Moretown School Update, February 16, 2018

The Moretown School hosted
a Celebration of Kindness assembly
for the whole school this past Wednesday
Our pre-school singers made a special appearance
to end the assembly in a spectacular way...  

Dear Moretown School Families, 

      As many of you know, last year the Moretown School district merged with surrounding  school districts to create Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD). While much of the day to day of our schools has remained the same, this merger changed our organizational and governing structure.   A component of this change is that instead of an annual school meeting, held previously in tandem with the annual Moretown pre-town meeting, a unified meeting for all who are part of HUUSD will be held on Monday, March 5th, 6 pm, in the the Harwood school library.  This meeting, which is an opportunity to review and ask questions about the annual budget, will be followed by an Australian ballot vote, on Tuesday 3/6/18, on that same budget. 
      The full HUUSD FY2019 Annual Report is available by clicking here; copies are also available at all town offices and schools.  You may also request a copy by calling 802-496-2272, extension 7953. Board meeting materials, including a link to the video of most meetings (provided by Mad River TV) can be found here on the HUUSD website.
          I've heard from a few of you regarding redesign of our school system, and questions about that process, recently. The HUUSD Board is just beginning to dive into this discussion and process. As I write this on Wednesday evening, details of what this process will be are still being fleshed out.  Please refer to the  HUUSD website under the redesign tab; or  recommended timeline as a useful resource. As this process is fleshed out, I will share information with you. The only thing consistent is that change happens... I believe that understanding who will make what decisions and gaining information and perspectives to inform decisions are so helpful in helping us to navigate change. I will be sure to share information as it is solidified and I encourage those with burning questions to reach out to me or HUUSD board members or to view the HUUSD board meetings. Please know you have NOT missed your opportunity to engage in this dialogue; the process for that dialogue is just now taking shape and there is more soon to come.
        Meanwhile, the HUUSD board is seeking your input. They are broadly seeking input through a survey, which can be found online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/HUUSDJan2018  (hard copies are also available at the Moretown town office) They are interested in hearing from all, whether they have kids in the system or not, so please take the time to make your voice heard.
Sincerely, Duane Pierson, Principal 

Moretown Safety

As we all react and feel for the community in Florida that has lost so much I wanted to let our community know that the Moretown School works hard at keeping our students and staff safe.  We conduct monthly safety drills, have procedures for visitors and make sure our maintenance needs around safety features are addressed.    Our supervisory union will review all HUUSD school's safety procedures this spring to ensure we are up to date with our response to any issue that could occur at our school.  

As we reflect and evaluate our school safety systems , it is important to note that the single most essential aspect of keeping our kids safe are the connections we make a friends and neighbors.  Creating a circle of communication and support for those who need it most.  A quote from a fellow Vermont principal,  Elijah Hawkes, sums this up very well.   

"The circle is the elemental shape of human knowing: the round face that looks into mine, the circle eyes that see into mine, the circle of arms in embrace, the wider circles we form in community, in classrooms, in democratic exchange.

A school’s strength is in how well we know each student, how strong are the bonds we make, how frequent the circles for listening, knowing, learning" 

I feel very lucky and privileged to work in a school community that values caring connections between families and the school.  Please let us know if you have further questions about school and safety.   

Friendly Reminder:
When dropping off students in the morning please do not
park in the bus lane or keep your vehicle idling for an
extended period of time.  Thanks for your understanding.  

Please note that Lunch for
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Will be Fish and Fries (chips for those of us from Canada) 

Attention All Girls In Grades 3-6

It’s that time of year again, Girls On The Run!!!  

Registration opens Monday February 19^th.

The program starts March 19^th and will run until May 30^th on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 – 4:30, with the 5K run on June 2^nd at Essex Fair Grounds and a final celebration on Wednesday June 6^th. 

You can register at www.GirlsOnTheRunVermont.org

Looking forward to another great year!  

