SPOTLIGHT

May 2023, Volume 13, Issue 10

Happy Spring! Please enjoy this edition of the Spotlight, where you will see our students and staff in action across the district. We're gearing up for the busiest time of the school year, and we appreciate the ongoing support of our schools from our families and community members! Thank you for making New Milford Public Schools shine!

Angela Tufts is a second-grade teacher at Northville Elementary School. She has taught in New Milford for 7 years. One parent wrote, “Angela builds strong relationships with her students and their parents which then fosters an environment of support and collaboration to best suit the needs of her classroom and the individuals.”

Rebecca Regan is a second-grade teacher at Hill & Plain Elementary School. She has been teaching in New Milford for 19 years. A parent wrote, “Mrs. Regan has great control of her class, and the students respect her. She is super-friendly and so helpful to parents who have questions. You can tell Mrs. Regan really cares for her students!”

Shannon Arcano is a third-grade teacher at Sarah Noble Intermediate School. She has been teaching for 17 years in New Milford Public Schools. A colleague wrote, “Shannon strikes a wonderful balance between emotional nurturing and educating her students. She meets each student where they are and gently guides them in a positive learning environment.”

Theresa McGuinness is a math teacher at Schaghticoke Middle School. She has taught in our district for 17 years. One parent wrote, “Ms. McGuinness has helped my child realize their love of mathematics. She is such an amazing educator and always goes above and beyond for all her students. She makes herself available before and after school for any student who may need some extra time and that is just amazing to me.”

Charles Lynch is a social studies teacher at New Milford High School. He has been teaching in New Milford for 16 years. A colleague wrote, “Chuck has designed all new lessons for a new course at NMHS Modern World History). This has required him to evaluate lessons used in a previous course (Western civilization), modify them to adjust to this year's students and the new themes and content areas within the course. He has done this for CP and Honors level students, differentiating as necessary so that all his students can be successful. His students enter his classroom looking forward to the day's lesson, and leave feeling successful.”

Congratulations again to all these outstanding educators!

• June 14th - Adult Education Graduation
  
• June 15th - 5th Grade Send Off
• June 20th - SMS Promotion Ceremonies
• June 21st - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! (early dismissal)
• June 24th - HS Graduation

"Success isn't given. It's earned."

~ Clyde Drago

The mission of the New Milford Public Schools, a collaborative partnership of students, educators, family and community, is to prepare each and every student to compete and excel in an ever-changing world, embrace challenges with vigor, respect and appreciate the worth of every human being, and contribute to society by providing effective instruction and dynamic curriculum, offering a wide range of valuable experiences, and inspiring students to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Email: suptoffice@newmilfordps.org

Website: https://www.newmilfordps.org/

25 Sunny Valley Road, Suite A

New Milford, CT 06776

Phone: 860-355-8406

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⬇️ Links can be found at the end of the newsletter ⬇️

860-350-6647

Mr. Raymond Manka, Principal

Mr. Kevin Best, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Liz Curtis, Assistant Principal

Dr. Megan Dwyer, Assistant Principal

860-354-2204
Ms. Linda Scoralick, Principal
Mr. Michael Boucher, Asst. Principal
Mr. Frank Jawidzik, Asst. Principal
Ms. Shannon Surreira, Asst. Principal

860-210-4020
Mrs. Anne Bilko, Principal
Mrs. Jennifer Chmielewski, Asst. Principal
Mrs. Jennifer Meyers, Asst. Principal

860-354-5430
Mr. Eric Williams, Principal
Mrs. Kerri Adakonis, Asst. Principal

860-355-3713

Mrs. Gwen Gallagher, Principal

Mrs. Pat Colello, Interim Asst. Principal

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow'."

From May 18-20, the NMHS music department took a trip to Hershey, PA for a workshop with the music directors from Susquehanna University before participating in a competition hosted by Music Showcase Festivals. It was an outstanding trip celebrating all our department has accomplished this year. Our NMHS band, chorus, and orchestra all earned first place in the high school AAA categories with 'superior' ratings. Band and chorus also earned the overall awards for the highest scores of all the bands and choirs who performed that day across categories . In addition, the bass section of the orchestra and the trumpet section of the band received best section recognition. Matt Comfort and Ryan Zimmitti received recognition for outstanding soloists.

Mr. Amenta and Ms. Rosen are proud to announce NMHS Theatre's 2023 Sondehim and Halo Award Nominations for our productions of Puffs and Mamma Mia!

Thank you to all of the students, families, NMHS staff, all the amazing presenters and donors to our outstanding 2023 Scholarship & Award Night!

