Gertrude Chamberlin School
Family Newsletter October 16, 2020 Volume 15 Issue 14
Reminders:
Grades 3, 4 and 5 will continue in hybrid with 2 days of in person learning until the week of October 26th.
Green Day Wednesdays on the District Calendar will continue to be home learning days, including a Zoom Morning Meeting.
You can purchase comfy clothing with the SB Chamberlin School Logo! Deadline is Sunday, October 18th.
Congratulations, PBiS Teams at Chamberlin School!
We Earned an all school celebration by filling our hive! wacky outfit days were on Thursday, October 8th and Wednesday, October 14th. Click below to see some of the wacky fun we had!
Farm To School
Hello South Burlington Friends and Families!
My name is Lauren Jones and I am so excited to be a part of the Farm to School program through Common Roots this year. This October, we are focusing on sweet potatoes and garlic and how these two amazing foods help us go, glow, and give our immune systems a big boost of strength to keep us healthy during the fall and winter months. We got creative while making our very own compostable Mr. Potato Heads. We also tasted a delicious, garlicky sweet potato mash. Here is the recipe so you can try it at home!
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium white potato, or sub another sweet potato
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Rinse potatoes to clean off any dirt from the skin. Dice into 1-in cubes and place on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat.
4. Roast potatoes in the oven for about 30-40 min, or until soft and lightly browned, stirring halfway through.
5. Once potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
6. Add minced garlic and toss with roasted potatoes.
7. Mash by hand with a potato masher or the back of a fork, until you reach desired consistency. If you have a stand mixer or food processor, you can mash with these as well.
8. Serve alongside your favorite protein and green vegetable for a nutritious meal!
Be sure to check out the Common Roots blog for the first episode of our video series and if you are in the area, come visit our Farm at South Village - there are lots of things to see and explore if you are looking for a weekend adventure! See you next month!
Lauren Jones, Farm to School Educator
Arrival and Dismissal Updates and Reminders:
THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF CARS AT ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL, AS OUR PRE-K-2 STUDENTS COME BACK 4 DAYS A WEEK. PLEASE BE PATIENT, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE STAFF, DRIVE SLOWLY AND ARRIVE AT YOUR DESIGNATED TIME.
OUR MORNING HEALTH SCREENINGS ARE NOW INSIDE. ALL STUDENTS ARE SCREENED IN EITHER THE LOBBY OR HALLWAYS. ONLY STUDENTS WILL ENTER THE BUILDING AND WILL BE GUIDED TO THE HEALTH SCREENING AREA.
PARENTS OF WALKERS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AS YOU GATHER ON THE SIDEWALK. We are now having a staff member cross students over to you on the sidewalk, for safety reasons.
We have some gentle reminders for arrival:
- Please remember to slow down and drive through the bus lane.
- All families with a PreK or K student (even if you have a student in grades 1-5 as well) will always go to station 3 in the small parking lot.
- For families with older students, our traffic controllers will let you know if you should go to station 1 or 2. Please roll down your window so they can direct you to the correct station.
- We really appreciate that so many of you have your card visible on your dashboard. Please remember that the card is for grade level, not your arrival/dismissal station.
Please do not arrive before 7:50, and 7:55 is the official start time for arrival. Please do not arrive before 2:30, including walkers, as we are getting busses loaded and out to stagger the process. The last dismissal group ends at 2:50. Staff have meetings to go to at this time, so we appreciate that you arrive by this time so they are not late to their next commitment. Thank you for all of your help with this new process!
Arrival for cars and walkers:
Students in PK, 1, and 5 will arrive between 7:55-8:10am.
Students in K, 2, 3, and 4 will arrive between 8:10-8:25am.
Dismissal for cars and walkers:
2:30pm-2:40: Car and Walkers dismissal out the by grade level
PK, K, and older siblings of those grade levels out the kindergarten door (stop #3)
1st grade and older siblings of first graders out the main door (stop #2)
2:40-2:50: Car and Walkers dismissal out the front main entrance by grade level
2nd and 3rd grade and older siblings of those grades out the kindergarten door (stop #3)
4th and 5th graders out the main door (stop #2)
Wolf Pack Time - Talking About Covid
This week during Wolf Pack Time, grade 3-5 Blue Pack had their Covid circle time on Wednesday, October 14th. Students are living in a time of a pandemic. In our community it is important to feel safe and be able to express how you are feeling. Students watched a video (the link is below) with kids sharing their thoughts about Covid-19 and then shared their own ideas and feelings. In our circles, children know that they can "pass" if they don't want to share a response. We have spent time in the first few circles developing a safe and trusting environment so students hopefully feel that they can share their thoughts and feelings during Wolf Pack Time. Here are the circle "rounds" and "closing" that children participated in so you can continue the conversation at home.