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, Chris Tierson at jtierson@gmavt.net or 802-595-3329.

NOTE from the PTN 

Moretown School Families-

As many of you know there is a district redesign proposal being discussed by the school board.  Further, two of the proposals presented at the school board meeting this past week listed Moretown School to close.  We have reached a point in this process where community engagement is critical in order to encourage the school board to review the process and spend more time to truly consider all options and ensure that the appropriate due diligence has been conducted for this huge decision. Things you can do as community members to become engaged are: complete the engagement survey  Please be on the lookout for additional opportunities to get involved which will be communicated as they arise. 

Engagement Survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/HUUSDJan2018

Draft redesign presentation from 2/14 meeting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2uQwDkbPKEVaEVWUzM5aGl6X2RKeTZpaWUza1lSLXVKYUpr/view

School Board website: https://wwsu.org/huusd-board

-Moretown PTN

Moretown hosted our annual
jump roping Assembly
on February15. 
Amazing to see the skills and smiles... 
Thanks Ms. Allie 

Minecraft, a popular build and adventure
on line world is being offered to 5-6 students
after their lunch time at least 2 - 3 times a week

CALENDAR UPDATE

February 2018  

February 2018
February 19	PTN seed distribution meeting 6pm.
February 21	HUUSD Board Meeting 6pm Harwood Library Agenda Here
February 23	ICE SKATING !!  PTN sponsored event at the ice center - from 11:00 - 2:00.  Grades K - 6.   Lunch will provided the PTN
Feb 26 - Mar 6	Winter Break

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.

Circus Smirkus Volunteers Wanted    The Waitsfield Children's Center is thrilled to  announce the return of Circus Smirkus to the Valley in July!  The Big Top will be pulling into town for 4 shows over July 2-3 at Kenyon's Field and we need your help and the support of this community to make it a success.  Volunteers of all ages are welcome to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, February 22 at 6pm at theWaitsfield Children's Center (WCC).  WCC is located in Founder's Hall (the brown building behind Our Lady of the Snows church on the left just before Gaylord Farm) on route 100S. The meeting will take place in our beautiful new space on the second floor, so come check it out, enjoy some light refreshments, and hear about how you and your family can become involved.  For more information, email erika.smart@gmail.com or kschavone@gmail.com.

Private and Group Swim Lessons at the Bridges  Lessons begin the week ofMarch 18th.  Please call 583-2922 for more information.

Move it and READ! Thursday, February 22nd, 3pm, at Moretown Memorial Library. An out-of-the-ordinary after school book club with Assistant Librarian Meredith Whitney. Let's face it, we all get a little antsy from time to time. In this book club, we will explore the many ways that reading and movement can help guide us through the ups and downs of life. Our second book will be "It Ain't so Awful, Falafel" by Firoozeh Dumas, which is suggested for grades 5 and up and is on the 2017 Dorothy's List. Please read the book in advance of the program, and contactmoretownlibrary@gmail.com or 496-9728 to register to attend.

Winter Break Fiber Arts Camp for ages 10-12, on 2/26/18, 2/28/18, and 3/2/18, 9am-12pm, SPA(Studio Place Arts) 201 North Main Street, Barre. Registration is free and materials and snacks will be  provided. Sign up at info@studioplacearts.com or call 802-479-7069 by 2/16/18.

Annual Fundraising Dance Performance by TRIP Dance Company  March 23rd & 24th, Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, at 7pm. Purchase tickets online:www.sprucepeakarts.org or phone 802-760-4643.  Ticket price range is $16-$30.  Reserved seating is new this year.

Super Saturday April 14, 2018, Barre Town Middle and Elementary School, at 8:00am.  Youth from Washington and Orange counties are invited to participate in an event where youth can exercise their communication, leadership skills, and expertise.  Youth pick projects in specific categories such as crafts, stage, sewing, photos, technology, and communications individually or in teams and compete before judges.  For more information, contact Allison Smith at Allison.smith.2@uvm.edu or call 802-476-2003.  All individuals and groups must be accompanied by an adult the day of the competition.  Registration must take place by Friday 3/23/2018.

