For 10 years, special education teacher Sarah Innes has served students from kindergarten through 4th grade.
From working in the classroom to catching up with former students and parents at Trader Joe’s or Compo Beach, she feels a deep connection to Westport families.
This summer, she will take the experience she’s gained in our district, and stretch it — and herself — far beyond our borders.
Innes will volunteer overseas as a SkillCorps member with the Global Autism Project. She’ll be assigned to a school devoted specifically to children on the autism spectrum.
Sarah Innes
Innes — who began her special ed career in 2010, in the first New York City public school for children with autism — is a board certified behavior analyst. She joined the Westport Public Schools in 2015.
She does not yet know which of 4 countries she’ll be assigned to. But wherever it is, she looks forward to helping.
“Our kids here have so much more than other parts of the world,” Innes says. “There are so many places that need support and funding.”
She’ll pay for all her travel expenses. In addition, she has pledged to raise $9,500 to help with curriculum development, staff training, professional conferences and mentorship programs. She’s already nearly halfway there. (Click here to donate, and for more information.)
“I believe that location should never determine the quality of a child’s education,” Innes says.
“My career has been defined by my work in 2 of the nation’s leading school systems for individuals with disabilities.
“Having seen the life-changing results of these programs, I am passionate about taking the lessons I’ve learned and sharing them with the world. I am dedicated to enriching communities that haven’t yet had the opportunity to provide this level of specialized support.”
After the Westport Arts Center became MoCA\CT, many members felt abandoned by the very board cobbled together to support them.
They felt that their Riverside Avenue gallery had been exchanged for a grander “regional culture center,” straddling the Norwalk border.
One member says, “All of us were shocked and upset by the relatively sudden decision by the Westport Arts Center, after 50 years, to divorce themselves from the very artists who were the heart and soul of that organization from day one in 1969.”
Early Westport Arts Center logo.
Being kicked out of their gallery, however, was not new to the WAC.
In the early 1980s, fewer students in Westport rendered unnecessary the Greens Farms Elementary School building. WAC paid $1 a year for the space.
In exchange, WAC paid for its upkeep.
A WAC board member at that time recalls, “The town only took care of the roof in that building. Everything else was our responsibility. So we had to deal with a rather ancient boiler. We painted walls and we did everything to make it look nice.”
The WAC rented classrooms to artists as affordable studio spaces, at $80-100 a month. Members would wander to other studios to spark ideas and share techniques.
Artist Sue Sharp, in her Westport Arts Center studio.
One of the first artists to rent space was Herz Emanuel. His sculptures and drawings are on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Whitney, an the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
He worked in the same space that — more than 25 years earlier — had been his son Adam’s 3rd grade classroom.
Other artists at the WAC included Howard Munce and Miggs Burroughs.
Sculptor Herz Emanuel, at work in his studio.
Pianist Heida Hermanns donated about $500,000, to turn the gymnasium into a 200-seat performing arts space for the Theatre Artists Workshop, and symphonies and orchestras. Named Artur Holde Hall, after her husband, and designed by architect Arthur Rothenberg, it was also used for visual arts exhibitions.
Jason Robards read “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” surrounded by works by Paul Cadmus, the controversial Weston artist whose works are now in the collections of the Whitney, Met and many more institutions.
Artur Holde Hall, as exhibition space.
The WAC was funded by studio rentals, ticket sales, and donations.
Best of all, the school superintendent — brightly, warmly, with a signed agreement — guaranteed their lease through 1999.
In 1992, executive director William “Clancy” Thompson told the New York Times, “I have never seen a model like it. I know of theater companies and ballet companies sharing facilities, but not a community of artists such as this, such fine performance space in a town with the wisdom to make the building available. It’s’ an unusual combination of factors, filled with promise.”
The center thrived.
Westport Arts Center, by a resident illustrator.
Until 1996 when the same superintendent broke the lease, and demanded that WAC compliantly leave the premises. The town schools were now packed with students.
Instead of building another school, officials decided to renovate this one.
Greens Farms School, as the Westport Arts Center.
Greens Farms School had been WAC’s home for almost 20 years.
However some parents — many of them new to Westport — were upset that artists were populating school space that could belong to their children.
A then-WAC board member says, “They thought the Arts Center was full of frivolous housewives with all this money to burn, who wanted to become painters so they could rent from us.”
In fact, some of those “frivolous housewives” included Anne Chernow, a lithographer with works at the Met, and artists like Marianne Rothballer and Judy Kamerschen, well noted for their work in juried exhibits and shows.
