From the Principal's Pen
March 8, 2020
IMPORTANT REMINDER
WED. 3/11 - EARLY DISMISSAL FOR PARENT CONFERENCES @ 12:45 PM
Pre-Conference Questionnaire
You should have received a hard copy of the parent pre-conference questionnaire in your child's Friday folder last week. Below is a link to an electronic questionnaire if you prefer to submit your information that way. Please complete either the written form or the electronic form here and return to school by Monday, March 9th.
Being informed about what your child does at school and family support of learning at home is important for ALL children. Education is a team effort - teacher, student, and family!
Pre-conference Questionnaire - English
Superintendent's Message March 6, 2020
Dear GPS Parents,
At this time, there have been no reported cases of Coronavirus in the Town of Greenwich or the State of Connecticut. However, there have been confirmed cases in Westchester County, NY and the broader tristate area. You may hear that, out of an abundance of caution, an elementary school in Port Chester, NY closed early this afternoon to conduct deep cleaning after students arrived at school having had a family member who may have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. We continue to monitor the overall situation, taking guidance from the Town of Greenwich Health Department, CT State Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control on any necessary action.
As a reminder, our Facilities Team Members are working overtime to conduct deep cleaning in all of our schools every evening.
For previously shared resources, please visit our Health Services page, which includes helpful information about how to discuss this issue with your children (National Public Radio (NPR) created a helpful cartoon and the National Association of School Psychologists shared a robust list of guidelines).
Thank you,
Dr. Toni Jones
Superintendent, Greenwich Public Schools
Internet access
Kindergarten Parent Presentation - Wed. 3/9 @ 9:30 am
Kindergarten Registration for the 2020-2021 school year is coming up soon! If you know of new families to the Julian Curtiss district, please make sure they know about the Kindergarten Parent Presentation on March 9th at 9:30 am.
Bullying Prevention Presentation
DON'T PRESS SEND: A MINDFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA, AN EDUCATION IN CYBER CIVICS BY KATIE SCHUMACHER
I had an opportunity to read this book and I think it provides parents and educators with some practical advice on Cyber Civics. The following is copied from the description on Amazon.
Although we did not do this on purpose, many of us failed to fully consider the consequences of giving our children devices with full internet accessibility. As they say, when you know better, you do better. Providing our children with guidelines and strategies to foster a kind, healthy interaction while using technology is imperative. Throughout this book you will see firsthand how our children are growing up with social media as a central part of their lives, without proper protocol. We need to look at two important factors:
1. How adults can better equip minors to use technology
2. How we can foster a healthy balance with technology by teaching kids to being mindful before they post
These strategies will help to create a kind cyber community by strengthening their empathetic skills. The author discusses the Don’t Press Send Campaign guidelines and principles to thousands of students and parents every year. Katie Schumacher has realized that it is another vital conversation we need to facilitate in our homes and schools. As parents, we are our children’s first teachers. We are aware that creating clear rules and guidelines helps to foster a secure, stable environment in which children can grow, both educationally and emotionally. Children feel safe, secure, and less anxious when they know what the rules are. It is the objective of Don’t Press Send: A Mindful Approach to Social Media, An Education In Cyber Civics, to educate and empower our children to use technology responsibly and with good intent. Reinforcing the emotional skills of empathy, discipline, and mindfulness will result in kind and careful online communication and will in turn create a more thoughtful and safer cyber community for all."
Personalized Learner Profiles
Earth Week of Action
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This April, Julian Curtiss will join in a collaborative Town-wide Earth Week Celebration!
We will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and enjoy all of Greenwich's schools - public, private, faith-based, preschool, elementary, and secondary - working together as one educational community to preserve our home.
