Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

Winter has certainly arrived in this week since break. The snow was very welcome at recess, as students went sledding Tuesday through Friday. And, while the snow wasn't good for building, it was just so fun - to play games in, to flop in, to draw in, and more. It was amazing to see how it brought joy to our students.

The cold also arrived this week and seems to continue into next week, at least. Please be sure your child has layers for inside and for outside. Sometimes on cold days, our building is cold, so it is important for kids to have indoor extra layers. And, we ask all students wear appropriate gear outside on these cold days. That includes coats, boots, hats, and mittens/gloves. I also recommend snow pants or an extra layer. We will go outside until it feels colder than O degrees Fahreheit, so having the right clothes makes everything more fun.

Thanks for your help in supporting your child in having the right inside and outside clothes!

💙,
Jen

Monday 12/8 - 5pm - Cooking with NOM - Sign up HERE

Tuesday 12/9 - 1st grade walking field trips around town

Wednesday 12/10 - EARLY RELEASE DAY!

• 9am - All School Meeting led by 3rd graders

Thursday 12/11 - 5pm - Preschool Music Together and Potluck Night

Monday 12/15 - MESA December Teacher/Staff Appreciation - Cookie Swap - Sign up here to help

Wednesday 12/24 - Start of Dec. Break

Our amazing counselors will be sticking with the grades they are currently working with all year long. This means that all whole class lessons, individual and group counseling as well as lunch bunches will be done by one counselor at each grade level. Counseling assigments are:

• K-2nd grade - Louise Lubaszewski - llubaszewski@acsdvt.org
• 3-5th grades - Jena Hogan - jhogan@acsdvt.org

Please reach out to your child's teacher and counselor for their grade if you have any concerns about your child that you'd like to talk about with them.

Some 4th graders this week performed a play for 1st graders this week. The 4th graders who are not in chorus have spent their time learning a play, practicing, and making the props for the plays. After a lot of work, they were ready to share their learning with their buddy grade level. It was great leadership and fun all around!

Students in PE had the start of their unit in gymnastics this week. Depending on their grade, they were working on different skills that asked them to practice flexibility, balance, risk taking, and awareness of space. They all did a great job in the classes I saw (2nd and 3rd graders).

5th graders started their climbing wall unit this week in PE. They had a chance to try some of the elements in the north gym - from the commando crawl to the rock wall and more. The students were amazing risk takers, trying new elements. And, just as importantly, those watching and helping on the ground were incredibly supportive of their peers climbing, encouraging them to keep going, and cheering when they made a new achievement. It was pretty cool to see!

The 5th graders in Miss Jessica's class have been working hard on their writing skills this fall. And, to provide a real audience for their writing, they created the first edition of the Wildcat News. The newspaper captures a lot of their learning and thinking this past fall all in one place. Want to check out their work - here is a digital copy of the newspaper. Way to go, Hawks (and Wildcats)!

Students have been busy in art these past few weeks. This week saw students thinking about pieces of art and what the story behind the artwork was as well as building a huge creation with Keva planks. 5th graders are working on their pottery and 3rd graders are weaving. Here are some images from art.

We love sledding - and can't wait for more snow to make the piles even bigger on our small hill.

The FRIDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY SUPPER is held at The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC. Families are welcome to come for a free, hot meal from 4:45-5:45 every Friday in Fellowship Hall (accessible from Seymour Street). Friday Night Community Supper offers a space where everyone is welcome. Come by for a delicious meal. Bring a friend. Bring the family. We hope to see you soon.

The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC
2 Main Street, Middlebury
802-388-7634

This Saturday, (December 6th) from 1-4PM, Middlebury Entomology students will have 14 interactive exhibits highlighting insects and insectoids from all across the culture that pops! We’ll have exhibits from Avatar, Animal Crossing, Dune, Star Wars, Hollow Knight, Harry Potter, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Eric Carle books, Pokémon, and more!

In collaboration with Cosplay for Science and support from the Center for Community Engagement and the Biology Department, students have created an immersive experience for all ages to introduce a broad audience to biology's complex and diverse topics. From the amazing diversity of beetles to the aquatic insects in our local streams and rivers, there is something for everyone!

We invite you, your family, and other community members who are interested in participating in this event. I have attached a flyer for the event and linked to all promotional details below. Feel free to distribute these materials as you see fit. If you have any questions, you can contact me at gpask@middlebury.edu.

Hello Mary Hogan Families! Throughout the school year, MESA sponsors staff appreciation events to show our gratitude to the wonderful staff at Mary Hogan. In December, we will have a Winter Treat Swap on Monday December 15th, 2025! Families can sign up to contribute 1-2 dozen of their favorite holiday or winter baked goods (or monetary donations are welcome to buy local goodies), and each staff member will get to select from the baked goods and bring home a variety of goodies. If you would like to contribute by bringing items for the baked good swap please indicate what you will bring on the sign up below. All items need to be dropped off between 8:00am-8:10am (during school drop off) at Mary Hogan on Monday December 15th. Thank you so much, and here is the sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A5AA2EA2F8C43-60695385-mesa

Our next meeting will be January (1/15)

No February meeting

Meeting in March (3/19)

No April meeting

Last meeting in May (5/21)

No June meeting.

-All meetings are at 6:30 in the Library (no roundtable, unless a particular topic is brought up in advance that we'd like to discuss).

-There will be links for families to attend virtually if they'd like.

-We'll continue to bring snacks/drinks.

-Children welcome!

-They will only last an hour.

The charge of the Wellness Policy Working Group is to monitor, support, and evaluate the implementation of Addison Central School District’s local wellness policy (C9). The working group will assess the policy’s impact on student health, nutrition, and overall well-being, ensuring alignment with state and federal requirements as well as district priorities. The group will provide recommendations for policy adjustments and implementation strategies to ensure that the district fosters environments that promote healthy lifestyles and student success. We welcome students, staff, families, and community members who are passionate about wellness to join our group. Please reach out to Dr. Sonya Oefelein at soefelein@acsdvt.org for more information or to join our next meeting.

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.