Dear Parents, Caregivers, Families, and Friends,
Students have begun to ask if they will be able to wear costumes on Halloween. Not all cultures celebrate Halloween, and it has been a long standing practice at South Burlington School District elementary schools to focus on fall festival and harvest themes instead. We encourage families to celebrate over the weekend and on Monday night. October 31st will be a day for learning, and that's what schools are really about! We want to provide a distraction-free environment for all. Students should keep their costumes at home and we ask that you not send candy in to school to share with other children. Many of our students have allergies and we follow the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines for serving food at schools. You may hear about schools that still include costume parades and other Halloween traditions, but the vast majority have come to the same conclusion as us. Thank you for understanding.
Can you believe that November is right around the corner? Mark your calendar for those no school dates, especially Tuesday, November 8th. Soon you'll be scheduling a time to meet with your child's teacher(s) for parent conferences. More information will be shared in next week's memo.
It's getting chilly and I've noticed that students are arriving earlier in the morning. Please remember that school opens at 7:50. Students who arrive earlier will have to wait outside until we have staff in place to supervise the cafeteria and classrooms. Drivers, please stay clear of the bus lanes when you arrive at drop off. Thank you for your help with this.
The PTO is partnering with RMCS to provide a convenient way for parents and caregivers to volunteer to help at school and we are starting with recess. They have created a Sign Up Genius as an easy way to sign up for one hour time slots any day of the week. We are partnering to host two training sessions with an opportunity to fill out volunteer forms on site. We will serve complimentary hot coffee provided by Saw-Dog Coffee Roasters. See the flyer below for more details, and thank you to the PTO for your ideas, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm!
Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend!
Best,
Lissa
By June Lee and Gracie Savitt
For the Fourth Grader’s first field trip, They went to Rock of Ages granite quarry in Barre, Vermont. It’s the largest working quarry in the world.
Rock of Ages has many notable features, on account of a scene in the movie Star Trek shot there. They have made many gravestones for famous people, crypts for esteemed families, and they even crafted the iconic World War II Memorial. This facility made the 9/11 Memorial Glade. They are famous for their manufacturing of granite. Families have trusted Rock of Ages’s American and Canadian stones for more than 100 years! Gracie and I, the writers of this article, think that the fourth grade would very much like to go back.
Next I'll talk about the distinguished turquoise waters. You may ask why they are turquoise. It’s because of the granite that falls into the waters. The water becomes turquoise because the three minerals in granite, Quartz, Feldspar, and Mica trigger the When these three minerals dust combined makes the iconic turquoise color. Following up, the water is there for a reason that dates back to 1885 when the workers would mine dust would come up and little did they know that dust caused lung cancer! Now, the water turns their gorgeous turquoise color.
Lastly, I'll talk about their history. It all began in 1885 with George B. Meline, one of the three founding fathers of “Rock of ages' ' He opened rock of ages roughly around 1890. He had many short-term partnerships. He partnered up with two other quarry owners, James Boutwell and Harvey Varnum. This company specifically focuses on Dark Barre Granite. In 2004 they opened a visitor and Memorial Design Area. This 5,000 square foot beauty has plants and greenery that give it a state of the art yet homey feel.
Lastly, The Rock of Ages company has about 230 people working there. Artists in the Rock of Ages factory use the same hand tools much like the way Michelangelo did centuries ago. To make all of the distinguishing features and details on monuments and headstones, they use very mingled with computer guided, diamond tipped saws precision grinders.
Maker Cart is the start of a STEM library. The PTO has provided this cart for teachers to sign out for students to create, construct, design and engineer items. There are pipe cleaners, pom poms, glue, boxes, tins, thread spools, film canisters, straws, paper, envelopes, foam craft sheets, feathers, markers, and more! Check out the cart and some of the designs kindergarteners have created.
Can You Help With Transportation?
The Transportation Department has developed a voluntary form which will serve the purpose of gathering information from parents/guardians regarding their potential ability to transport their student(s) both to and from school. Please note, this is not a request to transport children, but serves the purpose of information-gathering as it may be a potential way to alleviate some transportation challenges. This information will help inform our next steps in resolving our limited bussing capacity as expeditiously as possible. Our teams will continue to look at all options and I will provide updates as they become available.
October 29 and November 3
The South Burlington School Board invites community members (including children!) to join them for several upcoming listening sessions! Board members would like to hear from students, staff, and the community about what they think is going well in the District, where there is room for growth, and what qualities they think would help ensure the success of a long-term Superintendent. Please consider joining one of the in-person meetings or the Zoom session. If you have questions, please contact the school board at schoolboard@sbschools.net or leave a voicemail message at (802) 652-7476.
The first session will take place in person only, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 10:00 am at 577 Dorset Street in the first floor conference room with board members Laura Williams and board Chair Dr. Travia Childs.
Additional sessions will take place:
Monday October 17 at 6 pm at the District Central Office
Saturday, October 29 at 10 am at the South Burlington Public Library
Thursday, November 3 at 6 pm via Zoom
ACADEMIC & SOCIAL SUCCESS
The change of seasons is a good time to go back to basics~
Adequate Sleep
Nutritious meals
Physical activity
This week's focus: Physical Activity
Key Guidelines for School-Aged Children and Adolescents:
60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily
AEROBIC: 60+ minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity with vigorous intensity on at least 3 days/week.
Aerobic exercises increase cardiorespiratory fitness.
(i.e. running, swimming, bicycling).
MUSCLE-STRENGTHENING: should be included on at least 3 days/week. Make muscles do more work than usual.
(i.e. part of play: playground, climbing a tree; lifting weights, resistance bands)
BONE-STRENGTHENING: should be included on at least 3 days/week. Force on bones promotes bone growth and strength.
(running, basketball, tennis, jump-roping)
Physical activity before and after school can benefit students by:
Increasing their overall physical activity.
Improving their grades and test scores.
For more detailed information, visit the CDC
FLU & FLU SHOTS
We are at the start of the flu season. Influenza-like illness in Vermont is minimal at this point and no flu has been documented in Vermont at this time.
This is a great time to get your flu shot, as health experts anticipate a busy flu season. Stop by the pharmacy or call your provider's office.
Please view our SBSD illness guidance HERE.
Be Kind, Stay Well!
Opportunities at Rick Marcotte Central School
RMCS is still hiring. Please contact us about joining our team if you qualify for these openings. Training will be provided for all new hires.
- Special Educator
- Interventionists - working 1:1 with students who have Individualized Education Plans
- Recess Monitor
Stephanie Sumner, Assistant Principal & Lissa McDonald, Interim Principal
Email: ssumner@sbschools.net; lmcdonald@sbschools.net
Website: https://www.sbschools.net/Domain/11
Location: Rick Marcotte Central School, 200 Market Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802-652-7200
Twitter: @lmcdvt