Newtown Public Schools

After months of discussion, the 25-26 budget was put to voters during the referendum held last Tuesday, April 22nd. The town saw a record turnout of voters, all eager to have their voices heard. As I’m sure you know by now, all items on the referendum were approved. I am incredibly grateful for all of the support offered by our school community in getting the budget passed. Over the past several months, hundreds of emails were written - to me, to the Board of Education, to the Board of Finance and to the Legislative Council, and dozens of people showed up at public hearings, many participating in public comment to share their opinions. Our PTA Executive Boards mobilized and provided clear communication about the school budget right up until the day of the referendum. And all of that active participation made a difference. Last year’s initial budget referendum was defeated by about 500 votes. This year it passed on the first try by about 600 votes. That is a swing of 1100 votes. I’m certain that there is a civics lesson in this tale and one that hopefully won’t be forgotten this time next year!

The Board of Education now has to decide where the $900K reduction (previously recommended by the Board of Finance and supported by the Legislative Council) will come from. This topic will be on the Board of Ed’s agenda for its meeting on May 6th. This will not be an easy decision for our Board members. Many expenditures that don’t directly impact students in the classroom have already been reduced. As was explained by me to the Legislative Council last month, areas for reduction that will need to be considered (and in some cases reconsidered) are the K-6 Spanish program, reduction of freshman sports, increased pay-to-play fees, reduction of the Director of Fine Arts position, as well as additional cuts to security, maintenance and other support roles.

As evidenced by the myriad of wonderful activities highlighted in this edition of the NPS Weekly Update, your tax dollars truly make a difference in terms of the amazing opportunities offered to our students. Part of the beauty of public schools is that regardless of background all students can partake in those learning experiences - both academic and extracurricular - that help shape their future selves. I hope that in the coming weeks you are able to be present at our schools and observe the talents of our students thanks, in large part, to their teachers and support staff and of course, you, their family. I feel truly blessed to be the leader of this incredible school district and, again, I thank you all for your support.

Have a wonderful week,

Anne

The full district calendar can be found here.

Question 3

Shall the sum of $91,744,644 be appropriated for the Board of Education for the fiscal year 2025-2026? Yes: 2,432 No: 1,838

Question 6

Shall the $4,300,00 special appropriation and $4,300,000 bon authorization for the planning, design and construction, reconstruction, remediation and replacement to the A, B, and C wings of the Newtown High School roof be approved? Yes: 2,942 No: 1,329

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

Congratulations to Karen Powell, Newtown Public Schools Nursing Supervisor, who was chosen to receive the 2025 Peer Recognition Award from the Association of School Nurses, CT. Karen goes above and beyond everyday for the students in Newtown and we are grateful for all she does!

Behind every great school is a great principal — and we are fortunate to have the very best.
Today, and every day, we thank our principals for the countless ways they support, inspire, and uplift our students, staff, and families. Your leadership, compassion, and commitment make all the difference.

Happy School Principals’ Day — we appreciate you more than words can say!

This Friday, we recognize and celebrate the incredible contributions of our school nutrition staff. Every day, they nourish our students with healthy meals served with care, kindness, and a smile. Their work supports not just learning, but the overall well-being of our school community.

Thank you to our School Lunch Heroes for all that you do — your dedication truly makes a difference!

Click here for more information and to apply.

On April 23rd, the HOM PTA sponsored the Math Carnival Night! Parents and children participated in fun math activities like Pattern Block Party, Tangram Tangle, Place Value Yahtzee and Kaboom!

Students in the Newtown High School National Art Honor Society in front of the Terrarium making table at Earth Day and the egg carton mushroom table all set up and ready to go.

“The National Art Honor Society provides opportunities for national recognition, scholarships, leadership experience, and connectivity to 50,000+ outstanding arts students worldwide are available to members of an NAHS or NJAHS chapter. Students also can step into leadership roles and provide community service.” (NAEA, NAHS).

The NHS Gold Big Jazz Band provided music at for the festivities:

The Arts are where students are learning to create and creating to learn. The annual NHS Composers’ Concert brought that to life last week as audience members watched and heard the world premier of original student work. Students in Harmony and Composition, AP Music Theory, Music Technology 1, 2 and 3, and Humanities-Music are engaged in authentic composition experiences. The program featured a variety of ‘traditional’ compositions that required students to learn music theory and the rules of composition. Many also learned new software and how to manipulate and employ that software to add music to a variety of video projects.

