Welcome to the high school! We look forward to working with you over the next four years. One of the first opportunities to meet your child’s counselor will be during Open House. On that evening, counselors will meet with you to talk about our programs and plans. Please look for more information to come about that virtual evening.

PFA Networking: Welcome to High School

Networking Chairs: Kristin Reed & Mary Lydon

Counseling: Senior Year Overview

Please join the School Counselors to hear a review of the exciting year ahead and how you can help your students as they make their post high school plans. This will be a virtual event and more information will be provided very soon.

PFA Networking: The College Process Follow-Up & Sr. Year Essentials

Senior Year - Yes it's Actually Happening! Come hear from our panel of experts and parent volunteers about the College Process/Timeline, Senior Yearbook Pages and The Post Prom. You will not want to miss this meeting!

Networking Chairs: Taylor Benevento & Clare Caione

The School Counseling Office is open but we ask that students please make appointments to see their counselors via email. Please contact [email protected]. Should a student need to see their counselor immediately, they can come in and we will of course respond.

The College and Career Center is up and running for the new school year. Please visit our School Counseling page and follow the College and Career Center on Twitter (@nchscolcar) and Facebook (NCHS College and Career Center) for the latest news on college admissions, financial aid and internships.

If students are planning to additionally test during the fall, it is preferable to register early in order to select the nearest test center. The web addresses are www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org for the most accurate testing calendar and to register for a test.

Seniors may attend college visits and hear first hand the latest news from colleges in which they may be interested. They must register for the visits on Naviance and ask for permission from the faculty to miss class. Students who are unable to meet with the reps should stop by the CCC BEFORE the visit time and fill out a form indicating their interest in the visiting school. Attendance is taken at these sessions which will be done via Zoom. The visit schedule may be viewed through Naviance and on the NCHS website (School Counseling page).

The PSAT will be offered at New Canaan High School on Saturday, October17th. The test will only be offered to Juniors this year due to COVID 19 testing restrictions. Juniors will register for the test online by visiting https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/070465 from September 9-18. The fee is $40.00. Any student registering after 9/18 will be charged an additional $10.00 late penalty bringing the amount to $50.00. No registration will be accepted after 9/21.

School Counselors recommend that all members of the JUNIOR class take the PSAT as preparation for the SAT that is usually taken the following spring. This is also the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program for juniors.

Due to limited space and the need to social distance, we cannot offer the PSAT this year to sophomores. There will be multiple opportunities for students to take practice tests throughout the school year through online platforms as well as in local test prep organizations. Talk with your child’s counselor for more information.

NCHS Concert Choir Honors our 2020 Graduates

It takes a special group of teenagers to work collaboratively to create beauty and art in difficult times. The New Canaan High School Choral Program is full of these students who have not only formed a close-knit community of singers, but work together to find ways to reach out to others in song.

An Irish Blessing has been a long standing end of year tradition at final choir performances and the NCHS graduation ceremony. The choir students still wanted to pay tribute to our new alumni through recording the piece separately from home to be compiled into a collaborative project.

The Irish Blessing words seem not only poignant for saying goodbye to our graduates, but also for sending well wishes to our students, staff and our own families as we enter an unprecedented school year. Our New Canaan students are the reason we look forward to beginning this fall and we are excited to soon connect with them once again!

Link: An Irish Blessing - NCHS Concert Choir 2020

I am so thrilled to be joining the Performing Arts Department of New Canaan High School as the new Theater Coordinator and Financial Manager. For the last five years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have spent my time teaching, directing, and choreographing all over Fairfield County at various professional theaters, theater schools, and public schools. During that time I was also the Company Manager for the Summer Theater of New Canaan. Before moving to CT in 2015, I was a proud cast member, swing, and dance captain of the Broadway and National Touring Companies of Mamma Mia! Prior to my five years with Mamma Mia! I performed regionally across the United States in a variety of shows as well as touring the world as a performer for Holland American Cruise Lines. I received my Bachelors of the Arts in Theater with a minor in Dance from Southwestern University only about 3 hours from where I grew up in Fort Worth, TX.

This year, while keeping the students’ health and safety our top priority, the process of creating theater at NCHS will look and feel very different (like so many other aspects of our lives). I plan on utilizing my 20+ years experience in the theater industry to bring in a diverse group of directors and choreographers to New Canaan that share a common goal of creating a safe environment for the students to explore as artists and grow as people while producing the high standard of theater that NCHS students deserve and have come to expect. I can’t wait to get to know these amazing students and continue to build upon the incredible work that has already been achieved at New Canaan High School. Please see the important dates below. Thank you in advance for your support and patience as we begin this journey together.

Chris Myers

Theater Coordinator & Financial Manager

He/him/his

“Be kind. Be flexible. Work hard.”

Monday, August 31st (Cohort X) & Tuesday, September 1st (Cohort Y) at 3:00pm

Initial Audition: Monday, September 14th (Cohort X) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Callback: Tuesday, September 15th (Cohort X) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Initial Audition: Wednesday, September 16th (Cohort Y) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Callback: Thursday, September 17th (Cohort Y) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Rehearsal: Monday, September 21st - Friday, October 30th (6 weeks) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Tech Week: November 2nd-6th (potential Saturday, November 7th) Hours TBD

Recording Week: November 9th-14th Hours TBD

Performances Air: November 19th-21st Time TBD

Initial Audition: Tuesday, September 8th (Cohort X) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Callback: Wednesday, September 9th (Cohort X) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Initial Audition: Thursday, September 10th (Cohort Y) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Callback: Friday, September 11th (Cohort Y) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Rehearsals: Monday, September 21st - Friday, October 16th (4 weeks) 2:30pm-5:30pm

Tech Week: October 19th-23rd (potential Saturday. October 24th) Hours TBD

Recording Week: October 26th-30th Hours TBD

Performances Air: November 6th & 7th Time TBD

*All dates are subject to change.

