The Howler: December 19, 2025

Dear Ottauquechee School families,

This week, students and staff brought 2025 to a close with kindness and joy. We celebrated this month's Golden Paw winners, who exemplified Awareness, at our pack time assembly this morning. We also heard a beautiful welcome song performance from first grade and saw a skit from 5th graders. We continued the celebrations with a Popcorn Cart traveling through the school. All these special moments are made so much brighter through your participation and support, and we appreciate all you do to take care of all the children in our community every day.

The next Howler will be Friday, January 9, 2026.

Wishing you a safe and warm holiday break,

Amelia Donahey

Principal

1/5/26: Welcome back to school!

1/8: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

1/9: Ski Club & Winter Enrichment

1/19: No School (Teacher Inservice)

1/23: Ski Club & Winter Enrichment

1/28: SPARK! Community Science Night 5:00-6:30

1/30: Super Hero Day; Ski Club & Winter Enrichment

2/5: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

2/6: Ski Club & Winter Enrichment

2/11: All School Celebration

2/16: Late Start Monday: K-5 drop off 9:45-10:00; no school for PreK

2/18: SPARK! Community Science Night 5:00-6:30

2/23-3/3: Extended February Break

3/4: Return to school!

3/5: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

3/9: NAEP Testing (4th Grade)

3/19: Early Release Day 12:45pm (PK-5) for student-led conferences

3/20: No School (student-led conferences); Report Cards Released

3/25: SPARK! Community Science Night 5:00-6:30

3/30: Late Start Monday: K-5 drop off 9:45-10:00; no school for PreK

3/31: Book Character Day

4/2: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

4/13: Late Start Monday: K-5 drop off 9:45-10:00; no school for PreK

4/20-4/24: April Break

4/29: SPARK! Community Science Night 5:00-6:30

5/1: Better World Day

5/7: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

5/18: Late Start Monday: K-5 drop off 9:45-10:00; no school for PreK

5/25: No School (Memorial Day)

5/26: Spring Performance

5/27: SPARK! Community Science Night 5:00-6:30

6/4: PTO Meeting 6pm in the OQS Library

6/11: International Day of Play

When we return to school in January, we begin our Ski Club & Winter Enrichment Program, which runs on four Fridays, 1/9, 1/23, 1/30 and 2/6. We have almost 100 students signed up to ski this year! Skiers who are in the regular groups will need to be picked up at the Quechee Ski Hill at 4:00pm.

For our non-skiers, we offer a variety of other activity choices at school, which run from 1:45-2:45pm on those four Fridays. Students will sign up with their classroom teacher on Wednesday morning, January 7. The options are Board Games, Chess, Outside play, Lego Club, Baking/Cooking, and Movie & coloring.

For families with skiers, please look for additional information coming separately the week after break via email.

The Quechee Library has put several OQS students' framed nature mandalas on display, from now through the new year! Thank you to Ms. Amick and Ms. Morlock for leading this meaningful and beautiful project incorporating our forest classroom.

We are hiring for two positions:

• Paraprofessional (PreK focus)
• Permanent Substitute

Volunteers at OQS make it possible for us to host a wide variety of events -- from field trips to field day and everything in between -- throughout the year. The process for becoming a volunteer is:

1. Complete the online registration form.
2. You will receive an email back from Amelia Donahey confirming receipt and connecting you with Emilie Taylor at the district office.
3. Emilie Taylor will guide you through the background check and fingerprinting process, which is required for most volunteers.
4. If you continuously volunteer (meaning at least one occasion each year), your background check remains valid for 5 years. After 5 years, you will need to complete a new one.
5. At any time, you may contact Cheryl French or Amelia Donahey with any questions.

Many volunteers enjoy the chance to get to know their child's friends and teachers more closely by helping out and participating directly in school events. Thank you in advance for considering taking the next step!

Week 15: Social Emotional Learning

Another key component of the Integrated Curriculum for Vermont Educators (ICVE) is Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional Learning is the process where children and adults develop the essential skills to understand and manage emotions, set positive goals, feel empathy for others, build healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions, fostering success in school, work, and life.

Schools purposefully teach these skills in the classrooms, but families also play a critical role in the Social Emotional Learning of their children.

There are 5 competencies of Social Emotional Learning that build on each other. Below is a quick description of each of those competencies and things you can do at home to help your child(ren) develop these skills. (Click on the links to view the videos for each.)

• Self-Awareness: Recognizing your own emotions, strengths, and values.

• Write in a daily journal

• Practice self affirmations

• Self-Management: Regulating emotions, controlling impulses, and setting goals.

• Have routines, checklists, plans and schedules

• Model for your child how you handle your emotions

• Social Awareness: Understanding others' perspectives and showing empathy.

• Model positive relationships within your life

• Talk about current events and your reaction to them

• Relationship Skills: Communicating clearly, listening, cooperating, and building healthy connections

• Do activities (i.e., games) as a family involving teamwork - how to win, how to lose, how to support, how to lead

• Encourage sports and other group activities

• Responsible Decision-Making: Making constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.

• Establish jobs or chores around the house

• Help children set priorities and goals

• Create space and opportunities to practice making decisions

• Give them choices and trust them

• Continue to model and guide good decisions

During a recent storm, a Town plow driver observed children playing in a snowbank near the roadway. No one was hurt, but it’s an important reminder that snowbanks along roads can be dangerous.

The safety of children is the top priority of Hartford snowplow drivers. Please educate children on the dangers of snow removal and make sure they play safely.

Please remind them to:

• Never build tunnels or snow forts in the snowbanks near the street. The force and weight of the snow coming off the plows can collapse the tunnels or forts and harm the child.
• Keep sleds and toys out of the street and away from the edge of the road. Snowbanks make it difficult for plow drivers to see children playing in these areas. Children should never play near the edge of the road.
• Stay away from the plow. If a plow is on your street, children should stay back at least 20 feet or more from the road. It is best to have children play near the house as the snowplow approaches and stay there until the plow has passed.