Year In Review: Celebrations And Service In Newtown's Schools
For Newtown’s students 2015 was a year filled with accomplishments and celebrations for the school district.
It certainly felt like a celebration inside Middle Gate Elementary School’s gymnasium at the school’s Fourth Grade Winter Concert assembly held on January 13. The students and music teacher Tina Jones had everyone smiling from the first song of the event to the last.
That same day Newtown Middle School students competed in the final round of the school’s National Geographic Geography Bee. After six rounds and a final championship round, Jackson Hebner was named as the school’s champion.
Reed Intermediate School held its National Geographic Geography Bee two days later, on January 15. After 11 rounds and a final championship round, Anika Ledina was named as the school’s champion. Anika was later named by the National Geographic Society, in March, as one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2015 National Geographic State Bee, sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. The contest was on March 27 at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.
Students and family members gathered in NHS’s cafetorium on February 3 to celebrate 23 students who had completed graduation requirements. A reception was held, with food provided by the high school’s culinary department, along with the ceremony.
The next day, Middle Gate students participated in Community Circle assemblies that focused on diversity and respect. Teachers Claire DeSisto and Lola Aldrich presented the assembly, and led the students through discussing what respect and diversity mean. Throughout February special activities to learn about diversity were held, and the school celebrated diversity at its “Differences Day” later in the month.
Sandy Hook Elementary School students helped PTA Valentines For Troops committee members prepare packages of letters, toiletries, chocolate, and Girl Scout cookies, provided by Newtown VFW Post 308, on February 10. Newtown Post Office carrier Chris Myers and Customer Service Manager Richard Crowther helped make sure the packages were shipped to an Army Infantry Division in Afghanistan.
Susan Rosano, an artist with Arts for Learning Connecticut, worked with Middle Gate students and parents in a PTA effort February 10 to create nine new murals for the school’s cafeteria. It was the first of multiple evenings to work on the murals, which were unveiled at the annual Middle Gate Madness event in May.
In the Winter Percussion’s first competition of the season, NHS scored a 78.45 and walked away with the first place trophy in the Marching Percussion 2A division, February 21, in a USBands event.
Newtown teachers and school staff took on the Harlem Wizards for a comedy basketball game fundraiser for the district’s PTSA and PTAs, on February 22. Steve Dreger coached the Newtown team, called, “Newtown Teachers Unite,” and said while the game was a “blowout,” the audience responded throughout the game, and everyone had fun.
Springtime In Newtown Schools
Hawley Elementary School held its first STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Night on March 4. The event was sponsored by the school’s PTA and overseen by Hawley math/science specialist Jenna Connors. Stations at the evening event included a math game, tablets and laptops ready with math apps for students to complete, the school’s 3D printer, and activities offered by EverWonder Children’s Museum, through its “EverWonder On The Road” program.
The Connecticut Audubon Society education manager and teacher Tricia Kevalis visited with Head O’Meadow Elementary School students, on March 9, with a number of other “visitors.” Ms Kevalis shared information about animals and introduced the students to a Madagascar hissing cockroach, a millipede, a field mouse, a box turtle, a green tree frog, and a barn owl named Milton, who stretched his wings out for the students to see, when asked by Ms Kevalis.
To kick off its One School, One Read three-week event,Sandy Hook School hosted Danny Rodrigue, stage name Danny Magic, on Friday, March 13. After Danny Magic impressed the students with tricks and jokes, Sandy Hook Assistant Principal Tim Napolitano announced the year’s book to be Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney.
NHS’s musical production of City Of Angels ran from March 19 to March 22, and in May it was nominated for 14 awards by the Annual Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards. The award winners were announced during a gala in June, with City of Angels earning an award for Outstanding Student Orchestra; The Angel City Singers won for Outstanding Small Ensemble;and Brett Boles won for Outstanding Musical Direction.
Newtown Middle School students performed in the production of Shrek The Musical Jr, in showings between March 27 and March 29.
In April the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation recognized Newtown Public Schools for its outstanding commitment to music education with a Best Communities for Music Education designation, for the seventh time, and sixth year in a row.
Tim Green, a former NFL player, a lawyer, and an author, visited Reed Intermediate School and NMS on April 3, sharing and reading inspirational stories with students at each school.
The next day, NHS’s Indoor Winter Percussion ensemble season came to a successful conclusion when NHS brought home a bronze medal in the Marching A division of the Musical Arts Conference (MAC) Championships, held at Westhills High School, Stamford.
Third grade students in teacher Claire DeSisto’s class gave a presentation, on April 6, to kick-off Middle Gate Loves To Read Week. The week included each school community member reading Pennies for Elephants by Lita Judge, who visited the school in May. Other special events and efforts included a penny drive to raise funds for renovation and conservation costs for the habitat of a bald eagle named Kodiak, at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.
On April 24, NHS seniors celebrated at the 2014-15 Senior Prom at Danbury’s The Matrix Conference & Banquet Center. More than 400 guests ventured to the prom, which had a Mardi Gras color scheme of purple, green, gold, and white.
Over the district’s April vacation, three delegations from the Newtown International Center for Education (NICE) visited three different countries: Spain, France, and China. During all of the trips delegation members stayed with host families, toured sister schools, and experienced different aspects of the cultures they were visiting.
A line of nets was set up outside at Newtown Middle School on May 5 for a volleyball tournament fundraiser for the American Heart Association, organized by NMS physical education teacher Ken Kantor, who later reported roughly $400 was raised from the tourney.
