Welcome
Welcome from the Principal
Dear Stonington Middle School Students and Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! On behalf of the entire SMS Stingray team, I hope your summer months were full of relaxation, adventure, and quality time with family and friends. Our staff has been hard at work behind the scenes, getting everything in place for a dynamic and rewarding year ahead.
For our new families, my name is Jeff Parkinson, and it is a true privilege to serve as the Principal of Stonington Middle School. To both our incoming students and our returning Stingrays, we are thrilled to welcome you to this exciting new chapter.
A big thank you goes out to our incredible custodial and maintenance team. They have spent the summer ensuring our facility at 40 Field St. is spotless, safe, and ready to welcome our students. Alongside their hard work, we are continuing to upgrade our facilities and tech infrastructure to create the best possible environment for learning and growth.
In 2026-27 SMS will feature a relocated STEM Lab, a renewed and expanded Library Media Center, two repurposed spaces solely dedicated to science instruction, as well as the arrival of four portable classrooms early in the fall. Our teachers and support staff have been busy preparing classrooms and planning engaging lessons and learning experiences for our students, and our office staff is helping register new students, coordinate essential information, and organize materials to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
In addition to physical changes to our building and spaces we are also making instructional changes in the form of our new Block Schedule. This change will allow for both teachers and students to thrive and achieve in the 2026-27 school year and beyond.
To stay up to date on back-to-school logistics and announcements, please check ParentSquare regularly and visit the district website.
Our administrative team is here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions before the first bell rings, please feel free to call, email, or drop by the front office.
We cannot wait to see our students back in the halls and look forward to a fantastic 2026–2027 school year together!
Sincerely,
Jeff Parkinson
Principal
Stonington Middle School
About our school
Stonington Middle School is a 6-8 middle school is an inclusive school with approximately 380 students. SMS is located at 40 Field Street, Pawcatuck, CT for the 2024-2025 school year. Our mission is to provide quality instruction, that will challenge students’ abilities and provide them with the knowledge and skills to participate successfully in a democracy. Stonington Middle School Students are:
Citizens - This form of citizenship is based on the obligations of citizens towards the community, rather than rights given to the citizens of the community. The obligations of citizenship are deeply connected with everyday life. A citizen’s own destiny and the destiny of the community are strongly linked.
Scholars - A scholar is a trusted and accomplished expert, a creator of knowledge who can integrate disparate data and concepts to innovate and reach new conclusions.
Wayfinders - Wayfinding - a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment." The basic process of wayfinding involves four stages:
The Ray's Way: Respectful, Responsible, Ready!