MRPS Multilingual Learning

Hello families, Yesterday, Superintendent Bonesteel sent an email to families about new information from Governor Scott. From December 23 - January 2, a family/household can gather with one other trusted family/household, and not need to quarantine after the visit. You may choose only one family/household to gather with. This is temporary and will end on January 2. This is only for Vermont families. The quarantine requirements are still in place for visitors who live in another state. On December 22, Governor Scott also said that Vermonters may resume outdoor activities with people from outside their household. You must continue to wear a face covering and keep physical distance. The Governor's press release from December 22 is here . We wish you all a restful vacation!

Hello families, Yesterday, Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families. The letter explains new travel restrictions from the Governor. You can read the letter here .  Here are the highlights: If you travel out of Vermont for a few hours, a day trip, or a longer period of time, you must quarantine when you return. If you are hosting travelers, they must quarantine. You do not need to quarantine if the guests can stay isolated in your home. People traveling out of state for essential purposes do not need to quarantine. You can get more details from the letter, from your child's EL teacher or classroom teacher, or from your school nurse. Every school is getting information about family travel plans over the Thanksgiving and Winter vacation. Please fill out the paper form your child received, or you can complete this survey instead. Information about Covid-19 testing is available here . Please, reach out to any of us anytime with questions or concerns. Sylvia, Hannah and

 Dear Families,  Today Ryan Heraty sent out an important email. Here is some information from that email: - ALL Union Elementary students will be learning from home (virtual learning) next week (October 26th - October 30th.  - You will receive information about at-home learning via email from your child's teacher. Please let us or your child's teacher know if you have any questions about that information.  - On Monday, October 26th, families can pick up devices and learning materials for their children at UES using the car drop-off loop.  Please put your child's name and their teacher's name on the front dashboard of your car. Here are the pickup times:  Grades Pre-K / K  12:00 - 12:30PM Grade 1  12:30 - 1PM Grade 2  1:00 - 1:30PM Grade 3  - 1:30 - 2PM Grade 4  - 2:00 - 2:30PM - Lunches are available for UES students to pick up at Montpelier High School while the UES building is closed. Please use  this form  to order lunches for pickup.  - The Vermont Department of He

 Dear Families,  Today Libby Bonesteel sent a letter with information about the positive COVID-19 cases at Union Elementary School this week. Here is a summary of that information: - There have been six positive cases at UES. All six cases are in one classroom (pod).   - The teachers and students from that pod and their siblings are all quarantining at home.  - To keep students and staff safe, we continue to minimize contact between classrooms. We also continue to require all students and staff to wear masks, wash hands often, and maintain a distance of 6ft.  - All people who have had close contact with those infected will receive a call from contact tracers at the Vermont Department of Health.  - Special testing clinics are available in the Montpelier area this week. Please see our Testing Information page for location and appointment information.   Please let us know if you have any questions.  Sincerely,  Hannah, Sylvia, and Laura

 Dear Families, Superintendant Libby Bonesteel sent out this letter  with information about Bus Routes and Daily Health Checks.  Bus Routes:   For the best information about bus routes, visit the Bus Routes Page of the school website. The school district is also hiring bus monitors. This job is 10 hours per week.  If you are interested in learning more, contact Anna Hipko at annahipko@mpsvt.org.  Daily Health Checks: The school nurses sent out a letter about daily health checks.  For everyone's safety, your child needs to stay home if: They are not feeling well, or have any symptoms of COVID-19 (Fever, cough, fatigue, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of sense of taste or smell), They have spent time with someone who has COVID-19, or They have travelled by plane, bus, or train, or to a county requiring quarantine.  We hope your child(ren) are enjoying the return to school.  Please reach out any time if you have questions.  Hannah, Sylvia, and Laura

Hello families, here is some more information about returning to school: Lunch for all: This is new information: schools will be able to provide free breakfast and lunch to all children under 18 until the end of December. An online order form will be sent home each week, starting next week.  New school calendar: The school calendar has been revised. You can see it here .  Bus routes: Here are the bus routes .  There may be delays during the first few weeks of school. Please be patient while we adjust to new systems. Flu shots: Nurse Megan recommends that all adults and kids get a flu shot this year. Adults can get flu shots at their doctor or at pharmacies. Kids (6 months and older) can get flu shots at the pediatrician.  Masks: All students are expected to wear masks all day, including on the bus. Students can take "mask breaks" outside if they are 6 feet away from others. Of course, kids can take off their masks to eat! Kids will bring masks home every night so they c

