Bobcat Bulletin January 31, 2020

Learning

School News:

• The kids did an amazing job our first day of Winter Sports Program this year.  I was impressed by their skill, their enthusiasm, and most of all their perseverance!  The program is an amazing opportunity for students to participate in life long activities that help us get outdoors and stay active.  Whether they are trekking through the woods on snowshoes, or riding the lift for the first time with their skis kicking back and forth, or zooming down the mountain on their snowboard (and everything in between) they are learning and exploring.  
• A huge thank you to our PTO who make it all possible!
• Thanks to Pam, Hannah and Ashleigh for pulling it all together!

• The VSO is coming to visit today (Friday).  It is always great to have them here.  They entertain, teach and have fun all at the same time.

Good Afternoon,

The February menu is now online on our website for viewing (.jpg), and for printing (.pdf). The January menu is still available for viewing until tomorrow.

You can find our menus online at food.huusd.org. 

Also check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HUUSDFOOD/

We hope you all have a great weekend,

Paul and Erika

The Bataille Beat

preschool jumpin'

Jump roping in kindergarten!

Bonjour

The Mitten activity in kindergarten french class. Naming all the animals in the mitten en francais...

Mark your calendars! ECO Forest Festival  Saturday February 15 @MES

PTO News

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.



Pizza and a Picture at Joslin Library, Friday, January 31st, 6 pm: Come and enjoy the FIRST monthly "Pizza and a Picture" at Joslin Library! We'll be screening a family movie and enjoying pizza provided by the Friends of the Joslin Library. Please visit our website to find out more about this month's movie and to register https://www.joslinmemoriallibrary.com/programs.html

MECA Children's Clothes Swap: February 8, 10-12, at Moretown School.  Bring your child's outgrown clothing or shop for new-to-you gear at the MECA Children's Clothing swap.  They are looking for infant through 6th grade clothing sizes in good condition that can be swapped on the day of the event.  Bring your children's old clothing, pay a $5 entry fee and fill a bag of new clothing for your child.  You need not have clothes to swap. Just pay the entry fee and fill a bag full of clothes.  Here is a list of what to bring to trade(warm clothing for ages infant-6th grade): long sleeves and long sleeve onesies for babies, long johns, warm socks, boots, hats, gloves, jackets, sweaters, snow pants, and sneakers.

LITTLE - SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Mad River Valley Little League provides a safe and fun environment for Boys and Girls(Ages 4 to 12) to learn and develop the love for the Baseball and Softball.  Developing essential life skills of working in a team environment all while having a blast and building life long friendships.  Registration is now open on-line at  www.madriverbaseball.com.  Take advantage early registration discounts now through March 10th.

Reach out to mikenagle23@comcast.net if you have any questions regarding our Programs.

Scrag Mountains has upcoming Musical Storytelling For All Ages concert to feature the woodwind family of instruments and a new work by Evan Premo based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina. We’ll be performing in Waitsfield on February 9 and hope to get the word out to students and families in the community.

Poster attached and details here: http://www.scragmountainmusic.org/musical-storytelling.html

School Board Updates

HUUSD Board Meeting Recap 1/22

Dear members of our six town community,

At our last meeting on January 22, 2020, of the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board: 

• The Student Representatives shared their monthly report;
• Michelle Baker, Director of Finance & Operations, gave a brief presentation on options for funds for the lease and installation of the annex at Crossett Brook Middle School and on the warnings for Town Meeting Day; and
• Nicole Mace, Esq. explained and answered questions from board members regarding the two petitions to amend the HUUSD Articles of Agreement that were submitted to the board.

The Board took action on the five (6) items below:

1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda: Approve: Minutes of 1/15/2020; Accept: Voucher 1175 equaling $90,652.55.

2. Approved payment of each town’s election expenses for June 9, 2020 bond vote. 

3. Amended last week’s motion to reflect the addition of the cost of the annex: adopt Budget #5 with a total expenditure of $39,772,342 for fiscal year 2021 which would include combining all 7th and 8th graders at Crossett Brook Middle School and moving Moretown Elementary’s 5th and 6th graders to Crossett Brook Middle School (or IDC).

4. Rejected the petitioned article calling for voter approval of school configuration because the school board, not the electorate, has the authority to make policy and to decide how the buildings within their district will be used and managed.

5. Rejected the petitioned article calling for voter approval of school closures because the petitioned article includes a very broad definition of school closure that would grant the electorate authority to dictate matters that are clearly within the board’s authority to decide, namely grade configuration and the use of school classrooms and buildings.

