GPS District Digest (v6, i1)
Stories, news, and updates from Greenwich Public Schools
Welcome back to all of our returning loyal readers of the GPS District Digest, and greetings to all of our newbies! You have found yourself at the premier destination for all good things GPS. This is the one and only official newsletter that shares great student and staff achievement and tries to put a smile on your face. Negativity? No thank you. Celebration, fun, and light heartedness? We got you.
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Enjoy Issue No. 1 and thank you for your support.
GPS District Digest
Society for Science announced recently that Greenwich High School freshmen Mikah Kaalund, Tyler Malkin, Caroline Stowe, and Mackensey Wilson were included in the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s premier science, technology, engineering and math competition for middle school students. The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the future.
The Top 300 Junior Innovators were selected from nearly 2,000 students from 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands who applied to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC. Students who are named in the top 10% of their local science fair are eligible to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC, the only middle school STEM competition that leverages Society-affiliated science fairs as a critical component of the STEM talent pipeline. The Thermo Fisher JIC reaches 65,000 students annually through the Society’s Affiliated Fair network.
The following are the project titles that were submitted by four current GHS students while eighth graders last year :
- Mikah Kaalund (CMS): The Synergistic Improvement of Indoor Air HEPA-Filtration using Concurrent Dehumidification
- Tyler Malkin (CMS): Development of a Simple Salivary Rapid Diagnostic for the Detection of Iodine Deficiency
- Caroline Stowe (CMS): Low-Cost Water Filtration Device Via Phosphate and Nitrate Absorbency Pads In Combination With A Generic Paper Filter
- Mackensey Wilson (EMS): Shedding Light on the Prevalence of Harmful Butylated Hydroxytoluene Preservative in Artificially Formulated Dog Foods
On Wednesday, September 18, Society for Science will announce the 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists selected by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators. The finalists will be competing for the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award; Broadcom Coding with Commitment ® Award; $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award; $10,000 Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention, and $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement.
For more details, please see the Society for Science's full press release.
You first read about Greenwich High School senior Ashley Malkin in the GPS District Digest last year, issue No. 7. The list of her accomplishments were extensive and impressive. Here is the latest:
Ms. Malkin was awarded a Davidson Institute Fellow scholarship of $10,000 for completing a significant piece of work that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. Her work was honored in the Technology category named: “Identification of Therapeutics for Neurological Disorders through Development of a Novel Machine Learning System for Predicting Drug-Gene Interactions in the Glymphatic System.”
"I feel incredibly honored to have been selected as a Davidson Fellow, and I hope to inspire other young people to explore STEM," Ms. Malkin said. "I am looking forward to sharing my research with the other Fellows and learning about their work. Together, I hope we will serve as role models to encourage others to deeply engage in a project, pursue research, and make an impact in the world."
After piloting a support program for 15 profoundly gifted youth and their families in 1999, former educational software entrepreneurs, the Davidsons, formally founded the Davidson Institute for Talent Development a year later. The nonprofit operating foundation was created out of a concern that our nation’s most gifted and talented young people are largely neglected and underserved. The mission of the Davidson Institute is to recognize, nurture, and support profoundly intelligent young people and to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference.
For more details on Ms. Malkin's honor, head to the Davidson Institute website.
Back in December, you read about an incredible new communication board that was installed at Old Greenwich School's playground
Thanks to the Greenwich Alliance for Education and the PTAs, all 11 elementary school playgrounds now have this amazing tool that fosters inclusion, acceptance, and understanding for all students. The boards help students with limited verbal skills communicate with peers and adults and also aids ESL students with symbols that are universal.
North Street School's Ms. Ilene Rietsch, a 2024 Distinguished Teacher, handled all logistics with the production company and communicated with each school principal to get them installed. She is considered by many as a "true champion" for her extra work to make this project a reality.
We remind you to watch, or rewatch, this amazing video that explains how to model language on a communication board.
Forty-seven high-performing, underrepresented students from Greenwich High School were included in the 2024 College Board National Recognition Programs award academic honors. The five national recognition programs include the National African American Recognition Program, National First-Generation Recognition Program (beginning in 2024), National Hispanic Recognition Program, National Indigenous Recognition Program, and National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program.
