Friday, January 26, 2018

Moretown School Update, January 26, 2018


Moretown's afterschool book group
Reading is Fun!  


Harwood Unified Union School District Logo

The HUUSD Board has approved a first year unified district budget for the public to vote on March 7th, 2017 via Australian Ballot.  We will be hosting an informational session on the evening of March 6th at 6pm in the Harwood High School Auditorium to provide more detail on this budget and address your questions.  In the meantime, we wanted to provide you with a high-level introduction.  
The budget represents an increase in expenditures of 3.2%, which includes an allowance for ongoing collective bargaining, establishment of a prudent maintenance reserve for our 7 buildings, and strategic investments in a new middle school science curriculum and a bus to boost enrollment from neighboring choice districts.  This budget, with the tax incentives realized through our unanimous vote to consolidate all WWSU schools, impacts our Estimated Equalized Homestead Tax Rates as follows:
                         
Duxbury -5.3%      
Fayston   -6.8%  
Moretown -8.9%     
Waitsfield    -4.1%        
Warren     +0.7%
Waterbury    -5.8%  

Budget development began this past October with our review of a Level Service Budget that merged our 7 existing budgets.  The board discussed the desire to tackle discrepancies in opportunity, eliminate waste and enhance our programming.  Over three months, the board discovered some significant differences between our schools, our resources and our expectations and the complexities of evaluating equity across our schools.  We considered several reductions and increases to the Level Service Budget.
At the conclusion of this process, the HUUSD Board decided that staffing changes required further study and deliberation to avoid undue risk to such priorities as community trust, equity and enrollment.  Identification of efficiencies will be a primary focus in the upcoming budget year.
While not directly impacting budgets, the HUUSD Board has also taken two immediate actions to enhance learning, equity of opportunity and flexibility for families.  We have asked the administration to develop a plan for foreign language resources to be pooled and leveraged across all elementary schools to maximize language learning and equity, and we decided to move forward with school choice in our first year of operation based upon the level of community interest and our capacity to allow for this movement.  
We would greatly appreciate your support of our work and the budget we have developed for our first year operating as a unified district. The proposed HUUSD budget is posted on the WWSU website for your review.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to any and all HUUSD Board Directors with your questions or comments.  Further, we encourage your attendance and participation in any of our regularly scheduled meetings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month.  

Contact information for all Board Directors and budget information is posted at www.wwsu.org.






JUMP ROPE FOR HEART

A friendly reminder for anyone fundraising for the American Heart Association through Jump Rope for Heart, fundraising packets are due to Miss Ally by Wednesday, January 31st. We will be performing a jump rope show during an assembly in lieu of an "event." 
Please direct any further questions to Miss Ally (abataille@wwsu.org)  . 

Moretown Pre-Schoolers
Snowshoed twice this month..
way to go...  hopefully the iee
goes away soon.  


CALENDAR UPDATE
January/ Feb
January 2018

NOTE
Moretown’s annual seed sale information can be found in the blog.  Help the PTN continue to support our school programs.  
January  30
#3  Winter Sports Program begins at Sugarbush.  (Program begins after lunch)
January 31
Progress Reports to be sent home
Please note that our format has changed.  We are in the process of making adjustments and needed improvements for the end of year report date. Thanks for your patience and understanding.  

Smiles at Lunch 
Smiles when ending the week with
warm feet!  


Community Announcements
Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

Registration is now open for the 2018 Spring Lacrosse Season! Go to www.madriverlax.com to register!  Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse is a nonprofit, developmental organization and is committed to providing a positive, team-oriented athletic experience.  Teams will be fielded for girls and boys in three separate age levels including U11 (3-4 grade), U13 (5-6 grade) and U15 (7-8 grade).  Equipment will be provided for U11 players as supplies allow.  We will also offer a Sunday morning program for U9 (1-2 grade) boys and girls that we call “Chill Lax.”   First timers are welcome at every level.

