Spring has been in the air this week as we leave February behind and say hello to March. The warmer weather and sunlight has been energizing. Let's hope that the warming trend continues!

Board of Finance Budget Hearing - Saturday, March 1

This is also the time of year that the budget is reviewed by the Town's Board of Finance. Tomorrow, morning, the town and education budgets will be presented in the Senior Center Community Room at 9:00 am and 10:30 am, respectively. The public is welcome to attend. I plan to provide you with periodic updates as the budget process unfolds.

Board of Education Budget Highlights

The fiscal year 2025-26 education budget is primarily a maintenance budget that will allow us to continue our improvement efforts. It is a lean, needs-based plan. The operating costs, driven primarily by contractual obligations and special education mandates, represent a 3.75% increase over the current budget.

The education budget:

• Maintains class sizes at appropriate levels.
• Enhances the arts by expanding the orchestra and theater programs.

• Adds a bilingual teacher in response to an increase in the number of multilingual students.
• Supports our 18-22 year old transition program with the addition of a part-time teacher due to increased enrollment.

Overall, I am confident that the Board's budget propels us forward, while at the same time being fiscally responsible.

Please enjoy the latest edition of the newsletter.

Best regards,

Ken

Kenneth G. Craw, Ed. D.

This month, Madame Edel and NFHS French students traveled to France with students from Joel Barlow High School, embarking on a journey that immersed them in French language, culture, and history. From exploring iconic Parisian landmarks like the Panthéon, Musée d’Orsay, and Eiffel Tower to life in the South of France, they embraced new challenges with enthusiasm. Whether ordering meals in French, engaging with locals, or navigating the metro, students put their language skills to the test while gaining a deeper appreciation for French culture. Highlights included witnessing a special mass at Notre-Dame, hiking the hills of the island of Frioul, and indulging in regional specialties like raclette and crêpes. Throughout the trip, they demonstrated resilience, curiosity, and adaptability like true Rebels!

Madame Edel and her students thank the NF Community Thrift Shop who supported the trip with generous donations to cover tips, insurance and the cost of round trip bus transportation to JFK.

NFMS 8th-grade students had an exciting visit to the Connecticut Capitol Building, where they explored the legislative chambers and learned about state government. They also toured the Museum of Connecticut History, discovering fascinating artifacts and stories from the state's past. At the Connecticut Supreme Court, they gained insight into the judicial system and the importance of law in our society. During the trip, they had the opportunity to meet Representative Callahan, Senator Duff, Senator Kushner, and a few others, who shared their experiences and answered students' questions about public service.

NFES students Madigan Lynas and Claire Valvono were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the arts at the Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary Celebration of the Arts. Madigan was honored for performing arts and Claire for visual arts. Both girls are current 5th graders at NFES. Mrs. Story, Ms. Burger, and Mrs. Foster joined the girls and their families at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, CT for an evening to honor recipients from across the state.

New Fairfield Elementary School participated in the annual Kids Heart Challenge from January 13th- February 14th. During these four weeks, students participated in movement based lessons focused on health standards. Students learned about teamwork, leadership, and making choices and decisions that support their health.

During the week of February 10th, New Fairfield Elementary School’s students celebrated heart health awareness through a Kids’ Heart Challenge event. The Kids’ Heart Challenge event is a fun and exciting event where our students celebrate what they have learned about healthy hearts and all their hard work raising donations for the American Heart Association.

Thanks to all the efforts of our students, New Fairfield Elementary School raised $27,893.51 for the American Heart Association!

Our school recently celebrated the 100th day of learning with a day full of fun and educational activities! We began with a whole-school morning meeting led by our fantastic 5th grade Kindness Club. Students then dove into classroom celebrations, exploring math concepts centered around the number 100, and enjoying stories that highlighted this milestone. It was a wonderful day of learning and celebrating together, marking a significant achievement in our school year!

A winter Italian Honor Society Induction ceremony was held to induct a group of our high school students into the NFHS chapter. This induction recognizes the hard work and dedication of these students to the study of Italian. It celebrates their accomplishments and commitment to the language and honors their understanding of the connections between language, culture, and people. We congratulate these students and are happy to be able to recognize their achievement.

Join us for a PK-12 information night (parents/guardians only) as NFPS Staff share strategies to help your child navigate social conflict.

March 18, 2025 at 6PM

NFES Cafeteria

(RSVP using the QR code in the flyer below)

On Friday, February 21, 2025, preschoolers in the NFPS Early Learning Center (ELC) participated in a fun-filled Teddy Bear Picnic! Students rotated through all four ELC classrooms, engaging in hands-on activities that reinforced key math and literacy skills. From teddy bear yoga to storytime, show and tell, and teddy bear interviews, the children grew their learning and skills in exciting ways. They also measured their teddy bears using cubes, made their own teddy bear crowns, and enjoyed a special snack with their cuddly friends. These activities connected to their Bridges math unit, making learning both meaningful and memorable.

