THE VIKING
Hinesburg Community School - August 30, 2019
Dear HCS Families
Welcome to the start of the 2019-2020 school year!
Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the Ice Cream Social. We loved seeing all of you connecting with one another and connecting with our staff. It was also fun to watch parents and students have a "sneak peek" into their classrooms to meet their teachers and see their new spaces. We also appreciate how many 5th through 8th grade parents stayed for the "Meet the Coaches" meeting.
As much as we loved scooping ice cream for kids and their families, it was even better to see how well the kids have been doing during this first week of school. They are learning their new classroom routines and are learning about one-another. We are set for a very good year!
We look forward to seeing you at many of the "Back to School" events. These events are listed on our website as well as in our newsletter. If you are new to the Hinesburg Community School, welcome to our wonderful learning community!
Warmly,
Suzan and John
Dates to Remember
Monday, September 2
Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 3
Early Release Day - Dismissal at 1:45
Tuesday, September 10
Early Release Day - Dismissal at 1:45
Thursday, September 12
- 6:00 - 6:30 Grades 5 & 6 Curriculum Night (in 5/6 classrooms)
- 6:30 - 7:00 An optional meeting for 5-8 parents in the Flex Space to hear about activities and using the JumpRope portal.
- 7:00 - 7:30 Grades 7 & 8 Curriculum Night (in the 7/8 classrooms)
Tuesday, September 17
Early Release Day - Dismissal at 1:45
Thursday, September 19
School Picture Day!
Tuesday, September 24
Early Release Day - Dismissal at 1:45
Thursday, September 26
- 5:00 - 7:00 K-4 & Essential Arts Open House and Curriculum Night
Security Updates
Over the summer we installed an additional set of doors in our front entryway that will require visitors to be buzzed into an entry holding area, and then buzzed in a second time by our administrative assistants. Hand-in-hand with our more secure entryway, the side entrance will always be locked, including during drop-off and pick-up. All students and parents/guardians will need to enter and exit the building through the front entrance. Drivers will still drop off students in the side parking lot, but then students will walk around to the front of the building and enter through the main doors. To prevent confusion, we will be outside helping direct students. Finally, the front entrance will be unlocked from 7:30-8:15 am, and then again at 2:30pm. It is during these times that parents and guardians may enter the building to drop off or wait for their kids. On early dismissal days, we will unlock the front door at 1:30 pm.
Attendance Changes
Please call 482-2106 and press 1 to leave a message reporting your child’s absence. You may also report your child’s absence by sending an email message to hcsattendance@cvsdvt.org. Also, as part of our new electronic attendance system, we ask that parents leave the classroom by 7:50 am so we can complete our attendance on time.
Morning Routine
7:30-7:50 am:
Students MUST report to assigned arrival areas:
K-1st-4th Grades- FlexSpace
2nd-3rd Grades- Library
5th-6th Grades- Gym
7th- 8th Grades- Middle School Classrooms
7:50 am:
Students ONLY should transition to classrooms:
Families must sign in at the main office after 7:50.
8:00 am:
Classes have started and attendance is taken.
Students, Teachers & Staff should be in their assigned areas.
Students arriving after 8:00 am must report to the main office for a late slip.
Change of After School Plans & Bus Notes
Please call 482-2106, extension 1 or email hcsattendance@cvsdvt.org before 1:30 if you need to make any changes to your student's after school plans. We check this line often and will be able to relay the message to your student, their teacher and to the appropriate bus driver. There is no need to send in a separate note to the teacher. Thank you.
Common Read
Dear Families,
We are very excited about the upcoming Common Read culminating event! The Common Read Celebration Day is taking place on September 5th with our current 4th, 6th, 8th, and 9th graders. For a reminder or more information about the Common Read, please visit this website: http://bit.ly/CVSDCommonRead.
The purpose of the day is to celebrate the Common Read books students received before the summer break, connect with their peers across the district, and expand on the themes of the books through an author’s keynote speech, workshops, and a collaborative art project. We anticipate a wonderful day to bring together our district around literacy and empathy building.
This Celebration Day is a field trip on September 5th, all day to CVU. Students will begin the day at their own school and will be transported by bus to CVU and back at the end of the day. Here are a few details about the day:
Students need to bring a lunch or inform their teacher that they’ll need a bag lunch from the cafeteria
Ideally, students should also bring an empty backpack to help carry their lunch as they move around throughout the day.
Teachers from the sending schools will attend the Celebration Day with students.
You are not required to take any additional action if you have completed the online forms and permissions from the school. If you have not yet submitted those, please do so as soon as possible!
The books that your children received are theirs to keep! They do not need to bring them on September 5th.
Your child does not need to have read their book to participate in the Celebration Day.
Schedule for the day:
Keynote from Lisa Moore Ramée, author of A Good Kind of Trouble
All students will participate in a collaborative art project
Workshops opportunities for 4th and 6th graders will include: Clemmons Family Farm (poets, storytellers, musicians, singers, culinary artists), and Lisa Moore Ramée will facilitate writing workshops with some 6th graders
Workshops with the Peace and Justice Center of Vermont for 8th and 9th graders to better understand racism and build empathy.
