
Julian Curtiss Welcome Back News!
Back to School Edition- August 18, 2023
Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year at JC
General School Information
Dear Parents and Families ,
Welcome to the 2023 -2024 School Year! We hope you are all enjoying the summer and have had time to rest and rejuvenate. This Newsletter is designed to help you navigate all of the information you need for the start to an excellent new school year!
Please join me in welcoming new staff members:
Mrs. Caryn Horan - Preschool Teacher
Ms. Martha Smith - Fourth Grade Teacher
Ms. Taryn Dietrick - returning as Art Teacher
You will receive additional background information on our new staff members next week.
Please be sure to read all of the information in this newsletter. Included is important information about New Student Orientation, the Back to School Picnic, the First Day of School as well as all of the forms and documents you need for your child.
Class lists are being sent out electronically today so be on the lookout for an email with your child's class list. Please call the main office if you do not receive the email by 2:00 PM today.
Please be on the look out for an email from School Dismissal Manager with instructions for activating and setting up your account for this year. This is the program that is used at Julian Curtiss to determine your child’s dismissal plans each day.
The CT Free Lunch For All Program is now over. Please submit an application at https://www.greenwichschools.org/departments/food-services/free-and-reduced-priced-meals if you believe your family will qualify. The cost for elementary school lunch is $4.15. Please use the link in the Back to School Documents section to locate the School Lunch Account Form on the Back to School Page of our website. You can use a form and submit a check to the cafeteria or set up and manage your child's lunch account on My School Bucks. The link to My School Bucks is also located on the School Lunch page.
We are very much looking forward to a new and exciting year and hope to work closely with all of our families and the community. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your classroom teacher, myself or Mr. Hartigan at any time with any questions or concerns.
Have a wonderful rest of the summer and we will see you soon.
Trish McGuire and Matthew Hartigan
Your Administrative Team
Class Lists
All eleven Greenwich Public Elementary Schools will be sending out class lists today via email. Creating class lists is an extremely complex process designed to create balanced classes. No changes will be made to class lists.
New Student Orientation, Thursday, August 31, 10:30 AM
All families with Kindergarteners, and students new to JC this year, are invited to our New Student Orientation on August 31 at 10:30AM.
All Kindergarten students and students NEW to JC in grades one through five, and their families, will be met at the front door and brought to their classrooms for a brief visit.
All families with Pre-Schoolers will be contacted by the PreK team who will share specific times for visits with their families.
Back to School Picnic, August 31 at 11:00AM!
Please join us for our Annual Back to School Picnic on the back field. This is always a fantastic event and we can't wait to see all of our families there! Feel free to pack a picnic lunch or buy lunch from one of the food trucks.
The First Day of School
The First Day of School is Friday, September 1st and is a full day for grades 1-5 that will begin with our community of learners ceremony.
All 1st through 5th grade students will meet at 7:55 am on the blacktop by the playground and assembled classes will walk into school together.
All 1st through 5th grade students will be directed to the blacktop as they arrive and staff will be available to assist with classroom teachers available to greet and welcome their students. Parents are welcome to join us on the blacktop! We will walk into school together as a community of learners!
For the first day of school only, all kindergarten and pre-k students will have a special Welcome at 9:00 am on the black top. Parents of Kindergarten students will receive an email today with specific information about the first day.
Arrival Times for the rest of the year are: 8:15 for K-5 and 8:30 for PreK
Back to School Documents
IMPORTANT TO READ!
Please be sure to read and review all of the back to school documents on the Back To School page of our website LINK ABOVE.
There are some required forms that must be returned to the office along with a great deal of information and optional forms that will apply to some families, including setting up lunch accounts and Device Loan Forms for all new students.
The Required Forms for ALL Families Are-
The School Handbook Acknowledgement Form
The Publicity Release Form
School Supplies
We do offer a breakfast program at Julian Curtiss. This is permitted between the hours of 7:30 and 8:00 for children in K-5. Children being dropped off for breakfast should be dropped off at 7:30 in order to leave enough time to eat their breakfast prior to going to their classroom. Families are required to sign up in advance for this program. Breakfast costs $2.85 for families that do not qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please follow the procedures outlined in this document for the safety and security of all of our students. We greatly appreciate your assistance in following them throughout the year. Please read the information carefully and completely.
School Hours: Arrival 8:15 a.m
Dismissal: 2:45 p.m.
Pre-School hours: Arrival 8:30 a.m
Dismissal 1:30 p.m
Morning arrival:
Staff will meet and supervise all arrivals outside of the building for grades K- 5 at 7:55 a.m. Preschool will be met at 8:25 a.m.
Classrooms are open and teachers are ready to greet students at 8:00am.
We encourage 8:00 am arrivals.
Students in grades K-5 arriving to classrooms after 8:15 are tardy.
Students driven to school are to be dropped off along the driveway in front of the school or the driveway on the gym side of the building and walk to the entrance.
