Back-to-School 2018 Message from Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez

I am so excited to WELCOME BACK each one of our BEAUTIFUL AND CAPABLE STUDENTS!

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 28. Teachers, Principals, and staff at all HPS schools are eagerly awaiting you for the first day – DON’T MISS IT!

For all families and care-givers preparing a child for the start of school, I urge you to contact the Welcome Center with any questions you may have. They can be reached at 860-695-8400 or by visiting them at 960 Main Street (in downtown Hartford), Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

The Welcome Center can assist you with questions regarding obtaining school uniforms, immunizations, and so much more. Please don’t hesitate and call them today!

Ensuring that all our students show up for the first day (and every day) is critical and we can all help in this effort. Attendance Matters, every day and for each student.

ShoulderUp is our theme for the 2018-2019 School Year. Together our families, our teachers, our staff, and our partners (community, faith-based, higher-ed, and business) are standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Together, we are building a better school district. Together, we are building a better community.  Together, we are supporting ALL our students. Together, our students are invincible. ShoulderUp!

2018-2019 is an important year for Hartford Public Schools. We are entering the second year of our District Model for Excellence restructuring plan and this is the point where our goals are starting to become reality. My administration and school leaders are working hard to put these plans into action.

Despite facing serious budget challenges, we are ADDING teachers, social workers, and other support staff that directly impact student performance.

The work of restructuring (or better yet REIMAGINING) our school district is difficult. However, I promise you that together we can build a system of schools that provide all children with every opportunity they need to be successful. We will achieve our goals by focusing on greater inclusivity and continuous improvement.

I encourage you to stay informed. We will be sending out a monthly newsletter to keep families aware of district information, news and events (hosted by our Family & Community Engagement department). Make sure your contact information is updated in PowerSchool. You can also follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram). Of course, this information and so much more can all be found on our website at www.hartfordschools.org

The 2018-19 school year is going to be a great one and together we are going to make HPS the best it can be. Please join us and ShoulderUp!