UPDATE (Wednesday, May 30, 2018): This story has been updated to include the May 29 announcement from Newtown Historical Society's House & Garden Tour, scheduled for June 10, has also been postponed due to the May 15 storm.

UPDATE (Friday, June 1, 2018): The performances of Camp United by NHS Unified Theater program participants, initially rescheduled for June 9-10, have been postponed again. One show will now be offered on Wednesday, June 6, as noted below.

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Multiple events were canceled or postponed last week in the wake of the microburst that arrived in Newtown late Tuesday afternoon, May 15. Postponement and cancellation notices began rolling in to The Newtown Bee even before to the arrival of the weather event.

A number of town boards and commissions canceled their sessions during the week, either due to lack of power at the scheduled meeting location or the number of those planning to attend who were still contending with power and/or tree issues at or near their homes.

Among those was Tuesday evening's Board of Education meeting, which was to include this academic year's Profiles in Professionalism celebration.

The meeting and celebration were pushed out one week, and held on May 22.

School Events

All Newtown schools were closed Wednesday, May 16, through Monday, May 21. Four additional days have been added to the 2017-18 academic calendar as a result. The NHS Commencement Activities, scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, and the Newtown Middle School graduation events, scheduled for Thursday, June 19, were not affected by the storm.

Newtown High School's sporting events schedule was greatly affected. Many of the teams were heading into end-of-season tournament play, which is a fluid schedule even before weather starts wreaking havoc.

A special Middle School Volleyball Night, during which middle school students were invited to watch the high school volleyball teams host Xavier, was postponed prior to the arrival of the storm due to the threatening weather.

Newtown Babe Ruth's Pack The Stands Night, when Babe Ruth players who had been mentored by NHS baseball players had invited to public to join them when the Nighthawks hosted Masuk High School, was also postponed ahead of the weather arriving in the area.

After being postponed for 24 hours, NHS Athletic Director Matt Memoli told The Bee this week that those special events were ultimately canceled. The baseball team played its game Monday afternoon, May 21. The volleyball match, however, will not be made up, according to Mr Memoli.

The May 19-20 performances of Camp Unified, by Newtown High School's United Theater program were postponed. One show will now be performed at 6 pm Wedneday, June 13.

Concerts by Reed School 6th Grade Band (scheduled for May 16) and 5th Grade Band (May 17) have been rescheduled, according to Newtown Public Schools Director of Visual and Performing Arts Michelle Hiscavich. Both will now be performed Thursday, May 31, at Reed School. The 5th Grade Band will perform at 6:30 pm and the 6th Grand Band will commence at 8 pm.

Newtown High School spring concerts by the NHS Chorus (scheduled for May 21), NHS Band (May 22) and NHS Orchestra (May 23) have all been rescheduled, also according to Ms Hiscavich.

The NHS Band and a Jazz Improv performance will take place Tuesday, June 5; NHS Chorus will perform Monday, June 11; and the NHS Orchestra will offer its spring concert on Thursday, June 14. All three concerts will begin at 7 pm.

The Sandy Hook School Art Show, scheduled for May 16, was rescheduled to May 24.

Tuesday, May 15

"Living Without Pain: What Caregivers Need To Know About Opioids and Other Medications," a Newtown Parent Connection (NPC) program planned for May 15, was postponed prior to the arrival of the storm. The event will has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 29.

Originally planned to be presented at Newtown High School, the program has been moved to NPC's headquarters at 2 Washington Square; call 203-270-4612 or visit newtownparentconnection.org for additional information.

Wednesday, May 16

Parks & Rec's May 16 Knitting Classes were canceled.

Hearts of Hope Newtown postponed its May 16 painting party at Newtown United Methodist Church. Organizers were able to reschedule this month's event for this past Wednesday (May 23).

Thursday, May 17

All Parks & Rec after school activities, including events at the teen center, were canceled.

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club canceled its May 17 meeting. The club is hoping to reschedule Mark Ashbolt's presentation on black and white photography, according to club publicist Jessica Leffelman. A new date has not yet been announced.

Friday, May 18

Friday morning's Parks andamp; Rec JumpBunch session was canceled. The department was able to announce on Facebook that morning that Dickinson and Treadwell parks were open for use; however, some facilities were without power/restroom facilities.

Saturday, May 19

A Paper Shredding Event scheduled for Saturday, May 19, presented by Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire andamp; Rescue Company Ladies Auxiliary, has been postponed, also due to ongoing cleanup efforts in the area. A new date will be announced.

Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown's Annual Plant and Shrub Sale, scheduled for Saturday on the front lawn of Newtown Middle School, was another event that needed to be postponed. It will now take place Saturday, June 2, at the middle school, from 9 am until 3 pm.

Looking on the bright side of the postponement, Town and Country club member and publicist Diana Johnson said this week that the extra two weeks means the sale's member grown plants "will be bigger and better than ever. The same holds true for the natural fiber and waterproof outdoor hanging baskets which contain living plants," she added.

"Harmonize," the Saturday afternoon concert by Stacie Morgain Lewis, with special guests, a fundraiser for Sandy Hook Promise scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Newtown Congregational Church, was relocated following the loss of power at NCC. More than 300 people showed up for the special event, which ended up taking place at Masuk High School in Monroe.

The 9th Annual Strutt Your Mutt event, scheduled for Saturday at Fairfield Hills, was rescheduled to Saturday, June 2. Advance registration has been extended to May 30; call 203-270-4373 or visit newtownparkandbark.org for additional details and registration.

Parks & Rec Us Sports (T-Ball Squirts, Parent & Me Soccer, and Soccer Squirts), tennis at Dickinson Park, Men's Over 40 Basketball and Charlie Brown T-Ball were all canceled on Saturday. Charlie Brown T-Ball was canceled for the remainder of the season, in fact.

Between the storm and the rainy weather predicted for May 19, the rain date of the Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown (SNAN) tag sale was postponed again. SNAN President Marion Thomson said last week she and SNAN are still hoping to host the event, but did not yet know when the rain date's rain date would be set.

Sunday, May 20

The Merryhill Touch-A-Truck event scheduled for Sunday, May 20, at Sand Hill Plaza was postponed due to storm issues. A new date will be announced.

The May 20 Sunday at The Sanctuary event, "Bio Blitz," at The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, was canceled.

The Victory Garden Celebration at Fairfield Hills scheduled for Sunday, May 20, from 1 to 3 pm, has been postponed. A new date will be announced.

Sunday, June 10

Newtown Historical Society has announced its annual house andamp; garden tour, a fundraiser, scheduled this year for Sunday, June 10, has been postponed due to damage on the property of this year's featured location.

Please check back to this website and watch future print editions of The Newtown Bee for additional program updates following last week's storm.