It’s hard to believe that we are already thinking ahead and making plans for next year! Kindergarten registration and the 5th grade transition process to the FH Tuttle Middle School has begun. Kindergarten through 4th grade families, we are doing family input through Google again this year. Please take time to fill out the form that is linked below and let us know your thoughts about your child as a learner. This information, along with teacher input, will be extremely valuable as we work to create the best, balanced learning environments for all of our students. At RMCS, there is teacher movement and hiring regarding grade levels, so we ask that you not make a specific teacher request – the teachers at the current grade levels may not necessarily be at the same grade level. At this point, we are in the hiring process and looking at enrollments, so we are unsure of the teachers at many of the grade levels and the number of sections at each level for next year. If you need a paper copy of the form emailed to you, please contact sdattilio@sbschools.net Please be sure to fill out the online form or mail in your paper input form by May 14th.

Please click this link to fill out the parent input survey:

https://forms.gle/WHxSVQpJnJfaUQGG8

Annual Registration for all returning students opens in PowerSchool on May 11th, 2021. Please use your parent portal to complete registration for the 2021-2022 school year. If you need help or have any questions, please call Mrs. Dattilio at 652-7202. Thank you.

In order to enhance our communication and engagement with families and staff, we will be adding SMS/text messaging to our SchoolMessenger notification system (the system the District uses to send phone and email communications to families and staff) with a target start of the end of May. Further details regarding the precise date and time this will "go live" as well as where to send questions/concerns will be shared over the coming weeks. Ready to opt-in now to receive text messages when they become available? Text the letter “Y” or the word “Yes” to the number 67587.

WELCOME BACK!

Our temporary location at the University Mall is now open for browsing, using computers and checking out materials. Curbside pickup will continue, but we hope to see many of you inside the Library. We’ve missed you!

This is a great time to renew your library card, or even better, to get library cards for everyone in your household. Any legal resident of South Burlington over the age of five may obtain a resident library card with identification that clearly shows name and current legal address. We encourage each household member to get a card, as we do not have “family” cards. Please come to the library to sign up.

We plan to be open at the Mall location through Friday, June 11th and then, re-open in mid-to late July at the NEW LIBRARY on 180 Market Street at the New City Center. We can’t wait to share this amazing community space with our patrons. Our updated policies regarding behavior and safety at the library will be available on our website in June.

In the meantime, we have exciting events planned in preparation for this move.

Our 2021 Summer Reading Program, designed to encourage and celebrate reading throughout the summer, features all kinds of animals. “Tails and Tales” begins on June 1 with Summer Reading Kits available through curbside or by visiting the library. Readers of all ages can log their reading through a new online tracking program called BEANSTACK. Read for fun and earn digital badges; once the library has reopened, enter your raffle tickets for the chance to win prizes. More information is coming soon, so keep checking the library website. This program is FREE and open to readers of all ages.

On Sunday, June 13 at 10am, we will kick off the move to our new library with a “Bag 'n Wagon Parade” It’s your chance to say “Good-bye!” to the old, and “Hello!” to the new, as we begin our move to the new library. After grabbing a bag of books, we will parade across Dorset Street led by Mike Randall’s “The Big Blue Train.” Readers can also pick up their Summer Reading Kits at the end of the parade. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Check out our library website for more details.

Celebrate with us at the official ribbon cutting and Open House on July 23rd. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon!

For more information, please contact us at 846-4140 or email sbplinfo@southburlingtonvt.gov . https://southburlingtonlibrary.org

Open hours

Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 11 am – 3 pm

Tuesday & Wednesday 2 - 6 pm.

Announcing the 2021 VERMONT STATE SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday/Sunday, May 29-30, 2021 Capital City Grange Hall, Berlin, VT All Vermont students Kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible to participate. State champions for each grade K through 6, plus Middle School and High School champions will be determined. Swiss pairing used. (No eliminations – all players play each round.) Advance registration is required. Full details and registration information at: http://www.vtchess.info or contact Mike Stridsberg, mike@vtchess.info, 802-223-1948

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth May 12, 6:00 – 7:00 pm Come learn more about how to support LGBTQ youth in schools and at home in partnership with Mara Iverson from Outright VT and a BSD youth panel. Join via Zoom and don’t forget to RSVP and invite your friends.

Vermont's Easing of Mask Requirement:
Masks are only required outdoors in situations* where a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained. According to Dr. Levine with the health department: “This is why, now when you’re outdoors, masks will only be required when you’re in a crowd or with multiple households, where you can’t keep a 6-foot distance from others. This is regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not.”

Examples of when you do not need a mask include:

• if you’re outside on a run, your family is on a hike or out for biking,
• if kids are having an outdoor playdate,
• if you’re on the sidelines watching a baseball game or
• if you are heading to the beach with plenty of space around you.
  