The 16th Annual Newtown Night Of Jazz brought the district’s four jazz ensembles together to perform for the community during the evening of May 7 at Newtown High School.
Artwork created by fourth grade students at Sandy Hook School was on display for the school’s Student Art Show on May 7. Activity stations were also set up for the evening event.
The next day Reed Intermediate School students involved in the school’s musical Annie Jr, presented a special showing of the production for their fellow students. The production offered public showings on May 8 and May 9.
Middle Gate held its annual STEM Night event for third and fourth graders on May 21. The event, organized by math/science specialist Jill Bracksieck and the school’s math intervention teacher Kristen Delgado, boasted many activities.
Reed Intermediate School’s 2015 Pushcart Warriors broke the school’s previous record, by earning more than $5,900 for a charity effort on June 9. Sixth graders in Petrice DiVanno and Matt Dalton’s cluster, Lil Martenson and Michelle Vaccaro’s cluster, Maura Drabik and Todd Stentiford’s cluster, and Georgia Smith and Valerie Pagano-Hepburn’s cluster all participated.
Moving Up, Moving On
As Newtown Middle School Principal Tom Einhorn said during his school’s Moving Up Ceremony on June 15, held at Western Connecticut State University’s O’Neill Center in Danbury, the evening was being held to “congratulate and recognize our students.” More than 400 students graduated during the ceremony.
The following day, roughly 450 NHS students graduated at the O’Neill Center. Speakers noted the many accomplishments of the 2015 graduates and spoke about the impact the students will have on the world.
While school was out of session for summer, students were still hard at work at NHS. As part of the 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program students worked to beautify the school by planting plants, landscaping, and more. On July 28 students worked under the direction of Connecticut certified teaching artist Debora Aldo to paint a mural on a wall outside the school’s cafeteria.
The 2015-16 School Year Begins
Teachers and district staff kicked off the 2015-16 school year on August 24 at a convocation held at NHS. When it was his turn to speak at the convocation, Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr. said challenges may face the teachers over the coming year.
“Our challenge in Newtown is to lead with the art of teaching,“ said Dr Erardi, “and allow the mechanics to guide the work, not to govern the day.”
Kindergarteners across the district rehearsed riding the school bus for the first time, on August 25, before the August 27 start of the 2015-16 school year .
Marc Mero, a former WCW and WWE champion, shared a message of hope and inspiration with the Newtown school district and community members at NHS on September 9, after he had given a presentation for high school students earlier that day. The event was a joint offering by the Newtown Parent Connection, Newtown Prevention Council, and the NHS PTSA.
Middle Gate students, faculty, and staff gathered outside the school on October 8 to form the words “Be Kind” and the shape of a heart for an all-school photo. Volunteers, including members of Newtown Hook & Ladder Co. #1, helped make the photo possible. The words were inspired by Ben’s Bells.
Thanks to Earth Force, the Pootatuck Watershed Association, Kellogg Environment Center of Derby, the Candlewood Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and General Motors, locally represented by Ingersoll Auto of Danbury and Chevrolet Northeast Regional Marketing, Reed students were greeted by volunteers and educators near Deep Brook on October 8 and October 9 to study the water and area.
Throughout October, preparations were underway at NMS for the annual My Favorite Scarecrow Sculpture Contest. By October 30 teachers Leigh Anne Coles and Kristen Ciarletto announced the top three vote recipients. This year’s first place entry was “Snoopy Halloween with the Dog House.” In second place was “WALL-E,” followed by “Cinderella’s Carriage.”
The NHS Marching Band & Guard took top Connecticut honors and brought home the division’s coveted Best Music Award by placing third, November 7, at the USBands National Championships at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Marching Band & Guard’s performance marked the first time Newtown has placed in the top three at the National Championships.
Veterans were welcomed into schools across the district on November 11 for celebrations and assemblies commemorating Veterans Day. Heartfelt words of thanks were shared at each of the schools for the veterans, and students learned about the history of the day.
NHS’s fall drama The Great Gatsby ran from November 12 to 15. The production was student directed by Cal Creeden and Sean Dalton, with NHS teachers Janice Gabriel and Brian Tenney acting as advisors.
NICE celebrated International Education Week, recognized nationally from November 16 to 20, with different lessons, exercises, and events at a number of district schools. School activities included special morning announcements, music during lunches, movie showings, dance lessons, and special classroom lessons.
Hawley third and fourth grade students shared their winter concert with their fellow students during an assembly on November 30, led by music teacher Brian Kowalsky. The students sang songs celebrating winter and learning.
Sixth grade students at Reed made the most of a half day December 2 by participating in numerous acts of service, like knitting baby hats for Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), making baby blankets for hospitals, making sandwiches for local shelters and food pantries, making cards and decorations for area seniors, and painting ceramic pieces for Ben’s Bells wind chimes.
On December 3 it was the Sandy Hook fourth grade’s turn to share its winter concert during a school assembly. Music teacher Maryrose Kristopik led the students, offering guidance and encouragement quietly between songs. “You guys rock,” said Ms Kristopik to her students at the end of the assembly. “It was awesome.”
Between 60 and 70 NMS students worked, December 8, to make possible an American Red Cross blood drive and a simultaneous food collection for FAITH (Food Assistance, Immediate Temporary Help) Food Pantry in Sandy Hook. Cluster 8 Purple hosted the event, with NMS teachers Danelle Egan, Andrew San Angelo, Jennifer Hayducky, and Megan Carroll overseeing the students.
December was a month of gifting and giving in the district, with holiday shops and fundraisers closing out the year in the district, along with further preparation for more winter concerts across the district in the new year.