Newtown has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding support and commitment to music education.

The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry.

Now in its 26th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.

Two awards are given each year: Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) for school districts and the SupportMusic Merit Award (SMMA) for individual school sites.

Both reach K-12 schools and districts throughout the US and offer opportunities to increase awareness and support for music programs. Over 1,000 districts and individual school sites (public, private, charter, and parochial) were recognized for having the highest commitment to producing exceptional music programs.

Newtown High School senior Cormac Elliott said the school's fine arts program has been a connecting and continuing force in high school journey, and that it gave him and his friend group and values that they "wouldn’t have found otherwise."

He continued, "I have put my heart into the fine arts program whether it be band or theater because of the environment and path it set me on. It has given so much and it was my turn to give back.”

To that end, Kormac designed and built a new tool chest for the theater program as his Capstone Project.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, NPS answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs.

Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by the leading arts educational research firm, WolfBrown.

71 percent of all students in grades K-12 participate in NPS' music program. All music and visual and performing arts courses, have Board of Education-approved curriculum that follow the national and state standards for their art from.

Many students who participate in music courses such as general music, chorus, band, and orchestra also participate in extracurricular ensembles including but not limited to marching band, chamber orchestra, show choir, and color guard.

Newtown’s program was recognized for excellence through the CT High School Theater Halo Awards with our own Dolly winning Best Performance in Leading Female Role in a Classic Musical.

From Newtown students having a very successful run at this year's Musical Arts Conference Championships to Unified Music and Unified Theater students writing their own music and show, the town's music program continues to engage students and encourage them to excel.

Over the years, many Newtown graduates have gone on to be composers, music teachers, performers, conductors, musical theater performers and tech, and music therapists.

Michelle Hiscavich, Newtown’s Director of Visual and Performing Arts, said she is proud to have the hard work and efforts of the music teachers recognized.

She continued by saying that she appreciates the Newtown community acknowledges the value of the arts in every child’s education.

"All of our arts teachers and programs deserve this recognition," Hiscavich said. "Our students are gaining tremendous educational, cognitive, social, and health benefits as they imagine, create, and perform."