Still, according to an accomplished WAC member, “We became pariahs. It was really horrible. People would come to exhibitions and grab anybody they realized was part of the board or an artist and tell us, you know, you’re not very nice people.”
How did the artists respond to the loss of their home? That’s part 4 of this series. Much of this information comes from a WAC film, produced by Katie Hacala and 4th Row Films.
Westport’s arts scene is robust. And it has been, for over a century.
Right now the 2 major visual arts players are MoCA\CT, and the Artists Collective of Westport.
In this first of a 4-part series, “06880” culture correspondent Robin Moyer Chung explores how we got here.
Sources asked for anonymity, to describe sensitive issues.
The management of any institution is rife with roadblocks. And in an institution for the arts, financial realities can sometimes guide, or perhaps overwhelm, artistic missions.
Which brings us to the highly anticipated — and controversial — 2019 opening of MoCA Westport (now MoCA\CT).
As early as the 1920’s, Westport’s arts scene drew attention. In 1929 a newspaper called this “the home of the most distinctive arts community in the world.” (Um … Rome? Paris?)
James Earle Fraser was one of Westport’s earliest, and best known, artists. He designed the buffalo nickel, the “End of the Trail” sculpture of a Native American slumped over a tired horse, and the Theodore Roosevelt statue at the Museum of Natural History.
In 1934 the town of Westport provided $3,000 ($75,000 today), to kick off the Westport- Weston Arts Council (WWAC). The goal was to encourage and nurture the burgeoning arts scene, including writers, actors, fine artists, cartoonists, illustrators, musicians and more.
WWAC thrived for decades, in a variety of venues. In 1983 it found a physical home in what had been Greens Farms Elementary School. After years of declining birthrates, it and 2 other elementary schools were closed.
The WWAC leased the building from the town, for $1 a year. They changed their name to the Westport Arts Center (WAC). They rented the school’s classrooms at affordable rates, as studios for members.
The WAC also built an exhibition space for shows and performances, in the former gymnasium. In return, they were responsible for the building’s maintenance and upkeep.
From 1983 through 1998, this was the Westport Arts Center.
Gradually, the school population rebounded. In the late 1990s, town officials decided the building would revert back to a school.
They broke the WAC’s lease, leaving members without economical studio options or dedicated exhibition space.
After a years-long search the WAC landed in a brightly renovated Riverside Avenue gallery, not far from the Post Road. They sponsored exhibits from members and other artists around Connecticut, and offered arts education for youngsters.
The long, narrow space was not adequate, however. Offices were cramped, and it could not accommodate large pieces.
Westport Arts Center, on Riverside Avenue.
Around 2018, the executive director of the WAC and supporting board members decided they needed a larger, more suitable location. After examining the Baron’s property on Compo Road South, and Martha Stewart’s former television production facility, they chose the latter.
A press release gushed, “Thanks to 50 years of connecting an entire community around a love of the arts, it will open its new doors at 19 Newtown Turnpike under an evolved identity and mission.”
A town official added, “We are excited to see the Arts Center expand to meet the creative demands of our active, artistic town … the new campus will be a regional cultural destination, drawing audiences to Westport from all over Connecticut, Westchester County and New York City.”
Mo\CA, at 19 Newtown Turnpike.
WAC member sources for this article say they were not made aware of either the search, the new name or the new mission — which mentioned a local audience but not local artists.
Nor did it say that the building is primarily in Norwalk, with most taxes paid to that city.
Instead, members learned the news from the press release.
What happened next? That’s in Part 2 of this series.
(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s arts scene — and the town’s history. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Board of Finance will hold public hearings soon about proposed 2025-26 budgets.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein present their budget on March 24. 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker offers the town budget on March 25. Both meetings begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Town Hall auditorium.
The sessions will be broadcast on Optimum Channel 79, and/or livestreamed on the town website. (On the website, select “How Do I” heading, then “Watch Town Meetings”.)
Last month, Westporters were invited to a presentation about the proposed public safety complex. The new facility would bring the Police and Fire Departments, and Emergency Medical Services, under one roof.
The site most often mentioned is on the Sherwood Island Connector. On April 3 (1 p.m.), residents are invited to the I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot, to tour the location, view site maps and provide feedback.
Town officials, project planners and public safety representatives will answer questions and provide details about the project’s goals and benefits to the community.
