Newtown Public Schools

Tomorrow night beginning at 7:30 pm, our school budget will face a significant hurdle as it comes under review by the Board of Finance. During that meeting, members will discuss the budget and arrive at a number that they feel should be put to the voters at referendum. The meeting will begin with a public hearing where you will have the opportunity to address the Board of Finance directly. This is the one and only time that you will have to share your thoughts with your elected officials before any further cuts are recommended. If cuts are imposed tomorrow night, I and the Board of Education will have no choice but to return to the table to begin looking at additional reductions which will likely result in higher class sizes and the elimination of both academic and non-academic programs.

Please make every effort to attend this important meeting and have your voice heard. Our children's education is an investment in our future, and your support is needed now more than ever.

I hope you all had some time to relax and enjoy a slower pace over the past five days. I know that many families and staff members were looking forward to taking time to enjoy a winter holiday while others escaped to a warmer climate. I remained at my home and endured the ice storm but was very grateful that it did not happen during the school week.

Recently, I had the opportunity to appear on Newtown’s own podcast, Two Guys and a Pint, which was a blast! I hope you check out my episode below as well as those of other notable personalities in town!

Enjoy the rest of your week and I hope to see many of you tomorrow night!!

Warm regards,

Anne

The full district calendar can be found here.

On Tuesday, February 4th, after adding K-6 Spanish and accepting offsets proposed by the Superintendent, the Board of Education adopted the 25-26 budget. The 25-26 Proposed School Budget now represents a 5.99% increase over the current year’s budget. Major drivers of the budget include the impact of last year’s $2 million dollars in cuts, an unprecedented increase to insurance, rising electricity and special education costs. The budget includes what the administrative team believes is needed to deliver a high quality education to all students. To offset the impact of costs to taxpayers, the budget includes more than 25 staffing reductions among other cost-saving measures.

TOMORROW, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH

BOARD OF FINANCE PUBLIC HEARING AND SPECIAL MEETING

7:30 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, NEWTOWN MUNICIPAL BUILDING

The Board of Finance will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2025, immediately following its Public Hearing at 7:30 PM, in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building, 3 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT. During this critical meeting, it is anticipated that the Board of Finance will discuss and likely take action on a recommendation for the amount of the Board of Education Budget. The recommendation will then move to the Legislative Council which ultimately puts for the question for referendum.

Want to learn more about Superintendent Anne Uberti and her perspective on the issues facing our schools? She recently joined the "Two Guys and A Pint" podcast for a conversation covering topics from the school budget and cell phone policies to the potential impact of federal education policy changes. Tune in to hear her thoughts on these important matters.

The podcast, hosted by long-time Newtown residents Gavin Arneth and Brian Hartgraves, covers topics specific to Newtown. Recent guests include First Selectman Jeff Capeci and Former First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, among others.

“Two Guys and A Pint” is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

To help celebrate Black History Month, the Sandy Hook PTA sponsored a school assembly with Soul Steps which showcases the African-American dance tradition known as “stepping”. This production was adapted for younger audience to explain how step started among African-American communities as a means of unity and self-expression. Students enjoyed the high-energy step choreography performed by the ensemble along with interactive breakdowns of step moves. Thank you to our PTA!

In February, Newtown Public Schools proudly honors Black History Month by celebrating the rich heritage, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. Our schools will engage in meaningful activities, discussions, and learning experiences that highlight the resilience, leadership, and cultural impact of Black communities. Together, we embrace diversity and promote an inclusive future where every voice is valued.

Online Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. Students who will turn five on or before September 1, 2025, are eligible to register for Kindergarten. If your child’s birthday falls between September 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026 and you would like your child to attend Kindergarten, you may complete the online registration and indicate that you are requesting a waiver. If you plan to enroll your child in Kindergarten, or if you plan to request a waiver, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. This will help us plan for how many Kindergarten classes we will need based on the number of incoming students.

