Together We Can
November 3 , 2025
As we welcome the month of November, we take time to reflect on gratitude, connection, and the many ways our school community supports one another. This week, we are proud to celebrate National School Psychology Week (November 3-7), recognizing the vital role school psychologists play in promoting students’ learning, well-being, and success. Our school psychologists work every day to help create safe, supportive, and inclusive environments where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We invite you to join us in thanking these dedicated professionals for their ongoing commitment to our students and families.
Best
Stacey
Stacey Heiligenthaler, Ph.D.
Chief Officer of Special Education and Student Supports
Best in Show!
The SESS administrative assistants showcased their creativity and school spirit by winning Best in Show in the Havemeyer Pumpkin Contest! Their clever entry, titled "Jacked-O-Lantern," impressed judges with its originality and festive flair. Congratulations to the SESS team for bringing home this fun and well-deserved recognition!
Creative Communication at the Writing Center
Ms. Castellano's class at New Lebanon School use their writing center in many different ways. Some studentse write on paper, others on the easel, and some use their iPad to help communicate their ideas.
Apple Adventures
Ms. Pearson's class at Old Greenwich School have been exploring apples. Their apple study has included: dissecting an apple and learning the parts of the apple, painting with them, having a taste test of different apple varieties, and making applesauce.
Harvest Time
Ms. Yates' class at Hamilton Avenue School have created their own apple orchard, complete with a homemade apple tree, pretend tractor using cube chairs, and a check-out counter in dramatic play.
Building Independence
PreK students at Julian Curtiss School are taking charge of their mornings by checking attendance using picture icons for each classmate. This simple yet powerful routine supports independence and accessibility, ensuring that every student—especially our pre-readers—can actively participate. It is a wonderful example of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in action.
Celebrating Growth
Ms. Hyres at Cos Cob School is proud to celebrate a student’s recent success using the PAF reading program, which builds strong foundational literacy skills through structured, multisensory instruction. During a spelling dictation focused on the consonant blend “bl” and new high-frequency words, the student wrote well-constructed sentences and edited her work independently using her checklist. It was such a proud moment, and a great example of how the PAF program builds both confidence and independence in young our readers.
Future Meteorologists at Hamilton Avenue
Students at Hamilton Avenue School have been busy practicing their meteorology skills and showing what they have learned in science. Using a fun and interactive Kahoot! quiz, students reviewed weather concepts while collaborating, thinking critically, and having a great time demonstrating their knowledge. What a bright forecast for learning.
Moments that Matter
At North Street School, Ms. Gordon and her students begin their school day with a Morning Meeting, a time to come together as a community. During this time, students check in with how they are feeling, discuss the weather, and share thoughts or observations. These short, but meaningful, meetings help students build self-awareness, strengthen peer connections, and foster a sense of belonging. By starting the day with intention and connection, Morning Meetings set a positive tone that supports both learning and emotional well-being throughout the day.
Talk It Out
During read alouds, Ms. Zand at Old Greenwich School keeps her first graders actively engaged by inviting them to “turn and talk” with a partner about key questions. These quick peer shares give every student a chance to think out loud, listen to others, and build confidence before joining the larger discussion. Turn and talks also strengthen comprehension, language skills, and classroom community. In Ms. Zand’s class, reading aloud is not just about hearing a story, it is about thinking and learning together.
Internet Safety at Glenville
Glenville fifth grade students participated in an engaging Internet Safety Workshop focused on helping them become smart, responsible digital citizens. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, students learned how to protect their personal information, recognize online risks, and make thoughtful choices when using technology.
Family Friday
New Lebanon School hosted families with a focus on Social Emotional Leaning and the Second Step Program. New Leb’s mental health team presented to parents on ways to support their children both at school as well as at home and teachers opened their classroom doors to show parents Second Step lessons in action.
Parent Coffee
The parents were able to come to together at the International School at Dundee. It was an informal presentation with about 20 participants. The Special Education team is excited to get the year started on a positive note.
Collaborative Reading Brings “The Outsiders” to Life
During co-taught English class at Eastern Middle School, Mrs. Baracos and Mrs. Fama read The Outsiders aloud, taking turns with the students. They discussed vocabulary words from the text such as “outfits” and “heaters” in context and discussed questions such as, “Who was he trying to save?” The activity supported both the curriculum and students’ individual goals and objectives.
Reflecting and Reading Together
During Mr. Franco's ELA class at Western Middle School, he and the students read-aloud Restart. The teacher asked questions like, “What is happening?” and “What does turning someone’s life upside down mean?” Students shared their thoughts, including one who said, “His memory is coming back.” The class also discussed making mistakes and thinking about one’s conscience. Behavior goals focused on following routines, such as sitting appropriately at the table.
Building Critical Thinking in Academic Lab
In Academic Lab at Central Middle School, Mrs. Martinez began the lesson with a 'Blooket' activity where students identified statements as evidence, claims, facts, opinions, quotes, or reasoning. They then practiced writing a claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) response based on the story Thank You, M’am. Mrs. Martinez incorporated both modeling and independent practice throughout the lesson. The activities supported students’ IEP reading and writing objectives while aligning with the eighth grade ELA curriculum.