6. Approved the warning for the Board’s Annual Meeting and articles for Town Meeting Day as drafted and presented by Finance Director Michelle Baker at the 1/22/20 meeting.

Further communication about the budget and petition decisions will be coming from the Board within the next week. 

Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 12th at 6:00 pm in the Harwood Union School library. Please visit https://huusd.org/huusd-board to confirm time and place of meetings. 

You’ll also find all board and committee agendas, packets and minutes, and the link to board meeting videos. The direct link to watch this and other recent meetings is: https://mrvtv.com/category/school-board-meetings/. An archive of older meetings can be found here: https://archive.org/search.php?query=Harwood+Unified+Union+School+Board&sort=-date 

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Respectfully,

The HUUSD Board

Bobcat Bulletin: January 24, 2020

School News: 

The Winter Sports Program starts this Tuesday! Sugarbush here we come!

Speaking of Sugarbush, they visited us Friday morning for an assembly about mountain safety.  The students love it when they visit!  #Know the Code.

Library Happenings:
Mrs. Willard will be doing fun Read Aloud activities in the library on February 5th because it is World Read Aloud Day. Here is a link about the day: https://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday

PTO News

'The Vermont Cookie Love Fundraiser is BACK! Your child will have a red file folder with paperwork for the Fundraiser went home this week. In this packet, there is the Cookie order form AND the cookie codes (what each code means for type of cookies!). Attached to this email is a copy of the letter that is also going home in the folder. 

The fundraiser will run through Friday January 31, 2020. Please make sure all packets are back by then! Pickup of dough is tentatively planned for Feb 12/13 (just in time for Valentine's Day) but the PTO will share more details as the time gets closer. 

Please email Danielle Kent (daniellegkent@gmail.com) with any questions.

Thank you!'

Dear parents,

As you may be aware, Moretown Elementary's ECO program (Educating Children Outdoors) has been serving our PreK-2nd graders for almost a decade. 

The program however is facing funding shortfalls for the 2020/2021 year and in turn, a dedicated team of parents and teachers is spearheading a fundraising effort in conjunction with hosting an outdoor festival to immerse the community with this valuable program and ensure it's funding for years to come. 

We would very much appreciate your assistance in realizing our goals on both fronts.

THE ECO FOREST FESTIVAL will be held on February 15th from 2pm to 4pm in the outdoor ECO classrooms at Moretown Elementary School.

Much of the event will highlight the ECO curriculum in the outdoor classrooms, plus include activities like sledding, food and drink prepared over campfires and much more. This is a free, outdoor event and all are welcome - so please join us! 

More details about the Forest Festival can be found on the WEBSITE and  FACEBOOK page. Corporate donations and sponsorship information for the event can be found HERE.

If you would like to make a donation for the future of the ECO Program at MES please follow THIS LINK. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know that might be able to help the children of MES enjoy and benefit from ECO for years to come. 

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration and (fingers crossed) support!

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.

Do you live in Vermont? Do you have children? Do your children keep growing no matter how often you tell them to stop?

Come to the MECA Children’s Clothing Swap!

Swap Date,Time & Location: Saturday, February 8th, 10 am - 12 pm at the Moretown Elementary School

Help out your neighbors and yourselves by bringing your child’s outgrown clothing or shopping for new-to-you gear at the MECA Children’s Clothing swap! We’re looking for infant through 6th Grade clothing sizes in good condition that can be swapped on the day of the event. Bring your children’s old clothing, pay a $5 entry fee, and fill a bag of new clothing for your child.

No clothes to swap? No problem! Simply pay the $5 entry fee and fill a bag full of new-to-you clothing for your child. Don’t need any new clothes but want to donate your child’s too-small items? Feel free to stop by with gently-worn and like-new items to pass on!

