GPS District Digest (v5, i17)
Stories, news, and updates from Greenwich Public Schools
Later this afternoon at 4:30 PM, everyone in the GPS District Digest newsroom is headed to Central Middle School to attend the Distinguished Teachers Awards ceremony. It is an amazing Greenwich tradition, celebrating six educators who inspire enthusiasm for learning and academic excellence. Make sure you come and say hello to us, whether it is before the ceremony starts or in the foyer during the post-ceremony reception, home of the world famous deviled eggs. We love to get feedback from all of our loyal readers.
But in the meantime, enjoy the latest issue of the Digest. It is loaded with all good things GPS, especially this amazing photo sent in from Hamilton Avenue School where Greenwich Police Department Officer Rosario jumped in with first-grade Suzuki students, demonstrating that she, too, knew how to play the violin.
Enjoy Issue No. 17 and thank you for your support.
GPS District Digest
Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones recently announced that Mr. James Antonucci has been appointed PreK-12 arts program coordinator, effective July 1. Since 2011, Mr. Antonucci has been with West Hartford Public Schools as the director of bands for Hall High School and Sedgwick Middle School as well as an instrumental music teacher at Aiken and Bugbee Elementary Schools and Charter Oak International Academy.
At GPS, Mr. Antonucci will be responsible for overseeing and ensuring the highest quality for one of the region’s and country’s top visual and performing arts programs. His leadership will continue to bolster the coordination across all 15 GPS schools, with uniform and equitable implementation to align with district improvement goals. He will be responsible for overseeing the visual, music, and theater arts programs for the district and will report directly to Chief Officer of K-12 Curriculum and Leadership Mr. Marc D’Amico.
Currently, Mr. Antonucci serves as a Connecticut State Department of Education’s Alternative Routes to Certification Music Methods instructor across the state and regional candidate evaluator across all disciplines for music educators.
“James Antonucci is a dedicated educator and leader and is driven to serve all students to enable them to reach and expand their potential,” Dr. Jones said. “Not only did his tremendous experience in the classroom and in leadership roles impress the district’s interview committee, but his accomplishments as a professional musician will serve as a great asset to our program. Greenwich Public Schools continues to attract the very best educators and administrators from our region. The Greenwich community cares very deeply about the Arts, and with Mr. Antonucci in place, the program will be in great hands.”
For more about Mr. Antonucci, be sure to read the district's press release.
Recently, Parkway School celebrated Autism Awareness Day by informing, educating, and raising awareness of autism.
Teachers read books about autism that included: A Friend Like Simon, The Girl Who Thought In Pictures, My Friend Jake Has Autism, Andy And His Yellow Frisbee, and The Beach Is Loud. Some videos were also shown, including Amazing Things Happen and Sesame Street: Meet Julia.
As a school community, they helped to promote awareness by wearing T-shirts donated by Magnify Autism, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting awareness for the autism community that was started by Parkway parents, Johanna and Ali Mamudoski.
In addition to the T-Shirts, Magnify Autism sponsored an ice cream truck so that all students and staff could enjoy a tasty treat.
The administration and staff of Greenwich High School has announced that ESPN senior writer, Zach Lowe, will be the 2024 Commencement Speaker. Mr. Lowe is a proud GHS alum, Class of 1995. GHS Commencement is scheduled for 5:00 PM on Tuesday, June 18 at Cardinal Stadium.
“Zach Lowe is an accomplished journalist of national prominence, and to have him back at Greenwich High School to address the Class of 2024 will be exciting for our students and staff, especially those who taught him in our classrooms.” GHS Principal Ralph Mayo said. “Zach is a member of a proud Greenwich family, rich in educational tradition and service to our community.”
Mr. Lowe has served as a journalist for ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, since 2012, covering the National Basketball Association. He regularly appears on national broadcasts as an NBA insider and senior writer and hosts The Lowe Post podcast. Before moving on to ESPN, Mr. Lowe covered the NBA for Sports Illustrated. Prior to his career in sports journalism, he covered the criminal justice system for the Stamford Advocate and American Lawyer magazine.
"This is a full circle moment for me,” Mr. Lowe said. “In good ways and bad ways, Greenwich High School was not an easy place for me as a teenager. It was huge. It could be scary. It challenged me. But I learned a lot about myself - who I was, what I liked, who I maybe wanted to be.
“I had great teachers who encouraged me to pursue my interests, read the news, and engage with the world,” Mr. Lowe added. “More than that, I am proud to be representing my parents, Joan and Terry, who devoted their personal and professional lives to GHS. My mother was a guidance counselor and then a social worker. My father was a math teacher and both the swimming and water polo coach. They both were GPS’ 1990 Distinguished Teacher Award winners and helped so many students along the way. This is really for them."
