Catamount Update
The Weekly Newsletter for St. Johnsbury School Families
March 22, 2024
A Letter from the Principals
Dear St. Johnsbury School Families,
It's the time of year when students in Grades 3-8 must complete the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (VTCAP), the state's standardized test. Our Middle School students will begin their testing next week on Tuesday. Fourth and fifth grade students will test the following week and third graders the week after that. The VTCAP assessment is administered in classrooms and smaller settings by classroom teachers, para-educators and other support staff and is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their knowledge of reading, writing and math skills.
During testing weeks it is important for students to get plenty of rest and to have a healthy breakfast (at home or at school) so they are ready to do their best on the assessment. We will be providing special snacks each day for students who are testing and a variety of other positive messages will be shared with students to provide encouragement!
Today marked the end of the Third Quarter. It's hard to believe how quickly this year has gone!! Teachers will be working to complete report cards over the next couple of weeks in preparation for parent conferences the week of April 8-12 (no school on Friday). We look forward to welcoming everyone to school to discuss your child's learning, successes and areas for growth.
Wishing you all a safe, dry and warm weekend!
Sincerely,
Jeremy Ross and Lydia Cochrane
The Mobile Dental Van Is On Its Way!
The Mobile Dental Van is coming to school this Spring from April 8th through April 16th. If your student or child does not have a dental home, please reach out to Katherine Siner, School Nurse, at katherine.siner@stjsd.org or (802)745-2737. Services from the licensed dentists, hygienists, and assistants include cleaning teeth, exams, fillings, x-rays, extractions, and sealants!
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
The Scholastic Book Fair is back and the PTO is in need of community volunteers. Sign-up here. No experience necessary! All you need is a big smile and we will teach you the rest. We are open April 5th - April 12th. and need volunteers for as little as an hour or much more. Please consider at least a 2 hour block of time if you're available. Click on the button below to sign up, or contact Christine Owens directly. Please sign-up by Monday, April 1st. Thank you for supporting our readers and the PTO!
Christine Owens, Upper School Librarian & PTO Secretary
Summer Program Registration
Deadline: April 12, noon
You can find information and a registration form for CatCH Fire (the district's free summer program for current K-8 students) at this website: bit.ly/catchsummer24
Registration forms also are available at the school's front desk.
Questions? Please email bduff@stjsd.org or call 802-745-2817.
Parking Reminders
As you may have noticed, we are tight on parking recently and a few things have come up as a result...
Please be mindful of HOW you park, which means parking within the lines. If you are over them and preventing other cars from getting into a spot, we will ask you to move your car.
Please be mindful of WHERE you park, please do not make up parking spots. They have caused unsafe traffic patterns at drop off and dismissal. We want to keep our students safe!
Thank you!
.
The 2024-2025 School Calendar Is Here!
You can also access next school year's calendar at stjsd.org.
Upcoming Events
March 25 at 5:30- Budget Forum (District Office)
March 27 at 8am- Budget Forum (District Office)
March 28 at 3pm- State Spelling Bee (Middlebury College)
April 3 at 12pm- Virtual Budget Forum (see website for Zoom link)
April 5- April 12- Bookfair
April 5 at 6pm- Budget Forum (SJS Auditorium)
April 8- Early Dismissal
April 9 from 8am - 7pm- VOTING DAY (Town Offices)