Here is a list of what to bring to trade (warm clothing for ages infant-6th grade): Long sleeves and long sleeve onesies for babies, long johns, warm socks, boots, hats, gloves, jackets, sweaters, snow pants, sneakers

15th Annual National Life Read-A-Thon January 25, 1-3:30, National Life cafeteria.  This is a free family event with music by Jon Gailmore.  No registration is necessary. There will be hundreds of books to explore, cookies & milk, prizes from Bear Pond Books and every child chooses a free book to take home! For more information call 802-229-2665 or email info@everybodywinsvermont.org

Registration for Little League T-Ball  ages 3 -6 is now open.  Please Contact Charlie Goodman IV(coach) for more information and the registration link at 802-522-8606 or www.goodmanconstructionvt.com 

Managing Power Struggles, Conflict and Anger in Parenting
Community Workshop with Scott Noyes

January 27, 6-7:30, Waitsfield School Gym

  Waitsfield School & PTA is happy to present an evening with Scott Noyes as he discusses topics that we all work through as parents and educators: power struggles, conflict and anger.  Through this presentation, which will include opportunities for open discussion and questions, Scott will provide guidance on how to respond to these challenges in a way that ultimately helps our children (and us) grow. Power struggles come from a variety of components; fatigue, stress, frustration, helplessness, the quest for autonomy and power.  This presentation looks at avoiding responses that provide short term relief, but long-term grief.  Valuable lifelong lessons are learned from childhood disputes.  Helping children learn to disagree is a skill many of us have never been exposed to. This part of the presentation stresses resolving conflict through medication, triads, and supportive intervention. Childcare will be available: please contact korr@huusd.org to reserve a space.

New Theater & Voice Program at GMPA:

• TUES 3:15-4:15 & 4:15-5:15 BROADWAY BOUND (6-12YO)
• TUES 3:15-4:15 & 4:15-5:15 BROADWAY BOUND (13-18YO)
• Broadway Bound- Taryn & Michael 
• Jump into the magical world of Aesop’s Fables, as Michael and Taryn help to create an original spin on a classic tale. Students of this class will be part of a Spring Musical Production.  Students will learn a varied palate of theatrical dance and choreography. Blending some more traditional Broadway style jazz, both classic and contemporary, as well as learning some tap, modern, and even ballroom at times.
• Students will do daily physical and vocal warmup’s and have dedicated vocal training time with Michael.  We will also be really focusing on skill building this semester, with body and spatial awareness as well as learning some great voice, speech and acting techniques.

THURS 3:15-4:15 ACT THE SONG (6-12YO)

THURS 4:15-5:15 ACT THE SONG (13-18YO)

Act the Song- Michael:

• This course focuses on what goes into healthy singing with fun vocal exercises and ideas that will help build a solid technical foundation. Additionally, we will play theater games and improvisations that encourage young actors to think creatively and make inspired dramatic choices. The acting and singing skills gained will be applied to various Broadway songs for both groups and individuals. Topics such as tips for a successful musical audition and what it takes to be a professional musical theater performer will be covered as well. Whether you're a seasoned thespian or new to the stage, this class will give you the tools to become a more confident and engaging performer. Come play with us!

Have any questions or want to sign up? Please visit our website https://www.greenmountainperformingarts.org/ or email us at gmpavt@gmail.com

School Board Updates

https://huusd.org/huusd-board

HUUSD Board Meeting Recap 1/22

Dear members of our six town community,

At our last meeting on January 22, 2020, of the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board: 

• The Student Representatives shared their monthly report;
• Michelle Baker, Director of Finance & Operations, gave a brief presentation on options for funds for the lease and installation of the annex at Crossett Brook Middle School and on the warnings for Town Meeting Day; and
• Nicole Mace, Esq. explained and answered questions from board members regarding the two petitions to amend the HUUSD Articles of Agreement that were submitted to the board.

The Board took action on the five (5) items below:

1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda: Approve: Minutes of 1/15/2020; Accept: Voucher 1175 equaling $90,652.55.

2. Approved payment of each town’s election expenses for June 9, 2020 bond vote. 

3. Amended last week’s motion to reflect the addition of the cost of the annex: adopt Budget #5 with a total expenditure of $39,772,342 for fiscal year 2021 which would include combining all 7th and 8th graders at Crossett Brook Middle School and moving Moretown Elementary’s 5th and 6th graders to Crossett Brook Middle School (or IDC).

4. Rejected the petitioned article calling for voter approval of school configuration because the school board, not the electorate, has the authority to make policy and to decide how the buildings within their district will be used and managed.

5. Rejected the petitioned article calling for voter approval of school closures because the petitioned article includes a very broad definition of school closure that would grant the electorate authority to dictate matters that are clearly within the board’s authority to decide, namely grade configuration and the use of school classrooms and buildings.

6. Approved the warning for the Board’s Annual Meeting and articles for Town Meeting Day as drafted and presented by Finance Director Michelle Baker at the 1/22/20 meeting.

