NEW LEBANON SCHOOL
Weekly Updates
¿Necesita leer nuestro boletín en español?
Dear Bobcat Families,
The news of another senseless tragedy is so difficult for parents, educators and any decent human to process. These continuous acts of violence lay heavy on our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are truly with the families of Texas.
At school this week we focused on our positive school community, taking time to be grateful, and providing extra hugs where needed.
Please know that we respect the wishes of all parents and do not tackle this subject as an entire class or school at the elementary level. We do not avoid the subject, but rather try to be aware that some children are exposed to the news and some are not exposed. We do offer an outlet for any student who wishes to speak to administration, teachers, or mental health staff if they need someone to talk to. Any student that needs to express their feelings regarding this matter will be provided with the time.
As a full school we focus on our “Be Safe” norm and everything we do each day to practice being safe. We provide simple examples of school safety like reminding children about exterior doors being locked, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day. In fact, we had a scheduled lockdown drill on Tuesday - these are required drills each year to practice what we would do in the case of an any unsafe situation. We want students to feel safe, prepared, and cared for. If you have questions about these drills or want more information, please reach out to Mrs. Michaelson at any time.
In an effort to support our teachers, staff, and parents please see below for resources you may utilize:
Addressing School Shooting in Texas_Guidelines for Educators
Addressing School Shooting in Texas_Guidelines for Parents
https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-after-a-traumatic-event/
https://childmind.org/es/guia/recursos-en-multiple-idiomas-sobre-el-trauma/
If you have questions or additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Lindsey or Alley or one of our dedicated mental health staff members and ask for help. Take time to hug your family and be grateful for all that we have. “A loving heart is a magical magnet for magnificence.”― Debasish Mridha
Lastly, In an effort to help families navigate these difficult times caused by the tragedy in Texas, Greenwich Public Schools put together a Parent Chat.
Below is the information:
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
11:30pm-12:30pm
Meetings Link:
meet.google.com/tyr-sxcb-xci
We also posted this information on our website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/social-emotional-learning-events
Our friends at Kids in Crisis want to remind you that they offer tremendous resources, including a 24-hour helpline staffed by trained counselors (203-661-1911), and the Greenwich Together website has even more resources.
With Deep Gratitude,
Alley Michaelson, Principal
Lindsey Eisenstein, Assistant Principal
Kaitlin Cyr, School Psychologist
Sandra Corrente, School Social Worker
Upcoming Parent Survey - we need your help!
On Wednesday, all families will be emailed an invitation to voluntarily fill out the annual Greenwich Public Schools Family Survey, with a deadline of Friday, June 17. We encourage participation from all families because we value your confidential feedback. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and you can skip questions if you don’t have enough information to answer them.
Be on the lookout for an email with the subject line “Greenwich Public Schools Family Survey” from Dr. Toni Jones via k12insightllc.com.
Students in grades 3-12 will also be given a brief 14-question, confidential, in-school survey regarding their school experience. The survey prompts students to reflect on their individual profiles as learners as well as their general experience at their school. Through these questions, we hope to gain a better understanding of our district and individual school culture and progress on academic and social emotional learning goals. But, if you DO NOT wish your child/ren to participate in the student surveys, please complete the online form (English) (Spanish) no later than Wednesday, June 1.
SEAC’s Executive Functions and Working Memory Workshop
The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) and Office of Special Education and Student Supports held Part 1 of a workshop on Monday, May 23, that featured Dr. Lydia Soifer, who discussed executive functions and working memory. You can review the presentation and watch the video recording. Part 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, from 7:00-8:30 PM, at Greenwich High School Student Center. For further details contact: greenwichseac@gmail.com.
Child Tax Payments
We have been asked to pass along the following information that you may find useful. Applications for the Child Tax Payments that were included as part of a historic $600 million in tax cuts in the 2022 state budget will open June 1. Any Connecticut resident who claimed at least one dependent child under the age of 18 on their 2021 federal income tax return may be eligible to receive a maximum payment of $250 per child (for up to three children). Anyone who is interested in seeking a payment must apply to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services with applications closing on July 31, 2022. For more information, go to the State of Connecticut’s website.
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, May 30th: NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
Friday, June 10th (New Leb Bus Loop, rain plan in gym) - IB Exhibition
Monday, June 13th: Grades 2-4 ALP Letters Sent Out
Wednesday, June 15th, 12pm (noon): Kindergarten Graduation in the New Leb gym
Friday, June 17th (Rain Date Tuesday, June 21st) - Field Day
Wednesday, June 22nd, 9am (Rain Date Thursday, June 23rd at 11am) - 5th Grade Graduation
Friday, June 24th: Last Day of School, Early Release Day
thank you to our pta and volunteers for making the spaghetti dinner incredible and in person!
thank you to the byram park cleanup volunteers!
A big thank you to our terrific Friends of Byram Park and Greenwich Green & Clean volunteers who made Byram Park Clean Up Day such a rousing success!
There were many more volunteers than are captured in these pictures and everyone really put their backs into the beach clean up, weeding, planting, mulching, etc. of the beach, and all the beds in the beach/pool area - they look great!
A special shout out to the Byram Boat Club for the gracious and delicious BBQ lunch and Trisha Tozzi, Byram landscape designer, for coordinating the planting and plant selection.
Looking forward to our next volunteer event!!
Friends of Byram Park
A peek at our week!
our spring concert - congratulations to all of our performers!
5th Grade Graduation is almost HERE!
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN THIS SUMMER?
LOOKING FOR SUMMER RESOURCES? CHECK OUT OUR NEW LEBANON SCHOOL SUMMER GUIDE BELOW!
Another Summer Opportunity - CCI Camp!
WHAT IS FOR LUNCH NEXT WEEK? ¿QUÉ HAY PARA ALMUERZAR LA PRÓXIMA SEMANA?
The GPS monthly menu can always be found here: https://www.greenwichschools.org/departments/food-services/menus-and-meal-prices
GO BOBCATS!
Need to Reach Us?
Email: alexandra_michaelson@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://nls.greenwichschools.org/
Location: 25 Mead Avenue, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: 203-531-9139