2026-2027 Lower School Back-to-School Information
Key September Dates
- Orientation: Thursday, September 3 at 1:00 pm
All Barat Center and Kindergarten students and their parents, as well as new students in Grades 1-4 and their parents, will meet their new teachers, see their classroom, and take a tour of Sacred Heart Greenwich. - First Day of School: Tuesday, September 8 at 8:00 am
We can’t wait to welcome you back! Barat Center students will be in school until noon during the first week back on campus, while students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 will dismiss at their regular times. See more details about dismissal above. - Back-to-School Night: Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 pm
Please save the date for the Lower School Back-to-School Night for parents. More details will follow. - Parents’ Association Blessing and Welcome Coffee: Friday, September 18 at 8:15 am
All parents are invited to join the Parents’ Association for a welcome coffee in Hayes Hall followed by a Parent Blessing in the Chapel at 8:45 a.m. You will have the chance to meet Parents’ Association Board Members, Class Parents, and Event Chairs and learn about all of the upcoming events for the year and how to get involved.
Lower School Key Contacts
To foster positive and productive family communication and relationships, you can find a list of key Lower School faculty members to contact here if you have particular questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Student Success Team
We are dedicated to empowering every student to reach his/ her full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. Please take a moment to learn more about our Student Success Team here, a comprehensive initiative that offers personalized enrichment and support to inspire growth in every learner.
Student Circle of Support
At Sacred Heart Greenwich, we support both the academic and social-emotional development of each student through individualized and programmatic resources. You can find the Circle of Support document here.
Parent Portal
As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, please take time to visit the Parent Portal, where you will find essential information for the beginning of school. Please read everything carefully, including the Updated Family/Student Handbook, and make sure to update/sign all necessary forms, which were due by July 17, 2026, and August 1, 2026.
Family/Student Handbook
The Sacred Heart Greenwich Family/Student Handbook provides detailed information about important school policies and procedures for the entire school, with a specific section covering all aspects of life in the Lower School (p. 32-38). Every year the Senior Leadership Team reviews the handbook to make updates and changes. Please review the Lower School section in the Parent Portal before signing.
Lower School Summer Site & Summer Work
The Lower School teachers have prepared engaging and thoughtful assignments for each grade level starting in Grade 1. These carefully crafted assignments balance learning and fun, encouraging students to explore new interests, reinforce academic skills, and develop their talents. The assignments can be found on our Lower School Summer Site.
Sacred Heart Greenwich Calendar
The School does not print a paper version of the master school calendar. Instead, the master calendar can be viewed by logging into the Parent Portal and clicking “Calendar” in the heading. Check back with the calendar often, as sometimes dates and times will shift.
Health Office & Medication
Sacred Heart Greenwich cannot administer any medication to your child, including non-prescription drugs, without either the completed “Permission to Administer Medication” form, available on the Parent Portal, or a signed note from your physician. All medications must be in their original prescription bottles.
Peanut and/or Tree Nut Allergies
We have developed a peanut/tree nut-aware environment at Sacred Heart Greenwich. This policy includes all nuts and tree nuts, as well as peanuts and tree nut products. We do not serve peanut butter sandwiches, and the food service provider does not prepare foods that contain peanut/tree nut oil or peanut/tree nut products.
Barat Center & Kindergarten - Grade 4 School Supplies
Please see the Lower School Summer Site for information about which school supplies to purchase. To note: Barat Center students have additional items to bring to Student Orientation, such as photos to decorate their cubbies.
Arrival
Early Morning Room begins at 7:45 am. We ask that you drop your child off early only when necessary, and please send them with a quiet activity, such as a reading book, a sticker book, or bracelet-making.
Lower School students are asked to arrive at 8:00 am. School begins promptly at 8:15 am.
Dismissal
Most importantly: Please set up your child’s School Dismissal Manager information.
The Barat Center: 3:00 pm from the sidewalk behind the Barat Center
Kindergarten: 3:00 pm from the back of the Gillespie Science Center by the bus loop
Grades 1–4: 3:10 pm from the front of the Gillespie Science Center in the main circle
Bus riders in K-4: 3:25 pm from the bus loop
All parents received communication regarding bus transportation and, if their daughter is eligible for such transportation (starting in Kindergarten), should ensure they have registered with their respective local districts for bus services. Any questions or concerns regarding regular bus or van transportation to and from the school should be directed to Heather Wund-Matos, Bus Coordinator (wundmatosh@cshct.org, 203-532-3144).
To be sure that our car pick-up process is both safe and efficient, here are some ways that you can help us to make dismissal as smooth as possible:
- Place your “last name tag” on your dashboard to help teachers identify your car. Name tags will be provided to new families during Orientation. For returning families, please use last year’s name tags on the first day, and then students will receive two fresh name tags on the first day of school to be used for the remainder of the year.
- When approaching the Gillespie Science Center, stay to the right and pull up as far as possible to allow multiple cars to load at once. Please remain in your car, and the teachers will help your child into the car.
- Please do not leave your car in the circle to enter the building.
- For Barat Center students, when you drive around to the sidewalk behind the Barat Center, please stay in one line. Do not create a second line, as it would not be safe for children to cross in between cars. Please buckle your child in as swiftly as possible to keep the car line moving.
For more information about Arrival and Dismissal (i.e., if you have children being dismissed from multiple grade levels and/or divisions, or what to do if you are running late), please visit our Family/Student Handbook (Parent Portal) (p. 32-33).
Please also visit the Family/Student Handbook (Parent Portal) for information regarding the following:
Daily Attendance (p. 33)
Tardies (p. 33)
Appointments and Early Dismissal (p. 33)
Vacations (p. 34)
After-School Programming: Extended Day, Tiger Time, and Music Lessons (p. 34)
Uniforms (p. 34)
A few reminders about the uniform policy:
- Students must be in uniform each day. Please refer to the Barat Center and Lower School uniform requirements.
- No nail polish, fake nails, colored hair extensions, or jewelry may be worn to school, except for stud earrings and small medals worn under the shirt.
- While students are permitted to wear the flat navy or black rubber-soled tie, loafer, or Mary Jane shoes, they can wear their white sneakers every day, including on Dress Uniform days.
- On PE Days: Students should wear the PE uniform short-sleeve Sacred Heart logo t-shirt and PE uniform Sacred Heart logo gym shorts. When the weather gets colder, students should wear the black PE uniform crew-neck logo sweatshirt, and black PE uniform club fleece pants; or leggings underneath the PE shorts are also permitted. Leggings alone are not permitted.
- All articles of clothing should be clearly marked with the student’s name.
Birthday Celebrations (p. 34)
All Barat Center and Lower School students may wear civvies on the day they celebrate their birthday. Please see the “Non-Uniform Days (Civvies Days)” section of the uniform requirements for more specific information.
Lunch/ Snacks Program (p. 35)
Learn about Lunch & Snacks HERE
Chapels & Gatherings (p. 35)
Students gather every Thursday morning as a Lower School community. Please note that there are certain Chapels and Gatherings that parents are invited to attend. Those specific dates are noted on the Calendar (Parent Portal).
Service Learning Program (p. 35)
Lower School Student Council (p. 35)
Cellphone and Smartwatch Policy (p. 35)
Cellphones and smartwatches are not permitted during the school day, including after-school programs.