Flynn Flyer
10/29/2021
Please No Halloween Candy at School!
Important Dates
11/04 - Flynn PTO Meeting- 6 PM
Meeting ID meet.google.com/vfg-tbjd-hoy
11-7- End Daylight Savings- Turn Your Clocks Back
11/8-Sign Up for Conferences Begins
11/19-Report Cards go Home
11/22-11-23- Parent/Teacher Virtual Conferences
11/22-11/26-Thanksgiving Break-No School
12/8- Early Release Day 11:30 No Burlington Kids, No Sara Holbrook
Our Flynntastic Staff
Get to Know Your Friendly Flynn Student Support Team!
Jessica Lynn Special Educator
Hello Flynn Families!! My name is Jessica Lynn, and this is my second full year at Flynn. I work with really exceptional kids across grade levels, and I feel so lucky to be part of the Flynn community!
Fun fact: I have a two year old daughter who is a future Flynn student! She loves to boogie and take walks with her family. I am usually found in the garden or on the couch with a pile of knitting in my lap.
Maura Dabney Special Educator
Hi Flynn families! My name is Maura Dabney. I started as a special educator here at Flynn in 2014, and have been supporting students in grades K-2 since then. This year, I am working with students in kindergarten and in one of our first grade classrooms. I feel so lucky to spend my days with your kind and curious kids!
Fun fact: My husband and I are expecting twins in November! The picture above is from mid-August, so you can imagine how things are looking now, two months later! We are looking forward to becoming a family of 6, if you count our first babies, our two snuggly sister cats.
Mary Moore Special Educator
Hello Fabulous Fireflies. My name is Mary Moore and I am a special educator for Grades 2 and 3. This is my eighth year at Flynn.
Fun fact: I have a two year old daughter who has bright red hair. We enjoy going to the park and being silly together.
Lauren Weiss Special Educator
Hello Flynn community! My name is Lauren Weiss and this is my 10th year as an educator, my 6th year working in the Burlington School District, and my 1st year as a Special Education Teacher at J.J. Flynn. Currently, I work with grades 1 and 2.
I am passionate about student-centered learning, fostering a sense of belonging, and promoting student agency.
Fun fact:Throughout my life I have enjoyed participating in many activities including jewelry-making, playing the drums, hip hop dance, boxing, climbing, and various team sports. I love learning new things and am excited to share this enthusiasm with our community!
Susan Held Special Educator
Hi Flynntastic Families! My name is Susan Held and this is my 25th year here at Flynn School! Currently, I am working with grade 4 students. I love helping students with their math, reading and writing assignments as they complete their elementary school career!
Fun fact: I am also a cat lover (like Ms. M)! I have 5 cats that keep me entertained and that bring joy to our whole family. When I am not at school, I am frequently at the North Avenue Hannaford, helping families with purchasing their groceries!
Fun, Fall Activities: Some fun things to do when you are outside:
1. Create a piece of Art from things you find on a walk or even in your own backyard. You can create a nature collage with rocks, twigs, leaves, flowers, etc.
2. Make crayon rubbings of the leaves from different trees, flowers, pine needles, etc.
3. Paint some rocks with all kinds of colors and designs.
4. Sidewalk chalk creations!
So many things you can do!
Laura Ellis School Psychologist
Hello Flynn Firefly Families! My name is Laura Ellis and I am the school psychologist at Flynn. I have worked at Flynn for five years and love making positive connections with students and families. I am passionate about restorative practices and teaching students how to empower positive change in their lives and promote student voice at school!
Fun fact: I have an 18 month old son who keeps me busy. Our favorite past time activity as of late is chasing bunnies in our yard :)
Laurie McKittrick Special Educator
Hi Flynntastic Family! My name is Laurie McKittrick. The kiddos call me Ms. M; I work with the 3rd and 5th grades. This is my 3rd year here at Flynn, and in an elementary school. Most of my teaching career was at the high school level in Philadelphia! Being at Flynn has allowed me to completely fall back in love with teaching. If I ever leave teaching (don’t think that’ll ever happen), I would love to be a nurse. Also, I’m honored to be here with all of you!
Fun fact: I am a cat lady!! I have a cat named Pooh Bear who is the snuggliest snuggler. I’m also a spin teacher, I love running, and, when I’m not at school, you’ll most likely find me working at Hannafords or sleeping.
Overall well-being lessons: I find exercise to be one of the greatest reducers of stress and anxiety. I have noticed that I also feel much better when I limit my sugar intake; I try to snack on fruit when I’m craving sugar. And simply reminding myself to slow down enables me to be more present throughout my days! :)
Kathryn Howrigan Speech Language Pathologist
Hi Flynn Families! My name is Kathryn Howrigan and I am a speech language pathologist. The kiddos call me Ms. H! Although, one of my new Kindergarten friends recently told me he thought my name was Ms. Speech! This is my third year at Flynn and I feel so lucky that I get to work with so many wonderful students and families.