Recipients are strong academic performers. The College Board tells us that students who take eligible administrations of the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams and meet the score requirements are considered for awards. Students must also identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American, first-generation, and/or attend high school in a rural area or small town. Many colleges intentionally recruit awardees, and school communities often celebrate students who receive these awards.
The 47 proud Cardinals recognized are:
Aidan Acevedo (African American, First Generation, Hispanic); Ilan Amaro (Hispanic); Catalina Arlia (Hispanic); Josefina Balaguer (Hispanic); Federica Balaguer (Hispanic); Lucas Carlson (Hispanic); Sara Castillo (Hispanic); Ryan Cheung (First Generation); Laura Colombo (Hispanic); Felix Cornejo (Hispanic); Taiga Dorrian (Indigenous); Michael Fratturo Sanchez (Hispanic); Joaquim Gastelu (Hispanic); Catalina Gomez (Hispanic); Benjamin Gonzalez Lobo (Hispanic); Diego Gutierrez (Hispanic); Steven Hartofilis (Hispanic); Yasmin Hassoun (First Generation); Clara Hillgruber Fernandes Pita (Hispanic); Mariana Huba (Hispanic); Hillary Huyhua (Hispanic, Indigenous); Stephen Iasillo (Hispanic); Lucas Imlah (Hispanic); Mia Lin (First Generation); Nicolas Lira (Hispanic); Alexa Loera (Hispanic); Isabel Martinez (First Generation, Hispanic); Kaes McGeary (African American, Indigenous); Alan Morocho (First Generation, Hispanic); Alexandra Mosakowski (First Generation); Martina Ortuno (Hispanic); Tomas Panizza (Hispanic); Ava Passamano (Hispanic); Petra Prepiak (Hispanic); Amber Rivera (First Generation, Hispanic); Guilherme Rizzo (Hispanic); Siera Rollins (African American, First Generation); Naomi Rosell (Hispanic); Emily Rosenbaum (Hispanic); Abigail Santa Cruz (Hispanic); Nicolas Sosa (Hispanic); Isabela Tejada (African American); Lilyana Vigilante (Hispanic); Noelle Wilkinson (First Generation); Huibo Xu (First Generation); Jenny Yang (First Generation); and Jeff Yang (First Generation).
Greenwich High School Social Studies teacher and 2019 Distinguished Teacher Award winner, Ms. Megan Ostruzka, was selected as a finalist for the Bill of Rights Institute’s prestigious National Civics Teacher of the Year Award.
The National Civics Teacher of the Year finalists were chosen after a nationwide search that encouraged educators, students, parents, and community members to nominate outstanding civics teachers for consideration. All nominees submitted essays highlighting the role of civics teachers in helping students live the ideals of a free and just society.
"Civic education offers students the opportunity to learn America’s founding principles, understand our nation’s story, and develop the skills they need for a lifetime of citizenship,” Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb said. “Civics teachers are essential to the future of our communities and our nation, and we are proud to help give them the recognition they deserve.”
This year’s finalists, representing 10 different states and every region of the country, have all earned a $1,000 prize. The National Civics Teacher of the Year Award, which comes with a $5,000 top prize, will be announced during the Bill of Rights Institute’s Constitution Day Live program on Tuesday, September 17.
The Bill of Rights Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that teaches civics and history through market-leading resources and programs. Through its National Civics Teacher of the Year Award, the Institute works to highlight the important work of America’s dedicated civics teachers.
When you opened up your July-August issue of Science & Children, did you see the smiling faces of Central Middle School's Ms. Jennifer Bresler (2021 Distinguished Teacher Award winner) and Ms. Samantha Franzese on page 1 with internationally-known leader in science education, Page Keeley?
After a team of GPS middle school teachers joined Ms. Keeley's National Science Teaching Association's session this past March at its National Conference, our teachers asked her if she would speak to their entire science group during professional development.
Late last month, Ms. Keeley supported formative assessment strategies with the GPS grades 6-12 science team. She worked with grade level groups, using the GPS curriculum guides to find places where teachers can be intentional about making thinking visible, tracking student changes in thinking, and promoting reflections of commonly held misconceptions.
Our main man, GHS senior Thomas "The Tank" McKinney, is back and he coming after your trash. He and our community partner, Greenwich Green & Clean, want you to join them.
You are invited to clean up Binney Park this Saturday, September 14 from 2:00-4:00 PM. Bring work gloves and wear long pants. Community service hours are offered for students.
