Happy 50th, Tashua!

TRUMBULL — Happy birthday, Tashua! Hundreds of students, family members and local residents packed into Tashua Elementary School’s new playground area to celebrate the school’s 50th birthday Sept. 18. The Trumbull Father’s Club grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, and local cover band, Forget Paris, performed for the crowd.

Rep. Dave Rutigliano, whose children attended Tashua, was on hand to announce the new basketball court mural design. The court and playground fields recently received a significant face-lift to correct drainage issues and wear. The former mural, a map of the United States, was a local favorite, but school officials wanted the students to have a say on a new choice.

“The votes were close,” announced Rutigliano. “So we’re going to incorporate the top two choices into the new design. The new mural will be a map of the United States. But the Tashua Tiger will be painted in the center of the court as well,” he said, to the cheers and applause of students.

The Trumbull Father’s Club provided the barbecuing. The local organization also plans to help coordinate fundraising for the new playground mural.

The Trumbull Father’s Club is helping coordinate fund-raising efforts. Rutigliano said they would like to find a local artist to paint the new mural.

Tashua Elementary School was originally built in 1965. School Principal Jennifer Neumeyer said the school’s decades of success can be attributed to strong parent support groups, and dedicated educators.

The tigers mascot is actually an acronym for the school’s motto: Tolerance, Integrity, Generosity, Empathy, Responsibility, and Self Control.