It is always a pleasure to see the students returning to school. I enjoyed spending time at both Center Elementary and at Hall Memorial during the first few days of school. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm of the students and the staff. The 2008-2009 school year is off to great start!

I have always held a firm belief that schools are more successful when parents are involved. There are many ways to be involved. You can sign up to volunteer in the schools or perhaps join the Willington P.T.A. You can come to the monthly Board of Education meeting. I will also be hosting several meetings this year to meet with parents and to gather input on various issues. The first meeting will be on October 29 at the Hall Memorial School Library at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the Board of Education Budget process. I hope to see many of you at the meeting.

We have launched a new web page for the district and have redesigned the school web pages. Make sure to visit us at willingtonpublicschools.org. The site includes links to the school web pages and many resources for parents. School notices will also be posted on the websites. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestion on how to use the site to better communicate with parents.

One way that the district has worked to improve communications is through our new student information system. One of the features allows parents to access their child’s grades from home. Last year we piloted the Parent Portal and received very positive feedback from the parents who participated. This year access to this portal will be available to all parents. You will no longer have to wait for progress reports or report cards to know your child's academic progress as this information will be available to you in "real-time".

This portal is accessed through a website and requires a password. To acquire the information needed to enter the portal, a parent/guardian of the student must come to the main office and present a photo ID (such as a driver’s license) at which time you will be given instructions and a password for access to the portal. It is important that passwords be kept confidential.

You may come to the main office at Hall Memorial to receive this information. Center School will be ready to launch the Parent Portal on October 20th. Contact the schools for more information.

Another exciting event that is on the horizon is a Willington Parent Expo to be held at Center School on Saturday, November 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This free event is geared for those expecting their first child or who have a child through 3rd grade. The expo originated through parent recommendations and is a joint venture between the schools, the public library, youth and family services, the Willington recreation department, the Willington P.T.A., as well as many other local organizations. It will provide parents with an opportunity to access information on a variety of topics. There will be guest speakers and fun activities for the children. We are hoping for a great turnout.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

David C. Harding