The total amount of local & regional scholarships that have been awarded to our NMHS seniors (so far) is approximately $267,000. This is money just from community organizations and families that have established scholarships. That number will likely be a little higher, as we are still finding out about awards that had later deadlines.

We have dozens of amazing community partners who sponsor scholarships for our students - and we're so grateful to each and every one of them.

The Thrift Mart of New Milford Scholarships aim to reward high school seniors residing in New Milford who plan to continue their education after high school graduation, either at a two or four-year college/university or trade/technical school. The Thrift Mart Scholarship Committee looks for students who have tried to achieve academic success and have participated in school activities, as well as community service. Last night they awarded $74,000 to NMHS Class of 2023 graduates (33 recipients). Pictured with the recipients is Mrs. Laura McCormick, Thrift Mart Finance Chairperson and Mrs. Susan Metcalf, Thrift Mart President.

John Pettibone was an educator in the New Milford Public Schools for over forty years, and is often referred to as the founder of the New Milford school system. As a teacher, principal, and the first Superintendent of Schools, he had a deep personal interest in the fullest development of every student’s abilities, and the value of post-secondary education. Shortly after his death in 1949, his former students established the John Pettibone Memorial Scholarship as a fitting tribute to his achievements. The scholarship fund has now granted scholarships to New Milford students for the last 70 years. The monies for these scholarships come from individuals, business contributions, and the endowment fund. This year the Pettibone Foundation awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 29 NMHS Class of 2023 grads. (Pictured with the recipients are John Pettibone Memorial Scholarship Foundation members Mrs. Jennifer LaCava, Ms. Tracy-Ann Menzies, and Mrs. Claudia DeMoura.)

The A. Russell Ayre Scholarship is awarded by the First Congregational Church of New Milford in honor of A Russell Ayre, a former minister of the church, who led his life in service to others and encouraged those around him to do the same. Scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated strong community service and are motivated to do their best to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. This year the FCC awarded over $12,000 in scholarships to 15 NMHS Class of 2023 grads. Pictured with the recipients is Ms. Joan Vill from FCC.

Congratulations to the 2023 Valedictorian, Connor Sterling and Salutatorian, Isabel Delpha!

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”

~ Robert Collier

The Girls Basketball team received recognition from Mayor Bass at the Town Council Meeting on May 22nd. They finished their regular season with a 15-5 record and 10-3 record in the SWC conference games. They won the school's first SWC Championship, and second overall in the league championship. They won the 1st Round and 2nd Round CIAC Class L State Tournament games and made it all the way to the Quarterfinals! We are so proud of them.

Congratulations to the high school CAPSS/WCSA honorees, Nicholas Carroccio and Diya Sukumaran who were recognized along with SMS honorees (see below) on May 15th at the Amber Room in Danbury.

Diya is a well-rounded student who is involved in many clubs and organizations and excels academically. Diya has contributed to our theatrical and performing arts presentations for the last 4 years appearing in all plays and musicals including the role of section leader and dance captain for 2 years, has been a dedicated member of our award winning marching band for 4 years including drum leader for the last 2 years, and also enjoys serving NMHS as the advanced chorus section leader, a new role for 23-24! Diya also serves German National Honor Society and Student Council president and has served as a weekly volunteer in town (since 7th grade) ast a local rehabilitation center. Diya is truly an amazing role model for others at NMHS and for our community in general.

Nick is an outstanding contributor to NMHS both in, and out of, our classrooms. Managing a busy schedule is something that he is accustomed to as he has been a member of the New Milford Police Cadets program since its inception and has also served as our BOE student liaison for the past 2 years attending each meeting and representing NMHS.

Juniors and Seniors looked amazing and had a blast at Prom 2023!

Check out some of the Seniors sporting their choices on Decision Day!

Our Seniors had a fantastic Senior Week which included: Skip Day to Jennings Beach in Fairfield, Banquet, Picnic, and a trip to Six Flags! Finals begin on June 13th and then the countdown to Graduation Day (June 24) starts! 🎓

On Saturday, June 3rd, the Environmental Impact Club hosted nearly 40 students, staff, and family members at New Milford High School to help clean up the campus. People worked in teams to fill about two dozen garbage bags with everything from hair elastics and athletic tape, to plastic bottles and cups, to debris from roof construction. They cleaned the baseball dugouts, stadium bleachers, courtyards, parking lots, and all the spaces in between. The Environmental Impact Club

is grateful to Mr. Manka and Mr. Best for their assistance in setting up the event, hoisting the heavy bags, and for the pizza and water. Special thanks goes out to Dr. Parlato, Ms. Landgrebe, Mr. Fusco, Mrs. Fodor, and Mrs. Abraham for their participation. Collectively, the group donated more than 120 volunteer service hours to make our campus ready for graduation ceremonies!

