Stay Involved And

Stay Informed

To the Editor:

I attended the presentation of the superintendent’s proposed budget last night in my capacity as both a concerned parent, and as president of the Newtown High School PTSA.

In my opinion there are many losses being proposed that I am unhappy about.

We all know that the development of our annual budget is a long and measured process. For those that have concerns, please keep going to meetings. Do your research for facts. Be prepared to listen and learn and not jump on the bandwagon of hysteria. And go support your PTAs by attending meetings and volunteering a little of your time to this effort.

A lot of work goes into trying to keep citizens stay informed and it is a lonely job. When you become more informed, you help the entire town.

Please refrain from passing emails that are not based in fact. A lot of crazy things circulated this week that were simply wrong. It made a lot of people, kids especially, feel frenzied for no reason.

Staff, and parents, when you are upset it makes the kids upset and I really don’t think that our 10-year-olds need to lose sleep because they have been told that home ec, Spanish, Student Council, or jazz band are going to be “cut.”

They are really upset by these proclamations of their favorite programs being “cut.” In fact, at this point nothing has been cut, rather the superintendent has proposed reductions. The Board of Education still needs to decide what they will do on February 4. And then there will still be almost three more months to go in this process.

So stay the course and stay involved and informed.

If your kids want to do something positive, have them write a persuasive letter. But don’t add a lot of misinformation and stress to their world.

Sincerely,

Sarah Beier

7 Yogananda Street, Sandy Hook                           January 27, 2010