“It is hard to believe that five years have passed since that tragic December day,” said Newtown High School anatomy and physiology teacher Tom Kuroski (above, second from left). He captured fellow educators’ sentiments in a poem dedicated to their six co-workers lost on a “day that has forever changed all of our lives:”
A Day In Newtown



A day that is hard to remember, one we should never forget. 

A day when we felt horrible sorrow, and endless regret. 

A day that brought us all pain, for months and for years.

A day when painful reality, brought even the strongest to tears.

A day when we shared with our kids the confusion of happiness and sadness.

A day of mindless loss, pure evil and madness.


A day of reflection of what we could do,

to begin our collective recovery, for us and for you.

A day when we hugged those we love, a little bit longer.

A day we held hands, and became a little bit stronger.

A day when others, became first in our mind.

A day that we learned more, how to care and be kind.

It is hard to believe it has been five years since that day

I know we are better, that’s all I can say.


We can’t dwell on what happened that day, no matter how wrong.

We should celebrate what it means, to be called “Newtown Strong.”

A day that will always remain so hard on us all.

A day that Newtown and Sandy Hook answered the call.
God Bless All on This Day!
Dedicated to:
Rachel Davino, pareducator
Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, principal
Anne Marie Murphy, paraeducator
Lauren Rousseau, substitute teacher
Mary Sherlach, school psychologist
Victoria Soto, teacher
Click here for the display’s photos of the fallen educators.
Kursoski, the president of our Newtown Federation of Teachers, added that the six educators whose lives were taken that day five years ago would remain “forever in our thoughts.”
Click here for photos of our national union president’s visit last year to Newtown on the tragedy’s fourth anniversary.