Children’s Literature Field Trip - May 31

On May 31, students in Mr. Swierbut and Ms. Lionetti’s Children’s Literature classes visited Hill and Plain Elementary School. The high school students read their original children’s books to kindergarten and first grade students throughout the school and facilitated small group activities based on their books. As a bonus, the high school students also had lunch with the kindergarten students in the cafeteria.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Chris Testani, Literacy Coach at HPS, commented, “The books the students put together were engaging, creative, and elaborate. I cannot begin to tell you how many staff members and students have stopped me to just rave about how awesome of an experience this was.”

This was the first Children’s Literature field trip to Hill and Plain since pre-Covid, and this visit set the foundation for this experience to continue in the future.

During the month of may, many SMS musical groups held concerts. Things kicked off with the Jazz Band and Voices on May 3rd, Orchestra on May 10th, Jazz Fest on May 11th, and Chorus on May 22nd. The SMS Marching band also participated in two parades on Memorial Day this year! We are incredibly proud of all of our student musicians for their hard work, determination, and dedication this school year.

On May 17th, the SMS Softball & Baseball teams held the annual “Holden It Together Go All Out Gray” game. This game was played to raise awareness of brain tumors and corresponded with a fundraiser. Members of the SMS Student Leadership Group participated in the sale of water and other snacks during the games. Thanks to the efforts of our community, over $200 has been donated to the Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance.

During the month of May members of the SMS community shone a spotlight on Wellness. We began each day with a quote to promote mindfulness. Additionally, students were encouraged to play Wellness BINGO. To participate students had to complete activities designed to promote wellness, promote going outside, and promote positive mental health/mindfulness. Activities included on the BINGO board included participating in one day of spirit week, doing something kind for someone, learning a new skill, going for a walk, and spending time reading, writing, or drawing.

On May 25th SMS held our annual Awards & Recognition Ceremony in the gymnasium. This year over 140 students were recognized for displaying outstanding character as well as academic performance. Awards presented at this ceremony included the SMS Citizenship Award, Honors with Distinction academic awards, awards from the Connecticut Boards of Education, and the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence. Congratulations to all of our award winners for showing integrity and determination, for showing a commitment to learning, and for giving your best each day!

Congratulations to SMS students, Santiago Sanchez Villa and Kasey O'Neill who were also honored at the CAPSS/WCSA Awards on May 15th at The Amber Room in Danbury.

Santiago is a hard working, dedicated, and respectful member of his classroom communities and the larger SMS community. He shows enthusiasm for working with others on a daily basis. Santiago is very involved at SMS. He is part of the Leo Club, Drama Club, and Writing Club. Additionally, Santiago is one of our student leaders that recently volunteered to welcome our rising 6th graders at our Open House Event. He is also involved in the greater New Milford Community as part of the All Library Programs for Teens.

Kasey consistently goes above and beyond to demonstrate her commitment to academics, extra curriculars, and the community. She has consistently shown the ability to work with others and leads by example in the classroom by demonstrating respect, kindness, and inclusivity. At SMS Kasey is involved in chorus and recently helped to organize and promote Feeding Tube Awareness Week. Outside of school Kasey is involved in dance and co-teaches a core-acro class.

In collaboration with and through the generosity of the PTO, students at Sarah Noble have had three author visits this past month!

On May 3rd, author Dana Meachen Rau visited our fourth grade students. Dana Meachen Rau has written hundreds of books for kids, including picture books, nonfiction books, and biographies. Dana is best known for her work with the Who Was series. Dana walked our fourth grade students through the writing process, and spoke about the importance of research when writing about historical events and time periods.

On May 19th, author Paul Catanese visited our fifth grade students. Paul is the author of ten critically acclaimed fantasy-adventure novels for young readers, including The Thief and the Beanstalk, The Mirror’s Tale and the Books of Umber Trilogy. Our fifth grade classes loved hearing all about how he came up with his creative ideas for his novels. Fifth grade students have enjoyed his books when reading in class throughout their current unit of study.

On May 22, author and cartoonist, Gale Galligan visited our third grade students. Gale is the creator of four Babysitters Club Graphic Novel adaptations, books five through eight, and has written for IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Gale even just recently came out with a new graphic novel titled, Freestyle. Our third graders loved seeing Gale’s comics and learned all about the process of making a graphic novel.

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."

Alan Watts

The calendar has been busy as we come towards the end of the school year and we have had a lot of fun events at Hill and Plain School.

Our PTO has been hard at work organizing some fun school wide events for our school. Students had a couple of opportunities to do some dancing. Students had a blast singing along and dancing at our Spring Jam Laser Show. We then had a Dance-a-Thon to celebrate our successful Booster-Thon that raised money to help support our PTO and provide the different experiences students have each year.