Questions? Call Fire Chief Nick Marsan at (203) 341-5000, or email nmarsan@westportct.gov.
The meeting place for the April 3 tour of a proposed public safety facility: the I-95 Exit commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector. The entrance would be just north of this site.
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The Westport Library was packed yesterday, for the Westport Book Shop’s annual benefit.
Since opening across Jesup Green from the Library 2021, the store has provided over 8,750 hours of paid part-time employment and job training for more than a dozen people with disabilities.
Employees learning and use skills — from retail to computer and photography — that are transferable to other environments, and interact often with customers.
Meanwhile, book sales have also generated more than $200,000 for the Library.
The benefit supported both the Westport Book Shop and the Library. There was entertainment from the Staples Jazz Ensemble, plenty of food and drink, and silent and live auctions.
All the employees were there, proudly helping out.
And every attendee got a book, signed by prolific author Ed McBain.
Westport Book Shop employee Bella Rizzi greeted guests. She sat behind a book that had been made into an artful vase. (Photo/Dan Woog)
A sneak peek at the new Main Street restaurant comes next Friday (March 21, 5:30 p.m.).
Coldwell Banker’s Judy Michaelis is hosting a pre-opening celebration. And as guests enjoy the very intriguing menu, they’ll also be doing something good.
100% of all ticket proceeds go to Westport EMS. For those who don’t know: Our fantastic Emergency Medical Service has to pay for everthing. Ambulances, fly cars, medical equipment, medications, training for the current and next generation of volunteer EMTs serving the community, even Band-Aids — they fund it all. (The price for an ambulance these days is about $400,000, if that helps you plan a donation.)
Click here for tickets, and more information. See you at Sushi Jin!
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
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Just around the corner from Sushi Jin, the Levitt is getting ready for its opening.
It’s been around a lot longer — more than 50 years — and it knows how to put on a show.
Umphrey’s McGee (July 11). Ticket sales for the eclectic improv-rock band start at 10 a.m. today (Friday).
Tickets are on sale now for I’m With Her, with Ken Pomeroy. The highly regarded folk trio offers a VIP experience: early admission to the show, a stripped-down intimate short performance, and a Q-and-A.
As always, members enjoy discounts and pre-sales on paid-ticket programming — while helping support the 50-plus nights of free shows. Click here for details.
Six large photos by New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynsey Addario are on display at the Senior Center.
They’re part of the 1991 Staples High School graduate’s series “Veiled Rebellion,” depicting many facets of women’s lives in Afghanistan. Other works from the series hang at the Westport Library, Staples and Town Hall.
On Wednesday, Westport Public Art Collections member Jilda Manikas gave a presentation about the photographer and her photos, at the Senior Center.
Lynsey’s proud mother Camille was there. She answered questions from the audience, including about Lynsey’s recent work in Ukraine.
(Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
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You’re never too young to help others.
The Greens Farms Elementary School Long Neck Leaders — a leadership group of students in grades 3-5 — recently created a community fundraiser to support Rach’s Hope.
The non-profit honors Rachel Doran, a member of the GFS class of 2008. Her sister Ellie also attended Greens Farms.
Their mother, Lisa Doran, is a GFS literacy coach. The Long Neck Leaders invited her to teach them about the charity, which helps families weather the storm of a child’s critical illness.
The students then promoted an all-school pajama day. (Rachel made and sold PJs in local shops, a project she started during elementary school.)
The PJ Day raised $1,300 — much of it thanks to the personal connections the students felt.
The Dorans look forward to Rach’s Hope’s adult fundraiser. The 2025 PJ Gala is March 29 (FTC, Fairfield). The evening includes live music, great food, and plenty of love and hope. For tickets and more information, click here.
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Chris Dobransky has developed a devoted Instagram following, for his recipes and reviews.
He and his family order regularly from Ed’s Fusion, the Italian-and-Mexican spot across from Stop & Shop. He likes the friendly family feel.
Chris wants “06880” readers to know about a new item: birria.
The Mexican dish dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors introduced domesticated livestock, including goats, to Mexico.
Ed’s Fusion’s birria is made with tender beef brisket, Chris says. It’s cooked for over 6 hours on low heat in a broth with a “secret: blend of spices. There are several forms, including tacos, but quesadillas, calzones and pizza.
Each birria item comes with green chile and habanero sauces, and a spiced consomme.
As we prepare to close out 2024 and head into winter break, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a joyful holiday season and a happy new year.
