Celebrations at Julian Curtiss
December 2, 2022
JULIAN CURTISS STEAM WITH FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS
Dear Julian Curtiss Parents and Guardians,
We received amazing coverage from Monday's event at Julian Curtiss School for fourth and fifth graders, including a News12 segment and both online and front page coverage in the Greenwich Time.
Greenwich Time
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Greenwich-students-see-Spot-run-and-dance-17616111.php
News12 Connecticut 2022-11-28.mov
Thank you to Miles Spencer, dad of Grayson 5F and Chloe 4O for arranging this spectacular display of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). Thank you to Jacqueline Fleming, mom of Asher Fleming in 1H, for scheduling the coverage with News 12 and the Greenwich Time. Ms. Fleming also created the press release below.
Robots Come to Greenwich: Connecticut School Hosts Award-Winning Futurist to Showcase Art and Machines
Agnieszka Pilat, Whose Work Bridges the Gap Between Technology and Real-life, Will Appear at Julian Curtiss School on November 28
GREENWICH, Connecticut – Julian Curtiss School of World Language is pleased to welcome acclaimed artist Agnieszka Pilat as a guest presenter to help students understand the central role of the human experience in technology.
Dubbed “Silicon Valley’s favorite artist” by New York Magazine, Pilat is a futurist who links technology and art. The Polish-born artist is widely known for teaching a robot dog named Spot, made by Boston Dynamics, to paint self-portraits and still-lifes. Her presentation will include a hands-on demonstration of art, STEAM and robotics during the school’s 4th and 5th grade assembly on November 28, 2022 at 1:00pm EST.
“Machines are humanity’s children,” says Pilat, who explains that her work is meant to evoke the power that technology commands in human society today. An advocate for early arts education, Pilat hopes her rare presentation to elementary students at Julian Curtiss School will inspire them to look at technology in new ways, not as something to fear but as tools to create a better world.
“Pilat’s work is a natural extension of our STEAM-focused strategies to integrate technology into the classroom and prepare our students for an ever-evolving world,” said Principal Trish McGuire. “Art is a fun way to engage our students, plus it awakens their creativity, stimulates their curiosity, and shows that technology is meant to enable us, not replace us.”
The visit was made possible and funded by a generous Julian Curtiss parent and the Julian Curtiss Parent Teachers Association (JCPTA) and is part of a return to in-person programming following Covid-related limitations. Pilat is just one of the performing artists and authors the Central Greenwich Title I school will host in the 2022-23 school year. JCPTA has a fundraising goal to continue to offer curriculum enrichment and field trips to bring students opportunities for hands-on learning that complement the innovative magnet school approach to personalized elementary education.
To learn more, visit: https://www.pilatart.com/.
About Julian Curtiss School
Julian Curtiss School (JCS) offers world language instruction in grades K-5 in either Spanish or French and has been described as “the little United Nations Schools of Greenwich” in the New York Times. The student body and staff represent nearly 60 different countries and 30 different languages. This diversity is recognized and celebrated as a source of strength and a reflection of the world. Building on the strength of this international foundation, JCS provides a rigorous academic curriculum and a strong social-emotional learning framework in a personalized learning environment.
About Agniezka Pilat
Pilat is a painter, and machines are her subject. She arranges machinery in formal compositions, appropriating traditions ranging from religious iconography to royal portraiture to evoke the power that technology commands in human society today. Like religious icons and royal portrayals of noble ancestry, her paintings conceptually trace the lineage of 21st-century robotics and artificial intelligence back to the steam-powered mechanisms of the Industrial Revolution and the electrification of factories and cities.
Our fourth and fifth grade students were quite intrigued with Agnieska Pilat and her robot Spot! Another wonderful opportunity provided by our JC PTA!
Sincerely,
Trish McGuire
CONGRATULATIONS TO JULIAN CURTISS!
Hi Friends,
WOW, you did it! Turkey Trot 2022 was an incredible success with nearly 1500 registered runners raising $60K.
We had 1041 registrations linked to the schools. Congratulations to our two School Competition winners - Julian Curtiss with the highest participation as a percentage of total enrollment and North Mianus for rallying 173 runners. Thanks to Coldwell Banker - Old Greenwich for sponsoring the School Competition. Julian Curtiss will receive a check for $500 for gym equipment and Mr. O'Brien will be purchasing an Archery kit for our students!
New this year, the First Selectman's Youth Commission joined us to volunteer, promote, and run the race.
A special shout-out to the Turkey Trot Team led by Madelyn Jolliffe and Leila Horn, Tom the Turkey for your SPIRIT, Fred Camillo for starting the 1 Mile race, Cadillac of Greenwich and 400 Capital our $5000 sponsors, Greenwich Police and GEMS for keeping the runners safe, Arch Street for providing the venue and to all the volunteers who cheered on runners, passed out water, and more.
Looking for more post Turkey Trot info including 5K results, visit the Greenwich Alliance website.
Supporting your children at home!
FROM MR. HARTIGAN'S OFFICE
Ms. Szanto's Preschool classroom
Boys and Girls Club Registration opens soon for Winter Session!
DO YOU HAVE A PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE SCHEDULED?
Parent Teacher Report Card Conferences
December Conference time is quickly approaching. Monday, December 5 and Tuesday, December 6 are Early Release Days for conferences and Wednesday, December 7 is for evening conferences. Please be sure you have signed up for a conference.
In order for our parents to be partners in learning and get the most out of the conference, you should think about a few things prior to the conference.
The purpose of the report card conference is to help parents understand their child's performance during the first marking period as it relates to the district curricula and the CT State Standards. The teacher will share the grades and evidence of how those grades were determined. They will share areas of great success as well as what some next steps may be for continued growth. As a reminder, the teachers are always available to schedule an additional call, conversation, meeting etc to answer any specific questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to reach out at any time.
Please note your child's teacher will share the first marking period report card with you at the conference.
We look forward to seeing you next week!
MATH INFORMATION FOR PARENTS!
New! Helpful Tutorials for K-8 Math!
K-8 Math Coordinator Mike Reid is excited to announce the addition of aligned video and IXL support for you to utilize at home with your child on the K-8 curriculum web page for mathematics! The videos provide examples of what and how concepts are taught in each lesson. The IXL practice is a wonderful way to reinforce skills. These resources can be found in the "K-8 Curriculum, By Grade Level" tab under "Teaching & Learning."
Some Great Resources for December
The December Action for Happiness calendar is all about doing good for others. I've also shared the December reading challenge from Read Brightly - Walking in a Bookish Wonderland. Finally we have the Greg Tang Math New Year's Challenge. Click the link to download the math challenge for every grade level.
Upcoming Dates:
December
5, 6 - Early Release Days - Elementary Conferences
7- Elementary Conference Evening - 6:00 -8:00
12- JC Winter Concert - 6 pm
23- Early Release Day - 12:45 pm
26-30 Holiday Recess- Schools Closed
January
2 - New Year's Day observed - Schools Closed
3 - School resumes
16 - Martin Luther King Day - Schools Closed
Principal Trish McGuire and Assistant Principal Matthew Hartigan
Email: Trish_McGuire@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://jcs.greenwichschools.org/
Location: 180 East Elm Street, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: 203-869-1896