Girls Night In: for girls in 5th-8th grade to develop self-confidence, positive body image, and to gain tolls to reduce stress
Session 1: March 23, 6-7:30pm, yoga, dance and music
Session 2: April 27, 6-7:30pm, aureveda for kids: yoga and healthy treats
Session 3: May 13, 6-7:30-m, ahstanga, acro-yoga, and upside down
Session 4: June 1, 6-7:30-pm, outdoor yoga, nature mandalas
Email Mindy at mindypistacchio@gmail.com for more information and to register.
 

Summer Art Camp at Waitsfield School  June 25-29, 9am-3pm, $225 includes all materials. Students entering grades 1-7 are invited to join in a week of creative fun!  Let your imagination bloom with a wide variety of fine art activities & craft projects.  Create works of art to treasure for life, spend time outdoors and make new friends!  Activities are tailored to the group’s needs and interests. Contact Nora McDonough for more information and to sign up! 802-793-8881 / Nora@madriver.com

Moretown School Update, Feb 9, 2018

A great way to start the morning
school grown tea for grades 1 and 2

Speaking of mornings....

We hope everyone is having a great start to 2018.   As we enter the middle of February, we have noticed that our "late to school"(Tardy) list seems to be increasing and has been for a few weeks.  I am very aware of the challenges families face to get everyone up and going each day.  This is no easy task, however with some simple night before preparations and consistent morning routines this can be achieved with less pain that one would expect.  Our school works hard to make sure our classroom teachers are ready to greet and get ready for our learning the moment our students arrive.  When our students come to school late it causes some of the following issues;

Your Child's Learning

When a child is late to school, she misses out on important instruction. Every minute that a child is in school is important to her learning. When she is tardy, she faces the challenge of trying to settle in and catch up with what other students are doing. She is behind and has to struggle to understand material the teacher has already explained. Being late is detrimental to her learning, especially if it occurs on a consistent basis.

Other Children's Learning

Other students also suffer when a child is late to school. They have to wait to proceed with a lesson because the teacher is busy trying to catch the late child up. The interruption of a door opening into a classroom and the teacher having to address who is coming in is distracting and can cause students to lose their concentration as well. It wastes time to deal with and then recover from an interruption caused by someone coming in late to class.

Preparation for Real Life

Being on time to school is preparation for the world outside of school. When parents focus on punctuality, students learn that not coming to a meeting or event on time is disrespectful of other people’s time and that they miss out on important information.

Ways to Prevent Tardiness

Have your child set out her clothes for the next day the night before. Her backpack should contain all her books, supplies and homework she will need for the next day. Get all of the supplies and equipment needed for after school practices and activities ready. Have your son/daughter make their lunch if they bring it, and ensure he/she is in bed at a reasonable hour. Set the alarm 10 or 15 minutes earlier than absolutely necessary to ensure your child has enough time to get to school before the school day begins.  

We know with some extra attention, effort and planning the "Tardy" list will disappear and the issues associated with being late to school will no longer be a concern.  Thanks for your time and attention to this important issue as we enter 2017.    Our school day begins at 7:30 with the opportunity for students to be dropped off at the school beginning at 7:15.

Ski, Ride, SnowShoe updates  

-If you plan to stay with your child at the mountain please write your child’s teacher a note notifying her that your child will not be returning to school after program that day.  This is in addition to the transportation release and something that needs to be done each week.

