SPOTLIGHT
on New Milford Schools
Dear New Milford Public Schools Families, Faculty, and Staff,
The month of May brings with it days of lovely weather and many exciting school events! From concerts to presentations to awards ceremonies to send-off and field days, each day presents a variety of opportunities to see our students in action and families enjoying their accomplishments. Special congratulations to our students from the Litchfield Hills Transition Center for their graduation and entry into the world outside of NMPS!
Thank you to everyone who came out to vote in the town budget referendum on May 20! The next budget referendum will take place on Wednesday, June 11 at your usual voting locations. See the listing of polling locations on the next page or call town hall if you are unsure where to vote.
As we enter the final few days of the school year, I would like to extend my gratitude to our families and community for their ongoing support of our schools and our students! Your care makes the work of the district that much better, and we appreciate everyone's contributions to our progress and success.
Thank you,
Janet P. Parlato, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools
- June 10th: Early dismissal for ALL students; Last day of school for students at HPS, NES, SNIS, and NMHS
- June 10th: SMS 8th Grade Promotion, 6pm
- June 11th: Early dismissal for SMS students; Last day of school for SMS students; Last day of school for staff at HPS, NES, SNIS, and NMHS
- June 12th: Last day of school for SMS staff
- June 14th: NMHS Graduation ~ 10:00am @ NMHS Joe Wiser Stadium🎓
Did you know that Connecticut has over 5500 farms and several of the farms are in our backyard? The Food & Nutrition Department has been supporting local farms and providing farm fresh produce on the school lunch line for over 15 years. One of our missions is to provide a variety of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and to expose students to a wide range of vegetables/fruits grown in our state.
On May 12th we had a “Sample Day” and “Make Today a Try Day” in the SNIS cafeteria. A Strawberry & Spinach Salad was sampled by approximately 253 students. The spinach was from a local farm (Earth Palate) in Warren. The students were excited and willing to participate. 92% of the students either loved it or liked it, which was wonderful. Due to such a positive response, students will see the Spinach & Strawberry Salad on future menus
We are also getting fresh lettuce from Barkley’s Backyard Garden (Hill & Plain Garden). The students recently harvested some greens and provided the cafeteria with some beautiful lettuce that the kitchen staff used in a salad to serve with the meals. Spring is here and the department is always happy to incorporate fresh, local produce into the school meals.
SMS Bands and SMS Orchestra
Mr. Polhemus and Mr. Mason and the SMS Bands and SMS Orchestra have put their talent on display throughout the year at our annual concerts and other venues across CT! Here are some of the highlights:
Regionals
In March, seven of our students were accepted into the Northern Region Middle School Music Festival! They prepared music by themselves and got together on a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning with some of the most talented musicians in CT! We even had THREE students chosen for jazz band, which has never happened before! The students are:
Band: Madison Bloom, Kayleigh Krasselt, Mason Bernardi
Orchestra: Logan Fraczek
Jazz Band: Jay Karkhanis, Neil Karkhanis, Rowan Cotter
Walking Project Family Night
This past month we hosted our Walking Project Family Night, more than 200 families attended! Families had a chance to see what the students are learning throughout the Walking Project and to experience a little bit of it for themselves. Activities included vendor tables, a family walk, and many demonstrations and activities, including healthy food samples and recipes, yoga, dance, karate, and boot-camp exercise sessions. It was a great evening!
Yay, it's MAY!
The Bike Rodeo (organized by the PTO) and the Art Walk (through the school - organized by Art Teacher Extraordinaire Mrs. Doreen Cherniske) were two fun events held on the same night, Friday May 2nd! The children enjoyed riding their bikes, a food truck, games and other activities as they interacted with classmates, and their school community on a beautiful, warm evening. Students and parents were encouraged to walk the halls of the school to look at all the artwork on display.
What a busy month May is for our students and staff! The PTO fundraising efforts bring a lot of wonderful programs, assemblies and field trips for our students, many of which happen in the month of May toward the end of the school year.
On May 7th, the second graders were treated to a Kindness Assembly by "Kind Works." Students learned.... and then painted kindness charms.
On May 8th, the Kindergarteners went on a field trip to The Ridgefield Playhouse to see Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
On May 13th, the Frogtown Puppets came to NES for a puppet show. The whole school attended and it was fun and funny! On May 16th, the Critter Caravan came to NES to visit our littlest learners, the Excel classes. Children enjoyed learning about small animals and seeing them up close!
On May 19th SMS treated NES to a Jazz Concert, which was a nice assembly for the whole school.
On May 23rd, The Animal Embassy came to give a presentation to our Kindergarten and 1st grades. Similar to Critter Caravan, the children enjoyed learning about and meeting the animals!
Mini-K Experience
Hill and Plain was happy to welcome the incoming Kindergarteners to our 2025 Mini-K Experience! Mrs. Calabrese was able to present pertinent information to families, while staff worked with the incoming students with play-based activities. Thanks to our PTO, Youth Agency, and Food Services for sharing important information with families as well.
Mrs. Kara Gray has been named Hill and Plain School’s Teacher of the Year! 👩🏻🏫
We are thrilled to announce that Mrs. Kara Gray has been named Hill and Plain School’s Teacher of the Year! Her unwavering dedication to our students, families, colleagues, and the broader community exemplifies the heart of our school.
Mrs. Gray's commitment to fostering a nurturing and inclusive learning environment has made a profound impact on all who have the privilege of working with her. Her passion for education and her genuine care for each student's success inspire us all. Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Gray on this well-deserved recognition. We are incredibly fortunate to have her as a part of our Hill and Plain family!
