The Nominating Committee will be meeting to fill positions for next year's 2020-2021 PFA Board and Board Committees. We would love to see more people get involved! Please email the PFA at
NCHSpfa@gmail.com to let us know how you want to help! Include the positions you would be interested in or any specific interests you have.
Click here to see a description of the chair positions.
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Dear NCHS Family,
With midterms wrapped up, we shift into second semester with enthusiasm for new beginnings. The start of a new semester is exciting and an opportunity to start fresh and set new goals for the remainder of the year. Feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers if you have any questions or concerns about their progress for the semester.
February is a short month with our winter break right in the middle but still a busy one. The course selection process will soon be underway. Teachers will be making placement recommendations, students will be making important academic decisions, and counselors and students will be meeting to discuss options. The 2020-2021 Program of Studies will be available for viewing during the week of February 3rd. It is always a good idea to review the Program of Studies with your child so that they have a better understanding of course offerings.
The NCHS Scholarship Foundation has been in existence for 53 years! The ultimate goal of the NCSF is to help as many students as possible with financial assistance for their undergraduate education. Seniors planning on enrolling as a full-time student in a college or university (including technical and vocational schools), may apply. Eligible students may qualify to receive aid for a maximum of four undergraduate years. Each applicant’s financial status is assessed by the College Scholarship Service. The basis for the Foundation’s decision is the information reported on the financial aid form and analyzed by the Service. The Foundation is using the same data that colleges employ in making their awards. All decisions are based solely on need alone. We hope the entire community will participate on April 25th, 2020, in the NC Color Run which will benefit the NCSF.
For more information on how you may apply for a scholarship, please visit the
NCSF website. Please be aware that applications must be submitted by May 8th, 2020. If you need further information or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your school counselor or Mrs. Granite in the School Counseling Department.
Thank you to our parent community for always being so giving of their time, continually making the school a better place for our students. I look forward to seeing you at one of the many NCHS sporting events, VPA productions or PFA events.
All the best,
Bill Egan
Principal
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Save the date!
March PFA General Meeting
The Pressure to be Perfect, Alicia Farrell, Ph.D.
Wednesday, March 11th
9:30am, NCHS Wagner Room
Save the date for our next general meeting at which guest speaker Alicia Farrell, Ph. D. will discuss the topic of “The Pressure to be Perfect and Its Unintended Consequences”.
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NCHS Scholarship Foundation
Make a difference in a student's life - please make a gift to the NCHS Scholarship Foundation.
NCHS Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) represents a broad-based community effort to provide financial aid to deserving NCHS graduates who are pursuing higher education at the undergraduate level. There are several ways and levels to give, please visit
NCSF for more information...
SAVE THE DATE for our annual fundraiser, the NC Color Run - to be held on Saturday, April 25th. Stay tuned for more details!
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Grade Level Parent Meetings & Information
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NCHS Sophomore Parents Program*
Creating a Testing Plan: ACT and SAT Informational Seminar
Thursday, February 6th
8:00am, NCHS Wagner Room
The School Counselors will hold an informational seminar that focuses on creating an appropriate testing plan for junior year. This program will review the formats of the SAT and the PSAT and how it compares to the ACT so that parents can make an appropriate plan for their child. Our speaker will be Charlie O'Hearn, a graduate of Yale University and New Canaan High School and an expert in the field of test preparation.
*Denotes Guidance Counseling Programs
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NCHS 2020 Post Prom Party
Friday, May 15th
11:59pm, Waveny House
DONATE TODAY!! We are already booking entertainment, gathering prizes, and reserving tents. Please consider making your Post Prom donation now so we have sufficient funds to continue planning for this amazing event for your senior!
Click here!
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Save The Date:
NCHS 2020 RAM JAM
Friday, March 27th
7:00pm, NCHS Auditorium
Get ready to shake it up this year with the second annual RAM JAM!! See our Seniors lip sync, perform live music and yes — strut the catwalk too. You won't want to miss...mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!
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Parents We Need Your Help!
Please consider helping with the Post Prom Ram Jam and the actual Night of Post Prom. Contact
Becky Duplock to volunteer
The Post Prom Prize Committee is compiling raffle prizes and looking for donations. We are looking for show tickets, sports tickets, movie tickets, gift cards, electronics, or anything you can think of that a high school senior would like to win. No donation is too small or too large. Please contact
Meg Mehos or
Vivienne Bosch Deligtisch if you can help.
Seeking Senior Photos! We need photos of your senior for the Post Prom Senior Video:
• Candid Group Shots of 3+ Seniors
• Any High School Event
• From Any Grade
• JPG Format with Good resolution
• Please Identify Students with Names in the Email
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The Post Prom Committee is still in search of a Clean-up Chair!
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Counseling News
Mark Your Calendars Now!
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Remember that you can "like" NCHS College and Career Center on Facebook and follow it on Twitter (@nchscolcar) for updates and information about college admissions, standardized testing and summer opportunities etc.!
Upcoming Testing Dates
March 14th - SAT
March 25th - In school SAT for Juniors
April 4th - ACT*
May 2nd - SAT*
June 6th - SAT*
June 13th - ACT
*Denotes NCHS as testing location
Please talk to your school counselor if you think your child would qualify for fee waivers for any standardized tests.
