News

Police K-9 Unit Sweeps New Canaan High School for Heroin, Other Drugs in Training Exercise

By |

New Canaan Police K 9 Apollo at NCHS
The New Canaan Police Department’s newly deployed K-9 unit swept through New Canaan High School’s hallways Wednesday morning, sniffing lockers during a demonstration and training exercise that could yield a more regular effort to use the drug-sniffing dog to combat substance abuse among local youth. Apollo, a German shepherd dog that since completing training in July has worked throughout town with NCPD Officer David Rivera—making his public debut at the Family Fourth at Waveny and already helping police with drug arrests in town—spent more than one hour sniffing lockers up and down NCHS hallways. The keenly sensitive, drug-sniffing dog successfully detected marijuana and heroin planted by NCPD officers during a tightly controlled test, and is able additionally to detect crack-cocaine and cocaine, among other drugs, Rivera said. “Once he tells me he is entirely sure, that’s when I am good with it,” Rivera said during the session, as a leashed Apollo in sweeping the lockers throughout the hallways stopped and lay down in front of those where School Resource Officer Jason Kim had planted the drugs as a test. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski and NCHS Principal Bill Egan followed Rivera and Kim through the school.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

By |

Many New Canaanites by now have seen a rendering of the Midcentury Modern-inspired commercial building that John and Melissa Engel have planned for the lot at 215 Elm St. The architect on the project is Westport-based Frederick William Hoag. Some time after John Engel explained what he had in mind to a University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation professor, a document that included some truly fascinating concepts came in from students (see above). The Maryland architecture program been called the only one in the nation that includes professional Masters programs and related PhD-level studies in planning, preservation and real estate development within the same school. ***

Bill Egan, the newly hired principal of New Canaan High School, has gotten into the spirit of the job very quickly: At his formal introduction at the Board of Education meeting on Monday night, board member Sheri West astutely noted, Egan was sporting a NCHS Rams tie.

News

New NCHS Principal ‘Honored’ and ‘Humbled’ To Take on Role

By |

The next principal of New Canaan High School said Monday that he “could not be more happy” to assume the role next academic year. Bill Egan told the Board of Education at its regular meeting that hearing his name tied to the NCHS principal job was “a little bit humbling.”

“Being the principal of New Canaan High School is truly an honor that I am humbled by, I am thrilled by and I cannot wait to lead your high school,” Egan said during the school board’s meeting, held in the Wagner Room at NCHS. “Honestly, New Canaan High School is one of best high schools in the state if not the country, and it’s got an amazing academic, arts and athletics program, and I look forward to leading it into the future so thank you all so very, very much.”

The district announced last month that Egan had been hired and the Board of Ed meeting marked his formal introduction as the next principal at NCHS. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said Egan since 2009 has served as principal Wamogo Regional High School in Region 6 in Litchfield, and that this past year, the school was one of two schools in the state and 51 nationally to be recognized as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School. In the past, Egan has served as assistant principal at Brookfield High School, as dean of students at Norwalk High School, Luizzi said, “and his teaching experience prior to that included high school level business, middle school level language arts and mathematics.”

“Mr. Egan is an innovative and intuitive educational leader who is passionate about helping all students succeed and excel,” Luizzi said.

News

William Egan Hired as New Principal of New Canaan High School

By |

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi on Tuesday announced that the principal of a regional middle/high school in Litchfield will start July 1 as the new principal of New Canaan High School. William Egan in the past has served as assistant principal at Brookfield High School and as dean of students at Norwalk High School, according to a press release issued by the district. Egan “demonstrated the attributes the New Canaan High School community sought,” Luizzi said in the press release. Those include “his outstanding leadership abilities as an innovative and intuitive leader of staff and students; dedication to the concept and practice of positive school culture and core values; understanding of the value parents as partners bring to the educational experience; expertise as an instructional leader with a deep understanding of current standards and assessment processes; experience with the implementation of technology into curriculum as a tool and resource.”

Luizzi—himself a former Brookfield High School principal, prior to NCHS—said the search took in information from teachers, parents, Board of Ed members, administrators, faculty, staff, students and members of the community. “Mr. Egan emerged as the outstanding choice to lead New Canaan High School” following three rounds of candidate interviews, the superintendent said.