ABS Newsletter

We have finally gotten some snow! Things are looking great for winter Sports tomorrow.

If you wish to have your child remain at AO, instead of returning to ABS. Please let the main office know prior to 11:30 on Friday. An adult needs to be physically present by 2pm!!! If by that time an adult is NOT present we will have the student take off their gear, and get ready to depart back to ABS via bus regardless if the plan was for them to remain. There will be no available ABS staff to watch students who don't have an adult present.

ABS is joining in on Global School Play Day 2023 on February 1st. Play is an essential part of learning and development. While play is incorporated into our daily routine at ABS, we feel it’s important to highlight the value by participating in the Global School Play Day.

On February 1st students will arrive at ABS as normal, and will begin and end their day in their classrooms with their morning meeting and closing circles. During the day students will have the opportunity to visit a variety of classrooms and outdoor play spaces to participate in student-directed play as they choose. Students will be supervised at all times by ABS teachers and staff overseeing activities but staff will not be structuring or directing activities.

If you are interested in supporting this event here are some options.

• If you want to donate craft materials please reach out to April Sykes.

• small cardboard boxes

• masking tape

• loose parts: plastic shopping bag sized donation of small craft pieces, scraps, string, beads etc.

• If you’re interested in joining for some play, please contact Jenifer Aldrich to schedule your time to participate at jaldrich@wsesu.net .

Peter Gray, researcher and scholar has a Ted Talk titled The Decline of Play which highlights the value of play in child development.

If you’d like to learn more about Global School Play Day check out the website: https://www.globalschoolplayday.com/

Or learn more about the connection of play and learning check out these links:

The Evolutionary Importance of Self-Directed Play

The Serious Need for Play -Scientific American

Play is more than just fun - Ted Talk by Stuart Brown

Do Schools kill creativity? TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson

Join the play revolution

Things we encourage students to bring:

• Appropriate clothing for indoor and outdoor play.

• Towel, sheet or blanket for fort building.

• Games and toys students are willing to share with the community.

Things that can stay at home:

• Favorite, sentimental items.

• Electronics

• Nerf guns or anything resembling a weapon

Greetings Albert Bridge families!

My name is Jessica Brodie and I was appointed SCIP’s new President the beginning of last

year. I am the mom of 3rd grader, Tyler Brodie, and Kindergarteners (twins), Acadia & Madison

Brodie. For those of you not familiar with “SCIP”, it stands for ‘School Community In

Partnership’ and serves as the “PTO” board for our elementary school and community.

The SCIP website is linked here https://www.schoolandcommunity.net/, as well as the SCIP Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/SCIP-Albert-Bridge-School-West-Windsor-VT-101927785621403.

I would like to invite and encourage you to get involved with SCIP in any capacity you are able

to this school year. If you have event ideas, passions, personal interests, or handy skills we

want to hear from you! We need parent volunteers to make each of these possible.

More info to come on the next meeting date and time.

We strive to have a well-rounded committee of parents that consist of one parent from

each grade. If you are interested in volunteering as your child’s grade “rep” please let

Jessica Brodie know by emailing Jess1783@gmail.com.

Be sure to check out and “like” SCIP’s Facebook page - “SCIP - Albert Bridge School, West

Windsor, VT” linked above, and also SCIPs website (https://www.schoolandcommunity.net/),

and let me know if any Web guru’s want to be the SCIP webmaster. ;-)

I look forward to working with all of you to come up with a fun calendar of events and activities

that will help make our community stronger!

Sincerely,

Jess Brodie

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1/27 - Winter Sports

2/1-Global School Play Day

2/3 - Winter Sports

2/7 - Early Release, students dismissed at 12:00

2/10 - Winter Sports

2/17 - Winter Sports

2/20-2/24 - Winter Break - No School

3/17 - Teacher Inservice - No School

3/30 - Early Release, students dismissed at 12:00

3/31 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - No School

4/10-4/14 - Spring Break - No School

5/5 - Early Release, students dismissed at 12:00

5/29 - Memorial Day - No School

GREAT NEWS----The T-Bar will be open on Saturday and Sunday from Noon until 4PM.

Friday Jan 27th Skiing---AO will have our Friday Community Day on the Rope Tow from 2PM until 4PM. Please remember that children must be accompanied by an adult. Your children’s AO equipment will be made available for this program.

Snowshoe Night Planned---AO and ATA are jointly hosting a full moon snowshoe on Saturday February 4th from 5:30PM until 8:30PM for the entire community. Everyone will meet at the Mile Long Field parking area. Please consider carpooling if possible. There will be a bonfire in Mile Long Field for all to enjoy (even if you are not able to join us on the snowshoe hike). AO has multiple pairs of youth snowshoes and a few adult sizes. If you would like to sign them out to use on the February 4th moonlight walk, please come to the lower level of the Ascutney Outdoors Center on Tuesday January 31st or Thursday February 2nd from 4PM-6PM for pick-up.

Tubing--- We will be open for tubing on Saturday and Sunday from noon until 4PM and Saturday from 6PM until 8PM. It was nice to see some ABS students use their 3 free tubing rides voucher last Saturday evening. We encourage those of you who still have your voucher to take advantage of night tubing. It is a wonderful family activity.