MHS WEEKLY STAFF UPDATE

• Updates from Jason
• Dates to Remember
• Staff Solon Salutes Shout Outs
• Department Updates: Guidance Department & CBL
• Procedure Reminders & Helpful Links
• MRPS District Updates

Hello All,

I hope you are well and had a great weekend. All quiet at our house. A weekend without guests, Renee heads to Boston for a few days, then DC. I attended the boys' basketball game on Saturday and see my dad on Sunday. All in all, it was a lovely, quiet weekend.

This week! Kekla Magoon is coming to speak to the students and staff and present to MHS. Thank you, Sue, for organizing!

We are scheduling and have met with caregivers and students about semester one and continue to do so this week. Report cards and attendance letters go out this week (thank you, Diana); students who wish to attend MHS next year via the U32 Exchange or Winooski Valley School Lottery come on, Thursday to visit, and a critical MRPS Board meeting on Wednesday night to hopefully understand the full impact of the proposed changes to ACT 127 and the MRPS School Budget. A lot is happening. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to connecting with you each day.

Have a great new week and be well.

Sincerely,

Jason

"You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something.

Celebration can rescue your day—even if it is someone else's victory. Envy will ruin your day—even if you're actually winning."

"When I go into a situation, I try to keep a mindset of baseline optimism.

When starting the day: It's going to be a good day.

When meeting someone new: I'm going to like them.

When trying something challenging: It's going to work out.

Problems will inevitably arise and I'll deal with them as the situation demands, but my preference is to assume I'm on a winning path until proven otherwise."​

​
Edutopia Articles of the Week

Important Happenings this week:

Monday 2/5/24

7:30 Office Hours

8:00 Grades Due and are locked
9:00-10:30 MHS students to MSMS Field Trip

12:45-2:00 MHS students to MSMS Field Trip

11:00 AM Fire Drill
Normal TA and Solon Block

3:15 Faculty Meeting AGENDA

Tuesday 2/6/24

7:30-8:05 SEL Leadership Team Meeting

7:30-8:05 Department Meetings

11:15-12:20_ Students having Lunch with Kekla Magoon.

1:00 All students and staff straight to Auditorium for guest speaker Kekla Magoon- Please sit with students throughout the auditorium.

1:45 Students Participating in a Workshop with Kekla Magoon.

3:00 MHS Admin and Building rep meeting

Wednesday 2/7/24

7:30-8:05 Staff gather in the library

8:20-11:15 Entrepreneurship Conference (Virtual- staff and student participation)

8:45-12:00 Student Shadow Day, student visitors to MHS

9:00 - 9:15 Welcome by Principal Gingold (Room 126)

9:15 - 9:25 Athletic Director Presentation (Room 126)

9:30 - 9:50 Building Tour (Student Ambassadors)

9:55 - 10:30 Block 2 class visit (student choice)

10:35 - 11:10 Block 2 class visit (student choice)

11:15 - 12:00 Closing meeting with visiting students, caregivers, Principal, Guidance Counselors, Director of Flex. Pathways (Room 126)

1:00 Normal Solon Block

1:45 Jason G at League

3:15 Yoga with Amanda 3:15 - 4:15 Room 206

6:30 MRPS Board Meeting at MHS

Thursday 2/8/24

7:30- 8:05 10th Grade EST Meeting. If not in 10th grade team, planning time.

1:00 Normal Solon Block

Friday 2/9/24

7:30- 8:05 11/12 grade EST. If not in 11/12 planning time.

Matt M is out
1:00 Normal Solon Block

Reminders:

• If you have a student attending your SB who was not signed up with you, PLEASE assign them to your SB immediately so that the attendance can be accurate.
  And, if you have a TA student called back to a different teacher, please advise that student where to go.

• The BIPOC space in room 221 is requesting clothing donations for a screen printing project with clothing to raise funds for the space. We are asking for: T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, Hoodies.

On Tuesday Feb.6th, award-winning, local author Kekla Magoon will be visiting MHS and sharing about her most recent book: Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People. Kekla is the author of over a dozen young adult novels including The Season of Styx Malone, How It Went Down, Light It Up.

Kekla Magoon states that Revolution in Our Time “introduces readers to the Panthers’ community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers’ story has been treated as a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of followers and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the US government against its own citizens.

Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon’s eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustice in the United States to learn from the Panthers’ history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice” (https://revolutioninourtime.com/).

Check out these sites for additional information.

• Video (13 mins) - The Black Panther Party: Crash Course Black American History

• Smithsonian - includes short video overview & article

• https://revolutioninourtime.com/

Laura and Gio will be back to work with MHS on Equity on these dates-

3/15 3:15-4:15

4/15 or 5/20 1:00-3:00

We are working on re-scheduling the missed day on 11/27 because of the snow day.

