Waitsfield Elementary

We thoroughly enjoyed a beautiful hike at Mad River Glen yesterday.

Dear friends and families,

Today is National Custodian Day. I am extremely grateful for Joe Robinson and Austin Joslin for many reasons, not least of which is the work they do each day to keep our buildings and grounds clean and safe. From the tremendous historical knowledge of our school held by Joe, who has been working at WES longer than any other current employee, to the opportunities that Austin creates for students to practice responsibility and caring for their community, both of these individuals are very appreciated members of our community. Thank you, Austin and Joe, for keeping germs at bay, our environment looking so good, and helping us practice how to be responsible to our shared space in our own practices.

When friends come to visit, I will often take them on a hike as I think it is one of the best ways to experience where we live. Several of my friends have found the elevation gain of the climb to the Kent nature center at Mad River quite daunting (almost 1000 feet climb and over 1.8 miles round trip) — and yet every single Waitsfield student made that trip, or further, yesterday! The children who, after having completed the hike, then asked if they could run up the practice hill too were pretty impressive, but what I loved most the many moments I spotted students holding hands with one another as they hiked -- or taking my hand! We had lovely autumn weather, foliage views and so many smiles for the annual school hike, one of my favorite events of the year.

Tomorrow, volunteers from the Waitsfield-Fayston fire department will join us to talk about fire prevention and fire safety. Your children will likely remind you of some of what they will share, which includes:

• Smoke Alarms: Make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each sleeping area, and outside each sleeping room. Avoid chirping alarms and insure they are working properly by replacing batteries in alarms this month. Involve your kids in helping with this, to help build lifelong habits of fire safety.

• Escape Plan: Develop and practice a fire escape plan with your family. Know two ways out of every room and establish an outside meeting place. This is part of what we practice regularly at school and is equally important at home.

Ask your child, on Friday, what they talked about with the fire department volunteers. Thank you to these volunteers for the fire department who not only respond to emergencies, but also share their time proactively teaching us how to prevent and stay safe during a fire.

Respectfully, Kaiya

It was wonderful to see so many of you at Tuesday’s Open House. Thank you for taking the time to support your child in sharing with you the work, the routines and the people they engage with each day. Many of us have experienced the challenge of a child having little to answer when you ask them about their day. Asking about specific things that you’ve seen or read about at school (i.e. “What are the skills you’re improving during the biking unit in PE?” or “What did you find most challenging about writing that origin myth?” leads to much deeper conversations. The value you communicate about what your child does each day is so influential upon how your child feels about themselves and their learning. Thank you.

The HUUSD School Board has received a new facilities report outlining the condition of our school buildings, including aging systems, structural needs, and projected costs. The report emphasizes the importance of maintaining safe, well-functioning facilities that remain in compliance with building codes and continue to support the needs of students, staff, and the community.

Read more in the Times Argus article and view the full architects’ presentation.

Waitsfield students are back to singing and playing in music class!

Kindergarteners explore a variety of readiness activities that will help them develop as singers, as keepers of the beat, and as musically creative people.

Our first and second grade musicians continue to focus on play-based singing and dancing while building on their early musical education. They start naming some of the musical concepts they have internalized and can already perform. We begin to sing with solfege (do, re, mi, etc.), we learn to recognize and read rhythm patterns, we play instruments, and we expand our repertoire of creative movement ideas.

Third through sixth graders begin building a deeper degree of musical skill and understanding. We are engaging with music through a variety of activities that will challenge, expand, and develop skills with creativity, singing, dance, music literacy, and theoretical learning. During these years they learn to sing harmony with canons, rounds, and partner songs. They learn to improvise, and they will compose and arrange their own music. They learn to play the ukulele and recorder. The two groups, 3/4 and 5/6, will part ways as the year progresses and the older students cover more ground.

Please check for periodic posts on the music blog featuring students from all four MRV elementary schools at madrivervalleymusic.blogspot.com

Best wishes, Jeremy Hill

On October 6, schools, families, and communities across the country will wear BLUE for World Day of Bullying Prevention.

Bullying and cyberbullying affect millions of young people every year. By wearing blue, we send a clear message: kindness, inclusion, and respect matter — and bullying and hate have no place in our schools or communities. Please wear blue on 10/6 to support this cause!

