Press Gets Inside Look at New Sandy Hook School

 

 

Editor's note: While media visited Sandy Hook School today, the entire Newtown community is welcome to tour the school this afternoon, Friday, July 29, between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m.

The Town of Newtown welcomed members of the local, statewide, and national press to the new Sandy Hook School (SHS) on Friday, July 29th for a media access day.

The event featured tours of the new school and remarks from First Selectman Pat Llodra; Superintendent Joseph Erardi; Architect Jay Brotman, Managing Partner with Svigals + Partners; and Matthew Consigli, President of Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

“Our role now, as adults and leaders, is to bring this new, beautiful place into its rightful status as the SHS of the present and the future,” said First Selectman Llodra. “Despite its birth from a horrible tragedy, SHS will be a place full of laughter, love, and learning.”

“Sandy Hook will have a quiet opening in September,” said Dr. Erardi. “We’re asking everyone to give us the space we need to focus entirely on teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school.”

“From the very first day, we were aware of just how important it was to build the best possible building for the students and the Newtown community. Its powerful purpose was never lost on us,” said Matthew Consigli, president of Consigli Construction Co., Inc. “This has truly been an honor for us to be a partner in this special project.”

“As architects, we aspire to opportunities like this: to be involved in the design of a building like the Sandy Hook School, a meaningful and symbolic building that truly serves a community on so many levels, today and for generations to come,” said Jay Brotman, Managing Partner at Svigals + Partners Architects. “A building that has become a national and even global emblem of what communities can achieve when working together for a common cause.”

About the Speakers

Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra

Pat Llodra has lived in Newtown, Connecticut since 1970 and has been Newtown’s First Selectman since 2009. She has had vast leadership experiences as a teacher and principal, roles in the Connecticut State Department of Education and positions on several of Newtown’s municipal boards, including the Board of Education, the Economic Development Council and the Legislative Council. As the First Selectman, Pat has focused on long-term capital planning, economic and community development, constituent outreach and communication and support for K-12 educational excellence. Pat has a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Statistics from the University of Bridgeport as well as a Masters in Science in Mathematics with a concentration in Education from the Western Connecticut State University. She has also recently received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Sacred Heart University and Western Connecticut State University. Pat lives with her husband Robert in Newtown, CT, and has 3 kids and 6 grandchildren.

Newtown Superintendent Dr. Joseph V. Erardi, Jr.

Dr. Joe Erardi has been the Superintendent of Newtown since 2014 and the Superintendent of Southington since 2007. He has over 37 years of professional educator and leadership experience, including prior positions as the superintendent of Watertown schools and Bolton. Joe also serves as the Chair for the Federal Relations Committee, a member of the Board of Directors for the CT Education Foundation, and is on the National Governance Board - American Association of School Administrators/School Superintendents Association. He has a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Central Connecticut State College, a Masters in Administration, Supervision and Curriculum from Central Connecticut State College, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford. Joe lives with his wife Susan in Watertown, CT, and has two children that live nearby.

Jay Brotman, AIA, Managing Partner, Svigals + Partners Architects

An architect and expert in school design with more than 30 years of experience, Jay Brotman is the Managing Partner at the award-winning firm Svigals + Partners. Jay’s commitment to design excellence combined with his ability to orchestrate a collaborative process results in buildings that are responsive in terms of people, functionality and their local context and community.

Matthew Consigli, president of Consigli Construction Co., Inc

As President of Consigli Construction Co., Inc., Matthew has led the company’s growth from a small, local contractor based in Milford, Mass. to one of the largest construction management firms on the east coast. Matthew, along with his brother Anthony represent the fourth generation of the Consigli family to lead the company that was established in 1905. Notable projects led by Matthew include the renovations at the Boston Public Library and the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery.

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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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