Dear Jaguar Community,
Thanks to the effort of several dedicated JES staff members, 2026 kicked off overwhelmingly strong here at school! Our librarian and technology integrationist, Norah Conolly, was able to organize our first trip to Smuggs, pictures below, and it was a blast. Nearly all 4th-6th graders participated in skiing, riding, or nordic activities. It brought me so much joy and pride to see our students engaging with each other and their instructors so happily and respectfully, and I can't wait to go back in March.
If you would like to join us on our next outing, please reach out to Courtney in the office to get the necessary paperwork and background checks completed as it takes some time and must be completed annually. Also, we are exploring ways to expand these kinds of opportunities, and if you are interested and/or have some creative ideas please be in touch with me!
Katie Foss and Norah Conolly also successfully launched the start of a week long author residency with Vermont writer Natalie Kinsey-Warnock on Friday! For those who don't know, Natalie grew up on a farm in Glover, and she still lives there today with her many rescued dogs, cats, and horses. She draws inspiration for her many award-winning children's books from family stories that she has unearthed through researching public records and talking with her relatives.
Over the next 4 days, she will work with our students to explore artifacts, tools, old photos, and public records to help your children find amazing stories from your family. Students will practice story telling, writing, illustrating, and perhaps catch that authorly spark leading them to write for others. Please talk with your child about your family history, where your family came from, and what amazing stories were written along the way!
Kind regards,
Dane VanNosdeln
JES Principal
