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By JAN HOWARD

Published: Apr 25, 2003 12:00 AM

Occupation: I am a retired New York City publishing â sales and operations â executive. I am the author of three nonfiction works in progress, Dignified Dismissalâ¦how to implement a termination with compassion, respect, and dignity, Ghost Tracksâ¦what history, science,and 50 years of psychic research have revealed about ghosts, evil, and life after death, and Natural Landscapingâ¦for peace and profit. I earned my bachelor in science at Bryant Business College in Rhode Island.

How Long in Newtown: We are entering into our fifth year here. Prior to Newtown, I lived in Somerset, N.J. Iâm originally from Rhode Island, and was born in Providence.

Biggest Change You Have Seen In Town: So far, the new intermediate school.

Family: My husband Tom, over 28 gardens, and a sailboat weâre putting through college. Thatâs how it feels. Tom and I have been married for seven years.

Pets: A perpetual motion German shorthair pointer named Kea that slows down enough to do pet therapy in nursing homes. Sheâs very good around wheel chairs. Sheâs actually very graceful. Â Â

Hobbies: Sailing, hiking, trail horseback riding, gardening, piano, drawing, photography, and socializing with friends.

Favorite Books and Authors: Classics and award-winning literature that share underlying truths about mankind.

Favorite TV Show: Intelligent shows like the Law and Order series, CSI, Boom Town, West Wing, and old shows like MASH.

Organizations: Literacy Volunteer, Eucharistic Minister to the bedridden/homebound for St Rose of Lima, member of the Rosary Group at St Rose, Garden Club of Newtown, the Nunnawauk Meadows Board of Directors, and Newtownâs Safety Committee.

Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: The silence, peace, and beauty of a snow-covered Main Street at night.

Favorite Vacation Spot: On land, Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. Itâs a great place to relax and has a lot to explore and do. On sea, sailing anywhere. Overseas, the natural beauty of Italy and Scotland.

Personal Philosophy: It all goes back into the prop box, except for love.

Referendum At Midpoint: 5% Turnout Reported

Susan Medve

George Miller

Donations For Newtown Lions Stuff-A-Truck Food Drive Help Fight Hunger

Fire Reports | April 10-April 15, 2024

Teachers Union - nuff said.

Vote No To The BOE Budget And No it Should Not Be Higher

Newtown schools have degraded over the 3+ decades I've lived here as the concentrated social experiment curricula driven by the state and small but loud groups. Yet we continue to dig into our pockets while we witness the downward spiral.

Vote Yes On April 23

Unfortunately as voter turnout continues to decline the chances of it increasing also decline. The LC and BOF already know that the budget will be approved by virtue of the low turnout so why try to make smart decisions? The so-called referendum is essentially just a rubber stamp. They will continue to increase the budget by 2-5% every year because it's low enough to not cause a pushback under the cover of "inflation" and "maintaining the schools." Sending the budget to vote with 9% turnout is meaningless and a waste of resources on April 23rd.

Go Out And Vote April 23

I have seen Mr. Pisani repeatedly assert in the pages of the Bee that Newtown schools are "testing at a failing 64.9%". I'd be curious if he could elaborate on this statistic, as I have been unable to verify it independently. Which test exactly is our school system failing? How do our schools compare to other towns? How does our score compare to historical measures? It's very hard to draw conclusions from a single data point, so here are a few more data points to think about for context: Newtown is consistently ranked among the top 20 school districts in CT by the US News and World Report and Niche, which consider a range of performance metrics in their rankings; on average, Newtown students perform similar to, if not better than, students in neighboring school districts on standardized math and reading tests; the only data point on the CT Department of Education District Report Card where Newtown "fails" -- that is, falls behind the state average -- is access to art instruction. I'm glad the council member has acknowledged in this letter what taxpayers in high-performing (and high-spending) school districts like Darien, New Canaan, and Westport already know: "School funding does impact student achievement." Please keep that in mind when you vote this week!

All I Ask Is That You Think About It

An investment is done with a hope for a return. The operative term here is 'hope'.

Continue To Invest In Newtown’s Schools

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