Bobcat Bulletin 8/31/20

 

School News:

Please join Superintendent Brigid Nease for the HUUSD's online forums to answer questions about the re-opening of our schools this fall. 

There will be 3 ways to access the event, via Zoom, telephone, or YouTube. (The number of participants is limited on Zoom, so we are streaming the conversation on YouTube to allow all of those interested to tune in. If you try the Zoom link and there are no spaces left, then click on the YouTube link to join that way.) 

All participants will be able to submit questions during the forum. If you are participating via Zoom, there will be a chat window you can use; if you are participating via YouTube, you can send an email to tcsmith@huusd.org during the forum. We will work to address as many questions as possible in the allotted time. If you cannot attend, the session will be recorded and linked on our website, huusd.org. 

WHEN: August 31 and September 14 at 630PM

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Zoom:

Please click the link below to join the Zoom webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87401504765

Telephone:

888 788 0099 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5247 (Toll Free)

Webinar ID: 874 0150 4765

YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT269g8MOtbO8dGmOnAWX7g/live

A classroom teacher shared this list with me.  I have tweaked it a bit, but thought it was great guidance for all students.

What should my child bring to school each in person day?

• MASKS that fit your child well and is clean and labeled with your child’s name or initials on inside or outside. I made this plural, as masks will need to be changed if they become wet or soiled during the day. We will be supplying masks as well, or have ones on hand for back up.
• Layers of clothing for tops and bottoms.  It can be pretty chilly in the morning and then get hot in the afternoon. It is always better to be able to take off layers than be chilly.
• Appropriate footwear and wool blend socks for being outside most of the day
• Water bottles filled with water   The water fountains will not be working, but water bottle fillers will.
• Snacks and lunch We will have hot lunch available every day for students on and off-site
• LARGE BAG or Backpack large enough to take all personal items home each day, Things can not be left in cubbies overnight
• Change of clothing to match the season packaged in a ZIPLOCK bag with your child’s name on the bag (socks, underwear, top and pants/shorts- not just for younger grades. Spending time outdoors can and will lead to getting dirty or even wet. These clothes will travel home and to school each day, so please check your child’s bag to see if they are dirty and need washing before returning.
• Device School issued ipad or chromebook either fully charged or with charger. Students will be learning things about how to use their devices while in school

A different model in intervention....

• Our very own Kathy Haskell will be changing positions for just this year, becoming the 4th grade teacher for the Harwood Union Remote Academy.  This will essentially mean hitting a pause button in our amazing MTSS system.  Those students who were working with Kathy can continue to access EST services, they will most likely just look slightly different, and I will step in to manage these plans for the time being.  Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns about this change.

We have a new site at the district level to provide some resources for families who may be experiencing difficulty.  Please take a look at the Resource Site.

Specials/Integrated Arts: 

• The specials schedule will be a little different this year.  As we share almost all of our Integrated Arts staff with other schools in the valley, we are aiming to cut down exposure for adults.  So, we are assigning arts teachers for weeks at a time for in-person instruction.  So for example, Miss Ally will be with Moretown on Weeks A and B.  Students will get PE for all their in person days on weeks A and B.     

Notes from the Health Office 

• join me in welcoming Claire Lindberg to Moretown School's Health Office!  
• Claire has years of experience in the medical world, having most recently worked in general practice in Vermont.  
• She is new to schools, but has certainly hit the ground running and is a huge asset to us in this time!

MASK DONATIONS SOUGHT
HUUSD is seeking donations of cloth facial coverings for students.   We would like to offer an opportunity to the community to extend our supply and provide a variety of masks for our students. 
Masks should be multiple layers of cotton fabric with loops for ears. We cannot accept any donations of masks designed to tie behind the head. 
CDC Guidance on Making Cloth Face Coverings
Johns Hopkins Suggestions for Sizing of Kids Cloth Face Coverings 
Vermont Department of Health Guidance
For more information you can contact Mandy Couturier at mcouturier@huusd.org.  Masks can be dropped at each school.

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.