For more information, please see Thomas' flyer. Don't mess around.
Greenwich High School recently celebrated a historic day with a ribbon cutting ceremony for its completed vestibule entryway.
Dignitaries from across Greenwich gathered to watch Principal Ralph Mayo and Building Committee Chair Steve Walko officially welcome students, staff, and families through the front door.
"I must commend the building committee for all of their hard work and the collaborative spirit that they brought to this project – their persistence and thinking out of the box mentality made this entryway a reality," Mr. Mayo said.
Twelve Greenwich High School seniors have been recognized as 2025 National Merit® Scholarship Program Semifinalists. These students will now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring.
The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships based on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) scores. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of all U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“These types of student accomplishments and achievements continue to make our entire community proud,” GHS Principal Ralph Mayo said. “We also applaud every Greenwich High School educator for inspiring our students to reach and exceed their goals in and out of the classroom.”
These students will be recognized by the Board of Education at an upcoming business meeting: Henry Cullen, Calvin Donat, Thomas Erensen, John Howes, YeonWoo Kook, Ashley Malkin, Luke Mendelsohn, Justin Qu, Naomi Rosell, Lauren Rutkoske, Austin Sciulla, and Michelle Weissler.
Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones recently announced the appointment of Mrs. Claribel Michilena as interim assistant principal at Julian Curtiss School, effective October 1. She will assist Principal Eduardo Calderón supporting the entire Julian Curtiss community, aiding in the development and achievement of school goals and objectives, while advocating on behalf of all students.
“Not only does Claribel Michilena have tremendous instructional expertise and almost two decades of experience in primary education as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and district administrator, but she is also a Greenwich Public School parent with strong emotional ties to our community,” Dr. Jones said. “Her dedication and passion for tackling challenges to help all children, especially those of unique backgrounds in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, is most impressive.”
For the past 17 years, Mrs. Michilena has been an educator in the region, most recently holding the position of district education administrator for the New York City Department of Education’s District 9 in the Bronx where she oversaw instructional programs, developed curriculum, and advocated for student needs, especially for English Language Learners, for grades PreK-8 across 49 schools. Prior to this role, Mrs. Michilena was a classroom teacher in the third and fifth grades and a literacy coach at P.S. 28, the Mount Hope Centennial School.
"Claribel Michilena brings to Julian Curtiss School a wealth of experience, passion, and unwavering dedication to student success,” Principal Calderón said. “Her commitment to fostering a supportive and enriching learning environment will undoubtedly enhance our entire community."
“As an experienced, goal-centered public school leader, my focus is on supporting high quality teaching and learning that impacts every student,” Mrs. Michilena said. “I am honored to accept this role as interim assistant principal at Julian Curtiss School. I look forward to partnering with Principal Calderón and collaborating with families to foster an environment of equity, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility. By leveraging effective systems, we will work together to create a supportive learning environment that educates the whole child and develops the future leaders of tomorrow.”
Mrs. Michilena holds a bachelor’s in Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a Master’s in Teaching Elementary Education from Lehman College, an Advanced Study: School Building Leader and School District Leader Certificate from the College of Saint Rose CITE.
We know that every loyal GPS District Digest reader loves the regular feature when we turn back the clock. In this issue, we travel back to the year 1915 when Mrs. Anna Simpson of Piermont, NH received this beautiful postcard from her grandchild in June.
Featured for the fifth time in the Digest, we bring you less than 1,000 feet from GPS' central office to the old Greenwich High School that was located at 27 Havemeyer Place, now known at the Town Hall Annex Apartments. Built in 1906, this building was the town's first publicly-funded high school and housed our most senior students until 1925.
At the time she received this card, Mrs. Simpson was 78 years old and apparently had regular written communications with her grandchild, known as A.B.S. ABS writes about a GHS annual alumni meeting at the Silleck House, a hotel that was demolished in 2017.
Did you know Anna, who was born on March 10, 1837 in Millington, Quebec right over the US border? Did you know her grandchild? Or maybe you have a great GPS artifact to share with us. Let us know!
Social media, when done responsibly, can be a great tool to share information. Here at GPS, we use social media to give you a behind the scenes look at what is happening in our buildings, celebrate staff and student achievement, and break news.
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