Communication in Action: Speech and Sign
At Western Middle School, the hearing-impaired and speech therapy teachers co-taught a session designed to strengthen communication skills using both speech and sign language. Activities included describing pictures, forming complete sentences, and targeting specific speech sounds, such as /p/, within meaningful contexts. This collaborative approach highlights how the programs work together to support students’ IEP goals while promoting independence, language development, and effective communication strategies.
Spooktacular Fun at GHS
Greenwich High School was buzzing with Halloween and pumpkin spirit this week. Students showcased their creativity in a jack-o’-lantern contest and enjoyed fun games in the student center during lunch, bringing excitement and community spirit to the school.
Problem-Solving Skills
Students in Ms. Thompson’s class at Greenwich High School practiced identifying problems and their reactions by evaluating the size of each problem and determining appropriate ways to respond. This lesson helped students develop critical thinking, self-awareness, and effective problem-solving strategies that they can apply both in and out of the classroom.
Learning Life Skills in the Community
Students took a trip into the community with a breakfast outing at Glory Days Diner. The experience provided hands-on opportunities to practice real-world skills, including riding the public bus, ordering independently from a menu, and interacting respectfully in a public setting. By engaging directly with the Greenwich community, students developed confidence, independence, and practical skills they can carry into daily life.
GHS College Fair
Greenwich High School counselors organized and hosted a college fair for all interested students. The event was a huge success with almost 200 colleges/universities in attendance.
The fall GHS Unified Sports season is off and running. Athletes and partners are participating twice a week in soccer and activities focused on meaningful engagement, understanding, and fun.
Inclusion Corner
With Rachel Rubin
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like a super-fast assistant that can help summarize information, explain concepts, create stories or visuals, and so much more.
In our classrooms, AI is used to make learning more accessible, not to replace teachers. It helps create tools that support understanding, independence, and confidence. NOTE: The tools below are intended to be used by teachers and parents to create or adapt materials. After the AI generates the product, then it is shared with the student. The student would not be the one directly using the AI tools.
Families can use many of these same tools at home to reinforce learning and build skills (and just possibly save you some time and brainpower so you can spend more time doing the 500 other things you have to do as a parent).
Two Tools We Are Using and How Families Can Use Them
ChatGPT can support families in many different ways. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a couple of ideas for how you might use it at home to help your child with activities like homework, building routines, and preparing for new social situations or environments.
What it can do: ChatGPT can explain topics in kid-friendly language, summarize reading, and create stories or visuals.
Try it at home:
1. Ask ChatGPT to explain homework concepts in simple, clear language.
Example prompt: Act like a fourth grade teacher. Explain fractions step-by-step using a pizza. Start by introducing what a fraction is, then explain the numerator and denominator, and give real examples like sharing pizza slices with friends.
2. Create social stories
Example prompt: Help me write a child-friendly social story about [insert activity or event here]. Include the following:
· A warm and reassuring introduction that explains who the child will be with, what will happen, and any changes in routine (e.g., if a parent won’t be there but will be close by).
· A clear, simple description of what the child will see, hear, and do during the activity (e.g., sights, sounds, people, steps in the routine).
· A section that explains what the child can do if they feel nervous, worried, or miss someone (e.g., deep breaths, hugging a lovey, asking for a hand to hold, using a calming strategy).
· Use short, clear sentences and positive, supportive language appropriate for young children (ages 3–6).
· Organize the story into short sections with headings to make it easy to follow.
· Make it easy to pair with visuals or icons so the story can be turned into a printable booklet or visual schedule.
Can be used for any activity:
Field trips
Birthday parties
First day of school
Doctor/dentist visits
Family events
Travel days
What it can do: Simplifies reading passages, builds vocabulary lists, and creates comprehension questions and graphic organizers.
Try it at home:
- Paste or upload your child’s reading passage into Diffit to get a leveled version.
- Review the vocabulary together before reading.
- Use the built-in questions to talk about the text after reading.
If you’d like support or tips on using these tools at home, please reach out:
📧 Rachel_Rubin@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Together, we can help students build confidence and access learning and environments in new, meaningful ways.
Spotlight on Student Wellbeing & Support
With Jessica McEvily
GPS is deeply committed to supporting students’ mental health and emotional wellbeing. Across all schools, we have a strong network of professionals; including school counselors, psychologists, and social workers, who work together to help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. From elementary through high school, each building has dedicated mental health staff who collaborate with teachers and families to promote positive behavior, address challenges, and provide direct support to students in need. We are also fortunate to partner with community organizations such as Kids in Crisis and Family Centers, as well as to have district-wide specialists who enhance programming and provide expertise across all schools.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school counselor, psychologist, or social worker at any time by phone or email, or by contacting the school’s main office. Whether you’re looking for advice, resources, or guidance, our team is here to help every student feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
Parent Tip of the Month: Start the Conversation: Regular, low-pressure talks help children to feel safe sharing their feelings.
Children open up most when conversations feel natural. Try asking gentle questions like:
“What was something that made you smile today?”
“What was tricky or stressful?”
Special Education & Student Supports Information and Resource Website
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
The Office of Special Education and Student Supports
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