Bobcat Bulletin March 22, 2020

School News:

Book Fair

Because of the closure of school I wanted families to know they can still order books online for their students through scholastic and we will still will receive the credit. Books will be sent directly to your home and any orders over $25 shipping is free.  Currently we will get more credit if you buy during our scheduled book fair dates. (through March 20th)  We are raising money for new reference books for the library.  Thank you to all of you who made the first three days a huge success! Here is the link
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/moretownelementaryschool

Please don't worry if you have any library books we are working on a plan.  I will keep you updated.

Mrs. Willard

Moretown School Librarian

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.

😞

School Board Updates

Update from the Huusd Board

THERESA MEMBRINO, THERESA.MEMBRINO@GMAIL.COM MANSFIELD ROAD, FAYSTON

ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear members of our six town community,

As an HUUSD board, we would first like to extend our deep gratitude to our district leaders and school staff who have spent countless hours this week planning for and addressing the many needs of our students and their families while schools are closed. Meal service and instructional plans are well underway and we are amazed at the work that has been accomplished in just a few short days through their collaborative and individual efforts. Our staff have spent time away from their own families to ensure that our students continue to access learning materials and meals, that our schools are cleaned, and that families receive timely updates. In the coming weeks, our teachers will continue to manage instruction remotely, no easy feat.

We are grateful.

We are also writing to update you on the status of our board's budget decisions. As the school budget failed on Town Meeting Day, we will need to decide on a new FY21 budget and schedule another public vote in the near future.

Given that public gatherings are strongly discouraged for at least the next several weeks, the earliest our board would meet would be Wednesday, April 8th. The earliest that our public would vote on a new school district budget would be Tuesday, April 28th. As we all know, these are very uncertain times so these dates are likely to change. We will be following guidance from the Secretary of State's office to adhere to open meeting law statutes.

At our most recent board meeting on March 12th, the board asked district administration to prepare updated versions of (what were formerly called) budget drafts 1, 3 and 4. These budgets do not involve changes to the current grade configurations in any of our schools. We will be sharing more detailed information about the budget drafts in the coming weeks, prior to the next board meeting.

Please visit https://huusd.org/huusd-board to confirm time and place of meetings, to read recent meeting minutes and to access meeting videos.

Thank you for your support of our students, families and staff, especially during this unprecedented time.

Respectfully,

HUUSD Board

Remote Learning

March 18, 2020

Dear Moretown Families,

Often we talk about our children leading us into the future and teaching us new things. This is a time when we ALL will experience new learning. The strategies that we encourage in our children: positive mindset, willingness to make mistakes and try new things, and flexibility are going to serve us all well in these uncharted waters.

School staff have put together information and resources as a starting place for continued learning for children while school is in dismissal. These materials will be updated regularly and in response to student work that is turned back in.  These learning materials can be found online here:

https://sites.google.com/huusd.org/moretown-remote-learning-hub/home  

Additionally, hard copies of these materials are available for pick up at school, if hard copy is needed. Hard copy materials are likely especially relevant to our younger students.

Students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) have an envelope from case managers set out with hard copy materials.  Parents of students on IEP’s can expect communication from case managers via phone or email later this week.

	Pick-up Location at the School	Time
Moretown	Student cubbies (grades 1-4) Classrooms (grades 5-6, preK and Kindergarten)	3/18 7:30-10:30 3/19 7:30-10:30

To find your child’s work on the website, please click on your child(s) grade level, then click on content areas for the work in each area. We encourage you to reach out to teachers if you need help: they will do their best to assist your understanding and child’s learning. On this webpage you will find the necessary materials and instructions. 

General Information

We appreciate that this is a challenging time. We want learning to remain positive and for parent/child relationships to remain strong. Please use the time guidelines below to guide your learning time. Remember to spend time outside, to play games, and to take time to connect with each other. We recognize that these time frames may not be fully realized each day and that’s okay. We want you to prioritize mental health and connection. We also appreciate that there is lots to figure out in this first week or two; just as with the first week of school, we anticipate that work and routines will ramp up as well adjust.

 

K - 2
20-25 minutes	Reading/Writing (Science/Social Studies connections as appropriate)
20-25 minutes	Math
20-25 minutes	Science/Social Studies experiences/integrated projects
20-25 minutes	Integrated Arts
3 - 4
25-30 minutes	Reading (Science/Social Studies connections as appropriate)
25-30 minutes	Writing (Science/Social Studies connections as appropriate)
25-30 minutes	Math
25-30 minutes	Science/Social Studies experiences/integrated projects
25-30 minutes	Integrated Arts
5 - 6
25-30 minutes	Reading (Science/Social Studies connections as appropriate)
20 minutes	Writing (Science/Social Studies connections as appropriate)
45 minutes	Math
20 minutes	Science/Social Studies experiences/integrated projects
25-30 minutes	Integrated Arts

As with any new delivery model we anticipate that there may be a few hiccups but our dedicated teachers are ready and willing to lead with us through this time. Please continue to reach out and connect with us around successes, challenges and needs.  We will continue to be in regular communication.

