SPOTLIGHT
on New Milford Schools
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New Milford Public Schools Mission Statement
Important Dates
- July 21st: Popsicles with Principals at SNIS ~ 12pm (rain date 7/23)
- August 13th: Freshman Orientation ~ 9:30am-12:00pm
- August 19th and 20th: Teacher Work Day, Professional Learning & Staff Meeting
- August 21st: Convocation/K-5 Open House
- August 24th: Students Return; Early Dismissal
- August 25th: Early Dismissal (Staff PD)
NMPS On Track
NMHS News
New Milford High School
Mr. Raymond Manka, Principal
Mr. Kevin Best, Assistant Principal
Dr. Megan Dwyer, Assistant Principal
Mr. Anthony Blake, Assistant Principal
Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
Grad Walk ~ A Wonderful New Tradition!
The Seal of Biliteracy
Congratulations to the following New Milford High School seniors earning the seal of Biliteracy. Outstanding achievement!
Prom 2026!
Introducing The Piper Magazine
Hello All,
This issue has been a labor of love, poured over by a team of artists, writers and designers determined to bring you something extraordinary. Today, patience pays off. We are beyond thrilled to finally share NMHS 2026 The Piper Magazine. Add it to your summer reading.
Have a restful break.
Enjoy!
Jenny Cox and Nicole DuVerger
Danbury High School Hosts Unified Prom
Thank you to Danbury High School for hosting this year's Unified Prom at the Amber Room. The kids and staff had an amazing evening!
WCSA Superintendent's Awards
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 Superintendent’s Awards! This is one of the most prestigious honors of the year; this award celebrates students who truly represent the very best of our district. Recipients were officially recognized during a special ceremony at the Amber Room.
Please join us in celebrating this year's honorees:
Emma Coleman, NMHS
Scott Spinner, NMHS
Lauren Pancrazi, Schaghticoke
Caden Regan, Schaghticoke
Halo Awards 🤩🎭
Congratulations to Josh V. who won Best Performance in a Leading Male Role in a Contemporary Musical at the Halo Awards for Something Rotten on May 27th. Thank you to every student involved with this production, and every staff member; it was truly amazing! ⭐ Bravo! 🎶🌟🤩
SMS News
Schaghticoke Middle School
860-354-2204
Mrs. Jennifer Powers, Principal
Mrs. Alicia Hynes, Assistant Principal
Ms. Shannon Surreira, Assistant Principal SMS/NES
8th Grade Promotion
Congratulations to the 8th Grade students on your promotion. Have a safe and happy summer!
SMS Voices, under the direction of Mrs. Beddows, singing "We Can Rise Above" at the SMS Promotion Ceremony!
Thank you to Water Witch Hose for displaying the grand old flag at the Schaghticoke Middle School promotion ceremony!
SMS Band, under the direction of Mr. Polhemus, demonstrates that "It Don't Mean a Thing If it Ain't Got That Swing"
Introducing Schaghticoke Middle School's New Principal
SMS Academic Awards and Recognition Night
The Academic Awards were a wonderful celebration of the citizenship and academic achievement of SMS students. Congratulations to all award recipients! Keep up the great work!
SMS Students Take a Ride to SNIS
A group of 6th Grade Ambassadors traveled to Sarah Noble Intermediate School to spend the morning with the 5th grade. They presented and answered questions to help students prepare for 6th grade at SMS next year!
SNIS News
Sarah Noble Intermediate School
860-210-4020
Mrs. Anne Bilko, Principal
Mrs. Jennifer Chmielewski, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Jennifer Meyers, Assistant Principal
5th Grade Walking Project
The 5th Grade Walking Project is a long standing tradition at SNIS. Since 2007, the month long project has grown from simply getting students to exercise/walk to a focus on the 4 Es- Exercise. Eating Well, Environmental awareness, and Emotional Health. This year, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of this project. Over that time, more than 6000 students have participated, made possible by nearly 100 local businesses and organizations that have contributed.
At this year’s closing ceremony, Mayor Pete Bass presented a Mayoral Proclamation declaring May 29th The Walking Project Day. Also celebrating with the students were many of the Walking Project Committee’s founding members and special guests, NMHS current junior class that missed some of the Walking project in 2020 during the pandemic. It was a wonderful day to celebrate this School and community Collaboration!
Field Trips
Largely due to the support of our generous PTO, all three grades went on amazing field trips. These trips were an exciting opportunity for students to learn about the world around them!
The 5th Grade went to Soundwaters in Cove Island Park in Stamford, the 4th Grade traveled to the Bronx Zoo, and our third graders went to the Maritime Center!
Concert Season
Spring time is the concert season here at SNIS! Our instrumental performing groups and our choral groups have been performing at a variety of concerts all month. Additionally, our Marching Band participated in the Memorial Day Parade. These concerts are a culmination of the hard work of our students and instructors Teresa White and Michael Garbiel.
