All About Academics

Welcome to our third and final installment of All About Academics for the 2024-2025 school year. We have included information about English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, FLES, World Language, ELL, Arts, and Library Media Services. Here we have adding our celebrations from a fabulous year. Enjoy!

Click below to help your child take advantage of learning opportunities at home this summer!

The K-8 Seamless Summer Learning Playlists are designed specifically to promote choice and anytime-anywhere access for all students throughout the summer months. Learners can choose from the extensive lists of self-directed activities focused on practicing and deepening students' knowledge of reading, writing, languages, social studies, science, math, and the arts.

Whether your child has a school-issued device or is accessing the resources from any web-enabled device, all students will be able to participate in the programming available for summer learning.

Participation in Summer Reading directly impacts student achievement.

• Recent research confirms that students who do not read or engage in meaningful thinking activities can lose up to 30% of progress gained during their school year.
• The good news is that the research also shows that students who engage in reading book offerings, discussing books, and offering opportunities to have books read aloud or read-along counteracts any possible summer slide.

Establishing a habit of lifelong reading early and nurturing it throughout our children’s school years is critical to a child’s success in life.

We strongly encourage all parents to explore the GPS Summer Reading resources.

As we close out another successful school year, we are excited to share some highlights from our K-8 English Language Arts program. Across all grades, students have grown as thoughtful readers, writers, and communicators.

Laying the Groundwork in Reading Grades K–3

Our use of Fundations in Grades K–3 provides structured and systematic phonics instruction, helping students build accuracy and confidence in both reading and writing. In addition, K-2 students are reading Geodes, a collection of beautifully designed, content-rich decodable texts that support skill application while building background knowledge and vocabulary. These resources, along with interactive read-alouds and daily writing routines, are helping our youngest learners grow into confident, capable readers and writers.

See Fundations End of Year Outcomes:

Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3.

Learning to Read and Write in Grades K-2

Strengthening Literacy and Voice in Grades 3-8

We are proud of the creativity, curiosity, and determination our students have shown this year in English Language Arts. Thank you for your continued partnership and support at home. Together, we are nurturing lifelong readers, writers, and thinkers who are ready to make their voices heard.

Do not forget to visit your local library to sign up for a Summer Reading Program and pick out some of the amazing recommendations of our talented GPS Media Specialists (listed in the summer reading section of this newsletter).

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in English Language Arts?

Contact Kim Paladino: Kimberly_Paladino@Greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our website, or click on the banner above.

As a reminder, our Social Studies curriculum has been updated to match the newest K-12 Social Studies Standards for Connecticut. Parents can learn more about these shifts by reviewing our K-8 Curriculum Page on the GPS website. Social Studies learning standards help students to effectively study and critically think about how people process and document the human experience. Students then garner a capacity for communication, empathy, and citizenship through critical thinking, reflection, and appreciation of diverse viewpoints.

Elementary

Student transition back and forth from science and social studies on a unit-by-unit basis according to the district suggested pacing calendar. In the grades listed below, students finished units the spring on topics related to:

• Kindergarten: Familiar Places & Communities
• Grade 1: Global Communities
• Grade 2: Decision Making and My World
• Grade 3: Innovation and Industry
• Grade 4: Regional Interdependence
• Grade 5: US Constitution and Civic Participation

As we wrap up the school year, we wanted to share a quick note about the Social Studies student workbook your child will be bringing home. This was our first year using a new resource, and while we used the workbook regularly, we did not complete every page.​ Please know that we thoroughly covered the Connecticut Social Studies Framework Standards for the year. The workbook served as a valuable tool to support our instruction, but it was not used as a stand-alone curriculum.

If you notice any unfinished sections and would like to explore them with your child over the summer, we encourage you to do so! It's a great way to reinforce learning and spark meaningful conversations.

