By Darren Johnson
Journal & Press
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School’s About to Start
Classes start again at Greenwich CSD on Thursday, Sept. 5.
I caught up with superintendent Jennifer Steimle to see what students and parents can expect this year.
Here is our Q&A:
Journal & Press: Welcome to a new academic year. This is your third in the role of superintendent at Greenwich? How have you liked the job so far?
Steimle: As I begin year three, I am just as excited as I was on my very first day! This continues to be my dream job and I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve the students of this community.
Journal & Press: What are some new things that will be implemented for the 2024-25 school year? What can students expect to be different when they come back this month?
Steimle: When students arrive on September 5, they will be welcomed to sparkling clean hallways and well groomed fields and lots of hugs and high fives. The parking lot by the tennis courts has been expanded and it is now connected to the sidewalk leading to the turf field. The primary building is still undergoing a transformation of its own with a new entrance to be opened in late September that will be more secure and will have an ADA compliant elevator come later this fall. The elementary building will begin the year with a new English Language Arts curriculum and we have a newish principal, Cheryl Record and new Assistant Principal, Rebecca Hughes to guide us. The JSHS will maintain their heavy academic focus and I am sure will continue to excel.
Journal & Press: A lot of districts are placing stricter rules on the use of smart phones. Where does Greenwich stand in that regard?
Steimle: GCSD already has in place more stringent guidelines than many schools in our area regarding the use of smartphones. The elementary students are not allowed to have phones on them during the school day and JSHS are not allowed to use them during classes. This is not new to us as this has been our practice for over a year.
Journal & Press: We hear Covid may be making a big comeback this fall. How is the district preparing for that?
Steimle: We continue to maintain high standards of cleanliness in all of our buildings. We also will continue to encourage families to keep students home when they are not feeling well.
Journal & Press: We tend to hear a lot about athletic accomplishments from the district, and that’s great, but don’t hear as much from the arts side. Are there plans to get these kids more exposure for their creative work?
Steimle: We have eight concerts per year, plus a holiday sing-along, a 2nd grade show, Flag Day Ceremony, the Memorial Day Parade and two drama club productions each year. We have many students in grades 5 and up participate in All-County Band and Vocal festivals each year, and also some high-school students who go to area-all state in the fall. This year we hope to add a 5th and 6th grade play which will be something new and exciting.
Journal & Press: Speaking of sports, a big addition was the artificial turf field last year. How has that been working out?
Steimle: It has gone very well. It has been a pleasure seeing all sports able to use it as well as Physical Education classes and even youth sports.
Journal & Press: We attended the presentation on bullying last year. It was very good. How did the students like it? Any plans on follow up in regards to bullying on campus? Is it a problem?
Steimle: I am not sure that students felt all that compelled by the presentation last year, but it did help us to define what we see in our buildings and what we want to teach our students. We will continue to refine our Social Emotional Learning lessons and expectations for all students. What this really means is that we help students to express what they are thinking and feeling in an appropriate way and that we all need to be KIND to one another.
The elementary in particular will be re-evaluating their use of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) this school year, again with a focus on teaching appropriate behavior.
The Wellness Committee is also exploring the idea of surveying students and staff this year to identify specific areas of focus.
Journal & Press: There also was some new state assessment of students that was announced last year and area results were kind of middling with the younger grades doing relatively worse. What was that assessment, and will it return this year? Were some of the results lower because younger students missed some concepts during the pandemic years?
Steimle: I believe you are talking about the 3-8 NYS assessments and we did administer these in the spring and plan to do so again in Spring 2025. The data has not been publicly released for the 23-24 school year yet so I cannot comment on how we did, but I can tell you that we are now using an assessment tool in house that is helping us to target instruction where needed and in our first year of use, we saw much growth. As a general trend, students across the state have not performed well since the pandemic. GCSD is committed to continuous improvement for all of our students.
Journal & Press: But overall things are looking up in the district and it appears there’s a lot of positivity. Greenwich is usually ranked as one of the best districts in the whole Capital Region. How do you keep that momentum going?
Steimle: We keep the momentum going by maintaining a focus on students and learning and growing our programming when possible. We must continue believing the good in the world and in each other to foster a positive culture and climate and we need to continue to address what is unacceptable.
Journal & Press: What are you looking forward to this year?
Steimle: I am always excited for our opening day with staff. I love to joke around with them all and promote a fun place to work. Of course I will not sleep the night before students come back. There is nothing better than those hugs and smiles coming off the buses!
Journal & Press: Anything else you’d like to add?
Steimle: We have added Pre-K to our art and music program this year. During the fall/winter there will be a cover contest for the Memory Book. Students in 5th and 6th grade can enter a front or back cover for our elementary yearbook!
Learn more about the upcoming school year at Greenwich CSD by visiting greenwichcsd.org.
And Now for the Comics — ‘College Edge’ by Sandra Mizumoto Posey
And that’s it for today. More tomorrow, of course!