HPS News
Hill & Plain Elementary School
860-354-5430
Mrs. Catherine Calabrese, Principal
Dr. Katherine Brittain, Assistant Principal
The End of the School Year is Finally Here!
We kicked off the month with a PTO-sponsored in-house field trip for First Grade: the Science Center’s “Build Your Own Zipline” program! Students designed and created mini ziplines using recycled materials, structural supplies, string, and hardware for their “passengers,” which included small plastic animals, LEGO figures, and more. It was an exciting hands-on STEM experience for all!
The Kindergarten class visited the Pratt Center, where the students received a multi-sensory experience with nature, the environment, farming, the history of growing gardens, hiking trails, and river and pond study.
The SMS Chorus and Jazz Band visited HPS to perform for our students, and they did a fantastic job! Both staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the performance and appreciated the opportunity to experience live music. Thanks, Mrs. Beddows, Mr. Polhemus, and SMS students.
HPS celebrated National Dairy Month by Ann Loranger from Food Services, providing students with dairy product samples from Arethusa Farms, giving them a fun, nutritious, and tasty way to learn about local agriculture.
On June 12th, the PTO sponsored an after-school Family Picnic, bringing families together to celebrate another wonderful school year at HPS. This month, we also recognized all of our PTO volunteers throughout the year who help make school-sponsored events a success!!
June 16th was our school-wide Field Day! A special thank you to Ms. Stratman for organizing a fun-filled day of obstacle courses, water balloon tosses, relay races, and so much more. The students had an amazing time!
We were honored to welcome Stephanie Thomas, Secretary of the State, to our school as she presented HPS with the Red, White, and Blue School Recognition: Committee’s Choice for our kindergarteners' and staff's commitment to civic education. This award honors schools that go above and beyond in promoting civic learning and engagement. We are incredibly proud of this achievement.
We would like to recognize and celebrate our retirees, Kerri Adakonis (Assistant Principal), Diane Pflomm (Special Education Teacher), Madeleine Sanger (Second Grade), and Lenny Witrock (Substitute Teacher). We extend our heartfelt thanks for your many years of dedication, hard work, and service to our school community. Your impact on the lives of students and staff will be remembered for years to come. We wish you all the best in this exciting new chapter and a happy, well-deserved retirement!
We also celebrated all of our Second Graders with their very own “2nd Grade Send-Off” Day! Students enjoyed outdoor games, a bouncy house, special activities, popsicles and much more to celebrate their time at HPS. Each student received a commemorative t-shirt to remember their years here. Good luck at Sarah Noble Intermediate School! It has been a joy watching you learn and grow. While heading into the 3rd Grade and above, remember to always spread kindness wherever you go! We will miss you!
April/May News
As the school year winds down, HPS has been filled with exciting learning experiences, celebrations, and opportunities for students, staff, and families to come together.
We loved welcoming students from the NMHS Children’s Literature classes, who helped foster meaningful literacy connections with our younger learners, while our Annual Art Show highlighted the incredible creativity and talent of HPS students led by Ms. Zibelin. Reading excitement continued during the Scholastic BOGO pop-up sale, and families enjoyed coming together for the Ice Cream Social and Plant Sale with an opportunity to visit Barkley’s Backyard Garden. Students have also begun planting in the garden, engaging in hands-on learning about nature and growth. Thanks to the facilities department for installing interactive playground panels for all students to enjoy! Our “Be Kind” mural, made possible by KindWorks and our PTO, now serves as a daily reminder of the caring culture at HPS.
We proudly celebrated outstanding staff members, including HPS Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Kelly, and Paraeducator of the Year, Mr. Tony. We also honored two dedicated retirees at the recent BOE Meeting: Mrs. Adakonis, Assistant Principal, for 14 years of service, and Mrs. Pflomm, Special Education Teacher, for 29 years of dedication to students and families.
School spirit shone brightly during town-wide spirit day, Neon Day, while students also are enjoying enriching field trips, tasting days featuring local apples and honey, and recognition of Apraxia Awareness Day. Staff members continued to engage in meaningful professional learning focused on the district’s beliefs about the learning process and on powerful learning experiences for students.
We also appreciated the opportunity to celebrate our bus drivers and staff members with appreciation-themed days and raffle baskets in recognition of all they do for our school community. Finally, we were excited to welcome incoming kindergarten students and families, with support from our Student Leadership Team, helping create a warm and positive introduction to HPS by hosting four mini-K information sessions.
NES News
Northville Elementary School
860-355-3713
Mrs. Gwen Gallagher, Principal
Ms. Shannon Surreira, Assistant Principal SMS/NES
Wrapping Up an Incredible Year!
