Dear OQS Families,

After today, we have 8 school days remaining. This time of year brings a mix of emotions for students and staff alike, from excitement about summer to a twinge of sadness in anticipation of missing friends and familiar routines. It's an important time for a little extra respect, awareness and kindness.

Over the coming days, we have a variety of exciting events. Read on for more information, and look for updates from your child's teacher regarding celebrations and/or trips specific to their grade level.

Remember, the last day of school is Wednesday, June 18, which is also Field Day. It is an early release day for all students, PK-5th grade, dismissing at 12:45pm.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Amelia Donahey

Principal

6/11: International Day of Play

6/16: 5th Grade Celebration 1:30-2:30

6/17: Step Up Day, 2:00pm

6/18: Field Day; Last Day of School for ALL grades; Early Release (12:45pm)

One new event this year is that our last our monthly all-school celebration will coincide with the International Day of Play next Wednesday, June 11.

"Play is one of the most transformative forces of a child's life. It's how children explore and understand the world around them. It's how they articulate their hopes and dreams, learn to communicate and interact with others, express their emotions, and grow into adulthood.... But not all children have the chance to play. Global research shows that 78% of children say adults do not always think playing is important, and 73% of children don't believe adults take play seriously."

At OQS, we aspire to make play a regular and integral part of every child's learning!

Attention, approved OQS volunteers: One of the most anticipated days of the school year is almost here—FIELD DAY! This year's event will take place on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 18th. To make this event a success, we need your help! Please consider signing up for a volunteer slot or donating a watermelon. SIGN UP HERE

Week 33: Wrap Up and Thank You!

On behalf of the District Equity Committee, I’d like to thank you for reading, listening, and watching the stories about the amazing individuals and community that we have in Hartford. We uphold our District’s Anti-Racism and Gender Inclusivity Policies because they directly impact the people in our community.

As a wrap up to our story-themed year, I’d like to share the story of how I came to do equity work in the Hartford School District.

In the summer of 2020, at the height of Black Lives Matters and the murder of George Floyd, I was contemplating what or even if I should be telling my 8 year old about what was happening. I was speaking to a mom friend and asked her if she was sharing any of this news with her own daughter. She said something that I will never forget. “We don’t have a choice. We have to talk to our kids about this.”

Our friends are a mixed race family. The father is a Black man and they also have a son. It’s actually unsafe for them not to talk to their kids about racism and violence towards Black people, especially Black men. In that moment, I realized the privilege I had in being able to choose to talk or not talk about these issues. So, at that moment, I decided that I also did not have the choice not to talk about them. My husband and I made the conscious effort to speak to our child about what was happening and vowed to be allies, which, for me, meant that I also needed to do the same with my colleagues at work.

Although there was resistance about doing this work in my school where I was a math integrationist, what resulted was a year-long deep dive into equity and inclusion with the whole staff. We checked our own biases, learned about gender identity and pronouns, talked about racism, had courageous conversations, challenged each other, and shared stories. Years later, we are expanding this work so that it reaches a greater audience, including here in the Curiosity Corner.

I hope that these small blurbs of information and stories throughout the year have sparked some curiosity for you to learn more, allowed you to consider a different perspective, and/or offered you a chance to experience the joy that diversity, equity, and inclusion can offer! Thanks for being a part of this journey. We’ll be back next year with more opportunities to learn together. Stay curious!

With gratitude,

Julia Lau

HSD Equity Coordinator

“There is no power greater for change than a community discovering what it cares about.” - Margaret Wheatley

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19th, and it is also known as Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, and Jubilee Day. It marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people that they were free, which was two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Watch Frederick Douglass’ descendents recite his speech “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July?” (7 min) to help understand why many consider Juneteenth as the true Independence Day in America.

Want to learn more? HERE is some brief background and short videos about Juneteenth.

Come celebrate Juneteenth with the Hartford Community!

Saturday, June 21st from 2-4 at Lyman Point Park

The Commission on the Future of Public Education is hosting input sessions intended to gather Vermonters' input regarding the education transformation being discussed in the legislature. Participants will be able to share their general thoughts regarding Vermont public education, and specific thoughts about Governance, Funding and Quality. The Commission has stated it is committed to sharing the input it receives with legislators as they finish out the current session - and that the feedback will continue to be important as the Commission moves forward, regardless of the outcome of the session. Your voice is important! The next meeting is Wednesday, June 11th from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Learn to read and read to learn alongside your Vermont Public and PBS KIDS friends. The media in this collection is all about alphabet, alliteration, rhyming, and more! Dive into each sub-collection and discover new ways to explore literacy and media.

Vermont is issuing Summer EBT benefits starting on June 2nd. Most children who are eligible will receive the $120 benefit automatically. Benefits can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and online where EBT cards are accepted.

The Vermont Department for Children and Families will send you a letter if your family will get the benefit automatically. If you already have an EBT card, the benefits will be added to that card. If you need a replacement card, you can call 1-888-354-0012 (Option 7). If you think you qualify, but you do not receive a letter by July 7th, please visit https://summerebt.vermont.gov/ to submit a short application. Summer EBT benefits do not affect your immigration status.

In addition to Summer EBT, children 18 and under can receive free meals at any open summer meal site. All children are invited to get summer meals, even if you do not qualify for Summer EBT. Call 2-1-1 or visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder starting on June 20th to find sites near you.

New this summer, families with EBT cards can visit Vermont State Parks for free! Just show your EBT card at the park entrance and you and your household can enter for free. Visit https://www.vermontparksforever.org/paf-pilot to learn more.

Looking for quality programming for your child this summer? You can find a directory of summer camps in the area, with registration information, here: https://norwichvt.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30011