This letter, originally sent to parents and staff of Newtown Public Schools, was released to The Newtown Bee for publication.

Dear Parents and Staff,

To say this was a challenging year is understating the obvious. However, over the last week, hundreds of smiling and proud faces during the elementary and Reed parades, the middle school Moving Up, and the Newtown High School graduation ceremonies brought a special joy to the entire community. Although these events were far from typical, they inspired a positive closure to the school year. We are so proud of our students who continued to work hard and persist throughout the year and to our seniors who took their final steps across the stage as Newtown High School graduates, Class of 2020. A special thanks to all our parents and caregivers for supporting your children during distance learning in partnership with our staff.

Tuesday, June 16, is our last day of the school year. We anticipate the summer will offer a well-deserved time to rest and enjoy time with families. We also want to share optional summer resources with you that can be shared with your children. The staff and leadership at each of the buildings will be sending resources that can be accessed over the summer break.

While the summer months will afford everyone the opportunity to reflect and catch our breath, district leaders and staff will continue to plan for the coming fall. We will continue to post meeting agendas and notes from our Re-Entry Committee and subgroup meetings. Please visit our district’s website for information, and I will continue to share updates with the entire school community. Before you depart for the summer, all parents, along with students in grades seven to 12 will receive a survey from our assistant superintendent, Anne Uberti, regarding distance learning this year

We will continue to offer lunch for families through June 29. Following that date, if any family is in need, there are additional resources that are available. You can access the town site at newtown-ct.gov/covid-19-information-newtown-residents-and-businesses.

As we close the year, I also wanted to recognize two Newtown staff members. Janice Gabriel, theater and English teacher at Newtown High School, is our Newtown Teacher of the Year for 2020-21. Dawn Eagleson, paraprofessional at Sandy Hook, was named the recipient of the Anne Marie Murphy Paraprofessional Award. Both outstanding staff members will be honored formally by our District and the State of Connecticut when we return to school.

Albert Camus, Nobel Prize-winning philosopher once said, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” Wishing all Newtown staff and families a restful and peaceful summer break. Stay healthy and safe.

Dr Lorrie Rodrigue

Superintendent, Newtown Public Schools