Fun fact: When I am not at school I love to spend time outdoors with my pup, Willa! She has lots of energy and loves to go for long hikes and find new swimming holes to dive into.
Emily Russen School Counselor
Hello Flynn Families! I am very excited to introduce myself as the school counselor at Flynn Elementary!
I just recently moved back to the Burlington area after spending 3+ years in San Diego.
While the sunshine in San Diego was beautiful, Burlington has always had a very special place in my heart. There is a deep sense of community here that is unlike any other place I have been! I feel so fortunate to be able to spend my days with your amazing kiddos!
Fun Fact: When I am not at school I love to spend time playing with my dog named Spartacus! He is the most energetic little guy and I cannot get enough of his little snuggles!
5th Grade Science Expo
Ms. Asaro’s class presented their science expo this Friday to wrap up their watershed unit. Throughout this unit, Ms. Asaro’s class collaborated with Mrs. Warf and began their engineering task in our new Makerspace/STEAM room! Students identified a problem with water and then designed, built, and tested their solution. Students built filters, new pipes, designed a way to prevent sewage overflow into Lake Champlain, and more! Then, students shared their learning and designs with adults around the school and Mr. Brown’s 5th grade class.
Meet Tina Nader: Frist Grade Long Term Sub
I am delighted to join the first grade team at Flynn as a long-term substitute teacher this month! My husband and I just moved to Vermont last February for his new position with the Episcopal Diocese, but I’ve taught kindergarten through college level students for over thirty years in North Carolina, California, Washington DC, Ohio, New York City, Tennessee, Michigan, Hawaii, and South Africa! (We’ve moved a lot because of my husband’s many career changes – from Marine Corps officer to lawyer to Episcopal priest – but I’ve discovered that teaching is a very portable profession!)
My undergraduate degree is in Early Childhood Education (K-3) from the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill where I did my student teaching in a kindergarten/first grade combination class. While teaching first and second grade in California and Maryland, I earned a Master’s Equivalency in Education with an emphasis on remedial and accelerated learning from UC: San Diego and Trinity College in Washington, DC., and later acquired TESOL certification at the University of Maryland.
We have two grown sons who live far away in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, so
I look forward to extending my family to include the school community at Flynn!
Book Fair was a Huge Success! Thank you!
From the Nurse
Trick or Treating Tips
Many children are looking forward to Halloween this weekend.
Here are a few tips from your school nurse to help you keep safe while having fun!
H - Hold a flashlight or wear reflective tape while trick or treating to help others see you.
A - Always remember to say “Thank You!” when someone gives you treats.
L - Look both ways before crossing the street. Walk across the street.
L - Look out for candles and open flames. Wear clothing that is flame resistant.
O - Only go to the homes of people who have their porch or outside lights on.
W - Wear well fitting costumes and masks to avoid tripping or falls.
E - Eat some healthy food before you go Trick or Treating.
E - Eat only factory wrapped treats, avoid homemade treats given by strangers.
N - Never Trick or Treat alone! Go with friends and/or a trusted adult.
Cold and Flu Season
We are now in cold and flu season the best way to stay healthy is hand washing. Hand washing with soap and water is an easy and effective way to prevent the spread of germs and keep people healthy. It’s the best way to avoid getting sick and spreading illness to others. According to the CDC, hand washing can reduce the number of people who get sick with diarrheal illness by 31% and can reduce respiratory illnesses like the cold and flu by 21%. Please remember to wash your hands!
Fireflies of the Day!
Join Flynn's School Advisory Group
Please add your voice as we build our budget for next school year! There are three ways to participate:
You can give input to the district using the form on our website
Email Karen Priebe at kpriebe@bsdvt.org if you are interested in joining our School Advisory Group (SAG).
In November, we will announce the members of our School Advisory Group -- you can share your thoughts with them directly as well.
Everybody Wins! Vermont-Looking for Flynn Site Coordinator
School-based literacy mentoring program
Help children and reading mentors enjoy books together over lunch. Site coordinator openings in Chittenden County at J.J. Flynn Elementary School in Burlington and Shelburne Community School in Shelburne. 10 hours/week starting in September, follows the school calendar and ends in mid-May with minimal and flexible summer hours.
Learn more about our program and see the job description at https://www.everybodywinsvermont.org. Apply with a letter of interest and resume or detailed work experience to info@everybodywinsvermont.org