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Colchester Public Schools
127 Norwich Avenue, Suite 202
Colchester, CT 06415
Jeffrey E. Burt Phone (860) 537-7208
Superintendent of Schools jburt@colchesterct.org
August 14, 2019
Dear Colchester Families,
As we prepare to welcome back students for an exciting year, we look to our new mission
statement for inspiration: We create innovative thinkers for a dynamic world. “We”
embodies the notion that everyone in our community plays a role in developing
innovative thinkers, and that Colchester collectively thrives when students develop the
skills to solve problems, work collaboratively, and communicate effectively.
Every teacher, staff member, and school employee is prepared for a bold new school year,
with solidly crafted plans for sustained commitment in key strategic areas. The teachers of
Colchester are prepared to provide innovative teaching and personalized instruction to
each and every student, as we continually strive to strengthen our ability to provide
educational programs that encourage the skills necessary for success in the 21st century.
We seek to provide authentic learning experiences and measure student success far
beyond state assessments.
We don’t, however, do this important work alone. A key district priority is embracing
partnerships in the community. Over the last year, we’ve reached out into the Colchester
community to form partnerships with parents, caregivers, educators, business owners,
and community members. Our expectations for success are high, because we know that
our efforts benefit the Town of Colchester as well when students are prepared with the
skills to be successful in a dynamic work force.
As you prepare your students to return to school, I ask you as parents and caregivers: how
can you inspire your students to strive for excellence? What is your role in this
partnership, and how can it be improved? I will continue to listen to and learn from you,
and work with the Board of Education and my colleagues to continue to build on the
tradition of providing an outstanding educational experience for Colchester’s children. I
look forward to seeing you at the many student activities and events during and after
school, and I welcome any comments you may have. Please also know that you can
contact me directly at any time if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.
As we quickly approach the start of school, you may find this Back to School information
useful:
● The first day of school is Wednesday, August 28th.
● School bus routes, school hours, Open House schedules, staff contact information
are all located on our website: colchesterct.org
● To receive text alerts through our School Messenger system on important
information, emergency situations, and inclement weather, send a text message of
“Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.
● If you haven’t done so, please complete your student’s online Student Information
Form located in the PowerSchool parent portal.
I welcome you all to the 2019-2020 school year. We are a community of dedicated
professionals who know that we achieve extraordinary results when we work together on
behalf of the students we serve. The Colchester Public Schools staff is excited to see
everyone on August 28th!
Warmest Regards,
Jeffrey E. Burt
Superintendent of Schools