CCS Newsletter
February 1, 2019
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Friends and Families,
This week at CCS has fostered many great opportunities for student connection and learning! We began the week with an assembly featuring reminders about the upcoming CCS PTO Variety Show and a kickoff for the school Geo Bee and the Great Kindness Challenge.
Kindness Challenge was introduced to our entire school Monday at the schoolwide assembly through the video, Color Your World with Kindness. Then individual classes brainstormed ideas of kindness that were peer-to-peer, student-to-adult, and student to the community. Take time to reflect with your child about how the the Kindness Challenge made them feel about themselves and about their community.
“Kindness can be a lot of different things. It can be the words you use or an action you use. It’s the effort you put into it. Kindness really helps our world. If you do something kind for one person, they’ll want to do something kind for another person. It makes me feel good.” Libby, grade 6.
Our recess team has done a fabulous job of establishing safe and engaging activities all year long. Some opportunities include cooperative games, challenge-by-choice, and creative play. We now have sledding open to students a few days a week - we are all so happy that students are able to enjoy the abundance of snow we have this winter. We are looking forward to rising temperatures to guarantee more outside time for students. Don’t forget to send them with appropriate outdoor gear!
Today is World Read Aloud Day - a time where people all over the world read aloud together, sharing stories and advocating for literacy as a right that belongs to everyone! Our morning began with our K-4 students mixing into multi-age groups and sharing a read-aloud experience offered by one of our staff members - 14 different staff members offered a read-aloud. Students were very excited to have this opportunity to hear different stories and be with different schoolmates and teachers. Our 5th and 6th graders were treated to read-alouds from the authors themselves this week via Skype visits! We thank authors Loree Griffin Burns, Sarah Sullivan, and Constance Lombardo for visiting this morning! Corey Ann Haydu visited Ms. Evans’ 7/8 Humanities classroom this afternoon.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kind Regards,
Stephanie, Jen and Cassandra
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Saturday, February 2nd
District Music Festival, Essex Middle School
Tuesday, February 5th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Wednesday, February 6th
2019-2020 Kindergarten Registration (there are regular kindergarten classes this day)
Friday, February 8th
Field Trip - Alpha 5 to Flynn Theater, 8:45 - 11:15
PTO Variety Show, MPR, doors open at 6:00, show begins at 7:00
Tuesday, February 12th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Friday, February 15th
Field Trip - Alpha 6 to Flynn Theater, 9:00 - 12:00
Staff Appreciation Luncheon - provided by 3rd and 4th grade families, Staff Rm, 11:00 - 1:00
Saturday, February 16th
MathCounts Regional Competition @ UVM
Tuesday, February 19th
Early Release, 1:55pm
CVSD School Board Meeting, CVU Rm 160, 6:00pm
Wednesday, February 20th
CCS Spelling Bee, MPR - 1:15 - 2:30
Monday, February 25th through Friday, March 1st
NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
CCS SCHOOL GEOBEE WINNTER - VEGA TARIYAL
Sixth grader Vega Tariyal is the National Geographic CCS School GeoBee Champion for 2019! Vega emerged victorious after several competitive rounds with second-place competitor Henry Bushey, also a sixth grader. All of our finalists did an excellent job under pressure! Congratulations to finalists JP Novak, Sarah Stein, Griffin Hengelsberg, Kenna Hutchins, Apryl Tuiqere, Sam Dore, Luke Sampson, Joe Jacobs and Grace McNally!
TODAY IS WORLD READ ALOUD DAY!
"We think everyone in the world should get to read and write. Every year, on World Read Aloud Day, people all around the globe read aloud together and share stories to advocate for literacy as a human right that belongs to all people. " - LitWorld
We celebrated at school today with a K-4 reading event, and our middle schoolers enjoyed Skype visits from various authors. Ask your students what they listened to today. Get cozy at home tonight and read aloud with your families!
To learn more about this yearly opportunity, or to get some great read aloud ideas for your family visit http://www.litworld.org/wrad/
CHANGE IN INCOME FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH REMINDER
CVSD SCHOOL BASED EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM PEER LOTTERY APPLICATION
The CVSD School-based Early Education Programs are now accepting applications for a random peer lottery drawing for the 2019-20 school year. Our preschools are 5 STAR accredited licensed early education programs that provide play-based, developmentally appropriate environments for all children. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS) and Teaching Strategies Gold. We believe that a diverse classroom offers opportunities for adults and children to practice acceptance and compassion and also provides a broad range of learning experiences.
Our programs follow the CVSD school calendar.
Peers who will be age 3 or older by September 1, 2019, but not yet 5 years old, are eligible to enter the lottery for our programs.
All applications must be received by February 8, 2019. Students will be selected via a lottery.
Please call Julia Wayne at 802-482-6236 or e-mail jwayne@cvsdvt.org with questions.
Lottery application can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/cssu.org/charlottehinesburgearlyed/home
SCRIPPS SPELLING BEE
The CCS Scripps National School Spelling Bee will take place on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. in the MPR! Qualifying grade-level bees will be on Friday, February 15th - exact time and location TBD. Parent volunteers Chea Evans and Michaela Grubbs will be running practices on 1/30, 2/1, 2/5, 2/7, 2/8 during lunch and recess blocks!
Here are links to study materials, which will also be made available to students at school.
School Spelling Bee List Combined
LIBRARY NEWS
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the library next week February 5-8! Visit our online fair website to get a sneak peek with the interactive flyer or volunteer to help out at the fair. You may also shop early online!
