UES Swoop Scoop
September 5, 2023
Teacher Collaboration at UES
At UES, teams of teachers meet weekly, to discuss and plan for how we are guaranteeing that all students become proficient in the named priority standards at each grade level and what happens along the way. For example, is the data showing that they need extra time and support (intervention)? If so, which member of the team will be responsible? Is the data showing the student has already mastered the skill (enrichment)? If so, what are we as a team doing to help the student dive deeper into the concept?
During these meetings, teams of teachers look at student data across a grade level and share instructional practices. They are continually learning from one another and sharing both challenges and successes in order to improve upon their own practices. While our teachers are in these Extended Collaborative Team Meetings one morning a week, learners are spending additional time with our Essential Arts teachers. During each grade levels' Extending Morning Meeting time, learners are building further connections and having additional Recess time outdoors followed by a Morning Meeting in their classroom. We are so fortunate to have the team of teachers we have a UES, working together to ensure we have time built into our days to analyze student data and discuss effective instructional practices on a regular and on-going basis.
Pictured here: Grade 3 teachers discussing how they have been teaching elaboration to their 3rd grade writers and sharing resources.
Welcome to Art Mrs. Winters
We are excited to officially announce that Emily Winters will be teaching Art at UES for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year, while Ms. Kristina is on leave. Emily is a veteran staff member at UES and most recently a grade 1 classroom teacher. Emily is excited to pursue a long time professional goal, reconnect with many of her former students in the Art room, and to share her passion for Art with all of our UES students!
MRPS Lip Sync Update!
Students, families and members of our community are very excited for January 19th! We have over 140 students and their supporters performing this year! Interest was high and forms came back quickly. The Lip Sync was filled by November 30th with excellent acts to see!
We are full for performance groups and look forward to sharing this night with everyone. If your child has not yet brought in a form, and they are in an already signed up in an existing group, please send the form in. We are unable to add new groups at this time.
See you all on January 19th!
News From Nurse Megan
If your child becomes sick after school hours or on the weekends, please call your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider. Someone on call can walk you through the next steps. If your child has MILD symptoms, they may come to school. I do recommend that you test them for Covid with symptoms. Antigen kits come with 2 tests and are meant to give one right away and then the next antigen test, given 24 hours later.
UES Students should not come to school with cough drops, lozenges or hard candies. These are a choking hazard and make it really challenging to manage during the school day. We encourage you to send in a water bottle to help quiet a minor cough or sooth a mild sore throat.
For moderate to severe symptoms, please keep your child home until they are feeling better and are ready to learn. If a child develops a fever of 100.4 or more or is vomiting, please keep them home until these symptoms are gone for a full 24 hours without using fever reducing medication before having them return to school.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have and I’ll get back to you during school hours. I look forward to working with you to support your children’s health care needs.
2023 Holiday Resources for MRPS Families
Toys for Tots: You can request holiday support or donate money / toys here: https://montpelier-vt.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=0&nPreviewInd=0&nRedirectInd=3
If you need further information, call Danny or Angie at (802) 495-8842.
USPS Operation Santa: You can request support for the holidays for your own family (Must be postmarked by December 11th), or volunteer to support another family (Must be completed by December 18th).
https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com/
Salvation Army: For Christmas / Winter holidays: Food boxes are available. Toys sign ups are available. Call (802-476-5301) or use Facebook Messenger (The Salvation Army Barre, VT Corps) to contact them to set up an appointment to access these resources.
Just Basics, Inc. (Montpelier Food Bank): Located in the back of the City Center at 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT. Enter from the East State Street alleyway (just right of the parking garage entrance). The Montpelier Food Pantry provides a variety of nutritious, often local, fresh foods to individuals and families in the greater Montpelier area. The Food Pantry is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 10am-12pm.
Request Food Online (for in-person pickup): http://orders.justbasicsvt.org/ Please place your online order before 9am on your pick-up day.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Dylan Fishman, Dylan@justbasicsvt.org
MRPS Pie Support
Every year, the MRPS PIE community raises money to directly support families in the Montpelier Roxbury School District. This is a meaningful way for neighbors to support neighbors and to share the love during the cold days ahead.
Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 by December 8th! If you can help, please donate here. And consider sharing this page - on social media, email, or any way you can! You might share with friends and family who live out of state, as our community has been supporting one another throughout the flood recovery, and while the need is greater, the resources may be depleting.
District Updates
Please check out these important updates from the district that include information about and calls for caregiver participation in the:
2024-2025 school budget: Learn more about this years budget pressures and attend the next school board meeting happening Wednesday, 12/6
Future of MRPS Facilities: Attend the community workshop happening Tuesday, 12/5 (please RSVP!) and watch a video from the first workshop that happened on 11/14
District Caregiver Council: Learn more about the Council and consider joining. The next meeting is happening Thursday, 12/21
Next MRPS School Board Meeting
The MRPS Board of School Directors is meeting Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 6:30pm at MHS. Everyone is welcome to attend. Find the meeting agenda, minutes from past meetings, information about the work of the various School Board Committees, and more by visiting www.mrpsvt.org/school-board