You may have similar or different thoughts than the kids we just heard from, and that is okay. We are going to answer the same questions. What do you know about the Coronavirus?
How do you feel about the pandemic?
What should adults be doing about the Coronavirus?
Name one thing that you can do to help you and your friends feel safe and comfortable here at Gertrude Chamberlin School?
Closing: Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. This is a very challenging time for all of us. We are all working together to make sure that we feel safe and comfortable. Some ways that we are doing this are: wearing a mask, keeping space between us, washing and sanitizing our hands, and sharing our ideas and feelings with each other. We will end with a quote from Audrey Hepburn: “You will discover that you have two hands. One is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others.”
Below is the link to the SoBu Spooktacular through the South Burlington Recreation Department
Updates from Nurse Farrell
Information for Families: Return to School Following Illness
I am sending home an updated version of this Health Department handout. Please reference the handout when your student is sick with COVID-like symptoms (including a runny nose!). Consider keeping it on your refrigerator or in your school folder.
What is the update? If your child is experiencing one symptom, as indicated in the yellow box, please keep them at home until they feel better for at least 24 hours (and symptoms are improved or gone).
Vermont Department of Health Resources
Close Contacts and Contact Tracing Information:
Who is Considered a Close Contact and What does it Mean?
According to the Health Department, if someone tests positive for COVID-19, the Health Department will work closely with the individual (and if necessary, the school) to identify their close contacts. Timeframe, nature of contact and other factors can influence who is determined to be a close contact. This is called contact tracing.
Close contact means being within six feet for 15 minutes or more, of someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 during their infectious period. The infectious period starts two days before any symptoms began, or for people who haven't had symptoms, two days before they got tested, and continues until they are recovered. Close contact does not mean: being more than six feet away in the same indoor environment for a short period of time, walking by, or briefly being in the same room.
Click here to view a Timeline for People who are Close Contacts (of Someone with COVID-19)
What is Contact Tracing?
The Health Department indicates that contact tracing is used to provide education, support and guidance to people who are diagnosed with an infectious disease. It’s also used to identify people who have been in close contact with them, so they can take steps to stop the disease from spreading to others.Here's a video that shows how contact tracing for COVID-19 works in Vermont.
Click here for more information about close contacts and contact tracing.
Annual Flu Shot Reminder
Video from the CDC: Roll up your sleeve for your annual flu vaccine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02ICysV_t1E&feature=youtu.be
October 9th Update from Superintendent Young
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,
During this challenging time, I have continued to be grateful for the resilience of our staff, students, and families, so it seemed appropriate timing that World Teachers’ Day was recently celebrated October 5. Observing how our teachers responded when the pandemic initially came to light back in March, causing the complete shutdown of in-person learning, pivoting from remote learning to the hybrid model as we started this new school year, and being flexible, yet again, as we announced the transition to more in-person learning for our lower grades has been inspiring. Our Secretary of Education Dan French recently expressed his thanks as well in his letter to Vermont Educators. Finding creative ways to maintain the most important aspect of our work, relationship building, has been incredible to see. Thank you all!
Reopening Update
We continue to prepare for the phased reopening of our elementary schools with Grades PreK-2 students returning October 13 followed by our Grades 3-5 students October 26 for 4 days per week of in-person instruction. I am so proud of how quickly our dedicated staff has worked to make the adjustments necessary for a safe re-entry of our students into our schools.
Please continue to look for details specific to your child(ren)’s school from the individual principals. While we continue to see relatively low case counts and viral transmission of COVID-19 in Vermont and especially in schools, keep in mind that these dates and plans are subject to change based on evolving data from the Vermont Department of Health, the CDC, and guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education.
Clarity on Attendance
Grades PreK-2, if your student(s) is currently enrolled in the hybrid model, they will be expected to attend school 4 days per week beginning the week of October 12 (no school Monday to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day).
Grades 3-5 will begin 4 days per week beginning October 26.
Grades 6-12 will maintain the current hybrid schedule.
We understand that many of you have made arrangements to accommodate the hybrid learning model such as childcare or activities specific to the remote learning days. However, attendance must be taken, as required by law, by reaching out by phone to connect with parents/guardians when a child does not show up for school, whether in-person or remote and/or indicates on the health survey that they are unwell. If your child(ren) is not in school on the above days, they will be marked absent. Thank you for your understanding.