Best,

Mandy Couturier

MES Principal

Bobcat Bulletin: March 13, 2020

Please double click above for the latest or visit the district website 

Stay tuned as more information will be coming tonight about net steps around COVID19

School News:

This year the Moretown Elementary School will be participating in the Big Change Roundup, an annual fundraiser for the UVM Children's Hospital. The Roundup “lets us all make a difference together - one dime at a time!” We kicked off our efforts with a whole-school assembly. Guests joined us from the children’s hospital and 98.9 WOKO, the media sponsor. Each student received a kit with fun “resources” to get them started: stickers, temporary tattoos, bandanas, arm bands and, last but not least, information on how funds are used to support children.

Students have the option to set their own fundraising goal using the chart provided in the kit. We are setting a goal for our school, to fill a 5-gallon jar with change. If we reach our goal by April break, we will have a whole-school celebration!

For more information, check out Big Change Roundup for Kids. Please contact Jason Stevenson, School Counselor, with any questions: jstevenson@huusd.org.

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.

Summer Camp Opportunities:

Kathi Orr from Waitsfield School has compiled an amazing list of summer camp opportunities for students.  Check this out: CAMP2020  I will also link above in the blog for future reference.  

Warren School 5th/6th Grade Dance March 13,  7-9pm, $2.00 admission.

Kids Creations Art Show: March 20th, 6-9pm, at Three Mountain Cafe.  Featuring a collection of original works by 2nd-7th grade children. Refreshments will be served.

TRIP Dance Company Performance  Come watch  TRIP’s passionate, competitive, local dancers hit the stage at Spruce Peak Performing Art Center on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7pm. During the year, the dancers attend some of the industry’s leading dance competitions where they take challenging classes, learn new choreography, and get inspiration from the innovators and well-known choreographers of the dance industry.  The Company will perform a variety of dance genres, all of which will be certain to entertain.  Hope to see you there.  See link below to view available seats, starting at $16 per ticket.TRIP Dance Company Performance - Spruce Peak Performing Arts

April Vacation Adventure Camp at Horses & Pathfinders | Ages 11-14

April 20-24, 2020 Monday-Friday 9:00am - 4:00 pm 

Designed for tomorrow’s citizens and leaders, our Equine Guided Youth and Teen Leadership programs aim to build good character and nurture leadership and team skills in every young person and young adult so they can make a better world! Daily activities include nature walk and spring plant identification, outdoor herb medicinals, fire making, natural horsemanship class, horse care and horse wisdom. This camp is all about exploring, experiencing and discovering adventure while integrating leadership and team building into a FUN educational experience.

Visit: http://horsesandpathfinders.com/youth-and-teen-leadership/

Contact: questions@horsesandpathfinders.com

Warm regards, 

Lucinda Newman

Friend, Coach, Teacher, Mentor 

School Board Updates:

https://huusd.org/huusd-board

Bobcat Bulletin February 21, 2020

Save the Dates:

Family Conferences (students attend):

March 16-19. 

Scheduling window will open March 11 and close March 15.

Directions and details on how to sign up will be emailed. 

SBAC Testing (Grades 3-6):

May 5,6,7 and May 12, 13, 14

All students in Grades 3 & 4 will take the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment and the Math assessment. 

Please try and schedule any appointments around these dates so students don’t need a makeup time. 

https://madrivervalleymusic.blogspot.com/


Ever felt like it was hard to keep up with all of the activities available for youth in our area-- or just even to remember to sign up on time?  Tuesday, March 10,  6-7 pm, Waitsfield School is hosting a Youth Sports & Activities Fair. Representatives from an array of local sports, as well as other youth activities, from scouting to private art classes and much more, will be available, along with some summer camp programs, too.  Plan to stop by just to see some of what is available and get your sign ups, for Little League or fall soccer and much more, done all in one place at one time. This event is open to all youth and their families across our communities.  If you are interested in representing a youth program, please contact me (kkorb@huusd.org) and we'll make sure we have a spot for you. 

At Town Meeting this year, the HUUSD School Board will be asking voters to approve a nearly $40M budget to operate our seven campuses next year and to transfer nearly $2M into the district’s long term maintenance reserve fund. 

Details about the district’s work and finances from the last year as well as our plans for next year are available in our Annual Report. Our annual meeting will be held on Monday, March 2nd at 6PM in the Harwood Library. As for any of our meetings, community members are warmly invited to attend.

