Superintendent Willett's Bulletin

TPS Family Literacy Night

Click here for the Flyer

Fall into reading with us!

We invite PK-5 families to join us for a night of literacy and fun.

“Leaf” through stories together, “harvest” literacy skills, and discover helpful tips and resources to help your child grow as a reader and writer.

Please take a moment to complete the sign-up form.  This form will help to provide a head count as we plan for this new event to ensure we have the necessary snacks and materials.

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K-5 LITERACY NEWSLETTER for OCTOBER!

Check it out here!

https://canva.link/dmq0usha86gieyu

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2026–2027 Returning Student Update 

Please Complete

Over the past several weeks, we have sent reminder emails each Monday requesting that parents and guardians complete the 2026–2027 Returning Student Update. If you have not yet submitted your form, please do so as soon as possible.

Why is this form important?

Connecticut state law requires Tolland Public Schools to obtain annual authorization for certain medical care and medication administration. The Returning Student Update includes the necessary permissions for the school nurse to administer medications to your student while at school, as indicated on the form.

If the form is not completed, the school may need to contact you for permission when your student visits the nurse’s office. This could delay the administration of medication or other care.

The form also provides an opportunity to share important medical information with the school nurse, helping ensure that your student’s health needs are properly communicated and addressed.

Please take a moment to review and update your student’s information.

The Returning Student Update also allows you to verify and revise:

• Parent and guardian contact information

• Phone numbers and email addresses

• Emergency contacts and contact order

• School pickup and other authorized contacts

It is essential that we have accurate, up-to-date information on file so that we can reach you promptly and respond appropriately should an emergency arise.

Click here to sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal

If you need assistance accessing the PowerSchool Parent Portal or completing the 2026–2027 Returning Student Update, please contact:

Candace de Loureiro
Email: cdeloureiro@tolland.k12.ct.us
Phone: 860-870-6818, extension 10804

Thank you for your prompt attention, cooperation, and continued support in keeping our student information accurate and up to date.

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Behind the Screen Workshop: What Every Parent Should Know About Emerging Online Threats

Featuring Evan Allard, Director of the Connecticut Intelligence Center

Would you know if someone dangerous was communicating with your child online?

The FBI is warning families about violent online networks that seek out children and vulnerable teenagers through social media, gaming platforms, messaging applications, and online communities. What may begin as friendship, attention, or acceptance can develop into grooming, blackmail, sexual exploitation, threats, self-harm, violence, or pressure to victimize others.

And this is not simply a national concern. Investigations involving these types of networks have occurred here in Connecticut.

Tolland Public Schools invites parents and caregivers to join Evan Allard, Director of the Connecticut Intelligence Center, for an important conversation about Nihilistic Violent Extremism, online exploitation, and emerging threats facing young people.

Learn how these networks operate, how children can become targets, what warning signs parents should recognize, how to talk with children about online safety, and what to do if you believe a child is being exploited or threatened.

Awareness is one of the strongest tools we have to protect our children.

November 9, 2026

6:30 pm

Town of Tolland Library Program Room

Please email Jen Palumbo - jpalumbo@tolland.k12.ct.us if you are planning on attending.

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Get ready for the season, check out the 

TPS Snow Procedures

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D76yPdJb297uNAsE4UDoRmVvOxKM4nhD/view

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Want the First View APP to track your student's bus?

Use this year's FirstView App Code: (Changes every year)

2026-2027 Code B4W9C

First View App Site:

https://sites.google.com/tolland.k12.ct.us/tps-firstview/home

Please see sign up letter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1753fLjKIvshphM7bchldGGb9CJNqac2P/view

PLEASE NOTE - IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE TOLLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS YOUR STUDENT'S NAME MAY NOT SHOW UP UNTIL THE BUS LISTS ARE COMPLETED. These should be available early the week of 8/24.

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Superintendent Community Forum Meeting – Zoom

Come with you questions, ideas, and thoughts!

4:00 pm

Dates:

October 22, 2026

January 28, 2027

February 25, 2027

March 25, 2027

April 22, 2027

May 27, 2027

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87375511973?pwd=eTZGUEZzNDlaYkl6N3lxdnA3UlprZz09

Meeting ID: 873 7551 1973

Passcode: 5sC9ud

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BREAKING NEWS ABOUT BREAKFAST!

One Breakfast Daily is free for all students this year! 