 Hello families, we are very excited to welcome your children to school on September 8th! Here are some important details about coming to Union Elementary School: On September 8 and 9, the morning bus will not run . Each grade will have a different arrival time. This is so we can practice our arrival system. This is the schedule for Sept. 8 and 9: Grades will arrive at these times on the first two days of school only : Grade Arrival Time Grade 4  8:00AM Grade 3 8:30AM Grade 2 9:00AM Grade 1 9:30AM Grade K 10:00AM Starting on September 10 , e ach morning, students arriving by foot or car will line up by class outside of the school between 8:00 - 8:15 am. The gate for entry will close at 8:20 am each morning. If a family misses the morning arrival time (between 8:00 - 8:20 am) they can return at 10 am and press the buzzer on the front door of the school. Car drop-off and pick-up will happen on Loomis Street - the same as in the past.   Walking students will need to enter and exit nea

 Hello families, Teachers have been back at school for a few days now. We are excited to start learning and laughing with your children again! This year will be different in some ways, but in many ways it will be the same: reading and writing, specials and math, and time with friends. Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families on August 20. Here is some of the important information: Parent conferences - families in grades K-8 will have a virtual family-teacher conference before school starts. The conference dates are Friday 8/28, Monday 8/31, and Tuesday 9/1. Please watch your email for a note from your child's teacher about scheduling a conference. Air purifiers - every classroom will have an air purifier. Classrooms will also have plenty of hand sanitizer.

Dear Families,   Teachers are getting ready for school! Last week, the weekly update from Libby Bonesteel included the following information: Child Care:   If you need help finding childcare, the Family Center of Washington County may be able to help. They may also be able to help you pay for childcare if needed.   Safety:  The State of Vermont has revised the Safety Guidance for reopening schools.  Masks:  All students who are attending school in person should bring 3 masks  each day (one to wear and two extras).  Bus Routes : Routes for the busses will be available soon on the district website .  Teachers:  Some students will have a different teacher than they were placed with in the spring.  This is because some teacher roles have changed due to the creation of the Virtual Academy.  You will receive notification in the coming days about your child's teacher.   Thank you for your patience! Please let us know if you have questions.  Hannah, Laura, and Sylvia

 Hello Everyone,  The weekly letter from Superintendent Libby Bonesteel included the following information: - Air Quality: Andrew LaRosa, director of facilities, is working to get the most fresh air possible into our school buildings.  - Virtual Academy: If your family chose online schooling (Virtual Academy) for this year you should hear from Mike Berry, who is acting as principal for the Virtual Academy.  If you do not hear from him by Monday, August 10th at 4:00, please contact him at michaelberry@mpsvt.org.  - Illness Procedures: Students and staff will need to stay home if they have a temperature of 100.4 Fahrenheit or above, or if they have symptoms of COVID-19.  Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain/body aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, congestion or runny nose. Students and staff must be without symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.

Virtual Town Hall - you are invited! On Thursday, August 6, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm, there will be a virtual Town Hall meeting. The MRPS administrators will answer questions about returning to school in the fall. All families are welcome to join the meeting. Here are the links: Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/kyw-cbtm-zjv   Call-in Phone #: (US) +1 402-282-0467    PIN: 831 230 571# You can submit a question before the meeting:  https://forms.gle/fJZMbjZjSBsKCw5K7 Here is some more information about returning to school in the fall: FAQ #1 (dismissal time, safety guidelines, afterschool care) FAQ #2 (virtual academy information) All of Superintendent Libby Bonesteel's letters to families are on this page . Virtual Academy survey The deadline for this survey has been extended to Wednesday, August 5. If you would like your child to participate in the Virtual Academy for the entire school year ( no in-person school at all), complete this survey by the end of th

The first day of school is now Tuesday, September 8th for all Montpelier-Roxbury Public Schools.   On July 28th,  Governor Scott announced that all Vermont public schools will begin on September 8th. We will have a new school calendar available before school begins.  

