From the Principal's Pen
September 24, 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are happy to say that as of today, Friday, September 25th, we have completed 3 weeks of school. The safety strategies put in place have been successful thus far, and we are truly enjoying having our students back at Julian Curtiss. The vast majority of our 274 students attend school in person, 210 students as of today, are learning in person. Approximately 64 are learning remotely. We are fortunate to have 71 magnet students this school year and we are happy to relay the success of our remote school. We miss having our remote students with us in person, but we are glad that families have been provided a choice.
We are grateful for what has been a beautiful start to the year, and we spend a lot of time outdoors. We have lots of space and we use it for learning and for playing! Our students have been taking advantage of our 16 acres of space to read, write, and observe their surroundings like scientists. They are also learning new games to have fun while keeping themselves - and each other - safe.
Please take a moment to read the article linked below written by Gordon Beinstein, Western Middle School Principal. We do have many things to celebrate about our successful reopening of school here in Greenwich.
Thank you for all you do as our partners together for safety and learning. We look forward to seeing you virtually on October 7th for our Open House.
Your leadership team,
Trish McGuire & Brenda Brush
REMINDER: School Closed on Monday, September 28th
This message is intended to clarify our district expectations and procedures with respect to monitoring your child’s health. As the weather changes and we experience various physical symptoms of the Fall season, it is important that every member of the school community is responsible for doing their part to prevent the spread of viruses. To that end, please adhere to the following:
Prior to each school day, you need to review the GPS Self Checklist for your child. If your child has ANY of these symptoms, they MUST stay home.
If the symptoms are identified as “low level” (headache, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, muscle or body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) a student can return to school 24 hours after being symptom-free, so long as they have had no known exposure to COVID-19.
If your child has multiple low-level symptoms or a single higher-level symptom (fever over 100.3, loss of smell or taste, chills, cough, difficulty breathing), they MUST see a doctor to get tested or receive an alternate diagnosis. If they test negative, or the doctor offers an alternate diagnosis, they may return to school once they have passed 24 hours without a fever and the symptoms have improved. If they test positive, they can return to school after 24 hours without a fever and symptoms improved AND approval of the local health department (typically 10 - 14 days). They will also need approval from their primary care provider in the form of a written note submitted to the school nurse.
In the event you are exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with that person, with or without symptoms. If symptoms develop you will need to obtain a COVID test and follow instructions for a negative or positive test as explained in the points above, but must complete the quarantine period.
If you happen to travel to a state on the travel advisory list or to a CDC identified ‘level three’ country, plan to quarantine for 14 days upon your return.
Thank you all for your help in keeping everyone in our JC community healthy!
Buenas Tardes Familias de Julian Curtiss,
El proposito de este mensaje es para aclarar las expectativas y los procedimientos de nuestro distrito con respecto al control de la salud de su hijo. A medida que cambia el clima y experimentamos varios síntomas físicos de la temporada de otoño, es importante que cada miembro de la comunidad escolar sea responsable de hacer su parte para prevenir la propagación de virus. Por esta razón, por favor cumpla con lo siguiente:
Antes de enviar a su hijo a la escuela, debe revisar la Lista de Verificación para COVID-19. Si su hijo/a tiene ALGUNO de estos síntomas, DEBE quedarse en casa. Estamos viendo niños en la enfermería con estos síntomas, y algunos afirman que los tenían antes de salir de casa por la mañana. Esto no puede pasar.
Si su hijo/a tiene un síntoma de bajo nivel (fatiga, congestión, secreción nasal, náuseas, vómitos, diarrea), puede regresar a la escuela 24 horas después de haber estado libre de síntomas, siempre y cuando no haya tenido una exposición conocida al COVID-19.
