Bobcat Bulletin 4/14/23

 

Published Poets!

School News:

Recognize these bikes?

They are parked out front, please grab them if they belong to your child.

Dear Families and Caregivers, 

Take a minute to reflect..how many decisions do you think you make every day?  Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands?  The answer varies, but it is a lot. A LOT.  And guess what, there are many decisions for your kids to make too.  Making decisions or choices provides children with autonomy, ownership and a sense of control.  

As caregivers, our hope is that they are making the best, most informed decisions possible.  And the thing is, humans make mistakes, kids and adults alike,  and when we do, the hope is that we can learn from it.  Making decisions is a skill that should be practiced. 

Here are a few things to consider:

Developmentally Appropriate - For our youngest children, limit the number of choices they have to make.  Would you like to wear the red socks or the blue socks?  Young children can become overwhelmed if there are too many choices to choose from.  As children become more skilled in decision making, you can offer more choices.

Preview - Preview the possible outcomes of each choice ahead of time.  For example, a middle school student is deciding whether or not hang out with friends on a Friday night.  You might preview the choice by saying, “staying and hanging out with friends would be a lot of fun, and you have soccer in the morning and need to get up extra early to be ready.  If you choose to come home now, you will be ready for tomorrow and have enough time to spend with friends after soccer practice.”

Reflecting - After a choice has been made and your child followed through, you might consider asking, how did that choice work for you?  Would you make a different choice the next time?

Responsible decision making involves learning how to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse settings. So how do we help kids learn these important skills?  Here are a few resources: 

Making Tough Choices (Decisions) with Kid President

Books: https://bookroo.com/explore/books/topics/making-decisions

Conversation Starters:

• Are you good at making decisions? Why or why not?

• Tell me about a good decision you made.

• Tell me about a bad decision you made.

• Do you like to make choices? Why or why not?

• Tell me one of your long-term goals.

• Tell me one of your short-term goals.

• Have you ever made a decision then changed your mind? If yes, explain the situation.

• Have you ever asked the opinion of someone else before making a decision? If yes, explain the situation.

• Do you think people make bad decisions because of peer pressure? Why or why not?

• Tell me about a setback you had in your life.

Take Home Skill: Making Amends for Kids

Strategies for parents and caregivers to help their children process their actions and discuss what they can do to make amends

Level: PreK/Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School

Duration: ≤ 15 minutes

Every Parent’s Guide to Decision Fatigue 

Try playing a Game of Would you rather on your way home from the bus stop, school, or practice.  You will get a feel for decisions your child makes and the thought process that goes into those decisions.

Remember the choices we make each day can make all the difference,

Thanks for all you do,

The SELTF

(Justina, Shannon, Skye, Tara, Chelsea, Mandy)

Library

tech unplugged

We Heart Art

Notes from the Health Office

Yeah, the sun is finally out! You can check out summer sun tips here from the CDC. Wide brimmed hats are an excellent option to prevent prolonged facial exposure to the sun and can be worn when students are outside during recess.  We also encourage shirts that cover areas of the body that are prone to sunburn, such as the upper chest and shoulders.  We encourage parents to apply sunscreen at home prior to children coming to school using sunscreen with an SPF of no less than 15, but recommend an SPF of 30-50. Staff do not apply sunscreen at school. 

Sunscreen:  School personnel do not apply sunscreen at school.  If your child has a planned outing during the school day, please be sure to apply sunscreen to your child before coming to school.  Please do not send sunscreen to school with your child.  Wide brimmed hats are an excellent option to prevent prolonged facial exposure and can be worn when students are outside.  Click here for summer sun tips from the CDC.

Here's a little info from Kids Health on Prevention.

An Ounce of Prevention

To help protect kids from heat illness:

• Teach kids to always drink plenty of fluids before and during activity in hot, sunny weather — even if they're not thirsty.

• Make sure kids wear light-colored, loose clothing and use sunscreen when outdoors.

• On hot or humid days, make sure your kids only participate in heavy activity outdoors before noon and after 6 p.m.

Teach kids to come indoors, rest, and hydrate immediately whenever they feel overheated. 

Resources 

Sunscreen like all over the counter medications should be administered according to school policy. See the Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual, Section on Mediations #22 for guidance on OTC administration in school and on school sponsored events.