Hello families, Yesterday, Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families about a "Virtual Academy." The letter is here . Here is some of the most important information: This year, there will be an all-virtual  (at home, online) option for K-8 students. There will still be an in-person  (at school) option for K-8 students ( details here ). Families can choose which option they want for their children. The choice will be for the whole 2020-2021 school year. Some reasons families might choose the "Virtual Academy" are: A child is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. A child lives with someone who is at high risk. The family prefers this option. We don't know all the details yet about the "Virtual Academy." Here are some things we do know: It connects with the same curriculum. There will be a "regular" school day with a schedule. Learning will be synchronous and asynchronous. Students can get school

On July 16th, Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent out this letter  which tells about plans for returning to school in the fall. Here are some of the most important updates: The first day of school for students is scheduled for Monday, August 31st. This day may change as more information comes from the state Agency of Education.  Union Elementary School and Main Street Middle School will have a shorter school day .  School will likely begin around 8:00 and end around 1:30.  We will have more information about this when the times are finalized.  We will follow state rules to help keep students and adults healthy.  All students and adults will wear masks.  Everyone will have a daily health check before entering the school or the bus.  Classrooms will be set up to allow 6 feet of distance between students. No visitors will be allowed in the school buildings. Students will eat lunch in their classrooms.  Schools will be cleaned regularly with QT-TB Disinfectant, which has been show

Hello families! We hope you are having a wonderful summer and are staying cool. We have some announcements: Bus Transportation The district is beginning to plan bus transportation for the fall. If your child will need bus transportation, please  complete this survey  as soon as possible. Details about busses are included in the survey. Email Updates The school district sends updates by email. They come from this address: <noreply@mpsvt.org> They say "SwiftReach" at the bottom of the email. If you do not receive these emails now, you can subscribe at:  https://www.mrpsvt.org/contact-information C lick on "Communication List Revision or Addition Report Form."  If you have recently changed your email address, you will need to provide your new email through this form. Fall The district is working hard to figure out what fall will be like. We are focused on keeping students safe at school. We will share details when we know them.

Swoop Parade! Wednesday June 10th, starting at 4:00pm. Come on out to cheer on Swoop!  Swoop, the UES mascot, will tour our town and wave to our kiddos. Here is the route: -UES to National Life Drive -Northfield Street to Colonial Drive -Northfield Street to River Street -Berlin Street to Sherwood Drive -River Street to Barre Street -Main Street to East State Street -College Street to Upper Main Street -Towne Hill to Grandview -Towne Hill, Main Street to Elm Street -Elm Street to turn around at the pool -Elm Street to State Street -State Street to Bailey Ave -Clarendon to Deerfield -back to UES

Hi Everyone, Here are some important updates about the end of the school year: The last day of school is June 11th.  It is officially a "half day." 😊 If your child has a school chromebook or other device, it must be returned to Montpelier High School on Friday, June 12th .  Please return it between 7am and 2pm.  Children do not need to continue to use the Lexia and Freckle apps during the summer.  However, you can still use the apps through the summer, if you'd like.  The passwords will remain the same.  Teachers will not be posting new activities to Freckle, so only the adaptive practice will be available.  We miss all our kids and hope you are well!  Have a safe and peaceful summer. Love, Hannah, Sylvia, and Laura

Free Food The Vermont Foodbank is giving away food to any family who needs it. When : Thursday, June 4th, 10am-2pm Where : Edward F. Knapp State Airport, 1979 Airport Rd., Berlin, VT 05641 What : meat, produce, dairy, non-perishable foods Food is available while supplies last. More details here. Masks If anyone in your family needs a cloth face covering, please contact either Sylvia, Hannah or Laura, and we will get them for you. Ticks Ticks are very small insects that carry harmful diseases, including Lyme disease. Ticks live in tall grass and forests. To prevent tick bites: Avoid areas where ticks live, such as tall grass and piles of leaves. Wear long pants and tall socks when going in the forest. Use EPA-registered tick repellant. After being in tall grass or the forest, check your clothing and body for ticks. Here is more information about ticks from the Vermont Department of Health: Chinese English French Spanish

Hello families, On May 8, superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families. Here are some important details: End of year celebrations:  Will happen in a different way than in past years.  This is because of the 10-person limit on gatherings.  This includes 4th grade moving-up, 8th grade graduation, and high school graduation. Summer camps and child care: Part 2 will open for child care on June 1. Space will be limited. Essential workers will have priority.  If you are interested, fill out the survey that Mr. Heraty sent, or contact one of us. School calendar: The last day of school for students will be Tuesday, June 16. We will NOT resume in-person instruction this school year. Next fall: The district is currently waiting for guidance from the state agency of education. We are planning for many scenarios. Please contact any of us any time with any questions, concerns, or ideas. Hannah, Laura, and Sylvia

