Skip to main content

Teacher Appreciation Week and other updates

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, culture, and sense of identity are stronger. (WIDA Consortium, 2020)

Books Around Town
The MRPS Partners in Education (PIE) group has created book boxes in Montpelier. These bins contain lots of books that kids can borrow, read, and return. The book box locations are:
  ~Vermont College of Fine Arts (near Cafe Anna, right off the basketball court where kids ride bikes)
  ~Main St. Middle School (at the entry to the gym) 
  ~174 Berlin St. (under the big tree in front of the yellow house)
  ~On the Corner of Deerfield Drive and Dunpatrick Circle
  ~On the steps of the Montpelier Recreation Department on Barre Street
  ~In the old laundry room of the Cummings Street apartments
More details here (scroll down to "book boxes")

Weekend Meal Support
The Montpelier Rotary Club, a service organization, provides weekend meal bags. Each bag contains packaged food like soup and pasta that families can eat over the weekend. The bags are distributed on Fridays from 11:00-11:30am at Montpelier High School. You do not need to sign up - any family can pick up a bag.

Please, contact us anytime with any questions about anything. We want to support you, your children, and your family.
Hannah, Sylvia and Laura

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Free COVID test kits for kids!

Free COVID test kits are available for kids on Thursday, December 30 and Friday, December 31st.  These tests are optional . They are NOT required to return to school.  To get the test kits, you need to register at THIS LINK . Scroll down and go to the next page as necessary. Please note the day, time, and location. (There are sites in East Montpelier and in Berlin). The tests are rapid-tests that you perform at home on Saturday and Sunday. School resumes on Monday.  If you want help registering, please let Hannah know. (hannahba@mpsvt.org) Let us know if you have any questions!

The school board wants to hear your ideas

 Hello families, The Montpelier Roxbury school board is the group of people who make decisions about our school budgets. They are elected by Montpelier and Roxbury voters. The school board wants to hear from parents (that's you!) about your values, concerns, and ideas. The school board is inviting parents to a Community Listening Session. Questions can include:  What are the top three things you would like to see more investment or spending in? What are some of the values that should be driving our spending decisions? What are your top three challenges and concerns? What are you seeing that is working really well? What would you like to see more of? What do you value the most? Students: What is the best thing about school for you? Students: What are your challenges? You can participate in several ways: Ask for a listening session in English - click here . Write your ideas in a google form, in English - click here . Ask for a listening session in Bosnian, Mandarin Chinese, French, H

COVID testing for students, and Caregivers Alliance meeting

COVID Testing for Students Starting on Monday, September 20, MRPS schools will administer COVID tests to students.  Testing will happen only if parents says "yes" to the testing. To give your permission ("consent"), fill out this form . A part-time school nurse will do the testing on Mondays. There is no cost for the testing. Families will be able to see the results online within 72 hours. If you have questions, contact UES school nurse Megan Spaulding at meganspaulding@mpsvt.org . Here is a video about the testing process. More details are available in this letter from Superintendent Bonesteel (Sept. 13). Caregivers Alliance Meeting The UES Caregivers Alliance (UESCA) is a collective of caregivers who support a welcoming, inclusive UES community. Please note our first meeting has changed and will be on Thursday, September 23 from 7:30-9pm.  Click Here  for the meeting link. Korean UES 간병인 연맹(UESCA)은 환영하고 포용적인 UES 커뮤니티를 지원하는 간병인의 집합체입니다. 저희는 모든 간병인, 교육자 및 가족 중심의 학