April 15, 2010
School Website: www.moretownschool.org
Dear Parents and Friends,
Vacation is upon us. Once we return on Monday, April 26, we will have only seven weeks of school left this year. The last day of school will be a full day of school on Friday, June 11. We expect that graduation will be that evening. As we approach the end of the year, it remains important that we continue to focus on student learning. Please take some time to read with your child(ren) during the vacation and find ways to highlight your use of math in your day to day lives.
Did you hear about the raptors? This week we had a special presentation by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS). A great-horned owl, a barn owl, a red-tailed hawk, and a turkey vulture helped our students learn from direct observation that raptors have three characteristics in common: strong talons, a curved beak, and very keen eyesight. This assembly helped to support the unit on Owls in kindergarten and Birds in the 3rd/4th grades. Our thanks go to the Moretown General Store and Jolley who awarded us the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Grant allowing us to bring VINS to our school.
Mrs. Moore has been a wonderful addition to our school staff for the past six months. Due to changes in our requirements for special education staffing, she will not be returning as a paraeducator. It is our hope that she will return on a regular basis to substitute and reconnect with our students and staff. Did you know she is a certified teacher? We wish her the best as she seeks a teaching position!
Enjoy the vacation. Let’s hope the weather turns warm and sunny once again.
Respectfully,
Debbie Lesure, Principal
Moretown School Spring Clean Up Day We are looking for able-bodied parents to help spruce up the school grounds on Saturday, May 1, starting at noon. We need as many hands as we can get to help with projects including: • weeding the front entrance to the school and planting new flowers • building a new perennial bed at the Main Street entrance to the school • moving the shed by the upper-grade playground and replacing it with pea stones and log benches • installing a new trash can on the playground • general clean up If you haven't helped with a PTN project this year, here is your opportunity! If you can make it, please contact Sarah Zschau at zone4@accessvt.com or 496-3097. The rain date is May 2. Turn the page to … Shane! Why did you want to be a library page? I thought it would be a different experience and something that would be interesting. I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before. What are some of your favorite books? I love to read about World War II. Also Winter War, Soldier X as well as The Percy Jackson series and the Hunger Games. I love reading … it’s awesome! Personal motto: Don’t give up : there’s always something to look forward to. Vermont Families Needed to Host Educators from Moldova Waitsfield, VT – March, 2010 – PH International (formerly Project Harmony) will be hosting ten educators from the Republic of Moldova who are participating in a Community Connections program sponsored by USAID and administered by World Learning. These visitors will be studying secondary school administration and management by spending time at a number of schools, and receiving training from a diverse array of education representatives in the State of Vermont. PH is currently seeking families in Washington and Chittenden Counties to host one or more of these participants for all or part of the 18 days during which the group is in Vermont, from April 22 – May 10, 2010. While the delegation is mainly comprised of school principals (former teachers), they are also here to learn about how parents and the community enhance the educational learning environment. The hope is that teachers, principals and parents of school children will volunteer to host our guests so that learning can happen in the host families as well as in the more formal, program-planned activities. Host families are asked to provide a comfortable and clean place to sleep, breakfast and dinner, minimal transportation to centralized pick-up and drop-off locations, and some weekend activities. Importantly, the program will offer Moldovans an experience of life in the United States and afford Vermonters an opportunity to establish new relationships while learning about the culture and history of this unique country through the homestay experience. For more information about becoming a host family, please contact Renee Berrian at (802) 496-4545 (x106) or email at renee.berrian@ph-int.org. PH is an international nonprofit organization based in Waitsfield, Vermont. Additional information about PH and the Community Connections Program is available at http://www.ph-int.org/ Summer Fun at Camp Sugarbush This summer, Sugarbush is offering a variety of week-long Monday through Friday camps for kids interested in outdoor adventure: Mini Campers (ages 4-6) and Day Camp (ages 6-11) provide campers a traditional day camp with a touch of adventure. Activities include lift rides, hiking, swimming, tennis, rock climbing, biking, art, nature crafts, field trips and more. June 21-August 20. Adventure Camp (ages 7-17) activities include biking, zipline, hiking, naturalist tours, disc golf, swimming, and climbing. July 5-9; July 26-30; August 9-13; August 16-20. Mountain Bike Adventure Camps (ages 7-17) are similar to the Adventure Camps but with an emphasis on mountain biking. July 19-23 and August 2-6. And the Junior USPTA/USPTR Tennis Camp (ages 6-12) offers tennis in the morning followed by afternoon adventures. August 2-6. Both Adventure Camp and Mountain Bike Adventure Camp offer an optional Thursday overnight adventure at Allyn’s Lodge. Single-day, multiday and weekend tennis, golf, tennis/golf combo, adventure, and mountain bike camps, clinics and schools also available. For reservations and more information, call 800.53.SUGAR or visit sugarbush.com. Register by April 17 and receive a discount. Valley School Day at Sugarbush Friday, June 25th is Valley School Day at Sugarbush. School-age kids are invited to come sample zipline rides, chairlift rides, disc golf, the inflatable bounce house, golf, tennis, and pool activities FOR FREE. Parental guidance required. Details at sugarbush.com. Alligator Summer Camps at Moretown School We are happy to be able to once again offer summer Theater and Science Camps at Moretown School. Theater Camp will run from July 19 to July 23, 9 am to 1 pm. Science camps will be July 26 to July 30 and August 2 to August 6, 9 am to 1 pm. Science camps will be structured so that each week is different, so children may attend one or both camps. Camp fees are $150 per week for Theater Camp and $160 per week for Science Camps (Science Camp fee includes cost of materials). Discounts available for multiple Camps are open to ages 7 to 14. Camp instructors include Thom McAllister (Mr. Alligator) and Deb Fadden (Ms D.) For additional information and registration forms contact Thom McAllister (thommca@gmavt.net or 434-4977). Registration open until all slots are filled. Seminary Art Center Two note worthy activities coming up at Seminary Art Center in April. ‘A Taste of Art’ 4/17 & 18 Noon to 4 pm Each day the SAC will be offering an opportunity to play with a little clay, make an art project, check out the school, summer camp programs and meet teachers. Children’s teachers will be available to talk about the after school program, vacation Art Camps and the expanded summer Art Camps program. On display in the art gallery will be completed samples of upcoming camps art and adult workshops. Also on hand will be instructors of the adult program to share information about the next workshop series as well as ongoing classes in Clay, Visual Arts and Glass Fusing. Meet Teachers, See Samples, Check Out Space, Peruse Programs & Make Some Art! Beverages and snacks will be provided but be warned – A Taste of Art just might leave you hungry for more! Vacation Art Camp 4/19 – 22 9 am to 2:30 Monday through Thursday This is the perfect stay-cation for your child. Mornings the art will be with clay and afternoons will be visual arts and crafts. Between projects we will run around outdoors, weather permitting. Enroll for just mornings, just afternoons ($140) or all day ($210). Either way, pack a lunch and some snacks – we will be working hard! SAC is located in the beautiful Green Mountain Seminary building at 201 Hollow Road in Waterbury Center. Contact Mame McKee at 253-8790 or seminaryart@gmail.com or visit http://sites.google.com/site/seminaryartcenter/ for more information. |