This has been a particularly challenging budget year that has played out over months of public meetings. We know that community members have a range of budget-related questions and we have put together a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document, which we invite you to peruse. We hope it will provide some detailed context for the difficult decisions faced by the Board -- and by our community.

Respectfully, Caitlin Hollister, Board Chair and Torrey Smith, Board Vice-Chair

Preschool Screening

Universal Preschool Registration &
Developmental Screening
MARCH 2020

The Harwood Unified Union School District (including Fayston, Moretown, Waitsfield, Warren Elementary Schools, and Thatcher Brook Primary School) supports preschool for all children.  

Through universal preschool, all children who will be three by September 1, 2020 are eligible to attend our highly regarded school-based programs or receive funding to attend any program pre-approved by the state.  

If you have not already contacted the school in your town to participate in preschool screening to be eligible for universal preschool funding (aka Act 166), please do so. Children may attend any pre-qualified preschool program, but you must first sign up to participate in screening in your town of residence.  

Fayston	496-3636	March 11
Moretown	496-3742	March 13 & 27
TBPS	244-7195	March 9 & 16
Waitsfield	496-3643	March 18
Warren	496-2487	March 20

Contact your local elementary school for more details on their programming. The HUUSD preK website has additional information as well as names of preschools eligible for public funding:

• Preschools in our area
• Preschools throughout Vermont  

Our school-based programs serve students from many communities.  Please contact a local school for additional information.

If you have any concerns about hearing and vision or speech, language, motor, social, or cognitive development of a child who is younger than three, please contact the school in your town of residence. We look forward to working with you to support the growth of all of our children!

MES Spring Conferences

Hi Moretown families,

The canyon creek link is now open.  You can log on and sign up for conferences.  They are scheduled for next week.  

Note: preschool will hold conferences in April or May 

• Follow this link to go directly to the scheduler.https://www.canyoncreeksoftware.com/scheduler/vt/wwsu/index.cfm
• From the Online Scheduler Home Page
  • Choose your student’s school from the drop down list and click “GO”
  • Enter the school password: 3742
  • Enter your student’s “Student ID”. If you do not know their Student ID, use the LOOKUP STUDENT ID button to access the system.
    • Verify the student’s birth date
  • A list of your student’s teachers will be displayed. Check the box next to the name of each teacher(s) you would like to meet with.
    • If you have more than one student in the school you can see all of your students’ teachers’ schedules at one time by answering YES to this question “Do you want to schedule conferences for another student?” then repeat the steps above for your other students. If you only have one student, answer NO to that question.
  • You will then see the available time slots for each teacher you selected.
    • Select the times that work best for your schedule.
    • Enter your email address (recommended) if you would like an email reminder sent to you. (Your email address is kept private.)
      • Once you have finished you can confirm your appointment details and print your conference schedule.
        • Write down the Confirmation Number (you will need this number to cancel your appointment).

Bobcat Bulletin March 9, 2020

Thank goodness for modern technology that automatically Spring forward...

• Budget- As most of you are aware the budget presented at Town Meeting Day was voted down.  The School board will work to determine next steps, and a new budget to present to the public.  The new budget may impact staffing plans that were previously communicated.  I know many of you are left with questions, as are staff and students, and they are questions I do not presently have answers for.  I will continue to do my best to support students and folks, and help with any issues/feelings that surface due to uncertainty. 
• Winter Sports Program-  We are scheduled to go tomorrow.  I will send out a separate email if anything changes.

Notes from the Health Office 

• COVID19- Information is coming a fast pace from many sources.  The district has sent messages and have links on the HUUSD homepage as well.  One important link, which is being updated regularly is the COVID19- HUUSD Response Plan.  
• Additionally, Nurse Jean has offered to spend a little bit of time in classrooms talking about universal precautions (handwashing, etc), and answering questions students may have.  

• The Big Change Round Up- Moretown School is participating in the fundraiser for Vermont's Children's Hospital.  The kick-off assembly was Friday, and there will be another assembly in April to wrap it all up.  

School News:

Musical Notes

• 6th grade Band night is tomorrow 3/10/20 at Harwood.

Library Happenings

• The Book Fair is coming!!  It will be set up next week during conferences.

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.

There’s Still Time to Register for Girls on the Run!There are only a few spots remaining on our Girls on the Run team! Visit www.gotrvt.org/register-now to register your 3rd to 6th grade girl today.  Our 10-week season begins on Monday March 23rd. Our team meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 4:30.

Each season, girls gain a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them, the value of teamwork and healthy relationships, and how they can have a positive impact on the world. Our trained volunteer coaches facilitate games, discussions and team challenges to help each girl activate her limitless potential. Our season culminates with Girls on the Run Vermont’s 5K Celebration on Saturday, June 6 in Essex. This is a tangible goal girls can strive towards and shows girls that the seemingly impossible IS possible!

