The Core

November 11, 2022, Volume 14, Issue 13

Hello Parents and Guardians,

Last spring, our faculty nominated our Speech Language Pathologist, Jenna Lewandowski, as an Outstanding Educator of the Year. The Outstanding Educator award is a collaborative effort between the Agency of Education and the University of Vermont which celebrates outstanding teachers throughout the state. I was very fortunate to attend the ceremony with Jenna and her husband, Jamie. Jenna is an amazing SLP and is highly appreciated by her peers at Orchard. She is a strong advocate for all students and motivates us all to meet the needs of every child. The UVM Celebration was very inspiring, check out my photos!


We recently shared updates regarding school security drills. There is a "Secure the Building" drill mandated in November, this is when we practice sitting calmly in quiet classrooms. It does not last long and we will provide lots of upfront information to make sure everyone is feeling safe. A drill is simply practicing - and we emphasize that we learn from our experiences. Our goal is to keep this as low-key, safe, and as informative as possible.


The South Burlington Rotarians joined us for the annual Dictionary Presentation to our 3rd graders. Every year, the Rotarians provide each 3rd grader in our district with a dictionary/almanac. It's always a real treat and the students get access to lots of interesting resources. Due to our lack of space, we did the presentation in the lobby! Even still, the third graders did a great job and we're highly appreciative of the Rotarians.


Do you have your parent conference scheduled? We hope you'll be joining us soon. And don't forget to check out our Lost & Found, it's growing by the day!


Wow! One more week until the Thanksgiving break. If you think about it, it's the longest stretch of the school year - the winter months have a break approximately every seven weeks so we're excited to have a bit of a break coming soon.


Please check out our Thankful Giving Letter for families in need. Any donation would be appreciated. And don't forget Orchard Gear, you can purchase new items on the link found in the PTO article.

Have a good Veteran's Day weekend. Take some time to read with your child.

Mark T & Olivia K

Our Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Jenna Lewandowski Receiving her Award at the UVM Ceremony

Seed Time

Seed Time

Today we had our 3rd Seed Time! Our focus for this week was empathy. All students worked in their groups to create agreements about how they wanted their time together to look and feel. In the Kindergarten through Second-grade groups, students worked on identifying feelings with a game of Feelings Charades. In Third through Fifth-grade groups students looked at optical illusion photos and discussed taking others' perspectives.


Abby Hill

Social-Emotional Coach

Seed Time
PTO News

PTO News

Square 1 Art: You have an extra week to order keepsakes and gifts that feature your child's artwork!

NEW DEADLINE: 11/18/2022

Shop Online square1art.com/shop

**Shipping fees holding you back? Email orchardschoolvt@gmail.com to connect with a group order and skip the fees.**

Need to find your child's art? Use the online Art Search.

Do you know you can upload additional art and make an order? Use the online Art Upload


Orchard Gear: Short deadline, order your Orchard Gear today! The store closes on November 16 at 11:59 pm. https://kevinsmithsports.chipply.com/ORCHARD/ Email Colby Skoglund at cskoglun@bsdvt.org with any questions.

PTO News

Photos from the SBSD English Language Learners Evening at the South Burlington Library Event

News from Our Medical Team

News from Our Medical Team

HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE DURING THIS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SEASON


Dr. Rebecca Bell is a Pediatric Critical Care Physician at the University of Vermont Children's Hospital and

President of Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.


What You Need to Know About RSV, Flu and COVID Right Now can be read HERE.

Dr. Bell's Question and Answer Video can be seen HERE.


How parents/caregivers can protect their children against respiratory viruses:

"First and foremost, we should take the lessons we learned during the pandemic and remain vigilant about any symptoms of illness. If you’re sick, stay home. Even if you test negative for COVID-19, you could still be carrying a contagious virus that puts people at risk."


Can my child go to school if they are sick and tested negative for COVID?

"Children and adults should stay home from work, school or childcare if they are feeling sick, regardless of the cause. Transmission to others is higher early on in the course of illness so staying home in the first few days will help limit spread. In many cases, a cough can linger past the point of being infectious. Frequent handwashing and mask-wearing can also help reduce transmission."


Influenza-like illness is showing up in Vermont.

Now is a good time to get the FLU VACCINE.

Children 6 months and older can get their influenza vaccine at their doctor's office, pharmacies or through state walk-in clinics.


Be well,

Kara Cassani &

Sarah Pineda, School Nurses

News from Our Medical Team

Veterans Day

The second graders talked about what it means to be a Veteran today. They made poppies as a grade level to represent their thanks to these heroes and their service.

SB Rotarians Presenting Dictionaries to our 3rd Graders

Last Week's 5th Grade Announcers, Stella & Anika

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5th Grade Ski Pass!

5th Grade Parents, Ski Vermont offers a $20 dollar ski/board pass. There are some conditions so check it out here: https://skivermont.com/fifth-grade-passport

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