WEST PTC | WEST PTC CALENDAR | WEST SCHOOL | NCPS DISTRICT

Students will be coming to West School on Monday, May 23th and Tuesday, May 24th for in-person visits. Parents will be greeted by our PTC and be given tours of the school. Invitations will be sent to each family.

Please visit the New Canaan Public Schools website here to register your child for kindergarten. All registration paperwork must be completed and submitted via our district registration process prior to attending the orientation session. The health form can be submitted at a later date based upon your child’s next physical. Please contact Janine Farkas at janine.farkas@ncps-k12.org or (203) 594-4409 if you have any questions. 

In response to the needs expressed by the community, the NCPS have been seeking to expand before- and after-school programming offerings for elementary and middle school students. We are excited to share that, starting in 2022-2023, Right at School, a national provider of quality experiences for students, will be offering programming for all NCPS students, K-6, as a complement to our excellent existing programs. Right at School offers flexible scheduling (1-5 days/week), and programs typically begin immediately after school and run until approximately 6:00 p.m. based upon parent need. More information is available at their website here. Here is the link from their recently recorded webinar.

At the March 7th Board of Education meeting, the board voted to adjust the 2021-2022 school district calendar to modify the number of student days to 180. The current last day of school is Friday, June 17, 2022.

Spirit Day

Science Fair entries due

Nurse Appreciation Day

Art Show and Family Social

Sunday, May 15th, 2:00 - 4:00pm (rain date Sunday, May 22nd)

Incoming Kindergartener Bike Rodeo

Tuesday, May 17th, 5:00 - 6:00pm (rain date Thursday, May 19th)

Science Fair

Friday, May 20th (rain dates Friday, June 3rd and Monday, June 6th)

Field Day

Dance-a-thon

Memorial Day

The West School Art Show and Spring Family Social is Friday, May 13th from 5:30-7pm. Enjoy our students' works of art throughout the halls of West and then join us on the back playground for a magic show and ice cream truck treat, sponsored by the PTC. Bring the entire family and a picnic blanket! Pre-order Joe's Pizza here.

Teacher Appreciation Week is the first week of May. We’re treating the teachers to an action-packed week with events and surprises inspired by a Farmers Market! We need your help to make Teacher Appreciation week extra special. Here’s how to participate:

Create a Butterfly Note! Refer to the instructions and materials sent home in student folders yesterday. Complete by April 28th.

Thank the teachers by telling them how they’ve helped you grow this year! Record your

response via the google form by April 26th.

All science lovers, physicists, astronomers, biologists, geologists, chemists, meteorologists, engineers, this is the event for you! You can conduct an experiment, explore a scientific concept or demonstrate a scientific topic. Think out the box: do you have any ideas for renewable resources, alternatives to conventional materials or you care about sustainability and recycling? We would love to hear more! All students from Grades K-4 are invited to participate in this year’s Science Fair Tuesday, May 17th from 5:00-6:00pm. More information here. Questions? Please email parent volunteers Kristina Ancker and Celina A. Allibhai at sciencefair@westschoolptc.org.

We are so excited to welcome volunteers back to West School! West Parents Care is a new volunteer opportunity that will be available on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30-11am and on Mondays from 1:00-2:30pm. There is a table set up in the lobby of the school, along with bins of projects requested by our amazing teachers-copying, laminating, cutting for class projects etc. A link to sign up can be found here. Please kindly only sign up for 1 spot to allow as many parents as possible the opportunity to volunteer. Please email Eileen Hojnacki and Frances Sacripanti at parentscare@westschoolptc.org with questions. 

More Mighty Math rewards will be distributed on May 1st. Do you wonder which grade has the most participants? Our stars are the 3rd graders, unequivocally leading since October! There is still time to make a difference for your class. Every minute counts. Click here to learn more about the program including examples of Mighty Math activities and how to record minutes. Any questions, email mightymath@westschoolptc.org. 

Please join the West School PTC Instagram page @westptcnc ! You can learn important school information, and receive reminders and event recaps on the site. Please contact Carolina Castellano with any questions at socialmedia@westschoolptc.org.

At the Monday, April 18th Board of Ed meeting, Mr. Bill Tesbir gave a district Special Education update. Dr. Luizzi and the cabinet gave a budget update. The next Board of Education meeting is Monday, May 2nd. Questions, email Meghan Gould at edurep@westschoolptc.org. The agenda and prior meeting minutes are here.

Filling in the Blanks is partnering with Lesley's Recycling for Earth Day 2022! Join this initiative by collecting recyclables (bottles & cans only) to be cashed in. Proceeds will be used to purchase foods for Filling in the Blanks' Weekend Meal Bag Program! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Collect from Friday April 1st to Saturday April 30th! Please collect, sort, and count bottles and cans with the cashback recycling symbol. Recycle on Saturday, April 30th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Feed Hungry Kids! See here full event details.

New Canaan Chamber Music is proud to announce that its April 24th concert at the First Presbyterian Church will be dedicated to the brave people of Ukraine. Ukranian-born & world-renowned violinst Solomiya Ivakhiv will perform along with Alice Yoo (cello) & Andrew Armstrong (piano). It's going to be an unforgettable evening of beautiful music! Music by Beethoven, Bridge, Prokofiev and Dvořák. Kids are always welcome! Click here for more information.

The Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park needs your support. There is a Board of Finance meeting Monday, April 25th at 7pm to request funding to update and renovate various areas of the town-owned theatre. If you and/or your children are thespians and/or supportive of the arts, please consider attending, speaking, or writing a letter (email to: BoSDistribution@newcanaanct.gov, BoFDistribution@newcanaanct.gov, and TCDistribution@newcanaanct.gov). Please contact Megan Morales with any questions.

Join New Canaan CARES and the Saxe PTC on Wednesday, April 27th at 9:30am to unravel the mystique of adolescent anxiety. Dr. Chris Bogart will walk us through identifying what is healthy and motivating, knowing when to step back, and recognizing when to seek help. Click here for more information.

Are you crazy about horses? Join us at New Canaan Mounted Troop on April 30th from 4pm to 6pm, to meet middle-grade author Carrie Seim, author of Horse Girl, and New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir, author of Horse Crazy. Carrie and Sarah will share their journeys as writers and riders. Instructors from New Canaan Mounted Troop will take us on a barn tour and give a horse-grooming demo! This program is ideal for horse enthusiasts of all ages, beginning with late elementary students. Register here. All children under 12 years must have an adult onsite for the duration of the program. New Canaan Mounted Troop is located at 22 Carter Street, New Canaan, CT 06840.

After a three year hiatus, the annual May Fair will be held on Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th at St. Mark’s Church. May Fair is a 70+ year tradition of Outreach and one of the largest and most anticipated annual events in New Canaan. The May Fair team would love the help of the West community in collecting gently used toys to get into the hands of new children, and use the proceeds to benefit area charity programs. Please consider bringing in unused toys, baby equipment, games, etc. and deposit them in the collection box with the May Fair logo in the West School lobby. Larger items can be brought to the St. Marks Church House on 111 Oenoke Ridge Rd. Your donation will not only bring joy to a child but help the broader Fairfield community. Additionally, the May Fair team is looking for volunteers to help out at the many fair venues. For more information, click here and learn about the volunteer opportunities at the web site’s volunteer registration page. Come to the Fair, meet your neighbors, have some fun and join this New Canaan family tradition.

As New Canaan Library's Family Services department plans to transition into the New Library next year, we are eager to identify ways that we can more effectively serve all members of our community. We would love to meet with families with preschool- and elementary-aged students with special needs/disabilities to learn how the Library can better meet families' needs in terms of programs and access to resources. If you are interested in participating in this conversation, please email Rebecca Fox, Assistant Manager of Family Services, at rfox@newcanaanlibrary.org.

New Canaan Recreation Soccer is starting soon. Parents are also welcome to help. $35 for the season. All games on Saturday, NO practices, Optional Friday games at 4:30. Register here.

Looking for an affordable, fun and educational day camp for your 1st-5th grade son or daughter? The Hoyt Adventure Day Camp offered by Connecticut Yankee Council of the Boy Scouts of America in nearby Redding, CT may be just what you're looking for. Five weeklong sessions available from late June to late July. Click here for more information and to register.

Connecticut Yankee Council of the BSA is hosting a camp weekend for all family members at its Deer Lake scout reservation in Killington, CT. Activities will include swimming, shooting sports, archery, games, slingshots, crafts, and other Scout fun. You do not need to be members of a scouting unit to participate. Click here for information and to register.

Looking for local summer camp options for your kids? Enroll your rising K-9 student in Ben Young All-Sports Camp! Offering an inclusive, welcoming, and positive environment, Ben Young welcomes children of all ages, genders, and athletic abilities who come together, regardless of their level of experience, to have fun. Children will take part in activities that range from basketball, soccer, and baseball, to kid-favorites like kick ball, capture the flag, and four-square - over fifteen different sports/games will be played each week!. The staff is an impressive crew of high school and college counselors that are all highly charismatic, mature, nurturing, and responsible. And this year, Ben Young welcomes a fully certified PE/Health teacher as Camp Manager. Ben grew up in New Canaan, attending our incredible public schools, and graduated from Bucknell University, where he was a 2-year co-captain of the Division I tennis team. This is now Ben’s 14th year at Saxe, and he absolutely loves being a 7th grade language arts teacher and a member/advisor of numerous clubs and committees. Additionally, Ben is the proud Head Coach NCHS boys varsity tennis team. Sign up for Summer 2022 today!

St. Luke's School is offering four sports camps in 2022 for ages 5-14. The popular multisport camp returns for five weeks (5-14) and campers can choose between full-day and half-day. Also returning is the St. Luke's Baseball camp (6-13) run by St. Luke's Varsity Head Baseball coach Sam Colon. The half-day camp will be focused on providing a fun learning experience for all with individual skill development at the forefront. Also this summer is another two weeks of St. Luke's Football Camp (6-13). This full-day camp is led by St. Luke’s Varsity Football Coach Noel Thomas, players will thrive in a football family environment that builds confidence and what Thomas calls supreme character. New this Summer is the St. Luke's Basketball camp (5-13). The half-day camp will work on individual skills, while also competing in age-appropriate competitions and games, with individual skill development and love of the game at the forefront. The camp is led by St. Luke's Varsity Basketball Coach Matt Ward. For more information and to register please visit here.