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NCHS Athletic Department
A Letter from our Athletic Director
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The winter teams are near the mid-point of the regular season. Both Boys and Girls Varsity Ice Hockey are having excellent seasons. The boys are currently 9-1, while the girls are posting a solid 10-3-1. Boys Varsity Basketball is off to a great start with a record of 8-4. Girls Basketball (currently 6-7) have had incredibly close games the past few weeks, with another seven games left in the regular season and real possibilities of postseason play. Boys and Girls Track, Boys Swim and Wrestling are wrapping up the regular-season competitions and preparing for the FCIAC and CIAC Championships coming up in February.
Our team coaches have fully implemented the new HUDL system, utilizing it for analytics, preparation for opponents, and player development. Additionally, the students in the NCTV program are operating the new equipment for game broadcasts and recordings. The feedback on HUDL from coaches, teachers, and parents and has been outstanding and our department is delighted with the outcomes to date. I would like to thank the New Canaan Rams All Sports Booster Club for helping fund the HUDL system.
We urge you to join the Booster Club which continually and consistently supports our programs. Your membership will also allow free entrance to all home games, including the upcoming Varsity Boys Ice Hockey home game vs. Darien on February 8th. If you have not done so already, please join now.
Thank you for your continued support of the Athletic Department. Go Rams!
Jay Egan
Director, NCHS Athletics
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January 6th, 2020 BOE Meeting:
Budget Presentation: Dr. Luizzi discussed the proposed budget for the 2020-21 school year and the increase of 1.47%. This is under the guideline of 1.5% that the Town had given. One of the budget initiatives that have been included in the budget is the alignment of school schedules. The cost of changing the school start times is estimated at $954,521 for the upcoming year. This includes the cost of seven additional buses and an increase of one certified staff member to cover currently shared staffing at the elementary schools and two non-certified staff to help assist with busing. If the change in school start times is not included in the budget, the budget would increase by .40%.
January 13th, 2020 BOE Meeting:
Insurance Review: Insurance Review with Joseph D. Spurgeon, MHA, Senior Employee Benefit Consultant, Lindberg & Ripple Mr. Spurgeon gave an overview to the Board of the cost savings stemming from the migration to the HAS Health Care Plan.
School Start/End Times: Members of the public spoke to the Board regarding the possibility of a school start time change. Proponents of the change felt that a later start time for students in grades 7–12 would help their mental health and well-being. It is in line with current medical research on sleep for adolescents. They spoke about how tired their students are in the morning and that many times they miss breakfast and are not awake for their morning classes. Opponents of the change expressed worry about sleep time for elementary school children, a reduction in family time for parents who commute and wanted to see a proposal that would benefit all students. They felt that the change may have unintended consequences to before and after school care for their children and would negatively affect extra help, clubs and athletics.
January 21st, 2020 BOE Meeting:
Budget Approval and School Start/End Times: The Board of Education adopted its budget for 2020-2021. This budget, representing a 1.47% overall increase year over year, includes funding to implement new start and end times at each of the district’s schools in the upcoming year. Having researched the issue, the BOE expressed its conviction that aligning school start times to optimize student learning and wellness is the right thing to do, and they committed to doing so on our student’s behalf. In the course of the discussion and in response to community feedback, the Board requested that the administration develop a modified version of Scenario A for consideration at its February 3rd, 2020 meeting. While Scenario A remains a compelling and viable option for our schools, the Board honors and values the public’s input throughout the process, and as a result has asked to see a scenario modifying the K-6 start times as Scenario B. In both scenarios, the high school students are in the second tier and scheduled to begin school at approximately 8:30am and end at 3:00pm. If you would like to learn more, please visit the “
School Start and End Times” website, which will be updated as this work progresses.
Upcoming BOE meetings: February 3rd, and 24th @ 7:00pm, NCHS Wagner Room. Public comment is available during allotted times.
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Thanks to the Following People for All of Their Hard Work!
The PFA's sincerest gratitude goes to:
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Thank you to
Marnie Zafino and
Anita Bausman who planed and coordinated the Mid-term Staff Appreciation Lunch. We are also very appreciative of our supportive parent community - all of you who took a volunteer shift and/or made a donation for this event. It was a success thanks to you all!
Thank you to the team of moms who planned and distributed snacks to all NCHS students during their midterm exams;
Jessica Dooley and
Kaitlyn Lowe on behalf of the PFA and
Michelle Bramwit and
Jayne Benton on behalf of New Canaan CARES. Thank you to New Canaan CARES for joining the PFA in underwriting midterm snacks!
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New Canaan Cares Presents:
PARENT PROGRAM:
Raising Humans in a Digital World
How to avoid potential harms of technology while focusing on the many rewards technology brings to children’s lives
Author, Diana Graber
Wednesday, February 5th
6:30pm, Saxe Middle School Auditorium
- Learn how to help your child develop “on line” social emotional skills such as empathy and respect while protecting their reputation
- Get guidance on balancing virtual and real life
- Acquire tips for protecting personal information
- Hear advice on avoiding cyber bullies and on line predators
- Get input on identifying fake news and questionable content
Click here for our parent programs. We have some great programs in February for parents with younger children. Thank you for your support!
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Service League of Boys (SLOBs)
RESCHEDULED
General Meeting
Saturday, February 8th
2:30pm, NCHS Cafeteria
Interested in being on the SLOBs board next year? Login to the
SLOBs website and go to the documents tab under "About SLOBs" for information about the positions and to nominate yourself.
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