Open Letter to Bloomfield Community

Dr. Thompson's 2022 Open Letter to Bloomfield Community
Posted on 01/14/2022
Dr. Thompson








Dear Bloomfield community:

As we start the 2022 calendar year and reach the mid-point of the 2021-22 school year, I wanted to share some district highlights.

The 2022 year is a significant one for our schools because we will be implementing transformational steps to enhance the transitions from Pre-K to Grade 12. These are the district’s action plans for this year:

  • Implement Portrait of a Graduate to identify and align, within our curriculum, ideal learning experiences needed for our students to prosper in a 21st century global economy.
  • Develop a Talented and Gifted Program that encompasses a whole school and small group model.
  • Establish and support preschool/readiness programs to service all district three and four year olds.
  • Monitor the progress of our new reading and math programs.
  • Expanding the career-pathway programs at Bloomfield High School and the Donald F. Harris Sr. Agriscience & Technology Center.
  • Incorporate Black and Latinos studies in our curriculum.

While we are positioned for additional growth and success in the upcoming year, we also want to highlight some noteworthy accomplishments from 2021. These points of pride underscore the district’s theme to achieve excellence in academics, athletics and the arts.

ACADEMICS (2021)

  •  The district started its Portrait of a Graduate initiative in the spring of 2021. This involved a team collaboration involving our families, our town representatives, and our community. This team identified the following four competencies: critical thinking, problem solving, communication and adaptability. We believe that these skill sets, along with our locally developed and globally positioned vision, will afford our students success in college, career and life. 
  • We continue our work in equity and culturally relevant teaching. Also, we established a curriculum to address the state’s new Black & Latino studies law. A lead author to the new law was State Rep. Bobby Gibson (D-Bloomfield).
  • The district implemented summer programs for all students, Pre-K to Grade 12.
  • CT State Department of Education awarded Kyle Mansfield, an Applied Behavior Analysis Assistant with the district’s Steps to Success program, with its Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year award.
  • Bloomfield High School (BHS) seniors won first place in an inaugural, international 2021 Made to Move Communities Global Health Challenge, sponsored by Otis Worldwide Corporations. The team presented innovative ideas to improve contactless grocery shopping and delivery during a pandemic.
  •  Bloomfield student Charles Fennell, was the 2021 CT Spelling Bee Champion.

ATHLETICS

  • The BHS football team finished the regular season undefeated and ranked #1 in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s Class S division.
  •  Blomfield is home to the state’s top-ranked girls’ indoor high jumper. D’Jior Delisser, a senior at BHS, is also recognized as one of the top high jumpers in the country.
  •  BHS boys and girls indoor track teams compete for another Central Connecticut Conference championship January 29.
  • The undefeated BHS boys basketball team is off to a very promising start in the 2021-22 season.The BHS athletic department once again was honored with the CIAC’s Michaels Achievement Cup, which recognizes exemplary athletic programs whose core values are sportsmanship and community service.

The ARTS

  •  The district hosted a yearlong tribute to the Harlem Renaissance centennial, producing virtual programs that engaged families, staff and the community.
  • For the third year in a row, Bloomfield was recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants – known as NAMM - as one of the “Best Communities” in the nation for music education. NAMM’s mission is to strengthen and promote music education.
  • Bloomfield Public Schools was the recipient of the 2021 Connecticut Association of Boards of Education's Bonnie B. Carney Award of Excellence for Educational Communications. The district was recognized in the Special Projects (Audio/Visual) category for the video produced by a team of staffers entitled "Celebrating the Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance".

Though we continue to be mindful in monitoring COVID-19 health data and safety protocols, we are very much focused on reaffirming high expectations for all students.

Thank you for your continued support of Bloomfield Public Schools.

Dr. James Thompson, Jr.
Superintendent, Bloomfield Public Schools

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