The purpose of RES Community Updates is to highlight the learning and connections that happen every day between our RES students and educators, as well as to provide a space to communicate updates and information. This blog will be updated monthly. Thank you for visiting!

Each year, the students of RES have enjoyed our RES Used Book Sale during the first week of December! Families throughout our community, at all grade levels, have been invited to look through their book collections at home and donate gently used children’s books to the sale. Then, RES kids have brought their coins to our sale and have purchased books, new to them, for a quarter. Money raised at this sale has always been given to a cause (or causes) that support the children and families in our Richmond Community. Kids will be celebrating a love of reading! We’re very excited to have our sale once again!

• If you are interested in making book donations, send them to RES starting Monday, November 6th. You can leave your bags and boxes of books on the front porch. Please clearly label your donations “RES Used Book Sale”.
• Our Used Book Sale will be on Friday, December 8th. Kids can bring their quarters to school, and for each quarter, they can choose a book! We’ll send home reminders as the sale gets closer.

Last year, we began a tradition which we’d like to offer again this year. This is another opportunity to celebrate reading AND do additional community service during this holiday fundraiser! All students at RES are going to be invited to set a reading goal during the month of November. How many books do they think they can read in a month? Students will be asked to find “sponsors” who will be able to pledge any amount they wish to their student all-star reader, as they work towards these goals - and by the end of the event - all funds will be collected and delivered to RES.

This year, all of the money raised from our December 8th Used Book Sale and the November Read-a-Thon will be used to support the needs of students and families in our RES Community.

If you would like to help out and volunteer any amount of time here at RES we would be excited for you to join us! All volunteers need to complete THIS volunteer form before supporting classrooms, field trips, or other school events. The process can take a few weeks to be completed, so submit the form early (even if you are not planning on volunteering until later in the school year).

After the December break, we will begin playing recorders again in music class, using a program that I put together based on my favorite method book.

Each year, students request to take recorders home and to borrow copies of the music. Playing at home greatly encourages their musical growth. This year, in an effort to encourage practicing at home and to raise some funding for the music program, I am offering this opportunity.

There are options to purchase a USED RECORDER and a new method book (while supplies last!) or a NEW RECORDER with a new method book. The new recorders are curated by me and are designed to be easy to play with a more pleasant tone. It is the recorder we use in class. There is also the option, if there is already a recorder in your house, to order just the new method book.

Please fill out and return the attached form to me along with a check made out to RES by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10th in an envelope. Students may place the orders in the mailbox outside my room or give them to their homeroom teacher.

Thank you for investing in your child’s musical growth!!

Mrs D, Music Teacher

Here is a link for the form: RECORDER/METHOD BOOK ORDER FORM

Please mark your calendars for 5:00 on December 14th! All families with students are invited to join us at RES for a Lantern Walk. Students will be making lanterns in enrichment class to use. We will enjoy a short walk on the bike path, have a short singalong, and conclude with hot cocoa and cookies provided by the PTO. We look forward to this school community event celebrating December Lights.

We are excited to be partnering with Farr Farm in Richmond! We are now using their fresh local eggs in everything we make at RES 😄

The RES PTO is working with Vermont Cookie Love to bring you tubs of delicious frozen cookie dough as a fundraiser for RES activities, including a planetarium visit in the Spring of 2024! There is an extensive selection of frozen cookie dough flavors that you can choose from. The dough will be delivered to RES on December 18 th , 2023. This means you’ll have “homemade cookies” for the impending holiday season (and for those moments where you don’t need a reason to bake some cookies).

Please scan the QR code or use the link below to order that dough! We ask that you pick-up the cookie dough on December 18th at RES from 2-4pm outside the front entrance of the school. We’ll have your order ready to grab and go. If that date or time frame does not work for you, please let us know in advance so we can accommodate you. There is no storage for forgotten dough. Please contact

jenshawsnow@gmail.com with accommodation requests. Oh, and yes, there is a wheat-free option!

Thank you for your support!

RES PTO

https://form.jotform.com/jenshawsnow/res-cookie-love-form

In Enrichment, all 1st through 3rd grade classes have participated in creating a school store. They've been leaf printing on tote bags, napkins and dish towels. Through this project they have been learning about concepts such as cost, profit, advertising, merchandising, leaf identification, and further developing their process skills. Their wares are being sold at the two Open House events. The first night was a great success. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards purchasing new materials for the Enrichment Program. Classes will decide how best to use our profits. Please check out their work and support their efforts during the second night. You can find us in the Enrichment Room 5. Cash, Check, Venmo accepted.