Drivers please follow this procedure:
Drive up to the white sign along the gymnasium side of the school or the stop sign in front of the school. Do not stop in front of the door. Pulling up to the top of the driveway will help keep the traffic moving.
Remain in the vehicle while students exit the car independently on the sidewalk side only.
Do not pass the car in front of you at any time. This is an extreme hazard and is strictly prohibited. Please wait in line, proceed around the loop, and exit onto East Elm Street or Milbank driveways.
Please refrain from using cell phones during drop-off.
Once a student has been dropped off, he/she MUST stay on grounds.
Please keep in mind that one of our goals is to maximize instructional time for students, so arriving on time will assist your child with organization and academics throughout the school year. Our goal is to have all students in their classrooms at their seats by 8:15 a.m.
Dismissal:
Dismissal for grades K-5 begins at 2:45. Bus students, car riders, and walkers will be dismissed separately.
The front circle is restricted to buses from 2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Cars are NOT allowed in the front circle during dismissal/pick-up. Drivers should park outside the school and park or enter the Milbank driveway only.
Car riders in grades 1-5 will be picked up on the gymnasium side of the building. There is no parking or standing. Vehicles must keep moving around the loop until their child is available for pick-up.
Walkers being picked up by parents should be met on the black top by the playground.
Older siblings will be able to meet younger siblings at their classroom with written permission from the parent.
IF there is a planned change in pick-up for your child, you must enter it in the School Dismissal Manager by 1:45 pm. Students will not be dismissed to an alternate party without written authorization from a parent/guardian.
Parking:
For parents and guests of the school, parking is available in the upper level of the back parking lot, along the east side of the driveway. Please note that cars parked in the 5 spaces immediately in front of the school in the afternoon will not be able to move until buses have departed. There is NO PARKING along the entire north (field side), along the entire south part of the driveway from Milbank to the Teacher’s lot and anywhere there is a NO PARKING sign.
We hope this outline of policies and procedures will assist you throughout your family’s time at Julian Curtiss Elementary School. Please remember to enter your child’s plan in the School Dismissal Manager.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with these very important matters.
Trish McGuire
Principal
We do offer breakfast at Julian Curtiss. This is permitted between the hours of 7:30 and 8:00 for children in K-5. Children being dropped off for breakfast should be dropped off at 7:30 in order to leave enough time to eat their breakfast prior to going to their classroom. Families are required to sign up in advance for this program. Please click on the title "Breakfast at Julian Curtiss" above to sign your child up for the program. The cost for Students who do not receive free and reduced lunch is $2.85.
School Dismissal Manager
School Dismissal Manager is used at Julian Curtiss School to ensure the safe dismissal of your child each day. For your child’s safety, the classroom teacher and office staff will abide by the dismissal instructions that you have listed in SDM so this is a mandatory procedure. (SDM will not be used for absences or early dismissal notifications).Office staff is available to assist you with any questions that you may have when setting up your account after receipt of the Introduction Email you will receive on August 25th.
Join the PTA
Want to receive the School Directory and PTA Newsletters?! Join the PTA and Sign Up for Membership Toolkit
Welcome JCS Families!
On behalf of the Julian Curtiss PTA, we welcome all families to the 2023-24 school year!
If you haven't created an account with us previously, you can do so by clicking the register/login button below. You will need a family account in order to register for PTA and school events, as well as access our online directory.
If you registered for this website already, you do not need to create a new account but your family information and PTA membership will need to be updated yearly.
Lastly, download the Membership Toolkit app for easier access from your mobile device!
If you have any questions regarding MTK, please don’t hesitate to reach out to jcptapresident@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Important Update and Information from the Boys and Girls Club
As Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich shared earlier in the Spring, the Clubhouse at 4 Horseneck Lane will be closed during the planned renovation.
The Club will change from a “drop-in” model where members can attend the Club any day to a “Registration Required Lottery System” model. Modified after-school programs for elementary school-age students chosen for the lottery will be offered at the Arch Street Teen Center. Many of the Club’s other programs for middle and high school members will run as they did in the past but at various locations in Greenwich.
Please take a moment to check your email for communications from the Club. An email with a link to sign-up was sent in July. Given the limited space, only current Club families can participate in the lottery.
Information on Club operation plans during the renovation can be found by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Liz Galeano at lgaleano@bgcg.org.
Thank you,
Don Palmer
Mark Your Calendar
Save the Date!
August 31: New Student Orientation at 10:30AM
August 31: Back to School Picnic for the entire JC Community at 11:00 AM on the field
September 1: First day of School! 7:55 for 1st-5th graders on the back blacktop
September 1: First day of School! 9:15 for Kindergarten on the blacktop
September 1: First day of School! 9:15 for Pre-K students
September 4: No School, Labor Day
September 13: Ringing In Ceremony 9 am
September 19: Open House
September 22: School Photo Day
September 25: No School Yom Kippur