The Core

September 3, 2021, Volume 13, Issue 4

Notes from the Principal

Hello Orchard Parents,

I hope you were able to join us for Curriculum Night. Our teachers worked extensively to get everything ready for the evening and were excited to share information about their classroom and learning for the upcoming year. Always feel free to reach out with questions whenever they arise.

At Wednesday's PTO Meeting, we agreed to have a Fun Run this fall. For all of our new families, we have held a Fun Run on the Orchard school grounds for all students. It's an impressive fundraiser and also a terrific community builder for our school. We have lots to share along with a lot of planning. We will need many of volunteers to pull this off and the best place you can find out how to help is on the Konstella app. Check out the screenshot below for all the volunteering possibilities!


Yea! Happy Labor Day everyone! Have a great 3-day weekend, take some time to read with your child.

Mark Trifilio


Quote of the week,

"When we work for a bigger purpose, we find an endless supply of happiness at work."

Author, Jon Gordon

Screenshot from the Konstella Webste of What's Needed for Fun Run Volunteers

Big picture
School Nurse Notes

School Nurse Notes

Kids and Delta:

UVM Children's Hospital Pediatric Intensivist, Rebecca Bell, MD talks about kids back in school. She suggests preparing for this school year by:

  • Stocking up on masks
  • Having a back-up plan for sick days
  • Be prepared for changing guidance
  • Look to your child's medical provider for guidance


See the full article here.


Illness Reminders:

Please fill out the Ruvna app each school morning and reference this form for any symptoms your student may be experiencing:
COVID-19 Information for Families Return to School Following Illness.*

*Please click here for translations and scroll to the "return to school following illness" heading.


Travel to Canada:

​Students must follow the after travel to Canada guidance outlined by the CDC. Please note the guidance indicates that unvaccinated individuals get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel (even if the test is negative). Vaccinated people test 3-5 days after travel. Visit the health department's travel page for more information.


Masks and Clothes:

Please consider sending in 2 EXTRA MASKS in your student's backpack and an extra pair of clothes!


Be well,

Kara Cassani, RN

Orchard School Nurse
SBSD Nurse Liaison
SBSD Elementary Health Services
p. (802) 652-7303
f. (802) 652-7354

School Nurse Notes

Check out this Well-Oiled Kindergarten System!

Big picture
Introducing our New Staff Members!

Introducing our New Staff Members!

We are excited to re-introduce Brittany Baldwin - (aka Brittany Brown) who has come back to Orchard School teaching kindergarten this year.

Emily Evenson - was hired back over the summer as a first-grade teacher

Kris Perkins - First Grade Special Educator (coming to us from Chamberlin School)

Taylor Farnsworth - Kindergarten Special Educator

Brittany Smith - our new Health Teacher (we'll be sharing more about this new program soon)

Meghan Dieterle - Paraeducator

Adriana Putregai - Kindergarten Paraedcuator

Paige Bowman - Interventionist

Emily Hamburger - Interventionist

Leeza Regelbuto - Interventionist

Liv Smith - Interventionist


And introducing our long term substitute teachers:

Melinda Tate - joining us back to sub for our 4th Grade Teacher, Alex Goff

Seth Mikle - our long term sub for our P.E. Teacher, Tommy Hamlin

Lauren Szandsik - as a long term sub for our PreSchool Speech Language Pathologist, Jessica Jablonski


And congratulations to those four teachers - Alex, Tommy, Jessica, and Justin Kaulius for being new parents - we wish them lots of happiness and sleep for their time away being new parents. ❤️

Introducing our New Staff Members!
Update from our Lunch Program

Update from our Lunch Program

Although complete meals of breakfast and lunch are free, milk is NOT free for students who need milk for their home lunch. The cost of milk is 50 cents per carton and parents/caregivers can send in a check, made out to South Burlington Nutritional Services, to credit their child's account or have money taken directly from an account to credit to your child's account.
Update from our Lunch Program
Big picture
Bus Route Updates

Bus Route Updates

Parents -

Here is the link to the district transportation. We are thinking the bus routes will continue to be updated so check the transportation website on the district website for changes: https://www.sbschools.net/Page/1260


If you would like to try alternative transportation (AT), please complete this brief survey: https://forms.gle/YRpsk5U2ZCcziotL6

Bus Route Updates