Mary Hogan Family Newsletter

Dear Mary Hogan Families,

This has been a great week at Mary Hogan. We started with a snow day - and a student speaking at the school board meeting. Along the way, 4th grade had a field trip to Montpelier and they finished their climbing unit. Buddies were meeting, students were experimenting with sculpture in art. First grade walked around Middlebury to learn about community resources in our town in preparation for building a 3D map of town. Preschool skated at the rink and 3rd grade led us at All School Meeting - sharing their learning and playing a would you rather game. And there were some beautiful days for playing outside at recess.

In addition, we heard from Otter Creek Audubon Society that preschool and kindergarten got grants for outdoor learning. Kindergarteners will be able to head up to the Robert Frost Trails in the late spring and preschool will expand opportunities on their playground. Many thanks to OCAS for these grants!

Be well,

Jen

Wednesday 12/20 - Preschool to Memorial Sports Center for skating

Friday 12/22 - No School - Start of December Break

Tuesday 1/2 - First Day back after break

Thursday 1/4 - Spirit Day - Chosen by 1st grade - Wear your grade's color (see below!)

• Preschool - Pink; Kindergarten - Red, 1st grade - Orange; 2nd grade - Yellow; 3rd grade - Green; 4th grade - Blue; 5th grade - Purple

Please note we will be holding parent-teacher conferences between January 16th and February 9th for families to meet with teachers to discuss their child's January progress report. We are putting the finishing touches on a revised progress report that will show student progress towards grade level standards and the IB Approaches to Learning. Report cards will be sent home on January 12th. We will be reaching out in early January to set up conference dates and times for all families. Thank you.

Many thanks to the amazing Miss Hannah, who finished her student teaching in 2nd grade on Friday. She was a consistent, positive, and caring presence for these students (and beyond) this fall. We will miss her and know great things are coming in her teaching career!

In art class, we have been working hard to practice routines and studio expectations. Students have received an art portfolio and are developing craft by practicing skills with different art materials. Kindergarten and 1st graders are learning to care for art materials and share with others at table centers. 2nd through 5th graders are unlocking new supplies around the room in the drawing, research, and collage centers

All of the clothes in Lost and Found will be donated after next Thursday. There are a TON of hoodies and clothes, so come take a last look for anything your kids may have lost.

The Ilsley Public Library and a group of 4 Middlebury College seniors are premiering their new program Addison County Adventures! This program focuses on promoting outdoor recreation and community connection in Addison County. On our website we have several starter adventures. These adventures range from self-guided tours of local town centers to fun activities on local hiking trails.

We are currently looking for interested members of the community to test these adventures and submit feedback through our website so we can make this program long-lasting and successful. Additionally, if you or anyone you know is interested in creating an adventure, feel free to delve into the resources we have available on our website regarding that process. These adventures are community-sourced so anybody can participate and create! Any other questions can be directed to Renne Ursitti at the Ilsley Public Library!

Want to know more about the Volunteer Process? Check out more information HERE.