Newtown Public Schools

The feeling of October is in the air—cooler, crisp days and the first hints of autumn color remind us that a new season of learning is well underway. This past Monday, our faculty concluded September with a full day of professional learning, focused on the roll-out of our new Educator and Leader Evaluation and Support Plan. Our next districtwide professional learning day will take place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4. Building these opportunities early into the school year ensures that staff can immediately apply their learning in ways that make the greatest impact on teaching and student growth.

At next week’s Board of Education meeting, I will present district goals that align with the Newtown Public Schools Strategic Plan and address both instruction and operations. These three-year overarching goals will serve as a roadmap for where my leadership team and I see the district heading. At the three subsequent Board meetings, more specific one-year school and department goals will be shared. This cycle of goal-setting and reporting is part of our continuous improvement process, ensuring that we remain focused, accountable, and responsive to the needs of our students and community.

In recent weeks, I have also heard from staff and community members regarding public communications by employees, especially around freedom of speech and social media. I want to take this opportunity to remind all district employees to be familiar with Policy 4118.12, Freedom of Speech and Media, including Social Media. This policy reflects the Board’s respect for employees’ First Amendment rights while also setting clear expectations for responsible social media use. It is important for all employees to understand that, especially during this time of heightened political discord, that while free speech is protected, there are limits, particularly when it comes to maintaining professionalism and the trust of our school community.

As a reminder, schools will be closed this Thursday in observance of Yom Kippur. To all who are observing, I wish you a meaningful fast and an easy day of reflection and renewal.

Warm regards,

Anne

Our full district calendar can be found here

In order to help families avoid the accumulation of large negative lunch balances, the district will be implementing the following steps:

• At $25 or more: Parents/guardians will be notified by email.

• At $50 or more: School personnel will contact you directly.

• At $75 or more: A formal letter will be mailed home from the school.

• If balances continue to grow without an effort to reconcile: Families will be contacted by the Central Office.

Please note: Students with a negative balance are not permitted to purchase a second lunch or snacks until the account is brought current.

Our goal is to support families in staying up to date with lunch accounts and to prevent larger debts from accumulating. By connecting families with school personnel, we hope to assist you in making online payments or, if eligible, applying for free and reduced-price lunch.

Click on the link for instructions on how to set up a MY SCHOOL BUCKS account so you can keep your account current.

At Newtown Public Schools, we remain dedicated to creating an environment where every student and family feels welcomed and included. From September 15 through October 15, we recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. This annual observance honors the rich history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans, whose roots trace to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

This observance has a meaningful history of its own. First established in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson, it was later expanded to a month-long recognition by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The start date of September 15 is significant, marking the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Mexico and Chile following on September 16 and 18. Columbus Day, or Día de la Raza, also falls within this commemorative period.

This week, members of the Jewish community will observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is a time for reflection, prayer, and renewal. We extend our warm wishes to all who are observing and honor the diverse traditions that enrich our Newtown community.

This past Friday marked National PTA Appreciation Day and we want to extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated parents, teachers, and community members who make up our PTAs. Their tireless efforts—whether organizing events, supporting classrooms, fundraising, or building connections—make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students and staff. The spirit of partnership and volunteerism shown by our PTAs strengthens our schools and helps create the vibrant learning community we are so proud of. Thank you for all that you do!

On October 2nd, we want to recognize National Custodian & Maintenance Appreciation Day. We extend our deepest gratitude to the custodial and maintenance teams who care for our schools every day. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but it makes a visible and lasting difference—clean, safe, and well-maintained spaces where students and staff can thrive. From classrooms and hallways to playgrounds, fields, and facilities, their dedication keeps our schools running smoothly and our learning environments welcoming. We are truly thankful for their commitment, skill, and pride in their work.

Thank you from all of us!

Our RISE program treated the facilities team to the Cool Beans Cart thanking them for all they do for the school community.

Head O’Meadow is delighted to welcome back Principal Tim Napolitano who is joined by new Assistant Principal Kelly Maclaren. The two are no strangers to working together—prior to becoming Head O’Meadow’s principal in 2018, Mr. Napolitano served as assistant principal at Sandy Hook School, where he and Mrs. Maclaren partnered briefly as interim principal and interim assistant principal. Their prior collaboration laid the foundation for a strong professional partnership, which has made for a seamless and positive transition as they now lead Head O’Meadow together.

Each fall, we proudly recognize staff members who have reached 25 years of service in Newtown Public Schools. Earlier this year, we inadvertently missed one very special honoree—Laura Feinstein, Reading Teacher at Sandy Hook School. Ms. Feinstein began her career in our district as a paraeducator before becoming a reading teacher, and throughout her 25 years she has made a lasting impact on countless students. Recently, Sandy Hook School had the opportunity to celebrate her milestone, and we join them in expressing our deep gratitude for her dedication, expertise, and care. Congratulations, Ms. Feinstein!

There’s a buzz of excitement in the classrooms at Sandy Hook School as freshly delivered eggs have arrived and are now nestled safely in the incubator. Over the next several weeks, students will watch and wait, eagerly checking on the eggs each day and learning about the fascinating stages of life unfolding inside. The countdown to hatching day has already begun, and the anticipation is filling the school with joy as everyone looks forward to welcoming the fluffy new chicks!