The NC Rams All Sports Booster Club supports all New Canaan High School athletic programs. We raise and distribute funds to provide necessary athletic program components which are above and beyond those provided by the NCHS athletic budget and assures equity of resources for all CIAC-recognized sports. Each year, the Club funds additional coaches for every team, raising the skillset and abilities of all athletes. We need your support!

Champion Sweatshirts/T-shirts, Girls Vintage Hoodies, and more! Items will be shipped within 3-4 weeks!

Show your school spirit! Go Rams!

Store name - NC Rams All Sports Booster Club

Access code - rams (all lower case)

Wednesday the CIAC released their updated version of Return To Play Guidelines for Fall 2020. This document has been updated to include CIAC’s most recent discussions with the Connecticut Department of Health (DOH). The following points are covered in greater detail throughout this updated document here.

The CIAC ruled that all fall sports (cross country, swimming, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and football) will begin on Saturday, August 29th. Activities are restricted to low risk conditioning and non-contact sport specific skill work, in cohorts no larger than 10, through September 20th. September 21st was determined to be the date at which most member schools will have been in session for approximately two weeks. The CIAC believes that a minimum of two weeks of COVID data is necessary to determine whether the return to on-campus instruction will impact extracurricular offerings; therefore, no full team practices will occur prior to September 21st. Games are expected to resume on October 1st if COVID metrics are met. The CIAC makes its determinations based on Connecticut Learning Indicators and guidance from the DOH.

We have added Athletic Dept Updates to ncrams.com to keep you updated on changes to our programming. Please check our site frequently to stay updated on this fluid situation.

In order to keep our staff and students as safe as possible, we have implemented a daily COVID check prior to every practice and game, as well as stringent cleaning procedures for all equipment. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].

Please remind your children to wear masks when six-foot social distancing is not possible. It is imperative that we do so in order to keep our schools open and children safe.

A “hybrid” model will be implemented for all NCPS students for the start of the school year, beginning with Phase 1(9/8-9/17). Assuming CT remains in a "low community spread" environment, each school will then phase into full-time in-person learning throughout September into October, starting with elementary schools (Phase 2: 9/21-9/25), Saxe (Phase 3: 9/29-10/2), and NCHS (phase 4: 10/5). Students will attend as follows: Cohort X will attend in-person Mondays and Tuesdays; Cohort Y will attend in-person Thursdays and Friday. Wednesdays will be half days and Cohorts X/Y will attend on alternate Wednesdays. Cohorts are grouped by last name: X is A - K and Y is L – Z. See Charting the Course on the NCPS website for further details.

For BOE meeting minutes click here.

Dr. Luizzi shared a school opening update and discussed the results of the parent survey about their families plans for the upcoming year (in-person/remote learning, transportation preferences) and COVID testing results. Dr. Correnty reviewed the professional learning plan and Ms. Pianka provided an enrollment update. Mr. Tesbir discussed plans for special education. Dr. Keating shared information about the non-lapsing account and other related COVID financials.

For BOE meeting minutes click here.

Upcoming BOE meetings: September 8th.

Elizabeth Cosco and Leslie Bisesi for pulling off an amazing graduation parade. It was truly a day of joy for not only our graduates but the community as a whole.

Mimi Leahy for making our PFA Planning Calendar look great in record time!

Janet Lee and Julie Pasios for organizing a team to distribute Class of 2024 T-Shirts and information to our newest students to welcome them to high school.

The Service League of Boys (SLOBs) is one of New Canaan High School’s most

popular clubs. A parent-son community service organization, SLOBs serves over 30

philanthropies with numerous events throughout the school year (yes — even this one)!

If you’re interested in renewing your membership or joining for the first time, click here.

Please attend the following meetings via Zoom together with a parent:

New Member Meeting - Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:00pm 

First General Meeting - Saturday, September 26th at 2:30pm

* Membership is open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Our community unites for an evening of understanding, healing and hope. Virtual event that will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Features: 4 local speakers sharing their lived experiences; candlelight vigil by faith community leaders; tributes to loved ones; and Community Pledge. Go to ncparentsupportgroup.org or facebook for more information. #helpingeachotherheal #newcanaancommunityfoundation

LGBTQIA+:Understanding the Terminology of Identity

Micaela Scully, LCSW

In partnership with New Canaan Library, Silver Hill Hospital and The Lighthouse, an LGBTQ Teen Program

Learn more about gender identity, sexual orientation and inclusion. Awareness of LGBTQIA+ specific struggles, concerns and insights. Bring your questions!

Filling in the Blanks is a local non-profit organization that fights childhood hunger by providing children who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program with meals on the weekends.

Since the onset of COVID-19, Connecticut's food insecurity rate has risen from 13.4% to 22.8%. Filling in the Blanks is currently feeding 3,200 food insecure children in Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich, New Canaan, CT and Bedford Hills, NY.

Through the Holiday Backpack Program, children in the FITB program will receive a new backpack filled with pancake mix, syrup, books, a toy and dental kits. The sturdy backpacks will not only provide a gift to the child but are a valuable means of transportation for their critical food packages. For many children this might be the only items they will receive for the holiday.

Order Deadline - October 12, 2020

For information about FITB, please go to www.fillingintheblanks.org