Newington High School Principal's Newsletter
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Good afternoon,
Happy Friday! We had a packed 4 day week and it was wonderful to see everyone back.
This newsletter contains a lot of information, so please take your time to go through it all and let me know if you have any questions.
All my previous newsletters are posted on the website.
We value your feedback, so please reach out at any time with any highlights, questions, or concerns
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Schedules, school calendar, important links
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BELL SCHEDULES: Click HERE to view all our bell schedules.
DAY CALENDAR: Click HERE to view our NHS 2025-26 Day Calendar.
REPORT CARD SCHEDULE: Click HERE to view the Report Card Schedule for our 2025-2026 school year. Please note that snow days will impact this schedule.
ANNOUNCEMENT SLIDES: Click HERE to view our announcement slides. (updated daily)
CLUB DIRECTORY: Click HERE to view our club information. (get involved!!!)
ATHLETICS: Click HERE for the Winter Sports Schedule
Next week's schedule:
Monday, January 12: A day
Tuesday, January 13: B day/Early release
Wednesday, January 14: E day
Thursday, January 15: O day
Friday, January 16: C day
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January 13: Early Release Day/12:25 pm dismissal
January 15: Themed Thursday - Future Career Day. Upload pics HERE for a chance to win a free breakfast. January 15: Link Crew Midterm Exam Review and Donut Session - all students are welcome *see below for more info
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day/Schools Closed/Offices Closed
January 21 - January 27: MidTerm/Final Exams *dates will change if we have full snow days
- January 21 - Periods 1 & 2
- January 22- Periods 3 & 4
- January 23 - Periods 5 & 6
- January 26 - Periods 7 & 8
- January 27 - Make up/Make up
*More information below
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FAMILY OF LEARNERS HIGHLIGHTED |
Congratulations to Josiah Sims on scoring his 1,000th career point Thursday night! Backed by a loud and proud Family of Learners crowd, Josiah helped lead the Nor’Easters to an exciting victory over Hall High School. An unforgettable moment made even more special by the support of our school community. |
The NHS Girls Basketball Team honored Regan Martins, a former Newington resident and childhood friend of many prior to their gam Tuesday night. It would have been Regan's 14th birthday and they honored her kindness and favorite color with a "Pink Out Night". |
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The indoor track team set the school record at the Yale High School Classic. Congratulations to Aniya Ross, Ariadne Stergakis, Brooklyn Crawford, Olivia Canepari!!! |
Congratulations to the following students who were inducted into the Rho Kappa National Honor Society (Social Studies):
Yusef Alsaqri, Murtaza Ather, Evanie Benoy, Adrian Bielski, Victoria Bucior, Taha Bukhari,
Olivia Canepari, Caitlin Claffey, Matilde Costa,
Camree Cournoyer, Thomas DeNapoli, Kaitlyn Dugas, Emilio Figueroa, Caroline Fisher, Meghan Genova, Sahasra Gudipudi, Sofia Guida, Marsi Guri, Arianna Henrique DeFarias, Zaid Khan, Mason King, Victoria Klebanov,
Monica Kowalczyk, Minyoung Lee, Nora Lewandowski, Brianna Lile, Briana Marques,
Reagan Mayo, Paige Mazzaccaro, Erin Mckirdy,
Daylin Miller, Paige Mimnaugh, Gerick Napuli,
Julya Neves, Kenna O'Brien, Maia Ouellette,
Abigail Pratt, Juliet Resto, Aidan Rodriguez, Ava Rosa, Jenna Sanseverino, Chloe Savastra, Angel Shaji, Justyna Slezok, Gabriel Trifone,
Nicolas Winiarski, Olivia Zajack
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Need a break during exams? Join us for a little farm-style stress relief! On Friday, January 23, from 12:00– ~1:30 pm in the gym, we will welcome four baby goats and a baby lamb from Aussakita Acres Farm in Manchester. Students are invited to learn about, cuddle, and interact with these friendly, playful baby goats and their adorable friend, Ali the lamb!!!
We hope you can join this amazing experience! Pop in for a little bit or stay for a while!
***We will be providing 2:15 late bus***
All students and staff who are interested need to complete a waiver/release of photo agreement. Please stop by the main office to pick one up.
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January 21 - January 27: MidTerm/Final Exams *dates will change if we have full snow days
- January 21 - Periods 1 & 2
- January 22- Periods 3 & 4
- January 23 - Periods 5 & 6
- January 26 - Periods 7 & 8
- January 27 - Make up/Make up
*Students who have a 90 or higher in their classes are exempt from final exams (midterms do not apply and neither do any AP or ECE classes). Students do not need to come in during study hall periods. If absent, students MUST BE APPROVED BY ADMINISTRATION to reschedule an exam.