Projects included Chord-Based Melodies with Instrumental Accompaniment, Newly Rendered Digital Performances of Existing Music, Film-Scoring Project - Trailer from the film Volcano (1997), Film-Scoring Warm-Up Projects (writing to a storyboard image), Audio Compositions, Video Game Music and Sound Design, “Identity” Compositions (depicting a specific person or character), and Film-Scoring Projects.

Students had to imagine and create. Henri Matisse said that “creativity takes courage”. How true! Our student composers demonstrated their resolve as they explored and experimented, took risks, made mistakes, willingly accepted feedback from Mr. Lee and their peers, and reflected/analyzed, and improved their ideas to compose their musical masterpieces. Thank you to our students for their hard work and willingness to share.

Creating and performing is extremely gratifying to our composers and they should be very proud of their accomplishments – we are! Their work provided great joy and happiness to the families and friends that attended. Here are a few samples of what the audience experienced (video and pics):

Families, friends, and the Newtown community can enjoy all of our art shows, productions, and concerts. Here is a link to the district calendar: https://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/calendar as well as the district’s Visual and Performing Arts Calendar of Events: https://hiscavichm.wixsite.com/nhs-fine-arts/calendar-of-event

Newtown Night of Jazz

May 1, 2025 at 7:00pm

The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition)

Reed Intermediate School Drama Club

May 2-4

Newtown Public Schools Art Shows

Newtown Public Schools Spring Concerts

The NHS Football team helped out Unified Sports this week with their flag football practice. What a great day for everyone!

Thank you to two of our AMAZING Coaches & Teachers at NHS for giving much of their extra time to our students. We are so grateful for you. Elie Mouchantat is a Social Studies teacher & Assistant Cheer Coach. Jeremy O'Connell is a PE/Health teacher and Head Coach of Girls Basketball.

Also on the trip was Deidre Croce, School Counselor at NHS.

20 students who traveled with 3 NHS faculty members to explore Europe over their Spring Break to learn about the history and culture of the world. We visited Paris, France, Engelberg, Switzerland, Munich, Germany and more where students ate authentic food and toured famous sites they have learned about throughout their education in Newtown. Student highlights included being on the Eiffel Tower at night when it sparkled, hiking down the Swiss Alps at night by torchlight, and their day trip to Salzburg, Austria. The faculty commented on how much the students grew over the trip and soaked in the experience while growing new friendships as most students didn't know each other prior to traveling. NHS typically brings students in grades 10-12 to Europe over April Break every year. If your student wants to know more about the 2026 trip or other future years please email mouchantate@newtown.k12.ct.us.

Congratulations to Head Girls Lacrosse Coach Maura Fletcher, on being named 2024-2025 SWC Coach of the Year!

It's going to be a beautiful week to catch some amazing teams in action this week. Hope to see you cheering on our athletes!

Please ensure your child's lunch account is up to date so they can enjoy nutritious meals at school. If your family is facing financial challenges, we’re here to help! Reach out to your child's counselor or principal for assistance and resources. Every student deserves a healthy meal!

Did you know that joining your PTA offers several benefits for both you and our school community? Our PTAs do many wonderful things throughout the school year that support and enhance the educational experience for our students. In addition to raising funds for educational programs and classroom resources, members have the opportunity to have their voices and ideas heard, meet new people and build connections within the school and greater community, as well as gain leadership skills that can be both personally and professionally valuable. In addition, being involved in your PTA gives you a closer look at what is happening in your child’s school by participating in or organizing events that foster a positive school culture.

You can find a link to each school's PTA by clicking on this link.

Thank you for your support!

Being the parent of a student with special needs can be confusing, isolating and frightening. Newtown Special Ed PTA, or SEPTA, is a great way to connect with a supportive community. We look forward to you joining us!

For more information, please visit the Special Ed PTA's website by clicking on this link.

Several of our schools are in need of student support services staff. If you enjoy working with kids, we encourage you to visit our employment opportunities page.

All-Star is actively seeking drivers. Flexible schedules and a paid training program.

Consider calling today!