Bobcat Bulletin 5/21/21

 

School News:

5th and 6th graders met with author Katherine Arden this week.  They asked great questions and did a fantastic job!

This week's bulletin highlights our school nurses, invites you to share your input for a new name for TBPS and also CBMS plans, and contains COVID-19 udpates.

Introducing Mish Boreanaz our new 5/6 classroom teacher!

My name is Mish Boreanaz (kids usually call me Ms. B) and here's a bit of information about me. I grew up here in Vermont and attended Waterbury Elementary and Harwood Middle and High Schools. I went to college in Maine to study Environmental Science and Marine Biology where I discovered that I love teaching! After graduating, I went to Montana on an adventure with my dog and some friends and went back to school to become a teacher. A few years later, I returned to Vermont to start my career!

I began teaching in a 5th grade class at Crossett Brook Middle School and then 6th grade at Main Street Middle School before taking several years off to be at home with my sons. When my youngest was two, I returned to the classroom, this time in 7th and 8th grade back at CBMS, which I did for two years before my first year at Woodbury Elementary. I have been teaching 5th and 6th grade at Woodbury for the last 7 years, but am ready to come back closer to home.

I live in Waterbury with my husband Allan, who is a wildlife biologist and forester. We have two young boys: Acer who is 13 and in 7th grade at CBMS and Silvan who is 10 and in 4th grade at TBPS. We also have a new puppy named Cheddar. We are a busy and active family and enjoy being outside. We love to bike, swim, and work in the garden in the summer and ski in the winter (downhill and XC). When I’m not outside, I also really love to cook, read, and knit!

I can't wait to start my new adventure at Moretown Elementary and be a part of the 5th and 6th grade team. I look forward to building a welcoming, positive, and fun classroom community that focuses on growth mindset and facing challenging tasks, collaborative work, integrating technology, SCIENCE!, lots of reading, and opportunities for independent choice learning in all subject areas. I am also very excited to continue my work with outdoor learning and be a part of the ECO program!

Introducing Lindsey Vandal our new 1/2 Teacher:

Hi! I’m Lindsey Vandal and I am so excited to be teaching first and second grade at Moretown Elementary School next year. I grew up in Shelburne and I live in Waitsfield with my husband and two young children, a dog and a cat. Some of my hobbies are mountain biking, skiing, cooking, knitting and hanging out at the river. I have a passion for early childhood and outdoor education and I currently teach “Nature School,” a weekly nature-based preschool program (similar to ECO) at Waitsfield Elementary School. I have a Master’s of Education from the University of Washington and a BA from Middlebury College. I am so grateful to be a new part of the Moretown community, and I look forward to getting to know you all!

Introducing Mark Gedmin our new Interventionist:

Hi! My name is Mark Gedmin and I am thrilled to be joining the Moretown School Community! I was born and raised in Chicago, but have been living in Vermont for the last decade, and have been teaching (mostly third grade) at the Morristown Elementary School for the last seven years. I currently live in Waterbury with my wife Christie, who is an amazing 1st grade Spanish Immersion Teacher in Richmond, and our (almost!) one year old daughter Marceline who was born on Father's Day, June 21 last year. We love to play outside as much as we can, whether it's on skis, bikes or paddling around our favorite reservoir. I look forward to meeting you all soon!

Familiar Faces in New Spaces:

• Diana Puffer is headed to Waterbury to the soon-to-be-renamed Thatcher Brook Primary School to be a math interventionist.  Given her passion for teaching math, she is excited for her new endeavor.
• Brenda Harshorn will be retiring from classroom teaching, but not from Moretown School.  She will shift up the hall to the main office, as the new Admin Assistant.  She is excited to stay on and continue to be an important part of our school.
• Pam Dow will teach kindergarten next year.  She is finishing the year strong with 1/2 and looking forward to welcoming in our kindergarteners in the fall!
• Kathy Haskell has spent the year teaching 4th grade remotely.  She will be moving on to a new position next year outside of the school district.  

We will miss the folks moving on!

Planning for an all school hike:

We are planning an all-school hike right in our back woods June 4.  Stay tuned for more information.

Library Happenings

The last day for book checkout for students is May 28th and All students' books will be due June 4th 

I Heart Art

Notes from the Health Office:

Tick checks, bug spray before school, hats:  We've had a couple reports of ticks.  While all teachers have students check for ticks before they return indoors after ECO and other outside activities this time of year, please be sure to also check your kids.  Additionally applying big spray before school and making sure students have hats can also be helpful.  

Sunscreen before school:  Students spend time outdoors everyday.  Please be sure to apply sunscreen before school.  Thanks!!