The registration fee is $100. GOTRVT provides financial assistance directly on the registration form for qualifying families. GOTRVT is committed to being accessible to any girl who wants to participate, and is dedicated to ensuring that the program cost is not a barrier. Please contact GOTRVT directly at 802-871-5664 or me, Chris Tierson regarding financial assistance options.

Visit gotrvt.org/register-now to register! Questions? Contact Christine Tierson at jtierson@gmavt.net or 802-595-3329.

Tuesday March 10        6-7 pm         WES GYM

Waitsfield School is hosting a Youth Sports & Activities Fair. Representatives from an array of local sports (soccer, lacrosse, hockey, little league and more)  as well as other youth activities, from scouting to private art classes, from theater camps to gymnastics, and much more, will be available, along with some summer camp programs, too.  Plan to stop by just to see some of what is available and/or complete registration all in one place at one time. Mad River Recreation District will also be hosting a youth sports equipment swap This event is open to all youth and their families across our communities. 

Registration for the coming season of Clyde Whittemore Little League is open at www.clydewhittemore.com.  Some new things to look forward to: outfield fencing at Hope Davey 2 and a pitching machine (for softball) and a batting cage at Dac Rowe!

Sign up now!
CWLL

PS - our annual Dick's Sporting Goods 20% off everything in the store (yep Kayaks and other big stuff too) is March 21 & 22 for all registered participants! Register now to be eligible!

Little League Softball and Baseball Registration 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 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 online at  www.madriverbaseball.com.  Take advantage of early registration discounts now through March 10th. Reach out to mikenagle23@comcast.net if you have any questions regarding our Programs.

Horses & Pathfinders

I hope this finds you well. I’m reaching out to let you know about our Equine Guided April Adventure event (April vacation) at Horses & Pathfinders in Moretown. The week-long day camp is designed for 11-14 y.o. and the link can be reached here: http://horsesandpathfinders.com/youth-and-teen-leadership/

I’m happy to write up a brief blurb if you think it’s a good idea  - to let 6th grade families know its available.

Thank you!

Warm regards, 

Lucinda Newman

Friend, Coach, Teacher, Mentor

Mad River Glen's Skiing for Scholars Program Free all-mountain lift tickets for students from 2-5pm, includes free ski, boot, and pole rentals(helmets not included). Parent or legal guardian must be present to sign forms. In addition there is a  free Learn To Ski program featuring two 3-week sessions with Mad River Glen Ski School instructors.  The Learn To Ski program is for new skiers only.  Sessions are February 14, 21, 28, and March 6, 13,  20 , 3:30-5pm.  Pre-registration is required, call 802-496-3551 ext 135 or email skischool@madriverglen.com. There is also a free "Fast Start", an introduction to racing for the more experienced skiers interested in learning basic ski race techniques and the thrill of running set courses with video analysis.  This group will meet weekly 3:30-4:30, meet at the flag pole. To learn more visit: www.madriverglen.com/skiing-for-scholars-program.

TRIP Dance Company Performance  Come watch  TRIP’s passionate, competitive, local dancers hit the stage at Spruce Peak Performing Art Center on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7pm. During the year, the dancers attend some of the industry’s leading dance competitions where they take challenging classes, learn new choreography, and get inspiration from the innovators and well-known choreographers of the dance industry.  The Company will perform a variety of dance genres, all of which will be certain to entertain.  Hope to see you there.  See link below to view available seats, starting at $16 per ticket.TRIP Dance Company Performance - Spruce Peak Performing Arts

MECA SUMMER CAMP:

Here we are folks! It's hard to believe that summer is just months away but it is indeed, and we are beyond excited for what we have to offer this year! Please make sure to fill out the appropriate form based on the grade that your child(ren) will be entering in the fall of 2020. 

Camps for Prek and Kindergarten are camps that allow for families to choose the DAYS children will attend.

Camps for 1st-6th Graders are camps that allow for families to choose the WEEKS children will attend. 

Each camp has 4 scheduling and pricing options and we have changed the discounts for families so that everyone is getting a little extra off this summer! Woot Woot!

Preschool & Kindergarten Summer Camp Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/FyZTG74orMg9DgjN8

1st-3rd Grade Summer Camp Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/YsdRJrQqTfo73SfZ9

4th-6th Grade Summer Camp Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/3fXNDhNP1Uzj9eBz9

Let's get geared up for summer fun!

~Moie Moulton

  MECA Executive Director

  802-583-7854

School Board Updates

The new board is now scheduled to meet Thursday 3/12/20 from 6:00-9:00pm at Harwood Union High School.