Between Monday, April 20th and Friday, April 24th, students will have the opportunity to take part in activities designed around different themes during the school day. Each day will have a different theme:
- Monday 4/20 - Artists for the Earth
- Tuesday 4/21 - FoodPrints (an Earth-friendly Lunch)
- Wednesday 4/22 - Earth Day Tribute and Inquiry Night
- Thursday 4/23 - Citizen Science
- Friday 4/24 - Arbor Day, Trees for the Future
Students will be informed and reminded of each day's activities through our morning announcements. The only optional preparation requested would be for students who normally bring a bag lunch to pack a "waste-free lunch" on Tuesday, April 21st. We will also be collecting recycled materials for art projects and Inquiry Night stations during the last week of March. More information about both of these things will be made available over the next couple of weeks.
Earth Week 2020 will be an historic experience for the Greenwich educational community. What a difference we can make by working together!
The Julian Curtiss Earth Week Team
Mrs. Brenda Brush - Committee Chair
Ms. LeAnn Hinkle - Teacher Co-Chair / Inquiry Night
Mrs. Kristina Loechner - Teacher Co-Chair / Teacher Communication
Mrs. Trish McGuire - Parent Liaison
Reminder - CCI Reading Incentive
Dear JC Parents,
Community Center Inc. (CCI) is celebrating 65 years of partnering with Greenwich schools to support students and families. CCI is a social service agency dedicated to building skills that empower clients to overcome educational, social, and economic barriers so that they can reach their full potential. CCI organizes Homework Club, summer programs, after-school reading groups, and provides individual counseling to students and families in the JC community.
To commemorate this amazing achievement, CCI has invited JC students to take part in a reading incentive program. Starting on Monday, March 2, 2020, JC students will be given an activity sheet called, “65 Ways to Be a Reader, ” the students may choose as many reading activities as they like from the attached. You do not have to complete all 65 to be part of the fun! Have your child color in each task that they complete and return the form to Dr. Blomberg or Mrs. Iannazzo by Friday, March 27th.
On Friday, March 27th, when your child submits their “65 Ways to Be a Reader” form they will...
earn a cool “I love to read” wristband.
be entered to win a pizza party for their class, and an ice cream party for their class.
be entered in a raffle with other participating schools for a brand new bike for themselves.
Happy Reading!
CCI & the JC Staff
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Estimadas Familias de JC:
Community Center Inc. (CCI) celebra sus 65 años de colaboración con las escuelas de Greenwich, brindando apoyo a sus estudiantes y familias. CCI es una agencia de servicios sociales dedicada a desarrollar las habilidades que capaciten a sus clientes a superar barreras educativas, sociales y económicas para que puedan alcanzar su máximo potencial. CCI organiza el Club de Tareas, programas de verano y grupos de lectura después de la escuela. También provee asesoramiento individual a estudiantes y familias de la comunidad de JC.
Para conmemorar este increíble logro, CCI ha invitado a los estudiantes de JC a participar en un programa de incentivos para leer. A partir del lunes 2 de marzo de 2020, los estudiantes de JC recibirán una hoja de actividades llamada "65 maneras de ser un lector". Los estudiantes pueden elegir tantas actividades de lectura como deseen. ¡No tienen que completar las 65 actividades para ser parte de la diversión! Haga que su hijo/a coloree en cada tarea que complete y devuelva el formulario al Dr. Blomberg o a la Sra. Iannazzo antes del viernes 27 de marzo.
El viernes 27 de marzo, cuando su hijo/a presente su formulario "65 maneras de ser lector" ...
● ganará una pulsera que dice "Me encanta leer".
● participará en un sorteo para ganar una fiesta de pizza y una fiesta de helados
para su clase.
● entrará en un sorteo con otras escuelas participantes para ganarse una
bicicleta nueva.
¡Feliz lectura!
CCI y el personal de JC
Pennies for Patients
During this program, students will collect money to support LLS’ mission:
Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Students will learn about service, leadership, philanthropy and how they can make a difference by changing patients’ lives.
Our campaign will kick off with a special assembly for students on Monday, March 16th. Fundraising information will be sent home in your child's Friday folder next week.
Thank you in advance for your support of this important cause!
~JC Service Club
Para traducir este mensaje, haga clic en este mensaje para abrir en su navegador, luego haga clic en el botón de abajo que dice "Translate".
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