Principal's Pen
April 5 , 2024
Class Placement for 2024-2025
Dear Julian Curtiss Families,
Our teachers will soon begin the class placement process for the 2024-2025 school year. We make class placement decisions based on the best interest of all children in the class and ask you to continue to trust our professional judgment in determining class placements. Our teachers see the full picture of learning styles, needs, and personalities when they are developing class make-up. Having said this, we do value input from parents as you are aware of the various teaching styles in your child’s academic career.
In accordance with Board of Education practice, The building principal will have the responsibility and the authority for the assignment of each student to his or her class and, therefore, his or her teacher with the best interests of the child in mind. The principals will not take requests to place children with particular teachers. The parent(s) will have the opportunity to inform the principal or designee in the spring prior to classroom assignments concerning the child's learning style, specialties and difficulties, and particular needs, personal or educational. The parent(s) is/are also encouraged to discuss with the principal the child's progress in the fall once classes are underway. However, the principal will make the final determination in placing all children.
To assist us in making this process easier during this time we have created an electronic survey with some questions for you to answer. If there is something imperative you feel would benefit our staff in the placement process, please provide us this information in the comments. We ask for surveys to be completed by April 26th. Please remember your letter should not contain a request for a specific teacher.
Additionally, placement with a teacher that an older sibling had will not be automatic. All children have different needs and it is not a foregone conclusion that having a student placed with the same teacher as a sibling will be the best possible placement. We take each child’s academic and social-emotional needs into account when determining placement, therefore having a teacher you are familiar with may or may not be in the child’s best interest. It is important to note, teachers will reference these letters during the placement process, and I ask you to refrain from writing any negative comments about a particular teacher. Similarly, while there are occasions when it is necessary to ensure particular students not be placed together, we ask you to keep your peer requests to a minimum. It is vital for children to continue to develop new friendships at the elementary level.
Should you hear of new families moving into your neighborhood, please encourage them to contact Lisa Maniscalco (lisa_maniscalco@greenwich.k12.ct.us) to register their children as soon as possible to ensure we have accurate enrollment projections.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and support. All surveys must be received by April 26, 2024. Formulating class lists is a lengthy process, therefore any letters coming in after this date will not be considered.
Sincerely,
Trish McGuire
Principal
BE SAFE ASSEMBLY
On Friday, March 29th we met to honor our norm of Being Safe. We honored our Safety Patrol, Safe Problem Solving as shown in the chart below and our High flying Eagles from each grade level! As always we end with our JC Song. JC is the place to Be!!
Solar Eclipse on April 8th
The eclipse is coming and it coincides with Monday’s school dismissal! Remind your kids–don't look up! Here are some facts/info:
The eclipse starts (moon starts moving in front of the sun) at approximately 2:13 pm. Maximum coverage of the sun by the moon will occur close to 3:27 pm when about 92% of the sun’s surface will be covered by the moon.
During the 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm period the lighting outdoors will be similar to what we experience during the minutes prior to a normal sunset. It will grow darker (less bright), but it will not get completely dark and there will be sufficient sunlight to safely continue outdoor activities.
On a normal sunny day, the incredible brightness of the sun keeps people from staring at it. But during this solar eclipse when 92% of the sun becomes hidden behind the moon, there is a false sense that you can safely look directly at the sun. You should NOT. This does not mean you have to walk around looking down at the ground, and if you were to accidentally glance briefly toward the sun you will not be harmed. But again, you should NOT purposely look at the sun and Certainly Not stare at it.
You can safely look at the sun if you are wearing SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES. Bring some for your kids at pick-up on Monday.
The bottom line is this event is not something you should fear, and if you have access to solar glasses, it is a wonderful scientific opportunity. During the 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm period it will grow darker, but it will not be DARK! The most significant darker period will be a few minutes either side of 3:30 pm.
Excitement is in the air! On April 8th a total solar eclipse will take place in North America between 2:25 PM and 4:00 PM with the actual total eclipse happening at around 3:30 PM. This is a unique and exciting event when the moon blocks the Sun perfectly, and only a dim outer ring of the sun appears to be visible. There won't be another U.S. eclipse spanning coast to coast until 2045.
Many suggest that there could be danger in looking directly at the sun without appropriate eyewear. Though it is expected to be minimal in the Greenwich area, below is a link for more information about the eclipse as well as a suggested link for safety glasses should you wish to purchase them for your child.
Please consider participating in Mismatched Day!
Boosterthon is ON!
Julian Curtiss Eagle Run Boosterthon Update!
It’s almost the weekend! Quick update about the Julian Curtiss fundraiser: we have a BONUS PRIZE OPPORTUNITY for all students! It’s for this weekend only, so time is limited to earn this extra reward.
Click here to log into MYBOOSTER.COM to learn more about this prize!
Reminder: We’re raising $15,000 for curriculum enrichment that will directly impact students and staff here at Julian Curtiss. We can’t do this without your help!
Have a great weekend! We can’t wait for the Julian Curtiss Eagle Run happening on April 12th!
Last Night’s Challenge Winners: Semmes (K)
Weekend Challenge: Any student that gets $2 per lap, or $60 flat, in NEW donations over the weekend will earn a BONUS PRIZE!
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¡Es casi el fin de semana! Rápida actualización sobre la recaudación de fondos de Julian Curtiss: ¡tenemos una OPORTUNIDAD DE PREMIO EXTRA para todos los estudiantes! Es sólo para este fin de semana, así que el tiempo es limitado para ganar esta recompensa extra.
¡Haga clic aquí para iniciar sesión en MYBOOSTER.COM para obtener más información sobre este premio!
Recordatorio: Estamos recaudando $15,000 para el enriquecimiento curricular que tendrá un impacto directo en los estudiantes y el personal aquí en Julian Curtiss. ¡No podemos hacer esto sin su ayuda!
¡Que tengan un buen fin de semana! ¡No podemos esperar para la Julian Curtiss Eagle Run el 12 de abril!
Ganadores del desafío de anoche: Semmes (K)
Desafío de fin de semana: Cualquier estudiante que obtenga $2 por vuelta, o $60 en total, en NUEVAS donaciones durante el fin de semana ganará un PREMIO BONIFICADO.
JULIAN CURTISS YEARBOOK!
The 2023-2024 JULIAN CURTISS YEARBOOK is now available for purchase!
Just 6 steps away from ordering your JC Yearbook TODAY!
1. Go to www.coffeepond.com.
2. Click on the Order Yearbooks button.
3. Enter the password (case sensitive): JCEAGLE24
4. Enter the child’s name & grade and the book quantity.
5. Enter your email under contact and select add to cart.
6. If you have another child to order for, please select order for another child. If not, you can finish checking out.
Mark Your Calendar
April
April 9: 3rd Grade to New Pond Farm Eastern Woodland Indians
April 9: 4th and 5th grade to symphony 8:45-11:00
April 10: Declamation Contest 9:00-9:45 Grades 3- 5
April 10: Science Night at JC
April 12: Eagle Run with Boosterthon
April 15: 22 Spring Recess
April 23: School Resumes
April 23- 3rd grade to Bush Holly House 8:45-10:45
April 24: Community Service Awards GHS
April 25: WMS students (9 students) to Camp Seton
April 26: 5th grade to Camp Seton (all of fifth grade)
April 26: VIP Dance 6 pm