Superintendent’s Update – September 8, 2014

The community of the Griswold Public Schools educates for excellence by empowering students to become compassionate, confident, creative, and resourceful members of society. - Griswold 2022

The reality is an absence is an absence, excused or not, and that child is not in that classroom benefiting from the instruction on that day.

We have to work in our community and with our schools and families to build a culture of attendance. ~Ralph Smith, Executive Vice President

Annie E. Casey Foundation

GRISWOLD PUBLIC SCHOOLS September is National School Attendance Awareness Month

It’s a month-long celebration of perfect attendance!

The importance of attendance:

Attendance matters for doing well in school and life starting in kindergarten and even in pre-kindergarten.

Absences can add up before you know it.

Poor attendance is not just about unexcused absences – excused absences can affect performance, too. As a parent you are responsible for making sure your child develops the habit of regular attendance.

If you are facing tough challenges related to access to health care, unstable housing, poor transportation or lack of food, you can and should seek out support from the school and community.

Too many absences can slow down instruction for all students.

Calendar

Monday, September 8 – International Literacy Day. Read to or with someone today!

Monday, September 8 – Town Meeting (for Budget Referendum #5) in the GMS Cafeteria, 6:00 PM. The meeting will focus on forwarding the school budget to referendum given a 0.09% increase (an increase of $23,416) that reflects an increase in state aid to the schools and not an increase to the taxpayers of Griswold.

Monday, September 8 – Board of Education Meeting in the GMS Library, 6:00 PM. As part of the meeting, the Board will honor the GPS Rookie of the Year – Jaclyn Bono, GES Art Teacher and the GPS Teacher of the Year – Nadine Keane, GHS English Teacher. (The meeting will begin immediately after the Town meeting.)

Tuesday, September 9 – Session on new training for LOCKDOWN, LOCKOUT, EVACUATION for Instructional Assistants, Secretaries, Substitutes, Volunteers, and any Teachers who may have missed the training during the Professional Development Days in the GMS Library, 2:15 – 2:45 PM. This training is primarily for Middle School and High School staff, though anyone in the categories above may attend.

Tuesday, September 9 – GES Open House for Grade 1 (6:00 PM) and Grade 3 (7:00 PM).

Griswold Town Meeting 9/8

Monday, September 8 6:00 PM GMS Cafeteria

Tuesday, September 9 – Griswold High School Music Department Trip Meeting in the GHS Auditorium, 7:00 PM.

Wednesday, September 10 – “Coffee and Chat” Superintendent’s Advisory Council in the Superintendent’s Office at GMS, 8:45 AM. Please join Superintendent of Schools, Paul Smith for coffee and a monthly discussion of various educational topics each month in the Central Office at GMS – located in the back entrance of the old high school.

Wednesday, September 10 – Session on new training for LOCKDOWN, LOCKOUT, EVACUATION for Instructional Assistants, Secretaries, Substitutes, Volunteers, and any Teachers who may have missed the training during the Professional Development Days in the GES Library, 3:30 – 4:00 PM. This training is primarily for Elementary School staff, though anyone in the categories above may attend.

Wednesday, September 10 – GES Open House for Grade 2 (6:00 PM) and Grade 4 (7:00 PM).

Thursday, September 11 – GMS Open House for Grade 6 and Grade 8, 6:00 PM.

Tuesday, September 16 (Tentative Date – will be confirmed at Town Meeting) – Referendum #5 on the School Budget for 2014-15, 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Please make sure that you take a few moments out of your busy day and vote. It’s time for us to move forward with a school budget and focus on the important work of educating 2000 students!

Tuesday, September 16 – Board of Education Policy Subcommittee in the Superintendent’s Office, 9:00 AM.

Tuesday, September 16 – Griswold Elementary School PTO Meeting in the GES Library Media, 5:30 PM.

Wednesday, September 17 – United States Constitution Day.

Wednesday, September 17 – GPS Building Committee in the GES Library, 6:00 PM.

