Bobcat Bulletin June 25, 2020

First and foremost, I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful (warm) summer we have embarked on.  I hope that you have fun plans and plans to relax.  This is such a weird time.

It was a very different end to the year, to say the least.  Moretown normally waves goodbye on the last day, first to the sixth graders as they are dismissed first, and then to all the students as the buses leave the school yard.  A sea of red and white, celebration, riding off into the sunset of summer.  This year, well, it was just really different.  

The parade was amazing.  I am so happy our staff dedicated the evening to celebrating the students.  A couple of folks, including myself, teared up at the sight of their happy faces and excited waves.  Thank you for all of those who came out to say hello!  Thank you Pam and Brenda for finalizing our route from Duxbury through much of Moretown to Waitsfield (with Moretown faces ALL along the way).  Thank you to First Student for having a bus ride along with us, and thank you to our Moretown fire department for leading the way!  Certainly a highlight!

A couple of things I wanted to share with you all (I'm going to guess that I will be in touch a little more this summer than usual):

Report Cards

Dear HUUSD Families,

As we finish out the 2019-2020 school year we felt it important to provide you with feedback on your child’s learning since our last reporting period in January. We also wanted you to know that the report card looks different to reflect this period of remote learning. There are no number scores assigned.  Teachers have written strengths-based comments on work prior to and/or during remote learning. In the comments, you will see remarks from both the first semester, listed first, and the second semester. 

We recognize that there are many variables in your lives in the past few months. We honor the fact that the level at which all areas of learning were accessed may vary based on the following factors:

• Students with diverse family life situations.
• Students with varying levels of resources, technology being just one example.
• Students who need different levels of support.
• Students with varying needs, including academic, health and mental health concerns.
• Students with varying types and intensity of interaction with their teachers.
• Staff who are working remotely and simultaneously planning and delivering remote instruction, while also providing care for their families and, in many cases, their own children.
• A pandemic crisis is going on, and all of the uncertainty that has come with this.

Given these variables, all teachers were flexible in what was asked of students.  In these report cards you will see our teachers outline, to the best of their ability, the strengths that your student has exhibited since January. We have asked teachers to keep comments growth-oriented. 

We appreciate your support, in so many ways, during this remote learning period.

With respect, and best wishes for a rejuvenating summer,

The PK-6 HUUSD Principals

Summer Resource HUB:

We have allowed students to keep their school devices this summer, in the hopes that remote learning can continue to happen.  A "Summer Resource Hub" has been created, and you can get to it by clicking on the Remote Learning Hub link on the Moretown School Website

Enjoy!

And... SCHOOL NEXT YEAR?  
We have begun working on building models for what school will look like next year, based on the initial guidance that the state shared last week.  While this was only part of the guidance we have been told will be provided, it gives us plenty to start with. We are building plans for step 1 (continued remote learning/ no in person school), step 2 (in-person instruction with enhanced safety measures, and step 3 (in-person instruction with safety measures). Which step we operate at will be determined by the VT Dept of Health and Agency of Education.  We will communicate with you when we have details put in place for each of these plans. We also understand, as we have been told repeatedly by state officials, that the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly and the guidance may change. Please know we are taking all you have shared with us, all we have learned, and our best thinking to work to meet the needs of our community.  More to come 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.
 

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters Project      Dr. Richard Katzman, a Waterbury community member, Bridgeside Books owner Hiata Defeo, HUUSD Principal Tom Drake and CBMS Librarian Jen Hill are excited to announce the launch of a new program for kids of all ages in the Harwood Unified Union School District.  The Bridge Over Troubled Waters Project will begin on June 15th and culminate as 2020 draws to a close with the publication of student writing and art.  Young people attending private, public or home school are invited and encouraged to participate.

The theme of the project is “How we act and feel in difficult times.” It is about challenge and resilience, success and failure, courage and despair.  Students will have a chance to read a book that relates to this theme in some way, then to create reflections from their reading and their own experience.  Prose, poetry and art work are all welcome.  Fiction or nonfiction, books from home, from a selection available at or special ordered by Bridgeside Books at no cost to participants (and for them to keep), or borrowed from a library, are all fine.

