NFPS Update

We're reached the end of a memorable school year, well almost! We still have graduation for the Class of 2024 to look forward to on Friday, June 21 at 5 PM. We are so proud of our seniors and will give them the send off they deserve. It has been a year that included a solar eclipse, earthquake and bear sighting on top of all of the typical rights of passage such as the senior prom, grad walk and Senior Enrichment Experience. Please join me in wishing the Class of 2024 nothing but success in their future pursuits.

I also invite you to enjoy our last newsletter until the fall. It is full of smiles from various end-of-year events and celebrations. Thank you for your partnership in making this a year of growth for our students. Have a safe and joyful summer vacation, NFPS!

Be well,

Ken

Kenneth G. Craw, Ed. D.

NFPS faculty and staff came together for our annual Celebration of Excellence to honor and celebrate the dedication and talent of our staff in growing our students, schools, and district. Dr. Craw, Superintendent of Schools, and building administrators honored staff members who are retiring this year, as well as staff who have served NFPS for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 years. There was outstanding admiration for these staff members!

During the Celebration, Staff Member of the Year, Paraprofessional of the Year, and Teacher of the Year for each building were applauded. Ms. Sarah Sanborn, grade 5 teacher, was announced as the NFPS Teacher of the Year. Also, Ms. Laurie Gonzalez, paraprofessional at NFMS was announced as the NFPS Paraprofessional of the Year. Congratulations to our fantastic staff!

A beloved tradition, the NFPS Grad Walk was held on the morning of Monday, June 17. Graduating seniors wore their caps and gowns and walked the halls of the elementary and middle schools to remember their journey through our schools and to celebrate their growth in every way. Classes lined the hallways to cheer on the graduates and there were many stops for hugs and photos along the way. This was memorable for our graduates and staff, and for our youngest students, the Grad Walk provides them with role-models as they look ahead.

The amazing work of our elementary artists lined the hallways and filled the gym at CONS/MHHS at the spring Art Show. From painting to collage to pottery, it was a wonderful display of our students. Each student in the school, including students in our Early Learning Center (ELC / preschool), had work displayed. Building self-reflection and self-assessment in the elementary grades, students reflected on the many pieces of artwork they created this year, and each student selected three that they felt would be best for the show.

Our young musicians had a busy month in May! Music classes in the younger grades hosted “music shares” for family members to come and visit during music class; especially for our youngest students, this is a comfortable “first step” into performing, as they have an “audience” in a familiar environment and can share their learning. Band and chorus students in the upper grades performed for families, and our 163 chorus members then performed again for the entire school in a school-wide assembly. This was the first performance to a K-5 audience and to see the entire school community together in the gym was wonderful. All enjoyed the performance (and we appreciate the staff band that accompanied our chorus)! Click HERE for a piece from the chorus.

The NFMS 7th and 8th grade Band, Chorus and Strings ensembles participated in the Trills and Thrills Music Festival on Friday, May 31st. All three ensembles played exceptionally well and earned "Excellent" ratings before enjoying the rest of the day at Lake Compounce!

The NFMS Jazz Band took a trip down to MHHS to perform for the fifth graders. Not only was this a wonderful musical experience for our fifth graders, but it also gave them a glimpse into the opportunities that await them when they move into the middle school in the fall. This is just one of the many spring events that support our students as they transition from one year to the next in New Fairfield.

Singamajig, the annual district-wide chorus concert, was held on June 4 in the new High School Gym. Approximately 300 young singers came together to sing for and with each other. What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our chorus program together !

First grade classes experienced how caterpillars go through the process of metamorphosis during the month of May. After watching the tiny baby caterpillars grow, enter their Chrysalis stage and emerge as butterflies, we released them to begin the cycle again!

New Fairfield second graders participated in their own science fair earlier this month. Students who participated selected a question to investigate and then shared all that they learned with others at the fair. These young scientists demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm and curiosity in their projects. It was evident from their presentations that they learned a lot and are eager and proud to communicate their learning to others!

Seventh grade students have studied adaptations this spring in science class. They used their knowledge about animal adaptations and enjoyed using that knowledge to brainstorm adaptions for "superheroes". As they shared their ideas with one another, it engaged them in processing their learning and they enjoyed some creative thinking as well.

On June 5th, all K-5 students participated in this year's SUMMER OLYMPIC Fun-Field Day. Classes rotated through 11 stations. At each station, classes earned Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals for following expectations, participation, sportsmanship, teamwork and kindness. Here are some highlights from the day!

Master Kim taught our students Tae-Kwon-Do! What an amazing opportunity and experience! Thank you, Master Kim!

Grades 3-5 participated in the annual Tug-Of-War tournament.

This year's winners were: Mrs. Quist's class, Mrs. Sanborn's class and Mrs. Hannon's class.

Class Act Council students volunteered. We all loved having these students back in our school and they did a fabulous job leading stations!

Thank you to all who volunteered and donated to make our Fun-Field Day a huge success! Special thanks to the PE SEE Project students: Deanna Berardo, Jack Esposito and Greg Mable.

Our Middle School Project Reach students shared a showcase of their year-long research and design projects this past week. Classes across the middle school visited the showcase during the school day, providing an opportunity for students to practice speaking about their projects and allowing peers to show their respect for the work. Families visited in the evening for the showcase to celebrate the students’ work. The project topics were selected by students based on their own areas of interest in the fall. They undertook research and then iterations of problem posing, research and design to produce their final poster-board presentations. There were tremendous varieties across the projects!

