Faculty and staff were welcomed to the 2021-22 school year this week with a convocation at Newtown High School, and students are set to start the school year on Monday, August 30. Newtown and Sandy Hook parents can submit photos from the first day of school for Newtown Public Schools by e-mail to Education Reporter Eliza Hallabeck, eliza@thebee.com, by 8 am on Tuesday, August 31, to be considered for use in next week’s print edition. Photo submissions should include the name of the students pictured, from left to right; the school they attend; their grades; and the name of the person who took the photo.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been a half a century since the Greatest Class graduated from what was then a sparkling, brand-new Newtown High School. Members of the Class of ’71, are invited to attend their 50th reunion, to be held the entire weekend of October 15, 16 and 17. Members of the class interested in participating can call 203-270-1813 or e-mail Frank Pitrone, frank@apexglass.com.

If you haven’t already made time to visit New Britain Museum of Art this month, this is the final weekend of the museum’s annual juried member exhibition. Newtown residents may be tickled to see a familiar name if they visit the show, too: Roberta Shea’s painting “Sylvan Shiver” was among the 65 works accepted into the highly competitive event. And here’s a little secret we can share: If you register for your visit in advance, and use the promo code NOREASTER, adult entries are fully discounted! “Nor’easter: The 51st Annual Juried Exhibition” is on view until through Sunday. The museum is at 56 Lexington Street in New Britain. Call 860-229-0257 for details, or visit nbmaa.org for additional information and that advance registration. And enjoy!

The Garden Club of Newtown has a few seats available for its big anniversary event next month. The club has been planning its 65th anniversary celebration for so long, it’s now in its 66th year, but the repeated delays have been due to COVID. Everyone is invited to join Club President Peggy Jepsen and the current members at Rock Ridge Country Club for the luncheon, now planned for Tuesday, September 21 — and my apologies that there was a day-date conflict in the paper last week. Tickets are $55 each, and include a full lunch, a presentation by guest speaker Ellen Ecker Ogden on “The Art of Growing Food,” honors and accolades for some of the club members, and raffles and a silent auction for everyone. If you’d like to be part of the event, which will run from 11 am until 2:30 pm, contact Peggy at peggyjepsen@frontier.com.

Two Newtown High School athletic programs are hoping the public will be feeling generous on Saturday, and a third is hoping fans will show up at the correct location for a scrimmage that morning. The NHS wrestling program will hold a car wash fundraiser at Berkshire Motors, 25 Berkshire Road — right across the road from the high school’s driveway — on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Wrestlers will be offering car washes in exchange for donations. During that same time, the NHS cheer squad will be conducting a bottle and can drive. The cheerleaders will be in the parking lot of the high school, where they will happily be accepting clean returnables. Once you drop off those returnables and get your car or truck all cleaned up, NHS football will be playing a preseason scrimmage at Treadwell Park. The Nighthawks will be hosting Greenwich right at 10 am. The game has been moved to the Philo Curtis Road park because the home team’s field is still closed for renovations.

Word is out, and I can add my voice to the choir of those sending best wishes to Sasha and Jim Allyn, who auditioned for and have been accepted to compete on The Voice as a father-son duo. The new season for the NBC TV program begins September 20. Let’s show these two a ton of hometown love!

Do you know a child with a birthday coming up? Submit their photo, name, and date of birth for The Bee’s Birthday Wishes announcement, published each week in the Education section. The weekly deadline to submit a birthday announcement is Tuesday at noon, and every child submitted for Birthday Wishes has a chance to win a certificate for an ice cream cake from Ferris Acres Creamery. To include your child in “Birthday Wishes,” send name, address, phone number, age, and birthday, along with an original head and shoulders photo to Birthday Wishes, The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470, or e-mail information and a JPG photo to eliza@thebee.com. Please send the photo as an attachment to the e-mail. Birth dates must be within one month of submission.

I will have reason to celebrate a special occasion next week as long as you promise to... Read me again.