Together We Can

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! This is an exciting time for everyone at Greenwich Public Schools. Our Special Education and Student Supports team was hard at work this summer getting things in place to welcome students and staff back to school, including an updated webpage. Please read this newsletter to find out more.

It has been great getting out to the schools this past week and seeing our students engaged in new learning. Thank you to all of our GPS staff in getting this year off to a great start. I am look forward to a great school year!

Best,

Stacey Heiligenthaler, Ph.D.

Chief Officer of Special Education and Student Supports

stacey_heiligenthaler@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Prior to the arrival of students in Agusut, our staff was hard at work getting ready for the new school year and participating in a variety of professional development opportunities. Here are just a few of the things our SESS staff participated in.

United Way's instruction coach, Ms. Leah Breish, walked the preschool teachers through revisions to the first unit of the year in Creative Curriculum that were worked on by the summer curriculum writing team.

Elementary school special education teachers are collaborating on the Math Bridges program for one of their professional learning experiences at the beginning of this school year. Special education teachers will take part in further professional learning experiences throughout the school year and also engage in on-site learning experiences involving the implementation of the Bridges Math Program.

GPS School Psychologists engaged in professional development focused on learning the principles of evaluating bilingual children: developmental perspectives, case conceptualization, and evidence-based tools. School psychologists participated in hands-on practice using the C-LIM Matrix based on case studies.

Social workers participated in a training focused on school avoidance, presented in partnership with Effective School Solutions (ESS).

Paraeducators participated in training on a variety of topics, including Building and Sustaining Strong Partnerships with Teachers, Proactive Behavior Strategies Through a Trauma-Informed Lens, and Classroom Environment: Supporting Positive Student Behavior.

All middle school Special Education teachers participated in DIBELS training. DIBELS is a formative assessment and as such benchmarking is done several times a year. The District is implementing DIBELS to help Special Education teachers determine the rate of improvement in closing the gap related to grade-level skills for students with reading goals on their IEPs.

High school Special Education teachers participated in training on the SMARTS program, which provides students support with executive functioning.

To kick off the school year, kindergarten students at Cos Cob School showcased their skills with a brush and some colorful paint to create their self-portrait! What a beautiful way to brighten up the classroom and contribute to a motivating and positive learning environment!

Students in Ms. Weiss’ class at Cos Cob School enjoyed their choice time on the first day in the new preschool classroom.

Students in Mr. Alex’s preschool class at Julian Curtiss School enjoying lunch on their first day back!

Students in Ms. Melissa's preschool class at Hamilton Avenue are working on getting back into their morning routine.

Student's in Mr. Alex's preschool class at Julian Curtiss are participating in choice time while working with Speech and Language Pathologist Ms. Amy and Paraeducator Ms. Krystina.

Julian Curtiss School welcomed all of their students back to school for the 2024-2025 school year in style.

Principal Martín and Assistant Principal Dolan Collette welcomed the Riverside School students to the 2024-2025 school year.

New students attending North Street School got themselves comfortable and enjoyed some fun literature in the classroom libraries on visits prior to the start of school.

Sixth grade students arrived early at Central, Eastern, and Western Middle Schools a day before most students for orientation. They spent the morning meeting their teachers, making new friends, finding their way around the school, and doing team building activities!

Incoming ninth graders were welcomed to Greenwich High School for orientation a day before the rest of the study body. They entered via the new vestibule entryway and were welcomed by the GHS cheerleaders, the Cardinal, Principal Mayo, and the entire GHS staff!

Sheldon House seniors got up early on their last day of summer to give tours to ninth graders.

Ms. Brigid Barry and the Sheldon House counselors welcomed their ninth graders on orientation day.

Mr. Chew offered input as students problem solve their assigned project during Engineering Tech class.

The purpose of a Special Education Advisory Council is to build full, equal and equitable partnerships between families, the school District and community partners, on a council that gives advisory opinions to the Board of Education on matters pertaining to the education and safety of students with disabilities.

Please note that general membership is open to any interested GPS parent or guardian of a child with a disability, previously known to have a disability, or suspected of having a disability, under the IDEA or Section 504, or who is currently eligible to receive Special Education or 504 accommodations and services, from ages 3-21, and who are both residents of the Town of Greenwich. To learn more about the Greenwich SEAC, please refer to our by-laws.

If you would like to be part of the Greenwich SEAC's general membership and be kept up to date on meetings, committee work and workshops, please complete this short form to add your email to the distribution list.

2024-2025 SEAC Meetings

September 24, 2024: 7:00 P.M.

November 12, 2024: 6:30 P.M.

January 14, 2025: 7:00 P.M.

March 18, 2025: 6:30 P.M.

May 13, 2025: 7:00 P.M.

Links will be provided closer to meeting dates.

Please visit the new Special Education and Student Supports Department webpage on the Greenwich Public School Website. Information about Special Education supports and services as well as contact information is provided

with Jocelyn Bruchman

Salutations from the newest reading lab teacher, Jocelyn Bruchman! I am a Connecticut native currently residing in Fairfield County. I studied childhood and Special Education at St. John’s University where I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I have enjoyed a diverse scope of professional experience working in two international schools, located in Rome, Italy as well as the United Nations International School in Manhattan. To follow, I discovered my love of literacy instruction while employed by a specialized school for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities, the Windward School. In my free time, I enjoy reading (no surprise here) accompanied by my cat, Mozzarella, as well as watching my youngest brother, Noah (age 11), play baseball.

When there are so many options provided for our students to occupy their time, reading a book often loses the battle against gaming (sports or electronic), jumping in the pool, or listening to music. However, reading does not have to be the burden requiring time, attention, and silence!

Try putting on an audiobook while you are driving, cooking, or even working out. This can be with or without your child. You can try listening to a book piquing both your interests or a publication more suitable for you, the grownup!

Modeling to our children that reading is not a chore can be half the battle, while this mode reduces many barriers which can stand between your child’s willingness to read for leisure. Do you feel like audiobooks are cheating? Do not!

Listening to a book, read by a professional or by a familiar adult, continues to improve many facets of your child’s “reading brain.” Some of those areas developing include but are not limited to: exposure to new vocabulary, intonation, expression, listening comprehension; and can promote areas like prediction, inferencing, and a love of reading!

Children watch and mimic many behaviors they observe from you, the adult, in their life. When you demonstrate to your child that reading, either audio or paperback, can be easy and enjoyable, that may just give them the boost they need to choose a title!

Apps For Learners with Dyslexia

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Email: stacey_heiligenthaler@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/special-education
Location: 290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT
Phone: (203) 625-7493