From the Principal's Pen
June 18, 2021
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL | TUESDAY, JUNE 22ND
EARLY RELEASE AT 12:45
Congratulations 5th Graders!
We had a beautiful day to celebrate the completion of our fifth graders' learning journeys here at Julian Curtiss today! Although we weren't able to share this beautiful tradition with the entire community this year, I wanted to share the message to our students and families from today's ceremony. It is our hope that we can return to our typical celebration next year, but this one was special for sure!
We were also fortunate to celebrate two JC alumni who received scholarships from the PTA for their outstanding achievements at GHS. Kyle Lagano is headed to Cornell University in the fall. We are especially proud that the GHS Valedictorian, Iris Shi, is also a graduate of Julian Curtiss. She will be attending MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Principal's Message
Dear Parents, Teachers, Students, and Guests,
Welcome to the 2021 Ringing Out Ceremony of our very special Fifth grade students. I can’t express how thankful I am to lead this live, in-person ceremony today! We have come to the end of an epic school year with full hearts and gratitude for the continued dedication of everyone who provided for our children during one of the most turbulent times in our history.
In the spring of 2020, schools across the globe closed their doors to decrease the spread of the viral outbreak during the COVID -19 pandemic. This physical closure led to a rapid shift to remote learning which placed more responsibility for learning on parents and guardians. We thank you for your partnership that allowed our students to continue on their learning journey even under such challenging circumstances.
Our students have learned lessons that were not specifically planned for by parents or teachers. This particular group of students pivoted to remote learning overnight on March 11, 2020, and worked virtually for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The beginning of the 2020-2021 school year was a bumpy road as we headed into the unknown of whether we would be able to return to school in person or not. We have students who have attended school in person for either part or all of this year, as well as students whose families chose to have them learn remotely. We succeeded at being in school most of the school year with our fifth grade students quarantined at least four if not five times this school year.
No matter where these students were learning they all demonstrated grit. As stated by an article written in Applied Psychology, “Increasingly, psychologists are finding that the one characteristic that is emerging as a significant predictor of success is not social intelligence, or good looks, or physical health, or IQ. It’s grit. It’s been said that grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals,” says American psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, who currently spearheads some important studies into the role grit plays in success. “Grit is having stamina,” she continues. “Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality.”
Duckworth lists 5 common characteristics to determine grit and I would like to highlight the three this particular group has demonstrated. They demonstrated courage in the form of taking chances and doing the right thing even though easier options existed. These students had to keep their cameras on, work independently and follow strict schedules, sometimes having the responsibility of checking on themselves. Our fifth graders demonstrated perseverance in working through learning and troubleshooting new technology tools, making quick changes between in-person and remote learning, and most of all, facing the unknown. On many occasions, these students found solutions the teachers could not find. Most of all we have seen resilience. Resilience means you recover quickly from difficulties. It means toughness! So fifth graders, along with all of your successes at JC please bring with you the grit that helped you succeed. You are tough and you are strong. You will always be an Eagle and you will always be JC Strong! We are here to applaud those successes.
We should all be proud of what we accomplished this year! Families, Students, and Educators you have worked hard. I hope you have an opportunity to put aside time in your summer for family, relaxing, and reading.
We wish this GHS graduating class of 2028 the best in their next steps in life!
5th Grade Student Message - from Francesca Pecora and Gracie Scharff
Francesca:
We have both been at JC for the past 6 years. We have had such an amazing and fun time at this school. Here at JC, we have built beautiful friendships and great relationships with our teachers. We have learned many things at JC and can’t wait to continue our journey into middle school. We have gone from building blocks to writing essays. The many memories we have made here will stick with us forever.
Gracie:
This past year and ½ has been tough, but that doesn’t mean there were no positives. Sure, at recess we had to wear masks, but we could still see our friends. And ya, maybe we had to stay distant at lunch, but we still got a break from learning! Even though we had to have masks on most of the day, we still were able to work and have snack time in the fresh air. We got to try new things, like class outside, lunch in the gym, art, and music in the classroom, and all those things were a great experience. The pandemic was tough, but not tougher than the 5th graders here at JC.
Francesca:
We weren’t able to do things like normal years, but all the staff at JC have worked hard to make it the best year it can be. Thanks to them we can now have our graduation(gesture with hand) and our 5th grade party. On behalf of the fifth graders, we would like to thank the PTA for their support and for raising money for our special programs and field trips. We would also like to thank the parents for supporting our school throughout the years. All the love and support here at JC makes it a great school.
Both:
Thank you to everyone for making our journey through JC extra special.
Gracie:
After this year, many of us will go our separate ways. That doesn’t mean friendships will break or we’ll lose touch. It just means we’ll be more independent. The teachers here have worked very hard every year so that we feel confident when going into middle school. It’s important to remember that we can’t be perfect, but we can do our best.
Both:
So, when we all go into middle school, be your best self!
CELEBRATION TIME!
Seamless Summer Learning
summer!
Especially for 5th graders moving on to middle school:
Below you will find two options to practice your math skills this summer - a downloadable packet (with answer key to check answers), and a list of the IXL skills that your child should review. Your child can choose either option as their preferred math practice (or both!). These are skills your child has previously learned and are important for their success in the upcoming school year. If your child is confused on a particular topic, instructional videos can be found on the following websites: Khan Academy, Math Playground. Students Entering Math 6 Students Entering Math 6A Students Entering Pre-Algebra 6 A continuación, encontrará dos opciones para practicar las matemáticas este verano. Puede descargar el paquete que incluye las preguntas y la hoja de respuestas y una lista de las habilidades IXL que su hijo debería repasar. Su hijo puede elegir cualquiera de las dos opciones para practicar las matemáticas o las dos opciones. Estos conceptos ya los ha aprendido su hijo y son los más importantes para que pueda seguir avanzando en las matemáticas el próximo año escolar. Si su hijo está confuso en algún tema en particular, podrá consultar videos educativos en las siguientes páginas de Web: Khan Academy, Math Playground y You Tube. Estudiantes que van a tomar Matemáticas 6 (Math 6) Estudiantes que van a tomar Matemáticas 6A (Math 6A) Estudiantes que van a tomar Pre-Álgebra
Please follow Mrs. McGuire and Mrs. Brush on Twitter
@JCSPrincipal and @JCSEaglesAP
Mrs. Trish McGuire - Principal
Email: trish_mcguire@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: www.greenwichschools.org/jcs
Location: 180 East Elm Street, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 869-1896
Twitter: @jcsprincipal