Bridport Community Newletter

February 15th, 2026

Happy Snowy Saturday!

This past week, K-5 families received their child’s Winter FAST Screening Report. This report provides a snapshot of your student’s performance across math and literacy screeners, highlighting both their current standing and the progress they have made since the start of the year.

I wanted to share the specific systems of support we have implemented at Bridport School to ensure every student thrives:

Strong Classroom Communities: Andrea, Kate and Sara have worked incredibly hard this year to create strong classroom communities that foster independence, inquiry and joy. They are experts in Responsive Classroom strategies, and all our students benefit from their consistency and expertise.
Integrated Math Coaching: Samantha Farrell-Schmitt, our Math Instructional Specialist, joins every math block daily. By co-planning with classroom teachers and our special educator, she is able to support the best practices that are woven into every lesson. This collaborative approach has led to significant growth in our students' mathematical reasoning.
Targeted Intervention Planning: Martha Santa Maria and Tori Messer meet weekly with classroom teachers to refine instruction for students receiving Tier 2 and Tier 3 services. This ensures that interventions remain data-driven and that students are consistently meeting their individual goals.
Literacy Enrichment: Martha also supports Tier 1 literacy instruction within the classroom. By leading groups and facilitating lessons on comprehension, morphology, writing, and fluency, she brings her expertise directly to all students.
Ongoing Professional Development: Each week, our instructional staff participates in "embedded PD" focused on math inquiry, curriculum strengthening, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). This occurs during Community Time, while students are engaged in all-school meetings, STEM activities, and whole-school read-alouds.

Looking Ahead

If this sounds like a lot... it is! Our staff is dedicated to the academic and social-emotional success of every student at Bridport. I am incredibly grateful for the tireless work of our teachers and the continued partnership of our families.

Next week’s vacation is a well-earned break for everyone! As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Best,

Jenny

2/21- 3/1- Mid-winter Vacation- No School

3/5- VEEP Science Day 1

3/5- 6:00PM- FOBCS Meeting- Library

3/11- Field Trip to Shoreham for Middle School Concert and Morning Meeting!

3/11- 5:00PM- 5th Grade Meeting about KEEC @ Shoreham

3/11- 5:30- Everybody Wins! Parent Night

3/19- VEEP Science Day 2

Combined Band & Chorus Concert- 3/25 - 6:00 - Wilson Hall @ Middlebury College

3/26- VEEP Science Day 3

3/30- VTCAP Window Opens

This Week's Update

On Monday, staff from both schools gathered together to look at next years cohorts, and talk about the best layout of our school building to create a new learning community that is focused on student learning and academic achievement. Lashawn, Bruce Macintire and I will be looking through everyone's thoughts and feedback to determine room assignments and needs by the end of March.
On March 11th, Bridport K-5 students will be headed to Shoreham School to watch our Middle School Band perform. Then, K-4 students will gather in their grade level cohorts to have a special snack and morning meeting. This will be our first combined event, and we are so excited to start learning more about eachother!
Transportation/Afterschool Committee and Logistics/Events committees will begin in March. If you have reached out to sign up- expect an email from myself or Lashawn to schedule meeting times. Thank you for your support, and its not too late to join!

Join us to plan ahead!

We would like to invite you to join our collaborative planning groups as we prepare for the upcoming transition of Bridport and Shoreham students. Your input is vital in ensuring a seamless experience for our students and families.

We are seeking volunteers for two focused committees:

Transportation and Afterschool: Working alongside Principal Sells, this group will review transportation routes and develop a proposal tailored to the needs of our community.
Logistics and Events: Working with Principal Urban, this group will plan joint events and coordinate operational details, such as arrival and dismissal procedures.

How to Join

If you are interested in participating in one or both of these groups, please email Jenny and/or Lashawn by March 1st, 2026. Meeting schedules will be established once the committees are finalized.

Thank you for your dedication to supporting a successful transition for our students.

This week , two students were awarded the Principals award! Both have been working so hard both in their classroom and in our broader school community. They were recognized for going above and beyond to give back to others and volunteer for jobs throughout the day. We are so proud!

Among our busy activities from last week, we also welcomed local author Mat Heagerty to the school. Mat is a very local author-- not only has he written several graphic novels, but he's also a parent in our community! Mat talked about being an author, working together in collaboration to create graphic novels, and the steps it takes to create a book on our shelves. He also did a really fun interactive drawing with each class. Thanks, Mat, for coming to our school and sharing your work with our students! What fun!

Here's a photo of him with K / 1 and an image of the collaborative drawing from 2 / 3.

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table

Will Allen is no ordinary farmer. A former basketball star, he’s as tall as his truck, and he can hold a cabbage, or a basketball, in one hand. But what is most special about Farmer Will is that he can see what others can’t see. When he looked at an abandoned city lot he saw a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world. No space, no problem. Poor soil, there’s a solution. Need help, found it. Farmer Will is a genius in solving problems. In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation named him one.

These resources are helpful to learn more about Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s Website

Audio Name Pronunciation

Author’s Interview

Here are some videos of Will Allen:

Will Allen: The Urban Farmer

Urban Farmer Starting His Own Revolution | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

*Please remember, the deadline to apply for a 2026-27 school transfer for your rising K-5th student is March 2, 2026*

The ACSD Board recently revised Board Policy C30, School Assignment and Intra-District Transfer, to offer more flexibility to ACSD families when choosing an elementary school for their child(ren). If you are interested in having your child attend a different K-5 elementary school, please read more about the policy and the application process here. To apply, use this form or visit your school’s front office or the ACSD District Office for a paper application. The application window opened January 30th, and all applications must be received by March 2nd, 2026.