SCS Weekly Newsletter 11/3/23

Dear Salisbury Families:

I hope you are all well, and enjoying early November!

Last week was a pretty tame one at Salisbury Community School, as we have gotten past some of our fall events and have started to look toward winter! Working with FOSCS, we are starting to plan a Bingo Night, a Family Literacy Night, and all-school skating in December! Stay tuned for details!

We need your help, though, with one thing we are planning: our annual "Holiday Dollar Store"! If you remember from previous years, at the Holiday Dollar Store students choose from a selection of items that the community has donated, and FOSCS volunteers wrap them so students have something to give folks during the winter holidays! In order to do that, though, we need stuff! So look through your boxes, look through things you haven't used for a while, and look through stuff you've been saving for the Holiday Dollar Store, and bring it in! Toys, small gift, candles, books, hats- there are many options!

One other topic that I'd like to touch on quickly: the importance of calling in or emailing Donna if your child is going to miss school. Sometimes people don't tell us what is happening when kids aren't in school, and it makes some planning difficult, especially in terms of in-class activities and lunch. So PLEASE: if your child is not going to be in school, or is not in school, reach out to Donna and let us know. This will make days go more smoothly for teachers and children. Thank you!

Best,

Bjarki

Look below for:

• Announcements from SCS- including early release day.
• A thank you to our Volunteer Fire Department!
• Lions Club Diapers Drive
• School House Savings
• Goings on at Salisbury School!
• ACSD- related info:
• ACSD SEPAC
• Lunch Menus!
• Our school calendar!

Important dates coming up:

• Wednesday, November 8: Early Release Day (see below)

• November 20-24: Thanksgiving break.

This Wednesday, November 8th, is an ACSD early release day. That means school starts at the same time, but it ends at 1:00. Busses work like normal (except that they leave school at 1:00, not 2:45). However, there is no bus in the afternoon that goes from Salisbury School to either MUMS or MUHS, so there is no way to get to those schools for any students who occasionally do that. Thanks!

It sounds like the lasagna dinner and Trunk or Treat was a rousing success! Thanks SVFD! We are all very lucky to have members of our community who give so much time and effort to everyone else, and obviously events like this are just a little piece of that. Thank you for the early mornings and late nights, the countless hours of training, the difficult scenes you sometimes have to be a part of, and the real risks you take and sacrifices you make. Salisbury Community School (and the whole town, I'm sure) deeply appreciates the Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department! Your relationship with SCS is one we value very, very much.

During October's Save-a-Thon Salisbury Students saved $216.22! That amount will be matched by National Bank of Middlebury and donated to SCS. Beyond that donation, we are excited that a bunch of students signed up. Keep on saving! Students can sign up of School House Savings at any time!

Thank you to everyone who donated to the The Lions Club diaper drive for the month of October! All diapers collected went to the Addison County Parent-Child Center. The Middlebury Lions held this along with all 34 Lions Clubs throughout Vermont. The effort was to help offset the 70% reduction in funding to the Vermont Diaper Bank. The Diaper Bank exists to help provide diapers to economically challenged young families.

We will announce the total weight of all the diapers collected in the drive soon! Thank you Salisbury!

The Salisbury Fifth Graders took their Shibori skills to the next level in Ms. Gombosi’s art class. They learned a hand stitched design called ori nui, an ancient Japanese technique used by Samurai warriors. They used the natural dye they formulated with amaranth to create the beautiful color! As a final project they will create their own designs based on the Samaria Bushido which is an ancient positive code of ethics.

Last week, Carol, Kathy, and Deb from the Otter Creek Audubon Society visited 1st grade! In different stations, students learned about bird feeders; about beak shape and how different beak shapes help birds get food from certain flowers, plants, or feeders; and about bird feet (among other things). Student got to touch real (taxidermized) birds as well. Thanks OCAS!

Continuing an annual tradition, students in Amy Clapp's class did some wicked chemistry brewing! It was great the see them working with step-by-step directions, safety goggles, and various materials to explore chemical reactions!

Who We Are: The Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is an organization led by parents (defined broadly) that focuses on improving the education and experiences of students with special needs and disabilities in the Addison Central School District (ACSD).

What We Do:

• Support families through information, events, and community.

• Collect community input and help district leaders understand the concerns of families and students.

Collaborate with ACSD to improve district policies and practices.