WEEKLY FAMILY FOCUS Feb. 20, 2022
RICK MARCOTTE CENTRAL SCHOOL Principal Kathleen Kilbourne
Your Vote is Your Voice!
Please remember to vote in person March 1 or early by mail. Early/Absentee ballots can be obtained by calling the clerk's office at 846-4105 or stop by the office at 180 Market St to vote in office or to take your ballot home with you. All ballots must be received at City Hall at 180 Market Street in the mail by the close of business on election day. Those dropped off in the night drop box will be picked up Tuesday by 9:00 a.m. Anything in the night drop after 9:00 a.m. will not be delivered to the polls.
You can find detailed information on the school district's proposed FY23 budget at: www.sbschools.net/budget Pre-Town Meeting will take place February 28 beginning at 6:30 pm in person at 180 Market Street or you can join from your computer, tablet, or smartphone: through GoTo Meeting. You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (669) 224-3412 Access Code: 296-671-597
PBIS SCHOOLWIDE CELEBRATION! Way to go RMCS students! Well done!
PBIS is a framework that recoginize students who are following expectations and being model citizens in our school community. Students collect Marky Marks in the room, and earn classroom level celebration for meeting goals first. Then those Marky Marks are added into the schoolwide Marky Bin toward a schoolwide celebration.
PBIS help us to teach consistent expectations and what helpful behavior looks like and sounds like in each of the different school environments throughout the entire school, at a developmentally approrpiate level for each age/grade. It also supports providing classroom discussions, shared goals, and student voice and agency in problem solving.
I wonder what they will earn for their next SCHOOLWIDE CELEBRATION?
Virtual Family Field Trips
If Coldvid (cold temperatures and Covid) have you feeling trapped—consider taking your children on virtual field trips around the world. Explore museums, zoos, National Parks, interesting landmarks, or even bring 3D virtual animals into your home! Check out these amazing resources for hundreds of FREE Virtual Field Trips and Virtual Animals!
Explore the Olympics, Antarctica, Space, Pyramids, Sharks, Volcanoes, National Parks, and virtually anywhere from any device or observe 3D virtual wolves, pandas, cheetahs, sharks, eagles, tigers, and more from any mobile device!
Important Dates:
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Feb. 21- Mar. 1 Winter Break
Feb. 23rd- Technicool Presentation for Parents- Internet Safety (see below)
Mar. 18th- No School, Teacher Inservice
Mar. 19th SAT- Grade 5 Bottle Drive Fundraiser (for SMUG's trip) 9:00- 11:00am at RMCS
Mar. 25th- Early Dismissal
May 27th- SBHS Jazz Band concert at RMCS during the school day!
PTO MEETING DATES: PTO Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, via zoom.
3/8/22
4/12/22
5/10/22
Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet - Technicool Presentation for Parents
February 23rd 6:30-7:30pm
There are multiple kinds of digital risks for children today, such as internet pornography, online groomers, and sexting. It is important for caregivers and teachers to have the information and tools to respond. Adults in this workshop will: a) learn the digital risks for children and strategize ways to keep children and youth safe in digital environments and b) learn effective strategies for dealing with children exhibiting concerning digital behaviors. Please join us to learn how to support youth in digital environments!
We invite Vermont schools and childcare centers to share this digital invitation with all parents and caregivers within their community. Space will be limited, so please register to attend in advance.
Questions? E-mail Kirstie Grant
A Big Buddy Reader Shares The Joy of Reading a Younger Reader
2022-2023 Registration Dates
2022-2023 Registration Dates:
- New SBHS Students: Currently open
- New FHTMS Students: 2/4/2022
- All Prekindergarten Students: 3/7/2022
- All Kindergarten Students: 3/7/2022
- All New Students grades 1-5: 04/04/2022
Returning Students (current grades K-11): 6/1/2022
Grade 5 Field Trip
Mrs.Cooper and Friends
Shelburne Farms Trip
GIRLS ON THE RUN: GRADES 3,4, and 5 at RMCS
Girls on the Run is BACK at RMCS this year!!! Girls in grades 3,4 and 5 can join coaches Miss Hilary, Music Teacher at RMCS, and Shane Molinari, 4th grade parent to connect in new ways, set goals, build skills, play games and have fun! Our teams will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:00 starting on March 29, 2022. We are limited to 30 spots and they will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Please visit www.gotrvt.org to learn more about this amazing program or reach out to Hilary Sales, hsales@sbschools.net with any questions! There will be scholarship/financial assistance available on a case by case basis. PLEASE reach out to Hilary with any questions about how to access these limited funds. No girl will be turned away for financial reasons! Registration will open on Wednesday March 2 at www.gotrvt.org/register-now . We’re so excited for the Spring GOTR season!