Middle School

• Grade 6: This year, sixth grade students explored the geography, cultures, economies, and governments of East Asia, Europe, and the Americas through an inquiry-based approach. They developed geographic literacy by analyzing physical and human characteristics of regions and interpreting various types of maps. Students examined how governmental policies and economic systems impact daily life and global interactions, using real-world examples from trade, environmental change, and historical events. In their study of Europe, they engaged in a deep investigation of the Holocaust, learning about identity, human behavior, and civic responsibility. Throughout the year, students honed their research and critical thinking skills, enabling them to form evidence-based conclusions about complex global issues.
• Grade 7: During the course of the year, seventh grade students deepened their understanding of how geography, culture, history, and economics shape societies in the Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Subcontinental Asia. They built geographic and economic literacy by interpreting a variety of maps, analyzing human-environment interactions, and evaluating the causes and consequences of trade and conflict in each region. Through inquiry-based learning, students developed the ability to ask compelling questions, analyze primary and secondary sources, and craft evidence-based arguments about global issues. They strengthened media literacy by learning how to assess the credibility of sources while researching complex topics such as modernization, political change, and human rights. Across the year, students demonstrated their learning through authentic assessments, including projects and presentations that showcased their ability to synthesize knowledge and apply it to real-world contexts.
• Grade 8: Students in eighth grade learned how the government and the people work together to keep a democracy strong. They studied important events like Westward Expansion, the Civil War, and Reconstruction to see how these times changed the country. They practiced understanding how actions by leaders and the government affect everyone. Students also learned about the balance between individual rights and what is good for the whole country. By learning all this, they became better thinkers and more responsible citizens who can understand and take part in their community.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Elementary Social Studies? Contact Tara Fogel: Tara_Fogel@greenwichk12.ct.us. Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Middle School Social Studies? Contact Thomas Healy: thomas_healy@Greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our website, or click on the banner above.

As we wrap up another successful school year, we want to share some exciting highlights from our K-8 mathematics program. Across all grade levels, our students have continued to grow as confident, capable math thinkers — and we are proud of the progress we have made together.

Building Strong Foundations in Grades K–3

In the primary grades, our focus continues to be on building strong number sense, problem-solving skills, and a love of math. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 are developing fluency with basic facts, understanding place value, and building the foundation they need for future success in mathematics. Our use of hands-on activities, math games, and purposeful routines is helping students become flexible and strategic thinkers.

Fact Fluency and Fraction Success in Grades 1–5

This year, students in Grades 1-5 have made excellent progress in fact fluency and fractional understanding, thanks in part to the support of Reflex and Frax. These engaging, adaptive tools provide personalized practice and have helped many of our students achieve fluency more efficiently and with greater confidence. We are seeing stronger mental math skills and improved comprehension of foundational concepts, which directly support success in more complex math learning.

Building Thinking Classrooms in Grades 4-8

In Grades 4-8, we have continued implementing Building Thinking Classrooms, a model that encourages collaborative problem-solving and deep mathematical thinking. Students work together in randomized groups, use vertical non-permanent surfaces (like whiteboards), and engage in rich tasks that challenge them to reason, communicate, and make connections. This approach has energized math learning and empowered students to take ownership of their thinking.

Four Years of Growth with Big Ideas Math

We are now completing our fourth year using the Big Ideas Math program and the results speak for themselves. Each year, our students' achievement has continued to improve. The program’s balance of conceptual understanding, procedural skill, and application has supported consistent growth across all grades. With strong alignment to the standards and engaging materials, Big Ideas Math has played a key role in helping us meet the diverse needs of our learners.

We are proud of our students’ perseverance, creativity, and hard work in math this year. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement at home. Together, we are building strong, confident mathematicians, ready to tackle any challenge!

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in math? Please visit the support on our website for access to support videos and topics to practice. Contact Mike Reid: mike_reid@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

Elementary

As anticipated, your students' science notebooks are full of models, data, evidence, and discovery. Student transition back and forth from science and social studies on a unit-by-unit basis according to the district suggested pacing calendar. Moving into the final science unit of the year, many of our learners have been on field trips around town, outside investigating nature around their buildings, and engineering the day away!

In the grades listed below, students last science unit has been about:

• Kindergarten: Pushes, Pulls, and Friction
• Grade 1: Force and Motion
• Grade 2: Interdependence in Nature
• Grade 3: Plant and Animal Adaptations
• Grade 4: Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
• Grade 5: Waves

Elementary ALP Science:

The students in Elementary ALP Science participate in the same units as students in grades 3, 4 and 5 Science with extension activities and performance expectations.

