Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

This was a week filled with joy, community, fun, and reading! We kicked off the Readathon in style with a week packed with events - from Literacy Night and to after school book clubs. We had an epic Early Release Day with hot cocoa at Walk and Roll, singing and learning at All School Meeting, and community fun and LOTS of book characters. We welcomed 2 therapy dogs to school to read with kids. And, this was just the first week of the Readathon! Keep on reading, send in those logs on Friday, and stay awesome, Mary Hogan!

💙, Jen

Monday 2/9 - Liza Woodruff author visit with grades K, 1, and 2

• 3-4.15 - After School “Book and Craft” with Ms. Liz, Katherine - Sign up required

Tuesday 2/10 -

• 3-4.15 - After School Poetry Writing Workshop with Ted Scheu - grades 3-5.Sign-up required.

Wednesday 2/11 -Author Ted Scheu visits Preschool students

• Sinopoli, Buchanan, Burke, Leavitt go skating
• 3-4.15 - Nonfiction Comics Workshop with Elisa Järnefelt- grades 2-5. Sign up required.

Thursday 2/12 - Preschool, Corrigan, Payne, Conklin go skating

• 3-4.15 - After School Book Club with Ms. Tricia. Grade 5. (sign up required)

Friday 2/13 - Turn in reading logs

• Author visit wiht Mat Heagerty for grades 3-5)
• 3-4.15 - After School “Book and Craft” with Ms. Payne (Grade 3). Sign up required.

⭐ Feb. 12-15th Mary Hogan Benefit Sale at The Vermont Book Shop. Mention the word “Hawks” and 20% of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to the Read-A-Thon. You can also shop online and mention the word “Hawks” at checkout with your order! The online promotion coupon is "Hawks26"

Each year we get questions about how the school celebrates Valentine’s Day.

Although we do not celebrate or decorate for particular holidays in school, we do weave holidays into our classroom learning. This means a class may talk about the principles behind the holiday or learn about the history, tradition, or cultures that led to the holiday. For example, this month a class may talk about how Valentine’s day is a time when we demonstrate how we care for others.

We ask that families do not send in any candy or cards from home. While this can be a great way to show you care about friends outside of school, it can also cause conflict and hurt feelings in school.

Thank you for partnership and support of our continued focus on learning, perspective taking, reflection, and caring.

Carrots are the February Harvest of the Month. We all love carrots, but this is a way to help you grow your own carrot from the Vermont Harvest of the Month organization.

Think you can regrow a carrot using a carrot top? Why not try it then?

What you need:

• Carrot top
• Cup or jar

What to do:

• Place a couple of carrot tops cut side down in a cup or jar with a very small amount of water so it just covers the bottom.
• This experiment takes time! Check your carrot head every day and add a little water when it dries up.
• You should start to see your carrot top growing fresh greenery and roots within a week or two. If your carrot starts to look gross, dark, rotten and moldy, throw it out, wash your hands. and try again!

2nd graders were our lead risk takers in our All School Meeting on Wednesday. They shared advice with us about how to take risks and why. They also modeled what it meant to take a risk: they sang for all of us a song they learned just for this All School Meeting called "Kiss the Sky".

One message that was clear from the 2nd graders is that they were nervous but they practiced, and practiced and practiced and so when they finally got up there they were still nervous but it was a good nervous. All that practice helped them take the risks they did to share and sing. They were so impressive. Bravo!

You can see their whole presentation HERE (and in photos below!).

While it feels cold, we are creeping up on maple sugaring season. Maple syrup is also the March Harvest of the Month. To kick start our maple celebrations, we had some special guests at all school meeting on Wednesday. Pete Brakeley, Megan Brakeley and helpers introduced us to the sugaring process and its 5 stages:

1. Tap
2. Gather
3. Boil
4. Filter & Can
5. Eat!

We got to see some of the equipment for sugaring - from taps and drills to wood and filters!

We also reviewed the steps with a "Coach Pete's Sugaring Song". You can sing it at home with your family. It is super fun!

Winter Walk and Roll was on a beautiful Wednesday and wasn't too cold, so it was easier to walk or roll. There were lots of students who carpooled or walked to school - and students rode the bus. Students who participated in Walk and Roll ended up with a sweet treat - hot cocoa - as a reward for their efforts. Way to go, Hawks!

Students and staff alike had a great Book Character Dress Up day! People found book characters that they wanted to show off to their peers. And all of 2nd grade was the dot in Peter Reynold's book The Dot, which left us all seeing spots! From characters in books students wrote to classics, it was a great day - with most photos getting shared at the Readathon closing event.