Parents and Families of students with disabilities: Please find this correspondence from Stephanie Hudak about this year's Parent Involvement Survey. Link is here.

ECO this week

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.

Harwood Girls Basketball Camps:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DhyoJRhSflbTwpYE2D1ZHIBoC63BFae9S2hbAgL7ZSU/edit?usp=sharing

OHASK CAMP 2021FUN!     Start your summer with a week full of fun games and activities!
Location: Waitsfield Elementary Dates: Monday 6/14 - Friday 6/18 (first week of summer vacation) Ages : 5-12 
Camp Hours: 8 am - 2:30 pm : $45/day, $225/week After care: 2:30-5:00 pm: $15/day, $75/week
Our goal is to have as much fun in as possible in one week! 
Some of our fun Activities: - camp fire building -water balloons - slime -obstacle courses - tie-dye t-shirts - river exploration -dance parties - daytime camp-out - water squirting games -outdoor survival - ice cream sundae bar -science experiments - scavenger hunt All covid guidelines and safety precautions will be followed closely! Activities will be planned to meet the interests of the individual group.
Email Andreea at OHASKprogram@gmail.com to  sign up! In your message please include if you need after care.

School Board Updates

5-12-21 Board Meeting Recap

TITLE: HUUSD Board survey and 5/12 meeting recap

BODY:

The HUUSD School Board met remotely on Wednesday, May 12.

Discussion was mainly on the plan to consolidate the district’s 7th and 8th graders at Crossett Brook Middle School in the fall of 2022. Board members shared thoughts on timing, infrastructure needs at Crossett Brook and what to include in the bond proposal intended for November of 2021. For an update on the most current information on these topics, see this report which formed the basis for the discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14WiCN6f0WBfILBvONs4KVdqKxj8WWuDVndi37Jx7a6U/edit?usp=sharing

The Board has been collecting community feedback through a brief survey about the facilities decisions at CBMS. Each decision has implications for costs as well as the educational environment for CBMS students and teachers. All members of our community are invited to take this survey to help the Board understand more about how to optimize a possible merger. The survey, which takes about 5 minutes and will be open until Thursday May 20th, can be found here: https://forms.gle/RgFbNYUi4A7wKmaf6. 

(This survey does not ask the question of whether we should merge or not, but seeks input on what the facilities should look like if we do. Filling out the survey will not give the Board a false sense that you (or others) support the merger. Instead it helps us answer the question, if the Board is going to go ahead with bringing all 7th and 8th graders together at CBMS, how can we balance out costs and opportunities to reflect community priorities?)

The Board will be voting whether to continue with the fall 2022 7/8th grade merger at its next regular meeting, on May 26th. If it chooses to proceed, it will then be making decisions about what facilities changes, if any, to make at CBMS. There will be extended public comment before the start of the meeting. Alternatively, an email can be sent to the whole board at any time before May 26th by using the cen-huusdboard@huusd.org address.

In a separate matter, the district’s administrative team read a statement regarding the Board’s recent decision to pursue an investigation into the matter of termination of an at-will employee. After brief discussion, the Board voted to re-consider the matter at its next meeting.  (The admin team’s statement is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TGJFyAcAgTqGuuC0_32_bn6bqMZ7fJ3XGtn8PdH7pUo/edit?usp=sharing)

As always, the Board welcomes feedback from our community. One of the easiest ways to share your thoughts is to send an email to cen-huusdboard@huusd.org, which will go to every Board member. There is also time at every Board meeting for public comment. Alternately, reach out to one of your neighbors who is on the school board and share your thoughts in a personal email or phone call (see a list of Board members and contact information at https://docs.google.com/document/d/12bzeVf75bYYP01HvJA0FhigQU1vVqycVJfoXg-PIhEs/edit).

The Annual District Meeting will be Wednesday, May 19th. It had been postponed from Town Meeting Day due to Covid restrictions. This will be convened in the gazebo at Harwood at 6PM and will probably last about 30 or 45 minutes. All attendees must wear masks, regardless of their vaccination status.

The Board will have its next regular meeting, remotely, on Wednesday May 26th at 6PM. Find links to agendas and meetings at huusd.org. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/386460007#success

Bobcat Bulletin 5/16/21

 

A huge thank you to the Jenkersons for the wonderful staff lunch!!

School News:

This week's bulletin

Updated bus routes: posted effective 5/17/21 on the HUUSD website.  These route changes are primarily for afternoon, and primarily for HUUSD

https://huusd.org/bus-routes

Families can access the page by going to How Do I/Find my Bus Stop OR by clicking the Bus Routes Quicklink at the bottom of the home page. 

