Torrington Public Schools, Torrington, CT 06790


















	Dr. Susan W. O'Brien Superintendent 355 Migeon Avenue Torrington, CT 06790 860.489.2327 860.489.0726 Fax www.torrington.org Copyright �2001

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Torrington Music Department Receives Awards

For the eighth time, Torrington has been named one of the 100 Best Communities for Music Education in America! "We commend these school districts for their commitment to assuring that music is part of a complete education for children," said Mary Luehrsen, executive director, NAMM Foundation. "It takes the commitment of an entire community to assure that music is part of the core curriculum. Children engaged in music will be the innovation leaders of tomorrow, and there is no better way to build life-long participation in music than with a solid base of music education." Torrington Public School has been listed on the Best 100 for Music Education eight times!! The most of any school district in Connecticut and one of only seven school districts nationwide!

Torrington High School Shines at Philadelphia Festival -

THS received the most awards of any school in attendance. Participating schools were from Maryland, Minnesota, Canad (2 schools), New Jersey, West Virgina and Virginia.

Torrington High School Received the following awards:

Chamber Choir - Silver

Concert Choir - Silver

Rchjestera - Silver

All of the above were within a couple of points of a Superior Rating

Band

*Superior Rating - the first for Concert Band in 18 years

*Adjudicator's Award

*Outstanding Band Award - for the highest score in the entire festival in all categories

*Festivals of Gold Invitation 2009

Nick Corbo 2008 (Jazz Ensemble) and Kyle Drevline 2008 Choir received Maestro Awards. Only four Maestro Awards were given at the festival and Torrington received two!

Jazz Ensemble
Gold (Superior) Rating - the first for Jazz Ensemble in 10 years
Adjudicator's Award
Highest Scoring Jazz Ensemble at the Festival in all categories

Symphonic Band
Gold (Superior) Rating
Adjudicator's Award
"Outstanding Band" as the highest scoring band at the festival
Festival of Gold Invitation for 2009

Instrumental Sweepstakes Award!

Given to the school with the highest combined score of two or more instruments groups (Band, Orchestra, Jazz). THS has never received an instrumental Sweepstakes Award!

Festival Sweepstakes Award!

Given to the school with the highest combined score of three or more performing groups. At least one choir, one band and a third group. THS has never received a Festival Sweepstakes Award!

"An outstanding music program is part of the Four A's of Torrington High School. The program is centered upon highly motivated and hardworking students. In addition to the great kids in our program, we are blessed to have two truly gifted music educators on our staff at THS, Lynn Morin, our choral director and Wayne Splettstoeszer, our instrumental director, are among the very finest teachers in the entire state. When outstanding students and teachers get together, magic happens," said Dr. John Metallo, principal.

Dr. Susan W. O'Brien, Superintendent of Schools

Welcomes A New School Year

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It is with great joy and enthusiasm that I welcome you back to school for 2007-2008. Torrington has received a bounty of good news this summer. Your efforts last year to advance achievement and to develop good character have produced excellent progress!

We are poised and ready at our flagship, Torrington High School, to undergo the NEASC accreditation review. I am proud to tell you of the excellent work of our faculty, staff, and administration in producing a fine self-study document. That document describes the past difficulties at THS in an honest light, while, at the same time, painting the current status of an advancing high school, clearly moving in the right direction in all areas. I look forward to the fall visit of the evaluation committee with pride and faith in a bright future for Torrington High School.

Torrington Middle School demonstrated many improvements in programming, faculty and staff morale, and overall student discipline this past year. I am gratified by the excellent efforts of TMS faculty in curriculum development this summer and the "Can Do" attitude I feel among colleagues. With investments in Language Arts 2 to assist our struggling students at grades seven and eight, coupled with two new SPED faculty and more rigorous Algebra I and Spanish I offerings, I anticipate great progress coming out of TMS in 2007-2008. The CMT 2007 scores from TMS reflected significant progress in several areas. These solid foundations will help us build wisely and well in the future.

The extraordinary progress shown in only ONE year of new programming at our elementary schools inspires my gratitude and pride for the exemplary work of the students and the dedication of our faculty, staff and administration. You all amaze me! I am so excited about our work this coming year in further advancing academic achievement and character formation. Lastly, sincere thanks to our elementary parents, students and faculty who facilitated the Attendance Area Modification plan. It has gone extremely well. The Forbes portables are no more! BRAVO to one and all!

Nuggets of wisdom in the words of Kahlil Gibran for the school community and our students....

�Learning is the only wealth tyrants cannot despoil. Only death can dim the lamp of knowledge that is within you. The true wealth of a nation lies not in its gold or silver but in its learning, wisdom, and in the uprightness of its sons.�

The Vision of the Torrington Public Schools is to be recognized as a high achieving, future-oriented learning community dedicated to embracing all people as individuals who contribute purposefully to our diverse and dynamic society.

Our Mission is to graduate all students with the knowledge, skills, ethics, attitude and confidence to succeed in their future.

The Torrington School District
The Schools

As the largest school district in Litchfield County, Torrington enrolls approximately 5,000 students in grades pre-K through 12. Students continuously score well on Standardized Achievement Tests and Connecticut Mastery Tests. Torrington High School students have been accepted at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in our nation.

Programs which have been cited for Heidi in teacher training excellence include a K-12 Computer Education Program,Talents Unlimited Program in the elementary schools, a Comprehensive Applied Education Program, Advanced Placement and Honors courses at Torrington High School.

The district provides learning centers, well equipped library media centers, exemplary Fine Arts programs, and a standards-based curriculum. Recently the district became involved with The Bushnell's Partners program, an outstanding intiative to promote linguistic and cultural literacy through the arts.

The Board of Education has given significant support to the use of technology for instructional purposes. It has also supported Reading Recovery, a Family Resource Center and an Early Success Program at the elementary level.

The community has supported four building projects during the last nine years: In 1994, a new middle school was opened; in 1996, a new elementary school was occupied; in 1997, a $13.4M bond issue was approved for the renovation of Torrington High School; and in December 1998, $12.7M was approved for the addition/renovation of the Torringford Elementary school.

Active community involvement in the schools is evidenced by parent-teacher school groups, booster clubs and educational advisory councils.

School District Statistics

K-5 Elementary Schools

5

Middle School

1

High School

1

Total School Enrollment

4,840 Students

Professional Staff

401

Operating Budget

$58,662,610