New Fairfield High School is already looking ahead to next school year and hosted a Transition Night recently for the Class of 2029. This event is designed for current eighth graders and their families to become familiar with the high school, its programs and course offerings, and its staff. Following a welcome from Mr. D’Amico, the administration, and the counseling staff in the theater, students and their families attended sessions of their choice across all programs and disciplines hosted by NFHS staff. Some sessions - such as those in the science rooms and robotics lab - allowed students to engage in hands-on activities and demonstrations, and other sessions featured presentations by staff to share information about course offerings and the many opportunities available to pursue a wide range of interests. This event was well-timed, as students began the process of course selection this month.

Thank you to our NFHS staff for making this such an inspiring evening in support of this important transition for our students!

Students enrolled in the NFHS AP/ECE Spanish Language and Culture class attended Early College Experience (ECE) day on Friday, February 21, at Western Connecticut State University. Students received their official WCSU College IDs, listened and participated in demonstration lectures for Mathematics/Robotics, Nursing, and Communication, toured the campus, were treated to lunch at the WCSU cafeteria and then joined Señor García on a stroll to the Mexican Bakery located on White Street in Danbury to enjoy delicious pastries on their way back to NFHS. Overall, students enjoyed the experience and received invaluable information about the college admissions process and college life from WCSU professors, professional staff and current students.

Our music program continues to shine this winter with the chorus groups at our elementary school. Led by Ms. Kelly Burger, these students in our upper elementary grade performed both a whole-school assembly during the school day and a concert in the evening for their families. It is wonderful to see our programs growing students’ talents, skill, and love of music from a young age.

As a year two goal, the NFHS DECA students aimed to complete as many of the DECA campaigns as they could. DECA offers five campaigns with completion time frames of the fall by December 2, 2024. This year's DECA students participated in and completed three of the five campaigns and two at a high enough level to qualify to bring two students to the Thrive Leadership Academy in Orlando, Florida, this April as part of DECA's International Career Development Conference. Students are working as a chapter to continue our usual spring events as well as to fundraise for the travel and registration expenses involved in the trip.

The Rebel winter sports season is nearing its completion, and we are proud of the many accomplishments of our teams.

Read on for a full Winter Sports Recap!

The NFHS girl's track team competed in their postseason events and received the following league and state awards:

• Class M State Champion - 1600 Meter
• Southwest Conference Champion -1600 Meter

• Southwest Conference Runner-Up - 3200 Meter
• Southwest Conference Champion - 3200 Meter
• Class M State Runner-Up - 3200 Meter

• Southwest Conference Runner-Up - 1600 Meter
• Southwest Conference Champion - High Jump
• Class M State Runner-Up - 1600 Meter

Congratulations!

On Saturday, February 8th at the New Fairfield Duals wrestling event, Joe Carrozza earned his 100th career win. This is a wonderful accomplishment. We join Coach Musso and Coach Peterson in sharing our congratulations with Joe.

Girl's Cheerleading competed in the Southwest Conference Championships at Newtown High School on January 31st. They will be competing in the state Championships at Trumbull HS on Saturday, March 1st. Good luck!

For the first time in over 15 years, the New Fairfield High School Boy's Basketball Team hosted an SWC Playoff Game. Thanks to the generosity of New Fairfield Youth Basketball, all New Fairfield K-12 students were given free admission to help pack the house! The Rebels defeated Kolbe Cathedral by a score of 52-45. The Rebels were defeated in the semifinals by Notre Dame Prep who went on to win the league championship.

In the 4th quarter of their win over Kolbe Cathedral, Rebel Senior Nicolas Martini scored his 1,000th career point. He becomes only the 3rd player in NFHS Boys' Basketball program history to reach this milestone. Congratulations!

And we also extend a "shout out" to the Girl's Basketball Team! They completed their regular season and are preparing to compete in the CIAC Class MM State Tournament beginning on Monday, March 3rd! Go Rebels!

The Boy's Swimming and Diving team capped off their regular season with a thrilling victory over Bunnell High School that came down to the final event! The team now has their sights set on the SWC and Class S State Championships!

Spring sports registration is open! Tryouts for all sports begin on March 22nd!

Please join our seniors from the class of 2025 for a night of fun! Come to the game, enjoy a night out with friends and family, take your chance on some raffle prizes and indulge in some snacks from our snack table.

Tickets are on sale today. Please visit the Hat Tricks website to purchase your tickets today! The orange dots indicate open seats. Please choose any section other than section 100 which will be reserved for our seniors.

Upon checkout: Please enter the promo code NFHS25 as the senior class will receive half of your ticket price back as their class fundraiser.

Hope to see you all there!

The 100 day mark of the 2024/2025 school year has come and gone, but not without some FABULOUS performances and accomplishments of the New Fairfield students! We are trying to keep up with all events and update our FAB CALENDAR often! Members and non-members are always welcome! In our newsletter, there is important information on upcoming events and how to become a part of what's happening. If you have any questions, please reach out to our email: nfhsfab@gmail.com.