Welcome Letter for the 2016-17 School Year

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year!  

Hello Moretown School Families,

The Moretown School is eager to get underway for the new school year.  There are a host of initiatives, activities and curricular improvements we have been preparing over the summer to create a dynamic and engaging school year for everyone.  Some highlights include;

1. Continuation of our successful and community supported Educating Children Outdoors program (A North Branch Nature Center partnered curriculum) for grades Pre K – 4,
2. Continuation of our involvement with the Vermont Rural Partnership a grant providing agency supporting grant funded learning opportunities for our students.  
3. Continuation of our Moretown School’s STEM program through a Washington West Supervisory Union initiative supported by the Project Lead the Way program (https://www.pltw.org/).  This year all students grades K - 6 will learn about the world of design and innovation through PLTW program materials that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.  We are very excited to offer this program to our students this year.      
4. Continuation of or 1:1 device program for grades 3 – 6 (combining netbook, ipads, and chromebooks for students to utilize).
5. Continuation of our successful and self- supporting MECA program.  
6. Implementation of the first phases of our new grading system procees as defined by ACT 77 (personalized learning plans and proficiency based learning http://education.vermont.gov/flexible-pathways) which includes
1. Family conferences are built into the school calendar two times within the school year; once in late October/early November and once in March (see the school calendar for specific dates). These conferences focus on goal-setting. School staff work with students and their families to establish focus goals, based upon strengths, challenges and interests students have demonstrated. Academic, as well as social-emotional, proficiencies play an important role when establishing focus goals.
2. Progress on these goals, as well as general growth monitoring, is shared in report cards sent home in January and June.  Teachers may share information regarding student strengths and challenges outside of these established communication cycles and families are encouraged to reach out to teachers if they have questions regarding their child’s progress.  

7. Continuation of the responsive classroom system to support a positive school climate.
8. Continuation of our school blog  and new website to keep all of our community informed about our school events, learning and opportunities.   The blog will continue to be a great way to provide real time clips of student learning, up to date information and access to a wide variety of link that will help us help our families create a successful experience for our students. Please provide us feedback as we learn to utilize this media opportunity.

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Important  School Information:

1. Main office of the school is open beginning at 7:20.  Our main contact number is 496-3742.  The school will be open beginning at 7:15 for early morning drop off of students, students will meet in the multi purpose room.   
2. School Day begins at 7:40 and Ends at 2:30.  
3. Construction on the New Town Office building will be completed.    Work on the The “Big Kids” playground will begin this fall.  More on this to follow.  The playhouse in the back of the school will be retooled so that it will be a gazebo for weather and sun blocking rather than a “play house”.   
4. Lunch
1. Pre-school and MECA Lunches will occur a bit before 11:00
2. Lunch for grades K - 2 begins at 11:15 and ends at 11:45
3. Lunch for grades 3 -4 begins at 11:45 and ends at 12:15
4. Lunch for grades 5 - 6 begins at 12:15 and ends at 12:45
5. $3.50 for Lunch and $1.75 for breakfast.  
6. Checks should be made out to the Harwood Food Service.  
5. A comprehensive information packet will be sent home during the first few days of school.  Please take time to review the information and send necessary information back to us so that we can make adjustments and updates to our school’s files.  

Important School Links:

To our Website:   www.moretownschool.com

To our Blog: http://moretownschoolblog.blogspot.com/

Bussing: http://www.wwsu.org/bus-routes.php

Lunch Menus: Lunch Menu

School Calendar 2016 - 2017 Calendar Information

**Here are some helpful tips with helping your child(ren) get ready for the school year...

1. Talk about school starting as a positive event – not a negative.
2. Have your child help pick out their own school supplies (backpacks, lunch box, pens, pencils, etc.)
3. Visit or revisit the school grounds so that your child feels comfortable in their school environment.
4. Start tailoring your schedule now so that it matches your school schedule.  Earlier bedtimes and earlier rise times.
5. Engage your child in discussion about the upcoming school year – what are they looking forward to, what are they scared of?
6. Make sure your child knows emergency contact information.  This will help your child and you both feel more secure.
7. Take advantage of any back to school open houses, tours, or parent-teacher meetings that the school offers.
8. Familiarize yourself and your child with their teacher’s name, school room location, school office, and locker location.
9. Discuss your child’s school schedule.  When do they start, when is lunch, when does school get out?
10. If your child takes the bus, visit the bus stop and make sure your child knows what time the bus picks up.
11. If you have any specific concerns regarding your child, contact the appropriate party and make your concerns known.  This could be the teacher, school nurse, school counselor, etc.
12. Start building up their confidence by revisiting topics that they were learning last year.
13. Encourage your child to work hard this school year by setting up a study schedule and quiet area for them to work in.
14. Label your child’s belongings.  Many kids will have the same backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.  Print your child’s name, use stickers, or even use a luggage tag to help them identify their stuff.
15. Have your child’s backpack and lunch prepared the night before to help the first day of school go as smoothly as possible.  Enclose a special note with their lunch so they know you are thinking of them.
16. Make sure you enjoy these last days of summer!!!