Swoop Scoop

Happy March Wise Owl Families,

There is A LOT of information packed into this issue of the Swoop Scoop. Please read through it to ensure your family is up to date on all important news and announcements.

This issue includes:

• March Family Conferences Info
• Pre-K & Kindergarten Registration
• 2023-2024 MRPS Calendar
• March Kindness Club
• 2023 MHS Prom Swap
• UESCA News
• HHB Community Forum
• Central Vermont Solid Waste Management School News - UES Featured!
• Pandemic EBT Benefits

Additionally, please check out our district blog where I recently wrote a post about Formalized Essential Learning & High Quality Instruction in Mathematics at UES. Christian is coming back this afternoon and will be with us for the next couple of days. It's truly amazing to see our students watching their teachers also learning inside their classrooms. As well as the message it sends about lifelong learning-so powerful. Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Principal, Katie Barea

Learners will have no school on Friday, March 31st as this is our designated Family Conference day. UES conference sign-ups will go live this Friday, March 17th at 7:00am via this link.

Once the sign ups are live on Friday, please reach out to your learner's teacher directly if you are unable to make any of the open time slots work. We look forward to connecting with you about your Wise Owl and their learning journey thus far this year.

The Union Elementary School 2023-2024 school year Pre-K Lottery and Kindergarten Registration window opened today, Monday, March 13th! Visit www.mrpsvt.org/enrollment to apply for the pre-k lottery (applications are due April 7th!) or to enroll your student in kindergarten! Visit www.mrpsvt.org/enrollment for more information.

The MRPS 2023-2024 School Calendar is now published. Our first day of school will be Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Please see the full calendar here.

Kindness Club at UES is a group that meets once a month on Wednesdays after school from 3-4pm in the school library. Our mission is to spread kindness throughout our school community, and beyond. We start each meeting with a light snack, and discussion, and spend the rest of our meeting time engaged in a kindness project. Students sign up for each individual meeting that they are able to attend.

Any student in 2nd-4th grade is welcome to attend. Next meeting is Wednesday, March 22nd. Sign Your Wise Owl Up Here!

High school students from Montpelier High School, U-32, Harwood and many others are hosting a Prom Swap at Montpelier High School on March 18th! Have any formal attire kicking around?! They're currently seeking dresses, suits, shoes, ties etc. You can elect to either donate items or you can price your items yourself for sale. Visit the 2023 Prom Swap webpage for more information and contact Erica Laxer with questions: ericalaxer@mpsvt.org

The UES Caregivers Alliance (UESCA) is a collective of caregivers who support a welcoming, inclusive UES community. We provide support for all caregivers, educators, staff, and family-centered school activities. You can access UESCA materials and notes on our webpage, here. Have a question or need? Have an idea you want to share? Email us at ues.families@gmail.com.

Coordinating February Meeting Notes & March 23 Meeting

Please read out notes/updates from February 16. Our next meeting will be Thursday March 23 from 7-8pm in person (at UES Cafeteria, come in through lower playground) and via Google Meets (follow this link). Recently, we heard from several caregivers about questions and concerns they have around literacy struggles some learners are facing. We are inviting any and all caregivers to join our March 23 meeting for an open discussion to share and connect. Please come to listen, share and ask questions. If you have questions, please email us at: ues.families@gmail.com. Childcare is available and light snacks will be available.

Harassment, Hazing & Bullying Community Forum

Thursday, March 23 at 5pm - Montpelier High School. More info here.

PIE DAY is tomorrow Tuesday 3.14

Pie Day is a day where we show appreciation to our awesome UES staff through PIE (3.14). Contact:

samanthakolber421@hotmail.com and edisagrm@me.com if you are interested in donating or baking a sweet or savory pie, they will be happy to coordinate transportation. Or… just send it to school or bring it in. Someone will be available to receive from 7am onwards. Thank you!

UESCA community event: Bingo Night!

Many caregivers have already signed up to volunteer in different areas of this great event but more are needed, especially someone to take the lead. Bingo will take place sometime in May. Contact ues.families@gmail.com if you would like to sign up or just learn more!

There are still opportunities for Staff Appreciation Activities!

UES caregivers once again listed staff appreciation as our top priority for the school year. Let’s show UES staff some love over the next several months for all the tremendous work they do day in and day out. Follow this link for other ideas and to sign up.

On Thursday, March 23rd MRPS administrators are hosting a Harassment, Hazing, & Bullying Community Forum. The purpose of this session is for administrators to hear feedback from community members regarding their experience with the harassment, hazing, and bullying process. Please RSVP to attend by Monday, March 20th by visiting https://www.mrpsvt.org/hhb

Check out this month's CVSWMD's School News. UES has a feature! "Wormsplorations! Emily Winters, Union Elementary School, Montpelier, and her 1st-grade students recently received a worm bin, for classroom vermiculture, prepared by John Jose, CVSWMD School Zero Waste Coordinator." Click on the link to read the full article!

The federal government has approved Pandemic-EBT benefits for the current school year, until the end of the public health emergency. Because our district offers free meals to all students this year, this makes all students eligible to get P-EBT benefits for any days they had an excused COVID-related absence or if there was a COVID-related school closure. Please read this important letter for information regarding this benefit, eligibility, and who to contact should you have questions.

Email: katiebarea@mpsvt.org
Website: mrpsvt.org/ues
Location: 1 Park Avenue, Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone: (802)225-8200