    Bridgeside Books will have available the following selection for the project.  If your child is interested in a different book, we can get it for you, usually in less than a week.
             For older readers
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson - looking back on childhood
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - novel and graphic about finding your voice
Book Thief by Markus Zusak - in Nazi Germany find comfort in words
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - family and friendship in Afghanistan
The Call of the Wild by Jack London - courage and survival in Alaska
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - hard times in the Dust Bowl

               For middle readers
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (young adult version) - true survival plane crash
Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park - true story enduring hardships
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba - true enterprising teen
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen - survive alone in the wilderness
El Deafo by Cece Bell - graphic memoir living with deafness
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper - growing up a brilliant mind trapped in a body
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling - sarcasm, struggle
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacueline Woodson - a poem memoir of childhood

           For younger readers
The Day you Begin by Jacqueline Woodson - power of your voice and friendship
The Dot by Peter Reynolds - discover talent
Tomorrow I'll be Brave by Jessica Hische - fantastic journey with opportunities
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall - courage to take a big important leap

Student submissions will be due by September 1st; details on how to submit will be sent to you in August.  HUUSD faculty will review the collection before formatting the efforts of participating writers and artists into a publication which will include the work of elementary, middle and high school students and which we hope to have available for the holidays by November 1st. 

  If you are interested in participating, even if you do not need a book from us, please click here and fill out this form by June 15th.  We plan to have books ready to distribute to everyone by July 1st.  Dr. Katzman can be reached at 802.793.3661 or rkatzman@uvm.edu if you have questions, or contact Bridgeside Books at info@bridgesidebooks.com.  Details on book distribution will go out to participants the last week of June.

Come Alive Outside Passports are available to anyone who wants one this summer; these are a fun way to get inspired to get outside and do things.

Typically they are “hyper-local” resources that allow elementary students to earn points and win prizes for visiting local parks, farmers markets and community events. Due to the ongoing need to practice safe physical distancing, the summer passport this year consists entirely of fun, safe outdoor activities that can be completed anywhere!

Complete all 15 activities in the passport to earn a prize.This passport was designed for K-5th grade students, but anyone is welcome to participate. Take a look at some sample pages and get your copy here.

Free Meals for students 18 and under starting Monday, June 15th

Location: Waterbury Congregational Church - Directions

Time: 9:00 am -10:00 am

Contact info: Peter Plagge 802-244-6606 work, or 802-560-4667 mobile.

Deliveries in the Mad River Valley: Please contact Jess Tompkins with the Mad River Valley Food Bank directly at 802-496-8853.

Deliveries in Waterbury/Duxbury: Please contact Brian Conyers directly at waterburymission@gmail.com or 802-272-5262.

Meals will be prepared by the Barre School District Food Service and distributed by volunteers at the Congregational Church in Waterbury. 

Students in need of a meal from all our schools will be able to get free meals in this location, not only Waterbury residents. Meals will be free for all children 18 and under, independently of family income.

Meals will be offered in a curbside delivery style. The delivery schedule will be similar to what we have now, 3 days a week (M/W/F)., from 9:00am to 10:00am.

Best,

Our HUUSD Food & Nutrition Team

School Board Updates

HUUSD Board Statement on Superintendent Contract Renewal

The HUUSD Board voted on June 10th to extend Superintendent Brigid Nease’s contract for one additional year, meaning that she will continue to lead the district through June 30, 2022. 

The Board views this extension as providing an opportunity for the district to

1. move through COVID-related logistical and financial challenges with as much stability as possible
2. keep the administrative team intact so that it can support new leaders at Harwood Union and the Warren School
3. finalize and implement a PreK - 12 plan
4. make a transition plan to recruit, hire and welcome a new Superintendent in 2022.

The Board recognizes that the challenges in our district are not limited to financial strain or the uncertainty caused by the current pandemic.  In recent weeks, we heard from community members who did not advocate for renewal and who are frustrated and upset with the Board. The Board has begun discussions about what we as a Board can do to address some of these concerns. At the beginning of this school year, the Board articulated a vision of our district “to provide a rigorous, innovative and student-centered educational experience in a welcoming and inclusive environment while ensuring equity, effectiveness, and efficiency,” and to do this in partnership with our community. We are looking to take steps that will bring us closer to fulfilling this vision.

We want to make clear that while our vote is not unanimous, we all fully support and stand behind this decision. It is time for our Board to lead the way in unifying our district. We know there is much work to be done and we are confident that Superintendent Nease can continue to provide effective leadership during this transition period. We are committed to moving towards intentional and positive changes that build up our schools, our students and our community. 

The Board’s next steps include working with Superintendent Nease to define goals for her work in the two years ahead. Superintendent Nease has already identified communications, culture and climate as areas in need of immediate attention. Our Board, too, is actively contemplating how we can most effectively both direct and support the Superintendent and her team through the changes and challenges ahead.