FAMILY FRIDAY FOCUS Dec 11, 2020
RICK MARCOTTE CENTRAL SCHOOL Principal Kathleen Kilbourne
DATES OF IMPORTANCE- MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Dec 16th- TECHNICOOL Parent presentation via zoom 6:00- 7:30 pm , Prevent Child Abuse VT
Dec 21 to Jan 1st- Winter break- NO SCHOOL
JAN 2021
Jan 12th- PTO meeting on zoom at 6:30 pm -All are Welcome
Internet Safety Event for South Burlington Elementary Parents and Caregivers
TECHNICOOL: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet ©
Presented by Prevent Child Abuse VT
Virtual Caregiver and Parent Event
December 16th, 2020 |6-7:30pm
Topics discussed during this event will be keeping kids safe in digital environments and addressing children exhibiting concerning digital behaviors. For more information please contact Kirstie Grant at kgrant@pcavt.org or 802-498-0622. This event is sponsored by Rick Marcotte Central School and open to all South Burlington Elementary School parents/caregivers.
Please click HERE to register.
ENROLLEMENT DEADLINE IS DEC. 17th for VTVLC Spring Semester- Fully on-line learning
December 11, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The VT Agency of Education, our Health Department and South Burlington School District are all committed to having students learning in school as long as it is safe.Dr. Anthony Faucci has stated that students are safest in school because schools are carefully adhering to the safety protocols and your child’s school is doing just that. Superintendent David Young has been transparent regarding any confirmed COVID cases and exposures for each school to help everyone remain safe and confident in our ability to keep our schools safe. If, however, your family’s situation has changed and you have an individual in your household whose health requires even more isolation, VTVLC represents a reasonable option for your student’s education.
VTVLC(Vermont Virtual Learning Collaborative) has a limited number of seats open for grades K through Grade 5 for the spring semester beginning on January 18th.
What should a student expect from VTVLC?
VTVLC elementary students are assigned a class with one teacher who provides direct instruction in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies with one synchronous class per subject a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. and Friday. Wednesday is available for an elective (special). Classes are capped at 25 students. The Florida curriculum is based on the Common Core (Vermont also follows the Common Core) but students will be coming into the middle of the year and the pacing of the subjects may have been different from their current classrooms. The students will have assignments for each subject through the week to provide the practice that is needed to acquire the new learning.Some of the practice is online and some on paper. Paper assignments will need to be scanned or photographed and returned to their teacher.Teachers may also schedule small group or individual instruction depending on need.The system offers text to voice to assist with reading.
What should a parent expect?
Parents/guardians are important to the success of student learning by ensuring that your student(s) access the synchronous sessions, complete the assignments, help with returning assignments to the teacher and assisting your child as needed. You are able to be observers in your child’s learning and can view your child’s progress any time. It is very helpful to be reasonably comfortable with technology, especially for the youngest of our students who require the most support.
If you would like to explore VTVLC as an option for your family, please call me at 802-307-2573. Applications for VTVLC must be received by December 17th.
Dr. Michelle (Shelley) Mathias
We are still need of a few more donations for our MITTEN TREE to support our SB families
"FAQ: Guidance for Schools Related to Limits on Multi-Houshold Gatherings"
NURSE NOTES FROM SBSD
Assigned Bus Seating
Our elementary schools have assigned students to specific seats on the bus in the event that staff may need to identify close contacts to a positive individual. In some situations, these bus seats may change to promote safety due to unsafe behaviors that may arise. Please take time to talk with your student(s) about the importance and reasons for remaining in their assigned seat each time they ride the bus. This will assist with accurately identifying close contacts.
Ruvna Health Screening App
For the safety of students and staff, please fill out the Ruvna App EVERY DAY of in-person learning . This is very important, as it notifies you (or your student) whether or not to attend school. This important step will assist in helping to stop the spread of coronavirus.
