Newtown Public Schools

Dear Newtown Families, Faculty and Staff,

I hope this message finds you safe and that you avoided any damage to your property during yesterday’s epic rainfall event. Not surprisingly, some of our schools did get wet as a result. Our custodial and maintenance team is busy cleaning up and drying things out. I have been assured that we will be ready to open to staff and students next week. We have a slightly later start date than some of our neighboring towns and, as it turns out, this extra time will ensure our buildings will be completely dry and in pristine condition on day one.

Setting a school calendar is always a challenge but we do our best to get input from many different stakeholders. Obviously, starting school earlier means we get out earlier. This year, we opted to have our teachers return on Monday, August 26th, which gives staff and families one last full week to enjoy the lazy days of summer. The first day for students will be Thursday, August 29th. Both Thursday, the 29th, and Friday, the 30th, will be 2-hour early release days for students. When we return from the long Labor Day weekend, all days will be full days.

One of the best things about schools is that each year offers an opportunity for a fresh start. Like many school districts across the country, NPS saw a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism following the pandemic. A student is considered chronically absent if they are out more than 10% of the total number of school days. While our number of chronically absent students is declining, it is still higher than it should be. Remember, students learn best when they have regular attendance in school. If you are not sure about when to keep your child out, please check out When is Sick Too Sick for School? for guidance. If your child is struggling with school avoidance issues, please reach out to your child’s school counselor or principal right away. We are here to support you. Remember school is better when kids are in, every day!

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Warm regards,

Anne

Our full district calendar can be found here

8/27, 2:00pm - NMS New Student Walkthrough & Ice Cream Social

8/28, 8:00am - NHS Freshman Orientation

8/28, 8:45am - Kindergarten Bus Runs

8/28, 9:00am - SHS Grades 1-4 Walkthrough

8/28, 9:30am - MGS Kindergarten & Grade 1 Walkthrough

8/28, 9:30am - HOM Grades 1-4 Walkthrough

8/28, 9:30am - HAW Grades 1-4 Walkthrough

8/28, 10:15am - MGS Grades 2-4 Walkthrough

8/28, 1:45pm - RIS Grade 5 Walkthrough

8/28, 2:30pm - RIS Grade 6 Walkthrough

Late spring and throughout the summer is hiring season for schools, and NPS is no different. All staff that are hired must go through a rigorous onboarding process that includes verifying references, signing contracts, fingerprinting and background checks, notification of benefits, setting up emails, establishing access to online platforms and hours of state-mandated training. Our Human Resources department, which consists of our HR Director, Suzanne D’Eramo and her administrative assistant, Meg Reilly, operates at a high level of productivity all year but especially during June, July and August. As of this past week, they have facilitated the hiring of 27 certified staff and 24 non-certified staff. We appreciate their efforts in getting everyone ready for the first day of school!

Our Technology Department has been busy making sure our students and staff have access to quality technology products that meet their specific needs. Some of the notable upgrades that have taken place this summer include:

• The Photo & Video Lab has been upgraded with new computers and larger monitors.

• New computers and monitors have been installed in the Music Lab, improving port flexibility for digital music production.

• Out-dated teacher stations in the music lab have been upgraded to better support digital music production.

• As part of our yearly injection, new seventh grade Chromebooks have been prepped and are ready for distribution.

• A scheduled refresh of the Chromebook fleet at Sandy Hook has been completed and an 86” flat panel for digital signage, which was purchased by the PTA, has been installed.

• New interactive panels for all third grade classrooms have been ordered and will be installed starting the second week of September. These will eventually replace aging SmartBoards in our elementary schools.

NPS has moved to a new communications platform, PowerSchool Communicate, replacing Blackboard. This system gives parents and guardians the flexibility to choose how they receive messages (text, voice, or email). It also resolves issues like early morning weather alerts, allowing parents to decide how they want to be notified. Additionally, parents can review past messages in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The system also makes it much easier to create custom call lists to enhance school-based communication.

Because of the new system, you will need to "opt in" to receive text messages (SMS) from Newtown Public Schools. You should receive a text today from 67587 asking you to opt in to contiue receiving important updates from your child's school via text message. Text "Y" to enable future text messages.

If you do not receive this message today between 1:00 and 2:00pm, please contect your child's school to verify we have the correct information in PowerSchool.