What is one action step you can commit to this week to help students have a sense of belonging-

1. Start with a check in question. For example What 3 words best describe you?

2.Before an assessment take a moment and have students practice mindfulness and breathe in and out in long breaths for 1 minute.

3. Circle up and complete a round robin check in.
Pick one and try, practice, and observe this week.

• 2/7/24 Student Shadow Day at MHS for Lottery & U32 Exchange Students 9-12
• 2/6/24 Guest Speaker (Kekla Magoon) at MHS and during Solon Block MHS Assembly
• 2/7/24 Entrepreneurship Day in VT
• 2/12/24 Fashion Show Tech Walk Through during Solon Block
• 2/14/24 MHS Fashion Show & Clothing Swap
• 2/22 & 2/23 Jason is out at VPA training.
  
• 3/12/24 UVM Math
• 3/13 Soup for the Soul Lunch
• 3/13 Green Mountain Film Festival Panel during Solon Block in Auditorium
• 3/14 Rising 9th graders Caregiver Night at MHS 6:00-7:30 PM
• 3/15 Masque Theater work Day 3:00-8:00 PM
• 3/21/24 Masque Theater Work Day 1:00-6:00 PM (early release day)
• 3/30/24 SPRING FLING DANCE at VCFA (MHS Student Council Sponsors)
• 4/2-4/4 VT State COGNIA Testing 9th grade Math and ELA, 11th gr Science. Delay Start Schedule
• 4/4-4/6 Masque show 12th Night
• 4/9/24 Winooski Valley at MHS
• 4/13-5/11/24 Exchange Students visit MHS
• 4/15/24 The Conversation Presents guest speaker on "Consent" for all seniors.
• 4/16/24 Silent Auction to raise funds for Sadie and Ally T field trip.
• 5/6/24 AP US Govt exam 8:00-12:00
• 5/7/24 AP Stats exam 12:00-4:00
• 5/8/24 AP English 8:00-12:00 & Comp Science exam 12:00-4:00
• 5/9/24 AP Psychology exam 12:00-4:00
• 5/10/24 AP US History exam 8:00-12:30
• 5/11/24 or 5/25/24 Race Against Racism Date
• 5/13/24 AP Calc exam 8:00-12:00
• 5/15/24 AP Music Theory exam 12:00-4:00
• 5/16/24 AP Spanish exam 8:00-12:00
• 5/18/24 Field Trip to see Kianna in Tick Tick Boom
• 6/8/24 Junior Prom at Farm House Flowers
• June 14 MHS Senior Graduation

• 9th Grade Summative Calendar
• 10th Grade Summative Calendar
• 11 and 12 Grade Summative Calendar
• Learning Strategies Success Bank from Grade Level EST
• Recurring Meeting Schedule
• 23-24 Flex Block and Long TA Schedule (subject to change)
• 2023-24 MHS Bell Schedule
• MHS 23-24 Greenn & White Schedule
• MHS 23-24 Program of Studies
• MRPS 23-24 District Calendar
• MRPS Curriculum Webpage
• MHS Staff Webpage
• How to Post a Ready Sub Absence
• MHS Hazing, Harassment and Bullying Information: If you believe you have witnessed or experienced discrimination, bias-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or bullying at MRPS, please report it to a school administrator as possible. If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person, please complete this reporting form. If you have any questions please contact MRPS Director of Social Emotional Learning & Wellness, Jessica Murray, at jessicamurray@mpsvt.org or (802)505-0435.

• MRPS has a District Blog; please sign up and learn about all the great moments at each school.

• Things to Check Out on the MRPS Curriculum Site

  
  

  
  

  We are constantly updating the MRPS Staff Curriculum site to capture our resources and information in one spot.

  
  

  
  

  
  

• MRPS Board Meeting Feb 7th 6:30 PM at MHS.
  Learn more about the ACT 127 changes and implications to the MRPS School budget.

Tickets are on sale now for MSMS Adult Prom!! BUY TICKETS HERE

This is THE social event of the season all with the purpose of raising a ton of money to help middle school students and reduce the burden of fundraising...all while having a great time!!

Adult Prom is March 9th from 7-10pm at VCFA Alumni Hall. Cash bar available, 21+. Montpelier's own The Gallison Hill Band will be playing as well as a local DJ!

Suggested ticket price: $50 each, but there is a sliding scale so pay what you can afford.

We still need volunteers for prom set-up and clean up...

VOLUNTEER HERE

Email: jasongingold@mpsvt.org
Website: https://www.mrpsvt.org/mhs
Location: 5 High School Drive, Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone: (802)225-8000
Twitter: @GingoldMHSvt

Instagram: @mhssolons