Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Update from Principal Jen Kravitz
December 19, 2025
Dear Mary Hogan Families,
It has been a week of weather changes and unexpected flavor and learning at Mary Hogan. Students were hard at work this week writing, exploring, thinking, and communicating. They were awesome.
The students have been reveling in the winter weather with sledding and snow sculptures, so the warm up over the past 2 days and rain today definitely dampened some spirits. While not all of us love the winter and snow, nearly all students do. Let's hope for more snow in the coming weeks since it makes recess SO MUCH more fun.
💙,
Jen
Mark Your Calendar
Monday 12/15 - MESA December Teacher/Staff Appreciation - Cookie Swap - Sign up here to help
Tuesday 12/23 - Comfy Cozy Day!
Wednesday 12/24 - Start of Dec. Break
Sunday 1/4 - End of Break - see you tomorrow!
School Announcements
Arrival Times and Routines
If you drop off your child at school prior to 8, they should plan to come to the South Gym and go in for Early Breakfast.
Some students have been going to their entry doors or playing on Hawk Zone before school when they arrive early. We do not have any staff covering outside before school, so for safety please have them come in for Early Breakfast. All are welcome!
December Library Challenge
The December Reading Challenge is to read a whole chapter book from a series! It should be a book you have never read before! We are hoping students will be open-minded and try a new series!
Vermont Car Seat and Seating Rules
2-5 years old: Children over age two, but under age five, must be properly secured in a federally approved rear-facing or forward-facing car seat with a harness.
5-8 years old: Children under age eight who are not properly secured in a harnessed car seat must be properly secured in a booster seat.
8+ years old: Children under age 13 must, if practical, ride in the back seat.
Always buckle up to stay safe and set a good example. Always check your vehicle and car seat manufacturers’ instructions to be sure your child’s seat is installed and used correctly
HERE is full page information.
Look How Busy We Have Been!
Pickles!🥒🥒
Mrs. Schondube's class all love pickles and this week they made some of their own quick pickles. They carefully sliced the cucumbers and the assembled their Mason jars of ingredients and put them in the fridge for a few days. They pulled out the quick pickles (or quickles) today and tried them out - and 60% liked them. I suspect they will make more and try different ratios of ingredients. What a fun and yummy way to celebrate community!
Building Letters
Students in Mrs. M's preschool class were working on their letters. They did a number of different activities, from identifying the letter they pulled to building the letters with wooden pieces. The students were supportive of one another, patient, and helped each other when it was needed. Good work, preschool!
Mapping Our Community
The first graders are thinking about how we map our community - and the infrastructure we need to make our community work well. They are working with a partner to build a map of their imagined towns - with buildings, roads, and more. It is so interesting to talk with them about why their roads are where they are and how the community gets together. This is inquiry at its best!
Artist Statements
When you see your child's artwork at home, you don't always see or hear about the process that went into the art's creation. Ms. Hartman has been working with all students to think about and explain their choices in how they made their art. Here is just one example from 3rd grade recently. The student made a woven piece and then explained what it meant to them.
Number Lines
Check out the image to the right to see how one student used the number line to show how much time it was between 7.19am and 4.16pm.
Awesome Community Opportunities
FRIDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY SUPPER
The FRIDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY SUPPER is held at The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC. Families are welcome to come for a free, hot meal from 4:45-5:45 every Friday in Fellowship Hall (accessible from Seymour Street). Friday Night Community Supper offers a space where everyone is welcome. Come by for a delicious meal. Bring a friend. Bring the family. We hope to see you soon.
The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC
2 Main Street, Middlebury
802-388-7634
MESA Message
UVM Hockey and Basketball Tickets
MESA has partnered with UVM Athletics again this year to sell tickets to select hockey and basketball games. A portion of the ticket sales goes to MESA.
Men's Basketball 12/20 2pm vs Iona
Men's Hockey 1/10 7pm vs Northeastern
Women's Basketball 1/24 2pm vs Bryant
Women's Hockey 1/31 1pm vs Providence
Please use this link to purchase tickets: https://uvmathletics.evenue.net/promotions/MESAMHS
MESA Meetings
Due to some feedback about our meeting day/time, we decided to change our upcoming meetings to allow for more people to participate. We welcome you all to join us in the Mary Hogan Library.
Jan 8 - 6pm
March 12 - 6pm
May 14 - 6pm
Here are the minutes from November's meeting: November Minutes
Please check out our website: Middlebury Elementary School Association to see what MESA does at Mary Hogan and how we use the money that we raise from events and donations.
For any questions or if you want more information about how to get involved with MESA, please contact us at mesa@acsdvt.org
ACSD Announcements
ACSD Wellness Working Group - Looking for members!
The charge of the Wellness Policy Working Group is to monitor, support, and evaluate the implementation of Addison Central School District’s local wellness policy (C9). The working group will assess the policy’s impact on student health, nutrition, and overall well-being, ensuring alignment with state and federal requirements as well as district priorities. The group will provide recommendations for policy adjustments and implementation strategies to ensure that the district fosters environments that promote healthy lifestyles and student success. We welcome students, staff, families, and community members who are passionate about wellness to join our group. Please reach out to Dr. Sonya Oefelein at soefelein@acsdvt.org for more information or to join our next meeting.
Helpful Resources
Sign up here to volunteer at Mary Hogan!
We are so grateful to our family and community volunteers! If you plan to volunteer for an event or activity this year, now is a great time to apply or make sure your paperwork is up-to-date!
- Learn more about the volunteer process here.
- Check in with your front office if you've volunteered in the past to make your paperwork is up to date.
- Fill out this form if you've never volunteered before and plan to this year.
Want to know more about the Volunteer Process? Check out more information HERE.