Each year, Connecticut high schools are able to send fifteen students to the CIAC Women In Leadership Conference. We had an incredible group attend to represent New Fairfield on Thursday, May 23rd at Berlin High School. The conference focused how dynamic, individual leadership builds community and shared purpose and contributes to positive personal growth and change in our schools and communities. Students were inspired and motivated to further develop their own leadership skills and talents!

NFHS was represented at the conference by Natalie Flynn, Trinity Smith, Anne Johnston, Addison Pilner, Katie McMorrow, Peyton Roemer, Isabel Marotta, Abigail Fritzsche, Emily Taylor, Nicole Taylor, Morganne Hill, Emilia Sedlak, Isabella DaSilva, Sara Braun, and Tanaya Eastwood. The group was led by teachers Jen Badger and Kristen Scappaticci.

The top decile celebration recognized students for their exceptional academic achievements throughout high school. Mrs. Jean Gephart, our Science Department Chair, delivered an inspiring address to students, families, and fellow faculty.

Scholar's Night then followed; families, community members, and faculty gathered to honor students for their various accomplishments and excellence in academics, athletics, the arts, and community service. During the evening's scholarship ceremony, over forty different groups contributed to more than 120 individual awards. The evening was a testament to the hard work, dedication, and community spirit that define our school.

Congratulations to all the students honored, and a heartfelt thank you to our staff and our local community members and organizations who partnered with our College and Career Center to make this celebration a success!

New Fairfield High School theater students attended the Halo Awards at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT, to be recognized for their theatrical productions this year.

The NFHS fall production, "Much Ado About Nothing" and the spring musical, "Matilda", received a total of sixteen Halo nominations, and ultimately took home three of the awards! "Much Ado About Nothing" was nominated for Best Classical Play, and "Matilda" was nominated for Best Contemporary Musical. NFHS students received nominations in more than a dozen other categories, ranging from Best Leading Actress to Best Special Effects and Best Chorus.

These nominations and awards are a tremendous accomplishment and demonstrate the strength of our theater program and the talent and commitment of our students.

HALO AWARD WINNERS

• BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL: Nicholas Eklund as Mr. Wormwood in "Matilda"
• BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A CLASSICAL PLAY: Sarah Bollacke as Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing"
• BEST SPECIALTY ENSEMBLE: Andrew Nittolo-Novotny, Lilah Bender, Ishiera Ellington & Skye Rodriguez as Sergei and the Henchmen in "Matilda"

NFHS Juniors participated in the Junior Jumpstart program that provided them with an introduction to a wide variety of activities in support of their “next steps” as they begin to consider their plans beyond high school. Organized by our high school guidance, counseling and career staff, the program included an assembly that addressed such topics as resume writing and interview tips from staff at Post University’s admissions office. Students then attended resume workshops to ensure they had time and support to draft a resume to use for jobs and future schooling. Students were also able to choose a break-out group for the final session based on their area of interest. The break-out group options included college essay writing, NCAA athletics, financial aid, community college and trade program searches, and time with military representatives. The intent was to provide a range of topics that would allow all students to access information that may be relevant to their interests for the future.

Of the nine Latin II students who took the National Latin exam on March 6, three won awards. Ella Skogstrom won a Summa cum Laude gold medal award, and Quinn Rosin won a cum laude award. Evelyn Zegley won a certificate of merit for her participation, and all students deserve commendation for challenging themselves and participating in this rigorous national exam. The other students who participated were: Elizabeth Gosling, Hudson Schaefer, Jack Buck, Aidan McVeigh, Daniel Nason, and Mollie Hearty. Congratulations to all!

New Fairfield High School seniors were spotted throughout the community this spring as they undertook a variety of Senior Enrichment Experience (SEE) projects. Some students assisted in our STEAM classes at the Middle School and in our elementary school classrooms as teaching assistants. Others connected with local businesses and professionals to gain valuable experience and insights into careers they may consider in the future. Our seniors showcased their learning and experiences at the NFHS SEE Fair held on Tuesday, June 11th. It was a wonderful exchange of relevant and meaningful learning!

The hallways of New Fairfield High School were stunning last month with displays of high school and middle school artwork lining the main entrance and library commons hallways. The variety of media was tremendous and illustrated not only the talent of our students but also the instruction and experiences that our staff offer in our fine arts program. Lots to celebrate!

Two New Fairfield elementary students, Kate Frederick and James Miller, were awarded The Ben’s Bells Youth Kindness Ambassador Award this spring in recognition of their initiative to launch a Kindness Club at Meeting House Hill School this year. That group has grown to 30 students who meet weekly to share acts of kindness at home, school, in the community, and beyond. Typically, the Ben’s Bells award is given to a high school student; Kate and James are the youngest students to date to receive this honor. We are very proud Kate and James for this wonderful honor!

Tuesday, June 4th New Fairfield Public Schools Participated in its 1st ever Unified Sports Athletic Competition. It has been a process years in the making and was worth the wait! Our Unified Track & Field Team made all of NF proud by preparing and working hard in the spirit of competition. We are coming back better than ever next fall as we enter our 1st Season of Unified Volleyball!