Newtown Public Schools

I had the pleasure of attending the NHS production of "Hello, Dolly!" last week, and it was simply fantastic! Our students delivered a spirited performance, showcasing their dedication and talent. It's always a privilege to witness the hard work of our students and faculty come to fruition. These types of productions are an excellent example of the kinds of experiences our school budget provides which are an invaluable part of a well-rounded education. My heartfelt thanks goes out to the dedicated NHS staff members who put in countless after-school hours to make this happen. Congratulations to everyone involved for a successful show!

This week’s BoE meeting will feature a celebration of Sandy Hook School’s Spelling Bee Winners as well as an overview of our Newtown Community Partnership Program (NCP) that provides transition services for students with disabilities from age 18-22. The program recently partnered with New Fairfield to offer these services in a dedicated space in Danbury that affords more opportunities for higher education as well as employment. Some of these students also work locally, including at the Better Day Cafe located in the Newtown Community Center. If you have some time, please join the Board meeting tomorrow evening, either in-person or virtually, to celebrate more of the wonderful opportunities afforded to our NPS students.

Lastly, as March 20th is World Behavior Analysis Day, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Behavior Therapists. Behavioral therapists and analysts play a crucial role in creating positive and supportive learning environments to help students with various needs, including those with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, and behavioral challenges. On behalf of the district, I want to thank these professionals for their dedication, hard work and for supporting the district's dedication to inclusive and supportive education.

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Anne

The full district calendar can be found here.

On Thursday, March 6th, the Board of Finance (BOF) voted to recommend to the Legislative Council that the Board of Education proposed budget be reduced by $900,000. The Board of Education Budget, along with the Board of Selectmen Budget, now move forward to the Legislative Council (LC) as the Recommended Board of Finance Budget.

According to the Town Charter, the LC has the power to reduce any item with 6 affirmative votes or increase any item or add items above those included in Recommended budget with 8 affirmative votes. The Board of Education will not take action to determine where the $900,000 will be trimmed from until the final number is decided by the LC. The LC must hold a public hearing on the budget no later than the last Wednesday in March each year which for this year would be no later than March 26th. It is expected that the public hearing will be next week, assuming on March 26th, but we are awaiting word and will be shared by the Superintendent when it is known.

BOARD OF FINANCE MARCH 6TH MINUTES

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Agendas and Minutes

Recognizing the diverse holidays and celebrations that shape our students' lives and experiences.

Today, on St. Patrick's Day, we celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Ireland and the Irish diaspora. St. Patrick's Day began as a religious feast commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the country in the 5th century. Over time, it has evolved into a global celebration of Irish culture, encompassing parades, music, dance, and traditional food. While rooted in religious observance, the day has become a vibrant expression of Irish heritage and identity, enjoyed by people of all backgrounds around the world.

The application portal for tuition assistance awarded by the Newtown Scholarship Association is LIVE! The deadline to apply for our flagship award, the Hertberg Family Scholarship ($10,000/year) is Friday, March 28th. The deadline for the general pool (awards from $500 to $7,500 traditionally) is Friday, April 11th. Students who graduate from NHS (or live in Newtown but attend school elsewhere, ie. Immaculate) are eligible.

Link to the homepage: newtownscholarship.org

Link to the application form: newtownscholarship.smapply.io/

On behalf of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT), students in grades 7-12 and their parents are invited to join the Department of Transportation on March 20, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. for a virtual panel discussion on Transportation Engineering. Whether students are curious about the latest technology or passionate about making a difference in the community, this is the perfect opportunity to dive into a dynamic field that shapes our everyday lives.

Registration link can be found here and closes March 19, 2025.

Contact Katherine.Yale@ct.gov with any questions.

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.

Come out and support Newtown Unified!

The K-12 art teachers are busy preparing the work of our talented artists for the upcoming district show. Our National Art Honor Society students will be assisting the art teachers in those preparations as they learn the ins and outs of running an art exhibition. The show runs March 31-April 10 at the Newtown Municipal Center and features work from every school. Music will be provided by Newtown High School students and the NHS Culinary Program will provide delicious treats. Thank you to the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission for their help and support of using the Municipal Center Gallery.

