Originally built in 1921 to be the Newtown High School, Hawley was turned into an elementary and junior high school…More in 1953 and later came to just serve kindergarten through fourth grade. The building was the gift of Mary E. Hawley to the town.</p> <p>As the oldest school building in the district, Hawley lacks some features, such as a cafetorium (combined cafeteria and auditorium) available at other schools. Lunches are brought into individual classrooms. Officials, however, have said plans are underway to add a cafeteria beginning in the 2010-11 school year.</p>

Sandy Hook is the district's largest elementary school. It has been recognized as a Connecticut Vanguard School for…More sustaining high level of performance. The school takes a "responsive classroom" approach, which uses daily morning meetings and other tools to foster students' sense of belonging.</p> <p>Sandy Hook was the first school to install classroom SMART Boards, or interactive whiteboards. By the end of the 2009-10 school year, all classrooms for students in kindergarten through fourth grade will be equipped with SMART Boards.</p> <p>The school's motto is "Think you can, work hard, get smart, be kind."</p> <p>Like most other elementary schools in town, Sandy Hook has a cafetorium, which is a room used both as a cafeteria and auditorium. The school does not have a language lab but does have a math/science lab.</p> <p>At the end of the 2009-10 year, principal Donna Page retired and was replaced by Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, the former principal of Mitchell Elementary School in Woodbury.</p>