My wife Kerry has taught kindergarten for many years. Every December I hear stories about the boundless excitement her 5-year-olds bring to the classroom.
Teachers across our district face the unique challenge of channeling this energy while maintaining focus during this time of year. Please join me in extending extra patience and appreciation to our incredible faculty and staff as they guide our students through this exciting final week of the year.
Below are a few important updates from around the district:
Greens Farms Elementary School Swatting Incident Last Week
Greens Farms Elementary School experienced a “swatting” incident last week, when a false report of a potential threat was made.
While such situations are deeply unsettling, I want to commend the extraordinary response from the GFS administration (Principal Brian Byrne and Assistant Principals Adelia Eddy and Chris Breyan), the faculty, staff, and our invaluable partners at the Westport Police Department.
In moments like these, it’s crucial to treat every situation as real until proven otherwise. Our emergency response system was put into practice, and the collaboration between GFS and WPD demonstrated exceptional coordination and professionalism.
Greens Farms Elementary School
I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the parents who were waiting in the parking lot for holiday events during the incident. Your patience and cooperation set a remarkable example for our entire community.
Unfortunately, these types of challenges are a reality of our time. However, through careful preparation and strong partnerships, I remain confident in the safety measures we have in place to protect our students and staff.
Smartphone/Wearable Technology Update
Last spring, I recommended restricting access to smartphones and wearable technology during the school day across all grade levels. While this approach is solidly in place for grades K-8, we have maintained the current system at Staples High School, which allows limited access during non-instructional periods, as we evaluate our next steps.
This fall, I engaged with all Staples faculty in small groups to gather their input. While some opinions varied, a strong majority supported moving toward greater restrictions on smartphone use, including a full ban during the school day.
I had intended to host a couple of “town hall” events for parents and students on this matter, but there was a change in a nearby district and it gave me pause.
In November, Wilton High School implemented a full smartphone ban. Their experience has provided us with an opportunity to learn before finalizing any changes in our district.
Wilton High School has generously offered to host a site visit for a team of Staples faculty, administrators and students. This visit will likely take place in late January. After that, I will host the town hall events for Staples parents, and for students, that was originally planned for October/November.
I have also reached out to the Inklings faculty advisors (the Staples student newspaper), and asked that they send a student reporter to chronicle the site visit to Wilton High School.
We will take the time to learn, listen, and thoughtfully plan for the best path forward.
A Bold Strategic Vision for AI in the WPS
Last night, I presented a bold recommendation to the Board of Education: to position the Westport Public Schools as a national leader in public education’s artificial intelligence revolution.
AI tools are rapidly transforming how we live, work, and learn. These tools are here. In just a few years, they have moved from futuristic novelty to mainstream necessity. As educators, we cannot afford to remain on the sidelines.
This was delivered as part of an update on the district strategic plan. I recommended that the district adjust priorities, and make the appropriate use of AI a focal point of district innovation.
We must ensure that AI augments — not replaces — the fundamental aspects of education and cognitive development.
My charge is to return to the Board of Education in the coming months with a clear strategic vision for teaching and learning in the era of the AI revolution. I enthusiastically welcome that challenge!!
I will return to the school community with updates. Additionally, I will seek community partnerships, in search of expertise among community members and educational consultants on developing a bold vision and action plan for our students and schools.
My best to you and your family this holiday season.
(Education is a regular “06880” beat. If you enjoy our coverage of Westport schools — grades K-12, public and private — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
This afternoon, the Westport Police Department responded to a report received through the Veterans Suicide Hotline. It involved a threatening text allegedly targeting Greens Farms Elementary School.
The same threat was reported in several other towns in Connecticut.
GFS enacted a “shelter in place” order.
Officers conducted a thorough investigation, and determined that the threat was not valid.
Greens Farms Elementary School.
It is suspected to be a case of “swatting”: making a false report to emergency services, to cause a large-scale response.
Though the threat was unfounded, the WPD implemented several measures out of an abundance of caution. Officers were stationed at all schools in the district until dismissal to ensure the safety of students and staff, and provide reassurance to the community.
Westport Police say they “take all threats seriously, regardless of their validity, and will continue to work closely with local organizations, school administrators, and law enforcement partners to address these incidents and prevent disruptions to public safety.
“Swatting not only diverts critical emergency resources but also causes unnecessary fear and anxiety within the community.