This show is a precursor to each of our building art shows in May. You can find all of those dates on the district calendar.

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

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.

Hello, Dolly!

Dolly Levi rolled into Newtown High School last week. Over 100 students had the opportunity to be involved in this year’s exciting production of Hello, Dolly! Our talented students sang and danced, designed and built the sets, designed lighting and sound, developed choreography, with NHS musicians providing music in the pit orchestra. Students also served in the roles of production stage manager, stage manager, and assistant stage managers. A Newtown alumni served as sound consultant and two para educators/musicians performed in the pit. Audience members left with huge smiles on their faces and humming their favorite tunes from the show.

As has been our tradition, the NHS Student Government and PTSA hosted our ‘Dinner and Show’ to the delight of 160 Newtown Seniors. The gym was abuzz with excitement as friends caught up with each other, sharing their favorite shows, and looking forward to this favorite classic.

Thank you to Theresa Talluto (Director), Brian Tenney (Technical Director), Wendy LaBarge (Producer) and Elizabeth Dandeneau (Pit Orchestra Conductor). Congratulations to everyone involved in the production!

Beetlejuice Jr.

Newtown Middle School Drama Club

April 4 - 6

The next musical will feature Newtown Middle School students in their production of Beetlejuice, Jr. “With music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by Tony Award-nominated pair Anthony King and Scott Brown, Beetlejuice was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best New Musical.” (Music Theater International).

The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition)

Reed Intermediate School Drama Club

May 2-4

The RIS Drama Club will be performing another fan favorite - The Wizard of Oz. Originally written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum, follow the adventures of Dorothy and Toto when they land in Oz.

Congratulations to our Brookfield Craft Center Artist on the Rise WINNERS!!

Emily Metzker won FIRST place in ceramics for her "Tuna" piece

and

Violet LaBash won FIRST place for her "Painting Perspective" Oil painting!

Congratulations to our winners!

You can check out their art and others from local districts at the Brookfield Craft Center until the end of March! Then in April check out this Newtown artwork and artwork from all Newtown grade levels at the district Art Show in the Municipal Center and in the Congressional Art Show in Waterbury at the Mattatuck Museum. Stay Tuned for more information! And congratulate our Artists when you see them. :)

Families, friends, and the Newtown community can enjoy the Unified Music class performance of their rap songs in the NHS Chorus Spring Concert on May 19. 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.

Hope Telesca was nominated by the 8 Blue cluster teachers at Newtown Middle School. She is a dedicated and proactive student who leads by example, showing excellent participation, attentiveness, and a positive attitude in class. Hope is respectful, honest, and kind to both peers and adults, and she contributes fully to group tasks. Outside of school, she participates in sports like lacrosse, volleyball, and snowboarding, and enjoys horseback riding. Hope also volunteers at the Dorothy Day Hospitality House, helping the homeless. Her teachers recognize her strong work ethic and commitment to making a positive impact on her community.

Tasha was nominated by the Science Department for the Personal Achievement Award from the Newtown Rotary Club in High School Science. This nomination highlights her dedication, curiosity, creativity, and academic excellence. After moving from Thailand last spring, Tasha brought a strong academic background and quickly excelled, maintaining straight A’s across all subjects. While she excels in biology, her greatest passion is math. Tasha is also known for her kindness, respectfulness, and self-advocacy. Her hard work and perseverance make her a deserving recipient of the award, embodying the values of leadership, service, and academic achievement.

Our enhanced recycling and composting program is now in place at all the elementary schools. This project is a collaboration with Newtown Public Works and HRRA, and made possible through funding from FirstLight Sustains. We are fortunate to have great community partners and are thrilled to create opportunities for our students to see how their actions positively impact the environment! Next steps include bringing Reed School on board for 2025-26 and using compost produced at the transfer station to nourish our school gardens.

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!