FHTMS Weekly Newsletter #8

Dear FHTMS Families,

Happy Friday! Thanks to a great parent suggestion, we have added the Absence and Tardy form to the top of the newsletter, and you can always find it here. You can also find it on the main page of our FHTMS website.

We encourage all families to sign up for a family conference with your child’s teachers. These conversations are a great opportunity to connect, celebrate your child’s strengths, and talk about how we can continue to support their growth this year. We value the partnership between families and our school and look forward to connecting with you! Please be sure to check out our sign-up information for family conferences below!

Your Principal,

Suzanne Gruendling

OCTOBER 14th is a LATE START day. School starts at 10:30 am on this day.

When is School Closed? 2026-2027

• Thursday-Friday, October 22-23, 2026 (Family/Teacher Conferences, no school for students)

• Tuesday, November 10 (Diwali)

• Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, 2026 (Thanksgiving Break)

• Thursday, December 24, 2026 - Friday, January 1, 2027 (Early Winter Break)

• Monday, January 18, 2027 (MLK Day)

• Monday, February 22 - Monday, March 1 , 2027 (Winter Break)

• Tuesday, March 2, 2027 (Teacher Inservice)

• Wednesday, March 10, 2027 (Eid)

• Friday, March 26, 2027 (Teacher Inservice)

• Thursday-Friday, April 1-2, 2027 (Family/Teacher Conferences, half days)

• Monday - Friday, April 19-23, 2027 (Spring Break)

• Monday, May 31, 2027 (Memorial Day)

Dear FHTMS Families,

To show appreciation for all the staff does for our students, the PTO will provide a luncheon to help them throughout the long day of parent-teacher/guardian conferences on October 22nd.

To make this event a success, we are asking for your help with the items listed on the FHT Staff Appreciation Luncheon: Sign Ups and by volunteering your time. Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Please have all donated items dropped off by 9:00 AM on Thursday, October 22nd. Non-perishable items can be brought in earlier in the week. If you are dropping off a non-packaged item, please note any allergens.

Alternatively, if you would like to donate funds, we gladly accept Venmo (@Brittany-Almassalkhi) with the note "PTO Fall luncheon," or you can send in a check or cash. Please contact us at brittanyalmassalkhi@gmail.com with any donation (or PTO) questions.

Don't forget: Please attend the PTO Meeting on October 12th at 5:30PM. We are looking for volunteers to help us out this year!

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
The PTO

https://pickatime.com/FHTMS-Fall2026. Click here to sign up

Family Conferences:

• Conference Dates: Thursday and Friday, October 22 & 23 from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Sign-Ups Open October 6th and close Monday, October 19th

• Please sign up for only one team conference. One or two of your child’s team teachers will be present and will share information from all four core classes. For example you will see VERVE 1 and VERVE 2, select only one of these options.

• Be sure to also sign up for conferences with your child’s Exploratory, World Language, Health, and PE teachers to hear about their progress in those classes.

• Students are always welcome to attend conferences.

• Our spring conferences will be student-led.

• Please email ehalgas@sbschools.net if you need help signing up!

We look forward to connecting and sharing about your child’s learning!

Soon we will be sending home VTCAP reports:

Here are a few notes about the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program:

• VTCAP uses a unique scale score range. The lowest possible score is 1500 and the highest possible score is 2000. A score of 1750 or higher means a student is proficient in this area.
• While the results for your student(s) are accurate, the statewide and district results you will see are not yet official. The State will release official statewide results later in the year.

As a district we give the Star assessment in the fall, winter, and spring, using the assessment information as a guide for instructional needs.

A few notes about the Fall Star Family Report:

• Overall Score: Star uses a scale from 600 - 1400. This score also shows where your student performed at the beginning of the year; this report shows how your student’s score relates to four levels of performance. A level 3 or higher is considered proficient.
• Domain: These scores show your student’s level of mastery at the beginning of the year compared to end-of-year goals. A score of 80 or higher is considered proficient at the end of the year; however, a score in the beginning range (0-59) is expected for students in the fall.