If you would like to contact the admin assistant at Moretown School, please use this email: MES-OfficeAdmin@huusd.org. As I said in an earlier Blog Post, Chelsea has moved to a different position and in the meantime we have Michele Ballard and Karoline May helping us out.  Thank you to both of them!

Library Happenings: 

check out some of the new arrivals ready to be read:

I Heart Art

NotesTO the Health Office 

At last Tuesday's press conference, Governor Scott and others recognized the incredible role school nurses play always and particularly during COVID-19. In honor of National School Nurse Day we celebrated our amazing School Nurse Claire Lindberg.  She decided school nursing was a good next step for her in the time of a global pandemic because she knew she could help, and help she has! Please join me in thanking Claire for all she has done and continues to do for us.

ECO this week

5th and 6th Graders at ECO engaged in boat design for a  boat float challenge. They made observations about various obstacles in the water such as depth, rate of flow, rocks, sticks and other organic matter.  We also collected clay and made clay pots to fire in a week or two, once they dry.  A fun time was had by all!

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.

Field Hockey 

 Have a child in 1st - 6th grade interested in field hockey? Come try it out with the Harwood High School varsity coaching staff on 5/15 or 6/5 for a 90 minute introduction! Learn more information on the flyer linked below. Email hufieldhockey@gmail.com with any questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjC8yOSp5aeXUmAWIoL_MK1eYOk2UhBd/edit

Bike Helmets for the whole family for $10 each: The Mad River Valley Recreation District is partnering with The University of Vermont Medical Centers' Protect your Head at All Times Program (PHAT) program and will be hosting a bicycle helmet event at the Waitsfield Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 15th and May 22nd from 9 am to 1 pm. PHAT, a non-profit program, that promotes the use of helmets by the entire family to keep everyone’s head safe while riding. Along with education on helmet and bicycle safety, helmets will be available for purchase at the price of $10 each, cash or check.

School Board Updates

On May 26th, the School Board will be voting whether or not to continue with its plan to bring all 7th and 8th graders to CBMS in the fall of 2022. If the Board votes to continue, it will be making decisions about possible changes to CBMS -- whether or not there should be an addition, how big it should be, etc. Each decision has implications for costs as well as the way things will feel for students and teachers inside the building. 

Whether or not you are in support of bringing all 7th and 8th graders to CBMS, we invite you to share your thoughts about how, if we do merge, to make that as good as possible for our district. We have put together a very brief survey to understand more about community priorities in this area. We are hoping you will take 5 minutes to do the survey -- and encourage your neighbors to do the same! The survey will be open until Thursday, May 20. Thank you so much,

Torrey Smith

Chair, HUUSD Board

(link to survey: https://forms.gle/RgFbNYUi4A7wKmaf6)

Bobcat Bulletin 5/7/21

 

There's just something about spring... painting flowers!

School News:  this week's bulletin

Thank you to those of you who reached out this week with your notes and gifts of appreciation for our teachers and staff!

Bonjour

Une grenouille!

I Heart Art

Notes from the Health Office 

Thermometers: The new guidance asks that students have their temperature checked at home as part of the morning screening.  If you are in need of a thermometer, please let us know.  We have a couple of new ones to distribute to families that need one.

ECO this week

First and second grade ECO focus this week was on reptiles; we hoped to see more snakes.  However the weather did not cooperate and those cold-blooded snakes stayed underground.  We shifted gears and explored the stream, used tools to carve sticks, and worked on our fort building.

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.

Field Hockey   Have a child in 1st - 6th grade interested in field hockey? Come try it out with the Harwood High School varsity coaching staff on 5/15 or 6/5 for a 90 minute introduction! Learn more information on the flyer linked below. Email hufieldhockey@gmail.com with any questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjC8yOSp5aeXUmAWIoL_MK1eYOk2UhBd/edit

 Bike Helmets for the whole family for $10 each:  The Mad River Valley Recreation District is partnering with The University of Vermont Medical Centers' Protect your Head at All Times Program (PHAT) program and will be hosting a bicycle helmet event at the Waitsfield Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 15th and May 22nd from 9 am to 1 pm. PHAT, a non-profit program, that promotes the use of helmets by the entire family to keep everyone’s head safe while riding. Along with education on helmet and bicycle safety, helmets will be available for purchase at the price of $10 each, cash or check.

Everyone Eats and Share MRV Free Healthy Meals Free meals are available to anyone in the community who has been impacted in any way by the pandemic.  Not only will you get a delicious meal, but you are helping your local economy by supporting a valley restaurant and its employees.  Come to the Big Picture Theater and grab a meal for you and your neighbor on Saturdays 11-1:00 or Zenbarn (Waterbury) 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 4 - 6 pm.  For more information, call 8802-505-9149 or send an email to ShareMRA @gmail.com.

