Bobcat Bulletin 6/11/21

 

Thumbs up for the hike and popcicles!!

School News:

Here is our final community bulletin for the 2020-21 school year

Graduation 2021

PE

• Thank you Thank you Mr. Seth Beard for spending the end of the year with us!  What a fun time was had with lots of learning thrown in!
• Ms. Ally and Thea joined us for the hike!!  It was so good to see her.  The students were thrilled!

Library Happenings

• Our Top Golden Dome Readers

• Summer Reading:

  Vermont-NEA has once again partnered with the Vermont School Library Association to produce a Summer Reading List for Kids. This year we are delivering the list digitally via this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hBhPwGaClolJUvvyOu1_1GuVN6yoJhE6/view?usp=sharing  

I Heart Art

Hiring updates:

• Liz Ather will be joining Moretown School as an interventionist.
Liz Ather has spent the past 10 years in various roles in education including interventionist, virtual teacher, and fifth grade classroom teacher. Prior to earning her teaching certificate and master's degree from St. Michael's College, she graduated from Fordham University with a degree in communications and media studies and worked for two years as a publicist in New York City. While teaching and learning is a passion for Liz, in her free time she enjoys yoga, reading, cross stitch, baking, and also coaches figure skating. Liz and her husband live in Central Vermont.

Fond Farewells:

• Diana Puffer is heading to Thatcher Brook (soon to be renamed) to be a math interventionist.  Did I mention, she loves math!?!
• Kathy Haskell will be teaching at a local private school, honing and practicing her skills and passions.
• Arianna Dayharsh will be teaching the North branch preschool program, but we are looking forward to continued collaboration.

ECO this week

5/6 Solar roasting marshmallows

3/4 exploring the brook

kindergarten melting hearts

ice cube play on a hot day

1st/2nd graders just taking it all in....

PTO News

A big thank you to the PTO for a wonderful staff lunch!!!

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.

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.
 

2021 Harwood Girls Basketball Camps     6/21-6/25     Grades 2-5 Girls 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.,   6/21-6/25  Grades 6-9 Girls 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.   (use August 2021 grade for registration.) Harwood Union gym. Early registration (before May 30)  $125.00 per camper.  The fee after May 30th  is $150.00,  Register here. Contact tyoung@huusd.org or 224-6693(c)  with questions. 

Watershed Exploration Join award-winning artist, Lauren Rosenthal McManus, for a week dedicated to art and science in the Mad River Watershed. Learn to make crayons and paint from local rocks and soil, print with botanical materials, and collaborate in the creation of an ecological map of your home basin, while spending the afternoons swimming in the river. Ages: 11 – 14; 9am-3p $275 https://livingtreealliance.com/watershedwonderings/

UFO Design Contest Sponsored by the Madsonian Museum on Bridge Street. Submit your design sketches of UFO mysterious object that are flying around the sky.  The design must be on one sheet of paper and to the museum by July 1st. The following information is needed on the back of the sketch: name age, contact phone, address, or email. The sketch can be an exterior, interior or cut away of your UFO.  Aliens or beings of some sort are accepeted.  3-D models instead of a sketch are also welcome.  Sketches or models will be displayed in the Madsonian Museum the week of July 4th

Get Out and Move for WCC!  A fundraiser for the Waitsfield Children's Center
Who: Calling all bike riders, hikers, walkers, runners, paddlers, swimmers, skaters of all ages to dedicate a day of movement and outdoor recreation to WCC. This is open to anyone in Vermont or out-of-state.
When: Get Out and Move anytime between June 5-12 and share your day #GetOutAndMoveforWCC
Why: All proceeds benefit the playground and gardens of the Waitsfield Children's Center.
For more information, or to register visit www.waitsfieldchildrenscenter.org 

School Board Updates

https://huusd.org/huusd-board

Bobcat Bulletin 6/7/21

 

Preschool hikers

School News:

Don't forget Friday's dismissal is at 11:40am

The All School Hike was amazing!  What a great way to spend a Friday!!

