Welcome Back

Greetings New Fairfield Families and Staff:

It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you back! The beginning of the 2024-25 school year is upon us, and it is an exciting time in New Fairfield as we all return from our summer endeavors. I am looking forward to seeing everyone on opening day as students return to our campuses with their smiling faces.

In this back-to-school update, please find the following information items:

• FY 25 Budget Epilogue,

• NFPS Strategic Plan,

• New Initiatives,

• First Day of School,

• On-Time, Daily Attendance,

• School Calendar,

• PowerSchool Portal, and

• K-5 Meet and Greets.

FY 25 Budget Epilogue

Following five referendums, the book was closed on the 2024-25 budget process with the passing of a workable fiscal plan in mid-July, which averted detrimental reductions to the educational system. Most notably, the approved operating budget:

• Maintains class sizes at the appropriate levels,

• Avoids cuts to staff and programs, such as enrichment and gifted education,

• Advances our Strategic Plan and academic initiatives as discussed below,

• Invests in student wellness with the addition of two mental health positions - a new school psychologist and high school counselor.

• Restores the NFMS librarian position and the library to its intended purpose.

The community’s ongoing engagement throughout the budget cycle was greatly appreciated, and because of it, the future continues to be bright for the children of New Fairfield.

NFPS Strategic Plan

The Board of Education has adopted an ambitious and innovative Strategic Plan that will guide the continuous improvement of our District. Three aspirational goals, addressing curriculum, instruction, and wellness, have been established in support of our Vision of a Learner. Each goal is defined by a series of action steps that will be enacted to achieve the goal. Each action step notes specific deliverables that the work will yield in order to have observable outcomes and demonstrate progress over time. We launched this important and adaptive work this summer with over 60 teachers collectively working over 200 days on 11 different summer curriculum projects. We look forward to providing periodic updates regarding our progress and its impact.

New Initiatives

Elementary School

• School Structure - Our two elementary schools have merged and been renamed as one PreK-5 school, New Fairfield Elementary. This change reflects how the schools have been operating as one unified community.

• Literacy - After our pilot of resources this past spring, we look forward now to rolling out a new elementary literacy program. Our K-5 teachers will receive ongoing training to implement new resources to enhance student comprehension, fluency and vocabulary skills.

• Early Learning Center - Our ELC program is expanding its implementation of Bridges mathematics resources with our preschool students. This will support our ongoing efforts to ensure PreK-5 continuity in our curriculum.

Middle School

• STEAM - The NFMS STEAM classroom has been renovated and the program expanded with a new robotics module available at the eighth grade level. Our Director of Building and Grounds, Phil Ross, and our facilities department accomplished this project in-house, resulting in considerable financial savings for the district.

• Library Media Center - The NFMS library media specialist position, which was cut from the budget several years ago, has been restored to enhance student literacy, research and technology skills.

• World Language - Instructional time has increased at NFMS for our sixth graders; last spring, they selected either French or Spanish and will now begin their language study at the start of their sixth grade year, a year earlier than in the past.

High School

• Master Schedule - Following a comprehensive study, NFHS will implement a new master schedule this year. The new schedule increases the frequency with which classes meet, while still allowing for extended blocks of instructional time.

• Mental Health Support - NFHS has restored a school counselor that was cut from the budget a few years ago; this restored position supports student mental health and provides personalized support for college and career readiness.

• Lighting, Turf & Track Replacement - I am pleased to report that the old wooden poles and lights at Rebels Stadium, which were in disrepair, will be replaced beginning in mid-September. We are also awaiting approval of a special appropriation for the replacement of the turf and the track next summer.

First Day of School - Thursday, August 29

• High School 7:15 a.m.

• Middle School 8:00 a.m.

• Elementary School 8:50 a.m.

On-Time, Daily Attendance

Working together with parents, families and staff, we are pleased to have cut our chronic absenteeism rate in half over the past two years to just under 10%. Let’s continue this positive trajectory and work together to assist students in being actively engaged in their learning and at least one co-curricular activity.

District Calendar - 2024-25

As in years past, you will be receiving a printed copy of New Fairfield’s Calendar & Guide, which will be distributed to the youngest child in the family during the first week of school. Each month is adorned with student artwork, and the publication includes information regarding key dates and policies. Below are some important dates to start the year:

• August 22 & 23 New teacher orientation,

• Monday, August 26 First day for all staff,

• Tuesday, August 27 K-5 Meet and Greets,

• Thursday, August 29 First day of school.

The District maintains the master calendar on its website. Please refer to the website for any updates or changes. The principals will include school-specific information about opening school events, including parent conference dates in their welcome letters.

PowerSchool Portal - Opens on Friday, August 23

At this time of year, students are anxiously awaiting their teacher assignments and course schedules. The PowerSchool Portal will open on Friday, August 23. If you have any questions regarding your child’s schedule, please contact the school directly.

K-5 Meet and Greets - Tuesday, August 27

In anticipation of the first day for school, we are holding a series of K-5 Meet and Greets in the afternoon on Tuesday, August 27. This is a great opportunity for students, accompanied by a parent/guardian, to meet their teacher and see their classroom. Principal Story will send families the schedule that indicates the time for each grade level’s Meet and Greet. We look forward to seeing you there!

In Closing

Following this communication, you will receive welcome back greetings from the principals with additional information. I wish you a joyous start to the 2024-25 school year, and I look forward to seeing everyone back soon!

Warm regards,

Ken