The Board of Education celebrated Newtown High School 2016 graduate Robin Rockwell and NHS rising sophomore Colby Troy at its meeting on Tuesday, August 16, for the winning submissions in a campaign to submit slogans that will be placed for display on either side of a NHS Marching Band and Guard truck.

The truck will be displayed wherever the band plays and will be visible with the winners' slogans displayed on it when parked on the Fairfield Hills campus, according to a release for the campaign.

Two slogan designs were requested: the first design was designed to discourage distracted driving and the second was to discourage drinking and driving. Judges and students determined the winning slogans. Submissions were submitted in May.

Legislative Council member Neil Chaudhary and NHS Marching Band and Guard Parent Board President Michele Buzzi announced Robin and Colby as the winners at the meeting.

Mr Chaudhary explained he works as a behavioral scientist focusing on traffic safety.

"One key area of my research is novice driver safety, so when I saw the band and guard truck, I saw an opportunity to benefit our entire community," Mr Chaudhary said.

The idea of having a contest for students to design the safety messages for the truck evolved. By January, Mr Chaudhary presented the idea to the Newtown Prevention Council. The Newtown Prevention Council approved funding plans for the slogan contest at its January 21 meeting.

Mr Chaudhary said new drivers need all the encouragement they can get to make good choices.

"In the end this fairly simple idea actually took the input and efforts of many people in order to complete," said Mr Chaudhary,

Among others, he thanked the Board of Selectman, the NHS Marching Band and Guard Parent Board, Ms Buzzi, Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, NHS Health Department Chair Mark Gerace, the Newtown Prevention Council, and the "many students, who submitted nearly 40 slogans. Almost any of these well thought out and creative submissions could have been a winner, and I appreciate the thought that went into all of them."

Colby's winning slogan was, "You booze, you cruise, you lose."

And Robin's winning slogan was, "Eyes up, phone down." Robin is set to attend Western Connecticut State

University as a music education major this fall.

Board of Education Chair Keith Alexander presented Colby and Robin with certificates to mark the accomplishment.

Ms Buzzi said the band is thrilled to "have such clever slogans," and they should be on display on the truck within a few weeks.