Tina Chahanovich, Principal

Dear Killingly Memorial School Families, Students, and Community:

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! I hope everyone has had a fantastic and relaxing summer. I am thrilled to return as the KMS elementary school principal for my 6th year.  I am honored to be a part of this community/school district.  As a longtime resident of Killingly, I am excited to give back to the community that has provided me with so much over the years.  I am looking forward to meeting new faces, revisiting familiar ones, as well as hearing all about your summer adventures! For those of you who have not yet met me, I will be starting my twenty ninth year in education. Prior to becoming the Killingly Memorial School Principal, I was the Principal at Thompson Middle School. My experiences range from teaching grades pre-k- 8, Literacy coach, part time curriculum director, and assistant principal at Mary R. Fisher Elementary School.

This year we have hired many new certified staff! We welcome Lauren Lanzoni and Jamie Moulton to grade 2, Micaela Bergel to grade 3, Stephanie Kennelly as our new library/media specialist, and Sara Ferns and Julie Sumner as our new reading specialists.  We are so excited to welcome them all to our KMS family. They are all committed to the academic and personal growth of our children. Their enthusiasm and love for collaborating will be a strength to our school. In addition, Keri Costa, who previously taught second grade, will now be one of our full time math interventionists. Everyone at KMS is looking forward to welcoming these fine educators to our family!

Throughout the summer, KMS has been busy getting ready for the new school year. Besides all of the summer cleaning, teachers have spent hours preparing materials, creating child-centered classrooms, reviewing data, and attending professional development. The office staff have registered new students, put together information packets to be sent home with all students, and organized new materials.

Please be sure to check your child’s backpack as well as the Killingly Memorial School’s website www.killinglyschools.org for notices and updates.

I truly believe that my responsibility as the Principal is to ensure your child receives a quality education within a safe, respectful environment. I believe that strong community-school relationships are essential to high academic achievement.  The amazing possibilities of the upcoming school year keep me energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of our children. We will accomplish this by setting high academic expectations for all children and providing supportive systems to assure they are met. It is our goal at Killingly Memorial School to make sure that all students are prepared for middle school by addressing school culture, setting high standards for teacher performance, increasing academic expectations for all students, and engaging the community.

If you have questions or concerns that arise at any time, please do not hesitate to give your child's teacher or me a call. I look forward to having a long and rewarding relationship with you and your family.

In Partnership,

Tina Chahanovich, Principal