As the sun begins to shine a little brighter and the countdown to summer officially begins, we find ourselves looking back on a whirlwind of activity and celebration. It has been a truly remarkable school year, and we are finishing strong!
Celebrating Our Superstars
The highlight of the past month was the surprise announcement of our annual staff awards for NES. We are thrilled to share that the Teacher of the Year award has been presented to our beloved, long-time Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Gretchen Rondini. Joining her in the winner’s circle is Ms. Danielle Evans, who was named ParaProfessional of the Year.
Adding to the excitement, our "Principal for the Day" winner, Maxwell Inch, took his duties very seriously and had the distinct honor of delivering the good news to our winners. Congratulations to Gretchen and Danielle for their unwavering dedication to our students!
A Season of Gratitude
New Playground Fun: Recess received an upgrade! We are incredibly grateful for a generous donation from Union Savings Bank, which provided teacher bags filled with school supplies.
Honoring Our Bus Drivers: We took a moment this month for Bus Driver Appreciation, showering our hardworking drivers with thanks for keeping our kids safe on the road every day.
Leading the Way: Happy Principal’s Day to Mrs. Gwen Gallagher! We appreciate everything she and Assistant Principal Mrs. Shannon Surreira do at Northville Elementary School!
Learning & Fun in Action
The classrooms and hallways have been buzzing with energy:
Critter Caravan: Students got up close and personal with some scaly and furry friends during a visit from the Critter Caravan—a favorite hands-on learning experience.
Neon Spirit Day: The school was glowing with vibrant colors as we celebrated the town wide Neon Spirit Day.
District Beliefs: While the students were busy learning, our staff engaged in meaningful Professional Development. We spent time diving deep into our District Beliefs about Learning, ensuring we continue to provide the best possible environment for every child to succeed.
We enjoyed the following fun events:
Puppet Show: Our students enjoyed the Cinderella Story come to life via puppets by the Tanglewood Marionettes.
Second Grade Trips to SNIS: Our 2nd grade classes took a field trip to SNIS to check out their new school for next year!
Kindergartners enjoyed "SoulShine" an assembly that used sign language, song, body percussion, dance, and partner work to explore and celebrate themes of individuality and community.
Second Grade Send-Off - what a smashing success! The second graders enjoyed a fun afternoon of inflatable games, arts & crafts, a dunk tank, an obstacle course, and a DJ among other activities in celebration of shipping off to a new school and THIRD grade next year! Thank you, PTO!
We hope you're enjoying a relaxing summer break!
Get In The Game
Green Wave Softball Goes the Distance
The NMHS Green Wave softball team concluded a remarkable season. Although they fell 3-1 in a hard-fought State Championship game, their accomplishments this year are nothing short of historic.
The team finished the season with an outstanding 23-3 record, a Top 5 ranking in Connecticut, and seven individual players earning postseason honors! 🥎🥎🥎
Congratulations to the players and coaching staff on an incredible journey! We are beyond proud of everything you have accomplished! Way to go, Green Wave! 💚🤍💚🤍💚🤍
CHSCA Class L All-State Team
Congratulations to Cienna and Lydia for being named to the CHSCA Class L All-State Team! This is an outstanding achievement for both of you, and a well-deserved honor. We're so proud of you.
In addition, these two young women were honored at the CHSCA All-State Banquet.
Spring Signing Day
Time for Ice Cream! 🍨🍦🍦
The New Milford Green Wave and Brookfield softball teams shared ice cream together at the UCONN Dairy Bar after their Class L Softball State Championship. These student-athletes are a class act and a true testament to sportsmanship. Congratulations, Brookfield!
Food and Nutrition Department News
The department continues to offer a sample day at one of the five schools every month. Sliced local apples (Roger’s Apples in Southington) with drizzled local honey (Chanticleer Acres in Litchfield and River Ridge Farm in Portland) was enjoyed by students at NES and HPS.
Funding for the project was paid for by the CT Grown for Ct Kids Grant Program, C.G.S. 10-2151. Funding awarded and administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
Our department participated in the Health Fair at New Milford High School. The highlights were a dancing cow, a smoothie bike (New England Dairy Council), and the student’s participation. Milk is a nutrient powerhouse and facts below were shared:
High in calcium and helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth.
High in Vitamin D and helps absorb calcium for healthy bones.
Has 8 grams of protein which helps build and maintain lean muscle.
Is a good source of potassium and has the same amount as a small banana.
Central Office News
Central Office Welcomes Linda Demeyer, Human Resources Director
We are pleased to welcome Linda Demeyer as our new Human Resources Director. Linda is a valuable addition to our team, and we are excited to have her on board. Please feel free to reach out to Linda at 860-210-2200, Extension 612, or via email at demeyerl@newmilfordps.org
Please join us in wishing Linda much success in her new role!
