NCPS Cafeterias Ace Health Inspections

Once again, New Canaan Public Schools’ cafeterias scored perfect or near-perfect scores during recent unannounced local health inspections, records show. Saxe Middle School and all three elementary schools—East, South and West—scored a perfect 100 points while New Canaan High School was only cited for one minor violation (leaky pipe under a prep sink), following inspections Jan. 23 and 24 by a sanitarian from the New Canaan Health Department. Asked about the success, NCPS Food Services Director Michelle Santelli said it’s “all thanks to my amazing team.”

“They are committed everyday to providing wonderful food, great service while adhering to our food safety guidelines,” Santelli said in an email. “I am so grateful for them all.”

In surprise inspections, municipal health officials note any violation on a form that categorizes and grades each of them from one to four, with four being the most serious.

Michael Louis Smith Septet Presents Live Musical Performance and Dance In Celebration of New Canaan Library’s11th Annual Literary Luncheon

In conjunction with New Canaan Library’s 11th annual Literary Luncheon, featuring Jennifer Egan speaking on her bestselling book Manhattan Beach, the Library invites all to enjoy a lively evening of music and dancing with musical performance by the Michael Louis Smith Septet. The event takes place on Wednesday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the evening; please register

Get on your dancing shoes and get ready for an evening of delightful music! The Library is pleased to present the Michael-Louis Smith Septet, performing selections of music popular in New York City during the time period of Jennifer Egan’s novel, Manhattan Beach (1934 to 1944). The selected repertoire, some of which was directly referenced in the novel, will consist of late period swing and early bebop compositions by musicians and composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lester Young, Sydney Bechet, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. Michael-Louis Smith is a guitarist, composer and educator.

Saxe Middle School Principal Greg Macedo To Retire

Greg Macedo, longtime principal of Saxe Middle School, will retire after this academic year, he said in a blogpost. An educator for nearly four decades who has worked in the New Canaan Public Schools district for 25 years, Macedo said he reached the decision with his wife to relocate to the Delaware shoreline. “I will leave knowing that the support and guidance from the parent community, of which I will always be grateful, will continue to ensure that our middle school will thrive, even beyond its present state,” Macedo said in the post, whose contents also were emailed to parents. “I can honestly say that I have been able to live the life of a ‘life-long learner’ because I’ve been blessed to have had professional colleagues that are ‘life-long teachers.’ ”

Macedo in recent years earned praise from Board of Education members for making dozens of accommodations prior to a recent renovation and expansion in order to keep Saxe, built for 1,200 students, operating while it consistently saw 1,300-plus students enrolled. Even so, Macedo noted as the town weighed whether to fund the estimated $18.6 million project that those accommodations were made “on the backs of our neediest programs,” as several Special Ed classes had been pushed into converted closets and alcoves due to space deficiencies.