Fall Soccer Registration  Grades 1-6 will have two practices a week with games on Saturdays; practice start dates will be announced soon.  Early registration fee is $50 from August 1st to August 23rd. Late registration fee is $70 from August 24th and will close September 6th.  ***IF YOU PLAYED DURING THE SUMMER SEASON YOU WILL BE USING YOUR UNIFORM FOR THE FALL.***

Pre-K and Kindergarten will be Saturday mornings; a start date will be announced soon. The child needs to be 4 years of age at the start of the program. Fee is $30. In the past, we have tried to be flexible with deadlines but due to the unusual circumstances of this year,  THERE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE NO MORE REGISTRATIONS TAKEN AFTER SEPTEMBER 6th.

Here is the link to register: https://www.gotsport.com/asp/application/reg/?ProgramID=91544&Type=PLAYER

If you have any questions please email MRVSA at registrar.mrvsa@gmail.com
 

Mad River Dance Academy As we approach this September, we are planning a slow easy start.  Currently on the MRDA schedule we have Hip Hop classes being offered on Mondays (starting in September), and newly - Ballet classes starting in October on Saturdays. The ballet classes will be offered in 6-Week sessions, which will allow us to complete each session, re-group and launch again if all goes well.
Registration is OPEN for all of these classes. However, if your son/daughter is interested in Hip Hop on Monday's with Sam Parker, PLEASE REGISTER as soon as possible. If we do not have enough students registered prior to September 8, these Monday Hip Hop classes will unfortunately be canceled. Please note - drop-in’s are no longer allowed. 
https://www.stowedance.com/mrda 

Back to school Bobcat Bulletin... some new logistics

Hello Everyone, 

I will reach out again this weekend with more news and details, but wanted to get these out to you.

Here are some important details for back to school:

• Arrival/Dismissal
• School hours will remain the same as in the past, 7:30-2:30.  Buses will arrive at about 7:20, and so this will be the earliest students can arrive.  
• Class will begin at approximately at 7:40.  We hope this 20 minute window will allow us to get everyone in to the building and ready for school
• Students arriving by bus will have been health screened when they board the bus at congregate bus stops, and will enter the building through the newly named OWL ENTRANCE (by the church).
• Students arriving by car will pull up in the loop along the sidewalk all the way to the town offices.  
• Students will be screened in the car, and when the screening is passed, the student will exit car and walk into the building through main entrance and proceed to class.
• Parents/families will not be allowed to walk students to class.
• At 2:30 students will be dismissed by grade level.  Bus riders will exit the OWL Entrance.  Riders will be dismissed from the main entrance, with cars lined along the sidewalk (just like in the morning).
• Meals
• Grab and go breakfasts will be available to students at both entrances as they enter school. 
• Hot lunches will be available to students on-site and off-site each day. More details will come, as well as a menu for September.
•  It is slightly different than in the spring, as meals will no longer be free for everyone, but will be available to charge to accounts.  
• Please complete free/reduced paperwork if you would like to be considered for free/reduced meals.
• Cohorts
• There is much language around cohorts in the Safe and Healthy Start guidance 
• Grade levels will act as cohorts, who can attend recess together (grades 1 and 2 will comprise a cohort, grades 3 and 4 will be a cohort, and grades 5 and 6 will be a cohort)
• Each cohort will be assigned bathroom(s)
• Devices
• All students in 3rd grade through 6th grade were sent home a device in the spring.  These devices will be assigned to these students again this year.  
• Students in Kindergarten, first and second grades may have been loaned a device.  These devices will need to be returned on the first in-person day or before if possible.  
• iPads need to be updated to make sure they are able to run the necessary applications. 
•  More information to come about this, but if you want to drop off devices any time next week, please let me know, I will be at school.
• Students K-3 will be distributed new devices on/before their first in-person school day.
• It is expected that all on in-person/on-site days, students bring their device to school.  The device should either be fully charged or should bring the charging cord as well.
• Direct teaching around tech expectations is one of the priorities during in-person days, to support off-site learning days
• Handbook
• I am working on updating the handbook, as so many things are different this year.  I will send it out with updates as soon as possible.
• Social/Emotional Wellbeing
• We are prioritizing 3 things during in person days (as stated above).  
• The first priority being relationships and community.  
• The other two priorities during time on-site together is technology instruction and any assessments that need to be done at specific grade levels.
• Our goal is to give students a soft place to land... it has been quite some time since we were together in-person and we will be welcoming them with open arms (from 6 feet away).
• School will be different.  It will be important to emphasize this with your child(ren).  We believe it is going to be awesome, with much time spent outdoors, cultivating relationships and community, and learning together, AND different that what they remember.
• Please talk with your children about how they are feeling and what they are thinking.  
• Here is an interview form we would love for you to complete when thinking about your child and your family during this time and readying to return to school.

