The Swoop Scoop

Today we were so fortunate to welcome Kekla Magoon to UES! Kekla is the author of many novels and nonfiction books for young readers. Kekla visits schools and libraries all across the country talking to kids about writing and books. Thanks to our UESCA, Kekla spent her morning at UES with us to kick off UES Loves Books Week. She lives here in Montpelier and in addition to being a writer, she also teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Many Wise Owls have been able to reunite with some of their lost items over the last few weeks but we still have many items looking for their owners. Please stop by UES if you are missing something. We will be DONATING all remaining items over April break as part of our 3 times per school year donation cycle (as mentioned in our handbook).

Kindness Club at UES is a group that meets once a month on Wednesdays after school from 3-4pm in the school library. Our mission is to spread kindness throughout our school community, and beyond. We start each meeting with a light snack, and discussion, and spend the rest of our meeting time engaged in a kindness project. Students sign up for each individual meeting that they are able to attend.

Any student in 2nd-4th grade is welcome to attend. The next meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 19th. Sign Your Wise Owl Up Here!

Summer is just around the corner and MRPS is once again hosting a variety of summer camps for incoming 1st - 12th graders! Visit https://www.mrpsvt.org/summer-2023 for all the details about this year's ultimate frisbee, basketball, strength and conditioning, and lacrosse camps!

If you would like to provide the placement team with information regarding your learner from your perspective, please complete this informational questionnaire and return it to your learner’s teacher by Friday, April 21st. A paper copy went home with Learner's on Monday. The placement teams will use this information during the placement process, alongside a great deal of information gathered at school, in making student centered decisions and balanced classes for the 2023-2024 school year.

This year, Kindergarten's last day of school will be Monday, June 12, 2023. You may remember from last year that we used the last few days of school for incoming kindergarten students’ screening.

If you have any questions, please contact the main office.

Thank you for understanding & support,

UES and The Kindergarten Team

The UES Caregivers Alliance (UESCA) is a collective of caregivers who support a welcoming, inclusive UES community. We provide support for all caregivers, educators, staff, and family-centered school activities. You can access UESCA materials and notes on our webpage, here. Have a question or need? Have an idea you want to share? Email us at ues.families@gmail.com.

April 20 Committee Meeting & Follow-up Literacy Discussion

Come celebrate UES Loves Books Week at our next meeting, scheduled for Thursday April 20, from 6:30-8pm (at UES and via Google Meet, here and dial in at: +1 561-614-0543‬ PIN: ‪593 937 744#‬). We will also be holding a follow-up literacy curriculum discussion as part of the meeting. Joining us will be Mike Berry, the Curriculum and Technology Director and Principal Katie Barea. Come learn about the work being done, ask questions and learn what caregivers can do to advocate for change. Click here for the full notes of the March 23 literacy discussion. If you would like to be involved in ongoing discussions or have questions you would like asked, please email us at ues.families@gmail.com. For our agenda and previous month’s notes, click here. Childcare is available and snacks will be provided.

BRAIN FOOD - Snack Donations for Testing:

From May 2-May 12th, our 3rd and 4th grade learners will be taking the Cognia test - a standardized ELA and Math test that is required by the state. They are not timed so students can take as long as they need. Click here to learn more at. Snacks can help our learners feel more comfortable and perform better during testing. We welcome donations of healthy snacks (pretzels, fruit, bars, etc) ideally in packaging that generates minimal waste. There will be boxes by the the main door as of May 1st or send in before break if you prefer (attention Laura Ballantyne).

UES Loves Books is here! UES Loves Books Week is a schoolwide celebration of literacy, books, and storytelling.

Teacher Wish Lists on April 17-22: Support our UES teachers, staff, and students by purchasing books from their wish lists that will go directly into their classrooms and learning spaces. All books on the wish lists will be available to purchase at 20% off online at our local bookstore Bear Pond Books during April 17-22, 2023. Visit bearpondbooks.com/UES starting April 17th to shop the teacher wish lists.

Author Visit on April 18: Kekla Magoon, an award-winning author of books for children & young adults, will visit with UES learners to talk about her books and her creative writing process. Along with sponsoring Kekla's visit, UES Caregivers Alliance purchased copies of her nonfiction book The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's Life, Leadership and Legacy for every classroom at UES.

Book Fair on April 19-21: At this year’s book fair, every UES student will have the chance to pick out a FREE book from a diverse selection curated by Bear Pond Books! UESCA received a grant from Vermont Humanities to support the book fair and ensure all learners get a high-quality book to take home. There will be no books for sale at the fair.

Volunteer at the Book Fair: Do you love books and reading? Join in the fun with book week and help students pick out books during the fair. There are still a few slots in need on Friday, April 19th. All volunteers must have MRPS Volunteer Level 2 clearance through the district office. Sign up for a 30-60 minute shift here: https://bit.ly/bookvolunteer2023.

The MRPS Board of School Directors is meeting Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 6:30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Find the meeting agenda, minutes from past meetings, information about the work of the various School Board Committees, and more by visiting www.mrpsvt.org/school-board

Email: katiebarea@mpsvt.org
Website: mrpsvt.org/ues
Location: 1 Park Avenue, Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 225-8200