-We are still hoping to hold 2 make-up dates in March (13^th , 20^th ) but have not heard back from enough  folks yet to be able to determine the feasibility of this, so if you haven’t had a chance to let us know whether or not you can help out on any or all or none of those dates PLEASE let us 

MORETOWN TO GO SKATING on  Feb 23, 2018 

The Moretown School's PTN will sponsor a school Ice Skating opportunity for grades K - 6,  at the Waterbury Ice Center on Friday, February 23 2018.  Students will arrive at the ice center around 11:30 and will be back in time for dismissal.   Here are the details:

1.  The PTN will provide pizza, snacks and drinks for lunch at no cost to the students.

  

2.  Students must wear helmets to skate on the ice.  Bike, ski and skate helmets are acceptable.

 

3.  Student may bring in their own skates.  The PTN will rent skates for those students who do not have them.  If you have extra skates and are willing to loan them please send them in to the office prior to the 23rd.

 

4.  Warm clothes are recommended.  

5.  Parents can join us at the ice center.  If you plan on taking your child(ren) home from the ice center, please let your classroom teacher know by sending a note with your child(ren) when they arrive at school.  

5.  Safety First!   We are sure that all Moretown students will follow reasonable safety rules, respect the ice center and its equipment and respect each other as well enjoy our ice time together.  

Please let us know if you have any questions.  

CALENDAR UPDATE

February 2018  

February 2018
February 13	Winter Sports Day #6
February 14	HUUSD Board Meeting at Harwood Union 6pm
February 19	PTN seed distribution meeting 6pm.
February 23	ICE SKATING !!  PTN sponsored event at the ice center - from 11:00 - 2:00.  Grades K - 6.   Lunch will provided the PTN
Feb 26 - Mar 6	Winter Break

Moretown Brook Trout
Hatched!
Working on keeping the water clean and
ready for their next stage of life.    

Pre-School Screening 

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.

Bottle Drive  The Harwood Union Rotary Interact Club is holding a bottle drive on Saturday, February 10th, to benefit the Good Neighbor Fund and the Mad River Community Fund. Drop off-points for the returnable items will be at Hannon Home Center in Waterbury, and at the Mad River Garden Center in Waitsfield. The best hours to drop off bottles are 9 to noon.

Move it and READ! Thursday, February 22nd, 3pm, at Moretown Memorial Library. An out-of-the-ordinary after school book club with Assistant Librarian Meredith Whitney. Let's face it, we all get a little antsy from time to time. In this book club, we will explore the many ways that reading and movement can help guide us through the ups and downs of life. Our second book will be "It Ain't so Awful, Falafel" by Firoozeh Dumas, which is suggested for grades 5 and up and is on the 2017 Dorothy's List. Please read the book in advance of the program, and contact moretownlibrary@gmail.com or 496-9728 to register to attend.

Winter Break Fiber Arts Camp for ages 10-12, on 2/26/18, 2/28/18, and 3/2/18, 9am-12pm, SPA(Studio Place Arts) 201 North Main Street, Barre. Registration is free and materials and snacks will be  provided. Sign up at info@studioplacearts.com or call 802-479-7069 by 2/16/18.

Super Saturday April 14, 2018, Barre Town Middle and Elementary School, at  8:00am.  Youth from Washington and Orange counties are invited to participate in an event where youth can exercise their communication, leadership skills, and expertise.  Youth pick projects in specific categories such as crafts, stage, sewing, photos, technology, and communications individually or in teams and compete before judges.  For more information, contact Allison Smith at Allison.smith.2@uvm.edu or call 802-476-2003.  All individuals and groups must be accompanied by an adult the day of the competition.  Registration must take place by Friday 3/23/2018.

Moretown School Update, February 2, 2018

Student conductor hard at work!  

The Moretown Messenger is ready for your review.  The Moretown Messenger is a student authored and produced electronic newsletter about the many happenings that occur in or around our school community,  please click on the link to view: 

https://sites.google.com/a/wwsu.org/moretown-messenger/

Amina at the Malayaka House LIBRARY!!! And a sample card design...

To Uganda with Love….

