Newtown Public Schools Director of Visual and Performing Arts Michelle Hiscavich is excited for the 2022-23 school year, and she has a good reason for that excitement.

With pandemic restrictions loosening, Hiscavich recently reflected that the year will be “a return to normal music- and art-making productions.”

That means the district was able to schedule, for the first time in roughly two years, the full year of music and art productions. While district administrators will still be monitoring the pandemic and things could change, the full calendar has been created and released. The full list of 2022-23 music and art events is featured below, as shared by Hiscavich.

When students rehearse for musicals, Hiscavich said they will not have to stand 12 feet apart, as was needed in the recent past. Masks are still optional in the school district, and all the practices and concerts will follow the district and state guidelines. Unless there is a pandemic resurgence, Hiscavich said events will be operating much closer to a “normal fashion.”

Hiscavich said the school year music and art events begin in the fall with Newtown High School Marching Band & Color Guard competitions and events, such as the Newtown Arts Festival in which the group will participate.

“The fall season is very busy with the marching band,” said Hiscavich.

Then in October, Newtown Middle School will host its Annual Scarecrow and Painted Pumpkin Event, which is a seasonal display of student-created scarecrows and decorated pumpkins put on display for the community on the school’s front lawn.

And while the students overseeing the NHS fall drama had not decided on a show as of September 6, Hiscavich said “they are working on the beginning stages of putting the fall drama together.”

Come November, Veterans will again be welcomed in local schools, and Hiscavich highlighted the high school’s ceremony, which will be much closer to “normal” than in recent years.

With December, the winter concert season will begin.

“Our elementary school choirs are singing again this year,” said Hiscavich.

Hiscavich thanked all of the district’s “art team” members for their “incredible creativity, flexibility, and patience” to bring Newtown’s students through the pandemic. Support from the district’s administration and Board of Education also made that happen, she said.

Overall, Hiscavich said she is excited that “now we get to bring everybody back to the full program” across the district as far as musical events and art programs are concerned. People attending music and art events means “the happiness of bringing everybody back together with the arts” will return.

“It will be wonderful to see that happiness again for everybody,” said Hiscavich. “It’s happy, and that’s what the arts are: It’s a place that brings people together.”

The following is a list of music and arts events scheduled for the 2022-23 school year, as provided by the district. In most cases, more details will be announced to local parents ahead of the events. Events are open to the public, unless specified as auditions for specific groups.

Schedule Of Events

September 18: Marching Band at Newtown Arts Festival Fairfield Hills.

September 24: Marching Band competition New Milford.

October 1: Marching Band Competition Naugatuck.

October 8: Marching Band Competition Ludwig Musser Classic at Met Life Stadium, N.J.

October 11: Tri-M/Art Honor Society Induction Ceremony, 7 pm at NHS.

October 15: NHS Marching Band & Color Guard Home Show, the Annual Joseph P. Grasso Music Festival, 6 pm, rain date October 16, at NHS.

October 22: Marching Band Competition in Southington.

October 22-23: NMS scarecrows and pumpkins exhibit at NMS.

October 29: Marching Band USBands New England States Championships in New Britain.

November 5: Marching Band USBands National Championships at Met Life Stadium, N.J.

November 9: Marching Band Banquet, 5:30-8 pm at Newtown Community Center.

November 10-13: NHS Fall Drama, TBD, Thursday-Sunday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm at NHS.

November 11: NHS Veterans’ Day Ceremony at NHS.

November 19: CMEA Western Region High School Festival Auditions at Ridgefield High School.

December 1: Sandy Hook School fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, snow date December 8, at Sandy Hook School.

November 3: CMEA Western Region Middle School Festival Auditions at Fairfield Woods Middle School.

November 5: NMS eighth grade concert, band/chorus/orchestra), 7 pm, snow date December 7, at NHS.

November 6: NMS seventh grade concert, band/chorus/orchestra), 7 pm, snow date December 7, at NHS.

November 19: NHS chorus concert, 7 pm, snow date December 22, at NHS.

November 20: NHS band concert, 7 pm, snow date December 22, at NHS.

November 21: NHS orchestra and Jazz Improv Class Concert, 7 pm, snow date December 22, at NHS.

January 7-8: Unified Theater Production, snow date January 14-15, Saturday at 6 pm, Sunday at 2 pm, at NHS.

January 9-27: Scholastic Art Show, Monday-Friday, 10-4 pm, weekends noon-4 pm, Silpe Art Gallery, Hartford Art School in Hartford.

January 9: Hawley Elementary School fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, snow date January 17, at Reed Intermediate School.

