NYA After-School 'Half-Days' To Be Offered For Early Release Wednesdays

By ELIZA HALLABECK

Published: Sep 17, 2010 12:00 am

NYA After-School âHalf-Daysâ To Be Offered For Early Release Wednesdays

By Eliza Hallabeck

As one of the future overseers for the new Half Day At NYA program at Newtown Youth Academy, Kyle Lyddy said the program will offer first grade through sixth grade students a place to go after school during the early release days scheduled for the first Wednesday of every month this school year.

âWe are in a position where we can help,â said Mr Lyddy, âand we decided to put something together.â

The planned early release days on the first Wednesday of every month starting in October passed the Board of Education in a unanimous vote at its June 15. The time will be used for teachers and administrators across the district to hold professional learning community meetings. During the meetings curriculum will be discussed, and more.

The early dismissal schedule is available on the Newtown Public Schools website, www.newtown.k12.ct.us.

Holding the meetings after school, Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson has explained, allows the district a no-cost solution to providing time for teachers and administrators to meet. Dr Robinson said on Tuesday, September 14, after school programs offered by Education Connection will continue to be available at schools, and will extend the time available to students during the early release Wednesdays.

The idea for the program at NYA came after hearing responses from the community through the news media and other sources, Mr Lyddy said, and the district responded promptly to the concept. Mr Lyddy said Dr Robinson passed the proposal for the after-school program.

The Half Day At NYA program will offer transportation from each elementary school and Reed Intermediate School to the NYA, organized games for the students to participate in, and homework help upon request. High school students are also being sought to provide homework help and mentoring. Mr Lyddy will be overseeing the program along with Ken Good and other NYA staff.

Kitty Latowicki in the Career Center at the high school said an email was sent out to high school students at the start of the week explaining the opportunities to volunteer in the community, including the Half Day At NYA program. Mrs Latowicki said it and the other community service opportunities are great for the students, and she hopes students will take advantage of them. Other opportunities for students to earn community service hours, she said, include volunteering with local Girl Scouts and Masonicare of Newtown.

An after school program for Newtown Middle School students was offered by the NYA last year, but, Mr Lyddy said, not enough students signed up to continue the program through this school year. Like the school district, the NYA program focuses on students between first grade and sixth grade.

High school students who volunteer with the program will receive community service hours for the time they put in to the program, according to Mr Lyddy. Any interested students or parents are asked to contact Mr Lyddy at Klyddy@gmail.com.

âWeâd like to use this really as a mentorship program for the high schoolers, to get them to be good leaders,â Mr Lyddy said.

For each monthâs program, registration for the NYA program will be open until 120 students sign up. Placements are available for 20 students from each elementary school, and for 40 students from Reed Intermediate School. The program will cost $15 per session for both Hawley Elementary School students and for Reed Intermediate School students. For Sandy Hook, Middle Gate, and Head Oâ Meadow students the program will cost $10, due to the later release time from school.

The program will run until 4 pm, and for parents who are unable to pick their students up by 4 pm, an additional $5 will be charged for each additional half hour.

Middle School And High School Transportation To NYA

Although the Half Day At NYA program is not open to middle school and high school students, busing to the NYA is still available to them. All students interested in taking the bus to the facility who are members of the NYA should follow normal school bus procedures, bringing a note from a parent or guardian to the schoolâs secretary to receive a bus pass.

For nonmembers of the facility, a waiver signed by a parent or guardian will be required with a $7 day pass to use the NYA facility. For more information go to www.NYAsportsfitness.com.

Planning & Zoning Continues Discussion Of 12 Cold Spring Road

Paulsen Named 2025 Recipient Of Mary Hawley Public Service Award; Public Invited To Celebration

Snapshot: Dorothy Rothstein

Reduced Turkey Trot Registration Fee Available Until September 1

Trump Orders Flags Lowered For Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting

I have to say, I don’t understand how this project could be considered “morally wrong.” That kind of language feels more like obstruction than constructive dialogue. What is morally wrong is leaving seniors in our community without enough housing options. Right now, Newtown does not have adequate senior housing, and the few developments that exist, like Naunawag Meadows, already have waiting lists. As for the comment that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” that simply isn’t accurate. The system is broken when residents who’ve lived here their whole lives cannot find an affordable and appropriate place to age in town. Responsible development that balances environmental concerns, safety improvements (such as traffic calming measures and sidewalks), and the needs of our seniors is exactly the kind of planning Newtown should be doing. This isn’t about wanting or not wanting something in one’s backyard—it’s about building a community that takes care of its people. Please don't get scared away by the nimby mob.

It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

Borough Board of Burgesses Continues Traffic Safety Discussion

John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

Late Night Prank Gone Wrong

First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

It’s About Dialogue Amongst Neighbors — Not Regulation

A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

<< Aug 2025 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
27	28	29	30	31	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6

Log In

NYA After-School 'Half-Days' To Be Offered For Early Release Wednesdays

Leave a Reply Cancel reply