Dear RES Families,

I am reaching out to let you know that I have been hearing about an increase in head lice in our student population. This unfortunately is not uncommon this time of the year. Please make sure to perform periodic head lice checks on your child and treat immediately if they are discovered. I am attaching a link that outlines steps to take if you do find any head lice:

https://www.mmuusd.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=474722&pageId=561265

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Best,

Jen Hadley RN

Richmond Elementary School is excited to welcome families to our 23-24 school year open house this November.

K, 2, 4: Thursday, November 9th, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

Wednesday, November 8th, is an RES early release day. Students will be dismissed 2 hours earlier then typical, and arrive home via bus 2 hours earlier.

K, 2, 4: Thursday, November 9th, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

Our very own MMU Choir will be visiting us at RES next Tuesday, November 14th, from 9:00 - 9:30 for an all school assembly!

There will be no school Monday November 20th - Friday November 24th. Take care, and enjoy the break!

Wednesday, December 6th, is an RES early release day. Students will be dismissed 2 hours earlier then typical, and arrive home via bus 2 hours earlier.

at 5:00 on December 14th we will enjoy a short walk on the bike path, have a short singalong, and conclude with hot cocoa and cookies provided by the PTO.

Email: RESOFFICE@MMUUSD.ORG
Website: https://richmond.mmuusd.org/
Location: 125 School Street, Richmond, VT 05477, USA
Phone: 802-434-2461

Both the PK and the K-4 playground are open! While there are still a few things that need to happen to finish up this first phase, the playgrounds are safe and the kids are having a blast. Feel free to come by and check it out on the weekend or after school/Part 2 hours 😀

While the work is mostly done, we are going to continue to fundraise for these amazing facilities updates throughout the year. Be on the lookout for upcoming fundraisers organized by the PTO, and we greatly appreciate the recent surge in folks simply donating directly to our "Gofund" page (which is linked directly below).

Richmond Elementary School is excited to welcome families to our 23-24 school year open house this November. As in years past, we will split the event over two days, each with a community dinner option. Expect more details about the dinner to come as we get closer to the event.

PK, 1, 3, Multiage: Thursday, November 2nd, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

K, 2, 4: Thursday, November 9th, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

The RES PTO has opened a limited-time, digital store selling RES apparel. There are adult and youth options including t-shirts, flannel pants, hoodies, and more!

The RES PTO collects a portion of each item that is purchased. This year the RES PTO wants to fund a traveling planetarium visit for the spring of 2024, along with classroom supplies, additional playground equipment, and more!

Please check out the link below. The store is open until October 15th. The PTO will have the orders delivered to the school. Once we receive your order, we’ll let you know how and when to pick it up. Thanks so much!

If you're interested in learning more about the RES PTO, please contact res.pto@mmuusd.org

Stay Home When Sick:

Students should stay home with symptoms including the following:

• Vomiting or Diarrhea - must be 24 hours symptom free and able to tolerate food and drink before returning to school.

• Fever 100.4 or greater - must be home until fever free without use of medication for greater than 24 hours.

• Any infection requiring antibiotics - keep your student home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

• Persistent cough that disrupts normal activity.

• Excessive nasal drainage - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child back to school.

• Unexplained rash - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child to school.

• Red or draining eyes - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child to school.

• COVID-19 infection - please call or email the school nurse to determine next steps and follow VDH Isolation guidance.

• Influenza - stay home until fever free without medication for 24 hours.

• Any other symptoms or illness that impedes a student’s ability to learn.

Please remember to use a covid antigen test when any of the above symptoms are identified. If your child tests positive for covid, please call the nurse at 434-2461.

Also, please routinely check your child for head lice.

Thank you,

Nurse Hadley

Monday, October 9th, is Indigenous Peoples day/Columbus day and we will not have school.

Our fall parent teacher conference window is from October 10th - 20th. If they haven't already done so yet, teachers will be reaching out soon to arrange times to meet. Be on the lookout!

Wednesday, October 11th, is an RES early release day. Students will be dismissed 2 hours earlier then typical, and arrive home via bus 2 hours earlier.

The RES PTO is hosting Big Truck Day on Saturday, October 14th, 2023 from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Come join us for this day of fun, with something for the whole family!