*Students and staff will continue to wear masks while on school property.

Travel:

If you are unvaccinated (including children) and traveled outside the state, you must have a COVID-19 test within 3 days of returning to Vermont. For more details, visit COVID-19 "Frequently Asked Questions" on the health department's website.

People who have returned from international travel should follow the "After International Travel" guidance from the CDC.

Symptoms and Testing:
A message to parents/guardians: if you have any symptom, no matter how mild, such as a headache, cough, fatigue or a runny nose, it’s best to get tested. It’s also important to avoid going to work, school or other places until you receive a negative result. COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus, and this is how we can each protect our loved ones and our communities. If you have symptoms, talk to your health care provider. They can refer for testing.

COVID Vaccine:

People 16 and older can make appointments. Part-time Vermont residents, including college students, are also eligible to get vaccinated. The health department is arranging for more walk-in clinic opportunities. Visit the "make appointment" link above to find a walk-in near you!

All students enrolled in a public school and/or funded through public funding are required to participate in statewide assessments. To meet this federal requirement for assessment, accountability and reporting, VT uses the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Assessment (SBAC). Grades 3, 4 and 5 are required to take online assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts. 5th graders are also required to take an online Science assessment. This year, we will adhere to our Safe and Healthy Schools guidelines to deliver these assessments with precautions due to Covid 19. At RMCS , students will have practice and training sessions before the actual assessments, and we also provide many supports and accommodations for students to make these testing times as comfortable as possible. The tests have two parts - one is a computer adaptive test that gets easier or harder depending on how students answer a question, and the other component is a performance task that asks students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and proficiency in math and reading/writing. Students will use their chromebooks to take the assessments.

We will be assessing in May and make sessions as needed in early June.

The classroom teachers will be sending you the specific schedules for each class.

VTVLC Students will also be particpating:

Week of May 17th

5th Grade at Gertrude Chamberlin School

4th Grade at Rick Marcotte Central School

3rd Grade at Orchard Elementary School

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff,

The clouds have cleared and May is here! There is so much to celebrate this week and month, it’s becoming hard to keep track. One of my favorite aspects of the warming temperatures and this gradual return to more in-person activities is hearing and seeing students participating in opportunities that were suspended or held virtually for nearly a year. From the sound of conversations held in the parking lot after school to catching a glimpse of play practices in progress, these moments mean we are slowly and safely moving forward.

This week was National Teacher Appreciation Week and what a year it has been for our teachers and staff. Each school found ways to honor their teachers this week from catered lunches and breakfasts to thank you notes, both physical and virtually at SBHS. In addition, Vermont Vita-Learn is inviting anyone to submit a brief shout-out video to honor a teacher in their school district! They will create compilation videos of the shout-outs and share them over social media to publicly recognize the great work and dedication of our teachers! Look to their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts and for the hashtags #vted & #TeacherAppreciationWeek for highlights. Submissions are open now until May 14, 2021!

Additional In-Person Learning for Students Begins May 10

Since Current COVID19 activity continues to show a very promising downward trend, the District is still on track to welcome more students back to additional in-person learning time effective May 10. What will this look like? It will vary based on grade level. At the elementary and middle school grades, students will attend school in-person five days per week, while the high school will follow a modified in-person schedule. Details regarding the high school plan will be communicated via the high school administration. Students enrolled in VTVLC remote learning will continue with their program through the end of this school year.

To be clear, we will be following the state's updated Strong and Healthy Year Guidance along with our established protocols around masking, physical distancing, and hand washing as well as making ample use of our outdoor spaces where constant air flow decreases the risk of virus transmission. I held my first open conversation for families this past Tuesday where individuals with questions or concerns regarding this change “popped in” to learn more and shared their thoughts. I found this to be extremely valuable and plan on holding more of these in the future. I will keep you posted!

Impact on Transportation: Bus Schedule Changes

There will be changes to the bus schedules for the middle and high school beginning Monday, May 10. These adjustments have been posted to the transportation page of the District website. We are still encouraging parents/guardians who have been driving their students to school, especially at the elementary and middle school level to continue to do so in order for us to maintain 3 ft distancing requirements. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy LaRock at 652-7479, klarock@sbschools.net or Gary Marckres at 652-7052, gmarckres@sbschools.net.

Celebrating our School Lunch Heroes!

