Moretown School Update, September 29, 2017

Open House and Pasta Dinner 
The 6th-grade class and Moretown Staff thank
everyone for making last night's event a
great success!  

The Moretown School is seeking 

donations of autumn pumpkins, 

corn stalks and hay/straw to 

decorate our front entrance way.  

Please drop off any items

under our main entrance porch.

Have a great autumn season! 

NOTES and UPDATES!  
1.  PTN membership meeting.  The Moretown School will host its first membership meeting onOctober 4th at the school beginning 6:30pm.  We are excited to work together to offer a great year of activities and opportunities for our students which include Troy Wunderlee's big top adventure residency (May 7 - 11), Winter Sports program (grades 1 - 6) and Ice Skating opportunities.

We will discuss and plan our upcoming events and fundraiser at this meeting.  Thank you for those who signed up to assist with specific events at our open house event last night.

• Our first event of the year is our annual Halloween Party for our school community.  We are exploring the option of hosting the party at the school this year as it offers parking for families, increased traffic safety and allows for students to assist with decorating after school for the event.  We will discuss this out our Oct 4th meeting.   

2.  Record Checks and Fingerprinting.  We understand that there may be some confusion about

HUUSD record checks, (Updated Sept 29, 2017)

Volunteer and Chaperoning Opportunities at school	Record Check Responsibilities
Volunteering within the Moretown School	Any person volunteering or chaperoning in our schools will be required to submit his/her name and birthdate to us for a check of the Sex Offender Registry. Any person listed on the registry will not be allowed to volunteer.  Please submit this information to Duane Pierson or Loretta DiMario at the school to meet the requirement.
All chaperones attending overnight trips and excursions will be required to have a cleared fingerprinted criminal record check on file. This includes volunteering/chaperoning at ECO, or field trips, off school programs.	Please contact Laura Titus at the central office, 802-496-2272 ext. 7953, to complete the fingerprinting and records check process.    If parents as part of their regular employment already have had a fingerprinting done, they can submit to them to the central office to meet this requirement.

3.  Moretown Walk to School Change.  The Moretown Staff would like to offer a change to our annual walk to school program beginning this year.  As a way to involve all of our students and families, we are exploring the use of the Moretown Forest trail system to support this activity.    We are planning this event to occur later in the month of October.   More information soon. 

October 4	PTN membership Meeting Halloween Party coming soon… 6:30 at the school
October 6	Inservice Day - No school for students
October 11	HUUSD Spelling Bee Hosted at the Fayston School 8am start time
October 12	Picture Day
October 18	Community Meeting 6:30pm School Meeting that will include topics around, Curriculum, Communication and Climate Topics.  More on this meeting coming soon,

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.

Mad River Youth Basketball Registration is now open for boys and girls in grades 3 - 6!   Fees:  $65 for early registration by October 3, 2017.  $75 for late registration after October 3, 2017 until registration closes on October 15, 2017.  
Register by email or in person.  Scholarships are available!
In person registration night is October 3, 2017, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., at WaitsfieldElementary School.  There will be organized drills provided for the kids! Open gyms begin October 10, 2017, more details to come.
Regular season practices will begin in mid-November and games will start in mid-December.    Email:  madriverybb@gmail.com with any questions and to request a registration form.

Pasta Dinner Reminder

Moretown School Update, September 22, 2017

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 

Dot Day
International Dot Day is held
to encourage people of all ages to
harness their creativity.
The inspiration behind the event
is the children's book
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

Family Conferences Information 2017-18

We are excited once again to engage you, as parents and families, in setting goals for your child during the Fall family/teacher conferences.  As conferences are occurring in the fall and spring, we will only send report cards home only twice: in January and June.  As we adhere to recent legislation(Act 77) we will focus on personalized learning plans and goal setting to foster and support 21st-century learning goals for our students. Together we will build a culture more focused on the excitement of learning rather than traditional grading practices.   Research shows that a  strong emphasis on grades may actually reduce student interest in learning and may create situations where students are less likely to take risks or to explore creative solutions to tasks. We believe we will set the right tone by starting the year with an emphasis on student learning goals, strengths, and interests.

To this end, the upcoming Fall Parent Conferences will focus on students’ goals and interests. Our hope is to empower students to take a role (this will look different depending on grade levels)  in reflecting upon and communicating about their learning. This practice helps to build dispositions and skills that will be vital to students’ education now and in their future years here in our school.  The March Parent Conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on their growth and new goals for future schooling that have emerged.

We have scheduled our fall conferences to occur between October 23 through November 3rd, this school year. We will be sending out information regarding the student conferences in early October. Let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Duane Pierson

dpierson@wwsu.og

SKI PROGRAM MEETING ANNOUNCED 

Our winter sports program coordinator
will host our organizational meeting on 9/27 at 6:30.  We will send out
the meeting location early next week.  
  

