From the Principal's Pen
September 10, 2021
Dear Parents,
Our students have now completed 5 full days of school. We are beginning to fall into routines and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have everyone back in the school building. There is a positive energy in the air and our students are ready to learn!
I want to thank our families for helping us get off to a good start this year.
Our parents are also getting used to new routines and I want to provide a few reminders:
1. School begins at 8:15. Your child is considered late if they arrive after that time.
Academics begin right away so it is important for your child to be here on time.
We have had 5 days of school and there are already many late students. Please consider this in your morning routine. We love to teach your children and make the most of our days. We cannot do this unless they are in front of us and ready to learn.
2. Car drop off and pick up is designed to be fast. You are in a car line and others are waiting behind you. It is not designed to have parents exit the car, open trunks, help children get dressed and provide long goodbye hugs. We completely understand that some children may need this time, and if this is true for your child, please pull into the parking lot, take your time and walk your child to the door.
Arrival is working out fairly well. For safety purposes we are asking parents to do the following:
If you pull in from the Millbank rotary in the lane by the gym please pull all the way up to the student drop off sign and the orange cone. Traffic is backing up into the Milbank rotary and we think we can alleviate this by having cars pull up all the way.
Have your child ready with their backpack and have them hop out quickly so you can leave. Staff will lead them into the building.
If you pull into the front circle you should pull all the way up to the stop sign. Do not stop the car in front of the door.
DO NOT PASS OTHER CARS as you wait for cars in front of you to unload. This has created a real danger. It is a two-way street and we need to be patient. We will try and be as efficient as possible but will not allow cars to pass.
Dismissal
Please make sure to put your last name on a large piece of paper in the front window of your car. This will help to make the line go much more quickly.
Cars are not permitted in the front circle during dismissal. The front circle is for buses only during the hours of 2:15 - 3:15 pm.
Please continue to walk when possible. It is healthy and it creates a safer environment for all!
I wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Trish McGuire
Curriculum Assessments for 2021-2022
The GPS curriculum team presented at the BOE meeting Thursday evening to show their fabulous work. The assessment calendar was shared with the full BOE, and based on staff and family feedback, there are some adjustments this year to lessen the number of formal assessments our students are taking. Most notably, STAR Reading will only be utilized in grades K-3 at the beginning of the year as the CT-required Universal Screener. STAR Math will not be given at all in K-12, unless requested as an additional support for a student. LinkIt! is the benchmark tool GPS is utilizing as the information is tied to the standards and easy for all to understand where strengths and areas of challenge exist. We will be sending out family portal information again very soon as a reminder for parents and guardians to know how to log in and find the information for their children.
Parents and Guardians-
Please join our Big Ideas Math Virtual Parent Night. We look forward to giving you more insight into the Big Ideas Math program. These presentations will cover:
- Big Ideas research and design
- High impact strategies
- Online portal
- Dynamic classroom
- Assignments and reports
- Math tools
- Help at home
- Q & A
Presentations will be recorded and made available for those unable to attend.
September 14 - Elementary Parent Night (7-8 pm)
Zoom Link: https://cengage.zoom.us/j/93969941484
FILLING IN THE BLANKS
FILLING IN THE BLANKS FIGHTS CHILDHOOD HUNGER BY PROVIDING CHILDREN IN NEED WITH MEALS ON THE WEEKENDS
PROGRAM INFORMATION FOR PARENTS 2021-2022 School Year
COVID Tracker & Health Alerts
We will be posting a tracker on our COVID information page once again this year with regular updates on Tuesday and Friday morning, with the sole purpose of alerting the GPS community detailed information regarding COVID-19. Positive cases are recorded to the tracker for individuals on school grounds, starting on the first day students reported to class (September 1).
Your school’s principal will once again send Health Alerts, as soon as possible, to those affected families and staff regarding positive cases. To avoid cluttering your inbox, we will not send Health Alerts regarding just possible outside exposures.
Don't Forget to Show Your JC Spirit!
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