Whew, can you believe it? 34 Covid cases in one week! That's not a record but it felt like it. I've made a "couple" mistakes sending out a letter to the wrong class (I guess we need to slow down a little). I think I've followed up on all of those but please feel free to check in anytime looking for clarification. Hopefully, we will get through this latest surge soon. Shout out to our COVID Response Team for their extensive work!

I've recently received questions about our recess guidelines. Our guidelines are that we go outside unless it is zero - this includes windchill! We want everyone to get some fresh air, outdoor time but zero is our limit. We need to take into account that we have approximately 440 students in seven grades - and not all students have the proper clothing available to them. So, staying in when it's below zero seems sensible. We also stay in when it's too icy or too wet.

Parents - don't forget next Friday is an Early Release Day. Students are dismissed at 12:30.

Thank you again PTO for the treats this morning. Our staff feels very appreciated!
Have a good weekend everyone; take some time to read with your child. Stay warm!

Mark T

Quote of the Week:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

To protect yourself and others from COVID-19, CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. The best mask for kids is the mask they are willing to wear.

If Your Student Has COVID-19 Symptoms:

• Test! If an antigen/rapid test is negative, follow up with a PCR test.
• If an antigen test is positive, there is no need to do a PCR test.
• Please STAY home while waiting for the PCR test results.

Be well,

Kara Cassani, RN & Darcy Mazlish, RN

Orchard School Nurses
SBSD Elementary Health Services
p. (802) 652-7303
f. (802) 652-7354

Next PTO Meeting with special guest David Young: February 2nd at 6:30 pm. Join us in welcoming Superintendent David Young will join to discuss the upcoming school year's fiscal budget proposal.

https://smcvt.zoom.us/j/93172370771?pwd=VEdsWXJheUVvcCt4Nnh0cDR4VUQyZz09

Meeting ID: 931 7237 0771

Passcode: 901079

PTO Updates: Recent PTO contributions include teacher and staff appreciation treats, reimbursement to teachers for classroom needs, a Gaga ball pit (coming in February!), and more! Joining our meetings means you get to voice your opinion on how to spend PTO funds!

Teacher Appreciation Snack Sign Up: Sign up here to show our teachers and staff some love! https://www.konstella.com/app/school/6053aecc105c0243ef2edbfa/recurring-signups/61689cb76afad907d5d48956

Reach out to the PTO: We can be reached at Orchardschoolvt@gmail.com with questions, comments, or concerns.

Still not on Konstella? Konstella is a parent portal for people to connect with one another (e.g., to set up playdates), for community event reminders, and for committee sign-ups. Add your child to their classroom today! https://www.konstella.com/cd/YHHCGJ

Questions or Comments for the PTO? Please email Orchardschoolvt@gmail.com

Hello Orchard Friends!

This month in Farm to School we are kicking off the New Year with a lesson on cabbage. Cabbage has provided people with beneficial nutrients throughout the cold winter months for thousands of years. Back then there was no such thing as refrigeration to help preserve the foods from the fall harvest. So thousands of years ago, beginning in China and Europe, people would preserve their cabbage through a process called fermentation. Students from Grades 1-3 may remember the sauerkraut lesson from last year. Through the process of fermentation, cabbage makes for a great storage crop delivering much vitality to help keep our bodies strong.

Thanks to our current-day refrigerators, we enjoyed making a fresh Rainbow Cabbage Slaw, in the middle of winter! We wanted to especially thank Farmer Fae at Common Roots who grew the cabbage and Farmer Andy at The Intervale who grew the carrots last summer. The variety of ingredients in this slaw provide many nutrient-dense benefits. We hope you will give this recipe a try at home!

Cabbage & Parsley: both are high in vitamin K, which helps support the growth of our bones and helps our wounds heal.

Carrots: they are full of vitamin A which we call glow foods! Vitamin A helps support our eyesight and ability to see when it is dark while also supporting the health of our skin.

Garlic: this food is especially important this time of year because of its immune-boosting abilities from vitamin C.

Rainbow Cabbage Slaw

Serves 4-6

A colorful dish to brighten any meal!

Ingredients for Slaw:

● 1 napa cabbage (~2 lbs), thinly sliced

● ½ head of red cabbage (~1 lb), thinly sliced

● 2 carrots, grated

● ½ cup of parsley, roughly chopped

Ingredients for Dressing:

● ¼ cup Olive Oil

● 3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

● 2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

● ¼ tsp Salt

● 1 clove Garlic

Directions:

1. Prep the cabbage by washing and drying it and then cutting it into quarters, coring away the heart, and removing damaged outer leaves as needed.
2. Finely slice the red and napa cabbage.
3. After washing and drying the carrots, grate them.
4. Roughly rip or chop the parsley.
5. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
6. Grate the garlic using a garlic press or ceramic grater.
7. Add the garlic to a clear glass jar with a screw lid
8. Add other dressing ingredients to the jar and close the lid tightly.
9. Shake to emulsify the ingredients.
10. Drizzle over the slaw and combine well. Enjoy!

Till next time, Nourish to Flourish,

Lauren Jones, Common Roots - Farm to School Educator

Nora Scully, Common Roots - Farm to School Educator

Bolton Ski and Ride After School Program - we will be heading back to Bolton Valley this year, four Thursdays Feb 17, March 3, 10, and 17, 2022. The program offers rentals, lessons, and lift tickets for 4 weeks of evening skiing and snowboarding.

Please look for additional information on Konstella, Bolton Ski and Ride Program (preferred), or email OrchardSkiRide@gmail.com.