VIVA FRIDA by Yuyi Morales
In honor of the National Hispanic Heritage Month, Julian Curtiss students are celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America through literature, art and media creations.
Our school’s Book of the Month for October is Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales, an award-winning picture book illuminating different stages of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s life and how her experiences influenced her to become a world-renowned artist. Our students are not only immersing themselves into the bilingual (English-Spanish) words describing Frida’s inspirations, but also, peeking into the behind-the-scenes process of how Morales, a Mexican-American author & illustrator, brings magic into the illustrations.
Next week, we will look closer to the way animals- two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a black cat and a fawn- played a role in influencing Frida through reading aloud Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by acclaimed author Monica Brown and illustrator John Parra, best known for award-winning children’s picture books depicting his own Latino heritage.
In the next few weeks, our students will read Miró’s Magic Animals by Antony Penrose, a story highlighting Spanish surrealist painter and sculptor Joan Miró’s everyday farm objects and animals. They will have the opportunity to deep-dive into his paintings in Media classes and play “Roll a Miró Game” in Art classes, both experiences emphasizing the fundamental concepts of shape and color within the context of depicting animals. In Art, they will also revisit the role of animals in Frida Kahlo’s life.
As a wonderful culmination of our celebration, all Julian Curtiss students will create their own animal representations reflecting their heritage and ancestry in honor of United Nations Day on October 24. This meaningful project aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #15: Life on Land, encouraging our students to think about their connection to the world around them.
A huge thank you to Ms. Murray and Ms. Dietrick for their collaboration.
Greenwich will give all Grade 2 students the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in October before ALP Enrichment placement. Because these abilities are closely related to an individual’s success in school in virtually all subjects, data gathered from the CogAT is included as one aspect of the multiple measures that help the staff make decisions regarding students’ instructional needs.
The assessment will be given between October 14 and November 1. Scores will be made available to parents on or before November 8. More information regarding the CoGAT Assessment is available at https://riversideinsights.com/cognitive_abilities_test.
Friendly Reminder:
For the safety and comfort of all our students, we kindly ask that families refrain from bringing dogs onto school grounds (including our blacktop/playground area). We love our furry friends, but keeping our grounds pet-free helps ensure a safe environment for everyone. Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation!
School Dismissal Manager 🚌
School Dismissal Manager is used at Julian Curtiss School to ensure the safe dismissal of your child each day. For your child’s safety, the classroom teacher and office staff will abide by the dismissal instructions that you have listed in SDM so this is a mandatory procedure. (SDM will not be used for absences or early dismissal notifications). Please be sure to sign up for the app and reach out to the main office if you need support.