Physical Distancing Guidance
Currently, the Strong and Healthy Start Guidelines from the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) stipulate a need for 3-6ft of physical distancing to the extent possible between students ages 10 and under. The CVSA (Champlain Valley Superintendents Association) has submitted a letter to the AOE asking for changes to this language to allow for more flexibility. While the statewide task force that created the guidance is currently meeting to discuss this change, we will be working to ensure students are maintaining this distance to the extent possible and will continue with our additional layers of protection including mask wearing, proper hand hygiene, and air purification units in every classroom.
VTVLC Learners
Currently, we have 10 SBSD teachers instructing classes through VTVLC and 167 students enrolled. I want you to know that all enrolled students are a part of our district. We care about and miss them. We have heard some concerns from parents/guardians about the content and execution of the learning at certain grade levels. Please know we hear you and do not hesitate to reach out to our VTVLC coordinators Shelley Mathias for grades K-8 and Patrick Burke for grades 9-12 with any questions or concerns.
Transportation
With the return of our grades PreK-2 students to four days of in-person learning, the transportation department has revised all elementary bus routes. Combining the two cohorts has resulted in adjustments to pick-up and drop-off times for many students and even some bus number changes for a few students. Please visit our District website for the updated bus route information. Our Middle and High School routes remain unchanged. We appreciate your patience thus far in this complex transportation year and encourage you to communicate questions and concerns to Kathy LaRock at klarock@sbschools.net or (802) 652-7479. If unable to reach Kathy, please contact Christa Chambers in the Office of Operations and Finance at cchambers@sbschools.net or (802) 652-7053 for assistance.
Reminder on Travel
As holidays and vacations approach, families and staff may be considering traveling out of the area. This is a gentle reminder that the care and safety of our school community depends upon all of us following federal and state travel guidelines. Prior to traveling, be sure to check the cross state travel map from the State of Vermont which is updated every Tuesday. Areas that are in yellow and red require quarantines upon return to Vermont, so plan your getaways accordingly. You can find more detailed information about travel and quarantine at the Vermont Department of Health website.
All employees who plan to or who have traveled out of state are expected to fill out this FY21 Covid Travel Notification Form. Thank you all for your compliance!
School Happenings
Thanks to the fantastic weather so far this fall, the SBHS rowing club has been taking to the water. The club, coached by Emily Gilmore and Michelle Goldsmith, had their first race last weekend where they competed against Rice, Vergennes, CVU, Mt. Abe, and Burlington. Way to go!
At Gertrude Chamberlin School, this week’s Wolf Pack Time restorative circle focused on COVID-19. It is crucial that all students feel safe, supported, and heard especially as the pandemic continues. Students watched a video called “Kids Explain the Coronavirus” which featured children sharing their thoughts about Covid-19. Afterward, Chamberlin students had an opportunity to share their own ideas and feelings. Principal Rouelle wrote, “In our circles, children know that they can "pass" if they don't want to share a response. We have spent time in the first few circles developing a safe and trusting environment so students hopefully feel that they can share their thoughts and feelings during Wolf Pack Time.”
Along this same theme, the Rick Marcotte Central School library has added library titles to help facilitate Covid-19 discussions with children. Topics range from mask wearing to answering Covid-19 questions through age appropriate stories. Check them out!
At FHTMS, rehearsals have begun for their fall play, Jane Eyre. Congratulations to the cast and to all students who worked hard to prepare their auditions. Watch for more details to come on this play, currently set to be performed in January 2021.
Orchard School has begun a year long, school wide, antiracism project titled "Reading to Raise Anti-Racists." Thanks to last spring's fundraising efforts by Orchard parents/guardians, the school has multiple copies of selected picture books that every class will be reading during each month of the school year. They’ll be starting with Julius Lester's Let’s Talk About Race, followed in late October by Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein. The Orchard newsletter, “The Core” will be updated with future titles.
I hope you all have a restful, enjoyable, and safe weekend.
Sincerely,
David
Family Resources:
Travel
Family Support with Technology/Chromebooks
How Can I Get Library Books During Hybrid Learning?
Here's the link to the breakfast and lunch menus.
Chamberlin School
Email: hrouelle@sbschools.net
Website: https://vt01819219.schoolwires.net/Domain/10
Location: Chamberlin School, White Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802 652 7403
Twitter: @hrouelle