Wildcats Weekly

"We are a joyful community that is inclusive and guides children toward curiosity, resilience, and compassion." ~Rumney Staff

I hope everyone is able to vote on Tuesday, March 3rd. Every vote makes a difference. We have updated our budget since the last communication. This update was possible due to updated information from the State re: costs per student.

Rumney will have:

• 7.5 classroom teachers in grades Pre-K through 6
• 1.8 interventionists for literacy and math (this is what we have this year)
• .3 music (this is a reduction of half a day a week. We will offer general music for grades K-4, band and/or chorus for 5th and 6th graders)
• .6 PE and Health
• .3 art (this is an increase to this year, due to an additional classroom)
• .4 library (this is the same as this year)
• .6 school counselor (this is one day per week less than this year)
• .6 school nurse (this is the same as this year)

If you have questions about any positions that are not listed, then please reach. I have listed all positions that were either mention in my last budget update, or have been specifically asked about by families.

Please remember that everyone that votes is able to vote for board members from every town. There is information on each of the candidates on the district website: Meet the Candidates.

Mark your calendars for Town Meeting Day--and be sure to pre-register for free childcare! All Middlesex voters are invited to Town Meeting, which begins on Tuesday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m. at Rumney School, and is followed by a free community dinner. Lots more info at https://middlesexvermont.org/.

Free childcare for kids ages 5 and older will be available onsite from 4:15-7:15 pm so that parents can attend Town Meeting. Pre-registration is required. Reserve a spot before school break (deadline Friday, 2/20). Dinner is included. Contact Kimberly Bolduc, Community Connections, 802-223-7936 x305, or email[kbolduc@u32.org](mailto:kbolduc@u32.org).

Middlesex never wants the cost of child care to be a barrier to participating in Town Meeting. If you have kids under age 5 and you need a childcare stipend, please contact Brigid Browning, Middlesex Community Fund, 802-249-5198, info@middlesexcommunityfund.org .

~From Sabrina~

Across our district, some families have voiced concern and questions about procedures in our schools. Please know that we continue to revisit these procedures, and student safety is our top priority.

Early this year, Steven Dellinger-Pate shared our commitment to ensuring that procedures are in place should federal ICE agents attempt to contact or enter the school building. While we continue to have these procedures in place and have worked with front office staff to ensure they are continuing diligence, there are also growing concerns that there may be a need for more specific guidance around school-sponsored events that do not take place during the school day or are not on campus.

Off-campus events such as sporting events and field trips are of particular concern. At the same time, there is a clear reality that we will not be able to anticipate all the specific incidents. What we can do is say we are committed to following all legal procedures anytime we are responsible for students; their safety is our top priority. This means that regardless of where an incident occurs, the universal process we have shared with all staff is to:

• Identify yourself as a school staff member responsible for addressing the event. School staff will have their school identification visible.

• Ask for identification and the purpose of the visit.

• Notify the principal, who will notify the superintendent.

• Explain to law enforcement officials that this is a school-sponsored event and, as such, we are obligated to follow all school procedures. You will wait for further instructions and ask that the official/agent remain outside the event.

Please know that we will continue to:

• Listen to young people when they are discussing current events.

• Utilize resources from experts in the field for helping young people navigate and process hard news.

• Provide support to families by encouraging you to expand your network. If families feel a safety plan is warranted, XXX and XXX can help guide families through that process.

• Follow and use the procedures and protocols we have in place around safety.

What we will not do:

• Make assumptions about a student's or family’s immigration status based on skin color, language, or country of origin

• Ask anyone about or for their immigration status

• Organize students based on the political beliefs of adults

Thank you for being contributors to a community that supports all of our youth and families. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Common Sense Education: Talking with Students About Shocking or Disturbing News

• Education Week: Doing the Nearly Impossible: Teaching When the World Delivers Fear

• Facing History & Ourselves: Teaching Current Events Educator Guide

• NPR: What to say to kids when the news is scary

• Mental Health America: Talking To Kids About Fear And Violence

• National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Families

• Sesame Workshop: Violence

Please note that some of our newsletters are on a live link and others have changing links that are emailed to families from the teacher.

Kindergarten

1st/2nd Grade

3rd/4th Grade (sent by teacher)

5th Grade

6th Grade

February 23- March 3- No School. Winter break and Town Meeting Day.

March 3rd- Town Meeting Day

March 14- Pie Breakfast 10:00am-12:30pm

March 24- Coffee House

*Registration opens in late February and is open to girls in grades 3-6. We will again have a collaborative team of Doty & Rumney students.

*Practice begins mid/late March. The season ends in early June.

*Practice days will be on Monday & Thursday from 3:30-5:00 at Rumney. Practices include movement activities, team building, connection games, and running (or walking!). Our season ends with a celebrity 5K in Essex.

More information can be found here. Email Ms. Honi with your questions. hbarrett@U32.org.