October 23rd is not a student day. Some teachers may reach out to use this as an optional day for Parent Teacher conferences, depending on their availability.

PK, 1, 3, Multiage: Thursday, November 2nd, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

K,2,4: Thursday, November 9th, from 5:00 - 6:00 with a community dinner available from 5:30 - 7:00

Arrival:

To support the flow of traffic and the arrival of all students, please use the loop in front of the building for a quick drop off, and a quick hug or kiss goodbye. You can exit the vehicle if you would like to watch your student enter the building, but please don't use the loop if you would like to come in. If you are planning on entering the building, please park in the spots facing the highway. This is a space where you can comfortably leave your vehicle and not feel rushed. Thank you!

A reminder that school starts promptly at 7:50am. If you are dropping your student off, please be sure to leave enough time for traffic etc. to get here. If your student rides the bus and it arrives after 7:50am they will not be marked tardy.

Dismissal:

Your students safety is paramount to us here at RES. Throughout the pandemic we have developed many different dismissal procedures, to balance efficiency with safety. Recognizing that many more students are taking the busses (which we strongly encourage) and parent pickup is more organic then it had to be in the early years of the pandemic, we are going to tighten things up on our end with regards to parent pickup.

23-24 after school pickup procedure:

Preschool will be dismissed at 2:20, Kindergarten will dismiss at 2:35, and 1st - 4th grade will dismiss at 2:37. For parent pickup, either find a parking space along the bank facing the highway (to the right as you enter the campus) and walk to the front of the building or continue to the back of Camels Hump Middle School where you will be directed to the pickup loop as space becomes available. Please do not arrive prior to 5 minutes before your students dismissal time, this will help reduce traffic congestion.

PK families will continue to pick their children up directly from their classroom teachers.

K-4 families: once you park, you will need to walk up to the front of the building, and line up to sign out your student. We will have two lines; Ms. Woodruff will be signing out students in grades K-1 , and Ms. Roberge will be signing out students in grades 2-4. Please print your name on the sign out sheet next to your students name, and then your student will be released into your care.

Once you receive your student, please leave the front area to reduce congestion. If you are planning on staying after school to use the playground or to chat, please park in the lot facing the highway and not in the U in front of the building. This overall procedure will certainly help to ensure students are being dismissed to their caregivers, however, it will also possibly delay the pickup process slightly.

Please be mindful of others, and we greatly appreciate your patience and support!

First off, thank you all for your tremendous support and participation in our fundraising efforts last year! As a community we were able to raise $10,000 toward our $50,000 goal. While we still have a ways to go, I did not want that to prevent us from moving forward, and we have been moving forward with our playground renovations! We will be fundraising all year to help pay for the work that is being done today, but in the meantime, we will be able to enjoy our new community play spaces!

The construction of our front K-4 structure was a bit delayed due to the miserable weather this summer, however, you may have noticed some gradual progress (and a lot of wood chips). Final construction of the front structure is set to begin on Monday, September 11th, and we should be ready to play before the following week! Additionally, much of the work has been completed on the new side Preschool structure, and it looks amazing. We still have a few features to add to this PK space, but make sure to come by and check it out.

In order to be included in the directory, we need your permission.

* Please respond by September 29th, 2023 for inclusion*

By providing your information below, you agree to be included in the 2023-24 RES Student Directory.

Please email Jennifer Snow at jenshawsnow@gmail.com with questions about this directory.

If you're interested in learning more about the RES PTO, please contact res.pto@mmuusd.org

Join the ReTribe Forest School and Afterschool Program in Underhill.

Would a child in your life enjoy spending a day each week exploring, practicing outdoor crafts and skills, making music, and playing joyfully while immersed in nature with a community of friends and mentors? The ReTribe Forest School currently has spaces open for our Fall 2023 program, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Underhill from 9am-3pm. We also offer Wild Woods Afterschool, Mondays and Thursdays from 3-5:30pm.

For more specifics on our programming visit our www.retribe.org/the-forest-school.

Contact Julia Hunt for more information:

ReTribeTransformation@gmail.com

609-933-0877

Our first early release will be next Wednesday, September 13th. All dismissal times will be two hours earlier. Parent pickup will begin at 12:35, busses will depart around 12:50.

Monday, September 25th: PK - 4

Tuesday, September 26th: PK

Forms will go home the week of the 18th

Our book fair will be October 2nd - 6th. More info to come!

Put it on your calendar now, Big Truck Day will be on Saturday October 14th. We will be sending out flyers and more info soon.