Trying to Get Through To Our Children  Andrew Donofrio will incorporate real-life stories and examples from both his extensive law enforcement career working with youth and technology crime, as well as his experience as a parent and step-parent as he works to give parents a better understanding of the issues facing our children:  drug and alcohol abuse, vaping, the impact of technology (digital distraction), bullying, risky behavior, exposure to adult material, distracted driving and others. Armed with the knowledge of what children face today, this program will provide effective methods of communication through an in-depth understanding of how children receive information and what motivates them to want to apply it.The workshop will take place January 29th, 6:30pm, at Harwood Union.  This presentation is for ADULTS only- ALL parents/caregivers are welcome.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Dance  January 26th, 7-9pm, at the Warren School.  The admission fee is $3.  You may also bring money for snack.

Girl Scout Information Session January 31st, at Waitsfield School Library, 6:00-7:00pm.  This session is for girls and their parents/caregivers.  Girls will get a chance to experience their first Girl Scout meeting and earn a patch while parents/guardians learn more about Girl Scouts.  No pre-registraion is required.  If you have questions or need more information, please call 1-888-474-9686.

Mad River Valley Little League Youth baseball for Boys and Girls 5-12 years old. Since 1960, the Mad River Valley Little League has been teaching the game of baseball to Mad River Valley kids. The league has 4 different levels of play: T-Ball for 5-6 year olds, Farm League (coach pitch) for 7-8 year olds, American League (minors) for 9-10 year olds, and National League (majors) for 11-12 year olds. The T-ball and Farm leagues use a T-ball, which is softer to prevent injury. There is some flexibility, depending on skill level, to ‘play up’ to older leagues.  The season runs from May5th (practice starts earlier) until mid-June.  All Star teams (optional) run later into the summer for the American and National Leagues. Registration is open now www.madriverbaseball.com  For more info, contact:   Mike Fiaschetti mikef@madriver.com

The Gift of Anxiety and Depression Prevention: Skills We can and Should Be Teaching Our Children    Lynn Lyons will be at the Fayston Elementary School onThursday,  Feb 1, 5:30-7:30, to address strategies that work and ones that don't, offering her perspective on managing and preventing anxiety from taking over children and their families such as: 1)What adults can do to both prevent anxiety from becoming so powerful and help children manage it when it does show up? 2) What is the connection between anxiety and depression? 3) Why are breathing, relaxation, and distraction strategies sometimes ineffective? 4) What do we do when an anxious child is falling apart? 5) How can parents, schools, and outside providers work together more effectively?  For more information call the Fayston School at 496-3636 or emailBarbara@hannahshousevt.org

Softball League The Mad River Valley Little league is considering adding a Youth Softball League to our organization. If you have a girl between the ages of 7 and 12 years old that would be interested in joining a fun, organized and high-quality softball league, please take the time to complete the following linked survey. The survey response will help us better understand potential enrollment in the program prior to investing the money it takes to add this offering to our league.For any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mike Nagle at mikenagle23@comcast.net. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VWTMMKX

Theater Camp and Performance Opportunity for Young Actors  The Skinner Barn in Waitsfield will offer training and performance opportunities for young actors this summer, with a return of their popular musical theater camp, and also the opportunity to land featured roles in their upcoming July production of the musical ‘Gypsy’. Broadway veteran Peter Boynton will lead a musical theater camp for young actors, 6 to 12 years of age, from Monday, June 18 through Friday, June 22. He will be joined by theater pros Michael Halloran, as music director, and Taryn Noelle as movement instructor. The camp hours will be from 9 AM until 1 PM and the tuition is $250 per student. Additionally, six featured roles, (three girls and three boys ages 6-12 years old), will be cast locally for the July production of Gypsy, with rehearsals starting the last week of June, and performances running from July 18 through 29. The production will be co-directed by Mr. Boynton and fellow Broadway veteran, Nick Corley and will be a tremendous opportunity to gain professional stage experience for these young actors. The directors will be looking for strong singers who move well, and though stage experience is a plus, it not a prerequisite. Auditions will be held in the spring and parents and their young actors interested in this opportunity should contact Peter Boynton at info@theskinnerbarn.com.
More information about our summer camp and theater offerings can be found at www.theskinnerbarn.com

