Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile attribute for October is: PRINCIPLED. Principled means:

• “We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.”

When I talked with students about being principled, I often talk about it as doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. But it is more than that. It includes respecting the rights and dignity of people everywhere. This attribute asks us to not only think about ourselves when we are principled but also do what is right for others.

We are all working on this attribute. I encourage you talk with your child(ren) about what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like when you are principled and see what they think it looks, sounds, and feels like to them. Give them an example when you were principled, or when it was really hard to be principled and what you did. They learn so much from you in these conversations.

Thanks for being part of the learning conversation and a connection to school!

💙, Jen

Saturday 10/5 - 9-11am - Fall Green Up, Clean Up around Mary Hogan

Tuesday 10/8 - Fire Safety Day

Wednesday 10/9 - 12.35pm Early Release Dismissal K-5, Preschool dismissal at 11.30am

Thursday 10/10 & Friday 10/11 - No School - Fall Break

Wednesday 10/16 - Picture Retake Day

Thursday 10/17 - 3rd Grade to Dead Creek Wildlife Refuge

• 6.30pm, MESA Meeting

In art class, students have been working hard to practice routines and take care of themselves, others, and the space. This sets us up for success when creating amazing artwork and exploring new materials this year!

Here are some highlights of the last few weeks in art:

4th and 5th-grade students created cyanotypes (sun-prints) by arranging a composition using natural and man-made objects. Be on the lookout as they learn to use iPads to upload digital art portfolios on Toddle! 2nd and 3rd-grade students experimented with different collage techniques, including overlapping shapes and trying different paper cutting tools. Students in 1st grade practiced being observers by drawing objects. Kindergarteners used primary colors and white to mix different colors with model magic!

We had our first Day of Caring this school year and there were post-it notes around school with positive messages. They were amazing to read and many were taken and held onto by students. Check out the notes throughout the newsletter.

We are in the process of a self-study to continue with our accreditation as an IB World District (for Mary Hogan a Primary Years Program World School). We are doing this with a group from NEASC and IB, using a process described HERE.

Last spring, the NEASC/IB team visited ACSD schools in order to ensure that our District has the foundational infrastructure needed to operate. They focused on 5 standards:

• Learning Structure; Organizational Structure; Health, Safety, and Security; Finance, Facilities, and Resources; and Ethical Practice.

The visiting team included administrators from as close as Rutland and as far away as the Hague (Netherlands). They determined that we are ready to move on to our year-long self-study process, which involves a deep focus on student learning.

Between October 2024 and October 2025, the NEAC/IB team will come to all ACSD schools twice, both times visiting learning spaces and meeting with community members, including administrators, teachers, families, and students.

• The visiting team will visit Mary Hogan on Monday 10/7. A group of 5th graders will be giving the team a tour, and then some students will meet with the team to talk about learning at Mary Hogan.
• The visiting team will train administrators and coordinators on Thursday 10/10 to lead the District through the self study process. As a District, we will reflect on our strengths and areas for growth as they relate to student learning and evidence of impact.
• The team will then return again in October 2025 to learn about our year of reflection and – hopefully – to re-accreditate us as a NEASC/IB World District.

Students were helping make Mary Hogan extra awesome this week. From the bus evacuation and lunch clean up to Walk and Roll Day, students were being leaders and helping make sure that everything at school ran smoothly. Way to be swift, smart, and strong, Hawks!

It has been a busy month in P.E.! Our Kindergarten classes have been working on rolling a ball with accuracy, and learning how to safely play tag. Students in first and second grade have been working on turning and jumping long and short ropes and building confidence in gymnastics and tumbling. Students in third through fifth grade have been developing foot skills in soccer and playing low level competitive soccer type games. They have also been exploring tumbling routines that include jumping, balances and travels such as rolls and cartwheels. We also continue to address important social emotional skills like sportsmanship, teamwork and caring for others.

Please help your student stay safe and be prepared for P.E. by sending a pair of sneakers on P.E. days.

We love connecting with the community and we were excited to welcome 2 community partners to Mary Hogan this week.

• We will host student interns from the Human Services program at the Hannaford Center this semester in over 10 classes. They will come 2 times a week and learn a lot about being in elementary school. We can't wait to have them join us!
• David Radcliffe, from the New Community Project, came to talk with 5th graders about how he and the organization are effecting positive change for people around the world. This is a springboard to help students think about their Exhibition in the spring.

In addition to our phone/email communication, ACSD has a text messaging system. Families must opt-in to receive texts. ACSD will only use text messaging for short, time-sensitive messages (like early dismissal and snow days). Your school may also text you for important school updates. We will tested this service on Thursday Sept 19th after the school day.

To receive texts, you must opt-in. If you think you signed up to receive text messages but did not receive one last Friday around 4pm, please contact your school to make sure your wireless phone number is in our student database. If you want to receive text messages you can sign up by Texting “yes” to 67587. You will get a reply confirming your registration. (If you ever want to stop receiving texts, just text STOP.) The district and school will only use text messages for important, time sensitive communication.

Due to growing instances of phishing scams and concern for potential hacks of our computer networks, we will be removing all staff email addresses from our website directory. This change comes at the direction of our Technology Dept and we join many K-12 schools, colleges, and businesses in making this change. Staff phone numbers will still be available in our staff directory. You may also request a teacher’s email by phone or by calling our front office 802.382.1412. Thank you for your understanding as we balance family communication needs with tech privacy and safety.

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

ACSD 5th grade boys and girls interested in working on their basketball skills and playing more games, we have a great opportunity for you. Mini-metro basketball has been around for more than 30 years. Come try out for the 5th/6th grade Tiger teams! We have both boys and girls teams. Games are every Sunday starting the first week of November. We will have one or two practices a week throughout October in Middlebury. Practices during the school/rec basketball season will be once per week, and will not conflict with school or Rec practice schedules. We work on fostering a positive environment and focus on skill and team development.

Tryouts will be on October 5th at the MUHS gym as follows:

5/6 Boys 2:30 PM – 4 PM

5/6 Girls 5 PM – 6 PM

The Middlebury Basketball Association provides uniforms free of charge. Registration fees will be ~$75 per athlete. Players will need to travel for some games, we will also host games in Middlebury at the Town gym. Parents will be asked to commit to volunteer for a minimum of two 1 hour shifts during the season on a Sunday when the games are hosted in Middlebury.

For more information please email info@middhoops.com.

Dive into a season of swimming, personal growth, and fun with the Addison Otters Swim Team. We have five practice levels to serve youth swimmers of all ages (minimum skills are required to join the team). Our practices start on 11/1/24 and the season runs until 3/9/25. Practices are held at the Mt. Abe high school pool from 4:00-6:00 each weekday (check out our website to see the schedule for each practice group)

Join us for a free practice session or swim test: If you are curious about competitive swimming and want to try it out, we are offering some free practice sessions. Sessions are scheduled for 10/1, 10/4 and 10/8 from 4-4:45pm. Email us at aostcoaches@gmail.com to reserve a spot or to ask about additional dates.

We have an informational meeting scheduled for 10/3 from 6:30-8:00 at the Mt. Abe high school cafeteria. All are welcome to attend to meet our coaches and learn more about the team.

For additional details, or to register for our winter season, please visit http://www.addisonotters.com or email us at aostcoaches@gmail.com. We can't wait to see you at the pool!