Further communication about the budget and petition decisions will be coming from the Board within the next week. 

Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 12th at 6:00 pm in the Harwood Union School library. Please visit https://huusd.org/huusd-board to confirm time and place of meetings. 

You’ll also find all board and committee agendas, packets and minutes, and the link to board meeting videos. The direct link to watch this and other recent meetings is: https://mrvtv.com/category/school-board-meetings/. An archive of older meetings can be found here: https://archive.org/search.php?query=Harwood+Unified+Union+School+Board&sort=-date 

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Respectfully,

The HUUSD Board

Bobcat Bulletin 1/17/2020

School News:

No school Monday or Tuesday for students. See everyone on Wednesday January 22, 2020.

Peaceful Parenting Workshop open to our Moretown families:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16x6v6xLIdFOycd17PSsp_SO-8bWif1yXO_8cGWmTdYw/edit

Report Cards will be coming home this Thursday January 23, look in backpacks.  It is hard to believe the school year is at the half way mark!

Dear parents,

As you may be aware, Moretown Elementary's ECO program (Educating Children Outdoors) has been serving our PreK-2nd graders for almost a decade. 

The program however is facing funding shortfalls for the 2020/2021 year and in turn, a dedicated team of parents and teachers is spearheading a fundraising effort in conjunction with hosting an outdoor festival to immerse the community with this valuable program and ensure it's funding for years to come. 

We would very much appreciate your assistance in realizing our goals on both fronts.

THE ECO FOREST FESTIVAL will be held on February 15th from 2pm to 4pm in the outdoor ECO classrooms at Moretown Elementary School.

Much of the event will highlight the ECO curriculum in the outdoor classrooms, plus include activities like sledding, food and drink prepared over campfires and much more. This is a free, outdoor event and all are welcome - so please join us! 

More details about the Forest Festival can be found on the WEBSITE and  FACEBOOK page. Corporate donations and sponsorship information for the event can be found HERE.

If you would like to make a donation for the future of the ECO Program at MES please follow THIS LINK. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know that might be able to help the children of MES enjoy and benefit from ECO for years to come. 

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration and (fingers crossed) support!

PTO News

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.

Registration for Harwood Volleyball Club March Madness 2020 Season is Open

For all interested grade 5-8 boys and girls in HUUSD.

Learn the basic skills and rules of the sport.

Month of March only: twice a week practice, once a week match, and end-of-season tournament. 

Practices at Thatcher Brook Primary School and Crossett Brook Middle School.  Matches/tournament at various locations.

Early Signup Discount by 1/20/2020.

For more information and to register, go to: http://tinyurl.com/harwoodmsmm2020

           

Moretown Joins CVFiber CVFiber is an 18-town initiative attempting to bring faster Internet to residents of Central Vermont who have poor Internet connectivity.  In order to help assess Moretown's needs and plan our offerings, we need data from Moretown residents about their current Internet access.  Please take 5-10 minutes to help us by filling out the following survey.  If you have questions, feel free to contact Chuck Burt at chuck.burt@gmail.com or 802-735-2319 Thank you in advance! http://chaz.in/cvfiber