If you have a restriction on your student's account that they are not allowed to purchase breakfast, and would like them to be able to receive breakfast this year, please update your Meal Magic Portal restrictions or contact the Food Services Department for assistance at (860)870-6821, ext. 10807 or mmcgrath@tolland.k12.ct.us

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Help Wanted at the Family Resource Center

The Family Resource Center is seeking help for the before and after school program.  The Family Resource Center runs out of both Birch Grove Primary School and Tolland Intermediate School.  Hours would be from 3:00pm – 5:30pm.   Starting hourly pay for Aides is $16.94.

Questions can be direct to Carol Hiller at Tolland Intermediate School 860-870-6885 or chiller@tolland.k12.ct.us

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OPEN HOUSES

BGP

Tuesday, October 6 - Kindergarten - 6:30 pm

Wednesday, October 7 - Grade 1 (ER Day) - 6:30 pm

Thursday, October 8 - Grade 2 - 6:30 pm

THS

Thursday, February 11 - 6:30 pm -7:30 pm

Thursday, February 18 - 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (snow date)

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Job Openings

·         1.0 FTE Paraeducators are needed at all schools.

·         1.0 FTE Associate Behavior Intervention Specialists

Positions are offered health, dental, vision and life insurance coverage as well as a retirement plan.

For more information and to apply visit our website at

www.tolland.k12.ct.us

District Offices/Human Resources/Employment Opportunities

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988 Suicide & Crisis Prevention 

Mental Health Distress? Substance Abuse? Thoughts of Suicide?

Whatever the time, or reason, you can call.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TDt6y9vVfyfiTLoQwHMjSUyZnLCypATg/view?usp=drive_link

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Go Guardian Parent – Home Web Filtering & Monitoring

The district has received many requests from parents and guardians to provide tools that will

allow them greater insights into the browsing habits of their students on district-issued devices, as well as the capability to provide stronger at-home web filtering on those devices.

Click the link below for more information

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10gpHXdHMBOsC6rrOqScNuNSfh0ik3wz1/view?usp=sharing

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Tolland Public School Annual Notifications

https://www.tolland.k12.ct.us/cms/One.aspx?portalId=891651&pageId=48325998

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MEAL CHARGING POLICY

5402 Meal Charging Policy

5402 Regulation 

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ATTENTION PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

Supplemental Student Accident

Insurance is Now Available

Click the link below for more Information

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18y4fiBXIRt10PifaFK4FhmX_5MOcTKTI/view?usp=sharing

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School Nurse Contacts 

School Nurses

THS- 

Cindy Davidson, RN

cdavidson@tolland.k12.ct.us

860-870-6838

TMS- 

Laura Dolcelli, RN

(District Nursing Coordinator)

ldolcelli@tolland.k12.ct.us

860-870-6868

TIS-

Karen Tirgrath, RN

ktirgrath@tolland.k12.ct.us

860-870-6891

BGP-

Victoria Lawhon, RN

vlawhon@tolland.k12.ct.us

860-870-6755

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FREE & REDUCE LUNCH NEEDED - Please see this 

MEAL APPLICATION

The free/reduced meal application for the school year has been added to the Tolland Schools website.  To access the application and all related information please use this link:

Free & Reduced-Price Meal Application Information

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Please see our community notices links at the bottom, and included here as well:

Recent community notices & information 

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Connecting Schools to Care IV Students: School Mental Health Resource and Support Guide

Click link for more Information

Mental Health Support and Services

Click link for more Information

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We would love to have you volunteer in our Tolland Public Schools!

Please contact the Central Office with any questions. For those already volunteering, and those new to the game, the BOE will now do background checks every three school years. If you will be volunteering for the first time in the upcoming school year, please complete the volunteer form After you have submitted your application, please call 860-870-6850 extension 2 to provide your social security number. You can check with the school secretaries to verify your status.

Please note these procedures are required for safety and legal reasons. A person will not be permitted to join trips, work in classrooms, or do other work associated with the students in the schools without completing this process. Doing paperwork in advance and in a timely manner will prevent applicants from missing important events and avoids unnecessary disappointments and exclusions. 

Click Here to Volunteer

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Tolland's own Lincoln-the-Dog's 

Guide to Paw-some Attendance

Click Here for More Information

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FMX system Building Use Reservation/Sign Up Information

Click Here for More Information

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FMX Sign in and Use by Community Members 

FMX is our new software platform for the Tolland Public School schedule requests and replaces our former Building Use request process.  Community Members wanting to request a school space for functions (not already scheduled and approved) can access the platform via the link below:

https://tolland.gofmx.com/login

You will be asked to create an account on this screen that includes a log-in and passcode that will be exclusively your own when accessing this system.  You will also be required to submit proof of liability insurance upon initial sign-up.  If you are not required to have insurance an FMX Administrator will be able to approve the account without it when they approve the initial account creation request.  