Be sure to ask your child: How have you used your science notebook to keep track of your wonderings, evidence and discoveries this week?

Middle School

Phenomena, modeling, and projects! Oh my! You may have heard your students talking about models or projects in class. Each unit in middle school science allows students to make their thinking visible, grapple with real-world phenomena, and engage in individual and team projects. Currently, students in the middle school classroom are on their final unit of the school year. At the end of each year, we wrap it up with a heavily engineering based unit, including designing solutions, solving problems, and supporting one another through the iterative process.

• Grade 6: Designing Solutions
• Grade 7: Natural Hazards
• Grade 8: Engineering Design

🌟 Special Shoutout to Our 5th and 8th Grade Scientists! 🌟
We want to recognize and celebrate our incredible 5th and 8th grade students who recently participated in the spring NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) assessment. They showed tremendous grit, perseverance, and focus throughout the testing process. We are so proud of their hard work and determination. Way to go, scientists!

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in science?

Contact Tara Fogel: tara_fogel@greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our website, or click on the banner above.

We have completed our annual LAS Links assessment to all English learners in grades K-12 in order to evaluate their progress in and mastery of English language acquisition. We are so proud of all of our students for putting forth their best efforts during the testing window.

In K-2 ESOL, we are reading books aloud on animals and learning how characters and settings are important to a story. Students have explored story mapping as a bridge to begin opinion writing. In ESOL, we try to reinforce/use Fundations that are taught in the general education classroom in both reading and writing.

In 3-5 ESOL, we are reading historical fiction books and are focused on learning to read for information. We continue to familiarize content specific vocabulary in science and math in addition to building linguistic fluency.

At the middle school level, multilingual learners in the beginning classes have been expanding their vocabulary and putting it to use in the form of writing a friendly letter. Students at the intermediate level participated in a biography unit for which they chose a person and presented the biography in a Wax Museum gallery presentation. Multilingual learners in the advanced level classes are learning about the original 13 colonies and developing their writing skills through a written presentation of colonial life.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in English for Speakers of Other Languages?

Contact Geoffrey Schenker geoffrey-schenker@greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our ESOL websites, or click on the banner below.

In grades K-2 FLES, students are continuing to learn through story telling, some of the story themes help student learn how introduce and describe themselves and others, give their age and ask others, and describe different animals in the target language.

In grades 3-5 FLES, students are actively engaged in describing different places, what they like to eat, and learning how to talk about travel.

In grades 3-5 Native Spanish Language Arts, students are learning how to make express ideas and feelings when reading literature, as well as identify literary devices as they are used in a text.

In middle school, both Spanish and French students are continuing with rigorous units of study. Students are reinforcing and improving reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in the context of the thematic units such as family, recreational activities, house and home, and health.

Our middle school Spanish Native Language Arts students are building on their previously developed foundational oral and literacy skills in order to explore themes and literature associated school, short stories, and immigration.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in World Language?

Contact Geoffrey Schenker geoffrey_schenker@greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our World Language Program websites, or click on the banner above.

April marked the 14th annual Young People’s Concert hosted by the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra at GHS’ Performance Arts Center. Under the direction of Maestro Stuart Malina, the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra performed the Rhythm of the Orchestra for every fourth and fifth grader across GPS. With curriculum developed in partnership with district K-5 Core Music teachers, students were exposed to repertoire, instruments of the orchestra, and musical activities that deepened their understanding of the musical elements of the music

This will be a perfect opportunity to discuss the skills that they learned in creating the work, what inspired the work, and even encouraging your child to create a new piece of artwork from what they have learned throughout the year. Materials found at home are perfect tools to inspire creativity!

The District Art Show was a great success and hosted almost 1,000 community members during its week-long run with three separate reception openings. Exemplar art work from each of the district's 14 schools was on display for all in attendance at the Greenwich Art Council. Special thanks to all the K-12 art staff who spent countless extra hours preparing art work, reaching out to families, preparing certificates and hanging the show. We are so proud of our amazing art students!

Another wonderful option to continue playing and art making throughout the summer is to take advantage of the Town of Greenwich Music & Art Camp. This camp runs for five weeks at Eastern Middle School for students starting in Grade 4 for music and students starting Grade 1 for the art experience. There are several options for your child. More information can be found HERE.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Art & Music?