RMCS Physical Education News and Views “It’s not just a class - It’s a way of LIFE!!"
Simply put - 2022 was one of our best ski seasons ever. I have so many people to thank. I could NOT do the ski program in PE without everyone’s help. The teachers at RMCS are always so helpful in that they help change the schedule around so we can ski. The K-3 teachers also help tie boots before we go out. I also have some teachers who join their class for skiing which is awesome! Our 5th graders also help out our youngest kids when they help the kindergartners tie their boots. We also had the most parent helpers this year who helped us put on skis and ski through the woods. Mother Nature did it’s part this year with snow conditions. My hope is that kids will be able to pursue cross country skiing outside of school and for the rest of their lives. I tell kids a lot of times about my nordic skiing trips up here in Fairfax. I have had so many neat trips but my favorites are Silver Lake and Fairfield Swamp. Silver Lake is a neat little lake out in the middle of the woods with no houses around it. It is so quiet and peaceful. Fairfield Swamp is exactly as it sounds - a swamp. I was able to ski on the thin layer of snow on the ice. Once again - very neat to be on a trail or a frozen pond and you are the only one out there. That is the beauty of cross country skiing. Plus it is also one of the best cardiovascular exercises you can do. Kids will let me know that they like downhill skiing/snowboarding better. I always tell them that downhill skiing is my favorite thing to do too but I do both on the weekends - sometimes in the same day!! I really hope that RMCS kids can find time to get out and go cross country skiing this winter. My other hope is that they can ski for the rest of their lives!! RMCS - THE SCHOOL THAT SKIS!! Report cards went home in January and I was very pleased to hear a lot of positive comments from kids about their PE report cards and comments. I usually don’t hear a lot of feedback, especially from kids. I always try to do personal comments for all the 420+ kids at RMCS. As you know, I think PE is as important as any other subject area taught in schools. I hope you do too. I have also enjoyed hearing how many kids are watching the Winter Olympics. It is pretty neat to see Vermonters in the games. We had a Cochran win a silver medal and the USA made history with our first individual medal in nordic skiing. My hope is that kids keep watching the Olympics, especially the cross country skiing events!! Hey, we do that at RMCS!
Our next unit in PE for all grades is Educational Gymnastics. This type of gymnastics is a very different approach than what is called Olympic gymnastics. Most PE teachers teach Olympic gymnastics which basically expects kids to do gymnastics with certain specific skills. Educational Gymnastics teaches 4 basic skills of jumping, balance, weight transfer, and rolling that can be applied to any piece of equipment. It gives kids a lot more room for creativity when they do gymnastics in PE at RMCS. Grades 3-5 are asked to come up with their own routine and what they show is AMAZING!! In addition, there is a lot more carry over to other sports and activities. We will start Educational Gymnastics when we come back in March.
That’s it for now - as I tell the kids - SKI you later!!! YOUR PE TEACHER - Mr. “Snowy” Day
Grade 5 Community Service Project that Makes the Day for Staff!
"Glad you are in our school"...with fish on it!
TEAMWORK IN 5th GRADE
Mrs.Applebee's Class
5th Graders
Community Service Project
A Flower and a Note for Each Staff Member
COMMON ROOTS- FARM TO SCHOOL
Hello South Burlington Families and Friends!
As we make our way through winter, it may look like there is not much happening on the earth around us. There may be a layer of snow, and all of the plants seem to be at rest until they can come back up in the spring. However, the soil beneath our feet is alive and hard at work to regenerate and revitalize itself so it is ready to support all of the plants that want to start growing next spring.
When the earth takes time to rest and regenerate, we are reminded that we as humans need to do this too - by taking time to find some Hygge, drink lots of water, and continue to eat foods that will support our bodies and boost our immune systems. Growing microgreens is a great way to feed ourselves fresh green foods all winter long. They can also provide our bodies with up to 40X more nutrients than eating the fully grown plant!
Growing Microgreens at Home
Follow these simple steps to grow some microgreens at home. Want to create a fun and rewarding project with the family? Donate your ready-to-harvest microgreens to your local food shelf to share that nutrient boost with others in need.