FMX is a cloud-based system so you can access from anywhere that has access to the web.

For all previously submitted schedule request (via the old method) to make any changes, cancellations or adjustments to that event requires you to contact the school directly via phone, email, etc. All new schedule requests starting December 2nd, 2024, should be submitted via the FMX method as listed above. 

Any questions regarding account activation can be made to the School Administrative offices at whichever school you are requesting to use:

Birch Grove Primary School- phone, 860-870-6750

Tolland Intermediate School-phone, 860-870-6885

Tolland Middle School-phone, 860-870-6860

Tolland High School-phone, 860-870-6818

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SUBSTITUTES ARE NEEDED DISTRICT WIDE

We need teacher, paraeducator, custodial, nurse, and food service substitutes.

You can choose what position, where and how often. Paper applications are available at the BOE office or can be printed from our website:

https://www.tolland.k12.ct.us/DistrictOffices/human_resources

Do you know someone that might be interested such as a college student (there is plenty of work over the winter break and/or mid May through end of year) or retired family member?

Please send them our way. 

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Notice from Tolland Food & Nutrition Services - MEAL MAGIC!

Dear Tolland Families,

The Tolland Food & Nutrition Services Department is writing to inform you of this software. It requires a new biometrics scanning system for identification purposes at the point of sale.  Therefore, we will need to rescan all students’ fingers for use with the new system.  The rescan will occur at the beginning of the new school year.  See additional information about biometrics below.

Meal Magic has a family portal where parents can create a free account to access the student meal information.  On this portal, there are instructions and videos that walk you through your new account.  Just click here to be directed to that portal system:  https://tolland.familyportal.cloud/  The identifying piece of information that you will need to link your child to your parent account is their student identification number.  If you do not have this number, it is the 5 digit number on the end of your student’s Tolland email address or you can contact us for the number.

The Meal Magic Family Portal will replace the My School Account system that is currently in use for online payments.  You can use the Meal Magic Family Portal to view balances, see account and purchase histories, make deposits, transfer money among family members, and set parental controls.   

You may still send in cash or a check made payable to “Tolland Food Services” to your child’s school if you choose not to make online payments to the account.  Once you have created an account and accessed the system, you will see that your student’s balance has been transferred from the old system.

Tolland Public Schools have been using a finger scanning ID system for many years and have found it successful in allowing the students to optimize their time in the cafeteria.  Here are some pieces of information for you about this system:

• Nothing in the process of purchasing lunch will change for the students. However, each student will need to have their finger rescanned. This will be done in school with as little disruption to instruction as possible.

• Being part of the system is voluntary and you may OPT OUT if you don’t want your child to participate.  Also, if you have already OPTED OUT your child, you will not need to contact us again.  Those students who have already opted out of participation will continue to be opted out in the new system.

• There are no images of any fingerprints taken. The initial finger scan is converted to an encrypted string of numbers - the template. The template is only associated with the student’s name, student ID number, grade and school.  

• All templates are located behind the school district’s firewall with all the security protections currently in place for all our data. The vendor providing the software for the finger scanning does not host or have access to any of our data.

• The templates are only being used to identify students who are enrolled in our system.

How does finger scanning ID work? 

We will be using finger scanning ID similar to many smart phones. Using a finger scanner, the software scans certain unique points on the finger to create and store individual numerical templates that identify each student. When the student returns, the software again scans the finger and looks for a numerical template match in the database. When a match is found, the student is identified. This all happens in about a second. 

What about the privacy of our students?

The software scans the finger for identification. It does not store a copy of the fingerprints. Instead, the software creates a template of the unique points on the finger. The template is converted to a unique number and is stored in the school district’s database with the same high level of security of all our records. 

It is important to understand that we are NOT fingerprinting students. In addition, fingerprints cannot be recreated or delivered to any agency - governmental or otherwise.

It is important to us that your child’s experiences in school are educational and rewarding. This way of identifying our students is safe, easy, accurate, efficient and secure. If you have any questions or do not want your child to participate and opt out of the system, please contact me at the number or email below.

Sincerely,

Kim Mecteau

Food & Nutrition Services Director

860-870-6854, ext. 2

kmecteau@tolland.k12.ct.us

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Please see this important information regarding Medication Administration on field trips:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tie3f5oIfl972l86NY1X2OaJy8Ir4ttbdxsRGyzOqc4/edit?usp=sharing

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