Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

We continue to gear up for an awesome year at Mary Hogan. This week at school included:

• Small teams of teachers met to consider how to increase student movement, collaboration, and joy in classes,
• The Kindergarten team met to finalize details for Kindercamp,
• Teachers from across ACSD were at Mary Hogan to learn more about multiplicative reasoning,
• Ms. Hartman posted student art up all around school,
• The custodians finished cleaning and waxing floors, and
• Construction began on 2 storm water management projects to reduce our run off into Barnes Brook.

All of these projects - from academic planning to infrastructure - help create a school that is welcoming, joyful, engaging, and values each person.

Best,

Jen

Come visit Tuesday 8/26 from 9-10am, the day before school starts, so you will be able to see your child(ren)’s classroom(s) and meet their teacher(s). We hope to see you all there! It is just awesome for us to see students this day and it helps them get ready for the first day of school.

We will have our school picture day on Tuesday 9/16. Teachers will send home picture order information in early September, so be sure to check your child's backpack.

We are excited to welcome you on Thursday 9/18 from 6-7pm back to school. Come see your child's classroom after they have been at school for a few weeks. See what they have been up to. Chat with their teacher. Meet and see other classmates and families as we welcome you all and have some fun together!

We began storm water mitigation work on Thursday 8/14 between Hawk Zone and The Nest (small playground out back). Large dump trucks and backhoes got the site prepared for a large tank that arrived today. Thank you so much for staying away from Hawk Zone today to keep you and the worker safe!

On Monday, they will begin work on another tank that will be installed between the parking lot and swings. Feel free to come watch from a distance.

Here are some photos of the work happening.

The Mary Hogan Summer Program ran Monday-Wednesday during July and we had quite 35 students particating. Here are just a few things each group worked on during the program.

• 2nd graders practiced their collaboration skills through math and literacy games as well learning and practicing working through big feelings. This group also worked and explored nature by planting sunflowers and basil.
• 3rd graders started by exploring nature and how they can protect their environment. They used teamwork skills to build a tower made out of marshmallows and spaghetti with a partner, practiced their social skills when working in groups to play and solve problems peacefully, and practiced their math skills and telling time.
• 4th and 5th graders challenged themselves in different activities such as building boats out of tin foil to see how many pennies they could hold and by building their own solar ovens to cook smores.
• Each student asked questions to wonder about the world around them, practiced their communication skills while working in groups, and persevered through challenges when things got tough.

It was awesome to see so many of our students during the summer and to see them learn and grow over the month. Way to be swift, smart, and strong, Hawks!

Coming back to school has students feeling a wide range of emotions - from excitement to nervousness. Let your child know that all of these feelings are normal and okay by reading together. We read picture books with kids of all grades because they help students visualize in addition to just read the words. They also help students see the multiple messages in the story - beyond just the words.

Consider reading some of these books with your child as they head back to school:

• Mo Willems - The Pigeon HAS to Go to School
• Willow Evans & Tom Knight - My School Unicorn (Readaloud Link)
• Kate Berube - Mae's First Day of School (Readaloud Link)

I will include a few more next week to read!

Arrival and dismissal from Mary Hogan are times of heavy traffic. Parents last year came up with great ideas for how to beat the traffic at these times. Here are some of their tips:

• Walk or bike to school if you live in town, even if you are on a bus route. It is good to be outside and moving in the morning.
• Park at the Memorial Sports Center instead of driving through Mary Hogan Drive.
• Carpool with neighbors.
• Park your car in the Mary Hogan north lot and walk with the student from there.
• Do your grocery shopping at Shaws, the Coop, or Kinney Drugs at the same time as arrival or dismissal so you can park in their lots and walk over.

Mary Hogan has amazingly delicious and healthy meals each day. In 2025-26, all students qualify for free breakfast and lunch through a Vermont state law. We are SO lucky!

Please fill out this form to help us qualify for additional federal funding for more than 4 positions and family events, even though there is no charge for meals. The form is confidential and can be completed online or on paper. YOU will need to choose "Middlebury ID #4", as that is our official name with the state.

We really hope that all families will complete this form to help our school.

Bus routes are finalized! You can find the Middlebury routes and times HERE. You can also find them on the ACSD Website >Families>Bus Routes.

Please note that we expect that all students in Kindergarten and 1st grade will have an adult meeting them as they get off the bus or they will get off with an older sibling.

We sent out class directories with student and parent/guardian names and contact information prior to school ending. These will be updated in early September and sent home. If you do not want some of your information included, please send an email to Jill Laberge - jlaberge@acsdvt.org.

Arrival: 8-8.10am

• Early Breakfast Arrival: 7.50-8am in the South Gym (by the front entrance)

Entering in the morning depends on your grade.

• Kindergarten - Front entrance
• 1st and 2nd grade - End of C wing by Hawk Zone
• 3rd grade - End of A wing by swings
• 4th and 5th grades - South Gym

Dismissal: 2.55-3pm

• Classes will walk out together to the pick up area.
• At 3, the teacher will walk the bussers to the bus.
• If you are picking up your child, please meet the class by their class's sign along the sidewalk by the parking lot. We ask that you not try to meet your child elsewhere (like by Hawk Zone or The Nest).

Arrival: 8-8.10am

• Early Breakfast Arrival: 7.50-8am in the South Gym (by the front entrance) - All students are welcome to come!

Entering in the morning depends on your grade.

• Kindergarten - Front entrance
• 1st and 2nd grade - End of C wing by Hawk Zone
• 3rd grade - End of A wing by swings
• 4th and 5th grades - South Gym

Dismissal: 2.55-3pm

• Classes will walk out together to the pick up area.
• At 3, the teacher will walk the bussers to the bus.
• If you are picking up your child, please meet the class by their class's sign along the sidewalk by the parking lot. We ask that you not try to meet your child elsewhere (like by Hawk Zone or The Nest).

All classes go outside more than once a day. However, everyone has a lunch and lunch recess. Here are those times:

• Preschool - depends on if it is an adventure day or not. More from your child's teacher
• Kindergarten - Lunch 11-11.30, Recess 11.30-12
• 1st Grade - Lunch 11.15-11.45, Recess 11.45-12.15
• 2nd Grade - Lunch 11.30-12, Recess 12-12.30
• 3rd Grade - Lunch 12-12.30, Recess 12.30-1
• 4th Grade - Lunch 12.15-12.45, Recess 12.45-1.15
• 5th Grade - Lunch 12.30-1, Recess 1-1.30

We believe that every child is full of potential, promise, and possibility. As we begin our school year, we want to share how deeply we care about having your child in our school, each and every day.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.

• Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.

• Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.

• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.

WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS?

• Set a regular bed time and morning routine.

• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

• Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

Be on the look out throughout the school year for more tips!

Mary Hogan will provide all of the school supplies (markers, pencils, paper, etc.) that your child needs this year.

Please pack for your child each day in their back pack:

• Water bottle
• Snack
• Sneakers for PE
• An extra set of clothes (including socks and underwear) - this can be left in a child's cubby or classroom once school gets started

If you have trouble getting any of these, please reach out to us!

Want to know more about the Volunteer Process? Check out more information HERE.