Click HERE for the Exam and Bus Schedule.
Please reach out with any questions!
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Please click THIS LINK for the 2026 January Newsletter from our School Based Health Center.
Sign up for the school-based health center for easy access to medical and mental health services.
Visit their website: www.integratedhealthervices.org
or scan the QR code to the left:
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We are seeking students in Grades 11 and 12 to join staff in facilitating our Voices of Change (formerly Ally Program & Truth About Hate) Program on March 3, 2026. Any student interested must complete THIS FORM by Monday, January 26, 2026.
The Voices of Change Program is an independent academically informed school workshop & assembly program focused on improving the overall culture of school communities in the Greater Hartford area.
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Stop By Link Crew's Study Session on Thursday, January 15, after school. Location is TBD so listen for announcements.
Donuts will be provided. Come alone or bring some friends and get ready for your exams!
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It is that time of the school year to start thinking about course requests for the 2026 - 2027 School Year. Students in advisory on January 7th will be provided an overview of the course selection process and graduation requirements.
School Counselors will be visiting English classes to assist students with making course requests in the PowerSchool Portal on the below dates:
February 6th - 9th Grade
February 9th - 10th Grade
February 10th - 11th Grade
The ‘Course Request’ screen on students’ grading portal for the 2026 - 2027 school year will open on February 6th and remain open until February 13th. During the Month of January, teachers will discuss course recommendations for the next school year. When the “Course Request’ screen on students’ grading portal opens on February 6th, you will see teacher recommendations.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their school counselor to discuss appropriate courses and graduation requirements.
Program of Studies
This document outlines all the courses offered at Newington High School and provides information about graduation requirements, credits and grading. This document will be helpful in understanding the course selection process and in helping students choose elective courses. The 2026 - 2027 Program of Studies is available on the Newington High School website (click here). The January 7th Course Selection & College Credit Night presentations can be found here.
This event highlighted the programs offered at NHS and reviewed information about graduation requirements, grading and course levels.
If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school counselor.
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Students and parents/guardians can now see on their PowerSchool Student and Parent website account credits that students have completed and need to complete for graduation (this feature does not work in the mobile app). To find the “Graduation Plan Progress Screen '' on the grading portal users should click on the “Grade History" tab on the left hand side of the screen. Then on the top right of the screen click the blue button “View Graduation Plan Progress.” The screen will look similar to the picture above (based on student credit status):
Each requirement has a “status” column that shows how many credits a student has completed to date and a “completion” column that shows a visual of student progress towards that requirement:
Dark green- credits completed, based on courses students have passed and completed. When a requirement has a completion bar that is shaded completely dark green students have completed that requirement.
Light green- credits in progress, based on courses students are enrolled in for the current school year.
White- student still need to complete these requirements in future years.
Yellow- student requested course(s) in this graduation requirement that have not been completed yet This status will show up when students begin to request courses for next year.
Please note the Graduation Planner for students that transferred to Newington High School may not be accurate.
Students and parents/guardians should contact their school counselor with any questions regarding the graduation planner or requirements. Graduation requirements can also be found in the NHS Program of Studies (linked here).
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The state Deportment of Motor Vehicles hos lounched its onnuol teen sofe driving video contest, ond the Connecticut high school thot submits the most entries will win $6,000.
The contest, with co-sponsor Trovelers, colls on teens to creote a 45-second video thot promotes safe driving to peers. Both schools ond individual students can win prizes.
It is free entry for ages 14 to 18. The deadline is February 2,2026. Use the QR code to the left to get started! lf you hove any questions, please do not hesitate to emoil me Ernie at ernie.bertothy@ct.gov.
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The Local Scholarship booklet for this school year has been released on the NHS School Counseling website (click here for link). Students will be submitting their local scholarship applications online. Seniors received information on the local scholarship application process during advisory on January 7th. Additional information on the local scholarship submission can be found on the NHS School Counseling website, School Counselor's Google Classrooms and in my weekly parent newsletters. The deadline to submit all scholarship applications is 3:00 p.m. March 13, 2026.