Friday, January 19, 2018

Moretown School Update, January 19, 2018

Our Trout in Classroom project scientist/fish herders begin our
second hatchery of brook trout this school year. 
Delivered by a local biologist,
our 100 brook trout eggs are being cared for
by two sixth graders who have committed to
taking care of all aspects of raising them for
release into Doctor's Brook next to the school.
Our scientists, pictured above, need to take daily chemical,
temperature and health readings of our new Moretown eggs. 
Very exciting! 
More to come.... 

Excited to be on the mountain for
our second perfect weather day!  
Families, please remember that that the mountain is cold and sometimes windy.
Please make sure students come to school
with winter clothes, hats, gloves, mittens, etc.
If you are having difficulty with clothing needs, please contact the school.  
PTN SEED SALE INFO

The PTN is thrilled to be working with FarmRaiser again this winter, selling healthy, local products to raise money for our ski program and Artist-in-Residence program coming up this spring.   To reach our goal of $1500.00, we’d like every student to help with this great fundraiser. This sale only lasts through January 31stso we hope you’ll get started right away.

Please instruct your child to register using the instructions or register for them. Our campaign code is 108321.  This will create a custom market for your child that they can share with friends and family, and will also allow them to sell from the app.


From there, customers can purchase through a student’s individual market or from the general market (if they do not wish for a specific student credited with their purchase). 

Please share this link via social media, in emails and texts to friends, family, and colleagues, etc.  Here are some quicklinks for easy sharing: Facebook  | Twitter  |  LinkedIn

Products will be sent home with students on the week of February 19th. If you are interested in volunteering on distribution day, let me know.

This fundraiser is all about supporting our local economy! We’re so excited to engage our students in conversations around nutrition and health and know they will be great community advocates for a healthy lifestyle as they sell their products. 

Thank you for your help in making this our most successful fundraiser yet!

Sincerely, 
Elizabeth Burt, Moretown PTN elizabethcburt@gmail.com 




The Moretown School would like to Welcome
Jean Andreson to our school as our new nurse.  Deirdre Fennelly was
reassigned to work full time in a neighboring school due to
student need.  Jean will be with us Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays
for most of the day.  She has many years experience as a school nurse.
We look forward to working and learning with her
for the rest of this school year!  


Cold or Flu?
Our school health office writes...   
The Vermont Department of Health is reporting widespread influenza (flu) activity in all areas of the state.  Flu can be a serious illness, especially for the very young and very old. If you have not been vaccinated, it is not too late!  Ask your healthcare provider for a flu vaccine, or get vaccinated at the local pharmacy.  Vaccine is also available, by appointment, at no charge for children up through age 18 at the Health Department office in Barre.
How to tell if it is a COLD or the FLU:
·       If you have a stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and a hacking cough; you probably have a COLD
·       If you have a high fever, severe headache, muscle and body aches, extreme tiredness, and a dry cough; you probably have the FLU

Follow these simple precautions to help keep illness from spreading:
·       Wash your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze.
·       Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
·       Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or inner arm when coughing or sneezing.
·       Don’t share drinks or water bottles.
·       Stay home from school or work if you are sick.
If your child has a temperature of 100F or greater, please keep them home.  Children need to be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication in order to return to school.  If your child has vomited in the previous 24 hours, please keep them at home as well. Even if your child meets the above criteria to return, kindly keep them home if they are not well enough to participate comfortably in school related activities. Please take care of yourselves and thank you for helping us ALL keep healthy.

Please refer to these resources for additional information:
What to do about the flu?

