GPS District Digest

World Kindness Day

How did you celebrate World Kindness Day last Friday? GPS joined in with global celebrations promoting the importance of being kind to each other, yourself, and the world. Did you help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together? Students at Julian Curtiss said, "In a world where you could be anything, choose kind,” kids at Cos Cob put the "I" in kind, and Riverside promoted the hashtag #BeKind.

Honoring the Veterans

Greenwich High School used creative technology to recognize and celebrate the amazing service of our country’s veterans in recognition of Veterans Day. Program Associate for Social Studies Frank Kovac organized the first-ever Virtual Veteran’s Day panel discussion led by students Fiona Busch, Wyatt Radzin, and Hadley Rosenberg. The panel consisted of veterans Lieutenant Commander James Waters, Captain Matthew Carstensen, and Major Timothy Rose, all of whom had incredible stories of service and strong local ties to the Town of Greenwich. Virtual Veteran’s Day 2020 not only recognizes and celebrates the stellar service of our Veterans, but it can now be used as a reference for any student interested in military service as a career path.

To watch the panel discussion in its entirety, please click here on the GHS official website.

Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to the three 2020 Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity winners from Greenwich HS! Hiba Hussain, Colin Speaker and Melissa Woo were awarded these great scholarships for coming up with distinctive solutions to problems faced by their schools, communities, families, and the world. Its goal is to reward and encourage innovative and creative problem-solving. Hiba created a diagnostic test for COPD detection, Colin created a method to enhance the efficiency of solar water disinfection systems, and Melissa created a smartphone app to conduct thermal and color analyses of potential melanoma.

CC Scavenger Hunt

For a week, more than 50 kindergarten through fifth grade students from the Cos Cob School participated in an after-school-hours community downtown scavenger hunt solving riddles and decoding messages left in the windows of 10 local businesses by the CCS PTA. The event promoted safe, active family fun for everyone.

The Dauntless Chronicles

GHS sophomore Willow Wren co-authored an action novel called The Dauntless Chronicles and was launched on Amazon.com this week. The book tells the story from the viewpoint of three teens from a different solar system 100 years in the future who escape a coup d’état on their planet and crash land on Earth, and their treatment by humans.

Learn more about the novel from an interview with the authors.

Parkway’s Good Citizens

Parkway School’s PTA held its fourth Annual #GiveHealthy Challenge benefiting Greenwich’s own Neighbor to Neighbor. Parkway families demonstrated their enormous hearts and extraordinary generosity by donating nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk to help their Greenwich neighbors in need. The Parkway community chose to actively demonstrate one of the fundamental District norms of caring for self and others, leading them to one of their most successful donation years yet. By designating November as “Parkway Gives Thanks” (PGT) month, the PTA invited students, staff, and families to engage in different activities that give them the chance to show their appreciation for, and give back to, local communities and organizations.

Championships Abound

Congratulations are in order for the field hockey, boys soccer, and girls volleyball teams earning FCIAC Regional Championships last week!

Junior Annie Bingle garnered the FCIAC West Region diving title, earning 461.26 points at Westhill HS in Stamford on Monday. Greenwich diving coach Kevin Thompson said that the two-time NISCA All-America selection thrives on the big stage and is a true competitor.

Turkey 20k

To help those less fortunate in our community, the GHS Roots & Shoots Club, GHS Neighbor to Neighbor Club, and GHS Assistant Deans virtually ran the 10th Annual Thanksgiving food drive fundraiser and they raised $20,000, smashing their $10k goal! Through the amazing generosity of GHS families and friends, they raised enough funds to donate $200 gift cards to 100 families in Greenwich through the Social Services Holiday Aide program.

Projects Update

GHS Cardinal Stadium

The bleacher demolition is set to begin in the coming weeks ahead with the goal of completing the first part of the Cardinal Stadium project before 2021 Graduation.

GHS Soil Remediation

The Greenwich High School Soil Remediation Project recently completed the Phase I cleanup focused on the northernmost athletic fields and several small areas on the Greenwich High School property and allowed for renovation of Athletic Fields 6 and 7.

Western Middle School Soil Remediation

The consultant firm of Langan is working directly with DEEP and the EPA through the Voluntary Remediation Action Plan. An update was provided to the BOE at their January 18th meeting.

Feasibility Studies

Julian Curtiss School and Old Greenwich School Feasibility Studies will be on the Board of Education's agenda on November 18th.

Greenwich High School Entranceway

The GHS Security Entrance Project has building committee recommendations and the design work is expected to begin this school year.

Hamilton Avenue School Field

It won't be long until the children at Hamilton Avenue can play on their new field. Over the past few weeks trees were planted and GPS is waiting on the grass to emerge this Spring.