“The safety and security of our community remain our highest priorities, and we appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our residents as we respond to these situations.”
Superintendent of School Thomas Scarice says, “I arrived at GFS shortly after the call was made, and was greeted by 6 officers, including the deputy chief.
“I want to recognize and thank the WPD for their rapid response, and I want to thank the administration and faculty of GFS for their responsive actions.”
If you haven’t seen “Below Surface” — the inspiring 20-minute documentary that “reveals the extraordinary power of community through an unlikely subject: a YMCA Aquafit class” — now’s your chance.
In fact, even if you have seen it, you should see it again.
After all, the film is not just about any Aquafit class.
This one was shot at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
Thanks to YMCA USA and Pfizer, “Below Surface” will be shown — for free — today (Thursday, September 26, 7 p.m.).
The livestream will be followed by a panel discussion. Among the participants: Patty Kondub, the Westport Y Aquafit instructor whose special talents — as a teacher and community builder — form the heart of the film.
After the live broadcast, viewers can an access an on-demand recording any time, through October 31.
You may have missed International Dot Day last week.
But Greens Farms Elementary didn’t.
The entire school participated in a read-aloud of “The Dot.” Peter Reynolds’ book emphasizes that everyone has creative potential, and small acts of encouragement can lead to great personal growth.
It also celebrates the ideas that creativity can be nurtured, and every person has something unique to contribute to their community.
After the reading. the entire school gathered on the field to create a large “GFS.”
The act symbolized the value each unique individual — or “tiny dot” — plays in the fabric of the Green’s Farms School community.
Due to incorrect information provided, “06880” reported the wrong time for the Artists Collective of Westport trunk show at Jesup Green on Sunday, October 6.
The correct time is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Art of all styles and genres will be on sale. Artists will talk about their inspiration, creative process (and future commissions). There is music and food, too.
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between September 18 and 25.
A 36-year-old Bronx man was arrested for criminal attempt to commit larceny, illegal possession of personal identifying information, illegal reproduction of a payment card, identity theft, forgery and interfering with an officer, following an report that a man was attempting to cash a fraudulent check at TD Bank on Main Street. The suspect attempted to flee. He was found with fraudulent checks, and forged debit and credit cards.
Police also issued these citations:
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 5 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 3
Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 2
Larceny: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Driving with a foreign license after 60 days: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Violation of motor vehicle license class: 1
After 60 days, a foreign driver’s license is verboten.
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Kemp Harris brings his special combination of blues, soul, folk and jazz to Voices Café on October 5 (8 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
He is a singer, songwriter, an expert weaver of American musical styles — and an actor, activist, author, storyteller, and award-winning educator who has instructed public school students for more than 40 years.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature is the first of what I expect will be many similar ones this fall: trees (already) turning, at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
And finally … today in 1969, the Beatles released “Abbey Road.” The songs were as iconic as its cover. 55 years later, it remains a classic.
(You can’t go wrong with the Beatles — or “06880.” You can’t support them any longer. But you can sure help us. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
This story ran 2 years ago, as the new school year began. Several readers asked to see it again. It’s just as timely — and timeless — today. Have a great year!
Forget January 1. Pshaw, Rosh Hashanah. Tomorrow — at least for Westport parents and students — is the real start of the new year.
It’s the first day of school.
Whether you’re a kindergartner heading off on your own, a Staples senior already counting the days to graduation, or a mom or dad feeling pride, trepidation and the warp-speed passage of time — or anyone else, who has ever gone to school — this story is for you.
Summer vacation ends with a thud tomorrow. Each year it’s the same: One day a kid’s free as a cat; the next he’s trapped, chained to the rhythm of the school calendar for 10 long months.
Greens Farms Elementary School
Some youngsters love this time of year; they’re eager to greet old friends, and meet new ones. Or they can’t wait for the smell of newly waxed floors, the security of assigned seats, the praise they know will be lavished on them day after day.
Others abhor it. The thought of entering a strange building filled with strange faces, or trying to be part of a group of peers who won’t accept them, or sitting for hours at a time, doing work they can’t stand, is excruciating — even physically sickening.
Around this time each year, I think about the entire school experience. I wonder which kindergartner will hate school for the rest of the year because his teacher makes a face the morning he throws up in front of everyone, and which will love school because an aide congratulates her the afternoon she almost puts on her coat all by herself.
Which 1st grader will invent any excuse not to go to gym because he can’t throw a ball, and which will get through the school day only because he knows gym is coming soon?
