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Curriculum

Office of Teaching, Learning & Assessment

Welcome to the Darien Public Schools Teaching, Learning and Assessment website. As a Professional Learning Community, we work collaboratively to prepare all students today to thrive in a changing world tomorrow. The office of the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction provides oversight of the written, taught and assessed curriculum to ensure that students have access to curricula that are aligned to standards as well as State and local policies. 

Robust and rigorous curricula are a hallmark of the Darien Public Schools. The curriculum leadership team, including directors, department chairs and coordinators, work vertically across the system to provide challenging and dynamic learning opportunities for all students. This leadership team works in tandem with building principals and assistant principals to operationalize the goals, strategies and actions of the District's Strategic Plan and vision of the graduate. 

The Darien Public Schools curriculum documents articulate content across all content areas and grade levels. These documents include essential understandings, along with goals and objectives. Beginning in the summer of 2022, curriculum will migrate to a new platform: EduPlanet21. 

Units of study are created and aligned to national/state standards or frameworks and are anchored in research-based best practices. Written curricula provide assured opportunities for students to grow their content knowledge and capacities in communication and critical, creative and global thinking. Curricula reflect understanding of students' developmental needs. Darien uniquely approaches curriculum through a responsive approach, allowing for adaptation based on student-performance data and learning needs. Through the district-based curriculum team and Board of Education Curriculum Committee, students are appropriately challenged and prepared for post-secondary success. 

 

Curriculum Leadership Team

Central Services

Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
Christopher Tranberg, Ph.D.
(203) 656-7409
ctranberg@darienps.org

Director of Elementary Education
Julie Droller
(203) 656-7479
jdroller@darienps.org

Director of Instructional Technology
Joan McGettigan, Ed.D.
(203) 656-7447
jmcgettigan@darienps.org

Directors, Department Chairs & Coordinators

Director of Athletics & HPE,
K - 12
Christopher Manfredonia
cmanfredonia@darienps.org

Director of Music,
K - 12
Colleen Thompson
cthompson@darienps.org

Director of School
Counseling, 6 - 12
Meghan Emanuelson
memanuelson@darienps.org

English Dept. Chair, 
6 - 12
Francis Janosco
fjanosco@darienps.org

Mathematics Dept. Chair, 
6 - 12
Felicia Bellows, Ed.D.
fbellows@darienps.org

Science Dept. Chair, 
6 - 12
Christian Dockum
cdockum@darienps.org

Social Studies Dept. Chair, 
6 - 12
Keith Keeler
kkeeler@darienps.org

World Lang. Dept. Chair, 
6 - 12
Christina Mauricio
cmauricio@darienps.org

Art
Coordinator, K - 12
Jaclyn Sammis
jsammis@darienps.org

Elementary Curriculum
Coordinator
Katie Risk
krisk@darienps.org

ESL
Coordinator, K - 12
Patricia Thalassinos
pthalassinos@darienps.org

Career Technology Ed.
Coordinator, 6 - 12
Greg Darin
gdarin@darienps.org

World Language 
Coordinator, K - 5
Adam Hamor
ahamor@darienps.org

A Closer Look at Our Departments

Career Technology Education, K - 12

Health & Physical Education,
K - 12

Parent Workshops