Governor Scott has given permission for Vermonters to gather in small groups and participate in outdoor activities. The Vermont Department of Health recommends for your safety: Keep 6ft distance from other people Wear a face mask Wash your hands often Stay close to home Keep your social circle small Stay home if you are sick For more information, please see this document:  Safely Connect with Friends and Family Wishing you well, Laura, Sylvia, and Hannah

Hello families, We hope that you are doing well, and that you got some time outside in the beautiful sun last weekend. Updates from the Superintendent On Friday (May 1), Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families. Some of the big ideas are: There is still a lot about the future that is unknown. Principals will share information about end-of-year celebrations when that information is available. The week of May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Libby is encouraging kids to make apples for their teachers and display them in your home windows. Here's an example: Home Language Practice  With families at home together, this is a wonderful opportunity to practice your home language. Now is a great time to share family stories or sing songs in your family's home language. Talking about books in your home language is great too. Research supports that ultimately it is easier to master a second (or third) language and school learning when your primary language,

Hello families, It has been a pleasure to see you and your children on video calls over the past weeks. It is great to see that your kids are happy and safe at home. Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families today. Here is some of the important information: All MRPS schools will be on Spring Break from April 20-24. There will be no video calls with teachers. Students are not expected to use Lexia or Freckle. Food service will continue. Meals will be available Monday-Friday at the High School, the Hunger Mountain Coop, and on Cummings Street. Location details here . All student assignments are now on this remote learning website . If you need help of any kind, or if you can help others, check out the Montpelier Mutual Aid website. Teachers will be taking a break until April 27. Teachers will not be responding to email.  We encourage you to take a break also. If you are able, go outside, look for birds and bugs, and notice the details of spring in Vermont.

The school has created a plan for learning at home while school buildings are closed.  School buildings will remain closed for the rest of the school year, but learning will continue. You will receive more information from your child's teacher.  Here are the big ideas: The more important thing is for teachers to keep strong relationships with students and make sure students are healthy and safe.  Each school will have its own plan.  Schools will be taking attendance.   Every time your child participates in online learning or talks with a teacher this will count towards attendance.  Your child's teacher will have more information about how attendance is taken.   Our plan may need to change in the future to meet students' needs. Please let us know what works and what does not work for you! Students will have less academic work than usual.  Your child's online learning can be accessed through this site: MRPS Remote Learning Click HERE for the full letter from

Hello families, Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families yesterday. Here are some important points: Food Service Meals are still available for any Montpelier child. Meals are distributed Monday through Friday. There are 3 pickup locations: 11:00 - 11:30 am ~ Montpelier High School, 5 High School Drive, Montpelier 11:00 - 11:15 am ~ 4 Cummings Street, Montpelier 11:45 - 12 noon ~ Hunger Mountain Coop, 575 Stonecutters Way, Montpelier Each meal contains a lunch and a breakfast for the next day. If you know you want to get meals, the survey here will help the cafeteria plan how many meals to make. But, it is not necessary to complete the survey to get meals! Continuation of Learning A new plan for online learning will begin on April 13. Remote learning is required by all students, according to the Vermont Agency of Education. Your child's teacher will give you more details. School Calendar We will be having our scheduled spring break (vacation) f

The teacher parade scheduled for Friday, April 3 has been cancelled because of safety concerns. It is possible it will happen at a later date. Please, stay safe, and let us know if there is anything you need. Sylvia, Hannah and Laura

Several people have asked if it is safe to go outside. Yes! The UES school nurse, Megan Spaulding, says that walking outside is a safe and healthy thing to do. Remember... Maintain a 6-foot (2-meter) distance between yourself and people who do not live in your house. Don't touch any playground equipment. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds when you return home. Don't go out if you are sick or not feeling well. The University of Vermont Health Network has published information about COVID-19 in many languages, including Bosnian, Chinese, French, Spanish and Vietnamese. Click here to see this information. You can also contact your child's school nurse for more information: UES: Megan Spaulding meganspaulding@mpsvt.org MSMS: Lynne Jakubauskas lynnejakubauskas@mpsvt.org MHS: Liz Bailey lizc@mpsvt.org

