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