Mary Hogan Family Newsletter
December 20, 2024
Dear Mary Hogan Families,
The snowy weather was perfect today as a signal that we are heading into December Break. It also matched the question of the week I put up this week. I asked students and staff how many snow days they thought we would have this year. Options included 0, 1-2, 3-4, 5+. I think that there is a fairly even split between 3-4 and 5+ at this point. I am not sure it is supposed to be a snowy winter but the idea of 5 snow days is clearly appealing to the students (and staff).
I do love playing out in the snow - from building to skiing and just exploring. It is much more fun in the snow than in the rainy muck, which is a bit of what we had at recess this week. Whatever your winter weather preference, I hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation and have a chance to get outside together. We will see you in the new year!
Be well.
đź’™, Jen
We are so excited to share that Branch out Burlington and the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program would like to offer our school two Fireball Maple trees to plant this spring as part of the Branching Out Program. We will get to pick the trees up in April (over break) and get them planted on our grounds.The trees are 5-6 feet tall and have good branching. They will grow over time to be 40-60 feet tall and offer great shade on our playground!
The Third Graders led the December All School Meeting and helped us understand what it meant to be open minded. They were exceptional leaders and helped us with a new greeting, movement, and shared some of their learning. Some of the students demonstrated with pictures and stories about different ways that they had been open minded this fall in their learning with academics and with friends.
In addition to the 3rd graders, we were lucky enough to learn from Beate from the Vermont Department of Health about how we can keep ourselves safe while walking and biking during the winter months. Beate shared stories about what children in Norway, where she grew up, do during these darker months and the importance of wearing reflectors on your jackets.
All students got a reflector to put on their jacket to help cars see them from farther away during the winter months. Many had put them on coats by the end of the week, helping make sure that they were seen! Stay visible and safe, Hawks.
The 5th graders had a chance to watch their Shakespeare performance this Wednesday during a cast party. They were thrilled to see the whole performance, since they were all behind stage for the original performances. They also were so grateful to enjoy tasty Romeo and Juliet themed treats thanks to some awesome families. If you haven't seen the performance, you can watch it HERE.
We celebrated the first national championship by the UVM Men's Soccer team this week with a green, gold, and soccer day at school. It was fun to see how many students and adults got into the green and gold - and how many soccer jerseys there were!
While this was their first national championship, we decided that going forward, any Vermont team to win a national championship will get a celebration day at Mary Hogan. We can't wait to celebrate more with all the college teams in Vermont!
Our FY26 Budget development process is underway and we invite the ACSD community to learn more and share feedback as we build toward a final budget:
On January 6 at 6:30pm, the ACSD Board meeting will offer an overview of the full ACSD FY26 Budget spending plan (MUHS Library or virtual).
On January 9th at 6:30, Superintendent Baker will host a virtual Public Input Session where the ACSD community can ask questions and share feedback. (Use this meeting link (password: ACSD)
Find these meeting links and more information, resources, and opportunities for community engagement on our FY26 Budget webpage.
Volunteer to be a Girls on the Run coach for Mary Hogan School this spring! With caring coaches who mentor and motivate, all girls can reach new heights. Our curriculum inspires all participants to say “I, Can!” to every obstacle that comes their way. Team members build confidence to overcome difficult situations, inspire others to keep going when it’s hard, and embrace their confidence to make a difference in their community. A leader like you!
Not a runner? Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support for a transformational season. Our season begins the week of March 17, 2025 and ends with a celebratory 5K on Saturday, May 31st. Over the 10 week season our team will meet twice weekly for 90 minute sessions to connect, move, learn and have FUN!
Visit gotrvt.org/coach to learn more or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Contact GOTRVT at stephanie@girlsontherunvermont.org or 802-871-5664.
