The New Fairfield BOE and Superintendent persuaded our residents to build a brand new stand alone Consolidated School (pre-K - 2nd). That is what New Fairfield voted for.

Now, they are proposing to merge Meeting House and Consolidated into 1 school (pre-k - 5th)

This shouldn’t even have been an option. Having two separate elementary schools is one of the best assets of our school district. 

Some may say: “But I went to a k-6 school and it was fine.” Yes, such schools exist, but it doesn't mean it is a good idea. And honestly, we should compare ourselves to the best, not to the worst.

But Why is this a bad idea?

I’m not sure how it works in CT, but I am a certified teacher in NY. In NY there are two types of teacher certification for elementary teachers.

Early childhood which is birth through second grade and Childhood which is first through 6th grade.
The reason for that is that the state recognizes that there are different needs for early and upper elementary. 

It is important to have separate elementary schools so teachers and administrators can work on these separate needs.

I want to remind everyone that Consolidate serves students from 3 - 7 years old and Meeting house serves kids 7 - 11.

Merging both schools would mean that Students from 3 years old to 11 years old would be in the same school. This is not developmentally appropriate, as it exposes younger children to inappropriate language and behavior for their age among other things.

Also, Having such a big age gap within the school, may increase bullying.

One school, most likely, means one principal. That means that we may lose amazing administrators like Mr. Spino and Mrs. Gruetzner. Can you even imagine our schools without them?

Also, aren’t you tired of all these cuts? Every year when we talk about budget there are always cuts. Cut teachers, cut administrators. At some point, we are going to end up with beautiful builds and no teachers to teach. 

How about we start hiring people? Maybe we can hire more teachers so we can have smaller class size? How about hiring more staff so the principals can concentrate on the administrative part of the job (which is what they were hired to do) instead of working on the pick up/ drop off line?

Our principals have been stretched thin, especially since COVID. Doubling the amount of students for 1 principal is not advisable. One overworked principal will not be efficient in making the best decisions for our children. Firing/demoting 2 people, and handing an administrator a school with twice the amount of kids is irresponsible and not at all effective for our kids well being. 

Plus, it is not fair to fire the people who have been working so hard during COVID to give our children the best school experience they could in the last three years.

Having a small school community is one of the best things about our town. Our elementary schools feel like home. It is our little family. Mr. Spino and Mrs. Gruetzner know each child by name. Our kids feel happy, safe, and comfortable with our administrators. When they need help, they know who to look for and they know they will be supported. 

Because we have a small school, teachers have easier access to our principals. That means they get the quick and personalized support that they need to better teach our students.

Students perform better in small settings, in a place that they feel safe and supported all around. This is not only good for students' academic, social, and emotional health but it is also good for our pockets. Remember, the value of our home is directly related to students’ performance within our schools.

So, please, support our children, our schools, and our town by not allowing this merge to happen. Please keep our elementary school separate.

Thank you!