Flynn Flyer
February 11. 2022
Next Week is Spirit Week!
Important Dates
February 14-NAEP Testing-Fourth Grade
February 14-18-Spirit Week
February 18- Report Cards go Home
February 21-March 1- Winter Break No School
March 1- Annual City Election-Don't Forget to Vote!
March 3-PTO Meeting 6 PM https://meet.google.com/fuj-omkp-bnv
March 17-Early Release 11:30 No Burlington Kids/Sara Holbrook
March 18- No School
March 17/18-Spring Conferences
Spirit Week
Monday- It's Valentine's Day! Wear Red, Pink or White!
Tuesday-It's Twin or Crazy Hair Day-take your pick!
Wednesday- Picnic Lunch Day in the Cafeteria
Thursday-Cozy Day-Wear your pj's or comfy clothes
Friday- Olympics Day-Wear a sports jersey or your teams favorite colors and be sure to wear your Winter Clothes to school for some fun outside!
From the Principal
Dear Flynn Friends,
I know that you have received the information regarding my need to stop as Acting Principal in mid-March. I want you all to know that I was very sorry to have to make such a decision. I have been very impressed with the Flynn team. They are wonderful to work with and I see how much they care about your children every day. I have enjoyed getting to know your children and seeing them grow each day.
I appreciate the support I have received from this community during a difficult time. Your support every day helps keep the Flynn climate calm and happy.
Warmly,
Shelley Mathias
Dr. Michelle B. Mathias
Acting Principal
She/Her
Councilor's Corner
Hello Flynntastic Families!
In grades K, 4, 5 we have begun our “Bullying Prevention” unit. This unit began with an overview of the 4 different types of conflict, which were defined as follows:
1. Disagreement - When people have different opinions about something. Feelings are not always hurt during a disagreement.
2. Rude Moment - When someone's feelings/body get hurt and it was an accident. (I use this example: When I create an activity for a class and kiddos say "that's so boring". Their intention is not to hurt my feelings, but my feelings may be hurt because I put a lot of thought and energy into creating the activity. That is a rude moment.)
3. Mean Moment - When someone intentionally does something to hurt/upset someone else. (i.e. I got mad at a friend and intentionally said something mean to make them feel bad.)
4. Bullying - When someone's feelings/body is hurt repeatedly over time, there is a power imbalance between the one being bullied and the bully (or bullies) (i.e. the bully is older or bigger, a group of people are bullying one other person), and the behaviors are intentional.
While teaching this bullying prevention unit, we focus on the three “R’s” of bullying:
Recognize - Recognize when bullying behavior is happening to you or when you see bullying behaviors towards someone else. Think: Is it mean behavior? Am I able to get it to stop?
Report - Report bullying behavior to a trusted adult (i.e. teacher, school counselor, principal, parents, aunt, uncle, etc).
Refuse - Using an assertive, kind, and respectful voice, confront the person who is using bullying behavior. When confronting this person it is important to name the behavior as mean/bullying behavior and tell them it needs to stop. You can also refuse the bullying behavior by staying close to an adult or staying close to friends when feeling unsafe.
When someone recognizes bullying behavior happening to someone else, the witness is called a bystander. A supportive bystander is someone who:
Reports or helps report bullying (sometimes it is easier to report with a friend rather than reporting alone).
Stands up for someone being bullied (refuses bullying).
Is respectful and kind.
Includes everyone.
If a bystander does not take action (i.e. report or refuse), then they are part of the problem. A supportive bystander is someone who is part of the solution! It is important for our kiddos to know that they have a responsibility to make sure everyone feels accepted, respected and safe.
I hope that by sharing this information with families at home, the language we use in school can be mirrored in the home setting to deepen the understanding of the lesson and skills.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
All my best,
Did you miss the Annual Title One Meeting? View Below!
Fourth Grade NAEP Testing
NAEP 2022 PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER
Mathematics & Reading Assessments
February 3, 2022
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Flynn School will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on Monday February 14th. NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is different from our state assessments because it is a common measure of achievement across the country. The assessment is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
Your child will take a mathematics or reading assessment. In addition to subject-area questions, students voluntarily complete NAEP survey questions. These questions provide valuable information about participating students’ educational experiences and opportunities to learn both in and outside of the classroom. More information about NAEP survey questions is available at https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents under the section “What Questions Are on the Test?”
The assessment takes approximately 2 hours for most students, which includes transition time, directions, and completion of survey questions.
The information collected is used for statistical purposes only.
· Your child’s grades will not be affected.
· Students may be excused for any reason, are not required to complete the assessment, and may skip any question.
