The PrinciPAL is on Instagram! Feel free to follow me @ rmcsprincipal. I haven't figured out what my "jam" will be, so I'll begin by simply sharing school news and making announcements about upcoming events. I might post some videos. Let's see if I can be as entertaining as my colleague, SBHS Principal Patrick Burke!
Natalie Kinsey Warnock has been coming to RMCS for over 25 years and has made a huge connection with fifth graders as a writer. She comes for a day to share about being an author, then returns for a week to teach us about researching using ancestry, family artifacts, journals and family stories, and connections. Fifth graders use their new knowledge to research Vermonters from the 1800's. Thank you, PTO, for making Natalie's visit possible!
We are excited to announce the read aloud selection for Beginning with Books! In February, teachers will be reading, Your Name is a Song, by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, in all PreK-5 classrooms.
From the Publisher (Innovation Press):
Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.
From School Library Journal (starred review status): (see the full review here)
This is a heartwarming tale with a simple yet critical message of respecting the pronunciation of an individual’s name and honoring the importance of identity and cultural heritage.
If you missed it last week, check out the Seven Days article about overcrowding at our schools, the ZEMs, and these impact fees. Please note that this article was written before impact fees were in effect, which will offset the cost of the project.
I will be sharing budget information at the following meetings:
Wednesday, February 1 at 5 p.m: Tuttle PTO
Wednesday, February 1 at 7 p.m: School Board Meeting
Thursday, February 2 at 6 p.m: SBHS Booster Club Meeting
Wednesday, February 8 at 6 p.m: Orchard Elementary PTO
Tuesday, February 14 at 6 p.m: Rick Marcotte PTO
Gertrude Chamberlin PTO*
*Tim Jarvis, Sr. Director of Operations and Finance, will be presenting at CGS and I’ll be at RMSC as these events occur during the same timeslot.
More detailed information on the budget and bond (which includes information on the ZEMs, including schematics from the architects) can be found on our district website under Budget and Master Planning and Visioning as well as my previous newsletters.
Rally the Wolfpack January 26-28
Your child will be sent home with a bracelet, which gets all SB students into the events below for FREE! Let’s fill the stands and cheer the Wolves on to victory. We hope to see you there.
Go Wolves!
Thursday, January 26
Girls Basketball vs CVU
JV at 5:30, Varsity at 7:00
Friday, January 27
Boys Basketball vs Burlington
JV at 5:30, Varsity at 7:00
Saturday, January 28
Dance Competition at 1:00
Girls Hockey vs BFA at 4:50
Boys Hockey vs BFA at 7:20
Basketball games and dance competition are held at the gym at SBHS.
Concession Stand and Wolves Wear Store will be open at the basketball games.
Hockey games are held at Cairns Arena, Rink 1.
For a full calendar of SB athletic events, visit sbwolves.com.
We continue to welcome volunteers to help us at recess. We are fortunate to have a large playground and appreciate the parent volunteers who sign up to help us with supervision from time to time. If you have availability, please visit the Sign Up Genius to schedule the times you are available to join us in January and February (the next winter break). Thank you!
Just a quick reminder that South Burlington's school budget is up for a vote on Town Meeting Day on March 7th. This includes a bond issue that plans to address the overcrowding that is impacting the elementary schools.
Information is available on the district website and will be discussed at school board meetings throughout January and February.
The Asthma Surveillance Report from the Vermont Department of Health shows that 1 in 12 children have current asthma (~9,000) and 61% of those children had an exacerbation during the past year.
Triggers
When a child with asthma breathes air mixed with scented products (essential oil diffusers, perfume, smoke from cigarettes or wood burning, etc.) their asthma may flare up and make it more difficult to breathe. These are called asthma triggers. Triggers can also include respiratory infections, allergens, irritants, exercise, cold air and emotions. It's important to remove triggers in the child's environment that can make asthma worse. The main triggers that were identified in the Vermont Surveillance Report were indoor pets, gas stove cooking, carpet / pets in the bedroom and wood stove and fireplace use.
Identifying and reducing triggers in your home
It may seem a bit daunting, but this EPA checklist provides key points, potential action steps and helps identify asthma triggers (and thank goodness we don't have cockroaches in VT!).
Reducing 1-4 triggers can lend to improvement of symptoms.
Asthma Action Plan
3 out of 5 children received an Asthma Action Plan (AAP) from their provider. Consider obtaining an AAP and providing the school nurse with a copy. Communicate with your school nurse(s) about your child's asthma triggers and when their inhaler may be needed
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.
- Clerical Assistant
- 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