THE VIKING
Hinesburg Community School - October 12, 2018
Suzan Locke, Co-Principal, Grades K-4
John Pontius, Co-Principal, Grades 5-8
Alicia Kurth, Special Education Administrator
The Principal's Corner
Dear HCS Families,
We would like to take a moment to acknowledge a long time Hinesburg resident, Brad Wainer and the countless contributions he made, both to our community and to HCS over the years. In addition to being known as a helping hand, Brad was a good neighbor and humanitarian; not to mention a former HCS student!
Brad and his family were significant benefactors to the "Wainer" playground and the HCS library "Wainer Room". The Wainers quietly and privately supported many other aspects of the school as well. A few that come to mind are the donation of the medical cabinet in the Nurse's office, musical instruments for the school, and even paying for the rental of musical instruments for some of our students.
Hinesburg Community School is a better place because of the generous support of Brad and the Wainer family and their charitable donations continue to enhance and improve the learning environment for HCS students.
Thank you Wainer family and all those that continue to contribute to the HCS community. We are truly blessed.
Suzan and John
Dates to Remember
- 10/16: Early Dismissal Day
- 10/17: Lions Club Kidsight Vision Screening
- 10/19: No School – Parent/Teacher Conferences
- 10/23: Early Dismissal Day
- 10/24: School Photo Retake Day & Family Photo Day
- 10/26: Middle School Dance, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
- 10/30: Early Dismissal Day
- 11/9: 7th & 8th Grade District III Jazz Festival, Browns River
- 11/16: Annie Opening Night Performance, 7:00 pm
- 11/17: Annie Family Matinee, 2:30 pm
- 11/17: Annie Closing Night Performance, 7:00 pm
Spotlight on 4th Grade!
On Wednesday, the 4th grade Navigators enjoyed a beautiful Fall day exploring the Shelburne Farms shoreline. The field trip allowed the students to learn more about the changing landscape. The day long trip included collecting, sorting, and classifying rocks. Students also hiked around the property, noticing how erosion had transformed the shoreline. Finally, the young geologists created artwork using various natural artifacts. It was a fabulous culminating experience to our study of geology. We hope you enjoy the pictures from our adventure!
Head Lice
There are a few isolated cases of head lice throughout the school. Please check your child(ren) frequently, especially if you see them scratching their head a lot. The school is too large for Nurse Shelley to check everyone. Please do not treat your child unless live lice are found. Remember, lice can affect anyone and they, like us, prefer a clean place to live. Lice cannot jump or fly; they are only passed by direct contact with an affected head. Remind your children not to share combs, brushes or clothing (hats, scarves, sweatshirts).
A great source of factual information is the Mayo Clinic site, click HERE to view. If you have any further questions about lice please call the health office or your child’s physician.
Picture Retake Day is Coming Up!
Lifetouch will be taking pictures on Wednesday, October 24th from 8:00 am - 11:00 am. They have offered to take pictures of siblings, friends or families the same morning if anyone is interested. If you are having a retake, they ask that you return your original package on Picture Retake Day.
- Please order pictures on line at mylifetouch.com
- Hinesburg Community School – Picture Day ID: VJ178069Q1
Middle School Dance!
October 26th
6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Grades 6-8
$8 To Get In- $1 Off if You Wear A Costume
Hosted by Student Council
Struggling With Screen Time?
Struggling with screen time? Challenged by the balancing act between devices and healthy habits? It's hard to find answers that best meet the needs of your family. If you haven't already, explore the resources at Common Sense Media. They offer tips, forums, ratings (for TV shows, books, movies, video games, apps, and more,) and other great ideas that support what we're all going through. Each month, we'll also share some resources that they feature on the education side of their site. Take a look at the section called Digital Balance and Well-Being. View the items near the top and then scroll down for resources specific to various grade spans. We especially like the K-5 Family Tips: Help Kids Balance Their Media Lives.
We hope you find this helpful.
Bonnie Birdsall
CVSD Director of Digital Learning & Communication
Lost and Found Items
Please take a moment to check the Lost and Found next Friday, 10/19 during Parent/Teacher conferences. The Lost and Found will be temporarily relocated for one day only to the HCS lobby area for your convenience. Thank you!
Free Vision Screening for HCS Students
Dear HCS Families,
We have been offered a free vision screening for our students by the Middlebury Lion’s Club on Wednesday, October 17th. The Lion's Club is committed to helping our community in the area of sight and hearing and in line with that mission, members of the Club are making themselves available to come to Hinesburg Community School and screen the vision of your child(ren). We hope to have time to screen all students.
The Lion's Club members will be using new technology that will not involve them touching your child, but just having your child look into a camera-like device from a distance of about 3 feet. The Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener takes a 'picture' of your child's eye. It takes measurements of your child’s pupils and alignment from the image. It takes all of about 20 seconds. The device then compares your child’s eyes against the same age norms and will tell you if your child’s vision is within comparative norms, or if your child has one of six common vision impairments. The device then creates a computer printout showing its measurements and where they fall compared to the norm. If an impairment is detected it will indicate the impairment and issue a recommendation to seek a full eye exam from a professional. Eye doctors have thanked the Lions many times for their success in early detection of issues.
This is a very exciting development, as this device will screen children from the age of 6 months onward. The ‘camera’ reliably screens for six risk factors: Myopia (nearsightedness); Hyperopia (farsightedness); Astigmatism (blurred vision); Anisometropia (unequal refractive power); Strabismus (eye misalignment); Anisocoria (unequal pupil size). This is possible because it does not require the child to read letter or numbers, but just sit still and look at the 'camera' for about 20 seconds. It will take just a few seconds for this and if your child’s screening falls outside ‘normal limits’ you will be given the print out with the results.
No data is retained by the Lions and students will only be identified by their Student ID Number.
Please send a note in with your child(ren) only if you wish them to OPT OUT of this opportunity. I would be happy to discuss with you any questions you may have concerning the free vision screening service being offered.
Sincerely,
Shelley Torrey, RN
HCS School Nurse
New ACCESS "Kids Korner" Classes for October
Register online at access.cvuhs.org, call 802-482-7194 or email access@cvsdvt.org or click HERE for more information.
- Landscape Painting for Beginners- October 15
- Crafts for Kids: Story Stones- October 16
- Crafts for Kids: Modern Dreamcatchers- October 30
- Playful French for Kids (1st to 3th grade)- October 16
- Needle Felt Halloween Ornaments and Pins- October 29
~~~~~~~~General Information and Useful Links~~~~~~~~
Early Dismissal Information
October dates are:
- October 16
- October 23
- October 30
School Calendar, Forms, Student Handbook & General Information
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.