May 13th Moretown School Update
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| 6th grade students working on the front flower garden - just do it! |
May 13, 2016
Dear Moretown School Families,
Happy Spring(?) to all. Our Moretown weather has been “interesting” as of late, however, we hope you have had some time to enjoy the outdoors with your family in between snow squalls, rain storms and freezing temps. As spring goes at the school, our upper unit classes have completed their annual state tests, the school gardens are coming back to life (thanks to our student gardeners) and our school community is focused on closing the year on a great note. Although our focus is on closing this school year, we need to begin planning and preparation for the 2016- 17 school year. We hope the following information will inform you on some changes and opportunities we are working on for next year.
We are very excited to report that for the first time in three years we have a full compliment of staff for all grade levels and can support a configuration that resembles other Mad River Valley Schools. Our work over the next few weeks is to finalize our configuration so that we can make placement decisions for our students. As it stands now our configuration model will create classroom pairings that assist with a shared approach to meeting our curriculum goals. Our initial proposal includes the following: Preschool and Kindergarten classes will stand as singular classes (note that both classes are reaching or are at the maximum enrollment - which is great news for enrollment). Grades and 1 and 2 (as a unit), 3 and 4 (as a unit) and 5 and 6 (as a unit) will take on a shared approach to the model. In some cases teachers will share instruction, in other situations our teachers will focus on grade leveled programs (for instance, the 6th grade math curriculum is connected directly to Harwood Union’s 7th grade math curriculum).
In cases where classroom pairings will place students in specific shared classrooms, notices will be (or have already been) sent out to let you know of this process. We will have a Moretown School step up day on June 6th where students will get an idea of what next year will feel and look like. We will be sending home a letter later in the month to inform you of our configuration model and our process for classroom placement. If you would like to add any information to this process please drop a note to your current classroom teacher so that we can add this to our process.
Another change for the 2016-17 school year effects our STEM offering. As you may be aware, two years ago we initiated a STEM program for our upper unit students - grades 4, 5 and 6. The success of this offering helped to pave the way for a SU wide offering. Beginning for the 2016-17 school year, Project Lead the Way, a national STEM Next Generation Science Standards Program, will be implemented as part of our science program for grades K - 6 in each WWSU school. This program has many of the same aspects of our current STE@M program and some parts will fit nicely with our successful and effective current ECO program.
We hope everyone has a great end of the school year. We look forward to our continued working together as a learning community.
Have a great weekend.
Duane Pierson
Vermont School Board of Education Approves WWSU Plans for School Merger
By: Brigid Scheffert Nease, Superintendent
On April 19, 2016 at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier, the State Board of Education approved the plan submitted by the WWSU Study Committee to merge our existing seven school boards into one. As most taxpayers know by now, the WWSU Study Committee, Executive Board, and administration have been meeting twice a month for almost nine months studying this law and its ramifications. Act 46 requires supervisory unions to merge into one board with one budget in what Act 46 calls a "preferred structure" that serves grades Pre K-12. We can do this now, with some local choice along the way, and receive incentives, or we can sit back and wait until the Agency of Education(AOE) and State Board of Education(SBE) merge us anyway by 2019. Doing it later means doing it their way, without incentives and enduring other serious negative financial consequences for several years... (the full OP ED can be found at this link)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/195Yw6YCaYFcJl-1jX7v2uiOEPDTVJlSsJuA0zpF1dRE/edit
Note to current 6th Grade Student Families
You and your sixth grade child are invited to attend the “7th Grade Transition Night” at Harwood Union Middle School on May 17th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. The team of 7th grade teachers along with the World Language Department Head will be available this evening to provide you with information about your child’s seventh grade school year.
There will be an opportunity to tour the school, see your child’s classrooms, meet their teachers, hear about the different areas of study and have your questions answered. Additional information will be made available this evening which will support a smooth transition for your child from their elementary school into Harwood Union Middle School.
CALENDAR UPDATE
May 19th
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Harwood Union Incoming 7th Grade Evening
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May 25th
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School Music Concert 6:00
Student should arrive at the school by 5:45
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May 26 - 27
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6th Grade Class Trip
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May 31
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Public Information Meeting Regarding ACT 46 at the Moretown School 7:00 in the Multi-Purpose Room
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June 2
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K - 6 Art Show 6pm - 8pm
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June 2
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School Board Meeting 6pm
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June 7
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Field Day
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June 9
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6th Grade Graduation and Overnight at the school
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June 10
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Last day of school (this is a half day)
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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.
School Dance Warren School will be hosting a dance for fifth and sixth graders on May 20 at 7:00-9:00. The cost is $3.00. The theme of the dance is "Rainbow".
Hansel & Gretel and an Evening of Dance 2016 The Stowe Academy and Mad River Academy of Dance will present Hansel and Gretel, Friday and Saturday, June 3 & 4 at 6:00 with a matinee June 5th at 1:00pm, at Dibden Center, Johnson State College. For more information call 802-253-5151 or visit www.stowedance.com
Spring Socrates Cafe A Socrates Cafe is an opportunity for dialogue with other individuals about topics that really matter. It is an opportunity to delve deeper into timeless and timely questions that all human beings deal with in their lives. A Socratic dialogue is unique is that it encourages participants to join together to seek a deeper meaning of a question, a reading and/or a problem. Rather than being a debate or a discussion, a Socrates Cafe is a dialogue where participants are encouraged to listen to each other and to learn from one another. This form of discourse- and its focus on the search for knowledge- comes from Socrates, who observed that "Wisdom Begins in Wonder."
All of the Socrates Cafes at Harwood are facilitated by students who have been in Kathy Cadwell's philosophy classes.they are experienced in leading Socratic Dialogues. Everyone in the community is invited!
Please join us on Tuesday, May 24 from 6:30- 8:00 PM in the Harwood library as we discuss the question, "What does it mean to be an educated person?"
Baked Beads Jewelry and Scarf Sale The 24th annual Memorial Day weekend sake will take place May 27-29, 10am-5pm, under the tent by the Big Picture Theater. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Mad River Valley Ambulance Service.
Mad River Path Benefit Flatbread Bake and Annual Meeting On Friday, May 27th, American Flatbread will be hosting a Benefit Bake for the Mad River Path Association from 5pm to closing. All are invited to attend the Benefit Bake and are also welcome to attend our Path Annual Meeting at 4pm. Mad River Riders board Vice-President, Bob Kogut, will be the guest speaker at the meeting. The Bake will benefit our fundraising efforts to replace the collapsed bridge across from the Fayston School. The Mad River Path has received an exciting, $10,000 anonymous match donation so we are inviting the community to help us reach our target goal. Proceeds from each flatbread pizza – take out or eat-in – will help us replace this important bridge. For more information visit http://www.madriverpath.
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