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This past week, School Counselors facilitated the 1st round of Sophomore Career Workshops in Health classes & Junior Postsecondary Workshops in Physical Education II classes. In the Career Workshops, Sophomores explored personal values related to jobs and careers creating a vision board (see vision boards here); career exploration through the SchooLinks platform taking the “Top Skills”,“Would You Rather” and “Game of Life” assessments to research different career cluster options based on the results they received. In the Post-Secondary Workshops, Juniors were introduced to a variety of post-secondary options that included, but was not limited to: 4-year college, Community College, Military, Vocational/Trade School and a Gap Year. Juniors also used the “School Search” and “Learning Hub” features in the SchooLinks platform to start exploring their post-secondary options. At the end of the Workshop, Juniors received a Planning Calendar to provide information about important tasks to complete before the beginning of Senior year (click here for a copy). Students that are scheduled for Health or Physical Education II in Semester 2 will participate in the same workshops during the month of February. |
Parents and guardians of students in grades 8, 9, 10 & 11 are invited to attend the Newington High School Virtual Course Selection & College Credit Night on January 7th at 6:30 p.m. (Google Meet Link: https://meet.google.com/haf-zsht-uhz). This activity highlights programs offered at Newington High School, student resources, scheduling, course registration, earning college credit while attending NHS, and graduation requirements. If you have additional questions related to this event, please contact the Main School Counseling Office at Newington High School. |
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Parents/guardians and students:
As you may recall, on October 28th, 9th, 10th and 11th grade students were given the opportunity to complete PSAT as part of our school day. The scores of this important test were officially released by the College Board on November 13th. During Advisory on November 12th teachers provided general information/links about how to use your PSAT scores and Khan Academy, a free test preparation, in order to practice skills (click on grade level, Grade 9, Grade 10 & 11, to see lesson overview and resources that were shared). Students will need a College Board account to access the score reports. The account should be in the student’s legal name and shared with parents to avoid problems when registering for future College Board tests.
To access student scores, go to collegeboard.org and log in if your student already has an account from last year, or create an account if this is their first time. If your student previously created an account and does not remember their User ID or password, OR, if you have more than one account and need to merge accounts, please call the College Board student helpline at 866-433-7728. High school personnel do not have access to student accounts.
When you access your student's score report, the first thing you will see is the total score, which is a combination of the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing and the Math sections. These scores give an indication of how well students will do on the SAT and the areas that they will need to address in order to score higher on the exam in the future. CollegeBoard has partnered with Khan Academy to support students in preparing for future SAT exams.
Linked here is College Board's website to provide information on understanding PSAT/NMSQT scores.
Linked here is College Board's website to provide information on understanding PSAT 8/9 scores.
If you have any questions please contact your student’s school counselor.
J. Seth Korn
Director of School Counseling & Student Testing K-12
Chairman, CT School Counselor Association
Newington Public Schools
605 Willard Avenue, Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860.666.5611
Fax: 860.594.4196
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1. Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - Is Now Open! Link to website
FAFSA Checklist: What You'll Need to Complete You Application: Link to website
2. Here is a list of things you and your student can do now so when your student is ready to submit their college applications the School Counseling Department can send their supplemental materials.
- Submit the Parent/Guardian “NHS College & Scholarship Records Release” form through PowerSchool Parent Portal under “Forms (in the left menu).” In the PowerSchool Mobile App click More, then Forms, and then [NHS] College & Scholarship Records Release.
- Students complete their Personal Reflection on SchooLinks.
a. On the SchooLinks home page, click on “To Do List” tab, on top of page, and then “Personal Reflection”
b. Students should answer the questions completely and honestly - this is a major source of information for the counselor’s letter of recommendation
c. Students add an updated resume to their personal reflection. If they do not have a resume, they can create one using this template (click here).
***All these steps need to be completed before the school counseling department can send out any college application supplemental materials (ex: transcripts and school counselor recommendation letter) for your student.***
We hope with the additional support and programs you and your student will get the help they need to help them navigate through the college application process. If you have any questions please reach out to Mr. Korn, Director of School Counseling & Student Testing K-12, (skorn@npsct.org) or your student’s school counselor.
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Foodshare
- They come every other Thursday to the Market Square parking lot/ Constitution Square
- They suggest you arrive by 8:30 am
- Distribution is from 8:45 am - 9:15 am
- Bring a shopping bag to put your food in
- You do not need to qualify or live in Newington
- There are other places Foodshare goes -check their site for more information
- Phone: 860-856-4321
Newington Food Bank
- They are open for food distribution by appointment only
- Tuesdays 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Thursdays 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
- You must qualify for assistance before you can get food
- Call first- 860-665-8590
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Newington Public Schools recognizes that some members of our community may be facing financial hardship due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, changes to SNAP benefits, or any changes to household size and/or income. We understand that these circumstances can create challenges, including potential food insecurity for some families.