When your student has symptoms and/or is sick or staying home:
Please continue to fill out the Ruvna App and call the school's attendance line to report your student's absence. If you are emailing your student's teacher about an absence, please also phone in the absence.
Vermont Department of Health Frequently Asked Questions!
What does close contact mean?
Close contact means being closer than six feet or two meters apart for a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period while the person was infectious, which starts two days before any symptoms began (or for people without any symptoms, two days before the day they got tested) and continues until they are recovered.
For more information and translations click here.
How contact tracing slows the spread of COVID: VIDEO.
Health Department Notification: If you received a text message from 89361, this is a notification from the Health Department that you are a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. You need to stay home and away from other people to prevent further spread of the virus. Soon you will receive a call from a Health Department Contact Tracer. Please answer the call. School Notification: If a student or staff member is determined to be COVID positive and infectious while at school, the response team, along with guidance from the Health Department, will determine which individuals are considered close contacts. A member of the school team will reach out and inform you of your student's quarantine requirements and safe return to school plan.
What does quarantine mean? Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from other people. Quarantine means you need to stay home and away from other people for 14 days. This means you can’t do any activities outside of your home, like going to school, work, or out to do errands or recreation. You should separate yourself from others and check yourself for symptoms. Quarantine is for: If you have not had symptoms of COVID-19, you have the option to get a PCR test on day 7 and end your quarantine with a negative test result. Quarantine helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 before a person knows they are sick, or if they are infected with the virus and don’t have symptoms.
What does isolation, quarantine and self-observation mean? See a chart here.
Do I need to quarantine if someone I had close contact with is under quarantine? No. You do not need to quarantine if you had close contact with someone who is under quarantine. That means you can go to school, work, or the grocery store. If you are living with someone who is under quarantine, stay at least 6 feet from them. People under quarantine should wear a mask in common spaces, use a separate bathroom, eat separately, and otherwise not be in close contact with others in the household who are not under quarantine. Be sure to disinfect commonly touched surfaces, and check yourself for symptoms for 14 days.
I am in quarantine, but I can’t avoid close contact with someone I take care of. Do they need to quarantine?
In situations where close contact cannot be avoided, close contacts of the person under quarantine do not also need to quarantine. For example, if a person depends on someone who is under quarantine for care and basic needs, and close contact cannot be avoided, the person who receives care may continue with activities outside of the home. For example, they may continue to go to work, school, child care, the grocery store, etc.
I take care of someone who is in quarantine, but I can’t avoid close contact with them. Do I need to quarantine?
Yes. In situations where you cannot avoid close contact with someone with COVID-19, you should stay home and away from other people while the person you are caring for is sick. You should also quarantine for 14 days after they are able to end home isolation. Find tips on what to do when a household member is sick with COVID-19.
Where to Get a PCR Test (rapid antigen test results are not accepted at school):
If your student needs to get tested, please contact their health care provider. There are a variety of places to get tested; visit "Where to Get Tested" on the Health Department's website to find a COVID-19 test site.
Dress For the Weather
The cold weather is here! Please be sure you send your child with long pants, snow pants, boots, jacket, hats, and mittens to wear at recess every day. Remember to label your child’s outdoor gear.
Please label all your children's winter gear with their name or initials for easy return to the correct child if it should get misplaced.
HEAD-TO-TOE TIPS FOR DRESSING FOR WINTER WALKING TO SCHOOL
- Keep your hands and head covered to prevent heat loss
- On really cold days, wear a scarf over your face and mouth
- Wear a warm coat that deflects the wind
- Wear warm, waterproof boots
- Woolen clothing helps to retain the heat
- Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material - it's important to be seen
- If possible, change wet clothes at school - tuck an extra pair of socks and mitts into knapsacks
Below -13oF is considered too cold for walking--move your walk indoors, or select another day for outdoor activities and walking to school.
Keep the donations coming in!
