Letter from the Principal
These past two weeks have been somewhat of a roller coaster ride having to quarantine four classrooms along with a handful of bus riders. This was very unfortunate for families and staff members; some good news from these closings is that we have not seen any contamination at school. Moving quickly with contact tracing, elementary schools are successfully combating transmission. I'm hopefully not jinxing this but we need to share this important news.
We also had a good week despite the daylight savings time change last weekend - the students did very well!
Check out my school calendar close-up (below) about what is coming up. We have two parent-teacher conferences half-days coming up, Thursday & Friday, April 1st & 2nd. Dismissal will be at 11:30.
Also, we recently learned that we are required to give the SBAC assessments (Smarter Balance Assessment Cooperative) to all students in grades 3 - 5. We will begin starting the plan for administering the assessments and report back to you.
We shared last week the video of our students and staff raising the Black Lives Matter flag. Here is a link to the musical interlude with Ms. Frostman performing Rise Up, Ms. Bissonette signing, and sharing of student artwork: https://www.wevideo.com/view/2090088621.
Also check out the YouTube video below of fifth graders reading A Place Inside of Me created by our librarian, Ms. Sullivan-Macdonald. We're also working toward a slide show!
Registration is open for Incoming Kindergarten students as of March 1, 2021. If you would like to register a student who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2021, please visit www.sbschools.net/register .
Check out the awesome Farm-to-School article below along with a delicious recipe. There is also information on a Common Roots get-together called Maple Moon Gathering, it looks like a lot of delicious fun! Have an awesome weekend; take some time to read with your child.
Mark Trifilio
Quote of the week:
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein
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School Nurse Notes
CURRENT VERMONT GATHERING RESTRICTIONS
Please see this link for updates on Vermont's most recent gathering restrictions for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
TESTING
The Vermont Health Department encourages testing as a critical tool to slowing the spread of the virus. The sooner you know if you have the virus, the sooner you can protect yourself, your loved ones and your community.
- If you/your student has symptoms of COVID-19, contact your health care provider first, to determine if testing is needed. If you don't have a health care provider, call 2-1-1 to connect to care.
- If you/your student are not sick, but need a test, consider scheduling a test at a pop-up site on the Health Department's website: "Where to Get Tested," through your provider, or call the Health Department @ 863-7240.
COVID VACCINE:
Visit "Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine" site on the health department's website by clicking here, to see who else is currently eligible and information about making an appointment.
Take Care,
Kara Cassani & Darcy Mazlish, School Nurses
Orchard School
SBSD Elementary Health Services
p. (802) 652-7303
f. (802) 652-7354
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PTO News
The PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) continues to work to make this year a fun and productive one! We support teachers and the whole school in creating a strong community. We believe it is important to continue to show appreciation and support for our teachers and staff, so we would like to occasionally give some sweet treats! We are also thinking ahead to when things get back to normal and we can bring our events back (Skate Night, Spring Fling, Math Night, etc.) - even if they cannot happen until next year! Your support is still very important, especially since we could not host our major fundraiser, the Fun Run, last fall. If you can, please donate by sending a check to the Orchard PTO, c/o Suzanne Hebeler, 36 Cortland Avenue, South Burlington, VT 05403 OR donate online: Cheddar Up for Orchard https://my.cheddarup.com/c/orchard-pto/item/2556395
Join the PTO: The PTO is actively recruiting new board members, and we always welcome parents who are not baord members to join meetings and share ideas (or just listen to what goes on behind the scenes!). If you have a little room in your schedule, consider volunteering! Email Kristin at orchardschoolvt@gmail.com with thoughts, questions, and ideas.
EASY MONEY FOR ORCHARD WITH BOX TOPS!
Prior to Box Tops going virtual, we used to pull in around $500-800 a year with Box Tops. This year, Orchard has raised a dismal $10.50 so far. Download the app and help us get our momentum back up! It’s an easy way to make a difference. When you buy Box Tops participating products (such as many cereals, granola bars, and Annie's Mac and Cheese) and scan your grocery receipt, Orchard will earn .10 per product. Bonuses for your birthday month and for getting a friend to join! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love!
Download the Box Tops for Education app at your App Store or here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=VI7J42XS