Please know that the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program continues without interruption. Students who qualify for this program also receive breakfast, and these services remain fully funded and available to all who participate. Families can apply for benefits at any time throughout the school year and if approved, the benefit is for the entire school year. Families that experience either a permanent or temporary loss of income, including those currently not receiving wages, are encouraged to apply or reapply for free or reduced benefits. The link for information on free and reduced-priced meals, which includes the link to apply online or to print an application, can be found here: https://www.npsct.org/free-reduced-meal-info
Additional support can be obtained by visiting the following websites:
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to the Newington Public Schools Food Service Department at foodservices@npsct.org or 860-665-8635.
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Bus Drivers wanted? No experience needed. Part-time positions, Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 9:00 am and 2:30 pm- 4:45 pm.
Appply online at www.npsct.org and click Employment, External applicants, Bus Drivers (part-time)
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Our school counseling department has created a new FaceBook page! Click on the QR code to the left or this link: https://www.facebook.com/NHSCounselors to obtain information about college and evening programs. As the year goes on, the content will change based on things that are relevant at that time of year. |
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During advisory tlast week school counselors met with senior students by house to provide information on the post-secondary process. Linked here is the presentation that has several resources at the end: Class of 2026 Senior Packet (click here) and the NHS application resource page (click here). |
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Stay connected with all the happenings with NHS sports and school spirit! Go to eyeofthestorm_nhs on Instagram!
We look forward to seeing you at all our events and participating in school spirit!
If you have any questions, please email senior Abbie Pratt at apratt84922@my.npsct.org.
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Every year the main school counseling office hosts various college rep visits.
This is a great way for your child to make a connection with the college that they are thinking they may want to apply to in the future and ask those questions in a more informal visit.
Students should pay attention to announcement slides for information on who is coming and when.
This is open to any Junior or Senior. They can sign up to attend these visits in their SchooLinks accounts.
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All drop offs should occur at the west side of our building (in the back by the Event Center, prior to making a right onto Veteran's Drive). Students who are being dropped off should enter from the north side of our building, by the student parking lot. Doors will open at 7:05 and close at 7:34. After 7:34 am, all students will need to enter the building through our main entrance.
All pick ups should occur in the same location.
The map below outlines the student drop off in blue. You will note the "student drop off section" and the blue star(*) which indicates where the students will walk to get to the North entrance. We are asking you to abide by our protocols to keep everyone safe. Thank you!
There is absolutely NO student drop off at the gym entrance or along the cones that indicate "no parking/no drop off".
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Wrestling with Character LIVE is an interactive entertainment experience with something for everyone! Family and friends will be entertained with action packed, high flying professional wrestling combined with sketch comedy, singing and dancing, sound and visual effects and audience participation the likes of which have never been seen before in Sports Entertainment and Professional Wrestling.
Audiences will be part of an interactive environment where they can cheer on favorites like ‘Swish’ Marbury accompanied by mascot Dunks, dance along with Shockwave the Robot, jeer the sinister Professor U. Spite, come face to face with the Middle Earth’s RATROM and have to be on the lookout the dastardly Bully and resident SuperHero - ThunderOus SuperKidd!
Audiences will be captivated by larger than life, relatable characters who engage in storytelling that will remind long-time fans of why they fell in love with professional wrestling. Friends and family who are entertained by sketch comedy, theatrics and special effects and theatrics will be laughing and participating in the live performance!
WwC LIVE partners with community organizations to assist in fundraising for school, youth leagues and non-profit organizations. Bring family friendly entertainment to your private birthday, campground, corporate event of any size specific to your event. Add an unique family oriented attraction to your community fair or carnival.
Wrestling with Character LIVE is more than wrestling, it is an engaging and interactive entertainment experience like no other!
Facebook: wrestling with character LLC
Instagram: @wrestlingwithcharacterlive
Business Inquires: 860-874-1244
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Extra-Curricular Activities and Athletics |
Club Directory
Now is a great time to plan on how to get engaged with the NHS community! Use the club directory to review the many club opportunities offered at NHS and choose what you would like to be a part of. Try something new! Click here for the directory!