5th Grade Food Drive
Community Service Project
PLEASE CLICK BELOW TO SEE WHICH GRADE LEVELS ARE CONTRIBUTING WHICH ITEMS TO OUR ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE
Common Roots in Dec....Tea Time!
Hello South Burlington Families and Friends!
As the temperatures get cooler and the days get shorter, some of us take comfort in cozying up on the couch or by the fire with a warm cup of tea. In Scandinavian countries, people call this hygge (hyoo-guh). Hygge is a practice that helps us cope with the winter blues, and almost always involves drinking a warm beverage, evoking feelings of happiness and warmth.
For this round of Farm to School, we brought hygge to the classroom with a warm cup of herbal tea. We practiced mindfulness through movement and shared the story of Shennong, a Chinese farmer who is credited with the discovery of tea itself. This was a well loved caffeinated tea yet folks around the world, including Vermonters, have been finding their way into the wild spaces to gather restorative herbs from fields and mountaintops that provide balance to our overactive lives. Your children can suggest some local herbal teas that they explored in the farm to school lesson or you can find an alternate sunshine land recipe below.
Mindfulness can be practiced at home as we celebrate a holiday season that may feel a bit different or strange this year. Try having a ‘mindful’ snack time by describing the smell, texture, and taste of the food. You can make this simple Lemon Ginger tea and get cozy on the couch for a moment of inner warmth, calm, and stillness.
Lemon Ginger Tea
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
2 slices organic lemon, ¼ inch thick
1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1-2 tsp honey
8oz hot water
Directions:
- Place lemon and ginger slices in your mug.
- Pour boiling water over the fruit and roots and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
- Once the water has cooled slightly, stir in the honey - letting the water cool first will preserve the honey’s nutritional benefits.
- Remove the lemon and ginger slices with a spoon or leave in your mug to enjoy the beauty!
- Get cozy with a blanket, feel the hygge as you sip, and enjoy!
Be sure to check out the our first educational video, Episode #1 Apples, if you haven’t already! Our next episode is coming out very soon, featuring Winter Squash and Abenaki traditional foods. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our new episodes.
Farmer Fae has the Farm at South Village all tidied up for the winter ahead. Although there is not much growing this time of year, the farm is still a beautiful space to take a walk in the fresh air. Come stop by and see what there is to explore! We hope to see you there.
Till next month, Nourish to Flourish!
Lauren Jones, Common Roots - Farm to School Educator
Attendance on Wed. is taking during Morning Meeting on Zoom
Elementary School Attendance
We wanted to make families aware that morning meeting in the three elementary schools is when we will be taking attendance (Wednesdays). We believe it is important to make these zoom connections with students as we continue to work in the Covid period. The main focus is to connect with students and their other classmates for our cohesion and connections.
No Additional (Friends) Riding Buses At This Time
Health Updates
When your student has an illness symptom:
Yes, even a runny nose or complaints of a sore throat constitute staying home for 24 hours and returning only with symptom improvement or resolution. Please follow the Health Department's fact sheet: Information for Families: Return to School Following Illness* when deciding about whether to keep your student home or send to school.
We continue to connect with families, whose student is home with a reported illness, to help navigate next steps and determine when to return to school safely.
Thank you again, for your patience and follow-through. We know this is not an easy time for families as we continue to ask for your support in striving to keep our community safe.
*Click here for translations.
BUDGET PROCESS FY 22
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE VERMONT -SHARES PARENT & CAREGIVERS GUIDE AND RESOURCES
COVID-19 Parent & Caregiver Guide
No matter how prepared you are, an outbreak can be stressful. Here are some recommendations to promote your family's well-being during COVID-19.
Need Help with Technology? Use this link to access Tech supports!
https://sites.google.com/sbschools.net/sbsdedtechforstudentsfamilies/home
Rick Marcotte Central School
Email: kkilbourne@sbschools.net
Website: sbschools.net
Location: 200 Market Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802 652 7200
Twitter: @rmcschool