NewCanaaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) to the editor. Please email letters to editor@newcanaanite.com for publication here.
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Dear Editor—
On behalf of The Dome Committee, I would like to thank all who supported the renovation of the 1971 Planetarium and the vision of The Dome, a state-of-the-art immersive and interactive learning theater. I am thrilled to share our campaign has officially culminated, the renovations are currently taking place, and The Dome will open to students this Fall!
This phenomenal addition to our school district and community would not be possible without the strong support and belief of many volunteers within our community, and I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you – whether you helped spread the word, collaborated on ideas, hung posters, hosted an event or invited a friend to join. Every effort was appreciated. I would like to give a shout out to thank my incredibly dynamic committee. From the very beginning I had their collective brainpower, talents, belief & dedication to this phenomenal district initiative – Jayne Benton, Jill Carles, Elizabeth DeMuth, Lauren Erickson, Meghan Gould, Jenn Hladick, Lydia Kremer, Carrie Kurtz, Janet Lee, Stacy Murphy, Lauren Nussbaum, Katrina Parkhill and Erica Schwedel. Together, we would love to thank:
Dr. Luizzi – and your incredibly talented team* for your vision and commitment to keeping New Canaan Public Schools moving onward and upward.
[*including, but not limited to: Dr. Jill Correnty, Matt Salvestrini, Melinda Meyer, Alan Sneath, Michael LeDuc, Administration at each of the schools – especially Principal Bill Egan – and special thanks to Michelle Ahmed and Zac Whitlock whose expertise and passion for this project knew no bounds!]
A tremendous thank you to the Town of New Canaan for the Public-Private Partnership – your investment in this endeavor speaks volumes to your support of the New Canaan Public Schools, advancing academics and in each and every student and community member who will benefit from the latest and greatest in technology.
The Board of Education, PFA, and PTCs for being our ambassadors and keeping The Dome ever present in their newsletters.
Be A Star Committee Chairs: Kara Gilliam & Julie Passios and graphic designer, Kara Homan.
Central Office and NCHS for giving up their conference rooms to us as command central every other week for a year!
The NCHS print shop for professional and timely flyers and posters.
Every local business who contributed, whether financially, in-kind donations or hung our flyers in your windows to help educate and spread the word.
New England Academy of Dance for opening their studio for our kick off event!
Special thanks to The Rotary Club, the NCHS PFA, and New Canaan Community Foundation for generously awarding grants to help us raise the necessary funds for this vision. In addition, thank you to NCCF for partnering with us to open our charitable giving account. The Donor Advised Fund enabled us to collect the tax deductible contributions from the community and will be available for future upkeep of The Dome.
And last, but certainly not least, heartfelt thanks to the 425+ private donors who invested in the New Canaan Public Schools and its students. A true collaborative effort where each and every single dollar helped us reach our goal. Donors ranged from current families to alumni, past and present New Canaanites, to grandparents and staff members. Stars were named as legacy gifts, in gratitude for a teacher or in honor of a loved one.
What a gift The Dome will be to our district and our community. HUGE thanks to you all for prioritizing education, innovation and the latest and greatest in technology. The Dome will inspire countless young students, teachers & staff and community members of all ages – for generations to come.
With a grateful heart,
Sara Karl Schubert
Chair, The Dome Committee