**If you would like to support this year's team and help bring down the cost for each participant please email Ms. Honi!**

It's time to plan this year's Pie Breakfast. This is an all-you-can-eat event... so we need LOTS of pies! What kind of pies? ANY! Apple pie, berry pie, pudding pie, cream pie. Quiche or meat pie. Pizza pie. We need dairy free pies. We need gluten free pies. We need vegan pies! * Please note all pies need to be NUT FREE.

Ready to make or bake?

Great! Sign up below to let the PTNO know what pie you'll be bringing!

*Pies can be brought to Rumney on Friday, March 13th between 330-530. Please bring your pies to the kitchen, where we'll ask you to write a bit of information about your pies.*

Then JOIN US for the Pie Breakfast on Saturday, March 14th from 10-12:00

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B4CA8AA2CA5FB6-62134190-piebreakfast#/

We also need volunteers to make this year's Rumney Pie Breakfast a huge success. Please sign up below if you would like to volunteer.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B4CA8AA2CA5FB6-62132913-piebreakfast#/

Hello Rumney Families,

Registration for Spring 2026 Little League Baseball and Softball season is now open!

**New for 2026- Girls Softball Coach Pitch Division for ages 5-9**

Central Vermont Little League (CVTLL) volunteers are hard at work preparing for the 2026 baseball and softball seasons. We have much to do to get ready for the season: create player rosters and coaching staffs, order uniforms, schedule games, etc.! If you have any questions or concerns please contact Kent Lowden, your Middlesex Town Rep, at ksukats85@yahoo.com or (802) 522-0438.

Please visit our website for information about our Programs, Safety Plan, Coach Resources, and Umpiring.

Visit the Central Vermont Little League (CVTLL) website to sign-in to your account, and register for an available program. www.CVTLL.org

A few important notes:

- Credit card payments online are preferred, but checks made payable to Central VT Little League will be accepted. Orders are refundable subject to the CVTLL Refund Policy.

- The deadline for early-bird pricing and on-time registration is March 8th to make sure that volunteers and uniforms are available to all registered players. Registration after March 8th may result in increased registration fees, placement on any roster with space available, and delayed uniform delivery.

- Please consider signing up as a volunteer when you register your player. The league depends on volunteers for coaching and umpiring.

T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant

The T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant program offers a simple-to-use online application and is available to families in need with proof the child is currently receiving Medicaid benefits, SNAP or WIC, so long as funding is available.
Learn more and apply

CVTLL Scholarships

Thanks to community support from local individuals and our business sponsors the league offers scholarships to cover registration fees. To apply for a scholarship check the option “Would you like to be considered for a scholarship?” during registration and choose “check” as your payment method at checkout.

Available Programs
A full description of each program can be found on our website.

Baseball: Tee Ball

Baseball & Softball: Coach Pitch Minors ("Farm")

Baseball: Player Pitch Minors & Majors

Softball: Player Pitch Minors & Majors

Season Dates

We are finalizing season dates. Expect games to begin around April 27th and continue through June 14th.

Practice dates and times will be announced after teams are formed.

Please use the League website as a resource for information about our programs, field locations, and other general League information.

If you know of others who would be interested in this information, please forward it along.

On behalf of the Central Vermont Little League Board of Directors, thank you for supporting youth baseball and softball, and we're looking forward to a great 2026 season!

Thank You,
Kent Lowden
Middlesex Town Rep
Central Vermont Little League

Winter 2025 and Spring 2026 School Vacation Art Camps for K-5th grade are now open for registration. 8:30am-3pm. Drop in days are available.

Feb. 23rd-27th: Art is Rocket Science (February Break)

March 20th: Mythical Creatures Camp (Conferences)

April 20th- 24th: Mask Making Camp (Spring Break)

Register at: https://www.oneartsstudio.org/camps

Spring 2026 After School Art sessions are posted and you can register at: https://www.oneartsstudio.org/afterschoolart. We are offering K-4th grade after school art Tuesday through Thursday with bus drop off available from Rumney, Moretown and Brookside Elementary School! Drop ins welcome.

Kids Night Out: Third Friday of the Month. K-5th grade.

ONE Arts Studio is offering kids night out from 4pm-8pm on the third Friday of the month during the 2026 school year! Drop the kids off and enjoy an evening to yourself! We will have pizza, veggies, watch a movie and of course offer open studio art time!

Dates offered:

Feb. 20th, March 20th, April 17th, May 15th, June 19th.

Register at: https://www.oneartsstudio.org/kidsnight

Whole Body Drawing and Painting

Age: 5-11 years old

June 22nd-25th

This camp will be led by Fiona Sullivan. Come willing to participate in physical warm ups involving Capoeira and dance inspired movement. Then with creative energy open, learn about different drawing styles from still life to thirty second sketches. Explore ‘drawing’ with a paintbrush and what it means to draw with your whole body involved. Explore different drawing styles from gesture drawing and painting to control contour. Students will have the opportunity to plan and execute a large group painting as well as paint their own smaller canvas.