We were delighted to have Stella and Cali (and their humans - Sarah and Erica!) come visit us at Mary Hogan. Students were thrilled by the therapy dogs and had a great time connecting with them - and reading. We are so grateful and fingers crossed will see them again this month!

We had fun with SO many of you (285 all together!) on Thursday night at our Literacy Night. Not only did folks enjoy a delicious dinner, but they had fun reading, learing, making books, telling stories, and singing songs together. Many thanks to Steve and Kathleen for serving up a delicious dinner, to our 5th grade and volunteer helpers in the kitchen, to Miss Julie and Mrs. Broughton for organizing, and all the teachers and volunteers who helped make the night a success!

A few reminders about Readathon Logs- If your child is home sick or misses school on a Friday, caregivers can email a picture of the reading log to the classroom teacher or jaltemose@acsdvt.org. It is also okay to hand them in late once they have returned to school!

Literacy Games can be borrowed from the library just like a book. They should be returned in two weeks. Please be careful to keep all pieces together so that other families can enjoy the game after yours!

On Friday, the whole school stopped for 15 minutes to read. Some students read together and some read alone. Some teachers read to classes. We all were reading! Check out PE (left), who stopped the parachute and heard a great book! It was a great time to have all over 350 of us reading together!

After our All School Meeting on Wednesday, buddy classrooms celebrated Dot Day (a day of taking risks) together by painting the snow, making art, and getting out and sledding!

MESA will once again run the concessions booth at both the boys and girls 5/6th grade tournaments at the Middlebury Rec Center. This has become our second biggest fundraiser (after the RAT). All of the proceeds go back to Mary Hogan to fund field trips and educational experiences for our students. We also use the money to fund teacher appreciation events and to host other events like Field Day, the end of year Dance Party and Mini Golf.

We are looking for food donations and for volunteers to run the booth. Please see the two sign up geniuses below. New this year, we also have an Amazon wish list created for concession booth items that you can purchase online (Amazon Wish List).

Girls Tourney (2/7-2/8): Girls Sign Up

If you would rather donate cash, you can donate via Venmo: venmo.com/MESAMaryHoganSchool

Girls on the Run coaches needed at Mary Hogan School! Empower the next generation of bold, confident girls by coaching with Girls on the Run Vermont! Coaches are needed at [insert site name here]! With a focus on life skills, goal-setting and physical activity, Girls on the Run Vermont's programs equip girls with the tools to thrive. The research-based lessons and activities help girls build the confidence to boldly share what’s in their hearts and help others use their voices, too. By volunteering to coach a team, you’ll create a supportive space where girls can speak up and use their voices like never before!

Not a runner? Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support for a transformational season. The season begins the week of March 16, 2026 and ends with a celebratory 5K in Essex on Saturday, May 30th. Over the 10 week season, teams meet twice weekly for 90 minute sessions to connect, move, learn and have FUN!

Visit gotrvt.org/coach to learn more about coaching or sign up to volunteer. Visit gotrvt.org/programs to learn more about GOTR and to complete the Participant Interest Form. Have further questions? Contact GOTRVT at stephanie@girlsontherunvermont.org or 802-871-5664.

The ACSD Board recently revised Board Policy C30, School Assignment and Intra-District Transfer, to offer more flexibility to ACSD families when choosing an elementary school for their child(ren). If you are interested in having your child attend a different K-5 elementary school, please read more about the policy and the application process here. To apply, use this form or visit your school’s front office or the ACSD District Office for a paper application. The application window opened January 30th, and all applications must be received by March 2nd, 2026.

• There will be a second information session to learn more, ask questions, and get support filling out the application: Weds, February 18: 8:30-9:30am: at the Superintendent's Office (49 Charles Ave, Middlebury)

• Schools have scheduled open houses for all interested families.

• Tues, Feb 10, 5:30-6:30: Mary Hogan

• Thurs, Feb 12, 5:30-6:30: Salisbury Community

• Mon, Feb 16, 5:30-6:30: Cornwall Elementary

• Tues, Feb 17, 5:30-6:30: Bridport Elementary

• Weds, Feb 18 5:30-6:30: Weybridge Elementary

Do you have young children birth to 5? We are expanding our early childhood offerings and want to hear from you! Share your hopes, needs, and ideas for building strong childhood care and education for our community. Find the survey link here. Survey is open 2/6-2/20.

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.