Malayaka House, located in Entebbe, Uganda, is an orphan home for 39 children.  
Over the past four years, Sara Baker, our learning specialist, has been traveling to
Malayaka House as their volunteer educational consultant and has introduced our students to these wonderful, joyful children who are living in a very different context.  As an outgrowth of this experience, the children of first and second grade at Moretown School will be creating beautiful, hand printed all-occasion cards to help raise money for the care and education of these children.  

All contributions are tax deductible. Please make checks  out directly to Malayaka House.   
It is OK to send cash too – we will collect and write one check.
Cards will be delivered no later than Friday, February 9th so that you will have them for
Valentine’s Day.    

Each $10 donation will receive, as a thank you gift, a package of 5  cards – the cards will be
decorated with animal and heart designs to be used anytime – thank you cards,
get well soon cards and even for Valentine's Day!   Each card will come with an envelope
and a label on the back indicating that it was purchased in support of the children
of Malayaka House.  Thank you in advance for your generosity –
if you have questions or would like more information about Malayaka House,
feel free to contact Ms. Baker - sbaker@wwsu.org or
check out Malayaka House’s website -  www.malayakahouse.com

**********************************************************

Please return this form with your donation to Karen Cingiser’s or
Pam Dow’s classroom, Sara Baker’s Office, or the main office with Miss Loretta  :)

Name:  __________________________

Donation Amount:  ________________  

# of card packages you would like (no more than 1 package per $10 donated) ___

             

PTN SEED SALE SUCCESS

Thank you to EVERYONE
who helped make the seed sale a great success!  
We sold more than $2,000 worth of seeds, well beyond our goal of $1500.  
Seeds will be sent home with students the week of February 19th.  

If you are interested in helping sort seeds, 
come join us on February 19th at 6pm!  All are welcome.

Our next PTN general meeting 
will be held on February 6th, 
at 6:30pm at the school 

Notes from the Health Office

It is no surprise that there seems to be a slight uptick of cases of the Flu in our school. We have seen both the GI flu with vomiting but also the Respiratory flu with fever and cough.

Our teachers are vigilant in their efforts to have children hand wash, cover nose and mouth when cough and sneeze, and wipe surfaces that are frequently touched. It is a constant battle at this time of year. I've also seen some teachers airing their classrooms when empty. Great practice to exchange the air! Our custodians back up these efforts by carefully cleaning the school every night with a product that has been approved for use in hospitals and medical offices.

I would ask that you continue to help with our efforts by reinforcing these practices with your children as well as to remind them to try not to touch their face with hands not recently washed. It is all too easy to transfer something from a not so clean surface to their mouth, nose or eyes, which are all good entry points for germs. :(

Also I want to remind you of our district wide policy that asks that you keep your child home if they have a fever (100 degree) . A child returning to school must have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or Ibuprofen(Motrin). That would include a child who has a fever the night before, even if they have no fever in the morning. This has two benefits; one for the other children in the school in case your child may be still contagious as well as to allow your child to fully recover and rebuild their immune system to prevent possible re infection.  

Thank you for reading this long note. Feel free to call or email me with any concerns that you might have. Enjoy the lengthening days. This season too shall pass and hopefully it won't be too tough on our community.

Jean Andreson

802-593-7858 (w)

jandreson@wwsu.org

CALENDAR UPDATE

February 2018  

February 2018	The Groundhog saw its shadow = more winter coming....
February 6	Winter Sports Day #5
February 6	PTN general meeting 6:30
February 13	Winter Sports Day #6
February 14	HUUSD Board Meeting at Harwood Union 6pm
February 19	PTN seed distribution meeting 6pm.
Feb 26 - Mar 6	Winter Break

February

2018

The Groundhog saw its shadow = more winter coming....

February 6

Winter Sports Day #5

February 6

PTN general meeting 6:30

February 13

Winter Sports Day #6

February 14

HUUSD Board Meeting at Harwood Union

6pm

February 19

PTN seed distribution meeting 6pm.  

Feb 26 - Mar 6

Winter Break

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.

 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 on 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