Friday, September 19 – First Varsity Home Football Game vs. Ledyard, 6:30 PM.

Monday, September 22 - Board of Education Meeting in the GMS Library, 6:00 PM.

Tuesday, September 23 – First Day of Autumn.

Saturday, September 27 – GRISWOLD BICENTENNIAL EVENT: The United States Coast Guard Band in the GHS Auditorium, 7:00 PM. This is free concert, but tickets are required. You can pick up free tickets beginning this week!

Pick up tickets at the following locations: Town Clerk @Town Hall Regular Business Hours Slater Library Regular Business Hours Senior Center Regular Business Hours Griswold High School Main Office 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM Superintendent's Office 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Wednesday, October 1 – “Target” Meeting: Parent Engagement in the GMS Library from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. At this meeting, sponsored by the Griswold Board of Education and Children First Griswold, we will identify three "targets" for getting parents and the community engaged in the schools, school events, and overall child/student well-being. Parent and community members are invited to come and be part of a dynamic conversation and brainstorming session to identify our three targets for 2014-15. This is a one-hour, one-time commitment. We want your ideas! Childcare will be available!

If you would like a school event/meeting listed in the Calendar section, please forward date and information to Paul Smith:

psmith@griswoldpublicschools.org.

Notes

September Employees of the Month

We are grateful to the work done by Michele and Suzanne as staffing changes left the Business Office shorthanded over the summer – one of the busiest times for the Central Office!

Griswold Public Schools takes concussions very seriously

Concussions are not just a problem in the National Football League. They are a potential issue for any child any time there is a suspected heard injury. Connecticut legislation has been updated to unify school procedures whenever a head injury is suspected (see below).

The Centers for Disease Control has provided excellent resources for parents concerning concussions. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/. All of us need to remember that concussions don’t just happened in athletics. Any brain injury can have lasting effects and every parent should pay attention to any head injury. Please contact your school nurse if you ever have any questions.

Highlights from: “Youth Athletics and Concussions” in Shipman and Goodwin Education Legislation Summary 2014

Connecticut Public Act 14-66 makes significant changes to the statutes relating to student concussions, effective July 1, 2014. First, General Statutes § 10-149b now describes concussions as “a type of brain injury.” Along with some clerical changes to the law, the law now provides that the refresher course approved or developed by the SDE in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health must include, for football coaches, current best practices regarding coaching the sport of football, including, but not limited to, frequency of games and full contact practices and scrimmages, as such best practices are identified by the governing authority for intramural and interscholastic athletics.

An important change to the law concerns a new required notification to parents that their child was removed from play due to suspected concussion. Effective July 1, 2014, whenever a coach removes a student athlete from participating in any intramural or interscholastic athletic activity because of signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion following an observed or suspected blow to the head or body or a diagnosis of a concussion, a “qualified school employee” as defined in the law, (principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or occupational therapist employed by a school district, coach or school paraprofessional), must notify the student athlete’s parent or legal guardian. This notification must be provided not later than 24 hours after the removal, but the school employee should make a reasonable effort to provide immediate notification to the parent or legal guardian.

…

SEPTEMBER 2014 Michele Demicco &

Suzanne Lacasse GPS Central Office / Business Manager

& Accounts Payable

Michele Demicco, Suzanne Lacasse, & Sue Rourke

Another important change to the law includes gathering information regarding concussions. For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, local or regional boards of education must collect and report all occurrences of concussions to the State Board of Education. Beginning July 1, 2015, the SDE must send a concussion report to the DPH and not later than October 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Health must report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly relating to children and public health. Finally, the law provides for the development of a new task force to study occurrences of concussions in youth athletics and to make recommendations for possible legislative initiatives to address concussions.

Highlights from: “Regardless of location, concussions serious: study,” by Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, August 11,

2014, as reported in Pediatrics, online August 11, 2014.