Mad River Valley Little League

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Registration for Mad River Valley Little League is now open! Don't miss out on your chance to register and take advantage of early registration rates. See details below: 2020 Mad River Little League - Baseball Mad River Valley Little League – Baseball Program Little League Baseball is open to boys/girls age 4-12. Age is determined by how old the child is on August 31st. There are 4 divisions that make up Mad River Valley Little League Baseball Program: T-Ball- For ages 4-6. Introductory league teaching basic skills and concepts. Typically, one to two days a week with one game scheduled against other Mad River teams. Farm League- For ages 7-8. Starts teaching finer skills of fielding and hitting mechanics with basic team skills. Two to three days per week commitment with games against other Mad River teams. Coach pitch. American League-  For ages 9-10. Players learn about pitching, more advanced hitting and fielding skills, basic base running and more advanced team and position skills. National League- For ages 11-12. Players are now learning advanced skills in all areas including pitching and base running. Please note that if your child wishes to "play up" into the next league, you may apply for a waiver from MRVLL. Contact us to request to play up.  All players that intend to 'play up' to the next level must attend the skills assessment on Wednesday, April 8th. Also, please note that we have a scholarship program. Full and partial scholarships are available. Please contact any board member for more information. Board members are listed on the bottom of the info sheet, available on our web site. Volunteer Requirement We ask every family to volunteer to help our league. We rely on volunteer help and cannot keep the league running without volunteer help. You will be asked to choose volunteer options of coaching, 4 volunteer hours per player (which include our yearly field work day in April to get the fields ready for the season, snack shack, etc.) or pay the volunteer buy-out fee of $100. You will receive more information regarding your volunteer choices at a later date.  Coaches will be required to have a background check done. All of our baseball leagues are coed. However, if your daughter would rather play softball and is aged 8-12, please select Mad River Softball. Registration Instructions All players will need to create an account prior to completing their first registration within the system. In subsequent years, you may log in with your account information to register. To create an account, please click "Create Account" in the top right to get started. Tee Ball - Little League - TBall Division Price: $50.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $75.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now Farm - Little League - Minors Coach Pitch Division Price: $50.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $75.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now American - Little League Minors Division Price: $75.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $100.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now National - Little League Baseball Division Price: $75.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $100.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now 2020 Mad River Little League - Softball Mad River Valley Little League – Softball Program Little League Softball is open to girls age 8-12. Age is determined by how old the child is based on the year they were born regardless of the month. There are currently 2 divisions that make up Mad River Valley Little League Softball Program: Minors Softball - Ages 8-10.  An introduction to the basic fundamentals and rules of softball.  It is a blend of coach and player pitched games.  Games are played against district teams.  Parents can expect 2 to 3 days per week. Majors Softball - Ages 11-12.  A more advanced level of play but still a developmental program.  Girls will learn advanced strategy while still progressing in technical fundamentals.  Mainly player pitched with coach support where needed.  Parents can expect 2 to 3 days per week. Also, please note that we have a scholarship program. Full and partial scholarships are available. Please contact any board member for more information. Board members are listed on the bottom of the info sheet, available on our web site. Volunteer Requirements We ask every family to volunteer to help our league. We rely on volunteer help and cannot keep the league running without volunteer help. You will be asked to choose volunteer options of coaching, 4 volunteer hours per player (which include our yearly field work day in April to get the fields ready for the season, snack shack, etc.) or pay the volunteer buy-out fee of $100. You will receive more information regarding your volunteer choices at a later date.  Coaches will be required to have a background check done. Registration Instructions All players will need to create an account prior to completing their registration within the system. In subsequent years, you may log in with your account information to register. To create an account, please click "Create Account" in the top right to get started. Minor - Player Pitch - Little League Softball - Girls Division Price: $75.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $100.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now Major - Little League Softball - Girls Division Price: $75.00 - ends on 4/1/2020 at 11:59 PM. Late Price: $100.00 - starts on 3/12/2020 at 12:00 AM. Register Now

If you have any questions or need more info, please email us at mikenagle23@comcast.net

Looking forward to a great season!

Mad River Valley Little League

School Board Updates

https://huusd.org/huusd-board

HUUSD Board Meeting Recap 1/15

Dear members of our six town community,

At our last meeting on January 15, 2020, of the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board: 

• Michelle Baker, Director of Finance & Operations, gave a presentation and answered board member questions on the FY21 Budget. Her report, and all FY21 budget documents, can be found at https://huusd.org/business-office under “FY21 Budget Development.”
• Board members broke into small groups to discuss how they view equity in regards to HUUSD schools, using the HUUSD vision statement and guiding questions to frame their conversations.

Please note that our full administrative team has now started to work on transition plans and we will be sharing out more details following our January 22nd meeting.

The Board took action on the three (3) items below:

1. Approved the following items as part of the consent agenda: Approve: Minutes of 1/8/2020; Accept: Vouchers 1151 and 1165 equaling $358,456.18

2. Approved draft RFP for bond communications consultant. 

3. Approved Budget #5 with a total expenditure of $39,457,342 for fiscal year 2021 which would include combining all 7th and 8th graders at Crossett Brook Middle School and moving Moretown Elementary’s 5th and 6th graders to Crossett Brook Middle School (or IDC).

Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 22nd at 6:00 pm in the Harwood Union School library. Please visit https://huusd.org/huusd-board to confirm time and place of meetings. 

You’ll also find all board and committee agendas, packets and minutes, and the link to board meeting videos. The direct link to watch this and other recent meetings is: https://mrvtv.com/category/school-board-meetings/. An archive of older meetings can be found here: https://archive.org/search.php?query=Harwood+Unified+Union+School+Board&sort=-date 

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Respectfully,

The HUUSD Board