Roll Call

First ones up the hill

Quick pose in front of this amazing root structure

fun in the field

catching some rays and enjoying some popsicles

Notes from the Health Office 

All medications that are stored at school (daily meds, inhalers, lactaid, etc) must be picked up by a parent or guardian the last day of school or before if the child will not need the medication given on that last day of school (e.g. medication not scheduled until after dismissal time). I will have them ready on the last day at pickup time unless other arrangements are made with me.  No meds can be sent home with a student. If a parent is not picking up their child on that day they should make arrangements directly with me for an alternate arrangement.  

Thanks! 

--

Claire Lindberg, PhD, RN,FNP-BC

School Nurse

Moretown Elementary School

email: clindberg@huusd.org

School phone: 802 496 3742

Nursing office: 802 583 7858

'

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.

Outdoor summer music classes  with Miss Andrea  of Musical Munchkins in Waterbury- Wed or Saturdays

Tues-Middlesex, Friday- Stowe 

Beach Boogie  & Animal Jamboree-   two 4 wks sessions          begins week of July 25th- Aug 17th -TUES, WED, FRI OR SATURDAYS

Family classes for 1-6 yr olds (all siblings welcome) revolving around the ocean, beach, animals, and summer activities- With drumming, singing, dancing, shaking, movement, instrumental play, song stories, puppets and props-parachute, bubbles, streamers, etc.

• Bring a blanket to sit on- your masks,  (  depending upon CDC guidelines at the time)  a special stuffed animal 
• You will receive- A large gathering drum for your family pod, shakers, and more! (optional -bring you own  favorite instruments from home)  - free uploaded music, & musical story videos created by Miss Andrea
• unlimited makeups in any other location, or join us for our online class held weekly.
• Drop-ins welcome- must pre-register
• Schedule , fees and registration www.musicalmunchkins.net   musicalmunchkinswithandrea@gmail.com

Vermont Girls Choir

My name is Bonnie Pierpont. I am the President of the non-profit organization, Vermont Academy of Choral Music. I am contacting you to let you know of an opportunity for girls of all ages in our local area to lift their voices in song this summer. 

In this time of reopening and re-engaging we would like to do our part to help, so the Vermont Girls Choir would like to inform you of our upcoming Summer Sing series; Session 1 for high school and Session 2 elementary and junior high at the Chandler Center located in Randolph. All are welcome.

Please call the number on the flier for more information.  The flier is attached for your convenience.  

We look forward to hearing from you....... Bonnie Pierpont 

Waterbury Rapids-

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FUwoT_5Dcqvt5JbH6geli4DYzd3bTgIOoTBAf3_vjtU/edit?usp=sharing

Art and Science in the Mad River Watershed
Join award-winning artist, Lauren Rosenthal McManus, for a week dedicated to art and science in the Mad River Watershed. Learn to make crayons and paint from local rocks and soil, print with botanical materials, and collaborate in the creation of an ecological map of your home basin, while spending the afternoons swimming in the river on the beautiful Living Tree Alliance property. Registration information at https://livingtreealliance.com/watershedwonderings/. Taught by our longterm sub Ms. Melanie!

Ages: 11 – 14; 9am-3p Fees: $275

School Board Updates

Bobcat Bulletin 5/31/21

School News:

This week's bulletin highlights some bus route and school schedule changes for next year, includes a board meeting recap, and discusses the summer free/reduced lunch benefit: https://huusd.org/blog/2021-05-24-weekly-community-bulletin.

HIKE

We are planning an all-school hike in the Moretown Forest this Friday.  We plan to head outside at 10:00 and have lunch at the top of the trail.  
Bag lunch order: Ms. Jeannie will be doing a lunch count for Friday earlier in the week.

Flowers?

The graduation planning team is hoping for some flower donations for our 6th grade graduation ceremony on June 9.  Do you have perennials you could trim and donate?  We'd so appreciate the blooms!!

End of year details (minus the typos)

• The Last day of this school year is June 11. 
  • This will be an early release day. 
  • Students will be dismissed at 11:40. 
  • They will eat lunch here.

 

• Step up day
  • ​ Rising first through 6th graders will have a step up time on Monday June 7 in the morning. 
    • Step up time will be outdoors for students to meet their new teacher and classmates.
  • Step up for rising 7th graders will be Monday June 7 from 9:20 to 11:40.  A
    • bus will transport students to HUMS and then back to MES.
  • Rising Kindergarten students are having a chance to meet Mrs. Dow, but will not have an organized step up time as preK students are here on all different days.

