Dear families,

This is such an exciting time of year. We are almost to the end of our first trimester of learning, and we have numerous exciting programs and events to look forward in the late fall and winter!

• Our ski program gets underway in January, for students in grades K-5. Look for registration information starting next week.
• From December 16-20, our related arts team is hosting a circus residency with Wunderle's Big Top Adventures. All of our students will have the chance to try a variety of circus arts & acts, culminating in a school-wide performance on the afternoon of Friday 12/20. Look for your invitation coming soon.
• Next Friday 11/15, parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to join me for Cookies & Community Conversation in the OQS library at 2pm. (Remember to sign in at the office!)

As a reminder, we have no school on Monday 11/11 in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all the OQS family members who have served our country.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Amelia Donahey

Principal

P.S. On Wednesday 11/13, HSD's three elementary principals will give a brief presentation at the school board meeting about a pilot program we launched last summer to prepare new teachers for service while also providing a summer learning experience for students. The school board meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 6pm in the HACTC BEST Room.

11/11: Veterans Day (no school)

11/13: Hartford School Board meeting (6pm) : Elementary principals presenting on new teacher academy

11/15: Community Conversation - Cookies with the Principal, 2-2:40pm

11/19: Early Release Day - Students dismiss at 12:45pm (no school for PreK)

11/27-11/29: Thanksgiving Break (no school)

12/7: OQS Winter Fest

12/17: Early Release Day - Students dismiss at 12:45pm (no school for PreK)

12/18: SPARK! Community Science Night, 5-6:30pm

12/20: Ottauquechee School Circus Performance, tentative time 1:30pm (stay tuned for an invitation for families!)

1/10/2025: Tentative first Friday Ski date

January (date TBD): Winter concert

It was so wonderful to see almost all of our families visit school this week for conversations with our learners about their growth and goals! Thank you, teachers and students, for your careful preparation, and thank you families, for your presence and excellent questions. We would love your feedback about this year's conferences. Click the button below to tell us how it went.

OUR SPIRIT WEAR FUNDRAISER SHOP IS LIVE NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 12

• SHOP HERE through November 12th and the PTO will receive $5 from each item sold! Check out sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts, and more! This year all items are emblazoned with our NEW WOLF WAY logo and school Character Strengths.

VOLUNTEER & DONATION OPPORTUNITIES:

• NEW Thursday, November 21 & Friday, November 22- All School Wolf Way Celebration- Donuts in the Forest! Check out all volunteer opportunities by class HERE.

• Saturday, December 7th- WINTERFEST: Please consider signing up to volunteer at Winterfest OR donating breakfast items. Check out the sign-up HERE and consider grabbing a slot!

The topic of trans athletes is a hot-button issue. Attempting to exclude trans athletes permits people to maintain a harmfully narrow idea of “femininity” and what being a woman is and is not. This week’s Curiosity Corner is a longer read, tackling six of the top myths relating to gender and sports. They are:

• MYTH #1: The participation of trans athletes is bad for girls’ sports.

• FACT: Policing gender hurts everyone.

• MYTH #2: Trans athletes’ physiological characteristics provide an unfair advantage over cis athletes.

• FACT: There is no inherent unfair advantage that trans athletes have in sports—and there are many reasons why they are significantly disadvantaged.

• MYTH #3: Sports are just sports—it’s not a big deal if trans students are excluded.

• FACT: Playing sports comes with well-known academic, emotional, mental, physical, and social benefits—transgender youth should not be shut off from these opportunities.

• MYTH #4: Trans students need separate teams.

• FACT: Trans people belong on the same teams as other students; open categories for competition where feasible can be beneficial, but only if it is the student’s choice where they compete.

• MYTH #5: Sex is binary, apparent at birth, and identifiable through singular biological characteristics.

• FACT: Trans girls are girls, and the binary was never really only a binary.

• MYTH #6: Most people want bans on trans athletes.

• FACT: Many international sports federations (NCAA, IOC) support trans athletes, numerous athletes across skill level have spoken out in support of trans athletes, and the majority of Americans want to protect trans people’s rights and ensure they are not discriminated against.

To learn why all of these are false, click here!

We probably all remember the choppy waters of last year's school budgeting season around Vermont and hope for much smoother sailing this year. Throughout Vermont, there are efforts underway to clarify and simplify the school finance system. Some of them may have an effect on school budgets this year, while others may take longer to come to fruition. For those who like to stay informed about some of the larger factors influencing our local schools, check out the links below.

The Legislature voted to create a Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont. The commission launched this year with the goal to "make recommendations to ensure all students are afforded quality educational opportunities in an efficient, sustainable, and equitable education system that will enable students to achieve the highest academic outcomes."

One body of evidence that has been circulating is the so-called "Picus report", prepared for the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office by a firm called Picus Odden & Associates, which attempts to define an "adequate education spending level" that will ensure that every student in Vermont has robust opportunities to meet college and career readiness standards.