Fall Spire Snapshots: Campus Happenings and Highlights

Welcome to Spire Snapshots, your peek into the exciting activities and events happening around The Spire School campus! From hands-on projects to festive celebrations, our students and staff continue to inspire us with their creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. 

From the Head of School

Thomas Laudadio, LCSW

As I mark my first 45 school days at Spire School, I’m filled with gratitude for this extraordinary community. From day one, I was welcomed by faculty, staff, students, and families. I witnessed firsthand the deep commitment our faculty and staff have for supporting our students academically, emotionally, and socially. At Spire, relationships are at the heart of everything we do.

This fall, we’ve been actively preparing for the upcoming NEASC Accreditation Visit in March 2026, as well as reflecting on our strategic direction during our recent Foundation Visit meeting. Both experiences have offered meaningful opportunities to consider who we are, where we’re headed, and how we can continue to improve. The NEASC process has helped us articulate our strengths and identify areas for continued development, while the Foundation meeting allowed us to share our priorities and vision for Spire’s future.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue building on the strong foundation that exists here and supporting the necessary enhancements for the future of Spire School. Our focus will remain on fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and readiness for the future, while ensuring every member of our community feels seen, heard, and supported.

Campus Happenings

Spire Updates

We’re excited to share several learning spaces currently taking shape across campus. On the lower level, students have begun a collaborative art mural that will continue to develop over the coming weeks as more student voices and creativity are added.

Our evolving creator space is expanding, with potential partnership opportunities emerging with the GE Maker Space to deepen hands-on, project-based learning. In the Annex, our newly developed yoga and wellness space is already in use, enriching PE and Health while also offering a calm, mindfulness-based environment for students.

In science, students recently completed a cold/hot pack lab, applying chemistry concepts through hands-on experimentation and real-world problem solving. Students also shared an interdisciplinary presentation inspired by the true story of a human flying with geese — blending science, research, and visual art into a powerful storytelling experience.

A Successful ESY

This year's extended school year included special sessions exploring STEM challenges from Odyssey of the Mind, physics and engineering concepts with Rockets & Launches, and a class in Entrepreneurship. Additionally, some students completed credit recovery, others participated in Creative Writing, and the group learned about careers as First Responders in a Q & A with Stamford Emergency and Fire Department representatives. Spire continues to welcome ideas for providing compelling enrichment experiences during the summer session.

During our InSPIREd Summer Program, students participated in several therapeutic activities each afternoon. Students passed the feeling during a collective art piece, engaged in a lively values auction, and planned a mock party as a team. We also brought students together through program-wide events such as our Mario Kart Tournament, Culinary Creations Fridays, and different themed weeks. During Shark Week, students participated in a Cupcake War, Jeopardy, and slime activities. Spirit Week featured Tropical Day, Community Service projects, and a Color War. The ESY team worked together seamlessly to ensure continuity of services, academic success, and summer fun!

First Pathfinder Career Speaker

This year, Spire continues the Pathfinders Career Speaker series, inviting representatives from a variety of workplaces to inspire students to explore all possible opportunities for their futures.

In October, our first career speaker was a local Stamford success story. Mr. Dan Bria was a band student at AITI with a passion for technology. He is now a sound engineer and owner of DB Productions. Dan has worked in regional theater, annually on the Connecticut Sondheim Awards show, and on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour production teams. Dan will also discuss the flexibility required in taking on side 'gigs' as necessary while building his own successful business.

This Year's Student Clubs

Students are participating in the following clubs this year: Debate, Games, Improv, Music, Mindfulness & Meditation, Student Council, Art, and Active.

Spirit Week

Our Spirit Week for the fall of 2025 was one to remember! Student council determined what themed days we should have based on student feedback.

Monochrome Day: show your grade pride by dressing in the assigned color!

Dress Your Best: students came in all different attire ranging from pro-golfer chic to black tie.

Anything but a Backpack: students got creative carrying their belongings in "anything but a backpack," including a stick pack, cooler, and a cat carrier.

Retro Day: students came in dressed as something from their childhood such as the Grinch, Mrs. Frizzle, and fashion from the 2000/2010s.

Halloween was by far our favorite of all the days! So many students AND staff repped the spooky season in style. Some favorites were the Mad Hatter and our kooky cat ladies. On a final note, Student Council successfully raised funds at a bake sale held throughout the week. Thank you to those who contributed, both the goodies and your donations!

Halloween Trunk or Treat

Students had a great time at this year’s Trunk or Treat! Teachers decked out their car trunks in creative Halloween themes while students trick-or-treated, painted pumpkins, and joined in fun activities like the mummy wrap challenge and make-your-own stress balls. It was a festive afternoon full of fun, creativity, and community spirit!

Staff Activities

Professional Development

This fall, our professional development has centered on strengthening classroom practice and building shared alignment across the school. We began with a focus on what makes feedback truly effective for student growth, and then moved into our NEASC preparation through collaborative committee work.

We also launched the School's Continuous Development Plan by clarifying our collective instructional vision and the role each teacher plays in advancing it. Staff goal-setting conversations followed to connect individual practice with schoolwide priorities.

Most recently, we’ve worked on concrete instructional strategies — such as structured discussion and vocabulary supports — and explored how IEPs can serve as active instructional tools that promote both rigor and access.

Together, these sessions are laying a strong foundation for deeper instructional coherence and continued growth throughout the year.

Field Trips

CT State Division of Scientific Services Labs

As an early field trip to illustrate the use of science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) in the real-world, students attended the CT state Division of Scientific Services Labs (Meriden, CT) which are used by many CT police departments to analyze forensic evidence from crime scenes. Students walked through real-life lab stations (Ballistics, Trace, Biologics, Chemical Molecular, and Computer Data Retrieval) to look at an analysis of evidence from a "Murder on Prospect Trail" mystery. A highlight for many students was the firing (by a ballistics professional behind a bulletproof glass) of a Glock 19 handgun, suspected of being a murder weapon, into a 12-foot ballistics water tank, allowing for matching to a bullet from the crime scene. The large inventory of rifles and guns used as standards for ballistic testing of bullets and analyzing the impressions on casings, also impressed many.

Norwalk Community College

We kicked off our college visits for the year with a trip to Norwalk Community College on Tuesday, November 11th! Juniors and Seniors had the chance to attend an information session, learn about the TRIO program, and experience the campus dining services. The visit offered a great opportunity to explore educational options, ask questions, and see the programs and resources available to support student success.

Save the Date

Thanksgiving Potluck- November 21st

Spire will host a festive, turkey-filled celebration for students and staff on November 21st!

Thank you to everyone who continues to make Spire a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring place to learn and grow. Stay tuned for more updates in the next Spire Snapshot!