 

• Placement Letters for classroom assignments will travel home with you preK-4th grade students on Friday June 4th.

Fundraiser for Malayaka House:

Two fifth grade  students, Liam McGrath and Ian Wilkinson, decided to make and sell earrings to benefit an orphan home in Uganda called Malayaka House.  Last week, they sold the earrings they had made for $2 each and made a total of $88 - which was given to Robert Fleming, founder of Malayaka House on Monday morning.  The children of Moretown School know Robert well as he has come to the school regularly to talk about Uganda and the orphan home.  Sara Baker, one of Moretown School's special educators, is also the educational consultant for Malayaka house and, prior to the pandemic, was traveling there twice a year and shared her stories and pictures with the students when she would return from each trip.  So when Ian and Liam decided to do a fundraising project together, they thought of the kids, on the other side of the world who they have seen grow up over the years in pictures, and wanted to do something that would help them.

Robert thanked the boys and said that their contribution would make a difference for the over 40 children who call Malayaka house home.  For more information, please go to www.malayakahouse.com

Bus Routes for 2021-2022

HUUSD is pleased to announce that beginning fall 2021, we will be running new, improved bus routes. Taking advantage of opportunities afforded by being one district, we are able to run consolidated routes that will shorten student time on buses, separate elementary school students from traveling with middle and high school students and reduce or eliminate the long wait times some of our students have at the beginning or end of the school day.  We believe these new routes will ease congestion and support increased ridership. 

Improvements achieved through the new routes:

• Wait times at all schools reduced  to an anticipated maximum of  10 minutes for students arriving before school starts, or waiting to get on a bus after school is dismissed.  

• Separates middle and high school students from elementary students on buses.

• Ensures all students arrive at school before school officially begins.

• Allows for a slightly later start for our older students while maintaining the earlier arrival for younger students, supporting parents/guardians getting to work.  

• Keeps school day length relatively consistent across the HUUSD.

• Adds intradistrict choice transportation to CBMS from the Valley.

• Reduces time on buses for ALL students.

• Continues transportation for students attending the technical center.

2021-2022 SCHOOL OPENING/ DISMISSAL SCHEDULE
	AM	PM	In-school time
FES	7:20	2:20	7 hrs
MES	7:30	2:30	7 hrs
TBPS	7:30	2:30	7 hrs
WES	7:30	2:30	7 hrs
WRN	7:30	2:30	7 hrs
CBMS	8:30 /8:37	3:20/ 3:27	6:50
HUMS/HS	8:30 /8:37	3:20/ 3:27	6:50

Look for detailed bus routes to be shared in the near future.

ECO this week

An ECO Fairy planted some daffodils at the ECO camps... what a lovely surprise as they sprouted and bloomed earlier this month!!!

PTO News

Next PTO meeting is tonight!

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.

The Renaming Team at Thatcher Brook is pleased to announce that the ballot is ready!  The team, made up of 15 students and staff from TBPS, has reviewed, discussed and weighed the nearly 250 nominations received from community members across all six HUUSD towns.  The three finalists on the ballot are: 

• Brookside Primary School - This name honors the multiple brooks that run throughout both Waterbury and Duxbury and the significance of water in our community.

• Winding Brooks Primary School - This name honors the multiple brooks that run throughout both Waterbury and Duxbury and the significance of water in our community.

• River of Light Primary School - This name honors the significance and presence of water in our community and also references the lantern parade which represents light, art and hope.

Voting, by electronic survey at the link below, will be open from 8:00 am on Tuesday, June 1st and close at 5:00 pm on Saturday, June 5th.  One vote per community member is permitted.  We look forward to bringing the results forward to the HUUSD School Board meeting on June 9th or June 26th for a final vote by the Board.  Thank you for engaging in this exciting and important process!