Materials needed: A cup or tray • Organic soil • Seeds (broccoli, peas, sunflower, mixed greens, etc.) • Small bowl with water • Fine mesh strainer • Towel or lid • Spray bottle
Steps:
1. Soak your seeds in a bowl of water overnight - this will speed up the germination process.
2. The next day, drain water from the seeds using a fine mesh strainer.
3. Spread a half inch of very moist soil in your tray. Then take your seeds and evenly sprinkle across the soil.
4. Gently press the seeds into the soil using a flat hand, making sure not to press too deep.
5. Cover your tray with a towel or other lid to block out the light for a day or two.
6. Peek at your seeds each day to look for a white root tip that will start to poke out of the shell. Once this happens, remove the covering and bring them out into the daylight by placing on a sunny windowsill.
7. Check back each day to watch them grow, misting with water to keep the soil damp.
8. Harvest the sprouts when they are a few inches tall.
Quinoa Salad with Sunflower Microgreens
We made a delicious quinoa salad in Farm to School this month. See below for the recipe if you’d like to try it at home. (Serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 apples, diced
Microgreens, to garnish (we used sunflower)
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Once cooked, set aside and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Chop the onion and apples, and toss with the cooled quinoa in a mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon, salt, and maple syrup if using. Drizzle the dressing on top of the quinoa mixture and toss to combine.
4. Serve into bowls and garnish heavily with microgreens to get that nutrient boost! Enjoy!
2022 Farmstand Memberships are now available at our Common Roots Farm at South Village! To learn more and sign up: https://www.commonroots.org/farmstand
Till next month, Nourish to Flourish!
Lauren Jones, Common Roots - Farm to School Educator
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the impact of African American heritage, culture, and achievement in our country.
Here are several ways your student can learn about Black history and culture with you at home. You don’t have to use these resources only in February—these activities and resources can be used throughout the year! (Resources provided by Pearson).
Read a Book About the African American Experience, History, and Culture Educators recommend that students spend at least 10 minutes a day reading per grade level (4th grader 40 minutes). Celebrate Black History Month by having your student read a book that features African American culture, shares the story of a great African American figure, or brings the African American experience to life.
Virtually Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture,it is part of the Smithsonian Institute and devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. They have a wealth of online learning resources to help you enrich your student’s learning experience, including recommended reading resources for elementary, middle, and high school students and Smithsonian Learning Labs, which are free, interactive lessons where students can explore both well-known and not so well-known moments in history.
Watch a Movie Showcasing African American History or Experiences Celebrate Black History Month with family movie night, watching movies that celebrate the African American experience or that highlight historical events. Movie casts have become more diverse in recent years, so choosing films that feature actors of color is a way to celebrate achievements.
Learn About African American Inventors The first African American to be awarded a US patent was Thomas Jennings, who in 1821 invented a way to dry-clean clothes. The first African American woman to receive a patent was Judy Reed for her dough kneader and roller in 1884. Have your student researchother African American Inventors who made contributions to science, industry, business, agriculture, transportation, and communications.
Explore African American Musical Influencers Celebrate Black History Month by listening to the great African American musicians. Use this opportunity to introduce your student to musical genres that were heavily influenced by these talented artists, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, gospel, doo-wop, and hip-hop.
K students paint habitats for deer
ALL ABOUT DEER By Jim Arnowsky
K students learning about animals in the winter
Every time new library books are purchased, Mrs.Springer adds them to these Virtual "New Books" Displays.
Watching for their color...
Reading Music with Ms.Hilary
Working together...collaboration!
RMCS COVID-19 TESTING PROTOCOL
These testing protocols are updates based on guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education.
RMCS has made the following changes to its COVID-19 procedures effective 2/1/22.
NOTIFICATION:
The school learns of a positive case in a student or staff member. The school notifies parents/caregivers that there is a case in their student’s class. Classmates are considered “presumptive contacts.” The notification includes the test kit request process and testing recommendations.
TEST DISTRIBUTION
Students who are presumptive contacts from school exposure will be offered take home antigen test kits. Please note the AOE has stated that schools should not monitor compliance of test pick-up nor the use of test kits. A google form link will be included in the notification letter for a parent to request antigen test kits. Kits will be distributed based on the form responses and availability. A 12:30 daily deadline for form submission is requested, so staff can arrange for kit distribution (students’ backpacks). Test availability: SBSD relies on the Agency of Education to supply test kits. Our strategy may shift if supplies are not available to keep up with the need.