News from the Children’s Room:

Soccer for 3/4 Yr Olds, and more Childrens Room Meetups

The Children's Room is offering the following programs for families with infants and young children this May:

Soccer for Little Feet Program for 3 & 4year olds

Sundays, May 16 & 23 (Multiple time slots between 9am-12pm), FREE

Thanks to the generosity of a Waterbury Winterfest community grant, we're pleased to offer an adapted version of our popular soccer play program!

Coaches will facilitate small groups of children and their accompanying adults (parents, etc) through fun activities geared towards helping develop skills like kicking, passing, and sharing the ball, and enjoy playing ball games with others.

This year's program will be held outdoors at Dac Rowe Field in Waterbury. We'll all be wearing masks, children included.

Spaces are limited, so register soon. To register, contact Naomi at childrensroom@huusd.org or 802-477-3720



Community Announcement

Kindermusik Classes for 3 - 4 year old kids and their families!

Are you looking for something to do on Thursday morning with your little one? Kindermusik is now offering an online class so we can all safely sing together!

WHEN: Thursday & Saturday mornings from 10:30-11:15, Starting May 13th/May 15th

WHERE: Online through a Zoom Meeting link each week.

Description of the classes:

The session will be an online 8 week class with 2 sets of digital At Home Materials to go along with the two different themes.

In this 8 week class, there are two 4 week themes. In the first mini-class, we will be exploring the garden, singing about, moving, and playing instruments in our virtual garden, read a story about a chipmunk and a mouse who encounter a CAT and how they deal with the loss of a strawberry.

The second 4 week theme is all about getting ready to ride our bikes and have a summer picnic! Getting ready is an adventure in preparing ourselves for the outdoors. As we read about our day, we will sing, move and make musical sounds with our voices and instruments to accompany ourselves as we prepare for the day! And finally, we are ready to go!!!

The cost is $96 (Tuition: $72 plus digital Home Materials: $24 ($22.64 + $1.36)

Do you want to join us? Contact Sandra Cathey: email: wrenwould@gmail.com or call: 223-6988.

School Board Updates

Bobcat Bulletin 4/30/21

 

School News:

Our Admin Assistant Chelsea has transitioned to a new job.  Please send messages to me in the interim, as we have coverage in the office from different people during the week right now.  Thanks, Mandy.

SBAC testing start this week.  The teachers have sent out information and my letter outlines important dates etc for the 3rd through 6th graders.  

ECO this week

Moretown Maples spent some time at their sit spots drawing in their nature journals and celebrated Swallowtail's birthday but making her a nature crown:

Zac the Salamander 

A small garter snake

Look at this little friend

1/2 ECO

First and second graders learned about amphibians this week.  On Thursday this exploration continued during our ECO time.  The children created a vernal pool and navigated the stream in our base camps to look for amphibians.  They found two spotted salamanders at different stages, a small garter snake, and many worms, snails, and other small forest creatures.

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.

Poetry Walk

Our town librarian, Cory Stephenson, put up a poetry walk up this weekend on the town nature trail   It includes poems written and illustrated by the first and second graders.  It will be taken down next weekend.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the poetry walk!

Field Hockey 

 Have a child in 1st - 6th grade interested in field hockey? Come try it out with the Harwood High School varsity coaching staff on 5/15 or 6/5 for a 90 minute introduction! Learn more information on the flyer linked below. Email hufieldhockey@gmail.com with any questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjC8yOSp5aeXUmAWIoL_MK1eYOk2UhBd/edit

Mad Rippers Bike Program 

The Mad River Rippers is entering its 8th year helping kids as young as 2 get out on the Mad River Riders' trail network. The Rippers program has a friendly and easy-going vibe; the first goal is for every kid to have fun. While doing that, they are learning bike handling skills, getting more fit, developing a greater appreciation of the outdoors, and learning how to overcome challenges. Some of the first Rippers who started in 2014 are now coaches; many continue to ride with their family and friends; some are even racing mountain bikes in college.

The core Rippers program meets every Tuesday from May through September at 5 PM for a 1-to-2-hour ride. Since every kid is different, we adapt the program to meet their needs. Each group has two guides, usually one adult and a local high school student. Parents are invited to ride with the groups. The youngest kids on strider bikes (2-wheel coasters with no pedals) will typically do shorter rides on Tootsie Roll at Blueberry Lake. The oldest and most experienced riders will ride for 2 hours on intermediate and advanced trails all over the Mad River Valley. The rest of the groups fall in between.