MORETOWN SCHOOL HOSTS AUTHOR 

On the morning of October 10, local author Kate Messner will be giving a presentation to 3rd through 6th graders.  She will be talking to kids about two of her books “The Exact Location of Home” and “The Seventh Wish.”    She will give an inside look into her writing process including research, brainstorming, planning, drafting, and revision.  She will share examples of her writer’s notebook as well as marked up manuscripts to show the editing process.  She will have time to answer student’s questions and sign their books.  

Please see the attached order form to purchase Kate’s books.  She has a large variety of books available from middle-grade chapter books to picture books to amazing non-fiction nature books.  All checks should be made out to BEAR POND BOOKS.  Scholarships for books orders are available to eligible families, please see Duane for more details if you are interested. All order forms are due by Sept 29th.  

Kate Messner Author Visit Order Form

 

CALENDAR UPDATE

Sept-Oct 2017

September 27	HUUSD Board Meeting 6pm Harwood Union
September 27	Moretown Ski program meeting 6:30pm Location TBD
September 28	Spaghetti Dinner 4:45 (Hosted by the 6th grade as a fundraiser for their end of year trip)   Open House 5:30
October 4	PTN membership Meeting 6:30 at the school
October 6 October 9	Inservice Day - No school for students No School
October 11	HUUSD Spelling Bee Hosted at the Fayston School 8am start time
October 12	Picture Day

Kindergarten students share their masks they
made after reading 
"Where the Wild Things Are" 
by Maurice Sendak  

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.

Fencing Instruction: adults and students grade 5 and up, 6:30-8:00, Waitsfield School Gymnasium, Mondays and Wednesdays, September 18 - October 23rd. Cost is $40 for students grades 5-12 and $125 for all others. Space is limited so register in advance.  For questions and more information contact Digger(Keith Puffer) at 802-989-8014, email at midvtfencing@gmail.com, or go to https://sites.google.com/site/midvtfencing/home

MAD DASH:  A benefit for the Mad River Path, October 8th, 10am start time. There will be a 5K and 10K Road Race, a 5K Fitness Walk, and a free Kids' Fun Run.  For information and registration visit www.madriverpath.com. You may also call 802-496-7284 for more information and to volunteer.

Baked Beads Jewelry and Scarf Sale: October 6-8, 10am-5pm, under the tent on Carroll Road near the Big Picture.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Mad River Valley Ambulance.

Mad River Youth Basketball Registration is now open for boys and girls in grades 3 - 6!   Fees:  $65 for early registration by October 3, 2017.  $75 for late registration after October 3, 2017 until registration closes on October 15, 2017.  
Register by email or in person.  Scholarships are available!
In person registration night is October 3, 2017, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., at Waitsfield Elementary School.  There will be organized drills provided for the kids! Open gyms begin October 10, 2017, more details to come.
Regular season practices will begin in mid-November and games will start in mid-December.    Email:  madriverybb@gmail.com with any questions and to request a registration form.

Basketball clinic for boys and girls in grades 1-3 : Open gyms sessions (3) will be held on Wednesday 9/20, 9/27 and 10/4 from 3:30-5:00 at Fayston Elementary School. $8 per session/per kid, $10 max per family per session. Please bring sneakers and a water bottle. We will provide basketballs, but you can bring one too but we will not have a pump so please prepump. We are looking for a parent or two who are interested in becoming an assistant coach this coming basketball year. Nothing too serious, just helping during practices or more, depending on you. Boys and girls teams (grades 3-4 and 5-6) are looking for an assistant or two. For more information or questions contact Jesse Carst at Jeslee21@hotmail.com

Moretown School Update September 15, 2017

Mrs. Riccardi's students excited about their progress with
collecting coins for Hurricane Irma and Harvey victims.
Students have taken the lead in making this
worthy fundraising activity occur in our school.
Way to go Moretown!  

RECORD CHECK UPDATE

Hello Moretown School Families, 

As you are aware, all HUUSD schools are now requiring record checks 

for all volunteers and chaperones who would like 

to spend time with students during the school day or attend off-campus field trips.   

For more specifics, please read Superintendent Nease's letter regarding this requirement. The letter can be found in the link cloud on our school blog.   

We are glad to report that the Moretown PTN 

is offering financial assistance for any parent/family member who would like to 

complete the record check process.  Please let Ms. Loretta, in the front office, 

 know if this is something you would like to utilize.  We understand that this is a change in our operating procedures and appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to keep student safety our number one priority.   

Mrs. Fadden's class notices a Chrysalis's 

metamorphosis into a butterfly

amazing!  

IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTICE

Dear Parent/ Guardian/ Faculty Member:

We have received a confirmed diagnosis of Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) of a student in the Harwood Union Unified School district (specifically the Waitisfield School and at Harwood Union) According to the Health Department, other cases have been reported throughout the state. We understand receiving a letter of this nature may cause alarm, but it is intended to inform and communicate a potential exposure.  As always, the wellness of our students is top priority and we want to be sure you’re aware of the signs and symptoms of Pertussis.

