From the Principal's Pen
May 7, 2021
Happy Mother's Day to All of our JC Moms!
Thank You!
Our teachers work very hard to ensure that your students are safe, learning, and having fun each and every day. We are so thankful for them - and they are thankful for you!
Mrs. McGuire and Mrs. Brush
Early Release on Wednesday, May 12th!
Boys and Girls Club, YWCA, and Family First after-school programs will be open that day.
Eagle's Nest after-school child care will NOT be open.
Parent Responsibility on the Playground After School
When parents, guardians, or babysitters are on the playground after school it is their responsibility to watch their children. This is a social time for the children, not the parents. Parents have been observed socializing in groups for long periods of time while their children engage in unsafe behavior! Other parents and babysitters are sitting on benches on their phones.
I will give parents the same suggestion I give the teachers. Do not sit down and engage with others. Stand up and watch your child and engage with them. Keep an eye on them at all times.
In case some parents are not aware children should not be standing on the patio walls jumping off, they should not be swinging by ropes off of small trees that cannot hold them, and they should not be hiding under benches without a parent’s eyes on them. Children should go down the slide and use all playground equipment one at a time.
If the school playground is overcrowded there are also many town playgrounds to visit.
Five Rules of Playground Etiquette from https://www.momtastic.com
As nicer weather approaches, spending time at the playground seems to become part of most every child’s weekly routine.
Unfortunately, one bad apple can ruin a playground experience for all. Don’t be the bad apple. Be courteous and consider the safety of others when visiting the playground. Ensure that your child does the same.
When visiting the playground, follow these etiquette rules.
Rule #1. Assume responsibility for your child. Just because you walk through the playground gates doesn’t mean your child is on his own to have a good time. While other responsible parents may alert you if your child is doing something dangerous and going to hurt himself or others, the responsibility for his safety and his behavior towards others is yours alone. Don’t zone out. Pay attention and supervise your child. Be ready to intervene when necessary.
Rule #2. Ask others for cooperation. There are definitely two schools of thought when it comes to the appropriateness of disciplining someone else’s child. To avoid battling it out with a parent of the other school, try soliciting cooperation from a child that’s behaving badly. “My child wants to go down the slide and if you don’t move, he may hurt you. Could you please move?” may get your further than saying “You need to move, now.” If cooperation is not granted, seek out the offending child’s parent and ask for help.
Rule #3. Put the phones, smartphones, iPads, and iPods away. While many parents take advantage of the time their child is playing at the playground to catch up on their emails, phone calls, and text messaging, doing so is really not appropriate. Children need constant supervision while on the playground, especially on a crowded one. Children can easily hurt themselves or others when they are unsupervised. Remember, you’re not only responsible for your child’s safety, you’re responsible for ensuring that he doesn’t cause injury or harm to others.
Rule #4. Let everybody have a turn. If your child has been swinging on the swing and a line starts to form, that’s your signal to wrap it up. While you don’t need to remove your child immediately, you should definitely be courteous of others and give a two-minute warning. Rather than make it a negative that your child has to end her turn early, use it as an opportunity to teach her about sharing and playing with others.
Rule #5. Adhere to the age limit. There’s nothing worse at the playground than a 10-year-old barreling down the slide designed for children ages 3 and under. Bring your child to age-appropriate play structures and ensure that they aren’t playing where they aren’t supposed to.
At the playground, every parent or caregiver has to be their own child’s monitor. Take your role seriously. Don’t be that parent and child combination people pray isn’t at the playground when they pull up. There’s one of those in every neighborhood, for sure.
Looking Ahead - 5th Grade Year End Events
Ringing Out Ceremony - June 18th at 9 am
Rain Date - June 21st
Fifth Grade families will receive a letter early next week with more details about the event.
Live Parent Support Chats
During these challenging times, please join us for a virtual “Parent Video Chat” facilitated by one of our GPS psychologists. Connect virtually with other parents in our community and learn effective strategies to manage personal stress and discuss relevant topics (how to establish routines at home, manage challenging behaviors, build your kids' resilience). You can join whenever and stay for as long as you can. We are here to answer questions and provide support.
April and May – Performance anxiety and stress
Google Meet Link for all meetings meet.google.com/arm-hbjd-yvy
ELEMENTARY
Tuesday, May 18th at 7 pm – Click here to JOIN
Friday, May 28th at 10am - Click here to JOIN
SECONDARY
Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm – Click here to JOIN
Wednesday, May 26th at 7pm - Click here to JOIN
Please follow Mrs. McGuire and Mrs. Brush on Twitter
@JCSPrincipal and @JCSEaglesAP
Mrs. Trish McGuire - Principal
Email: trish_mcguire@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: www.greenwichschools.org/jcs
Location: 180 East Elm Street, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 869-1896
Twitter: @jcsprincipal