It is with great honor and privilege that I open the start of the school year as the new principal at Leonard J. Tyl Middle School. Your children, our students, are why we are here. We want them to not only excel academically, but to also learn about respect, ethical and responsible decision-making, and social skills, which we, at Leonard J. Tyl Middle School, consider to be equally important. We will continue to strive to create an environment where students feel safe, comfortable, and respected.

We are especially pleased to have been selected by the Connecticut Association of Schools as a "Connecticut Middle School of the Year." We have also attained New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation.

There is no one person or group who can take credit for the success of our school. The staff at Tyl is energetic, hard-working and creative. They work together as a team and are constantly sharing and learning. Our entire school staff works diligently to provide a supportive school atmosphere responsive to the needs of our students. Contributing to this are a structured and well-balanced curriculum, teacher teams, a variety of student activities, support services, and a high standard of behavioral expectations. Parents also play a vital role in the success of our students and our school.

Research clearly indicates benefits when parents are involved in their child's education, including: increased student achievement; better attitudes and behavior; and better school attendance Showing an interest in your child's education, setting high expectations for achievement and letting your child know you believe in his or her abilities sets a positive framework for their development and achievement. There is no one person or group who can take credit for the success of our school. We need to work together as a team and constantly share and learn from each other. That is why this year we are initiating two innovative ways to foster home-school partnerships. First, we would like to hold some evening “Coffee Hour” visits to homes. We are looking for parents to hold a meeting at their house and invite a couple of other parents and serve some coffee for informal hour of discussing your ideas about life at Tyl. Please contact our office at 848-2822 if you are interested in this unique opportunity. Secondly, we will be holding “Administrators’ Night In”! We will hold evening open office hours for parents to drop by, with no appointment necessary. We understand life gets busy, but we also realize that many of you have wonderful ideas, comments, and concerns to share with us. We feel that evening open office hours complete with refreshments, will give an opportunity for parents with demanding schedules to stop by and talk with us. We look forward to these and many more opportunities to dialogue with you.

The success of students is greatly enhanced when parents and school personnel cooperatively pool their resources to assist children through this most crucial developmental period. Effective communication is instrumental in providing a positive school experience. Ours school staff welcomes any suggestions, questions, or concerns that you might have, and is available to help work through any problems that might occur during the course of the school year.

It is our intention that the middle level years at the Tyl Middle School will provide each student with a successful and productive school experience.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with ideas, questions, concerns, or to just say hello!

Most Sincerely,
Thomas W. Giard III