Saugatuck Elementary School
Which 4th grader will walk meekly into class each morning with just one ambition — to get through the day without anyone noticing how ugly, or stupid, or poorly dressed she is — and which will look back on 4th grade as a turning point in her life because a guidance counselor took the time to talk to her, to show her how to comb her hair better, to make her feel good about herself?
Which 5th grader will have a teacher who does nothing when she catches him cheating on a test — too much effort to raise such a touchy issue — and which will have a teacher who scares him so much when he’s caught that he vows to never cheat in school again?
Which 6th grader will enter middle school intent on making a name for himself as the best fighter in his class, and which with the aim of never getting a grade lower than an A? Which 6th grader’s ambition will change, and which will remain the same?
Bedford Middle School
Which 9th grader will temper his fledgling interest in current events with the feeling “it’s not cool; no one else in class cares,” and which will visit the New York Times website every day because her class is working on “this really neat project”?
Which 10th grader will hate English because all she does is read stupid books assigned by the stupid teacher from some stupid list, and which will go to Barnes & Noble on his own for the first time because his teacher suggests there are more books by the same author he might enjoy?
Which 12th grader will have the brains to apply to 3 Ivy League schools, but lack the common courtesy to thank a teacher who wrote glowing recommendation to all of them? And which will slip a note in a teacher’s box the morning of graduation that says, “Thanks. I’m really glad I had you this year”?
Staples High School
It’s easy to wrap our school years in nostalgic gauze, or try to stuff the bad memories down our mental garbage disposals.
We also tend not to think in concrete terms about what goes on inside school walls every day. Learning, we assume, happens. Kids read, write, use laptops, draw, eat and see their friends.
We seldom realize how much of an impact this institution we call “school” has on our kids.
Dr. Tracy Brenner is a clinical psychologist. She is concerned about smartphone and social media use — by elementary school students.
She and other Greens Farms Elementary School parents — where her son is a 4th grader — were motivated to act, after hearing social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discuss his research on the effects of phones on childhood and mental health.
Brenner says, “His data is so sound, his research is so compelling, and his solutions are so completely doable that even skeptics among us would be convinced.
“He negates any opposition’s arguments, and offers solutions to improve the mental health of children. As parents and psychologists, we are totally on board and highly motivated to make change.”
(Click here to for Haidt’s podcast called “Smartphone Rewired Childhood. Here’s How to Fix It.” Click here for an article with the same title. Click here for his book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”)
The letter to GFS 4th grade parents — co-signed by psychologists/parents Dr. Melissa Constantiner and Dr. Lauren Barnet, and over 20 other 4th grade parents — asks them to “unite as a grade, and pledge that we will wait until the end of 8th grade to give our kids smartphones, and until 16 years of age to allow social media.” (Click here to see the pledge.)
“GFS 5th grade parents made it happen,” the letter notes. “The other elementary schools are making a similar push to delay. Let’s be a part of the movement.”
Think about what can happen if the whole grade comes together!” Brenner says.
“Parents often end up giving in to their child’s request for a smartphone long before they feel they are ready, because they fear their child will be left out socially, the only one without one,” she adds.
“If we all band together and say ‘not yet,’ peer pressure is no longer an issue.
Children use smartphones at ever-younger ages.
“Furthermore, for parents who still want their child to have a communication device, both Haidt’s research and ‘Wait Until 8th’ suggest many alternatives to smartphones that don’t carry the same risks.
“Let’s prioritize children’s mental health, not be deterred by their disappointment, and support each other in weathering the storm of complaints.”
Haidt says, “any community that adopts those 4 norms, I can almost guarantee that the rates of mental illness will come down in 1-2 years.”
Besides no smartphones before high school and no social media before age 16, Haidt’s concepts include phone-free schools, and “more independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.”
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Unsure how to talk with your child about smartphones? Dr. Brenner offers these tips:
●If you have already indicated that a smartphone was coming sooner:
Try: “I know that we said we thought x grade would be the time we would give you a smartphone. We are learning more and more each day about how they are truly harmful to kids’ health and well-being. Our #1 job as parents is to keep you safe. Just like I wouldn’t let you ride in a car without a seatbelt, I wouldn’t be doing my job as a parent to hand over a device that I know to be harmful.”
Add empathy and validation: “I’m sure that you are disappointed (angry, etc.). I totally get that, and you are absolutely allowed to be mad at us.”
