Thank you to all the parents, families, and community members who were able to attend our Spring concert yesterday. The students, under the great direction of Mr. Mike and Mr. Foote, performed wonderfully in front of a packed house!

Last Thursday night at Walden had such an amazing, positive, community feel to it and the students were able to proudly show off their writing pieces (and cooking!) that they had worked so hard on. Thank you to all the parents, families, and community members who came out to share this night with us!

This time of year, when the snow is gone and the temperatures begin to rise, the ticks start coming out. Be on the lookout for the "Ticks and the Diseases They Spread in Vermont" pamphlet that will be coming home with students this week. Pages 8 and 9 talk about how to prevent tick bites and how to complete a tick check, you can also find this information linked below. Please check your student for ticks everyday.

We also need to start thinking about sun safety. Help protect your child from the sun by remembering to:

• Apply a thick layer of broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, even on cloudy or overcast days. Sunscreen works best when used with shade or clothes. Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off. (VDH, 2023 linked below)

You are welcome to send in bug/tick repellent or sunscreen for your student to use. Be sure that the repellent and/or sunscreen is labeled with your child's name. As a reminder, in school in Vermont, we need parent permission to apply bug spray or sunscreen. We (teachers/nurse) can only assist students in applying bug spray or sunscreen if you signed the consent at the beginning of the school year (on the annual health forms).

Some students in grades 3-8 have started ,and other will soon be taking, the new VTCAP State Assessment. The testing window is from April 12th - May 26th and the classes have scheduled their times to take the test with times designated for make-ups. This is the first year for the new VTCAP assessment, which is similar to the old Smarter Balanced (SBAC) assessment that was given in the past. It is very important for students to be present on testing days.

*Here's eight simple tips for parents to help your student perform his or her best on testing days.

1. Prioritize attendance and homework.

2. Communicate with teachers.

3. Talk to your child about test taking.

4. Offer positive reinforcement.

5. Support healthy habits.

6. Give your child a study space.

7. Keep testing in perspective.

8. Debrief after the tests.

*Source: Edmentum (https://blog.edmentum.com/8-tips-help-your-child-prepare-high-stakes-tests)

• During pick up time, please make sure that there is a lane open through the middle so that anyone picking up can drive through and exit after their student comes out. Please don't wait for your student in that middle lane so that traffic can keep moving.

Thank you so much for helping our dismissal to run smoothly!

April 24th-28th: Spring Break (no school)

May 8th: 8th grade Northwoods Experience Field Trip

May 8th: CCSD Board meeting 6pm @ Walden School

May 19th: Early release, afternoon PD for faculty and staff

2022-2023 Walden Family Handbook can be located at https://walden.ccsuvt.net/ under the Community Resources tab.

Email: anthony.fontana@ccsuvt.net
Website: https://walden.ccsuvt.net/
Location: 135 Cahoon Farm Road, West Danville, VT, USA
Phone: (802)563-3000