We had a perfect evening for our Family Arts Night. Mrs. Bollard, our art teacher displayed hundreds of pieces of student artwork for families to view and Mrs. Haynes led kindergarten and 1st grade students in songs throughout the evening. Our PTO held their annual plant sale and scooped ice cream all night for students and their families who were in attendance.

A special well deserved congratulations goes out to Mrs. Regan, one of our 2nd grade teachers. Mrs. Regan was chosen as this year’s Teacher of the Year for Hill and Plain School. We are so lucky to have Mrs. Regan here at Hill and Plain School!

At the start of May we kicked off Teacher Appreciation week. Thank you to our PTO for organizing lunch and yummy treats throughout the week. We have amazing teachers here at Hill and Plain School and appreciate all of their hard work throughout the school year.

We are winding down and getting ready for summer but here at Northville, the learning never ends. We’ve had lots of outdoor activities, field trips, and special events, as well as visitors from authors and even a puppet show! It’s been a very busy Spring.

Mrs. Rondini’s class releases butterflies!

Both the students and the staff enjoyed the school wide performance Sucari - Music with a Latin Beat. Students came up to try out instruments and hats from different Latin countries. Everyone got involved in the fun!

Congratulations to Mrs. Angela Tufts, our NES Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Tufts is a second grade teacher. She chairs our Wellness Committee, too!

As we get ready to end our school year we look forward to wishing our 2nd graders the best of luck at Sarah Noble. The 2nd graders have had wonderful experiences at NES and are excited to make new memories together at SNIS. Although it is tough to say goodbye, we know we are just saying ‘until we meet again’ … as Dr. Seuss said: “Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.”

Mrs. Waldman’s artists enjoy a fun drawing lesson. Mrs. Waldman is retiring this year! Good luck in your next chapter, Mrs. Waldman. You have been a fixture in the New Milford School district for many years, and we will always remember your kindness and your fun personality!

Thank you to @Staples, @Crayola and the New Milford community for supporting our students.

At recess, the students of NES really enjoy playing outside. The weather has been cooperating! Classes have been meeting outside too. Releasing butterflies and lessons in the plant patch, for example, have kept students focused and learning while having fun outdoors.

Mrs. Gregory’s first graders enjoy some time in the plant patch planting sugar snap peas. We’d like to take a moment to say thank you to our Plant Patch volunteers who work year round to ensure the plant patch thrives as both a learning tool and food producer!

Ms. Giudice’s Second graders recently visited the Plant Patch for the first time this Spring. They planted lettuce seeds and made journals to record our observations during the next few weeks. They are looking forward to harvesting the lettuce in June and having a salad party.

Our Kindergarten mini-K experience has been successful! Prospective Kindergarten students have visited the school and classroom with a focus on acclimation. They enjoyed a ride on a school bus too!

Team Tufts learned about recycling! Students then created the Team Tufts Recycled Zoo! Each student made an animal out of recycled materials. They described what they used to make their animals and why it is a recyclable material!

New Milford facilities crew spruced up the front of Northville this spring! They did an amazing job!

On Wednesday, May 10th our Unified Track Team had their first meet at Newtown High School. There were five teams that participated in this wonderful event. The schools that participated were from Shelton, Watertown, Pomperaug, Newtown and New Milford. Our athletes competed in five different events to include the Javelin, Long Jump, 50 Meter Dash, Discus Throw and the 4x100 Meter Relay. Our Green Wave Athletes were Seniors Jack Allen and Owen Haldin, Juniors Cohen Pfiefer and Sal DeSimone and Sophomore Zach Tarallo. This was a fantastic event where everyone was able to show the hard work they have been putting in practice throughout the spring season and the teamwork they have been developing throughout the year. The coaches and teachers are super proud of our athletes and are looking forward to our next meet at Bethel!

New Milford Adult Education’s partnership with Northstar Digital Literacy to provide computer skills training, assessments and certificates in a variety of computer applications had begun paying dividends. This semester students have earned 100 certificates to date in the following areas:

• Essential Computer Skills - Basic Computer Skills, Internet Basics, Using Email, Windows OS, Mac OS
• Essential Software Skills – Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs
• Using Technology in Daily Life - Social Media, Information Literacy, Career Search Skills, Accessing Telehealth Appointments, Your Digital Footprint.

Certificates provide an important credential for employment, as even entry-level jobs increasingly require basic computer skills. Certificates also certify end user ability to complete computer skills needed in higher education and demonstrate their ability to use social media and online information thoughtfully.

Pizza, pie and Isabelle leading the marshmallow challenge!