We are having a great "winter" week.  The cold weather is here and we even experienced a brief touch of snow.  As we approach the mid-point of the school year, I want to briefly review the district's attendance policy, as I am receiving more and more inquiries into its ramifications. 

 

Several years ago, the state of CT revised its attendance policy for all public school students, which the Greenwich school district is mandated to implement. The policy now states that all student absences are excused through the ninth day of absence, regardless of the reason for the absence. A student could be sick, taking extended vacations, etc. and any absence from the first through the ninth is designated as excused. The tenth absence, and any other absences going forward are earmarked as "unexcused", unless it occurred due to a specific reason.  "Specific" reasons include: student illness, observance of a religious holiday, a court appearance, death in the family or another emergency beyond the control of the student's family.  (If it is illness, a note is required from a medical professional or the school nurse to shift the absence notation from unexcused to excused.) After the 9th day of absence, you will receive a letter from Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Ellen Flanagan, reminding you of the policy.  On a related note, several families are reaching high numbers of tardies.  Please make every effort to get your child to school on time.  Both attendance and prompt arrivals are monitored closely and integral to a child's success in school.

 

January also marks the beginning of questions regarding the last day of school and/or the grade 5 Moving Up Ceremony.  It is premature to state when the last day of school will be.  A lot depends on the number of snow days we experience.  The Board, along with the Superintendent, Dr. McKersie, usually makes that decision toward the end of March.  

 

This week, our fifth grade students began the initial steps of their Exhibition experience.  The Exhibition is a culminating project the IB Program requires of its fifth graders before they leave elementary school. Each year, the Exhibition varies slightly but basically, it involves several stages and goals for learning that reflect the IB Exhibition Standards.  Students work in small groups and research a topic, tapping a variety of resources and then decide how to present their new learning.  Their "sharing" is presented to the whole school and everyone in the ISD community is invited to attend.  The Exhibition will be held the week of March 28th and more details will be forthcoming about this significant event in an IB school. 

 

In keeping with January designated as the month to celebrate science at ISD, the PTA supported Science Night this past Monday night.  "Mad Scientists" were here to demonstrate experiments and have the students interact with a variety of science experiences.  Thank you to Sarah Zeegan for facilitating the event, along with the other parent volunteers.  In addition, the PTA arranged for "Earthdome" to be here this week, as well.  All classes had an opportunity to learn about our amazing planet, Earth.  Ask them what they learned!

 

Terry Ricci

ISD Principal