Following his four years at Greenwich HS, Mr. Lowe earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Dartmouth College and a Master of Arts in U.S. History from the College of William & Mary. He was studying for his Ph.D. before shifting into journalism, and earning an M.S. in the field from Columbia University. Mr. Lowe resides in his hometown of Greenwich with his wife, who are proud parents of a GPS student.
Sources close to the GPS District Digest alerted us that nearly 20 professionals across various industries from the greater Greenwich community shared stories and insights about their careers with Central Middle School sixth and seventh graders recently at the school's inaugural "Career Day."
Guest mentors, all parents of current CMS students, represented many career options, ranging from physicians and attorneys to fashion/interior designers and civil service.
The one presenter that stood out, and the one that sparked the biggest reaction from students, was gastroenterologist, Dr. Anthony Starpoli, who shared a video of what an endoscopy looks like.
Now, that's the inside stuff!
Congratulations goes out to Greenwich HS sophomore Lula Wang for recently earning an "Outstanding Distinction" degree in the National Speech & Debate Association’s Honor Society (also known as the National Forensic League).
The NSDA's Honor Society recognizes middle school and high school students and coaches for participation in speech and debate activities. Students earn merit points for participation in one of the oldest and most respected honor societies known to college admissions offices.
Members earn recognition through points and degrees in the NSDA Honor Society. Each new degree represents hours of learning, practice, and improvement by students thanks to dedicated coaching.
'Cause I'm On Top Of The World
Six Greenwich High School juniors were recently honored by the by the National Council of Teachers of English in its annual NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing, a school-based writing program established in 1957 to encourage high school students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation.
The following are the six Cardinals recognized, including their specific distinction.
- Cecilia Cho, First Class
- Chloe Henske, First Class
- YeonWoo Kook, First Class
- Francesca Lotufo, Excellent
- Naomi Rosell, Merit
- Ellis Trahan, First Class
National judges evaluated each piece of writing for expression of ideas, language use, and unique perspective and voice. The Achievement Awards in Writing contest has four designations: First Class, Superior, Excellent, and Merit.
This year, schools nominated 633 students. From the United States, students were nominated from 44 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C. Internationally, teachers nominated students from
Canada, Greece, Jordan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Two to three independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style.
Greenwich High School's esports program recently cracked the season's final regular season "Super 25" by USA Today, recognized as the 15th best in the nation, and the only team from the Nutmeg State on the PlayVS platform.
PlayVS is the tournament platform that many states, including the State of Connecticut, have partnered with to run the CIAC tournaments as well as recognized regional tournaments. To determine the "Super 25," PlayVS only considers schools that participate in at least five different games and then eligible schools are ranked by the average match-win percentage of their top-performing team within each esports title.
There were more than 40 GHS students this year who attended a club meeting during flex block and more than 30 students that were enrolled and playing on a team this year. This spring season, they had a total of seven teams, across five different games, with five of those teams making it to playoffs.
This program has given participants a sense of community and belonging, allowing them to make connections and relationships outside of the classroom that some otherwise might not be making.
Members of Greenwich High School’s Rowan Center Student Advisory Board, in partnership with The Rowan Center and Greenwich Library, have organized a panel on college safety designed for current high school juniors and seniors and their families. “Learn Before You Leave” will take place on Thursday, May 30, from 7:00-8:00 PM, at the Greenwich Library Marx Family Black Box Theater. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
Organized by Greenwich High School junior Ava Jackson, freshman Nora Stern, and senior Leah Woodward, “Learn Before You Leave” panelists will lead a candid discussion about preventing violence and staying safe on college campuses. Experts will present current data and real-world advice for both students and parents regarding college life and personal safety. The session will help facilitate open dialogue at home and among friends before students leave for college, and during their time away.
The panel will feature experts from Kids in Crisis, The Rowan Center, Fordham EMS, and the UCONN Police. Ellen Brezovsky, LCSW, is Director of Outreach & Community Initiatives, Kids In Crisis. Sarah Malhotra is Director of Education and Training, The Rowan Center. Colleen Sherry is Chief of Medical Operations, Fordham EMS. Magdalena Silver, PhD, is Deputy Chief of Police, UCONN Police.
“College can be daunting, especially when you do not know what to expect," Ava Jackson said. "We anticipate that this panel will have a lasting impact on high school students in our community, and that it will allow for open discussion among students, parents, first responders, and educators. We are so grateful for the amazing experts donating their time to participate. We hope it is the first of an annual event.”
“My peers and I wanted to facilitate a conversation about the risk of living in a new environment as young adults," Nora Stern said. "Issues like partner abuse, unsafe drinking, and mental health are often aggravated by living on campus and away from parents. But awareness and open dialogue can help reduce the risks.”
“As a rising college freshman, this work is important to me," Leah Woodward said. "I have plenty of questions and uncertainties about the next four years, and imagine my peers do as well. It is important to create a space to facilitate discussion about these topics so we can all be thoughtful and intentional members of our college communities. Hope to see many fellow students there.”
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