Plus a clear boundary: “But just like we wouldn’t change our decision-making if you were angry at us for not letting you eat ice cream for breakfast, we are not going to change our decision about this because you are upset.”
● If your child protests because their siblings got phones earlier than the end of 8th grade:
Try: “I know your older brother was given a phone at the end of 5th grade. The cool thing about research and science is we are always learning new things. We just didn’t know as much about the negative impact of smartphones on kids then as we do now. So while this may feel unfair, and trust me, I get it, if I had the information then that I have now, I would have made the same decision.” (Insert empathy and validation lines!)
Greens Farms Elementary School parents tackle a modern issue. (Photo/Seth Schachter)
● If your child asks, “well what’s so bad and dangerous anyway?”:
Do the research, and give the information! Click here for Jonathan Haidt’s stats:
Try something like: “Cell phone use has been linked to problems with sleep, attention, academic performance, less time spent with friends but also can change how you feel, it can make kids and teens feel more sad, lonely and worried.”
● When your child says, “you’re the worst parent ever, everyone else is getting one.”:
Try: “I understand that you feel like I’m the worst and you’re really mad at me. This is something you’ve wanted for a while and I’m saying ‘no.’ That doesn’t feel good. I get that you’re worried you’ll be the only one without a phone. It’s scary to feel left out.
“The good news is that GFS parents are all united in this and supporting each other, because we all agree our kids’ health and well-being comes first. So no, you’re not the only one without a phone. At least not in our community.
If they have camp friends, outside of school friends etc,) say, “Let’s think of other ways that don’t include a smartphone to keep you connected to your friends outside of school.”
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You may not know that this is National Inclusive Schools Week.
But your kids sure do.
All 5 Westport elementary schools — and Stepping Stones Preschool — planned special programming to celebrate the annual event. Begun in 2001, it encourages schools to support cultures of inclusion, and provide quality education to an increasingly diverse student population.
“Many activities open doors to understanding and respecting different ways of thinking, reflecting on themselves as learners, and fostering a sense of belonging in our schools,” says Coleytown Elementary principal Janna Sirowich.
“We are educating students about neurodiversity — the different ways that people’s brains work — and how disabilities do not define or limit an individual’s potential.”
Every elementary school read a book about a famed disability rights activist.
Each school designed a variety of learning opportunities and experiences, across all areas of the building.
For example, Stepping Stones classes read “It’s Ok to be Different,” by Sharon Purtil, which celebrates diversity and encourages acceptance.
Stepping Stones Preschool students watched a PBS show featuring Sesame Street character Julia, who has autism. The video promotes awareness and understanding of neurodiversity at a developmentally appropriate level.
Coleytown Elementary students learned about Special Olympics and Paralympics in their physical education classes — including many athletes who achieved great success in a variety of sports.
All kindergarten through 5th grade artists at Greens Farms Elementary studied Henri Matisse. In a wheelchair and despite his physical limitations, he made incredible art. Students creating their own all-school mural, using organic shapes.
Students in Kings Highway Elementary music classes students incorporated sign language in songs they sang. They also learned about a number of musicians who use their abilities and talents in different ways.
Inclusive Schools Week bulletin board.
All Long Lots Elementary 2nd graders visited with a therapy dog. They learned how animals provide emotional comfort and support to people of all ages and circumstances.
The daily TV news show, Saugatuck Seal News, highlighted individuals with disabilities who have adapted and overcome challenges to create new opportunities once seen as impossible.
Inclusive Schools Week began last week, with a special Cultural Arts performance. “Magic Into the Deaf World” was an inspiring show with Matthew “Magic ” Morgan, who enchanted his audience. Westport science coach Phaedra Taft signed and interpreted for “Magic Morgan.”
“Magic” Morgan (far right), his wife Liliana (2nd from left), with Kings Highway principal Tracey Carbone (wearing green), and parents during Inclusive Schools Week.
“National Inclusive Schools Week provides an opportunity for educators, students, families and communities to engage in conversations and activities that foster a more inclusive and supportive atmosphere within our schools,” Coleytown El principal Sirowich says.
“It encourages reflection on current practices, and the exploration of new strategies to ensure that every student feels welcomed, respected and valued.”
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This was delivered as part of an update on the district strategic plan. I recommended that the district adjust priorities, and make the appropriate use of AI a focal point of district innovation.
Brenner says, “His data is so sound, his research is so compelling, and his solutions are so completely doable that even skeptics among us would be convinced.