CALENDAR UPDATE
January

January 2018

NOTE
Moretown’s annual seed sale information can be found in the blog.  Help the PTN continue to support our school programs.  
January 22
Moretown PTN meeting. 6:30 at the school.
January  23
#3  Winter Sports Program begins at Sugarbush.  (Program begins after lunch)
January 24
Moretown Community Meeting
#2  6:30pm  

Community Announcements
Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.


Registration is now open for the 2018 Spring Lacrosse Season! Go to www.madriverlax.com to register!  Mad River Valley Youth Lacrosse is a nonprofit, developmental organization and is committed to providing a positive, team-oriented athletic experience.  Teams will be fielded for girls and boys in three separate age levels including U11 (3-4 grade), U13 (5-6 grade) and U15 (7-8 grade).  Equipment will be provided for U11 players as supplies allow.  We will also offer a Sunday morning program for U9 (1-2 grade) boys and girls that we call “Chill Lax.”   First timers are welcome at every level.

Trying to Get Through To Our Children  Andrew Donofrio will incorporate real-life stories and examples from both his extensive law enforcement career working with youth and technology crime, as well as his experience as a parent and step-parent as he works to give parents a better understanding of the issues facing our children:  drug and alcohol abuse, vaping, the impact of technology (digital distraction), bullying, risky behavior, exposure to adult material, distracted driving and others. Armed with the knowledge of what children face today, this program will provide effective methods of communication through an in-depth understanding of how children receive information and what motivates them to want to apply it.The workshop will take place January 29th, 6:30pm, at Harwood Union.  This presentation is for ADULTS only- ALL parents/caregivers are welcome.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Dance  January 26th, 7-9pm, at the Warren School.  The admission fee is $3.  You may also bring money for snack.

Girl Scout Information Session January 31st, at Waitsfield School Library, 6:00-7:00pm.

  This session is for girls and their parents/caregivers.  Girls will get a chance to experience their first Girl Scout meeting and earn a patch while parents/guardians learn more about Girl Scouts.  No pre-registraion is required.  If you have questions or need more information, please call 1-888-474-9686.Mad River Valley Little League Youth baseball for Boys and Girls 5-12 years old.Since 1960, the Mad River Valley Little League has been teaching the game of baseball to Mad River Valley kids. The league has 4 different levels of play: T-Ball for 5-6 year olds, Farm League (coach pitch) for 7-8 year olds, American League (minors) for 9-10 year olds, and National League (majors) for 11-12 year olds. The T-ball and Farm leagues use a T-ball, which is softer to prevent injury. There is some flexibility, depending on skill level, to ‘play up’ to older leagues.  The season runs from May5th (practice starts earlier) until mid-June.  All Star teams (optional) run later into the summer for the American and National Leagues. Registration is open now www.madriverbaseball.com  For more info, contact:   Mike Fiaschetti mikef@madriver.com

Friday, January 12, 2018

Moretown School Update, January 12, 2018



Young Writers  is an organization designed to promote reading and writing in students.  They publish student work and often have contests for kids to participate in.  A few 5th/6th grade students decided to put entries in for a Crazy Creatures - Monstrous Mini Saga contest.  The task was to write a short story about a Crazy Creature.  Over 6000 students in the United States submitted their work.  Four Moretown students' stories were chosen to be published in an upcoming March 31, 2018)  book containing all of the chosen pieces.  In April there will be a winner of the best published writer.  Congratulations to Solveig George, Grant Murphy, Tessa Palmer and Derek Wenner.  





The PTN is thrilled to be working with FarmRaiser again this winter, selling healthy, local products to raise money for our ski program and Artist-in-Residence program coming up this spring.   To reach our goal of $1500.00, we’d like every student to help with this great fundraiser. This sale only lasts through January 31stso we hope you’ll get started right away.

Please instruct your child to register using the instructions or register for them. Our campaign code is 108321.  This will create a custom market for your child that they can share with friends and family, and will also allow them to sell from the app.