New StoryWalk® on the Moretown Recreation Fields: A Big Mooncake for Little Star

This beautiful book introduces the Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival and celebrates a loving

relationship between a little girl and her mom, along with cleverly depicting the phases

of the moon.

The story begins with Little Star and her mama making a huge yellow mooncake for the

Festival, that mama then lays "onto the night sky to cool." She reminds her daughter

that they spent a long time making this, and they need to make it last, so Little Star

needs to wait until her mama tells her it’s okay to eat it.

Little Star tries, but when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she is unable to

resist, and decides that she will just take a little nibble. She’s sure her mama won’t

notice. Each subsequent night, however, she continues to take small nibbles of the

mooncake, which causes it to diminish in size, and change in shape. As she continues

to eat, the Mooncake wanes from a full moon to a new moon. Of course, her mama

discovers this, but smiles when Little Star suggests that they make a new one!

The illustrations are painted in gouache against completely black pages. The

mooncake seems to glow against this background, along with the stars on their

pajamas, and “the crumbs scattering like stars in the sky.”

The Mid-Autumn, or Moon, Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar

month, which would be Mid-September to early October on our solar calendar. This

year it is on October 6. Family and friends gather together to celebrate the harvest and

being together by eating moon cakes (rich pastries with sweet or savory filling) with tea

and other treats, reciting poetry, listening to music and participating in other enjoyable

activities. Find out more about this festival and let us know what you learned and/or

how you celebrated.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson and developed in collaboration

with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier Vermont. Storywalk® is a registered

service mark owned by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Everybody Wins Vermont is thrilled to be returning to Waitsfield Elementary for another school year of meaningful mentoring and reading relationships. Mentors are matched up a with a student to read and play games together during lunch/recess once a week for an hour.

If your child is interested in participating in the program, they should fill out the self-nomination form that was distributed in class. Once completed, the form should be returned to Susan Laskaris.

If you have an hour a week to volunteer with the program, you can fill out a mentoring application by going to: https://everybodywinsvermont.org/become-a-mentor/

For more information about the program, please contact Marci Lutsky, the Everybody Wins Site Coordinator for Waitsfield Elementary at: waitsfield@everybodywinsvermont.org

Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

Chicks with Stix

Chicks with Stix is heading into our 8th season and would love to have GIRLS aged 6-13 join us to learn to play HOCKEY with some other girls or improve their skills. Please sign up for the fun Girls Hockey Club called “Chicks with Stix” (CWS) and come play with your friends or meet new friends.

CWS meets on Mondays between 5 -6 pm at the Stowe Arena. The first session is Monday, November 10th and continues until February 15th for a total of 10 sessions (NO sessions 11/24, 12/22, 12/29 and 1/19). We will be completing obstacle courses, learning to pass and skate with a variety of hockey drills and then playing “pink puck scrimmages”.

Only $120. Equipment and being able to skate unassisted (except for a stick) is required. Jerseys included.

Link to register:

https://forms.gle/7CYq4Ak5GNwbydCG7

Is your dog the cutest, best behaved, best artist? Or knows some cute tricks? Does he just look awfully cute in his Halloween costume?

Or are you a dog lover and just love to learn about and be around dogs?

Come to the First annual Rover Roundup on October 4th, between 11am and 4 pm. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, October 5th, also from 11 to 4. The event will make for a fun detour on a fall foliage tour around the area. Come by with or without your dog!

The event promises to be fun for the whole family! There will be music, food, and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream truck (with dog desserts!). Throughout the day there will be demonstrations on topics such as brushing techniques, agility, tricks training, and professional Frisbee dog skills.Features at the event will include a problem solving booth with a dog behaviorist, a grooming booth, a kissing booth, a pet psychic, a professional photographer and more. There will be crafts and face painting too!

There will also be contests throughout the day, open to everyone to enter, kicked off with a Costume Parade! Other contests include “What’s Your Rescue Story”, “Not So Stupid Pet Tricks”, “Musical Sit”, “Catch Contest”, and “Dog of the Roundup” (the winner will be featured on the upcoming Dogs of the Mad River Valley Dog Park calendar!)

All dogs must be leashed, and there will be a “free play” zone available for off leash play during the event.

There is a suggested donation of $10/per person or $20/family for entry to the event. Some of the featured services will request an additional donation.

The Mad River Valley Dog Park is on School Road in Warren, by the Brooks Field recreation area.