2025 Kindergarten Registration Process

• Online registration for all students seeking entrance into Kindergarten for the fall of 2025 will open January 6, 2025

• You may register your child on or after January 6th by visiting newtown.k12.ct.us and clicking on the Registration link

• Requests for consideration for early entry (waiver) will be made through a special section of the regular online registration; no other action needs to be taken at this time

• Any student seeking Kindergarten entrance for the fall of 2025 must be registered by February 1 in order for your home elementary school to schedule your child’s screening appointment

• Screening will take place between February 3rd and 13th at the home elementary school

• Specific dates and times will be communicated by the individual elementary schools

Once you have registered, please contact your elementary school to schedule a screening that will help your school prepare for your individual child’s needs.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Connell in our Central Office at 203-426-7606 for assistance.

Thank you for your interest in the Newtown Public Schools Preschool Program. The program offers quality educational services to children who have disabilities and to typically developing peers, referred to as Play Partners. Play Partners are role models to their disabled peers and benefit from instruction aligned to Connecticut Early Learning Development Standards.

If you are interested in having your child participate as a Play Partner, please complete the Play Partner Questionnaire 2025 - 2026 (LINK) by February 15, 2025. Play Partners are required to be three years of age on or by September 1, 2025 and be toilet trained before they are admitted to the program. You are still encouraged to complete the questionnaire if your child turns three shortly thereafter. We accept play partners throughout the year, accordingly. Children five years of age by September 1, 2025 are kindergarten eligible and will not be considered for participation as Play Partners. Kindergarten eligible children may not remain enrolled as a student in the Newtown Preschool Program.

Following submission of your questionnaire, the preschool team will contact you to invite your child to participate in a Play and Meet the Teacher activity scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, March 14, 2025 at Newtown Preschool Program located at Sandy Hook School. A preschool staff member will email you prior to the play session to confirm the details of the activity. Only one adult may accompany the child for the play activity.

You will receive notification through email by April 4, 2025 regarding your child’s Play Partner status. Parent confirmation of Play Partner participation will be due on April 25, 2025.

Newtown Public Schools Preschool Program Details are as follows:

Program Days: Mondays through Thursdays

Program Hours: Morning sessions run from 9:00 to 11:45

Afternoon sessions run from 12:45 to 3:30

Location: Newtown Preschool located at Reed Intermediate School

Rate: $2,400.00 for a full year four half day program

If you, a caregiver or an educator have any questions or concerns about your child’s development in any of the aforementioned developmental domains, rather than moving your child’s application forward as a Play Partner, it may be more appropriate to discuss your concerns and provide you with specific information regarding early childhood development or consider an evaluation. Please feel free to call Ms. Laura Pellerito, School Psychologist, at (203) 426-7683, if you have any questions about your child’s development.

Sincerely,

Laura Esposito

Supervisor of Special Education

Tel (203) 426-7626 • Fax: (203) 270-6185

The Newtown High School College & Career Fair will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 6- 7:30pm in the Gym at NHS. We have more than 60 colleges and post graduate programs confirmed, and more signing on every day. FREE for students and families to attend.

As you may be aware, there is an increase in respiratory illness across the state. We are experiencing an increase in reported cases of the flu and flu-like illness in our schools.

If your student has been diagnosed with the flu or has flu-like symptoms, please keep them home until they are fever free (temp below 100.4) for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications and their symptoms have improved.

Newtown Public Schools encourages you to review the CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance which can be found here.

Superintendent Anne Uberti and Business Director Tanja Gouveia had the opportunity to visti our RISE program at Newtown Middle School where students had a luncheon with peers.

Please ensure your child's lunch account is up to date so they can enjoy nutritious meals at school. If your family is facing financial challenges, we’re here to help! Reach out to your child's counselor or principal for assistance and resources. Every student deserves a healthy meal!

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey on school meals from Chartwells.

Grade 3 Art

Mrs. Hossler’s 3rd grade art classes at Sandy Hook are working on a great still life project based on Matisse's Egyptian Curtain. They are borrowing the three main elements of his famous painting - a curtain, a window, and a table top in perspective, but the students are designing their own curtain patterns, landscapes out the window, and arrangements of objects on the table.

The finished still lives become self-portraits, because they reflect each artist's interests and experiences. It's a great context for starting conversations with students about their choices, and the kids are really proud of their work.

This is a wonderful lesson that addresses the National Core Visual Art Standards. Students are learning to organize and develop artistic ideas and work. They continue to develop their drawing skills. The elements and principles of design included in this project are composition, shapes, color, and perspective. Their tools are white charcoal pencil, oil pastels, and their imagination.

The community will be able to enjoy the beautiful pieces created by Newtown students at the district art show in April at the Municipal Center and the K-8 art shows in May. Here is a link to the district calendar: https://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/calendar as well as the district’s Visual and Performing Arts Calendar of Events: https://hiscavichm.wixsite.com/nhs-fine-arts/calendar-of-events

The Rotarian commitment is a pledge to live a life of service, guided by ethical principles, and dedicated to building a better world through fellowship and understanding. It's a commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others and contributing to the betterment of society.

The Newtown Rotary Student of the Month recognition is a program run by the Newtown Rotary Club to honor and celebrate outstanding students in the Newtown community. This award recognizes and awards students who demonstrate exceptional qualities in academics, character, leadership, and community involvement.

This is a new column for NPS Update and we will be recognizing prior months awardees over the comming weeks.

Congratulations to Caden Coumo, Newtown High School’s Rotary Student of the Month!

Caden was recognized for his exceptional compassion and kindness. A dedicated partner in the inclusive Fit for Life class, Caden's warmth and support are deeply valued by his classmates and teachers. Beyond the classroom, Caden is actively involved in Unified Sports and generously volunteers his time throughout the community. He is a remarkable student making a true difference in our school and community. Congratulations, Caden!

Congratulations to Noelle Bracket, Newtown Middle School's Rotary Student of the Month!

An excellent student dedicated to her academics, Noelle is also a valued Peer Mentor, providing support and friendship to students in the RISE program. A talented dancer, she recently showcased her skills in the school's talent show. Noelle's positive attitude and kindness brighten everyone's day. The 8 Gold cluster is proud to have her!

Olivia Rodriguez has been doing karate since she was 8 years old. She trains 5 days a week at CT. Martial Arts in Danbury. She also is an assistant teacher working with the little ones. She started competing in tournaments in 2023. In 2024 she traveled along the East Coast receiving Grand Champions in 17 out of 24 competitions. She received recognition for coming in 1st Place in both Connecticut and New York in her division as well as 1st Place for New England. This past January she traveled to Chicago and received an award for coming in 6th Place in the world in her age division. We are proud to support Olivia and her future goal of one day making it onto TEAM USA to represent our country!

Did you know that joining your PTA offers several benefits for both you and our school community? Our PTAs do many wonderful things throughout the school year that support and enhance the educational experience for our students. In addition to raising funds for educational programs and classroom resources, members have the opportunity to have their voices and ideas heard, meet new people and build connections within the school and greater community, as well as gain leadership skills that can be both personally and professionally valuable. In addition, being involved in your PTA gives you a closer look at what is happening in your child’s school by participating in or organizing events that foster a positive school culture.

You can find a link to each school's PTA by clicking on this link.

Thank you for your support!

Being the parent of a student with special needs can be confusing, isolating and frightening. Newtown Special Ed PTA, or SEPTA, is a great way to connect with a supportive community. We look forward to you joining us!

For more information, please visit the Special Ed PTA's website by clicking on this link.

Several of our schools are in need of student support services staff. If you enjoy working with kids, we encourage you to visit our employment opportunities page.

All-Star is actively seeking drivers. Flexible schedules and a paid training program.

Consider calling today!