Principal's Pen
January 19, 2024
GO EAGLES!
The Battle of the Books program is designed to encourage fifth-graders to read quality literature over the summer months and continue reading in their leisure time during the school year. It aims to foster reading for pleasure. In June 2023, K-5 Elementary Media Specialists (LMS) announced ten books for incoming fifth-graders to read. Working closely with the Greenwich Public Library, including Perrot, Cos Cob, and Byram Shubert, and our local bookstores, the LMS ensured that the books were stocked and available for our students' reading pleasure starting in the Summer Holidays. In our building, Esra Murray also worked closely with our PTAs and Building Administration to ensure that multiple copies of the titles were available in our Library Learning Commons.
Prior to the winter holidays, each Library Media Specialist planned and facilitated a 20-question quiz to fifth-graders to help identify the five students with the highest scores in each class. These students then had the opportunity to collaborate in identifying strategies to help them prepare for the school-level competition. In order to determine the finalists at the district-level competition, each LMS organized a school-wide event where the homeroom teams competed against the other.
On Wednesday, January 17 at 6:30 PM at the Greenwich High School Performing Arts Center, all eleven elementary schools battled it out to win the District Champion for the Battle of Books, and the honor went to Glenville Elementary School. Our JC Eagle readers tied in 6th place. We extend our deepest gratitude to our PTA who helped us purchase multiple copies of the books! Forward and onwards, we're now ramping up to get ready for the 2024 Nutmeg Bowl!
Thank you Esra Murray for supporting our students and making this happen. Thank you to our generous PTA that bought us many copies of the books so all students could participate.
Congratulations to our Battle of the Books Team from Ms. Fabion's Class!
Arya Chaku, Zachary Engle, Lucia Ernst, Artem Khutornenko, and Hana Taylor, our team Captain!
INTERNET AND SMARTPHONE SAFETY
FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS
A Greenwich Public School’s SRO/School Resource Officer, Christopher Wallace, visited fourth and fifth grade classrooms today to share a presentation on online and smartphone safety for students. He addressed a range of issues including, cyberbullying, online privacy, internet stranger danger and unwanted requests through videos, games, e-books, comics, classroom lessons, and tip sheets.
Mr. Wallace has also visited many other fourth and fifth grade classes and parent groups in the district in the last year and it has been very helpful and informative.Stay tuned for a parent meeting with Office Wallace and 4th/5th grade parents.
Attention Grade 5 Parents:
Virtual Q&A meeting to discuss the Fifth to Sixth Grade Transition Process to be held Monday, January 22.
Middle School Counselors, Middle School Principals, and Curriculum Coordinators have created an informational video about what goes on in the spring and summer to help prepare students for middle school. This 25 minute informational video details social, emotional, and academic shifts at the middle level and describes the differences in course offerings and supports available.
Links to the videos, as well as the transcripted slides, are available below:
If you have questions after viewing the video, Middle School Counselors, Middle School Principals, and Curriculum Coordinators will go live to answer your questions on Monday, January 22
A compiled FAQ of questions from all Q&A sessions will be available online by January 26.
Fifth to Sixth Grade Parent Input Request
In order to provide input for your student’s middle school placement in ELA, Math, and Science, parents are given an opportunity to provide the committee with their insights via the Parent Input Form prior to February 9, 2024. Before completing the form, we highly recommend reviewing the video (English, Spanish). Please note: completion of this form does not guarantee placement into the selected courses.
Grade 6 teachers and administrators constantly monitor student progress and achievement to ensure their needs are being met in their courses. Adjustments to course schedules are made on a case-by-case basis and can happen at any time throughout the school year. Parents are a key factor in the decision to make movements in classes. The middle school philosophy for the district ensures that all parents are notified early and often when schedule or course changes are recommended.
Atención padres de quinto grado:
Reunión virtual de preguntas y respuestas para discutir el proceso de transición de quinto a sexto grado que se llevará a cabo el lunes 22 de enero.
Los consejeros, directores y coordinadores de currículo de las escuelas intermedias han creado un video informativo sobre lo que sucede en la primavera y el verano para ayudar a preparar a los estudiantes para la escuela intermedia. Este video informativo de 25 minutos detalla los cambios sociales, emocionales y académicos en el nivel medio y describe las diferencias en las ofertas de cursos y los apoyos disponibles.
Los enlaces a los videos, así como las diapositivas transcritas, están disponibles a continuación:
Vídeo en español
Diapositivas transcritas en inglés
Si tiene preguntas después de ver el video, los consejeros de las escuelas intermedias, los directores de las escuelas intermedias y los coordinadores curriculares se comunicarán en vivo para responder sus preguntas en
Lunes 22 de enero
Una recopilación de preguntas frecuentes de todas las sesiones de preguntas y respuestas estará disponible en línea el 26 de enero.