Pertussis is a contagious disease that is spread through the air when infected people cough. While immunization protects most children during the elementary school years, protection from the vaccine lessens over time. Pertussis can occur in fully immunized individuals. Students and/or staff with a cough are advised to see their Pediatrician/ Medical Provider for formal evaluation and possible treatment for pertussis.

Pertussis begins with cold symptoms and an irritating cough, which usually becomes increasingly severe over 1-2 weeks. Symptoms often include a long series of coughs, sometimes followed by a whooping noise. However, older children, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. Vomiting may occur after a coughing episode. There is generally no fever.

Antibiotic treatment early in the disease may decrease the severity of symptoms and reduce the infectiousness of the ill person. Antibiotics may be recommended for close contacts of pertussis cases in order to prevent them from contracting and/or transmitting the disease.

Vermont Department of Health recommendations include the following:

1. Close contacts, including household members and roommates, of persons diagnosed with pertussis should receive a protective course of antibiotics to prevent additional infections. A Public Health Nurse will investigate to identify close contacts in the school and refer them to their health care providers. Classrooms are not generally considered close enough contact to warrant preventive treatment for pertussis.

2. Any student or staff member who has any of the above symptoms or a cough lasting more than a week should be evaluated for pertussis by a health care provider as soon as possible.

3. Children or staff with confirmed or suspected pertussis should stay home until they have completed 5 days of the antibiotic treatment for pertussis.

4. The Vermont Department of Health recommends that all adolescents, ages 11-18 years, receive a single (booster) dose of Tdap vaccine. Adults, especially those who have, or anticipate having, close contact with an infant should receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine. Please consult your health care provider.

5. Children less than 1 year old, particularly infants under 6 months of age, are most likely to experience severe illness if they develop pertussis. When possible, young infants should be kept away from people with a cough. Babies with any coughing illness or choking episodes should be promptly evaluated by their physician.

Please notify the school or health department personnel if your child is diagnosed with confirmed or possible pertussis. If you have any questions, please call the Vermont Department of Health at (802) 479-4200 or 479-0987 between 7:45 AM and 4:30 PM Monday-Friday.

We hope this letter finds you well.  Please do not hesitate to contact your School Nurse as an additional resource.

Respectfully,

Brigid Nease

Happy to be at school!
A smile speaks a thousand words... 

CALENDAR UPDATE

Sept 2017

September 20	HUUSD Board Meeting 6pm Harwood Union
September 27	HUUSD Board Meeting 6pm Harwood Union
September 28	Spaghetti Dinner 4:45 (Hosted by the 6th grade as a fundraiser for their end of year trip)   Open House 5:30
October 4	PTN membership Meeting 6:30 at the school
October 6	Inservice Day - No school for students
October 12	Picture Day

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.

Fencing Instruction: adults and students grade 5 and up, 6:30-8:00, Waitsfield School Gymnasium, Mondays and Wednesdays, September 18 - October 23rd. Cost is $40 for students grades 5-12 and $125 for all others. Space is limited so register in advance.  For questions and more information contact Digger(Keith Puffer) at 802-989-8014, email at midvtfencing@gmail.com, or go to https://sites.google.com/site/midvtfencing/home

MAD DASH:  A benefit for the Mad River Path, October 8th, 10am start time. There will be a 5K and 10K Road Race, a 5K Fitness Walk, and a free Kids' Fun Run.  For information and registration visit www.madriverpath.com. You may also call 802-496-7284 for more information and to volunteer.

Baked Beads Jewelry and Scarf Sale: October 6-8, 10am-5pm, under the tent on Carroll Road near the Big Picture.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Mad River Valley Ambulance.

Mad River Youth Basketball Registration is now open for boys and girls in grades 3 - 6!   Fees:  $65 for early registration by October 3, 2017.  $75 for late registration after October 3, 2017 until registration closes on October 15, 2017.  
Register by email or in person.  Scholarships are available!
In person registration night is October 3, 2017, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., at Waitsfield Elementary School.  There will be organized drills provided for the kids! Open gyms begin October 10, 2017, more details to come.
Regular season practices will begin in mid-November and games will start in mid-December.    Email:  madriverybb@gmail.com with any questions and to request a registration form.

Basketball clinic for boys and girls in grades 1-3 : Open gyms sessions (3) will be held on Wednesday 9/20, 9/27 and 10/4 from 3:30-5:00 at Fayston Elementary School. $8 per session/per kid, $10 max per family per session. Please bring sneakers and a water bottle. We will provide basketballs, but you can bring one too but we will not have a pump so please prepump. We are looking for a parent or two who are interested in becoming an assistant coach this coming basketball year. Nothing too serious, just helping during practices or more, depending on you. Boys and girls teams (grades 3-4 and 5-6) are looking for an assistant or two. For more information or questions contact Jesse Carst at Jeslee21@hotmail.com