The Rippers is free and open to everyone, but registration is required. Go to madriverriders.com for more information. This year, to ensure that every kid can participate, the Riders are putting together a fleet of loaner bikes. When registering, let us know if you need one or email us at hello@madriverriders.com. If you have an old bike to donate that is in decent or better shape, you can drop it off at Stark Mountain Bike Works. They'll fix it up so we can loan it to a kid in need. See you out on the trails!

Conscious Parenting Workshop 

April 27 & May 4,6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, on Zoom We'll learn what is Conscious Parenting is and how can it help you and your family become more Attuned, Empowered and Resilient. We will cover some common Parenting Myths that are discussed in the book, The Awakened Family, by Dr. Shefali Tsabary. When we start responding to the child before us instead of the child we think they should be true connectedness happens. Presented by: Suzy Blais- Elementary Education Degree, Early Educator in VT, Certified Conscious Parent Coach through Dr. Shefali Tsabary's Conscious Coaching Institute, Mother of 2. To sign up, call 802-496-9715 or email suzy@greenmountainconsciousparenting.com


Everyone Eats and Share MRV Free Healthy Meals

Free meals are available to anyone in the community who has been impacted in any way by the pandemic. Not only will you get a delicious meal, but you are helping your local economy by supporting a valley restaurant and its employees. Come to the Big Picture Theater and grab a meal for you and your neighbor on Saturdays 11-1:00 or Zenbarn (Waterbury) 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 4 - 6 pm. For more information, call 8802-505-9149 or send an email to ShareMRA @gmail.com.

Little Seed Library

The Moretown Library is hosting a Little Seed Library from ShareMRV on the front porch of Town Hall this growing season. Stop by anytime and pick up some seeds to grow, or if you have some to spare, you are welcome to leave them in the box for others as long as they are:

1) Less than three years old
2) Clearly marked

Right not, there are a variety of cold and warm weather vegetables, herbs and a few flowers to brighten your growing space.

A big thanks to the Sculpture School and GMVS students for building the library!

School Board Updates

4-28-21 Board Meeting Recap

TITLE: HUUSD Board meeting recap

BODY:

The HUUSD School Board met remotely on Wednesday, April 28. The Superintendent and Finance Director answered Board questions. Student representatives shared an update on Harwood happenings. The district’s administrative team shared a letter in support of flying the Black Lives Matter flag and answered questions about ongoing anti-racism work in our schools.

Much of the meeting was devoted to questions around long-term planning for the district. 

First, Harwood Principals Laurie Greenberg, Meg McDonough and Duane Pierson made a presentation and answered questions regarding the most recent plans towards a possible Harwood bond request in the fall. The current work is modeled around the building operating as a  9-12 campus, instead of the 7-12 campus it is now. You can take a look at the most current thinking here: https://tinyurl.com/56kcdmfv

Later, Crossett Brook Principal Tom Drake and Harwood Middle School Principal Duane Pierson answered Board questions regarding facilities needs to support the planned merger of the 7th and 8th grades in the fall of 2022 at CBMS. After answering facilities-specific questions, the line of questioning opened up more broadly, to topics such as class sizes, staffing needs, educational experience for students and whether there would be a cost savings with the merger. (Hear their detailed responses to questions by reviewing the meeting on YouTube, starting around the 1 hour 30 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_rVnSPhxSw)

In the next week or so, the Board will be developing and publishing a brief survey to collect feedback on the facilities options being considered at Crossett Brook. (A detailed report on the options the Board is considering can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ymp3rdnr

We invite you to (and hope you will!) take a few moments to fill out the survey when we are able to share it through FPF and school newsletters. There will also be extended time for public comment at the meetings on May 12 and 26th before the Board’s vote about these matters on May 26. Anytime prior to the vote, we encourage community members to email the Board with their thoughts by writing to cen-huusdboard@huusd.org. 

The last part of the meeting was dedicated to a lengthy deliberation regarding a complaint of wrongful termination. The Board voted to hire a third-party to conduct an investigation into the events leading up to and including the termination.

As always, the Board welcomes feedback from our community. One of the easiest ways to share your thoughts is to send an email to cen-huusdboard@huusd.org, which will go to every Board member. There is also time at every Board meeting for public comment. Alternately, reach out to one of your neighbors who is on the school board and share your thoughts in a personal email or phone call (see a list of Board members and contact information at https://docs.google.com/document/d/12bzeVf75bYYP01HvJA0FhigQU1vVqycVJfoXg-PIhEs/edit).

The Board will meet next, remotely, on Wednesday May 12th at 6PM. Find links to agendas and meetings at huusd.org. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/386460007#success