From there, customers can purchase through a student’s individual market or from the general market (if they do not wish for a specific student credited with their purchase). 

Please share this link via social media, in emails and texts to friends, family, and colleagues, etc.  Here are some quicklinks for easy sharing: Facebook  | Twitter  |  LinkedIn

Products will be sent home with students on the week of February 19th. If you are interested in volunteering on distribution day, let me know.

This fundraiser is all about supporting our local economy! We’re so excited to engage our students in conversations around nutrition and health and know they will be great community advocates for a healthy lifestyle as they sell their products. 

Thank you for your help in making this our most successful fundraiser yet!

Sincerely, 
Elizabeth Burt, Moretown PTN  elizabethcburt@gmail.com 

Our Tooth Tutor
helping students understand the
important of good brushing habits 

CALENDAR UPDATE
January
January 2018

NOTE
Moretown’s annual seed sale information can be found in the blog.  Help the PTN continue to support our school programs.  
January 15
Martin Luther King Day, No School
January  16
#2  Winter Sports Program begins at Sugarbush.  (Program begins after lunch)
January 22
Moretown PTN meeting
6:30
 **Please note our second Moretown School Community Update 
Meeting that was scheduled for January 17th has been moved to 
January 24th starting at 6:30pm.  We will continue to have converstaions
about the three C topics of our school;
 Climate, Curriculum and Communication.   

Future Engineers
Grade 3 and 4th grade students
working on a STEM building project

Community Announcements
Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

Trying to Get Through To Our Children  Andrew Donofrio will incorporate real-life stories and examples from both his extensive law enforcement career working with youth and technology crime, as well as his experience as a parent and step-parent as he works to give parents a better understanding of the issues facing our children:  drug and alcohol abuse, vaping, the impact of technology (digital distraction), bullying, risky behavior, exposure to adult material, distracted driving and others. Armed with the knowledge of what children face today, this program will provide effective methods of communication through an in-depth understanding of how children receive information and what motivates them to want to apply it.The workshop will take place January 29th, 6:30pm, at Harwood Union.  This presentation is for ADULTS only- ALL parents/caregivers are welcome.

Fencing Instruction For Adults and Students grade 5 and up, 6:30-8:30pm, Moretown School Gym, Tuesdays and Thursdays January 16th - February 15th.  Cost: $40 for students grade 5-12, $125 for all others.  Cost includes use of club equipment.  For more information or to register, go to https://sites.google.com/site/midvtfencing/home or email at midvtfencing@gmail.com or call Digger(Keith Puffer) at 802-989-8014.

Employment For All documentary The Harwood Union Transition Team in collaboration with the Vermont Folklife Center invites you to a screening of Employment For All, January 17, 6:00pm, at Harwood Union High School.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Dance  January 26th, 7-9pm, at the Warren School.  The admission fee is $3.  You may also bring money for snack.

Girl Scout Information Session January 31st, at Waitsfield School Library, 6:00-7:00pm.  This session is for girls and their parents/caregivers.  Girls will get a chance to experience their first Girl Scout meeting and earn a patch while parents/guardians learn more about Girl Scouts.  No pre-registraion is required.  If you have questions or need more information, please call 1-888-474-9686.
 
Mad River Valley Little League Youth baseball for Boys and Girls 5-12 years old.Since 1960, the Mad River Valley Little League has been teaching the game of baseball to Mad River Valley kids. The league has 4 different levels of play: T-Ball for 5-6 year olds, Farm League (coach pitch) for 7-8 year olds, American League (minors) for 9-10 year olds, and National League (majors) for 11-12 year olds. The T-ball and Farm leagues use a T-ball, which is softer to prevent injury. There is some flexibility, depending on skill level, to ‘play up’ to older leagues.  The season runs from May5th (practice starts earlier) until mid-June.  All Star teams (optional) run later into the summer for the American and National Leagues. Registration is open now www.madriverbaseball.com  For more info, contact:   Mike Fiaschetti mikef@madriver.com