Central Office

• September 2017 Professional Development Presentation
• November 2017 Professional Development Presentation
• November 2019 Professional Development Presentation
• August 2020 Preston Schools Reopening Presentation
• August 2023 Preston School Opening Day Presentation
• November 2023 Preston Schools Professional Development Opening Presentation
• January 2024 Preston Schools Professional Development Opening Presentation

What Happens at My House on Snow Days Redux

(Read: Weather Days)

As many have noticed, weather patterns are changing, appearing more erratic and more extreme. We have advised families to always have a foul weather plan ready to implement as we respond to many nuances of weather influenced decisions.

At my house (and every superintendent’s home), on a “non-routine weather day,” I hop out of bed at 4 AM (meaning I did not sleep well and am likely already awake), and contact the Director of Transportation and Supervisor of Building and Grounds. (They’re not great sleepers either)! We review the current status – power, heat, roads, water, busses etc. If the weather is questionable I may also contact our local troopers, the First Selectwoman, or the head of Preston DPW. The First Selectwoman also comes into play, especially if road conditions are impacted by wind damage, limbs down, or power outages. I also review the most current weather forecast through a web-based app and a retired military meteorologist who has volunteered to advise superintendents through the issuing of an email report.

All of our local school districts are linked together in one way or another. We reach out to our local cadre of superintendents on every questionable weather day. We review each other's readiness and almost always promise to call back to confirm our decisions. Of course, our first assessment is based on the readiness of the high schools, especially NFA. As Norwich Public Schools go, so goes NFA. This has a significant influence on us because the high school routes must run first, and our buses are on the roads early.

While ruminating our four AM status, utmost in our minds is student safety and family routines, especially for parents who work and also staff who are about to get on the road, many coming from other towns. The first school bus typically leaves the yard at 5:45 am. That means that our mechanic, Director, and drivers need to be at the garage no later than 5 am. Thus, their capacity to drive safely from home must be considered. It is important to have a decision on or before 5:30 am. Of course, deciding the night before is the best but not always practical. The tension between New England weather patterns, having 182 days of instruction, and staff, family, and student obligation is to be educated. In the end, there is coordination with many aspects of our greater learning community and municipal resources.  

 After the decision is made we implement our media blitz. A Blackboard Connect message is sent via voice, text, and email. TV, radio and media posts are implemented. I post on Facebook and Gloria covers the web page and other local outlets. The information is sent to the media, such as WFSB and WCTY, who list the school cancellations or delays. Of course, we have a backup phone tree that we can use as well.

If you see NFA listed, Preston Public Schools will have the same cancellation or delay of usually 2 hours. If Preston has a delay or cancellation, all schools we transport to are automatically on 2-hour delay or cancellation for transportation. It is very rare that we would have a 90-minute delay, folks seem to struggle with the math. One hour delays tend to have little impact so 2-hour delays seem much more sensible. Two hour delays also allow for continuous assessments, and every once in a while, delays can turn into a cancellation.

None of this considers the dynamics of “routine” daily adjustments that must be made based on vehicle performance, students changing addresses, or driver absence. This is handled with expertise by our transportation director.

 We encourage all staff not to make predictions to students on days before a storm arrives about school closings or delays.  We live in New England where the weather can change rapidly from snow to no snow, ice to no ice, depending on the temperature.

There is the event, and then there is the cleanup. When high winds are involved or very heavy amounts of rain or snow, the cleanup an require another delay or continued cancellation.

In the end, our purpose is to have our children and staff be as safe and as comfortable as possible, so that they can experience undistracted positive learning in an environment that is secure, warm, and dry!  

 Be safe. Be well.

Preston Public Schools are embedded in a small, relatively homogenous but changing community of just under 5,000 people. The school district population PK-8 is comprised of about 430 students. Preston also cares for approximately 200 high school students that attend surrounding institutions. The district employs various strategies designed to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation. In years past, we established a community group whose charge is to look deeply into race, access, and opportunity. This community group is being reestablished after COVID disruption.  We are engaged with the LEARN Collaborative and its offering: Race, Racism, Equity presentation by Dr. Lee Teitel. The leadership of the district is involved in a text-based discussion using two books: “The Fire Next Time,” by James Baldwin, “White Fragility – Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism,” by Robin Diangelo, me and white supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad. We use the Equity Tool Kit established by the Connecticut Department of Education for reference and guidance. We also signed up as a district for access to Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, including Dr. Mark Brackett’s offer for multiple virtual course offerings on various mental health issues.  We engaged Safe Future's professional development and engaged partners such as Effective School Solutions to assist learning staff in addressing mental health, student and staff wellness, and student self-regulating behavior. And we are in the process of reviewing our Strategic Plan to incorporate what we are learning into our future planning.

At the building levels, all students at the middle school level participate in an Advisor-Advisee program. This program provides a supervised venue for discussing various topics, including racial, ethnic, religious, and economic differences.

At the PK -5 level, the school’s annual Preston Palooza, Annual Food Drive, and support of various charities such as the American Cancer Society is an event that engages virtually every student in appreciating the needs of those who are economically challenged and less fortunate. Lastly, both schools offer one or more assemblies throughout the year that are designed to enlighten students about the wide array of differences – racial, ethnic, and otherwise – that exist among people in coordination with other activities and professional development noted above.

This statement has been published as a response to the Connecticut State Board of Education's Position Statement on Culturally Responsive Education.

CAPSS' newest publication, titled SUMMER LEARNING, highlights innovative and successful summer programs which were implemented in Connecticut districts using ESSER funding. 

State level ESSER Advisors created this publication based on select programs they visited  throughout the state during the Summer of 2022. 

Preston Public Schools has been recognized for its Summer Voyages Program.

Click here to read the full publication. 

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Connecticut Leader and Educator Evaluation and Support Plans 2024