Hamilton Avenue School Update

What a week it has been at Hamilton Avenue School! We experienced a two-hour delay, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who ensured our students arrived safely and ready to learn. Every minute we spend teaching and learning with our students is truly invaluable.

Our 4th graders did an amazing job during their water safety lessons. A big thank you to the YMCA for providing free lessons to those in need. It's wonderful to see our students learning such important life skills.

World Read Aloud Day continues to be a favorite among our students, teachers, and readers. Thank you to everyone who supported and participated in this event, making it a memorable day for all involved.

Thursday’s snow day was a delightful surprise. With so many illnesses going around, it was a much-needed opportunity for everyone to take a breather and catch up on rest.

This morning's Parent Pop-Ins were a great success! Parents had the chance to visit classrooms and observe "Building Thinking Classrooms" in action. It was inspiring to see the children solving complex math problems with enthusiasm and skill. The awards ceremony that followed was spectacular as well!

A special thank you to our beloved PTA for treating us to a "Soup-er Bowl" Lunch today. The delicious soups warmed our bodies and souls. Your continued support and generosity mean the world to us.

As we look forward to the upcoming break, I wish you all a restful and healthy week. Take this time to recharge and enjoy some well-deserved rest.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Fox

On World Read Aloud Day, our second graders in class 2J had the extraordinary opportunity to meet award-winning and best-selling children's author, JoAnn M. Dickinson. This memorable event was sparked by a heartfelt letter from Elliott, a student in 2J, who expressed her admiration for Ms. Dickinson's book, Rylee the Young Rocketeer.

Ms. Dickinson captivated the students with a reading of her delightful book, Amelia Ophelia The Beekeeper by the Sea. The students were wholly engaged, listening intently and asking insightful questions that impressed Ms. Dickinson. Their enthusiasm and curiosity made the session both enjoyable and educational.

In addition to the reading, Ms. Dickinson generously donated a copy of Amelia Ophelia The Beekeeper by the Sea to our library. She also took the time to autograph another book, enriching our library's collection and providing lasting memories for our students.

This event not only fostered a love for reading among our students but also highlighted the power of communication and the impact of a thoughtful letter. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible, especially Elliott, whose initiative brought such a wonderful experience to life.

• For families with children in grades K-3 and grade 4 intervention (MTSS) and grades 4-6 with reading goals on their IEP, DIBELS Mid Year Home-Connect report will be sent home in student folders Friday, 2/7/25. DIBELS is GPS’s universal reading screening assessment tool that measures early literacy skills aligned to the five pillars of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The Home-Connect report reviews the skills your child was assessed on in January and makes suggestions on things you can do at home to support their continued progress as a reader. If you have questions about your child’s scores, please reach out to your child’s teacher or building administrators. For more information about DIBELS, please read the parent guide in English or Spanish. You can watch a past PTAC informational video on “What You Need to Know About DIBELS Scores” from the fall here.

Our Hamilton Avenue Gymnastics Unit will start on Tuesday, Feb 18th and will end on Friday, April 11th. The students will participate in this unit for 8 weeks. For student safety, please make sure students have their hair tied up, do NOT wear baggy clothes, dresses, skirts, hooded sweatshirts or jewelery. Students should wear socks and sneakers!

Carlantonio Corsi Viana, Laura

Puac, Bodhi

Scarlett, Liam

Blake, Noah

Cardenas-Rey, Ayleen

Clermont, Devin

Rossitter, Jackson

Castaneda, George

Foti, Aubree

Mendoza Lunarejo, Maximiliano

Molleturo, Victor

Puac, Luka

Carreon, Adrian

Correa Gomez, Valery

Gomez, Louis

Baculima, Liam

Bautista Mejia, Jeremy

Capozza, Michael

Dominguez, Jocelin

Gjekaj, Chrystal

Grannick, Preston

Cochachi, Alanie

Da Mata, Rebecca

Dethling Vidal, Yuri

Diaz, Harley

Ferreira Santos, Yasmin

Giresi, Viviana

Ramirez, Mateo

Max Mendoza Lunarejo

Dhanvi Madishetti

Bellarosa Avalos Vizhco

Chelsea Jimenez

Ayleen Cardenas-Rey

Michael Capozza

Viviana Giresi

Eily Lazaro Martinez

Megan Saenz Torres

Jonah Ortecho

Liam Calvar

Lucas Patricio

Owen Wickstrom

Savannah Fortunato

Natalia Bustelo

Anthony Avvocado

Liam Gjekaj

Matias Cardona Nunez

Che Vassel

Adrian Carreon

Yannick Kudernac

Jocelin Dominguez

Samantha Gomez

Evan Jones

William (Patrick) Brank

Yasmin Ferreira Santos

Ariella Abreu

Joshua Smith

Lukasz Cardenas

Jeremy Bautista

Noah Valdovinos

Ayden Tume

Thank you to the Waste Free Greenwich for the "Zero Waste Lunchroom" refresher last week. Students did a great job remembering how to sort trash in the lunchroom to minimize the waste we produce in our Cafetorium. Parents, can you please play the Ready, Set, Sort game with your children? Thanks in advance for supporting this important initiative!