DECA
With the new school year comes exciting updates to the Storm Supply, our school store located in the cafeteria. You can also shop online using our catalog and follow the link to place orders online- bit.ly/NHSstorecatalog. The store is open on Mondays and all week before a spirit day, where you can pick up the latest school spirit merchandise and will be open other periods for snacks for students in cafe study. Alternatively, you can place your order online and can pick it up in the main office or Mrs. Miller's room, 201. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest updates: @newingtondeca. Fuel your storm spirit, gear up at the Storm Supply! |
A Few Important Things to Note:
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Attendance - Join us in emphasizing the importance of being in school. Attendance is critical to the success of our students. It not only contributes to academic success, but fosters relationships between students and teachers and students and their peers. NHS course work is rigorous and moves at a fast pace, so every lesson is vital to a student’s learning. When students miss school, they miss opportunities to ask questions, deepen their learning, participate in class discussions, and build connections.
We hope that families vacation during school vacation time and do their best to schedule appointments outside of school hours, or at the very least, have their student attend school prior to or immediately after an appointment. When students are pulled from school, it puts them at a disadvantage. If the choice is made to vacation during a time when school is in session, students will only be given one day per absence to submit their work.
If a student is going to be absent a Parent/Guardian must either call Magee House Office on extension 1525 or submit a note through ParentSquare directly to Corina Muir. If a note is submitted through ParentSquare a phone call is not necessary. If a call is made, a note will need to be entered in ParentSquare or brought to the Magee Office to be considered excused (for the first 9 absences for state reporting purposes. These absences, unless extenuating and cleared by administration, will count toward the loss of credit). For any absence beyond 9, a medical note, court documentation, etc. must be presented in order to be excused (for state reporting purposes only. These absences, unless extenuating and cleared by administration, will also count toward the loss of credit).
If a student is absent for medical purposes, medical documentation needs to be brought to the Magee Office office when the student returns to school. Once processed by the Magee Office, the documentation will be given to the nurses.
If a student is tardy, they must enter through the main entrance, sign in on the tardy kiosk and bring their pass to class. For delays or special schedules, they must report to the Magee Office to receive a tardy pass to get into class.
If a student is being dismissed early, a note must come from a Parent/Guardian either through ParentSquare or with a physical note brought to the Magee House Office.
NHS sends an automated message every morning at 9:45 am alerting families of any attendance change. This includes absences, late arrivals, early dismissals, and any message sent via ParentSquare. Therefore, we ask that you do not call if you receive this alert from ParentSquare if you have sent a message to Mrs. Muir via ParentSquare, only if you have not sent a message.
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Electronics - Given the distraction electronics can cause and the potential for inappropriat use, here is our policy:
- Electronic devices are to be used responsibly. Students should follow the individual teacher's classroom rules. Students should NOT have them out in class unless directed by the teacher. If a student is caught with a cell phone or electronic device in violation of our policy while in a classroom, the teacher will confiscate the phone or device, it will be brought to the house office, and it will not be returned until a parent/guardian comes to school to claim it. If a student refuses to turn over their electronic device they will be sent to the main office and the device will be confiscated by administration. Refusal to turn devices over to administration will result in the student being sent home.
- Unauthorized audio/video taping of images (including staff), student altercations, internet postings, and use during emergency drills and procedures (ie. lockdowns, shelter in place, fire drills, etc.) will result in immediate revocation of privileges for the student. The parent/guardian will be notified and appropriate disciplinary consequences will be issued.
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Parent Square - click HERE to obtain all the information about our new School Messenger.
Academic Integrity - Academic integrity is an integral aspect of any institution of education. Students are responsible for demonstrating their understanding of content standards and skills in an ethical manner. Academic dishonesty occurs when a student cheats, plagiarizes, shares assignments, or otherwise misrepresents someone else’s work or ideas as their own.
Cheating includes but is not limited to providing another student with information regarding assessments, copying another’s work, having prior knowledge of assessment materials not provided by the teacher, having unauthorized assistance in answering questions, and/or submitting work that another has completed on a student’s behalf. Plagiarism is a form of cheating that results from misrepresenting words or ideas that are not one's own. This includes the use of technology including artificial intelligence (AI). Students are subject to disciplinary and academic consequences that may impact acceptance into various national honor societies.
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School nurse information:
Names: Callie Lawrence and Audra Rappoccio
email: hsnurses@npsct.org
phone number: 860-666-5611 x 1163 or 1164
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If you have any questions, concerns or highlights, please don't hesitate to contact me. You can reach out via the following ways:
- phone: (860) 666-5611 x 1190
- email: ttigno@npsct.org
Proud Principal,
Terra A. Tigno
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