Hamilton Avenue Update

1st-5th Grade First Day Arrival at 7:30 AM

Students will be directed to the field to find their classroom teacher for the first-day ceremony and parade. All staff will be outside assisting classroom teachers. Parents are welcome to join us on the field!

Kindergarten First Day Arrival at 8:45 AM

Students will be directed to the field to find their classroom teacher for the first-day ceremony and parade. Staff will be outside assisting K teachers. Parents are welcome to join us on the field!

Pre-K First Day Arrival at 9:00 AM

Pre-K students will meet their teachers outside the front doors at 9:00 AM

We are thrilled to welcome our exceptional students and families back in just two weeks! We hope you are enjoying the summer and creating wonderful memories with your loved ones. This newsletter is designed to provide you with all the information you need for the start of a fantastic new school year.

Please make sure to read through all the details in this newsletter. It contains essential information about Kindergarten and New Student visitation, the First Day of School, and all the necessary forms and documents for your child. I will continue to send a weekly newsletter on Fridays around 6 PM this year. It is essential that you read the newsletter every week. If you or someone you know is not receiving this letter, please contact the main office as soon as possible.

DISMISSAL MANAGER!!

We are pleased to announce that we will continue to use the School Dismissal Manager platform to manage school dismissal. Please be on the lookout for an email from School Dismissal Manager on Monday with instructions for activating and setting up your account for this year. For us to know how your child should go home- Bus or Parent Pick Up, you must set up their dismissal page.

We have a wonderful Hamilton Avenue PTA Executive Board! We are so excited to learn about the activities and events they have planned for our school this year. There will be more to come, but it is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED for all families and staff to join the PTA. They are an invaluable resource for our school. See the link below to join.

New for Back-to-School 2026: Teacher Assignments in Aspen

The district is very excited to share with all elementary school families that teacher/classroom assignments can now be easily accessed in an app called “Aspen” beginning on Monday, August 24 at 8:00 AM (instructions on how to log into ASPEN will be emailed to everyone at that time).

Class lists are developed and reviewed by your child's previous teacher and our specialists to ensure all factors are considered when creating the best placement for your child. We try to balance a class based on gender, academic needs, equal numbers of students, and equity in the diversity of the classroom. We also attempt to match student and teacher personalities and styles.

Given the complexity of the process, we will consider changes to the class lists cautiously, and class changes will be infrequent. Although we welcome input about your children's learning needs during the process, remember that the principal makes the final decision on class placement. Ms. Lage and I have reviewed the placements for all current Hamilton Avenue students based on the recommendations in June and the students' best interests.

I hope this weekly newsletter is informative. As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We are very excited to start school!

I bid you a restful two weeks until we welcome you into our beautiful school!

Best,

Mrs. Fox

Hamilton Avenue School is embarking on an inspiring transformation from a STEAM magnet to a new initiative titled "Harmony in Learning: Bridging Academics and Arts through AVID and Suzuki." This evolution reflects our commitment to merging academic rigor with artistic exploration, ensuring that we remain a dynamic and inclusive educational environment. By incorporating the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) framework, we aim to equip students with essential skills and a college-ready mindset, closing opportunity gaps while promoting high-quality instruction. At the same time, the Suzuki music philosophy will continue to thrive, fostering key life skills such as perseverance and collaboration through music.

Our state-of-the-art STEAM Lab and tinkering studio will remain integral, supporting the broader Greenwich public school curriculum. This strategic shift aligns with our dedication to providing a seamless educational journey from elementary through high school, preparing students for success within the established AVID framework at Western Middle School and Greenwich High School. As we roll out this program, extensive planning, community engagement, and staff training will be central, with implementation beginning in the 2025–2026 school year and full integration aimed for 2026–2027. We are excited to share this journey with our community and look forward to the enriched educational experiences that lie ahead.

Ham Ave is proud to share our field and parking lot with our neighbors from St. Roch's Church. Bring the entire family and have loads of fun!!! Come and visit while listening to live music every night. Indulge yourself with their famous Pizza Fritta, sausage & peppers, hamburgers & hot dogs. Rides and games and lots of sweets & treats for kids of all ages. The live Raffle Drawing is Saturday evening for the grand prize of $30,000!! You may even see some of your favorite teachers and administrators there!
Wednesday, August 12th – Saturday, August 15th

Arrival for Pre-K students begins at 7:45.

Students arriving by car:

Enter the main parking lot on St. Roch Avenue and follow signs to pull up to the first spot past the front doors, where teachers will meet you. Parents must put their cars in “park” and unlatch their children from their car seats. Staff will remove children from the car seat and escort them into the building. Parents should exit through the exit-only lane and obey the traffic sign, turning right only. Our bus loop on Hamilton Avenue is closed to through traffic and reserved for school bus access.

Students arriving by bus:

Pre-K staff will greet students in the bus loop and escort them into the building.

Late arrival:

Families bringing their children to school after 7:45 will enter Hamilton Avenue from the parking lot doors on St. Roch’s Avenue. Please ring the bell and wait to be buzzed in.

Dismissal:

Regular dismissal of Pre-K is 12:45 PM. Some students will take the bus and be escorted to the bus loop by staff. Parents will pick others up. If your child participates in "afters," dismissal begins promptly at 2:00. For both regular and “afters” dismissals, parents must park in the main lot and greet their children by the front doors of the parking lot on St. Roch’s Avenue. Staff will be there with students for dismissal. Please be prompt as dismissal of K-5 students begins at 2:15 PM.