That's it for this evening, I will have more to communicate by the end of the weekend.

Be well,

Mandy

Below you will find an article about remote/off-site learning tips for families.

How to Help Your Child Succeed in a Hybrid Learning Environment

Here is a link to an article shared by NASSP 

Bobcat Bulletin August 7, 2020

Hello MES Families,

The district continues to develop their plan for reopening schools, using the Strong and Healthy Start guide to reopening schools from the Vermont Agency of Education as the cornerstone to our work.  The state is having schools reopen, at a phase two, which means that in great part schools will be opening in the hybrid model to accommodate things like 3-6' of physical distance for student (limiting the number of desks we can have in the classrooms at the same time), health and safety recommendations about not using common areas like the gym and cafeteria for their intended use because of risk of exposure, the time it will take to deep clean and disinfect all areas and surfaces in school between groups, among others.

HUUSD has agreed to 1:4 model for students.  All students will be offered one day on site with their assigned teacher(s) and a smaller cohort of students.  How this will look at Moretown School is that we will look at established class lists and split them into two groups; red (Tuesday) and white (Thursday).  We are doing our best to make sure siblings can attend the same day to ease as much of the challenges and concerns the "all-new school" is likely to present with childcare etc. 

Families will receive a quick email later today indicating red or white assignments.  If there are extenuating circumstances that need to be addressed, please reach out to me directly for consideration.  There are many moving pieces; I will do my best, but cannot guarantee switches can be made.

We continue to work out schedules around integrated arts/specials, and other specifics including congregate bus stops.  You will be receiving information regularly from this point forward as we have formally adopted a hybrid model and now are hammering out the great many logistics that come along with this model.

If you have questions in the meantime, please reach out.

In order to prepare for this significant upcoming transitoin, you can help with these two items: 

• Please start practicing mask wearing, if you haven't already.  Although many camps and summer activities have made masks optional, they will not be optional at school. Please see below for more on masks.  
• Please practice washing hands. Often.  Students will be washing hands when they enter school, before and after any time they eat (snack, breakfast, lunch), before and after they play outside, and before and after using any shared materials (which will be minimal).  

From the VT Dept of Health:

• Children and Masks
• Halloween is one thing, but when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 among children, masks are serious business, and one size does not fit all

• Face coverings should be worn in settings where children and adults cannot keep a distance of 6 feet between themselves and others. This includes childcare settings, summer camps and schools.

• The Health Department has a two-page fact sheet that gives people the information they need about the use of masks to help protect children.

• Keeping a 6-foot distance can be hard for kids used to running around and playing with each other. In settings where distancing is a challenge, children ages 2 and older should wear a mask. Make sure the mask size is the right fit and teach kids how to safely put on and remove the mask, as well as instruct them on proper hand washing to stop the spread of germs.
• 
  
• Children under the age of 2 should not wear a mask, because it may present a choking hazard, and the youngsters may not be able to communicate that they are having trouble breathing. The unique needs of each child are also a factor. Children who have medical (such as asthma) or developmental reasons for not wearing a face covering, should not be required to do so.

• Review our Face Coverings for Children fact sheet for more information, including safety tips about what masks are appropriate and advice for helping children adapt to mask use.

Speaking of masks:

• The Harwood Unified Union School District is seeking donations of cloth facial coverings for both students and staff.  We are prepared to mask every student and teacher at this time.  We would like to offer an opportunity to the community to extend our supply and provide a variety of masks for our students.  

• Masks should be multiple layers of cotton fabric (minimum of 3 layers) with loops for ears. We cannot accept any donations of masks designed to tie behind the head. 

CDC Guidance on Making Cloth Face Coverings

Johns Hopkins Suggestions for Sizing of Kids Cloth Face Coverings

Vermont Department of Health Guidance

• For more information you can contact Mandy Couturier at mcouturier@huusd.org.  Masks can be dropped at Moretown School in person or in a drop box.  Drop off can also be arranged at TBPS through email.