Superintendent's Newsletter

Dear Newtown Families,

I hope this message finds you well and that you have the time to read through my newsletter. Summer is upon us and we look forward to wonderful weather and many upcoming school celebrations. Below, please find some of our district's highlights and discover what makes Newtown Public Schools great!

Read Across America Week is celebrated from March 2nd to March 6h. The celebration begins on the birthday of the beloved author, Dr. Seuss. The entire month of March, in fact, is dedicated to reading. This event aims to encourage reading and educate people about its benefits, especially among children and young adults. Events are organized across the nation by schools and organizations to promote the joy of reading.

On March 20th I had the honor to read Potato Pants to Mrs. Whitmore's Kindergarten Class! We had the best time together. I particularly loved when I asked them if they knew who I was. "President, Professor Rubix, A video game creator!"

I attended The Hedaya Islamic Center's annual Sharing Ramadan Dinner on Sunday, March 26, at Edmond Town Hall.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from the time of Fajr (the morning prayer) until the time of Maghrib (the prayer at sunset). At the time of sunset, Muslims break their fast, and that dinner meal is known as Iftar.

The March 26 event began with a program in the Alexandria Room about Ramadan and continued with prayer and dinner in the gym.

It was a wonderful community event where families in our community came together and enjoyed each other's company.

On March 22nd, approximately 450 band members from Newtown Public Schools participated in Band-O-Rama. This event took a lot of planning and organizing to make this program come to fruition. Families and friends were impressed and thrilled with the performance - many smiling faces going out the door. It is our hope that we encouraged students to keep making music.

On April 30th, the Reed Intermediate School performed their presentation of Lion King Jr. based on the 1994 Disney animated feature film of the same name, The Lion King is the story of Simba, an adventurous and energetic cub who is next in line to be king. I was mesmerized by the talent that exists in our school district. Our students, staff and parents shined! I thoroughly enjoyed the show and also came away in awe of the talent and effort.

Congratulations to Caroline Murray (NMS) and Curtis Shaw (NHS) for being honored as Rotary Club’s Student of the Month. The Rotary Club of Newtown met to honor the students of the month from April at Newtown Country Club. Families and staff joined us for dinner and dessert to celebrate all they’ve accomplished this year. After dinner, Rotary members asked the students questions about their future plans.

Once again Newtown Public Schools has received the Best Communities for Music Education Award! Congratulations to our students, staff and parents who work tirelessly to support our programs.

The Newtown Police Department was pleased to host a town-wide emergency "tabletop" drill this week, which included leaders from the Police Department, all local public and private schools, and other emergency managers.

The drill, by design, stretches community leaders beyond their typical resources and expectations in order to highlight both strengths and learning opportunities. We were impressed with the professionalism, adaptability, and creativity of our local partners and we are proud to serve alongside them. As a team, we are committed to continually training, learning, and growing together to best serve our community. I will confide in you that as the Superintendent I was put on stage without a script, it was very stressful. This was a very complex scenario that I believe our team handled very well. I am proud of the work that we do every day to ensure that our students and staff are safe.

The Brothers Grimm hit the stage with an epic fairytale about wishes, family and the choices we make. Into the Woods takes everyone's favorite storybook characters and brings them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. Our students were fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed the show!