Thank you for your support of what we hope is the first of many district-wide, collaborative experiences for the Champlain Valley School District.
The CVSD Common Read Planning Team
* * Here’s the letter we shared in May 2019 about the Common Read: http://bit.ly/CommonReadMay
Welcome Back from the HCS School Counselors!
As the school year begins we are excited to see all of the students back into the swing! As school counselors, we are here to support your child’s overall social/emotional and academic success. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are looking for any support or resources that will help strengthen your child’s emotional well-being.
Sincerely,
Vicki Nelson K-3 vnelson@cvsdvt.org 482-6284
Dave Rast 4-8 drast@cvsdvt.org 482-6221
HCS - Team Spelling - Grades 5-8
Try Team Spelling and Rack Up Points!
***** Unlike an individual Spelling Bee where you stand up, speak into a microphone, and are immediately out if you misspell a word, Team Spelling is about racking up the most points as a group! *****
AND… We’re giving you all the answers ahead of the qualifying quiz! Yep, all of the Answers for the quiz AND the competitions! Bonus for 6-8th graders: same words as last year!
WHAT: Team Spelling – a (mostly) in-school activity.
1 team of 5th/6th graders; 1 team of 7th/8th graders. Separate word lists.
MATERIALS:
Word lists – available through classroom teachers, Mr. Shackett or online at:
https://vpaonline.org/student-activities/team-spelling/
WHEN:
Qualifying Quiz – 15 min. quiz, Sept. 6th.
Team Practice in September – 6 or 8 sessions during Sustained Reading or Lunch/Recess.
District Competition during the school day, likely Oct. 10th. (Note: Traditionally, this includes a bonus post-competition detour… you’ll like it very much… )
Regionals - on Sat., 10/26. (assuming, naturally, that we win the District)
State Finals - on a Sat., 11/16.
Parent Volunteer: Kristin Miskavage kzeemiskavage@gmail.com
School Contact: Chris Shackett cshackett@cvsdvt.org
Further Info: https://vpaonline.org/student-activities/team-spelling/
TEAM SELECTION: The top scorers on the qualifying quiz will be designated as the official 6-member team. 6 official members on the 5/6 Team; Another 6 official members on the 7/8 Team.
Additionally, if there are other high-ish scorers who tell me that they don’t want to compete, I’ll see if I can arrange to have you come to our in-school practice sessions anyway.
Pick up the Word List from your teacher or Mr. Shackett OR print them at home from the bottom of this web page: https://vpaonline.org/student-activities/team-spelling/
Then, Study up. Have your family quiz you. See you on Quiz Day!
Become A Foster Parent!
Are you ready to celebrate his first ever birthday party? Can you help a teen discover her growing independence in healthy ways? Do you and your family have a lot of patience, determination, and most of all, an abundance of love to share?
BECOME A FOSTER PARENT! The Family Services Division of the Department for Children and Families may be looking for someone just like you to provide foster care for a child. Could you offer a safe, stable, loving home for an infant, toddler, siblings, child with special needs, school-age child, teen? Can you set age-appropriate expectations and boundaries? Are you patient, kind, and resilient to the demands a child may place on you? Are you able to navigate through the many demands that being a foster parent will create in your life? If so, we would love to hear from you. Foster parenting can be challenging but it also provides one of the richest rewards you’ll ever experience.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: (802) 863-7370
Ask to speak with our Recruitment and Retention Specialist or the Resource Coordinator. White Cap Business Park, 426 Industrial Ave. Ste. 130, Williston, Vermont 05495
HCRC Food Shelf Benefit - Sayre Family Fields
Please join us for a berry harvesting fundraising event to benefit the Hinesburg Community Resource Center Food Shelf at the Sayre Fields Family farm on the weekend of Sept 21-22! Pickers are welcome anytime between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday. The harvest is extensive and the family could use help. A large contribution will be made to the HCRC Food Shelf on behalf of the berry harvesters who attend. This event is a great way for community members to support neighbors in need through a festive labor party. HCRC gets many calls from families wishing that their children could in some way help the good work of the food shelf and here's the opportunity! Please visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/584868602120446/ to let us know if you can join the fun!
Community Links
About Us
Suzan Locke, HCS Co-Principal, Grades K-4
482-6299, slocke@cvsdvt.org
John Pontius, HCS Co-Principal, Grades 5-8
482-6298, jpontius@cvsdvt.org
Alicia Kurth, HCS Special Education Administrator
425-6285, akurth@cvsdvt.org
Email: hcsinformation@cvsdvt.org
Website: https://www.cvsdvt.org/hinesburg
Location: Hinesburg Community School, 10888, Route 116, Hinesburg, Vermont, USA
Phone: 802-482-2106
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hinesburg-Community-School-125786304154731/
The Viking Newsletter is published bi-weekly, when school is in session. It is available on our web site and is also delivered to email via Blackboard Connect. If needed, a hard copy can be provided for your child to bring home. The Viking includes upcoming events, after school opportunities, notes of interest for parents and the community and updates from our school administration.