Hamilton Avenue School Update
Diane Chiappetta Fox, Principal
August 18, 2023
School Begins on September 1st
1st-5th Grade First Day Arrival at 8:00 AM
Students will be directed to the field to find their classroom teacher for the first-day ceremony and parade. All staff will be outside assisting classroom teachers. Parents are welcome to join us on the field!
Kindergarten First Day Arrival at 9:15 AM
Students will be directed to the field to find their classroom teacher for the first-day ceremony and parade. Staff will be outside assisting K teachers. Parents are welcome to join us on the field!
Pre-K First Day Arrival at 9:30 AM
Pre-K students will meet their teachers outside the front doors at 9:30 AM
Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!
Dear Parents and Families of Hamilton Avenue School,We are excited to see our exceptional students and families in just two weeks! We hope you are enjoying the summer and having fun adventures with family and friends. This Newsletter is designed to help you navigate all of the information you need for the start of a fantastic new school year!
Please be sure to read all of the information in this newsletter. I've included essential information about Kindergarten and New Student Orientation, the First Day of School, and all of the forms and documents you need for your child.
NEW DISMISSAL MANAGER!!
We are pleased to announce that we will use a new platform to manage school dismissal. Please be on the lookout for an email from School Dismissal Manager with instructions for activating and setting up your account for this year. For us to know how your child should go home- Bus or Parent Pick Up, you must set up their dismissal page.
Mrs. Simonelli (formerly Ms. McCarthy) and I met with our excellent Hamilton Avenue PTA Executive Board on Thursday. We are so excited to learn about the activities and events they have planned for our school this year. More to come, but it is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED for all families and staff to join the PTA. They are an invaluable resource for our school. See the link below to join.
Today class lists were sent home. We have received a flurry of emails and phone calls. The general placement process involves a team effort, completed with great care. Class lists are developed and reviewed by your child's previous teacher and our specialists to ensure all factors when creating the best placement for your child. We try to balance a class based on gender, academic needs, equal numbers of students, and equity in the diversity of the classroom. We also attempt to match student and teacher personalities and styles.
Given the complexity of the process, changes to the class lists will be cautiously and carefully considered, and it will be an infrequent circumstance if granted a class change. Although we welcome input about your children's learning needs during the process, remember that the final decision on class placement resides with the principal. Mrs. Simonelli and I have reviewed the placements for all current Hamilton Avenue students based on the recommendations in June and the student's best interest.
I hope this weekly newsletter is informative. As always, if you have any questions, please contact us. We are very excited to start school!
I bid you a restful two weeks until we welcome you into our beautiful school!
Best,
Mrs. Fox
NEW Main Entrance
Safety and security are a priority at our school. Therefore, we needed to change arrival and dismissal procedures for the upcoming school year. FYI, the NEW Main Entrance For Hamilton Avenue is on St. Roch’s Avenue, off the parking lot. Visitors cannot enter through the playground entrance during school hours.
Arrival and Dismissal at Hamilton Avenue School
***NEW INFORMATION***
Pre-K
Arrival for Pre-K students begins at 8:15.
Students arriving by car:
Enter the main parking lot on St. Roch Avenue and follow signs to pull up to the first spot past the front doors, where teachers will meet you. Parents must put their cars in “park” and unlatch their children from their car seats. Staff will remove children from the car seat and escort them into the building. Parents should exit through the exit-only lane and obey the traffic sign, turning right only. Our bus loop on Hamilton Avenue is closed to through traffic and reserved for school bus access.
Students arriving by bus:
Pre-K staff will greet students in the bus loop and escort them into the building.
Late arrival:
Families bringing their children to school after 8:15 will now enter Hamilton Avenue from the parking lot doors on St. Roch’s Avenue (NEW Main Entrance). Please ring the bell and wait to be buzzed in.
Dismissal:
Regular dismissal of Pre-K is 1:15 PM. Some students will take the bus and be escorted to the bus loop by staff. Parents will pick others up. If your child participates in "afters," dismissal begins promptly at 2:30. For both regular and “afters” dismissals, parents must park in the main lot and greet their children by the front doors of the parking lot on St. Roch’s Avenue (NEW Main Entrance). Staff will be there with students for dismissal. Please be prompt as dismissal of K-5 students begins at 2:45 PM.
K-5
Arrival for K-5 students begins at 8:00.
Arrival: Our bell rings, and doors open at 8:00 am*. We encourage all students to arrive at 8:00 to unpack and start their day. Our doors close, and instruction begins promptly at 8:15 am. Establishing a routine ensuring an on-time arrival encourages effective executive functioning strategies and allows students to settle into their day before instruction begins.
Students arriving by car:
Enter through the main parking lot on St. Roch Avenue and pull up to the first spot past the front doors. Beginning at 8:00 AM, our staff will assist students exiting the cars; parents do not need to get out of their cars. Please pull up to allow for adequate room in our parking lot. Parents should exit through the exit-only lane and obey the traffic sign, turning right only. Our bus loop on Hamilton Avenue is closed to through traffic and reserved for school bus access.
Students walking and biking to school can store bikes in the bike rack near our playground and enter through the school's front doors. Please remember to retrieve bikes at the end of the school day, as our playground is open to the public after school.
Walkers should use the access points around the field to arrive at the main doors. (DO NOT ALLOW WALKERS TO WALK THROUGH THE DRIVEWAY)
Late arrival:
Families bringing their children to school after 8:15 will now enter Hamilton Avenue from the parking lot doors on St. Roch’s Avenue (NEW Main Entrance). Please ring the bell and wait to be buzzed in.
*students who wish to have breakfast in the morning may arrive at 7:45 AM and report directly to the Cafetorium.
Dismissal:
Our bell rings, and dismissal begins at 2:45 PM.
