By Cherry Dumaual

NEW FAIRFIELD – The May 1st New Fairfield Board of Education (BOE) regular meeting opened on a celebratory note as Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Craw recognized four outstanding students awarded this year’s Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Student Leadership Award. This prestigious honor is given to middle and high school students who exemplify leadership, service, and academic excellence.

Two students from New Fairfield Middle School were recognized. Elizabeth Cook was praised for her leadership, friendly personality, and passion for the arts. A talented musician and performer, she’s been active in the school band, chorus, jazz and wind ensembles, and serves as band president. Offstage, she contributes as part of the stage crew for school and town drama productions. A well-rounded student-athlete, Elizabeth excels in field hockey, softball, swimming, and tennis, and is equally admired in the classroom for her intelligence, responsibility, and warmth.

Fellow middle school honoree Colin Hood was commended for his advocacy and compassion. A champion for food allergy awareness, Colin has spoken at conferences on legislative action and successfully led efforts in the district to require food allergy training for staff. He is also a dedicated student and athlete, known for inspiring curiosity among classmates and fostering inclusivity. As captain of his regional baseball team and a standout soccer player, Colin leads both on and off the field.

From New Fairfield High School, Madison Cipollone and Hudson Schaefer are this year’s CABE Leadership Award recipients.  Madison is a dedicated leader with a strong track record of community involvement and academic excellence. She has actively contributed to the National Honor Society and National Italian Honor Society. For the Rebel Ambassadors, she supports and mentors peers and helps incoming students to adjust to high school. She is also a member of the Principal’s Community Building Council and has logged over 150 volunteer hours, organizing charity drives and managing sports teams. Madison plans to study law with aspirations of becoming either an entertainment lawyer or federal public defender.

Hudson is known for his natural leadership, intelligence, and collaborative spirit. Elected to the Class Board for both his sophomore and junior years, he also serves on the Principal’s Community Council and was chosen to attend a student leadership program at Southern Connecticut State University. Hudson has taken an active role in school curriculum discussions and serves as both secretary and president of the Environmental Club, organizing clothing drives and outings. He’s also a varsity soccer player, soccer referee, and involved in Latin Club, Leo Club, Link Crew, National Honor Society, and Rebel Ambassadors. He plans to pursue a degree in finance or international finance, with the goal of attending Northeastern University.

Fostering a Love of Reading: BOE Highlights Summer Reading Program

Also at the meeting, BOE Curriculum Committee member Tim Blair shared exciting developments in the district’s summer reading program. As outlined by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kristine Woleck during the April 28 Curriculum Subcommittee meeting, the goal is to create a “culture of reading” that extends beyond the classroom and into the community.

The program is designed to inspire students and families to experience reading as something meaningful, personal, and worth sharing. Through reading, students can explore their interests, grow intellectually, and connect with one another.

To that end, the district is working with school principals and the New Fairfield Library to organize engaging kickoff events. For example, the children’s librarian will visit the school to introduce students to the summer reading opportunities offered by the public library.

Each school will also launch a dedicated summer reading webpage—linked through the district’s website—with curated book menus for each grade level. These pages will feature teacher recommendations, themed reading lists, and course-level selections for high school students. The goal: offer students choice while guiding them toward rich and relevant reading experiences.

Rather than simply assigning two or three books, the program will suggest books aligned with students’ grade or course themes. Dr. Woleck said that students still have a choice but from lists that are thoughtfully designed to engage them, either at the grade level or geared towards a particular theme.

Board members expressed enthusiasm for the initiative and discussed the possibility of joining in—perhaps by recommending and presenting their own summer reads at the high school this fall.

The next New Fairfield Board of Education regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m.