Julian Curtiss

What an incredible day at Julian Curtiss! Yesterday, we celebrated our 35th Annual United Nations Parade, and it was truly an unforgettable event! With picture-perfect weather and an amazing turnout of families, friends, district leaders, and community members, our scholars proudly marched with their flags, traditional clothing, and beautiful smiles. The joy, excitement, and cultural pride on display were simply extraordinary! At JC, the world comes together every day through the languages we speak, the traditions we honor, the stories we share, and the friendships our scholars build. Yesterday's celebration brought all of this to life in a remarkable way. Behind every flag is a story, and behind every scholar is a family whose story is an important part of our community. Our UN Parade is more than a cherished tradition; it is a celebration of belonging, respect, and the opportunities our children have to learn with, and from, people whose backgrounds and experiences differ from their own.

A heartfelt thank-you to our dedicated staff, PTA, families, and everyone who contributed to making this celebration such a tremendous success. Most importantly, thank you to our scholars, who marched with abundant pride and reminded us of what makes Julian Curtiss such a special place. After 35 years, this beautiful tradition continues to bring our community together and reflect the very best of JC.

We are many nations, many languages, many cultures, and many backgrounds, but ONE JC family!

Soaring like Eagles,

Eduardo Calderón

Principal

This past Tuesday, our JC scholars enjoyed an incredible World of Wonder Assembly, a multicultural theatrical performance presented by master mime, magician, and storyteller Leland Faulkner! Through a wonderful combination of magic, mime, and storytelling, our scholars were taken on an imaginative journey that celebrated creativity, cultural diversity, and the art of storytelling. Scholars from every grade level attended, including our youngest Eagles in PreK, making it a truly special schoolwide experience. A heartfelt thank-you to our amazing PTA for bringing this engaging and memorable performance to JC and continuing to provide enriching experiences for our scholars!

We will be having our annual Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th at 2:15pm. As you prepare, we ask that students choose fun, school-appropriate consumes. Please avoid costumes with blood, gore, monsters, weapons or any themes that may considered scary, evil or inappropriate. Refrain from masks that obscure the entire face as it inhibits the teacher's ability to supervise their students.

We want to ensure that everyone enjoys a festive and safe celebration.

Thank you for you partnership and attention to this request.

Our JC staff came together for a productive afternoon of collaboration, reflection, and goal setting as we continued developing our School Improvement Plan (SIP) for the 2026–2027 school year. Through thoughtful analysis of student achievement data in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, along with results from our student, parent, and staff surveys, teams identified areas of strength, opportunities for growth, and measurable goals to guide our work this year. Staff also engaged in a Start, Stop, Continue protocol, reflecting on instructional practices and schoolwide strategies they want to introduce, discontinue, or sustain to support progress toward our SIP goals. It was an afternoon of meaningful conversations, shared ownership, and a collective commitment to continuous improvement and the success of every JC scholar!

We’re pleased to share that Mary Ellen Munro, RDH, B.S., Julian Curtiss School Dental Hygienist, will be at JC this November providing dental health lessons and screenings for students. Dental screenings are quick and safe and can help identify dental concerns early.

Students’ teeth and gums will be checked, and a referral will be sent home if follow-up with a dentist is recommended.

New this year! We have moved to an online format for fluoride varnish permission forms. We are also excited to offer fluoride varnish to Kindergarten students this year.

Please use the link below to complete the fluoride permission form: https://forms.gle/AVvCsFx8v3VFvrtW6

Please note that the dental screening is not a complete dental exam and does not replace regular visits with your child’s dentist. It is an important preventive service that supports oral health, overall wellness, and school success.

If you would like to opt your child out of the dental screening, please email:

maryellen.munro@greenwichct.gov

Questions

Mary Ellen Munro, RDH, B.S.

203-618-8382

maryellen.munro@greenwichct.gov

maryellen_munro@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Today, our JC scholars proudly participated in Hats for Hope Day, showing their support for a meaningful cause by wearing their favorite hats and donating $1. From baseball caps to colorful and creative hats, it was wonderful to see so many scholars come together in the spirit of kindness, generosity, and compassion. A special thank-you to our families for supporting this initiative and helping our scholars recognize that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference!

This October, as we celebrate UN Week at JC, our community is exploring UN Sustainable Development Goal #2: Zero Hunger through the lens of sustainable agriculture and community gardens. Our Book of the Month, Our School Garden by Rick Swann, illustrated by Christy Hale, invites readers to discover how a school garden can bring people together to grow, learn, share, and care for the world around them.

Across our specials, students will explore this theme in different ways- from creating art with recycled materials, to singing about the wonder of growing food, to getting outdoors and connecting movement with vegetables and gardening. These experiences will complement our library exploration and connect to our very own JC Community Garden.

Throughout the month, we'll consider our big question:

How do community gardens support sustainable agriculture and improve nutrition?

As we celebrate global connections during our UN Day Parade, we hope Our School Garden helps our scholars see that caring for our community, our food, and our planet are all connected, and that even something as small as planting a seed can help us grow a healthier, more sustainable world together. 🌎🌱

October:

October 30th: Halloween Parade