Among high-school football players who sustained concussions after getting hit in the head, the location of impact made no difference in symptoms and length of time to return to play, a study in the journal Pediatrics showed. However, researchers found that players who were hit on the top of their head were more likely to lose consciousness than those with an impact to other areas of the head.

Regardless of where on the head the players were hit, their symptoms were similar, as were the length of time symptoms lasted and how long players stayed off the field, researchers found.

There has been increasing concern over any knocks to the head that high school athletes may experience, because of how common those hits are and the lingering problems they’re associated with. Using data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, from the 2008-2009 and 2012-2013 seasons, researchers were able to analyze 2,526 football-related concussions that occurred during games and practices.

About 45 percent of concussions were caused by hits to the front of the head. The second most common hit to cause concussions was to the side of the head, followed by back of the head and finally the top of the head.

After reviewing the data, the researchers found that where on the head the impact occurred made no difference in terms of the symptoms the players had, the length of time the symptoms persisted and how long players had to be kept off the field. Therefore, it is not possible to predict which athletes are more likely to have more severe symptoms or worse outcomes based only on how their injuries occur. Every concussion needs to be taken very seriously.

The researchers did find that players who received a concussion to the top of their head were more likely to lose consciousness, compared to those who received an impact to other parts of their head.

The vast majority of players who received impacts to the top of their head had their heads down at the time of the hit, compared to less than a quarter of those hit in other parts of their head. These findings support the call to take the head out of the game. The findings support the tackling technique that keeps players’ heads up, compared to their heads being aimed down while running at another player.

The researchers state, “We don’t ever want our work to be used to frighten and pull kids out of sports, but this work is a kind of reminder that the coaches, parents, physicians and everyone involved need to work together to make those sports safe to play.”

THANK YOU to the United Way!

At the end of the first week of school, Kim Deschamps a volunteer for United Way who is employed by Electric Boat delivered donated schools supplies. Our schools will make available these supplies which include notebooks, backpacks, paper, calculators, and jump drives. We are grateful for the support from United Way!

Athletics do make a difference…

In difficult budget times, we cannot make the mistake of eliminating things that are most valuable in the development of capable, ethical, and thoughtful individuals. A study done in Canada showed that 78% of executives in Alberta, Canada had participated in high school sports. Take a quick read. Sports and after school activities are an important part of our school “day.”

Reprinted from the National Federation of State High Schools Association By Dr. Tim Berrett and John Paton

A survey commissioned by the Alberta (Canada) Schools' Athletic Association (ASAA) indicated that almost 80 percent of the province's senior executives who responded participated in interschool sports, and more than one-half of those surveyed said school sports significantly or extensively contributed to their career development.

The ASAA surveyed Alberta's top corporate chief executive officers and provincial officers (Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA) to determine the extent to which those corporate and public leaders were engaged in high school sports and the perceived benefits that these individuals derived from their participation. The survey was mailed to Alberta's 83 provincial officers and the senior executives of the province's leading 146 corporations.

Of the 46 corporate executives and 46 provincial officers who responded, 78.3 percent indicated that they participated in high school sports and 100 percent graduated from high school. More than 54 percent indicated that this participation significantly assisted them in their career development.

While the results of this survey do not necessarily mean that all high school student-athletes are destined for the top of the corporate world or to enter public life, it certainly presents a compelling argument for support of interschool athletics and of the teacher-coaches and others who volunteer their time before and after school and on weekends to make sure Alberta's high school students have the chance to participate in interscholastic athletics.

Since the normal participation rate of students in high school sports in the province is about 30 to 35 percent, the fact that 76.6 percent of CEOs and 80 percent of the provincial officers participated in high school sports offers strong support for the argument that high school sports involvement is a predictor of success in later life.

In addition to the connection between sports participation and career development, 48 percent of the respondents reported a significant or extensive complementary relationship between academics and school sport participation. Other benefits associated with involvement in high school sports cited by Alberta's corporate and political leaders included physical fitness, promotion of lifelong activity, mental health, stress relief, friendship, having fun, development of character, personal growth, travel, fair play and acceptance of others.