CHARLOTTE LIBRARY NEWS
SLEDDING DURING RECESS
We have prepped all of the sleds and they are ready to go. Students will sled twice a week depending on the weather. All students that wish to sled must have snow clothes. Mr. DiNicola and/or Tim Holcomb will go over expectations with each group before we walk them up to the hill at the start of each recess.
PTO VARIETY SHOW INFORMATION
Calling all yodelers, roller skate dancers, piano players, stand-up comedians, and talented kids of all ages!
Whatever your talents are, don't hide your light under a bushel. Share them with your schoolmates and the community by participating in the annual CCS PTO Variety Show, where we welcome students to perform a skit, play the violin, burp the alphabet, whatever! Group performances are welcome. Two rules: have fun, and no lip-synch routines.
To sign up for the Variety Show, please send an email to Chea Evans cheaevans@gmail.com or Katie Taylor at katiertaylor@gmail.com with the names and grades of the performers, as well as a brief description of their act. No worries if they change their mind, their tune, or their outfits--we can roll with it, but we would like to know as soon as possible how many kids are performing.
Rehearsals will be held in the MPR Jan. 28, 30, Feb. 1, 5, and 7. Students must attend a minimum of two rehearsals. They’ll be right after school for an hour and a half, 3-4:30 with the exception of the Tuesday rehearsal which will be from 2-3:30.
Kindergarten parents: K students usually perform a song together at the beginning of the show--even the shy ones usually come around. We have a parent volunteer who will be coordinating this portion of the show who will be in touch separately.
The show is Friday, February 8. Doors open at 6:00 and the show is at 7:00. Can't wait to see you there!
SHELBURNE LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION OPEN!
The league is proud to be represented by players from Shelburne, Hinesburg and Charlotte!
Baseball: Pee Wee T-Ball to Majors (4 -12 year olds)
Softball: Minis to Majors (5 - 12 year olds)
We are focused on the successful development of our players as they continue to progress and grow within the league. Indoor training sessions start early March and player assessments for team placements are mid-March for 8 – 12 year olds.
Registration deadline is March 15th. You can register online at www.shelburnelittleleague.com. Scholarships also available. Also check out our early season gear at https://sllbaseball2019.itemorder.com/sale.
See you on the field!
FREE FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM CVU
FlagFootball@CVU is a pick-up style football program for boys and girls in grades 2 through 7. Sessions will be held on Sundays in February (beginning 2/10) and March from 3:30pm to 5pm, in the CVU gym. Coached by Redhawks football players and supervised by CVU Football coaches, participants will play in a non-contact indoor football game comprised of four to seven players per side. The program is free and open to all interested youth regardless of town of residence or experience.
No pre-registration is required, just bring the waiver the first time you participate. Come to the sessions that fit your schedule – no commitment necessary.
More information and the required waiver are available at: https://tinyurl.com/FlagFootball-CVU2019
Those interested are encouraged to visit the program’s Facebook page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/CVUFlagFootball/
FlagFootball@CVU is sponsored by CVU Redhawks Football and the Buccaneers Youth Football Program.
FEBRUARY LUNCH MENU
LOCAL LIBRARIES TO HOST MENTAL HEALTH CONVERSATIONS
Between 1996 and 2016, the suicide rate in Vermont increased by more than 48%- the second highest increase nationally according to the CDC. This rising rate of suicide, paired with the social stigma attached to mental health problems, indicates a need for safe spaces for communities to learn and talk about issues of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Recognizing these issues within their own towns, Charlotte and Carpenter-Carse (Hinesburg) Libraries have teamed up to host Mental Health Conversations: Risk and Resiliency during the month of February, 2019. The public libraries will host two evenings of panel presentations with mental health professionals, and a separate event that features Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy Award winning writer and critic Ron Powers, author of No One Cares About Crazy People at the Carpenter-Carse Library.
The panel discussions will take place on February 5th at the Charlotte Library, and February 20th at the Carpenter-Carse Library. Both panel presentations start at 7pm. The panelists are Charlotte McCorkel, LICSW, Project Director of Integration, Howard Center; Joanne Wolfe, MA, M.Ed, Licensed Psychologist; and Eliza Pillard LICSW, Family Wellness Coach at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the UVM Medical Center. Themes will include anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention. Discussion topics will be what to look for (signs and symptoms) and how to start a conversation with a loved one. There will be time for questions and the libraries will provide online resources and a curated collection of print and video materials for browsing and borrowing.
The Carpenter-Carse Library will welcome Ron Powers on February 12th at 6:30pm. Ron Powers is New York Times bestselling author living in Vermont - he is also the author of sixteen books, his most recent one, No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America, offers an account of the social history of mental illness in America as well as his personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia. At the library Ron will speak of his family’s journey with mental illness as well as his research on mental health and the health care system.
These discussions and presentations are made possible by the “All of Us” grants through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The Carpenter-Carse and Charlotte libraries will also receive iPads through one of the grants. The iPads will be loaded with reputable medical resources, and then circulated at the libraries so patrons can browse a wealth of mental health information privately and securely.
This project is funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Cooperative Agreement Number UG4LM012347 with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. The mental health conversations are part of Charlotte and Carpenter-Carse Libraries’ initiative, Healthy Communities: Head to Toe. Another topic the libraries will focus on is Tick-Borne Illnesses in April of 2019.
CHARLOTTE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Check out our website.