The Link to the online ballot is here:  https://forms.gle/mSzhQ16pGKSXNnBk9

Renaming Team

Sarah Schoolcraft, Assistant Principal 

JoAnne Smith, grades 1/2 Teacher

Rachael Burns, grades 1/2 Teacher

Sally Kulis, grade 1 HURA Teacher/TBPS Interventionist

Anne Hutchinson, grades 3/4 Teacher

MK Monley, Art Teacher

Willa Hudson, grade 4 Student

Gia Gendimenico, grade 4 Student

Tomas Wulff, grade 4 Student

Vivienne Boyle, grade 4 Student

Grayson Eley, grade 4 Student

Emaline Dubois, grade 3 Student

Addison Manley, grade 3 Student

Sam Phillips, grade 3 Student

Isla Allardyce, grade 3 Student

From Moretown Library

A Year of Its Own: A Mad River Valley Pandemic Story Project
The Mad River Valley Libraries are seeking submissions of prose, poetry, art, and photography for a collection of stories of life in the Mad River Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever your age, background, or creative ability, you've got a unique perspective to share! So why not write a mini-memoir, take a photograph, or create a poem or drawing to express yourself? Submissions will be compiled into a publication that will be distributed within the community.

To submit your work, complete this entry form: https://forms.gle/XwATa4XEsaRvJLdZA

Then email your submission to mrvpandemicstories@gmail.com. Written submissions should be 1,000 words or fewer, and should be submitted as a Google Doc or MS Word document. Photos and artwork should be submitted as .jpg or .png files. Hard copies of artwork may be dropped off at your favorite MRV library. Submissions are due by July 1, 2021.

Need some support to get the creative juices flowing? We are hosting Writer's Workshops for children and adults on Saturday, June 13th. Visit the Moretown Library website for more details.

Thanks!

Cory

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.
 

2021 Harwood Girls Basketball Camps     6/21-6/25     Grades 2-5 Girls 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.,   6/21-6/25  Grades 6-9 Girls 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.   (use August 2021 grade for registration.) Harwood Union gym. Early registration (before May 30)  $125.00 per camper.  The fee after May 30th  is $150.00,  Register here. Contact tyoung@huusd.org or 224-6693(c)  with questions. 

School Board Updates

https://huusd.org/huusd-board

5/26/21 Board meeting recap

The HUUSD Board met remotely via Zoom on Wednesday May 26. 

Most of the meeting centered around the 7th and 8th grade merger. By an overwhelming majority, the Board affirmed its earlier decision to bring all of the district’s 7th and 8th graders together at Crossett Brook Middle School, contingent on the passage of a bond. The board will ask voters to approve the funds for an addition to Crossett Brook as part of the bond for Harwood Union High School that is expected to be presented this coming November. The permanent addition at CBMS will accommodate an additional 7th and 8th grade team.

Resolving the middle school plans allows the Board to move forward with bond planning for the Harwood campus. For many years, there has been a clear and defined need for significant repairs and upgrades at Harwood. While the building has been well maintained, most of it is over 50 years old, well past the expected life span of many of its components and systems. In addition to the repairs, there are proposed renovations to help move the building from the industrial era model of 50 years ago to one that is well-suited for a 21st century education.

Consolidating 7th and 8th graders at the CBMS campus will create much needed space at Harwood -- for enlarged and appropriately sized science labs, collaborative teaching spaces, gathering spaces for students and staff, a pre-vo-tech program and other innovations. Harwood Community Learning Center students will be able to return to the main building and the district’s Central Office can also be relocated to Harwood.

At CBMS, a small addition will allow each core team of students to have their own team space as well as provide office and work space for all of the building’s staff. All of the district’s 7th and 8th graders will have equal access to the campus’s many playing fields and recreational spaces, outdoor educational features, climbing gym, dedicated middle school library, maker space, and applied academics programs. The Board made this decision after researching options, collecting community feedback in a survey (results can be found at http://tinyurl.com/HUUSDCBMS), and deliberating at the Board table.

There are a number of reports and presentations available on these topics at the Board’s website, https://huusd.org/prek-12-bond-plan. The Board will continue to finalize plans for the bond in the coming months and work to share them thoroughly with the community prior to election day in November.

In other matters, the Board:

• Voted to hear from the high school principals in executive session (at a future meeting) regarding a matter of employee discipline;

• Reviewed a draft flag policy that is still in development;

• Discussed a possible conflict of interest; and 

• Heard an update on contract negotiations.

As always, the Board welcomes community feedback. Emails sent to cen-huusdboard@huusd.org 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.

The Board will have its next regular meeting, remotely, on Wednesday June 9th at 6PM. Find links to agendas and meetings at huusd.org. Zoom link for meetings is here.