GPS District Digest (v5, i13)
Stories, news, and updates from Greenwich Public Schools
Triskaidekaphobia? Not here at the GPS District Digest. In fact, issue no. 13 is absolutely loaded with all good things Greenwich Public Schools.
Now, we know you have a busy day today completing those Distinguished Teachers Awards nomination forms that are due today. Today?? Gulp.
But give yourself a break. It is a great soup day in Fairfield County. Fight those chills, look forward to sunny spring days on the horizon, and dive into the only newsletter that can make your day like no other. Am I right? Or am I right?
Enjoy Issue No. 13 and thank you for your support.
GPS District Digest
In honor of Black History Month, "The Blues and Beyond" came to perform a music assembly at Old Greenwich School that took the students on a journey of music through the Civil Rights movement.
"The Blues and Beyond" explored a variety of music throughout the Civil Rights movement, beginning with the influence of freedom songs and moving through bebop, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul music. Students learned throughout the performance that they have the ability to use their voice to change the world.
This curriculum enrichment program was 100% PTA sponsored.
Congratulations to the 19 Greenwich High School seniors who were named Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This month, the NMS Committee will begin notifying scholarship winners with public announcements in April, May, June, and July.
The Cardinal Semifinalists include: Stella Boyd, Marcus Chung, Isaac Dcruz, Kate Friedman, Connor Hone, John Junius, Jackson Kim, Audrey Lin, Andrew Lowe, Maximillian Lu, Michael McClammy, Kyle Nadel, Amrutha Nandakumar, Aubrey Niederhoffer, Ryosei Tanakamaru, Shuya van Dooijeweert, Kenneth Wilber, Jacob Winston, and Evelyn Woo.
Mr. Peter Watson, head coach of girls Track and Field at GHS gave us a great update.
The GHS Girls Indoor Track and Field Team recently competed at the Council of New England Principals' Association New England Indoor Track and Field Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, MA with 280 other teams from New England.
All six Greenwich athletes who competed, earned All-New England honors by placing in the top 6 in their event:
- Esme Daplyn - 4x800, 600, 4x400
- Kate Friedman - 4x800, 4x400
- Lauren Resnick - 4x800
- Eliana Daplyn - 4x800
- Gemma Hardwick - 4x400
- Margaret McCooe - 4x400
Full meet results can be found online.
A film by GHS juniors Pearl Lee and Anna Marie Stempien entitled, "The Telephone: A New Age of Communications," took first place at the CT History Day's Fairfield County Regional Contest at Sacred Heart University recently.
Connecticut History Day is an affiliate program of National History Day. CHD annually engages over 4,000 middle and high school students in historical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning. They say the program seeks to bring students, teachers, museums, and scholars together to support young people as they engage in history.
The contest rules state that a documentary is an audio/visual presentation that uses multiple source types such as images, video, and sound to communicate historical argument, research, and interpretation of a topic's significance in history.
With this impressive victory, our two Cardinals now head to the 2024 National Contest from June 9–13, 2024 at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Until then, pick up your phone, head to YouTube, and learn about the historical significance of your phone.
Special to the Digest
Like nearly all other sports, chess has its share of fierce rivalries. What is perhaps less known is that the Greenwich High School Chess Team competes in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Chess League (FCICL), the chess equivalent to FCIAC for athletics, with the added twist of facing top private schools from around the region.
Whispers abound that the GHS Chess Team is embroiled in a bitter rivalry with arch-rival Brunswick. All tensions came to a head with both undefeated (10-0) teams facing off in the final match of the season.
And so it was: After 20 fiercely contested matches, GHS defeated Brunswick, 11.5-8.5, to become the 2024 FCICL Champions for the second year in a row.
Up next? The State Championship.
Despite letting their 3-point lead slip to just a ½-point by the end of the final round, GHS once again edged out Brunswick, becoming the 2024 CT State Chess Champions (also for the second year in a row).
This year's FCICL Champion title was determined based on each school's final season record. GHS was the only undefeated team at 11-0, so was declared the FCICL Champion.
The GHS Chess Team looks forward to defending both the FCICL and state titles again next year, aiming for a ‘hat trick’ across the board.
The Research Department was thrilled to see this wonderful Greenwich High School postcard come through the doors recently. Loyal Digest readers already know that this building on Field Point Road was formerly GHS from 1928 through 1970 before being transformed into the current Town Hall.
But after deciphering the contents of the communications to Miss Martha Saunders in Newport, RI on May 3, 1938 from an unidentifiable person in Greenwich, we have questions. Did they write smaller in 1938 than they do now? Did people have magnifying glasses close by when they read their mail? Check out what this person wrote for yourself. It is challenging.
Anywho...
Martha lived at 15 Thames Street until the day she died on January 25, 1942 at the age of 75, less than four years after receiving this postcard. The author wrote all about her time in Greenwich, including visiting the Pickwick Arms Hotel on top of Greenwich Avenue for lunch. The person also heard the "Bishop of Siberia" speak.
If you are interested, you can stay at Martha's old home, now a lovely guest house located steps from Newport’s downtown and waterfront/harbor areas and just a block away from the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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