School starts on Tuesday for nearly 20,000 students in Hartford.
But as children and families finish up their back to school shopping the superintendent has a strong message for families.
“Come to school,” said Supt. Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez. This new academic school year, the superintendent wants to cut back on attendance issues in the district.
The theme of the new school year is “Shoulder Up.” Torres-Rodriguez explained the meaning to NBC Connecticut.
“We have one collective mission and that is to “shoulder up,” which is our theme for the year to collaborate with one another for the sake of our students.”
The superintendent said that attitude starts on the very first day. More than 8,000 Hartford students, 40 percent, were labeled truant last school year.
“We do have a challenge in front of us. One in four of our students is chronically absent so we cannot have our students first missing any school. But chronic absenteeism speaks to missing 10 percent or more of the school year. We don’t want any of our students to have any gaps in their learning,” Torres-Rodriguez reiterated.
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The superintendent said she is also fielding lots of questions about uniforms. Torres-Rodriguez said if your child doesn’t have a school uniform yet, come to school anyway, that shouldn’t keep them home. They’ll figure it out.
As teachers and administrators prepare for students to return, kick-off activities were underway Monday. Pre-K through fifth grade students enjoyed a cafeteria cookout at the Sanchez School on Monday. Glastonbury’s rotary club served up free lunch and the students received free back packs filled with school supplies from the Wireless Zone.
Ebonie Burke and her son 7-year-old son Nichael Burke-Lee spent part of Monday shopping for back to school supplies. “Markers, colored pencils, rulers, glue sticks, binders and notebooks,” Burke told NBC Connecticut.
“I got a transformer watch and backpack!” Burke-Lee said.
He is going to be in the second grade at West Middle School.
Burke-Lee said his favorite part about school is the teachers. “They help you! They’re trying to help you get smart.”
Across town at Dunkin Donuts Park more than 1,500 Hartford teachers and staff celebrated the start of a new school year at the 2018 convocation.
All Hartford public schools are air conditioned and ready for tomorrow, but the facilities crew is on standby just in case there is an issue, Torres-Rodriguez told NBC Connecticut.