Solicitud de opinión de los padres de quinto a sexto grado
Con el fin de brindar información para la colocación de su estudiante en la escuela intermedia en ELA, Matemáticas y Ciencias, los padres tienen la oportunidad de brindarle al comité sus ideas a través del Formulario de opinión de los padres antes del 9 de febrero de 2024. Antes de completar el formulario, recomendamos revisar el video (inglés, español). Tenga en cuenta: completar este formulario no garantiza la colocación en los cursos seleccionados.
Los maestros y administradores de sexto grado monitorean constantemente el progreso y los logros de los estudiantes para garantizar que se satisfagan sus necesidades en sus cursos. Los ajustes a los horarios de los cursos se realizan caso por caso y pueden ocurrir en cualquier momento durante el año escolar. Los padres son un factor clave en la decisión de realizar movimientos en las clases. La filosofía de la escuela intermedia del distrito garantiza que todos los padres sean notificados con anticipación y con frecuencia cuando se recomiendan cambios de horario o curso.
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREAS
In the realm of education, the Greenwich Public Schools stands resolute in its commitment to forge a seamless and aligned PK-12 continuum of learning, transcending boundaries to ensure uniform excellence for every student. Our mission is nothing short of creating an environment where implementation is not just consistent but a beacon of inspiration.
At the heart of our academic aspirations is the fervent goal of the Academic Office - to empower teachers and administrators with a dynamic gateway to the district curriculum. This unfolds in the form of a meticulously crafted calendar-based map format, seamlessly communicated through Schoology, a platform that serves as a conduit for educational enlightenment.
Within each curriculum map lies the orchestrated symphony of educational design: pacing that intricately outlines the scope and sequence of content, profound big ideas, essential questions that spark curiosity, and the cultivation of crucial concepts and skills within each discipline. Textbooks, core materials, and identified measurable student learning objectives create a robust foundation complemented by methods designed to assess student performance against these objectives.
Our vision extends beyond a mere curriculum; we champion a common standards-based ethos, ensuring that every student, regardless of their individual journey, benefits from the expertise of skilled educators. Lessons are not merely delivered; they are meticulously designed, recognizing and adapting to the unique needs of each student.
While our educators possess the autonomy to navigate the pacing outlined, the core remains non-negotiable - the curriculum must be delivered, standards must be met, and students must exhibit the identified competencies. This is not a rigid approach but an artful dance where teachers, armed with a comprehensive toolkit for assessment, engage in a symphony of support for all facets of teaching and learning.
In the tapestry of education, Greenwich Public Schools aspires not just to educate but to inspire, to ignite a passion for learning that transcends the classroom, shaping students into lifelong seekers of knowledge and architects of their destinies.
Public Resources Available by Content Area
PJ DAY FOR A CAUSE FEBRUARY 9TH!
PJ Day is on Friday Feb 9th (the day before February break) and in exchange for wearing PJs to school, participants are asked to donate $1 or more to give to Connecticut Children's Hospital. As an alternative to bringing money to school, the students (and parents) can also donate online via this link give.connecticutchildrens.org/team/550789. Also, even if kids cannot make a financial donation they can still wear their PJs in solidarity and support of other kids with cancer.
Donate using this link!
Magnet School Lottery Applications available online
Magnet School Program
GPS is proud to offer choice to the families of Greenwich that may wish to apply to any of the District’s four elementary schools magnet programs. School choice provides opportunities to attend Hamilton Avenue, International School at Dundee, Julian Curtiss, or New Lebanon that offers programs that may be of particular interest to a family and/or an individual student. Magnet school lottery applications for the 2024-25 school year and open house dates are now available online, with an online submission deadline of Thursday, February 1.
Julian Curtiss Magnet Open House Dates:
January 22nd @ 6 pm
January 24 @ 9:15 am
If you are a family that moved to another Greenwich district during the school year please remember to apply for the magnet.
Any child who will be age 5 by January 1, 2025 is eligible to enter the magnet school lottery. If you feel your child will be ready for kindergarten in August 2024 and are interested in a magnet school, you are welcome to apply to any of the four schools. Kindergarten enrollment will be subject to district procedures in effect in March 2024 when registration begins.
Mark Your Calendar
January
January 22 - Magnet Open House 6 pm @ JulianCurtiss Media Center
January 24 - Magnet Open House 9:15 am @ Julian Curtiss Media Center
January 26 - Annual Parent Social at Millbrook 6:30-10:30 pm
January 28 - Hot Cocoa Stand Greenwich Avenue 12-4 pm. See flyer
February
February 12-16 Winter Recess /School Closed
February 19 - Presidents Day /School Closed
February 20 - Return to School