January 10: Head O’ Meadow Elementary School fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, snow date January 18, at Head O’ Meadow.

January 11: Middle Gate Elementary School fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, snow date January 18, at NHS.

January 13-14: Western Region High School Music Festival, snow date January 20-21, at Greenwich High School.

January 19: Reed chorus concert, snow date January 23, at Reed; fifth grade chorus at 6:30 pm; sixth grade chorus at 8 pm.

January 24: Reed fifth grade band concert, snow date January 30, Blue House at 6:30 pm, Green House at 8 pm, at Reed.

January 25: Reed sixth grade band concert, snow date January 31, Blue House at 6:30 pm, Green House at 8 pm, at Reed.

January 26: Reed grades five and six orchestra concert, snow date February 1, grade five at 6:30 pm, grade 6 at 8 pm, at Reed.

February 4: Winter Guard Competition TBD

February 4: All-State auditions, snow date February 11, North Haven High School.

February 11: Winter Guard Friends and Family Show, Reed.

February 18: Winter Guard Competition TBD.

February Date TBD: NMS Art Enrichment informational meeting, 6 pm, NMS

February Date TBD: Google Meet 25 Winter Guard competition TBD

March 4: Winter Guard Competition TBD

March 11: Winter Guard Competition TBD

March 16-19: NHS Musical TBD, Thursday to Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, at NHS.

March 17-18: Western Region Middle School Music Festival at Wilton High School.

March 18: Winter Guard Competition TBD.

March 25: Winter Guard Competition TBD.

March 30-April 1: All-State Music Festival/Elementary Honors Festival/CMEA Conference in Hartford.

April 1: Winter Guard and Winter Percussion MAC Championships, 2:45–9 pm, TBD.

April 1-30: District Art Show, hang March 30-31 and take down April 28, at Newtown Municipal Center.

April 4: Reed Chamber Concert, 7 pm, Reed.

April Date TBD: NHS Jazz Band at Wilton Jazz Festival at Wilton High School.

April 13-16: NAFME Eastern Division Conference & Honors Ensemble Festival in Rochester, N.Y.

April 19: NHS Composers Concert, 7 pm, at NHS.

April Date TBD: Fairfield County String Festival for grades six to nine.

April 28-29: Reed musical, Lion King, Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 6 pm, at Reed.

May Date TBD: Percussion Clinic, 6:30-8:30 pm, at NHS.

May 3: Sandy Hook School fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, at Sandy Hook School.

May 4: Newtown Night of Jazz, 7 pm, at NHS.

May Date TBD: Congressional Art Competition of Connecticut 5th Congressional District, at Mattatuck Museum.

May Date TBD: Percussion Clinic, 6:30-8:30 pm, at NHS.

May 8: NMS seventh grade spring concert, band/chorus/orchestra, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 9: NMS eighth grade spring concert, band/chorus/orchestra, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 10: Reed Art Show, 6:30-8 pm, at Reed.

May Date TBD: Middle Gate Art Show, 5:30-7 pm, at Middle Gate.

May Date TBD: NMS musical TBD, Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at noon, 3 pm, and 7 pm.

May Date TBD: Sandy Hook School Art Show, 5 pm, at Sandy Hook School.

May Date TBD: Hawley Art Show, 5 pm, at Hawley.

May Date TBD: Head O’ Meadow Art Show, 5 pm, at Head O’ Meadow.

May 11: Hawley fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, at Reed.

May 15: Middle Gate fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 16: NHS band concert, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 17: NHS chorus concert, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 18: NHS orchestra and Jazz Improv Class concert, 7 pm, at NHS.

May 22: HOM fourth grade chorus concert, 7 pm, Head O’ Meadow.

May 23: NMS Art Student Showcase, 6-7:30 pm, at NMS.

May Date TBD: Teen Visions Art Show, at Sacred Heart University’s Art & Design Gallery, reception date TBD at 2 pm.

May 24: Reed chorus concert, fifth grade at 6:30 pm, sixth grade at 8 pm, at Reed.

May 30: Reed orchestra concert, fifth grade at 6:30 pm, sixth grade at 8 pm, at Reed.

May 31: Reed fifth grade band concert, Blue House at 6:30 pm, Green House at 8 pm, at Reed.

June 1: Reed sixth grade band concert, Blue House at 6:30 pm, Green House at 8 pm, at Reed.

June Date TBD: “Ice Cream” for Jazz, 7 pm, at the NHS Café at NHS.

June Date TBD: NHS Marching Band Open House, 7 pm, at NHS.

Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.