Expressive Dance:

Ages: 5-11 years old

June 29th-July 3rd

Led by visiting dance artist Shannon Kelly and Fiona Sullivan. Shannon brings her 20 years of dance experience with her background in afro-modern, lyrical, experimental and Brazilian dance. Learn creative dance techniques and experiment with form and body awareness. Students will have the opportunity to work in smaller groups and with the group as a whole. We will view short dance videos and observe different artists’ depictions of dancers over the ages. The week will culminate with a final performance at 3:15pm Sharp!

License to Write

Age: 7-13 years old

July 6th-10th

Led by Fiona Sullivan

Explore the art of narration with words, images and oral story telling. Maybe you love to write but get hung up on grammar. Inspired by Peter Elbow’s writing method, we will practice daily ‘free writes,’ and try out our hand in the realm of fiction and nonfiction. We’ll consider writing as mark making and explore the boundary between drawing and writing. We’ll ask the question, how do we incorporate writing into visual art? Come with the desire and openness to both write and draw.

Kids for The Earth

Age: 5-11 years old

July 13th-17th

Join Susan Koch who taught in the public schools for 30 years and now loves teaching in the best classroom of them all, the natural world! Nature Science camp with a focus on stem activities and the integration of creative art making. Explore nature, complete daily nature experiments and missions and create art from natural and upcycled materials.

Bauhaus Bountiful Botany:

Age: 5-11 years old

July 20th-24th

Join Susan Koch for another camp! Susan taught in the public schools for 30 years and now loves teaching in the best classroom of them all, the natural world! Find the intersection between plant anatomy and art. Learn about flower parts from the stamen to the sepal and look at different artist interpretations of flora and fauna. Explore different leaf patterns and start to translate your distinct leaf patterns to art inspired by the bauhaus style.

Theater: Earth Defenders Camp

Age: 5-11 years old

July 27th-31st

Join Sarah Adelaide, a Vermont based artist and educator whose work combines her passion for performance art with the joy of scientific discovery. Students will investigate a creature, plant, or topic in our local ecosystem, learn relevant facts and terms, and discover a problem or disharmony. As a group we will then learn about the narrative story Arc which will help us weave our learning into an original play script. The last few days of camp we will be working on putting our words to action and song in an original performance. Families are invited to attend our final Friday performance starting at 3:15pm sharp!

Intro to Capoeira: ½ day morning camp

Mon-Thurs. 9:30am-12:30pm

August 3rd-6th

Age: 11-18 years

This intensive four day Capoeira workshop will introduce participants to Capoeira, a Brazilian art form that combines dance, music and martial arts. The workshop will be led by Luis Gonzalez or Profesor Cavaleiro. Luis, originally from Spain, cofounded the Capoeira Club at Bangor University in 2006. Luis then continued to teach Capoeira in New York City from 2013 to 2020. After Covid, Luis resumed teaching in NYC until he moved to Vermont in 2024. He now lives in Middlesex and continues to offer Capoeira classes at Camp Meade. Supporting instruction will be provided by Fiona Sullivan who has been studying Capoeira for four years.

Fashion Frenzy and Mending Madness:

Age: 5-11 years old

August 10th-14th

With Fiona Sullivan

Welcome to all things fabric related. Draw your fashion ideas. Bring in a stuffie for which you would like to create accessories or a costume. Enjoy hand sewing and use our Saori looms. Bring in an item of clothing that needs a patch and discover the interaction of practicality and design. Have a chance to use our sewing machine. Send your child with a white t-shirt so they can decorate their own t-shirt with fabric markers, paint and pastel!

Model Treehouse Building Camp

August 17th-21st

Age: 5-11 years old

With Heather Garland

During Treehouse Building Camp, campers will look at treehouse designs for inspiration and then design their own 3D treehouse model. We will go for walks and collect natural materials to add to our designs. Who knows maybe a fairy will move in once we are done!

Bring your kids aged 5-11 to Green Mountain Community Fitness for an adventure filled Winter Break! Five full days (February 23-27th from 8:00am-3:30pm) of exciting activities: swimming, obstacle courses, snow forts and snowmen, and even a field trip to Sunrise Gymnastics! Check out our website https://gmcf.life/camp/#winter-camp for more information and to register, or email camp@gmcf.life to request more information. We look forward to having your child(ren) join us at Green Mountain Community Fitness for an awesome week!

I’ve also attached a flyer that you’re welcome to include or share as needed.

Thank you so much for your support! We truly appreciate your help in spreading the word to families who may benefit. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Warm regards,

Maddy Cooley (she/her)

Kids Program Coordinator
Community Partnership Specialist
Green Mountain Community Fitness
maddy@gmcf.life

www.gmcf.life
802-223-6161

2025-26 Student/Family Handbook

Behavior Rubric

Staff contact information

Do you have information you want to go out in the Wildcats Weekly? Great! Send it to RMSOffice@u32.org by Wednesday at noon.

Have feedback? Please email me at kmay@u32.org.

Best,

Karoline