From the Principal's Pen

January 8, 2021

Welcome Back!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for your support during our first full week of remote learning as an entire school in this 2020-2021 school year. Mrs. Brush and I visited several of the remote classrooms this week and we are proud to announce that both the students and the teachers were successful at managing the remote learning experience. Both the structure and the experience has improved greatly since the spring. Congratulations to all!

We are so grateful that our students will be returning to in-person learning on Monday, January 11th. We have missed having our students with us in person and can’t wait to see their smiling faces, even if it is under their masks.

All of our safety protocols and measures will remain in place as we return to in-person learning including wearing masks, frequent hand washing, social distancing, and cohorting of classrooms. We will do our best to continue to keep our students and staff healthy so we are all able to remain in school for in-person learning. Please continue to monitor your child's health at home, use the COVID checklist (linked here), and keep them home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness. If families have traveled to a state requiring quarantine please remember that the GPS requirement is 14 days of quarantine or a negative COVID test.

The Greenwich Public Schools did an incredible job the first 70 days of school due to the diligence and commitment of our entire learning community including parents, students, and staff. Thank you for your continued partnership! Let's continue to be vigilant so we can attend school for the remainder of the school year.

Happy New Year!

Together for Safety and Learning,

Mrs. McGuire and Mrs. Brush

Talking to Children About Violence

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has provided some very helpful information about talking to your children about high profile acts of violence such as the recent events that occurred in our nation's capitol. Below are some talking points to reference with your children, along with a link to additional resources.

Schools are safe places. School staff works with parents and public safety providers (local police and fire departments, emergency responders, hospitals, etc.) to keep you safe. We all play a role in school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous, or frightened.

There is a difference between reporting, tattling, or gossiping. You can provide important information that may prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear.

Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect you (our school community).

Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things that you enjoy, sticking to your normal routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the event.

Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers, doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Stay away from guns and other weapons. Tell an adult if you know someone has a gun. Access to guns is one of the leading risk factors for deadly violence.

Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be part of the positive solution by participating in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict mediation skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or a peer is struggling with anger, depression, or other emotions they cannot control.

NASP has additional information for parents and educators on school safety, violence prevention, children’s trauma reactions, and crisis response at www.nasponline.org.

Monday, January 18th - No School

School will be closed on Monday, January 18th in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Magnet School Applications

Magnet School applications must be received online or be postmarked by Friday, February 5th. Placement decisions will come at the end of February.

Julian Curtiss Magnet Virtual Open House dates are:

January 14th at 6:30 PM

meet.google.com/xko-drmh-ajg

Join by phone

‪(US) +1 316-536-0728‬ PIN: ‪398 640 883‬#

January 19th at 9:15 AM

meet.google.com/qij-fkac-nwe

Join by phone

‪(US) +1 216-839-9986‬ PIN: ‪148 765 243‬#

To access additional information and applications go to:

https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/magnet-schools

Middle School Advanced Studies Meetings - POSTPONED

To the parents of current fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students:

Please be advised that the virtual Middle School Advanced Studies Parent Meeting, scheduled for Monday, January 11th at 9:00am and 6:00pm, has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. We will alert you as soon as possible when a future date and time have been determined.

This meeting will help parents learn about Middle School advanced course options in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and World Language.

Thank you.