• FDA has published monographs, or rules, for a number of OTC drug categories. These monographs, which are published in the Federal Register, state requirements for categories of nonprescription drugs, such as what ingredients may be used and for what intended use. Among the many nonprescription drug categories covered by OTC monographs are

• acne medications

• treatments for dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis

• sunscreens

An update on sunscreen requirements: The deemed final order and the proposed order | FDA

FDA regulates sunscreens, which are nonprescription drugs…

However, sunscreen is only one part of the solution. People should engage in sun protective behaviors, such as wearing protective clothing; wearing sunglasses and a hat that provides adequate shade; and finding shade whenever possible during periods of peak sunlight. 

This is from Child Care Licensing Regulations governing PreK

5.6.9 Insect repellent, sunscreen and non-prescription diaper ointment are not considered medications. Written parental permission shall be obtained prior to the application of insect repellent, sunscreen and non-prescription diaper ointment. This parental permission shall specify the product but may permit application as needed over a span of time. Such permission shall be updated at least once every 365 days and shall be maintained in each child's file. Children younger than school age shall not apply any of these items independently. School age children may apply these items independently with supervision.

The VSSNA provided Dr. French and the VT AoE with recommended language (link below) to create legislation that would exempt schools from requiring written parent/guardian permission for students to carry and apply FDA approved sunscreen while in school (or attending school sponsored events). We will be following up with the VT AoE now that Dr. French has left the administration for another position in Washington DC. This document also references sunscreen legislation that has been enacted in 25 other states.

Final - Sunscreen - VSSNA's Recd Language for Dr. French 3_9_23

This week at ECO

Abenaki Drum and songs shared with our Pines Class community. Thank you Allison and Trevor Lewis!

Grades 1/2 learned a ton about birds 

Community News/Opportunities

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.

• Tree Planting Project: Wednesday, April 26th, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. TCR is collaborating with Friends of the Winooski River to help with a tree planting project along the Little River in Stowe. Come spend a morning outside along the river and help plant some trees to restore our watershed. ALL ages welcome! Email childrensroom@huusd.org to sign up!

• Annual Tag Sale: May 19th and May 20th, Wesley United Methodist Church on 56 South Main in Waterbury village. Spring cleaning anyone? Donate clean baby and kid’s clothing, outerwear, toys, shoes, boots, costumes and baby gear on May 16th-18th, and come shop the sale! Drop off times coming soon on http://www.childrensroomonline.org/events.html

 U6 & U8 Mad River Valley Soccer Spring '23 
Registration in now open!

This program is designed to be fun for the kids,  there will be little to no "training" at any of these sessions - certainly no lines or laps or standing around.  The sole design for this age group is to get the kids coming back the next year to play! At each session the kids will spend about 15 minutes working on a skill that will help in the small-sided games and be reflective of a growing skill set for kids this age.
Birth years: U8 -2015 & 2016; U6 - 2017 & 2018 (2019 - please connect with me directly)

WHEN: April 28th, 2023 - June 10, 2023, no sessions the weekend of Memorial Day

• U8 - Fridays at 5:15 - 6:30 and Saturdays at `10:00 - 11:15
• U6 - Saturdays 9:00 

WHERE: Tentatively at Mad River Park, but may move to the Polo fields behind Waitsfield Town Hall

COST: U8: $100 U6: $60
Registration Link:
https://www.highlandsoccer.net/mad-river-valley-soccer/

   _____________    SUMMER PROGRAMMING _______________

MRV Summer FUNd  Summer Activity Scholarship Fund  The MRV Summer FUNd is here to help ensure that children in the valley who want to participate in summer programs, but for whom the cost would exclude participation, are given the opportunity.

Children must be school aged, 4-18, and either attend one of the valley schools, live in the valley or have parents who work in the valley. The camps can be local or national, day or sleep away. Please note that camps fill up quickly and many camps have already opened up their application process. So don't delay and don't hesitate to apply if you need a little extra help. Every effort will be made to process requests within one week.

Please fill out a separate form for each child. Here is a link to the MRV Summer FUNd form

Green Mountain Performing Arts Summer Camps      Join Green Mountain Performing Arts for a Summer full of dancing, games, crafts and more!

We have camp options for ages 3+ in a variety of dance styles and themes like Encanto, JoJo Siwa, Kidz Bop, Matilda The Musical and more.  You are bound to find something that your dancer will enjoy. Register soon to secure your spot!

All Summer 2023 info can be found here.
 

Harwood Girls Basketball Camps     Tommy Young will be offering a summer basketball camp to be held in the Harwood Union High School Gym.
The camps will be held June 26 through June 30th
Grades 2-5:  8am - 11am
Grades 6-9:  11am - 2pm
For more information and the registrations form, click here.