Si su hijo/a tiene varios síntomas de nivel bajo o un solo síntoma de nivel superior (fiebre superior a 100.3ºC, pérdida del olfato o del gusto, escalofríos, tos, dificultad para respirar), DEBE consultar a un médico para que le haga una prueba o reciba un diagnóstico alternativo. Si dan negativo o el médico ofrece un diagnóstico alternativo, pueden regresar a la escuela una vez que hayan pasado 24 horas sin fiebre y los síntomas hayan mejorado. Si dan positivo, pueden regresar a la escuela después de 24 horas sin fiebre y los síntomas mejoraron Y la aprobación del departamento de salud local (normalmente de 10 a 14 días). También necesitarán la aprobación de su proveedor de atención primaria en forma de una nota escrita enviada a la enfermera de la escuela.
En caso de estar expuesto a alguien que haya dado positivo en la prueba de COVID-19, debe estar en cuarentena durante 14 días desde el último contacto con esa persona, con o sin síntomas. Si se presentan síntomas, deberá obtener una prueba de COVID y seguir las instrucciones para una prueba negativa o positiva como se explica en los puntos anteriores, pero debe completar el período de cuarentena.
Si viaja a un estado que aparece en la lista de avisos de viaje oa un país identificado por los CDC como de "nivel tres", planifique la cuarentena durante 14 días a su regreso.
¡Gracias a todos por su ayuda para mantener saludables a todos en nuestra comunidad de JC!
School Nurse Algorithm
Thank You!
Kindergarten Art Adventures
Assessment Schedules
Mask Reminders
Our students have been very good about coming prepared and wearing their masks in school. If a child forgets his/her mask at home we will provide a disposable mask. We do recommend that you pack an extra mask or two in your child's backpack just in case his/her mask gets soiled for any reason. Of course we will provide a replacement if necessary, but we would appreciate your help in conserving our supplies.
We also need your help in keeping children and adults safe at drop off and pick up. Please wear your masks and maintain appropriate social distance when dropping off and picking up your children. It is not only important for the health and safety of our school community, but also as a good model for the students.
Gaiters are not permitted to be used as masks at school. This information was included in our beginning of the year Smore newsletter. If your child is wearing a gaiter we will give him or her a child's mask and let them know. Click here for a link to our opening slide show that includes information about the mask policy on Slide 3.
The official district policy can be found by clicking here.
Remote Learning Transfers
Per Dr. Jones, Elementary transfers in/out of the remote learning school will be reviewed weekly on Mondays at 3:00 pm. The goal is to have students start their "new" class on the following Monday. Any change can take up to two weeks to fully process.
Until you receive district notification that the move is "official" the student will remain enrolled in their current placement. If a student is scheduled for in-school instruction but does not attend in-school learning in the interim, they will be provided work at home as they would receive if out for illness.
Dedicated Technical Support for Remote Learners
School Meals
Open House - DATE CHANGE!
Penny War PTA Fundraiser
Special Events and Programs
YMCA Fall Programs
This fall, we have developed new programs and services to keep our community engaged and active as we navigate through this ever-changing climate. Many of our programs are offered on various days of the week and weekend, and our classes are limited in size allowing our instructors to focus on each participant and maintain social distancing guidelines.
Below is a link to our digital Program Guide and Fall Programs webpage:
* Fall Programs page: http://www.greenwichymca.org/programs-services/fall-programs/
* Program Brochure https://indd.adobe.com/view/f624534a-4a3c-4838-a143-18e42fe28949Don't Forget to Show Your JC Spirit!
If you are looking for some new Spirit Wear, families, staff, and teachers may order whatever they like. There are masks, stadium seats, blankets, and other fun accessories as well as clothing. You can customize the logos, colors, etc. (within select choices). There are no minimums. The company will produce and ship directly and Julian Curtiss will receive a 12% commission. Hopefully easy for all! Click below to see all of our fun, new JC Spirit Wear!
¿Necesita leer nuestro boletín en español?
¿Necesita leer nuestro boletín en español? Haga clic en cualquier parte de este correo electrónico, desplácese hasta la parte inferior y haga clic en traducir. Luego, seleccione español, y el boletín debería aparecer en español. ¡Gracias!
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