On September 19th, AP Environmental Science and Oceanography students participated in a long-standing field experience as part of Project Pootatuck (a project formerly funded by NOAA where students collect real usable data). Project Pootatuck is a watershed management and climate change study of the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound watersheds. During this first of two trips, students visited the Coastal Center at Milford Audubon to perform physical, biological, and chemical tests. While at LIS, students practiced real-world field methods such as seining, water quality testing, and sediment core collection. Students used seine nets to perform a bioassessment of the intertidal zone. Additionally, they studied the water chemistry of LIS and performed measurements on temperature, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates. One of Mrs. Paulsson's favorite activities: collecting sediment core samples! As the tide moved out, students entered the partially exposed mud flat to collect historical sediment from the Housatonic River. This sediment core will be studied in the spring and analyzed for periods of high carbon and water content. The students were excited to collect data that will be added to our long-standing water quality and climate change monitoring program.

Students will be off on their second trip at the end of September, sampling and studying the Pootatuck River. In addition to water quality tests, they will collect and identify macroinvertebrates and periphyton, measure the stream inorganic and organic composition, and calculate water discharge.

A huge thank you to Louise Crocco from the Milford Audubon for hosting us and the Newtown community for supporting this experience.

Monday September 29th

Volleyball vs New Milford

Freshman- 4:00pm

JV-5:30pm

Varsity-6:45pm

Field Hockey vs Bethel

JV-5:30pm

Varsity-7:00pm

Tuesday September 30th

Girls Soccer vs Joel Barlow

Varsity-7:00pm

Boys Cross Country at Bethel High School Track

Boys vs Bethel & Masuk

4:30pm

Girl Cross Country at Bethel HIgh School Track

Girl vs Bethel & Masuk

5:00pm

Wednesday October 1st

Boys Golf vs Brookfield

3:30om

Football vs Stratford

Freshman-3:30pm (Treadwell)

Field Hockey vs Northwest Catholic

Varsity-4:30pm

Friday October 3rd

Boys Soccer

Freshman vs Bethel-3:30pm

JV vs Immaculate-4:00pm

Varsity vs Immaculate-6:00pm

Volleyball vs Notre Dame Prep

JV-4:00pm

Varsity-5:30pm

NHS Field Hockey recently played in honor of the 15 For Life Foundation, carrying the message that one man can impact many lives.

15 For Life was created in memory of Rob Kavoit, who wore #15 on the Lacrosse field at Syracuse University. 15 For Life works to break the stigma around mental health and remind us it's ok to not be okay.

Thank you to Kaitlin Doyle for setting up the game, and to Brookfield Field Hockey for joining us.

You can find more information on the 15 For Life Foundation here.

https://15forlife.org/

Newtown High School is once again being awarded with the 2024-2025 Michaels Achievement Cup. This award exists to honor CIAC member schools that provide exemplary athletic programs. The Cup was created in the early 1980s in an effort to recognize outstanding athletic programs in CT.

In 2008 the CIAC began direct oversight of the program. Then in 2017, the focus of The Cup transitioned to honoring schools for their commitment to sportsmanship. Which coincidentally is the first year NHS won this award.

The Michaels Cup honors exemplary athletic programs for their willingness to subscribe to the Class Act Sportsmanship standards, empowering students to take an active role in their school climate and their continued support for community service.

We spoke to Athletic Director, Matt Memoli and asked how he felt about receiving this award. " It's an amazing feeling, a complete testament to our coaches and athletes. We have very high standards for our Athletes and Coaches. We take sportsmanship very seriously. These high standards carry over to everyone involved in athletics. This includes our fans.

This will be the 5th consecutive year NHS has received this honor.

A huge Congratulations to all 28 CIAC member high schools being honored.

NHS Boys Soccer recently spent time at Game NIght with Seniors at Charter Assisted Living. The residents loved it, and the boys asked to do it again.

Nighthawks spreading the good.

Our PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) is a group made up of parents, teachers, and sometimes community members who work together to support our schools. The primary goal of our PTAs is to build a strong connection between families and schools to create a positive learning environment for students. PTAs often organize activities and events that benefit students, such as fundraisers, family nights, and volunteer programs. These events help raise money for classroom supplies, field trips, or other school needs that may not be covered by the school budget.

In addition to fundraising, the PTA acts as a bridge between parents and school administrations. They advocate for students by addressing concerns or providing feedback to school leaders. PTAs also host meetings, or informational sessions to keep parents informed about important issues, such as curriculum changes, testing schedules, or educational policies. By fostering collaboration among parents, teachers, and administrators, our PTAs plays a crucial role in enriching the school community and supporting student success.

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

Newtown Public Schools follows a Board-approved Meal Charging Policy that ensures all students have access to a healthy meal each school day, regardless of their meal account balance. While we encourage families to keep their child’s account in good standing, students will not be denied a meal due to a lack of funds.

To support families in managing their child’s school meal account, we offer MySchoolBucks, a secure online payment system that allows parents to:

• Add funds to their student’s account
• Set up automatic payments
• Monitor account balances and purchase history
• Receive low-balance notifications

We encourage all families to sign up for a MySchoolBucks account at www.myschoolbucks.com or through the mobile app. By staying informed and maintaining a positive balance, you help ensure a smooth and uninterrupted meal experience for your child.

For more information about the district’s Meal Charging Policy, please visit our website or your child's school.

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.

*There is No School on Thursday, October 2, 2025*