Kindergarten - 9:00-9:30 AM

Pre-K - 11:30-12:00 PM

New Student - 2:00-2:30 PM

Please be on the lookout for an email next week with instructions for setting up your School Dismissal Manager Account. This is the platform you will use to inform the school how your child is going home each day. This is also how you will report your child's absences from school. Please enter all absences into School Dismissal Manager.

Jessica Punchatz is excited to join the Hamilton Avenue School community as the new PreK–5 music teacher. She brings more than 16 years of teaching experience, including the past 14 years at Riverside School, where she taught general music and directed the chorus.

Ms. Punchatz holds a Master's Degree in Music Education from Boston University, a Sixth-Year Degree in Educational Leadership from Quinnipiac University, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Miami, where she also studied vocal performance, piano, and theater. Before beginning her teaching career, she performed in Salzburg, Austria, as part of the Mozart Festival.

Beyond the classroom, Ms. Punchatz is the co-founder of Reaching for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to high-quality music education for young people. She has also served as a guest conductor for youth music programs and remains active as a conductor, performer, and music educator throughout the region.

Ms. Punchatz believes that every child is musical and strives to create a classroom where students develop confidence, creativity, and collaboration. She is grateful for the opportunity to join Hamilton Avenue School and looks forward to making music with students and becoming part of the school community.

I graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice before moving to London to earn my Master’s degree in Social Work in 2021. I worked in children’s social services in London for nearly four years, supporting and safeguarding children and families through child protection and family support services. I returned to New York last year and have been working with Kids in Crisis since March 2026! I started as a Crisis Service Counselor in their Outreach Program and have recently moved over to their KidTalk Program!

Hello, Hamilton Avenue School! My name is Jake Jarecki and I’m pleased to be working and learning alongside you this coming fall! When I'm not reading, hunting down antiques, hiking, watching “This Old House” episodes, and spending time with my family, I'm drinking entirely too much coffee or tea. Before this position, I was working at the Riverside School across town and before that, I was completing my student teaching at Cider Mill School in Wilton. I believe that learning should be structured but fun and enjoyable. I look forward to assisting wherever I’m needed. Let’s make it a great year!

Meghan joins our school after working at Cos Cob school for 13 years. She is excited to join the team providing ESL support to Hamilton Avenue students.

Hi Ham Ave Staff & Students

My name is Cynthia DelVecchio, aka Miss Cindy

I am excited to start as the building substitute. I live in town and have 2 children who went to Greenwich Public Schools. I have been a substitute for a few years now, and I have experience with preschool and elementary physical education and recreation.See you all soon! 😁

Please sign and return the following required forms found on the Hamilton Avenue School Website (updated soon) by the first day of school and any other forms applicable to your children:

REMINDER all REQUIRED forms are to be turned in no later than September 12, 2025

• School Handbook 2026-2027 ENG/SPA
• School Handbook Acknowledge Form (REQUIRED)
• Student Emergency Contact Form 2026-2027(REQUIRED)
• Authorized for Medical Treatment/Risk Notification (REQUIRED)
• Press Publicity Permission/Denial Form (REQUIRED)
• Notice of Network Use Opt-out Form (REQUIRED)

Additional forms to be returned if applicable

• Student Device Loan Form (all new students and Kindergarten students)
• School Lunch Debit Account Form (ENG) (SPA)
• Free and Reduced 2025-26 Application-Family (ENG) (SPA)
• Free and Reduced Addendum (must accompany application) (ENG) (SPA)
• Student Accident Insurance (if applicable)

The Greenwich Public Schools provides all of the materials students need to participate in classroom learning activities. Supply lists are frequently requested by parents for back to school preparation. They are not mandatory.

Please click on appropriate link for school supply lists.

School Supply List (English) (SPA)

There will be one hot option along with several “grab and go” cold options each day. Breakfast will be available at 7:00 am for students. More information coming in a separate email from the district.

PLEASE NOTE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH FORMS ARE LINKED ABOVE AND WILL COME HOME ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Please fill these out and return them to the main office by 9/25/26. It is imperative that we receive these completed forms returned to school in order to be considered for free lunch status.

NEW!! How to Fill Out the Application Parent/Guardian Video

The parent/guardian video: How to Fill Out the Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals or Free Milk (CSDE) is a brief video helping parents and guardians complete the free and reduced-price application form.

Click the button above for the "Summer Scoop" Newsletter containing information about after-school programs eligible for Hamilton Avenue students!

August

August 27: Kindergarten Visit at 9:00-9:30 AM

August 27: Pre-K Visit 11:30-12:00 PM

August 27: New student visit 2:00-2:30 PM

August 28: First day of School! 7:45 for 1st-5th graders on the field

August 28: First day of School! 8:45 for Kindergarten on the field

August 28: First day of School! 9:00 for Pre-K students on the patio

September:

September 7: No School, Labor Day

September 17: Open House

September 21: NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur

The hours for Hamilton Avenue School this year will be 7:45 AM-2:15 PM for all K-5 students.

🤍💙

Hamilton Avenue PreK hours will be the following:

7:45 AM-2:00 PM (extended classrooms)

7:45 AM-12:45 PM (not extended)

About Us

Email: Diane_Fox@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://has.greenwichschools.org/
Location: Hamilton Avenue School, 184 Hamilton Avenue, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: (203)869-1685