For more details, and for a schedule of events, please check the dog park’s website at www.mrvdogpark.com, or email us at mrvdogpark@gmail.com

After School at Joslin Library

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-4:30 pm, when school is in session*

Join us After School at Joslin for a variety arts and crafts, legos, games, and more! Please note that this program is for ages 8+, but younger children are welcome to attend with a caregiver. No registration required.

*Note: After School at Joslin Library will take a hiatus 10/6 and 10/9

Registration for Harwood Youth Basketball is now open through October 1st!

Registering early helps us:

• Organize teams more efficiently
• Ensure uniforms arrive on time
• Recruit the right number of coaches

We welcome all 1st–6th graders who want to have fun, stay active through the winter, and learn the game of basketball. Sign up here:
https://registration.teamsnap.com/form/39211

Program Options & Pricing

Fees help cover insurance, equipment, referees, and jerseys (which players keep). Scholarships are available—just reach out to Nick Managan (nmanagan@gmail.com)!

• 1st/2nd Grade Boys – $75/player
• 1st/2nd Grade Girls – $75/player
• 3rd/4th Grade Boys – $125/player
• 3rd/4th Grade Girls – $125/player
• 5th/6th Grade Boys – $125/player
• 5th/6th Grade Girls – $125/player

What to Expect

Due to limited gym space and growing interest, we may explore new formats such as:

• Mini Metro Teams

• Mixed MRV/Waterbury Teams

• Intramural opportunities

• Practices begin: Early November

• Games begin: Late November / Early December

• Season ends: The week before February break

Want to Coach?

We’re always looking for volunteers - primarily Coaches, Board Members, and a couple of people to help with scheduling games (calling other towns to coordinate availability and confirm games throughout the season). You don’t need to be an expert—patience, enthusiasm, and availability go a long way. Many hands make light work and a more fun season for everyone!

If you have questions, please reach out:

Brian Godfrey – brian.godfrey@mmuusd.org
President, Harwood Youth Basketball

We’re excited for another great season and hope to see you on the court!
The Harwood Youth Basketball Association Board of Directors

Join Inklings Children's Books in celebrating their second anniversary!!
Starting at 10am, Inklings is hosting an all-day celebration filled with drinks, cupcakes, storytime, craft making and more!
We can't wait to see you. FREE and open to all!

Join Inklings Sunday, October 5th at 11am as they welcome author Melissa Perley for a reading of her book, THE VIOLIN FAMILY PLAYS NEW MUSIC.
This delightful book is an important reminder to readers of the power of music to bring people together, following a friendship that harmonizes instruments from different families.
Melissa Perley - an award-winning children's book author, professional cellist, and sheep farmer in Vermont - will play her cello, accompanied by clarinet player Tom Frink! This will be a truly special event.

Following the reading, there will be a very special craft!

Authors Grace Lin and Debbi Michiko Florence will be making a special stop at Inklings as part of their Very Asian Book Trip!
Join us on October 6th at 6pm for a chance to talk with them about their brand new books.
Pre-Order your copies of THE GATE, THE GIRL, AND THE DRAGON and LAST CHANCE ACADEMY now.
***Space is limited. Please RSVP at inklingschildrensbooks@gmail for a chance to be part of this incredible evening!!

Once Upon a Story returns this November 8th in the Mad River Valley!
Vermont Literacy Network is thrilled to partner once again with Inklings Children’s Books to bring back their beloved immersive fairy tale event at the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield.
Watch your child’s face light up as they meet characters like Goldilocks, the Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood! Led by community favorite organizations, kids can dive into interactive, hands-on activities inspired by timeless fairy tales.
Grab your tickets early and save 20%! LINK
Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 10:00-2:00PM | Big Picture Theater, Waitsfield

Fri. Oct. 10th: NO SCHOOL. Teacher In-Service

Mon. Oct. 13th: NO SCHOOL. Indigenous People's Day

Wed. Oct. 29th: School Photo Make-Up Day

Wed. Nov. 12th: Family Conferences 2:45-7:00

Thurs. Nov. 13th: Family Conferences: 2:45-7:00

Sat. Nov. 15th: Ski & Skate Sale at WES

Nov. 24th - Nov. 28th: NO SCHOOL. Thanksgiving Break

2025-2026 School Calendar

Website: https://www.waitsfieldschool.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waitsfieldschool/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=waitsfield%20elementary%20school

Phone: 802-496-3643

Location: 3951 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT