 

We are happy to announce that SHS is selling lawn signs to celebrate our class of 2026 Graduates. 

Class of 2026 - Graduation Lawn Sign 

There is a link to an online payment option in the Google form. 

We will be ordering the signs this week and will notify the students when and where they can pick them up.  

SCHOOL COUNSELING 

MBL (MASTERY BASED LEARNING) UPDATES: 

Any seniors hoping to earn their MBL credit must submit documentation via Google Form by Monday, June 1st. If approved, the P will be added by June 8th. Be sure your counselor is aware so this can be added to your schedule as a spot for the P to be added. Flyers with QR codes are below and the link is here: https://forms.gle/RrRfgTwbLfxVgJ5p6 

SENIOR SURVEYS 

All seniors must complete two required senior surveys:
1. RISE Survey- click link here: https://tinyurl.com/4pzefvfe
2. Naviance, Graduation Survey 25-26 follow the directions here: 

• Login to Naviance through your school Gmail- click the waffle and find the Naviance app 

• Click on About Me at the top of the screen 

• Look for 'Surveys from your school' and click on it 

• Click on the Graduation Survey 25-26 

• Answer all of the required questions and be sure to submit at the end. 

If you have any questions, see your school counselor. 

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER 

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 and daily posts! @shscounselingdept   

• Academy of Skin and Beauty Trip May 28, 2026- See your school counselor 

• Resume Workshop- May 28, 2026, 3rd Period 

• CT State Norwalk Class Registration Field Trip: Complete google form and pick up permission slip from Ms. Vazquez 

• Senior Scholarship Ceremony- June 2, 2026 (seniors must self-report their scholarships to be recognized at this ceremony) 

VAPA DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES STUDENT WINS IN ART COMPETITION! 

The SHS Visual and Performing Arts department is thrilled to announce that two of our talented students have been recognized for their outstanding artistic achievements: 

• Jaqueline Mencos (First Place): Receives a $100 Jerry’s Artarama gift certificate for her piece, "Untitled" (paint marker on cardboard). 

• Art Teacher: Mr. Eton-Koch 

• Nicole Carias (Second Place): Receives a $50 Jerry’s Artarama gift certificate for her piece, "A Snake’s Coat" (ceramic). 

• Art Teacher: Mrs. Vivirito 

JOURNALISM STUDENT PLACES IN NATIONAL COMPETITION 

SHS student Nicholas Sutin’s article, “A Great Place to Learn, A Hard Place to Live: How Far Some Stamford Teachers Go Just to Show Up” earned him an Honorable Mention at the National Federation of Press Women High School Journalism Contest. 

SHS CONCERT CHOIR REPRESENTS AT MUSIC FESTIVAL 

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievement of the SHS Concert Choir at the recent Trills and Thrills Music Festival. The ensemble earned a 2nd Place award for their moving performances of: 

"Ubi Caritas" by Bryan Sharpe and "Michael Finnegan (Traditional)" arranged by Mark Burrows directed by Ms. Ring-Howell, Concert Choir Director. 

Please help us give a huge round of applause to the hard work and talent of the following students: 

• Joset Archila Aguirre 

• Juliana Collingwood 

• Olivia Gerwell 

• Hillary Ho 

• Skyla Johnson 

• Veronika Lopez Velasquez 

• Isabella Orrego-Correa 

• Pavla Smid 

• Jazmen Terry 

• Reese Laurens Yap 

SCIENCE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY VISITS WESTOVER  

This past week, members of the SHS Science National Honor Society visited Westover Elementary School for their annual STEAM night!   

TESTING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS:  IS IT AN ACID OR A BASE? 

FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES 

2026-2027 SPORTS INFORMATION 

Black Knight Athletics Registration – Opens May 5th for the 2026–2027 school year. 

Registration for all Stamford High School athletic programs (Fall, Winter, and Spring) will open on May 5. 

All student-athletes must complete registration online through Final Forms. A parent/guardian must register the student first – Then the student will get an email in their school email where they will log on and complete the registration. You can register here - https://www.stamfordathletics.org/about 

Registration instructions can be found here:
https://www.stamfordathletics.org/about/registration-process 

All athletes are required to have a current physical, which must be uploaded to Final Forms and approved by the school nurses (nurses check the website regularly to approve) prior to participation in: 

• Any summer activities 

• Tryouts for the 2026–2027 school year (Fall starts; golf 8/10, football 8/13 & rest 8/24) 

Instructions for uploading a physical can be found here:
https://www.finalforms.com/blog/end-of-year-reminder-how-to-upload-a-physical-in-finalforms 

Please note: Student-athletes who do not complete the full registration process (including an up to date physical) will not be permitted to participate. 

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. Contact Mr. White for more information, jwhite@stamfordpublicschools.org

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.