Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

Just a quick reminder about 2 things:

• There is no school on Monday 1/19 or Tuesday 1/20. We will see your kids on Wednesday 1/21.
• Please ensure your child comes with the appropriate winter gear now that the weather has gotten cold again. The general rule of thumb I have been using with 5th graders, who often don't like to wear winter gear is:
• If you leave the house and is is 32 degrees or colder, you need a coat.
• If you leave the house and it is 20 degrees or colder, you need coat, hat, mittens/gloves.
• Students who want to sled or play in the snow should have boots and snowpants. Some grades require this gear for snow play.

Thanks for your help in making sure your child(ren) bring the right clothes to school to enjoy the winter weather.

💙, Jen

Monday 1/19 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr Day

Tuesday 1/20 - No School - Inservice

Wednesday 1/21 & Thursday 1/22 - - 1st and 2nd Grade Swimming (HERE is the full schedule and letter)

Friday 1/23 - Kindergarten goes to visit Wonderfeet Museum

Wednesday 1/28 & Thursday 1/29 - - 1st and 2nd Grade Swimming (HERE is the full schedule and letter)

Thursday 1/29 - 9am - Readathon Kick off event

Friday 1/30 - Progress Reports go home with students

The Read-a-thon will be starting in just a few weeks. There will be some special after school activities offered, but children must register ahead. Please use this online registration form. If more than 20 students sign up for an event, we will use a random lottery system to pick names. Please email Julie Altemose if you have any questions at jaltemose@acsdvt.org

Students across the school are learning skills that support emotional awareness, self-control, and positive peer relationships. Through classroom lessons, students are building confidence in naming emotions, managing big feelings, and solving problems with others in kind and respectful ways. In addition to classroom guidance, some students may be invited to participate in small groups or lunch bunches for extra practice, connection, and support. Families are always welcome to refer their child if additional skill-building or social connection feels helpful. Be sure to explore this newsletter for simple resources and strategies you can use at home to check in about feelings, model calm problem-solving, and reinforce these skills together. Click here for more information.

Last January, Will Gusakov of Goosewing Timberworks collaborated with a Middlebury College J Term class to create a frame fo our garden shed. It was installed here last spring. This fall the shed got a roof and now the siding is nearly all on thanks to Jordan Martin. We can't wait to have it finished and in place for many years to support our Farm to School Work!

Some 1st graders went over to the Middlebury Rec Dept. sledding hill this Friday after some snow returned (after the January thaw). The students and adults had an absolute blast sliding down the hill. They strongly recommend it as an activity for your family over this long weekend!

Students across Mary Hogan help our community each day. From lunch clean up to picking up breakfast baskets, students ensure that things run smoothly and they work together and with adults to make our community strong. These 2 1st graders were helping each other get the compost bucket to the cafeteria!

5th graders have been learning how to play ukuleles in music class. They are slowly mastering different chords as well as how to strum. When I happened upon music class this week, the students were working together and independently to sort out their new chord as well as review the old ones and play together. They sound great!

1st and 2nd graders had their first visit to the Middlebury College Pool this week as they started their swimming unit in PE. Students had a chance to learn to swim - or perfect their swimming skills. This opportunity is made possible because of the Middlebury College swim team as well as the McGilton Fund. We are so lucky to ensure our students have this important life skill!

Students in 2nd grade had a chance this week to reflect on what learner profile attribute they want to work on in the second half of the school year. Here are some attributes our students are working on. What is your goal for this new year?

We have buddy classroom time each Early Release Day. We also have some 5th graders who are mentoring kindergarteners on Thursday afternoons. This week, they went out and had a blast at recess together. The older students were great role models and really enjoyed playing with their kindergarten buddies!

MESA will once again run the concessions booth at both the boys and girls 5/6th grade tournaments at the Middlebury Rec Center. This has become our second biggest fundraiser (after the RAT). All of the proceeds go back to Mary Hogan to fund field trips and educational experiences for our students. We also use the money to fund teacher appreciation events and to host other events like Field Day, the end of year Dance Party and Mini Golf.

We are looking for food donations and for volunteers to run the booth. Please see the two sign up geniuses below. New this year, we also have an Amazon wish list created for concession booth items that you can purchase online (Amazon Wish List).

Boys Tourney (1/31-2/1): Boys Sign up

Girls Tourney (2/7-2/8): Girls Sign Up

If you would rather donate cash, you can donate via Venmo: venmo.com/MESAMaryHoganSchool

MESA has partnered with UVM Athletics again this year to sell tickets to select hockey and basketball games. A portion of the ticket sales goes to MESA.

Women's Basketball 1/24 2pm vs Bryant

Women's Hockey 1/31 1pm vs Providence

Please use this link to purchase tickets: https://uvmathletics.evenue.net/promotions/MESAMHS

In November, the ACSD Board voted to educate Shoreham and Bridport together at Bridport school beginning in August 2026. The Shoreham building will also begin a new chapter, educating preschool students. We want to share the principal update with all members of our community:

• Jenny Urban will continue as the full-time principal at Bridport Central School, and Lashawn Whitmore-Sells will join her as a 0.5 principal.

• Principal Whitmore-Sells will also be the preschool administrator at Shoreham, working with our preK team to stabilize and grow our early childhood programming by relocating our Bridport PreK classroom to Shoreham Elementary School, expanding preK offerings, and exploring birth-to-3 partnerships to best serve our communities.

• Principals Urban and Whitmore-Sells both bring exceptional care for our students and staff, and we are incredibly lucky to benefit from their expertise as we move forward.

Help shape the future of education in our community! The ACSD Board will have open School Board seats this year in Bridport, Middlebury, and Salisbury. If you're interested, gather signatures* on your nominating petition and submit the petition and your Candidate Consent form to your Town Office by January 26, 2026.This is also a great time to reach out to encourage someone you think would be a great candidate! Board elections occur on Town Meeting Day, March 3, 2026. Terms are 3 years. You must be 18 or older and a resident of the respective town to run. You'll play a crucial role in enhancing our schools and advocating for every student. Learn more on the Running for School Board page of the Vermont School Board Association website.

* Petitions must be signed by 60 voters or one percent of the ACSD checklist—whichever is less. Petitions and the Candidate Consent Form are available with the links above, at your Town Hall, or the ACSD District Office (49 Charles Ave, Middlebury). ​​​​​​​

Middlebury College is hosting a free clinic for youth girls Kindergarten through Eighth Grade (K-8)

Sunday, January 25 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Peterson Family Athletic Complex - main lobby for welcome and registration

Sign-up here prior to the end of the day on Wednesday, January 21 to receive a free t-shirt
We will have day-of sign-ups, but cannot guarantee shirts. Please arrive at 9:00 a.m. for day-of sign-ups

The full details, including the schedule, what to bring and what sports are offered can be found here.

If you have any questions, please contact Ali Paquette at apaquette@middlebury.edu.

We are so grateful to our family and community volunteers! If you plan to volunteer for an event or activity this year, now is a great time to apply or make sure your paperwork is up-to-date!

• Learn more about the volunteer process here.
• Check in with your front office if you've volunteered in the past to make your paperwork is up to date.
• Fill out this form if you've never volunteered before and plan to this year.

Want to know more about the Volunteer Process? Check out more information HERE.