Bus students will be dismissed to the bus hallways.
Buses from Hamilton Avenue School to the Boys and Girls Club WILL NOT be provided this year. Please contact the Boys and Girls Club regarding your child’s acceptance into their modified after-school programming. More information to follow.
Kindergarten and first-grade students will be escorted to their dismissal locations by their teachers.
Car Pick up at the main doors begins at 2:45 PM; please follow staff instructions. Please be sure to pull forward so that we have adequate room in our parking lot. Our staff members will escort students to cars; there is no need to exit the vehicle. Please follow the directions of our staff members to maintain safety. We will not allow students to walk through the parking lot, so parents must pull up to the appropriate spots according to the traffic flow. All other students will be dismissed at the NEW Main Entrance (St. Roch Avenue lot), escorted by teachers. The bike rack on the field will dismiss walkers and parent pick-up students. Staff will be available to greet you during parent pick-up dismissal.
Welcome! New Staff to Hamilton Avenue School!
Dr. Kristie Lynch - Physical Education
Hello my name is Dr. Kristie Lynch. I am excited to join the Hamilton Avenue faculty as a physical education teacher. For the last ten years I have been working as a college professor in physical education, health and sport pedagogy. I am very excited to get back to my public school teaching roots and share my love of physical activity, exercise and fitness in an elementary setting. Besides teaching, I enjoy ice skating, cycling, going to concerts and spending time with my husband and toddler son.
Mrs. Christine Kovac - English Language Learners
I’m my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family.
Mrs. Kathleen LeClerc
New Student, Pre-K, and Kindergarten Orientation, Thursday August 31, 2023
Kindergarten - 9:00-9:30 AM
Pre-K - 11:30-12:00 PM
New Student - 2:30-3:00 PM
School Dismissal Manager comes to Hamilton Avenue!
Please be on the lookout for an email with instructions for setting up your School Dismissal Manager Account. This is the platform you will use to inform the school how your child is going home each day.
This is also how you will report your child's absences from school. Please enter all absences into School Dismissal Manager.
REMINDER!! Important Forms
REMINDER all REQUIRED forms are to be turned in no later than September 9, 2022
- School Handbook Acknowledge Form (REQUIRED)
- Student Emergency Contact Form (REQUIRED)
- Authorized for Medical Treatment/Risk Notification (REQUIRED)
- Press Publicity Permission/Denial Form (REQUIRED)
- Notice of Network Use Opt-out Form (REQUIRED)
Additional forms to be returned if applicable
- Student Device Loan Form (all new students and Kindergarten students)
- School Lunch Debit Account Form (if applicable
- Free and Reduced 2023-24 Application-Family (English)
- Free and Reduced Addendum (must accompany application)
- Free and Reduced 2023-24 Application-Spanish
- Free and Reduced Addendum - Spanish (must accompany application)
- Student Accident Insurance (if applicable)
School Supplies
The Greenwich Public Schools provides all of the materials students need to participate in classroom learning activities. Supply lists are frequently requested by parents for back to school preparation. They are not mandatory.
Please click on appropriate link for school supply lists.School Lunch - NEW INFORMATION!
School lunch will NO LONGER be available for free this year. There will be one hot option along with several “grab and go” cold options each day. Breakfast will be available at 7:45 am for students. More information coming in a separate email from the district.
PLEASE NOTE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH FORMS ARE LINKED ABOVE AND WILL COME HOME ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Please fill these out and return them to the main office by 9/30/23. It is imperative that we receive these completed forms returned to school in order to be considered for free lunch status.
Important Update and Information from the Boys and Girls Club
As Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich shared earlier in the Spring, the Clubhouse at 4 Horseneck Lane will be closed during the planned renovation.
The Club will change from a “drop-in” model where members can attend the Club any day to a “Registration Required Lottery System” model. Modified after-school programs for elementary school-age students chosen for the lottery will be offered at the Arch Street Teen Center. Many of the Club’s other programs for middle and high school members will run as they did in the past but at various locations in Greenwich.
Please take a moment to check your email for communications from the Club. An email with a link to sign-up was sent in July. Given the limited space, only current Club families can participate in the lottery.
Information on Club operation plans during the renovation can be found by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Liz Galeano at lgaleano@bgcg.org.
Thank you,
Don Palmer
Important Information on Assured Experiences
Greenwich Public Schools Assured Experiences 2023-2024
The following chart serves to clarify and summarize the district-approved and district-funded assured experiences. By definition, assured district experiences assure all students in the identified grade district-wide receive the knowledge. All district identified assured experiences are funded by the district operational budget.
The Academic Coordinator Team has created assured experiences since 2014 in alignment with the following:
1. Alignment to curriculum standards.
2. Impact on student learning – value add to student learning and overall program.
3. Opportunity to apply learning within and across content.
The Chief Officer of K-12 Curriculum and Leadership continues to evaluate existing assured experiences and is researching new partnerships in town and out of state that will provide experiential learning in other disciplines and grades.
Greenwich Public Schools is delighted to announce the expansion of assured experiences for the 2023-2024 school year and beyond. With six new trips added this year, we are strengthening our partnership with local community opportunities to continue to support a robust and well-rounded educational experience in and out of the classroom. Reach out to Tara Fogel and Laura Newell to learn more.
Mark Your Calendar!
August
August 31: Kindergarten Orientation at 9:00-9:30 AM
August 31: Pre-K Orientation 11:30-12:00 PM
August 31: New student orientation 2:30-3:00 PM
September:
September 1: First day of School! 8:15 for 1st-5th graders on the field
September 1: First day of School! 9:15 for Kindergarten on the field
September 1: First day of School! 9:30 for Pre-K students on the patio
September 4: No School, Labor Day
September 19: Open House
September 25: No School Yom Kippur