Here is what the nominator said about Mr. Bria: "I've worked in education for over 30 years and have worked with many custodians. Nick Bria is the best I've ever worked with. Nick is friendly approachable and cares about the building and people who are in it. He has pride in his work and it shows by the way our building looks. If there is an issue in your room, Nick is the right there to see how he can fix the problem. He's always there to lend a hand. I hope he stays at Hamilton Ave. School for a very long time!" 💙

With an overwhelming amount of staff absences this week, we cannot thank our amazing staff enough for pitching in to cover classes! I even covered PE on Wednesday! We are looking forward to vacation and hope this helps to bring our building some health and stability! 💗

Thank you for organizing a beautiful event on Wednesday. We were so thrilled to welcome all of the guest readers for reading on this special day.

We had 2 fifth graders participate in GPS' 5th & 6th Grade Honor Band this year, which culminated with a wonderful performance in the GHS Performing Arts Center this past Wednesday evening.

Students worked from November through January to learn three challenging pieces for performance. Our representatives from Hamilton Avenue this year were Filip (percussion) and Jacob (clarinet). Congratulations!!

Thank you, YMCA, for presenting water safety to our 4th graders on Tuesday. We are thankful for this partnership that helps ensure that our students have an adequate knowledge of safety around the water. Students who qualify will be offered a free 6-week Safety Around Water program from the YMCA!

4B raised $78 per minute at the Glow Run. They earn Game Day as one of their rewards.

Thank you, Mrs. Fogle, Mrs. Preiss, and Ms. Augustine for presenting our 5th graders with the NGSS practice test today! Students demonstrated their resilience and grit while taking the test, checking their answers and correcting mistakes along the way! Bravo!

Thank you, CT Science Center, for your recent visit to our third grade. This inquiry-based, student-driven program that is grounded in the NGSS standards was designed to explore how forces can change with weight. Students were encouraged to see if they could master the crash lab challenges! This engaging and interactive lab was a wonderful addition to our science curriculum, particularly our unit on Forces, Motion, and Invisible Forces.

The hands-on experience you provided was invaluable in helping our students understand complex scientific concepts in a fun and accessible way. Watching the students' faces light up as they explored the principles of motion and forces was truly inspiring. Their expertise and ability to connect with young learners made a significant impact, and I am confident that this experience will leave a lasting impression on their educational journey.

Thank You for Your SOUP-er Bowl Contributions!

Today, we threw our first-ever Super-Bowl themed lunch for the Hamilton Avenue teachers and staff, surprising them with fresh soups and sweet treats. They were so appreciative! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed soup or dessert to help make this event a success. We are grateful for your support!

Flag Football Registration with Greenwich Youth Football League

Registration is now open for flag football with Greenwich Youth Football League. The program is open to all 1st-8th graders who live or attend school in Greenwich. The season begins April 6 and the deadline to register is March 15. Register here if you're interested. Note: Greenwich Youth Football League is not affiliated with Hamilton Avenue School in any way.

District Smore Device Policy

2024-25 Assessment Update: Parent Memo

2024-24 Assured Experiences

District Digest🆕

GPS Capital Projects Update

Together We Can

All about ALP Newsletter

All About Academics

Hi GPS Principals and staff,

Good luck tomorrow with the fundraising, and thank you so much for all your support with PJ Day! We have already raised $7,689 dollars which is so so amazing! If anyone manages to get some pictures tomorrow please send them my way!

Thanks so much, Anna

Hamilton Avenue raised approximately $200 (we fell short of our $299 goal, $1 per student). If you would still like to contribute, CLICK HERE.

Nominations are due by March 6th. To learn more about the criteria and eligibility requirements, read the 2025 Nomination Instruction Packet online.

February

February 8-17: Winter Break

February 18: School Resumes

February 20: Pre-K Fashion Show 9:00 AM

February 21: School Store Open

February 27: Hamilton Ave Art Show 5:30-7:30

February 28: 2nd Marking Period ends

February 28: Dress to Impress Day

March

March 1: Incoming K Parent Orientation

March 3: GSO - Grade 3 Brass 11:30

March 10: Schools Closed - Conferences

March 11: Virtual Elementary ALP meeting 9:30 & 7

March 12: Early release - Conferences

March 14: School Store Open

March 25: District Art Show - Gr. Arts Council 5:30-7

March 26: 6th grade parent orientation meeting at WMS

March 27: 5th grade to WMS for Musical

March 28: Wear your favorite Brand Day

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