TESTING RECOMMENDATIONS
Presumptive contacts receive a different number of kits depending on their vaccination status. If Fully Vaccinated (completed the Pfizer vaccine series and are 5-17 years old) Can receive 2 tests Tests should be used on the 4th and 5th days after learning of their presumptive exposure. If Not Fully Vaccinated: Can receive 5 tests. Tests should be used for the next 5 consecutive days after receiving them. If Had COVID within the last 90 days: Testing is not recommended. If symptomatic, contact your healthcare provider. Students who test POSITIVE: keep your child home and follow the steps in What to Do if You Test Positive for COVID-19 , let Michelle Cannon (mcannon@sbschools.net) know, and please report this on the Vermont Department of Health COVID-19 Self-Test Reporting Form. Staff who test POSITIVE: see links above for students, stay home, notify Maura Sawtelle (msawtelle@sbschools.net) and your direct supervisor and put an absence in AESOP.
QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Presumptive school contacts do NOT need to quarantine during their testing periods.
VIDEO DIRECTIONS FOR AT HOME ANTIGEN TEST
http://quietube7.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBt_H4Gc-rU
LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS for Covid Testing
https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing
Here are video links in a variety of languages to demonstrate how to use a rapid antigen test:
English | العربية /Arabic | မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | دری / Dari | Français/French | Kirundi | Maay Maay | नेपाली/Nepali | پښتو/Pashto | Soomaali | Español /Spanish | Swahili | Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese
South Burlington Public Library Kid's Event Calendar- FEB CLICK BELOW FOR FULL SCHEDULE AND HOURS
Parenting Supports from Prevent Child Abuse VT
Greetings from the Family Support Team at PCAVT!
Please see below for upcoming programs, ALL ON ZOOM. All programs are being offered over Zoom and are FREE to Vermont residents. Each of the sessions will run for between 60-90 minutes – on average, it takes 12 sessions to complete the program and receive a certificate of completion.
Please feel free to contact Michelle Richling, Family Support Programs Director, at mrichling@pcavt.org or 802-498-0623, with any questions or be in touch with us at familysupport@pcavt.org or 1-800-CHILDREN if you are interested in attending any of these programs.
Circle of Parents
Circle of Parents is a professionally facilitated, peer led
support group for parents and other caregivers.
Ongoing Groups:
• Circle of Parents with Children Identifying as LGBTQ (Weds at 6:30 pm)
• Circle of Parents for Single Moms - (Thursdays at 5:00 pm)
• Circle of Parents of Teens - (Mondays at 10:00 am)
• Circle of Support for Moms of Color (Wednesdays at 10:00 am)
• Circle of Parents in Recovery (Wednesdays at 5:30 pm)
• Circle of Parents (open to all) (Thursdays at 10:00 am)
• Circle for Adoptive & Post-Permanent Families (Thursdays at 5:00 pm)
• Circle for Adoptive & Post-Permanent Families (Thursdays at 8:00 pm)
Nurturing Parenting Programs
Nurturing Parenting Programs are curriculum-based, parenting education
programs for families experiencing stress.
Upcoming Nurturing Parenting Programs:
- Nurturing Program for Young Parents - starting Jan 25, Tuesdays 4:30-6
- Nurturing Skills for Families - starting Jan 10, Mondays 5:30-7:30pm
- Nurturing Skills for Families - starting Jan 11, Tuesdays 10am -12pm
- Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Use Recovery - starting Jan 19, Mondays 6-8pm.
- Nurturing Father’s Program - starting Jan 12, Wednesdays 6-8pm
RMCS 2021-2022 Yearbook NOW ON SALE!! $15.00 Each
Don't miss a single edition of the Rick Marcotte Central School Year book!
Order forms have been sent home, but if you would like purchase your yearbook online, please click here:
https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1140092/Rick-Marcotte-Central-School/
Then select Order My Yearbook to make your purchase and check out. Please put your child's teacher's name under 'Homeroom' All yearbooks are shipped to the school then delivered to your child's classroom the last week of school.
Any questions please contact Holly Young or Carrie Rice.
Need Help with Technology? Use this link to access Tech supports!
https://sites.google.com/sbschools.net/sbsdedtechforstudentsfamilies/home
Rick Marcotte Central School
Email: kkilbourne@sbschools.net
Website: sbschools.net
Location: 200 Market Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802 652 7200
Twitter: @rmcschool