Contact James Antonucci at james_antonucci@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Please follow us on X: @GPSArt_Music

Dr Lynch's class: Dr. Fabian working with Mrs. Priess' 5th Grade class. The purpose of the visit was to have the students work through how to follow the School Norms during physical education

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in K-8 Physical Education and Health?

Contact Peter Georgiou at peter_georgiou@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Here’s a glimpse into some of the exciting learning experiences happening across some of our elementary schools! From hands-on STEM challenges to cultural celebrations and creative student projects, our classrooms and media centers are buzzing with curiosity, collaboration, and joy:

📻 Excitement was in the air at North Mianus School as 100 fourth and fifth graders took part in the 22nd annual Nutmeg Book Bowl! Students showed off their reading knowledge and teamwork in this much-loved tradition. Meanwhile, fifth graders launched Hawk Talk, a student-created podcast featuring interviews with special guests who share a connection to the NMS community.

🤖 Fourth graders at Cos Cob School turned coding into a creative challenge by designing obstacle courses for Dash robots! Each course had to include a tunnel, multiple obstacles to navigate, a ball-pushing challenge, and complex angles. After driving Dash through their own courses, students swapped and tested each other’s designs, combining problem-solving, collaboration, and a whole lot of fun.

🎢 First graders at Old Greenwich School explored Force and Motion in science, then brought those concepts to life during Innovation class by learning about simple machines like ramps and levers. As a culminating project, students are building LEGO pinball machines in small groups, applying their understanding of levers, wheels, and ramps in creative, hands-on ways.

🥯 Across the town, at Parkway School, students recently wrapped up their final Brainy Breakfast of the year, Math and Muffins! These popular before-school events brought families together in the media center to enjoy snacks and explore learning through activities like Books and Bagels and Drop-in STEAM. It’s been a wonderful way to build community and celebrate curiosity.

🇧🇷 Julian Curtiss School students celebrated Brazilian culture from June 4–7 through a vibrant, multidisciplinary festival filled with music, food, and fun! In partnership with the PTA, this immersive experience fosters global awareness, appreciation for cultural diversity, and a spirit of togetherness across classrooms.

🌉 In May, the North Street School Library Media Center focused on the theme of bridges, both literal and symbolic. Students read engaging stories about famous bridges and the ways they connect people and places. Then it was off to the makerspace, where students designed and built their own bridges using Legos, Keva Planks, and Rigamajig kits. It was a powerful combination of literature, creativity, and engineering in action.

Western Middle School students knew just what to do at the Library Media Center throughout this spring: they have been visiting regularly for independent reading and book selection, and participating in collaborative sessions about curriculum units of study, subscription database instruction, and genre book-talking. Every ELA class had the opportunity to come down to the LMC for a session given by the Greenwich Library in advance of Summer Reading, and each student was given the chance to select a book to kick off their summer reading through a very generous donation from The Greenwich Book Swap!

During their Digital Literacy classes, Western 6th and 8th graders have been spending their time in important and impactful conversations about Digital Citizenship and the three major pillars of Digital Literacy: the ability to use, create and understand information. Additionally, 8th graders devoted a significant number of hours in collaboration with their Social Studies, ELA and Science classes to create, develop, build, and ultimately present their Capstone research projects.

Students at Eastern Middle School have been hard at work as well! In addition to using Ed Club to improve their typing skills, 6th grade Digital Literacy students are using google spreadsheets to keep track of data. Students have also been researching a country of their choice, taking notes and keeping track of their resources via Noodletools (a digital research tool used throughout the district). As the year concludes, they have been creating and sharing their presentations with their classmates.

At Central Middle School, Digital Literacy students in grades 6 and 8 have been focusing on lessons and activities they help them become effective and informed Digital Citizens throughout the spring. Of special note, students used Canva to create and present amazing "phishing scam warning" projects, demonstrating their knowledge, creativity and technological aptitude. Eighth graders have also been working through the many requirements of their Capstone projects, culminating in presentations.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Library Media? Contact Esra Murray esra_murray@greenwich.k12.ct.us or Pia Ledina pia_ledina@greenwich.k12.ct.us

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Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/k-8-curriculum
Location: 290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT, USA