THE NEWSLETTER
November 18, 2022
NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK
NOVEMBER 21ST THROUGH NOVEMBER 25TH
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Families, Caregivers and Community Members,
At our November Whole School Morning Meeting, students celebrated because they had reached the first goal milestone in the penny jar in our school lobby. All students were given a ballot to vote on how they would like to celebrate their collective accomplishment. An hour of boardgames beat out the other options – a whole school dance party with Champ or Schoolwide Bingo. So, this Thursday we paused as a school to play an hour of games with peers and adults. While watching all of the students in the school playing away on Thursday afternoon, we were struck by some of life's greatest lessons that can be learned from board games. Collaboration, taking turns, strategic thinking, considering multiple perspectives, the importance of humor and good sportsmanship are a few of the many lessons we saw in action during this celebration. Please check out our photos of the week to see some great snapshots of the afternoon. “To develop a long-term relationship with a board game is to tease out the intricacies of all the different ways it can nudge you and shape the way you approach a variety of situations and possible interactions with people.” ― Eric Thurm
Another lesson we revisit on a daily basis here at CCS is the importance of taking care of others. The act of taking care of our community is alive, as evidenced by CCS families in grades K-4 who generously donated to the annual Thanksgiving food baskets. (Grades 5-8 will be collecting donations beginning in December to create food baskets for over the early winter break.) This morning, several Omega students and teachers helped us load up all of the boxes for the Charlotte Food Shelf. How fortunate we are to be part of a supportive and caring community.
To that end, we wish you and yours a week of togetherness and joy. We hope you have time to pause, enjoy and take care of each other, as we’ve been so lucky to do at school this week.
Jen, Courtney and Beth
AND MORE INFORMATION...
Weather and What to Wear
We’re sure there was a frantic search for snow pants in more than one household this Wednesday morning, as we woke up to our first real snowfall of the season. As we reminded our staff that afternoon, our top concern on hazardous weather mornings is to get everyone to school safely. This goes for our families as well; we understand that delays will happen when the driving is tough, so please take your time and prioritize arriving safely.
On the topic of weather, please make sure that your students are coming to school with appropriate outdoor gear essentials: snow pants, coats, hats, mittens, boots. Unless temperatures fall below 0℉, we will always have outside recess. And as always, we can help with providing the winter essentials for students, so don’t hesitate to reach out if needed.
Garden Update
On Nov 4, a small but hard-working group of volunteers met for the final “putting the garden to bed” session. Led by Deirdre Homes, the crew assembled and set up new benches around the table, finished tucking in the garden beds and planted spring flowering bulbs in the pollinator bed. We thank them for their ongoing dedication to the CCS community garden.
Coffee with the Principals & Special Guests
In an effort to share some of what we do here at CCS with families and caregivers, we invite you to join us for a series of open conversations geared toward various topics. We will hold our first coffee on December 1st from 7:45-8:30. Joining us will be members of our mental health services team: Betsy Lloyd, School Counselor; Amy Sayre, Student Assistance Program Counselor; and Gabrielle Clow, Mental Health Clinician, who partners with us through the Howard Center. More dates and topics to follow as the year progresses.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, Nov 18
End Trimester 1
Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25
NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, Nov 30
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Thursday, Dec 1
Coffee with the Principals & Special Guests, 7:45 - 8:30.
Wednesday, Dec 4
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Saturday, Dec 10
CCS Holiday Market - Artisan registration details below.
Wednesday, Dec 14
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Monday, Dec 19
5-8 Winter Concert, MPR, 6:30pm
Wednesday, Dec 21
Early Dismissal, 1:40 start loading buses, 1:50 car pick up begins. AM & PM, please do not enter the front parking lot until all of the buses have departed.
Friday, Dec 23 through Monday, Jan 3
NO SCHOOL - Early Winter Break
MUSIC NEWS
Please mark your calendars for the 2022 Winter Concert featuring the CCS Jazz Band, 5th grade band, 6th grade band and the 7-8 Band. This special event will take place on Monday, Dec 19, 2022 at 6:30 pm in the MPR at CCS. Performers should arrive at 6 pm. The concert is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!
LET'S TALK!
Last March, the school district softly rolled out a new communication tool called Let's Talk. Let’s Talk makes it easy for parents, students, staff, and community members to ask questions, request information, and share feedback. Over the summer, we added topics for each of our schools. See this blog post to learn more and view a short video that explains how easy it is to use Let's Talk.
22-23 CVSD BUDGET MEETING SCHEDULE
CVSD invites all community members to learn about and join in on the budget development process by attending upcoming School Board meetings. All members of the CVSD community are always welcome to attend Board meetings. See the topics and schedule in the image above and on the Budget page of the district's website. https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget
Links to join the virtual meetings will be available on that page and on the website calendar. We will also post the presentations on the Budget page afterward for those that cannot attend.
CCS HOLIDAY MARKET - CALLING ALL ARTISANS!
Calling all artisans! The Charlotte Central School (CCS) Holiday Market is back and we hope you can join us on December 10th! We are currently accepting vendor applications, which can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBsa1s6baTh1PoxddTVR42Ga6Y1CqcwqDba2iS7Q2uMPleYA/viewform?usp=sf_link
We will have two gyms filled with exhibitors, a children's DIY craft table, as well as several on site food options. All proceeds from the holiday market will go directly to the CCS PTO to support a variety of student enrichment programs including STEM, Theater, Athletics, as well as our community Emergency Care Fund. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Please contact us at ccsholidaymarket@gmail.com with any questions.
ACCESS - COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOR ALL
Access is back in action with another semester of amazing enrichment options for both in-person and online learners. The Fall/Winter 2022 season runs from September – January, and the majority of classes take place at CVU High School, with the exception of online classes offered through Zoom. Class descriptions and details are listed on our website and can be sorted by category, month, week, or online. With over 200 class options and 89 fabulous instructors, there is something for everyone at Access!
ENROLL TODAY! Popular classes fill quickly, and low enrollment leads to canceled classes. To view the complete list of classes and to enroll online, visit our website https://cvsdvt.ce.eleyo.com/ (or Google, ACCESS CVU). For questions about classes or to enroll via email or phone, contact us at access@cvsdvt.org / 802-482-7194.
ABOUT US
Jen Roth, Lead Principal, Grades K-6
Courtney Krahn, Assistant Principal, Grades 7-8
Beth Slater, Director of Special Services
The Newsletter is published every Friday, when school is in session. It is delivered to our families via email, posted on our website, and on Front Porch Forum. A hard copy is available by contacting the school.