First off, I want to welcome you all to the 2023-2024 school year. It is important to acknowledge that families are going to be returning from the summer in different places, as Vermont and our local community has faced tremendous weather conditions and loss that has impacted people differently throughout our school community. With that, please know that Richmond Elementary School is a community who cares about one another, and we will support you and your student(s) to our fullest capacity. We are so excited to see you, and we can't wait for the first day of school!

For those who don't know me, here is a little bit about myself: I live in Underhill with my wife, three kids, and our dog, Nollie. This will be my fifth year serving as Principal of Richmond Elementary School, and I feel graced working in this building and with this community every day. I am a native Vermonter, and I have lived in the area most of my life. I love the outdoors, and I can often be found with my family mountain biking, camping, snowboarding, or at one of the kids' sporting events.

Take care these last few days of break, and please reach out any time if there is anything we can do to support you.

Jeremy Rector (he/him)

Principal

Richmond Elementary School

Classroom teachers will be sending you class or grade-level newsletters and/or blogs to update you of the goings-on from within your specific student's class. We encourage you to always feel comfortable reaching out to your classroom teachers for specific information about your child's your classroom experience. Additionally, you can find each individual class link on page 5 of our Family Handbook.

This page will highlight what is going on throughout the building monthly, and give a general overview of what is to come with regards to whole building events.

For immediate information around calendar updates and news, subscribe to our News and Calendar on our Website!

To sign up:

• Go to RES Website
• Click on the FAMILIES tab near the top, then Subscribe to News and Calendar
• Follow prompts from there

Also

• Follow us on Facebook - the link can also be found at the top of our RES webpage

Staff with new roles within the building!

Important Update to Note Within the RES Family Handbook

• Due to various food allergies in all elementary buildings, please do not send in special food treats for birthdays, holidays, or events to share with peers. Students can bring in their own special treat, but nothing to share. Thank you for your understanding.

• The student day at RES starts at 7:50 a.m.
• Students will be welcomed into their classrooms beginning at 7:30 a.m.
• To support families who need to drop off their students before the classrooms open, the library will be open for early arrivals between 7:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. This will be staffed by two support staff, and is intended to be a safety net for those who simply have to arrive before 7:30. Unfortunately, this early arrival time is not an option for our PreK students at this time, as we will not be in ratio to support PreK students within this time range.

• Preschool will dismiss at 2:20, Kindergarten will dismiss at 2:30, and 1st - 4th grade will dismiss at 2:37.
• All parent pickups will occur in the front drop off/pick up loop. For parent pickup, either find a parking space along the bank facing the highway (to the right as you enter the campus) and walk to the front of the building to wait, or continue to the back of Camels Hump Middle School where you will be directed to the pickup loop as space becomes available.
• Please do not arrive prior to 5 minutes before your student's dismissal time, this will help reduce traffic congestion.
• We ask that changes to your child’s normal routine be made no later than 1:30 in the day in order to minimize disruptions to classrooms.
  
• Buses will be fully loaded by 2:50 p.m. and drop off times will vary depending on location.

We have upgraded our lunch system software to include dietary information* on our school lunch menus. This upgrade brings a new online portal for payment processing. You will need to register in this new portal.

• After completing the registration process, you can easily add students to your account by filling out the add student dropdown menu on the dashboard's right-hand side. This portal will also allow you to see your student's purchase/lunch history.

  Click here to get started with the MMUUSD Lunch Portal

• Under Vermont’s Universal School Meals Law, all public school students eat breakfast and lunch for free at school. Families are no longer required to complete any paperwork to receive free meals at school, but to continue this program, we need your assistance. Please take a few minutes to fill out the meal application form for your household. Click HERE to support the Universal Meals program.

• HERE is a direct link to the RES Food Service Menu, which can also be found from the main RES Website

Just in case you missed it, below are the links to the 2023-2024 transportation information. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Transportation Letter 2023

2023-24 Bus Route Summary

Based on recent parent request, I have been able to coordinate with the transportation department to offer a Bus Orientation event for PreK, Kindergarten, and new students on Tuesday, 8/29, at 9:00am. This is for anyone who is interested!

Click on the image below to download or print and post on your fridge :-)

• 8/30: First K-4 Student day
• 9/5 or 9/7: First day of preschool (depending on cohort)
• 9/13: Early Release (Dismissal begins at 12:35 pm)