Teamwork was the No. 1 skill learned through school sports according to the almost 100 respondents. Other skills derived through participation in sports were discipline, goal-setting, leadership, independence and self-confidence.

The most popular high school sports in which Alberta's corporate and political leaders participated were track and field, basketball and football.

Thoughts

Jewett City Savings Bank saves the Griswold High School Fall Drama and Spring Musical!

On Friday morning, September 5 at 8:30 AM, a group of students from Griswold High School who typically participate in the fall play and the spring musical were called down to the auditorium. The students filed into their seats not knowing why they had been called. As Superintendent, it was my honor to begin the event by thanking Jewett City for their constant support of the town of Griswold, the schools of Griswold, and the programs in our schools. Kevin Merchant, President/CEO of the bank was then introduced to the students. Kevin let students know that Jewett City Savings Bank was very proud of being a regular sponsor of the Spring Musical and how disappointed he was personally for the students and the community that the Spring Musical stipend had been eliminated from the budget. Kevin then announced that the Jewett City Savings Bank would make their annual contribution to the drama program AND donate an additional $5,750 to support the stipends for the Fall Drama Production and the Spring Musical. The students in the audience stood immediately to applaud and show their appreciation. Students had come to Town Meetings, students had been at the polls, and students had made calls to help support the school budget. Their efforts behind the scenes and on the GHS stage were being recognized. After the check was presented to the school and Principal, Doctor Frizzell addressed the group, students stood and came to the front of the auditorium to shake Mr. Merchant’s hand and thank him personally. No one told the students to come down and personally thank Mr. Merchant. They did it on their own. It was clear to me that they know the value of the drama program in the lives and the great gift that has been given to them by Jewett City Savings Bank. As I watched students erupt in celebration and then thank Mr. Merchant personally, I was touched beyond words. It just reassured me that we have the greatest students in the state of Connecticut. I applaud Jewett City Savings Bank – and I can’t wait to applaud our students on stage in the Fall Play and the Spring Musical.

A huge GRISWOLD STRONG thank you to Jewett City Savings Bank

and President/CEO of the bank, Kevin Merchant who continue to partner with our town, our schools, and our children.

Their most recent donation will restore the FALL DRAMA program and the SPRING MUSICAL at GHS!

Both of these stipends were among the stipends cut as a result of the 0.09% (pending) school budget for 2014-15.

Thank you Jewett City Savings Bank!

JEWETT CITY, CONNECTICUT, September 5, 2014 … At a special assembly for Griswold High School students involved in the

school’s drama program, Paul Smith, superintendent of schools, and Kevin Merchant, president and CEO of Jewett City Savings

Bank, announced that the Bank has made a $5,750 donation to ensure the continuation of the drama program at Griswold High

School while this year’s school budget awaits a final vote of the town’s taxpayers.

Although the drama program itself is self-sustained through performance ticket sales and other show-related income, the $5,750

stipend provided for the program directors and other administrative staff is traditionally a budget item. Jewett City Savings Bank

offered to cover that expense with a one-time only donation, according to Merchant.

“Nearly half of the student population participates in the program’s fall and spring shows, whether they are performers or musicians,

working on wardrobes or sets, or personally involved in some other role,” said Merchant. “That experience has become significant

in the growth and education of many of our adolescents and we feel an obligation to our community to help ensure the program

continues uninterrupted for another year.”

The Bank has been the primary sponsor and community partner for the school’s spring musical productions since 2011. “This

production is truly a community event each and every year and our support is just another way of giving back to the community,

which is something we take very seriously at Jewett City Savings Bank,” said Merchant.

Jewett City Savings Bank is a mutual savings bank operating full-service offices in Jewett City, Brooklyn, Dayville, Plainfield, and

Preston, with online banking services at jcsbank.com and a Facebook presence at facebook.com/jcsbank.

Established in 1873, the Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Have a great week.

Paul K. Smith

What we see is mainly what we look for. ~Unknown

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