Hello Parents, We received important news last night about the rest of the school year: School buildings will remain closed for the rest of the school year.  Teachers and administrators are making plans to continue student learning at home.  We will have more information about these plans soon.  If your student needs a computer to access online learning, please let us know as soon as possible.  This is a new and challenging situation for everyone.  Please tell us how it is going for you.  What do you need? The most important things kids need right now are safety, love, and play.  Take care of yourselves and your kids.  Let us know how we can help.  Superintendent Bonesteel's letter is here . We will be in touch.  Love to you all,  Hannah, Sylvia, and Laura

Hello everyone, On Monday, March 23, Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families. It's really kind. In the letter, she acknowledges that right now... We are in a difficult, uncertain time. The pressures on adults are real and difficult. Most parents are not trained teachers. In her letter, she reassures parents that we are all doing the best we can. The most important things parents can do right now are... Ensure your child feels loved and safe. Make your child laugh a few times a day. Feed your child every day. She says, if the homework and assignments coming from teachers seem confusing or not possible to do right now, that's okay. Please don't worry about it. Communicate with your child's teachers. They will understand. We will all do the best we can, together. Her entire letter is here .

New Locations for Food Pickup!  Families can now pick up food for children in 3 places in Montpelier: Montpelier High School, 11:00 - 11:30 4 Cummings Street, 11:00 - 11:15 Hunger Mountain Coop parking log, 11:15 - 12:00 For more information, visit MRPS Food Service. Childcare for Essential Workers: If you are an essential worker and need childcare, it is available.  More information is available here. Please contact your EL teacher directly for assistance.   List of  Essential Workers Positive COVID-19 diagnosis in Montpelier: There is a positive COVID-19 case in our community.  For more information see this document  for FAQs. Please tell us about any serious illness, including COVID-19 in your family.  Contact our school nurse Megan Spaulding: meganspaulding@mrpsvt.org.  If you are sick or concerned about your health: contact your health care provider by phone. Do not go to the hospital, except in a life-threatening situation.  If you don't have

All children in the Montpelier community are able to receive a daily meal bag at Montpelier High School beginning Thursday, March 19th. Pick up meals between 11:00 and 12:00 at the back of the parking lot at Montpelier High School. These meals are free. No paperwork is necessary.  Please visit the Food Service Page for more information. There is a survey on the food service page. It is not required. If you need food, and complete the survey, it will help the kitchen plan how many meals to prepare. You can get food if you do not complete the survey.

Good morning, families, As you may have heard, Governor Phil Scott has ordered that all Vermont schools close on Wednesday, March 18. In Montpelier, school will be open today and tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday March 16-17. Both today and tomorrow, school will be delayed 2 hours . Busses will come 2 hours late, and classes will start 2 hours later than usual. Student attendance for Monday and Tuesday is a family decision. Please do what is right for your family. If you decide to keep your children at home, please email Diana Koliander-Hart in the front office at dianakoliander@mpsvt.org so that we know your children are safe. Teachers will be sending home work with students today and tomorrow. Teachers will be available via email during the closure. School Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent this letter to families last night. If you did not receive it, please let us know so that we can ensure you get future letters. Currently, school is scheduled to be closed until April 6.

Hello families, On Monday, March 16, all of the schools in the Montpelier-Roxbury district will be on a two-hour delay for students. Busses will come two hours later than usual, and classes will start two hours later than usual. It will be like a late-start day or a snow-delay day. The reason for this is a teacher meeting to discuss COVID-19. It is possible that schools will need to close. On Monday, the teachers will meet to plan for this possibility. There is no plan right now to close schools. If that changes, we will tell you. Superintendent Libby Bonesteel sent a letter to families yesterday. It is here . MRPS has a website about COVID-19 that is updated regularly. It is here . It's important to remember that there are things all people (kids and adults) can do to prevent the spread of disease: Wash hands regularly with soap. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. Stay home if we are feeling sick. Here are some fact sheets about preventing disease

You have probably heard about COVID-19, the coronavirus. MRPS has started a webpage about COVID-19  to help families get information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has documents about COVID-19: English French Spanish Chinese Vietnamese   A Telugu translation is available here. If you have any questions, please contact us! Hannah Barden Sylvia Fagin Laura Rooney

It's cold outside! Does anyone in your family need better winter clothing?  We have gift cards that can help you purchase boots, jackets, hats, or mittens.  Please contact Hannah, Sylvia, or Laura if you want a gift card.