Dear OQS Families,

I hope you all had a restful weekend and enjoyed an extra day off in observance of Indigenous People's Day. Remember that tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15, is our second Early Release Day of the year. There is no school for PreK, and K-5 students dismiss at 12:45.

For the rest of October, we will be keeping an eye out for all our character strengths, with a special emphasis on Joy!

Best,

Amelia Donahey

Principal

10/15: Early Release Day, release at 12:45pm (No school for Pre-K)

10/30: Community Science Night -- pizza & family "dens" 5-5:30; science 5:30-6:30

10/31: All School Celebration -- Pajama Day

11/1: First Day of American Indian Heritage Month

11/4: Early Release Day (12:45) for Student-Led Conferences (No school for Pre-K)

11/5: No School - Student Led Conferences (also Election Day)

11/7: Picture Retake day; PTO Meeting, 6pm in the library

11/11: Veterans Day -- No School

11/15: Community Conversation - Cookies with the Principal, 2-2:40pm

Dear OQS Family,

In Pre-K through 5th grades, I am using the Committee for Children’s Second Step: Bullying Prevention program during class counsel lessons. Second Step teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe and supportive place where everyone can learn. We will be starting the Second Step program on Child Protection in November. Act One in Vermont requires schools to teach children how to recognize child sexual abuse and what to do about it if it occurs. The Child Protection unit covers three types of skills:

• Personal Safety- Students will learn important safety rules, such as safety with guns, sharp tools, and fire, and when riding on wheels or in cars. They will also learn ways to help them decide if something is safe or not.
• Touching Safety-Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and rules about touching private body parts. They’ll also learn to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches, and to tell an adult if someone breaks rules about touching private body parts. This curriculum highlights using correct anatomical names for private parts, which we will name in two of the lessons. Research has proven that using the correct terms is essential in disclosure of abuse.
• Assertiveness-These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.

We will also have guest speakers coming from WISE throughout November. Please see the attached outline to learn more about this program and what the students will be learning. If you have any questions about this curriculum, about the WISE Prevention and Education programs, and/or you would like home link worksheets sent home before each lesson please email me at hemenwayk@hartfordschools.net.

Thank you,
Kara Hemenway
OQS School Counselor

HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO JOIN THE PTO? YOU DON’T HAVE TO!!! EVERY FAMILY IS A MEMBER OF OUR PTO! No sign-up or fee is required! Supporting the PTO can show up in many ways. You can volunteer your time, donate items for events or clubs, or attend PTO-sponsored events. For ways to be involved, KEEP READING!

VOLUNTEER:

The PTO supports our school by coordinating volunteers for clubs, events, school activities, etc. Check out the full list of events HERE. Open and upcoming opportunities are also below:

• Ongoing- Wednesdays & Thursdays this Fall - Garden Club- Volunteers and Snack Donations still needed. Sign up HERE

• Thursday, October 10th (8:15 am-8:40 am)- ALL SCHOOL CELEBRATION: GLOW DANCE- Volunteers & Donations Needed. Sign up HERE
• Thursday, October 31st- ALL SCHOOL PAJAMA DAY- Donations of gently used or new Pajamas needed. All sizes! Sign up HERE

COME TO OUR PTO MEETINGS:

We have fun!! Please join us on the first Thursday of each month from 6-7 PM in the school library. Our next Meeting is Thursday, November 7th!

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:

For the most up-to-date information on the PTO check out the school newsletter for a monthly PTO update or follow us on Facebook @OttauquecheeSchoolPTO

COME TO OUR EVENTS:

The PTO creates opportunities for our community to come together. Keep an eye out in the Howler for details. Our biggest event of the year is WINTERFEST! Please save the date for Saturday, December 7th for a community breakfast, auction/raffle, seasonal crafts, and a special appearance by Santa!

SUPPORT OUR FUNDRAISERS:

The PTO runs several fundraisers each year. To see a full list of current fundraisers check them out HERE. If you would prefer to donate to the PTO directly to help fund our initiatives, please fill out THIS FORM and send it back to school with your student!

P.S. Our PTO is looking for a few large-volume coffee makers to use at this year's Winter Fest, on Saturday December 7. Please email oqspto@gmail.com if you have one you could lend!

Week 6: Is being nonbinary/transgender just a trend? And other FAQs

Nope! LGBTQ+ people have always existed, and diversity in gender, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics is well-documented in the natural world too. There are species who are genderfluid, intersex, and homosexuality is present in at least 450 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and other animals.

The biggest issue is perception: our (Western) society has historically taught us to understand gender as only one of two options and there was little space, acceptance, and opportunity for gender diverse folks to safely live in their true gender identity (same is true for sexual orientation). Many older people who are transgender describe the perpetual terror of living “stealth” and constantly fearing what would happen if someone discovered they were trans, while feeling the only safe option was to keep it hidden from others.

Sensationalist media will tell you that the transgender youth population has doubled—and this is true. What this doesn’t tell you is that the transgender population has remained pretty steady over time; young people are feeling safer to acknowledge and share their authentic selves with the world at an earlier age than previous generations. We see this as a good thing!

Check out this 4-minute video to hear directly from transgender kids, young people, and their families.

Have more questions? See if we answered it on our Frequently Asked Questions!

Dear OQS Families,

We hope you have been enjoying the Curiosity Corner section of the Howler each week. The purpose of the Curiosity Corner is for our students, families, and staff to learn together around the topics of race, ethnicity, and gender identities. We feel that the best way to learn is by sharing information that can be addressed in school as well as at home.

In October, OQS will begin conversations about pronouns and gender identity that are developmentally appropriate at each grade level. We believe that the more understanding we have, the better we will be at empathizing and relating with each other. As such, we do not allow students to “opt-out” of these conversations. If you have any concerns, please reach out.

Our Curiosity Corner already has some great information about gender identity and pronouns and we’ll continue to add more in the upcoming weeks. Please feel free to revisit these at any time.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me, the building equity liaisons, or the school counselor.

Best,

Julia Lau, District Equity Coordinator

Julia Anderson, OQS Equity Liaison

Kari Amick, OQS Equity Liaison

Kara Hemenway, OQS Counselor

Click below for links to previous weeks' school news.

Each year, The Family Place holds a Gingerbread Festival which, among other things, displays houses donated by community members. Last year, we had over 100 houses! The houses are then auctioned during the festival and all proceeds from the event help The Family Place provide programs, resources, and support for families throughout the Upper Valley.

For more information about the event, click here.

Immersion Montessori School offers Enrichment Camps to Elementary aged students, including Theater and Humanities Camps, Sports and Wellness camps, and STREAM camps. This is the sign up form for the enrichment camps!

These are available on:

-February Break: Tuesday Feb 18- Friday Feb 21

-April Break: Monday April 14- Friday April 18th

The prevention field has known for some time now that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their associated harms are preventable, and a number of strategies exist to support this. Recent research illuminates how the presence of PCEs in youth can serve as a protective condition, decreasing the likelihood of poor mental health outcomes later in life.

PCEs derive from both family and community contexts. Examples of PCEs include:

• Feeling safe and protected by an adult at home
• Being able to talk to family members about feelings and to have their support during difficult times
• Being supported by friends and having a sense of belonging at school
• Positive relationships with non-parent trusted adults

To learn more, visit https://childandadolescent.org/positive-childhood-experiences .

If you are looking for contact information, for example for playdates or birthday parties, please consult the OQS Family Directory here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ay5YSLHSdEKwgUtfM_ECbdOqbcaDpXel/view?usp=sharing