Greetings FHTMS Families! During the week of Oct. 12-16, the Local Motion Bike Trailer will visit the middle school. Students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity by participating in a variety of Bike Orientation, Safety, and Skills Courses. Bikes are provided, and students are also encouraged to ride their own bikes this week to take part in the "Safe Routes To School Program. GO WOLVES!!

As Halloween approaches, we want to let families know that the South Burlington School District does not celebrate Halloween at school. We recognize that families celebrate this time of year in different ways. To respect the diverse religious beliefs and cultures within our school community, we kindly ask that students leave costumes, candy, and other Halloween-themed items at home. Our focus remains on learning, and we want to ensure an inclusive environment where all students feel comfortable and supported. Our students were great at this last year, we are so proud of them.

The Art Club meets this Thursday, Oct 8 after school in Mrs. Treston's room! We will be talking about our field trip to Shelburne Museum and creating eraser carved prints. No need to sign up in advance, just come!

Student Council: First student council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct 13 in Mrs.Meisenzahl's room at 8:00am.

Safety is South Burlington School District’s top priority for students and staff, and we currently have plans and procedures in place managed through our school and district safety teams. One of those plans is practicing various drills throughout the year so everyone is comfortable with our emergency plans and able to react quickly in the event of an actual emergency.

In addition to traditional egress (or “fire”) drills, and in accordance with Vermont State legislation and Act 29, our schools also practice Options-Based Response Drills. An options-based response approach is one that allows for real-time decision-making based on the best option available at the time of the incident, and is intended to replace traditional “lockdown” drills that have been shown to be less effective during these unsafe incidents. The first of these options-based drills will take place during the month of September.

We understand the subject of emergencies and response procedures can be equally as uncomfortable for caregivers as it is for students. Therefore, we will communicate the date of the options-based drills prior to it taking place. As a district, we are committed to practicing these drills in a manner that is age-appropriate and trauma-informed and will be providing common language for educators of all grades to support these conversations.

Although we hope to never have to use these practiced skills, we want to assure you that the district is prepared to protect students and staff under any circumstance. We will always provide the most accurate information possible, including contacting families as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.

Our egress drill will happen this week with the alarm.

On October 7th, we will have a bus evacuation drill taking place in our bus lane.

This month classroom teachers will discuss other safety options that might happen, such as holding in place or leaving the building.

Middle School Students:

May have strong and varying opinions about causes of violence in school and society. Adults can support by stressing the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following the school's safety guidelines (e.g., not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to school safety made by students or community members, etc.).

Please remind your child/children that if they see something in school or on social media that they feel is wrong or concerning related to the safety and security of our students, staff, and school buildings, they should immediately say something to a trusted adult whether a parent, bus driver, teacher, coach, principal, custodian, etc.

Further, please do not hesitate to have direct conversations with our teachers, administrators, and/or school counselors.

Thank you very much for your continued support and partnership in working to ensure the safety of our students.

Dear SBSD Special Education Families,

If you would like to be part of the parent team lifting the organizing of the Special Education Advisory Council (SEPAC), please send an email to Ncarter@sbschools.net. We will then reach out with information about the SEPAC-organizing team meeting.

Best

Nicole

Nicole Carter, Ed.D., LICSW

Executive Director of Learning and Student Support

We are hiring for a few support positions for this year! Training will be provided for all new hires. Please contact Suzanne at sgruendling@sbschools.net.

Recess and Lunch Monitor - 3 hours a day, supporting recess. Starting pay is $19.28/hr. We are looking for someone 5 days a week, and also substitutes.

Interventionists - Working with one or two students who have Individualized Education Plans with support from our Special Educators. This position comes with a comprehensive benefit package. Starting pay is $21.86/hour.

Please go to https://www.schoolspring.com/ and search South Burlington School District if you are interested!

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