From the Principal's Pen
November 13, 2020
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH - EARLY RELEASE FOR THANKSGIVING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH & FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH - NO SCHOOL FOR THANKSGIVING
COVID-19 Update
Dear Parents,
We have been working hard to ensure that all of our students and staff are healthy and safe. Out of an abundance of caution in order to limit exposure and work to have the smallest number of students and staff possible in a cohort, we have decided that beginning this Monday, 11/16/20 each class will have recess separately. We know some students may be disheartened to hear they won’t be able to play with a friend from another class, however in the interest of health and safety, we feel this is a priority for the entire school community.
Our goal in making this change is to limit exposure if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, and hopefully negate the need to quarantine an entire grade level rather than just a single class. This, of course, would be determined by the Head of Nursing and the Health Department through the Contact Tracing process, but it will certainly increase our chances of this more positive outcome.
When a possible exposure or positive COVID-19 case is reported, a letter is sent to all families at that grade level. We send it out as a health alert so that parents are aware in advance, but we only send out a follow-up if the “possible exposure” is determined to be positive. If you do not hear from the school in three to four days then we have not received a report of a positive test. At this point, we are writing several letters a week but we have only had two reported positive cases, both in the fifth grade. The exposure letters sent home will state, “At this time, this is not a confirmed positive case. If the student should test positive, contact tracing would begin immediately and we would notify you.”
At this time, all positive cases appear to have originated from events outside of school. Please remain vigilant and practice safety measures at all events. In addition, we know that the holidays are rapidly approaching. Below is information from the CDC regarding holiday gatherings.
Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings
We thank you in advance for all of your support! Together we are stronger!
Be well,
Trish McGuire
Virtual Author Visit
Julian Curtiss PTA is pleased to announce their first virtual author visit in collaboration with The Culture Tree and founder Anu Seghal, to take place November 19th, 2020. Six Greenwich Public Schools, including Julian Curtiss Elementary, Glenville Elementary, New Lebanon Elementary, North Street School, Old Greenwich School, and Cos Cob School, will be visited virtually over the next month, by author Simran Jeet Singh to read aloud his critically acclaimed book “Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon.”
The virtual visit is part of an ongoing effort by Greenwich Public School PTA Enrichment officers to help supplement students’ learning under the current COVID limitations.
“Finding culturally enriching events for our children without leaving the classroom has been a huge challenge. While we typically depend on field trips or live events to expose our children to new places, cultures, and learning experiences, we now have to shift our focus to what can be done behind the screen,” says Randi Jachino, V.P. Enrichment at Julian Curtiss School. “We will continue to rise to the challenge and are thrilled that our area elementary schools have been able to work so closely in collaboration to make these cultural opportunities available for all Greenwich elementary students.”
The Culture Tree and Singh will also make a visit to New York Public Library on November 23, and Greenwich Library on December 5 at 11 am.
For more information on The Culture Tree visit https://theculturetree.com.
About The Culture Tree:
The Culture Tree is an organization that promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through language and educational & cultural programs. They partner with museums, galleries, schools and libraries to implement their classes and programming.
Facebook: @TheCultureTreeNY | LinkedIn: @TheCultureTree | Instagram: @TheCultureTree | Twitter: @CultureTreeNY
IT'S NOT TOO LATE...SIGN UP TODAY!!
Turkey Trot 2020
Will the Julian Curtiss Eagles - the reigning champions of the Turkey Trot - be able to maintain our title?
- The Innovation Space in our Library Learning Commons
- Families as Partners in Learning Parent Engagement Grant
- Fanny Packs for each student for Mask Breaks
We are counting on you, our incredible Turkey Trot enthusiasts, to make this year’s event a tremendous success. As of now, we are behind in participation - check out our competition! Please consider signing up today!!
Julian Curtiss - 55
Cos Cob - 59
North Street - 38
Riverside - 18
Old Greenwich - 11
Mr. O'Brien and Mrs. Loechner will be supporting the Turkey Trot with a Flipgrid so that students can record their exercise and miles and keep track for the month of November.
Register now!!
Virtual Parent Chats
Dr. Fabian Boie
Behavior Support Team
Ms. Jessica McEvily
Behavior Support Team
Dr. Alina Boie
Behavior Support Team
During these challenging times, please join us for a virtual “Parent Video Chat” facilitated by one of our GPS psychologists. Connect virtually with other parents in our community and learn effective strategies to manage personal stress and discuss relevant topics. You can join at any point during a session and stay for as long as you can. We are here to answer questions and provide support.
The theme for November is, “Parenting with the Brain in Mind – learn effective parenting strategies from a Non-Drama Discipline Approach.”
Remaining dates for November:
Elementary School Parents
Monday, November 16 at 7:00 pm
Elementary & Secondary Remote School Parents
Monday, November 23 at 7:00 pm
Google Meet Link for all meetings: meet.google.com/arm-hbjd-yvy
Don't Forget to Show Your JC Spirit!
IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY FOR THE HOLIDAYS - 25% OFF SITE-WIDE SALE!
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