· While the assessment is voluntary, NAEP depends on student participation to help policymakers improve education. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify me in writing by Wednesday February 9th..
There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do their best. A brochure that explains what participation in NAEP means for you and your child is available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf. Contact Karen Priebe at 802-864-8478 or at kpriebe@bsdvt.org if you have any questions.
We are excited that our school is participating in NAEP. We know that Flynn School’s students will show what our nation’s students know and can do.
Sincerely,
Dr, Shelley Mathias
Acting School Principal
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622) and to collect students’ education records from education agencies or institutions for the purposes of evaluating federally supported education programs under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(3)(iii) and 99.35). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about participants. Electronic submission of participant’s information will be monitored for viruses, malware, and other threats by Federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.
Maker Faire Updates
Due to uncertainty with COVID, we are going to transition this year’s Maker Faire from an evening event to an in-school event. Unfortunately, this means families will not be able to attend. We will work with the PTO to include families in the preparation for the event. We will discuss the Maker Faire at the next PTO meeting on Thursday, March 3rd at 6:30 via google meet- https://meet.google.com/fuj-omkp-bnv. This year’s Maker Faire will be on April 15 during the school day. On that day, students will participate in many different activities, including ECHO-sponsored challenges, activities made by our own 5th graders and many other exciting STEAM activities!
Meet Jen Trapani-Food Science Coordinator
It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce myself and share that I have stepped into the role as the District’s K-12 Food Science Coordinator. My work involves the creation and support of garden and food-based education for all ages. I look forward to working with school-day educators to integrate cooking and garden-based lessons into K-5 curricula in addition to partnering with the Expanded Learning and Food Service Teams to offer enrichment opportunities in Afterschool and summer settings. Our school gardens are thriving, and I look forward to working on a number of new projects to greenify our spaces and to engage students in creative and intentional ways. I have met with a number of teachers and Garden Committees already, and it is clear that this work has been missed and is being sought after. Let’s get back to it!
This school year, with guidance from CDC Guidelines and from Becca McCray, our District’s Lead Nurse, we are thrilled to announce the opportunity for the reintroduction of Cooking Carts for both school-day use and in Afterschool programming!
French Carrot Salad
Author: Cookie and Kate Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 20-minute marinating time) Yield: 4 servings Category: Salad Method: Raw Cuisine: French ★★★★★ 4.8 from 48 reviews
This French carrot salad recipe is simple and fresh! You’ll need carrots, olive oil, lemon, honey, cumin, parsley and chives. Chickpeas are optional but recommended. Recipe yields 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS Carrot Salad:
● 1 pound carrots, peeled
● 2 tablespoons finely snipped chives or chopped green onion
● 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or mint
● Optional: 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
Dressing:
● 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
● 2 tablespoons lemon juice
● 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
● 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
● ½ teaspoon ground cumin
● ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To prepare the carrots: You can grate them on the large holes of a box grater, use short strokes with a julienne or regular vegetable peeler, or process them in a food 1/2 processor fitted with a grating attachment. You’ll end up with about 3 cups grated carrots.
2. Place the carrots in a medium serving bowl. Add the chives, parsley, and optional chickpeas to the bowl.
3. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until completely blended.
4. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and stir until the mixture is evenly coated in dressing. For best flavor, allow the salad to marinate for 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving.
NOTES
● This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days.
● Recipe inspired by French Market in Kansas City.
● MAKE IT VEGAN: Substitute maple syrup for the hone
News from the District
School District Budget: Town Meeting Day is March 1st and ballots are in the mail. This year's budget is projected to produce a property tax rate decrease of 6.98%. For more information, check out the District One-pager:
https://www.bsdvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FY23-Budget-One-Pager-Final-2.1.22.pdf
BHS/BTC 2025 Kickoff! All BSD families and stakeholders are invited to join us at 6:30 PM on Thursday, February 17, as we kick off plans for BHS/BTC 2025! Teams have been working hard to move forward with a new high school and technical center in Vermont’s Queen City. Attendees of the virtual event will meet the design team, hear from principals, and learn about the design process. The design team will also share the work that has been done to solidify the project’s vision, an update on the program needs, and the most up-to-date timeline for the project as we gear up for a November bond vote!
Attendees will also participate in facilitated breakout sessions where they can give feedback to the team. The meeting will be hosted on Zoom and steamed to the BSD YouTube channel. Learn more at www.bsdvt.org
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87524086907?pwd=blhvREloMXp2ZmxSYWh5UHdyVHlmZz09
Meeting ID: 875 2408 6907
Passcode: B5r2hN
February Vacation Camp
Sara Holbrook February Winter Circus Camp
2/21-2/25
9-4