Friday, May 7 was National School Lunch Hero Day, a great time to thank our nutritional services staff, custodians, and bus drivers who have made getting meals to students possible all year (including over the summer and on vacations). Director of Nutritional Services Rhonda Ketner said, “The Nutritional Services staff, Transportation and Custodial Staff have worked tirelessly to ensure our students have access to nutritious meals in a safe and sanitary environment, regardless of the learning modality and service constraints. Some have worked for over a year without a break and will continue to work through the summer. Not all Heroes wear capes, some wear aprons, hair nets, deliver meals, and clean the cafeterias.” Thank you all today and every day! We could not have a thriving District without each of you!

National Nurses Week is May 6-May 12

Yesterday kicked off National Nurses Week and we are so thankful for our school nurses. This year, in addition to their regular duties, they have taken on the responsibility of keeping track of the latest COVID information and have deftly adapted protocols that have seemed to change almost daily. Thank you for being a critical part of our District team.

Enhancing Communication: Texting Coming Soon!

In order to enhance our communication and engagement with families and staff, we will be adding SMS/text messaging to our SchoolMessenger notification system (the system the District uses to send phone and email communications to families and staff) with a target start of the end of May. Further details regarding the precise date and time this will "go live" as well as where to send questions/concerns will be shared over the coming weeks. Ready to opt-in now to receive text messages when they become available? Text the letter “Y” or the word “Yes” to the number 67587.

“Pop-in” Chats with School Board Members

Our school board wants to connect with you! Although they have regular bi-monthly meetings, we understand that the dates, times, and even the format are not ideal for everyone in terms of participation. If you are looking for another way to ask questions, express concerns, or maybe just get to know your board members a little better, please join individuals for their upcoming Zoom chats! The board will begin piloting these virtual pop-in sessions beginning next week. Board members are in the process of developing their initial schedules. Next week, you can join Board Chair Bridget Burkhardt Monday, May 10 from 9:00-11:00 am and Rebecca Day beginning Tuesday, May 11 from 10:00-11:00 am. Check out the School Board's Facebook Page and the District website for the latest dates and links!

You can also watch this past week’s board meeting via the Media Factory website and see the meeting minutes and backup information on the District website.

Caring for Mental Health

The stress of this pandemic has affected us all in a variety of ways and that’s why I wanted to take a moment, during Mental Health Awareness month, to provide you with some helpful resources from the Vermont Department of Mental Health as well as links to these wellness and mental health apps. Please be sure to take some time to care for yourself, lean on friends and family, and reach out to connect, even if it’s virtually, through a phone call or email. Let’s show one another compassion.

Sincerely,

David

No doubt, if you have traveled around South Burlington by car, foot, or bike, you have noticed the colorful utility boxes that have been brightening our city streets over the last couple of years thanks to the coordinated efforts of South Burlington resident Katie O’Brien Barritt. A number of South Burlington residents, including students of all ages have contributed their talents to make South Burlington pop with creativity. To celebrate National Bike Month, an art scavenger hunt is underway (there are prizes!). This is a fun and safe activity for all ages.

Are you MOVING IN or OUT of South Burlington, or TANSITIONING to a different school next year? Please call our Main Office to let us know your plans. 652 7202. This will help us to help you transition smoothly and also provide us with accurate student counts and class sizes to anticipate for next school year.

Registration will open for Incoming Kindergarten students on March 1, 2021. If you would like to register a student who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2021, please visit www.sbschools.net/register .

School Registration / Home

South Burlington School District Online Registration link

www.sbschools.net

Wow, what a year this has been! It was so wonderful to work with the Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grades throughout this school year, and I look forward to what the next season brings. The films and curriculum will remain on our website HERE, if you haven’t checked them out already.

This summer, I will be coordinating our Farmstand at South Village, which opens this Saturday, May 1st 8am-6pm. Please stop by to visit - I would love to see you all at the farm with your children! I will be working Tuesdays - Saturdays 2-6 pm.

In our final Farm to School lesson, we took it back outside to appreciate the wonderful nutritional benefits and versatility of Spinach. We planted some spinach and pea shoot seeds in the raised beds to celebrate the beginning of the growing season. I encourage you all to check back to see how your veggies are growing throughout the rest of the school year!

Our recipe this month is a simple Spinach Salad with a Ramp Dressing. Such a delicious springy taste you will have to try.

Spinach and Pea Shoot Salad with Ramp Dressing

For the salad:

● Spinach

● Pea shoots

● Any of your favorite salad toppings

For the dressing:

● ½ cup olive oil

● 2 Tbsp honey

● ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

● ¼ cup ramps, finely chopped (can sub 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced)

● ¼ tsp salt

● Pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Starting with the dressing, combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Cap with a lid and shake vigorously until dressing is blended and smooth. If you have a food processor, you can skip chopping the ramps/garlic and let that do the blending!

2. Assemble your spinach and pea shoots in a bowl. You can keep your salad simple, or top with some of your favorite toppings - some thinly sliced radishes and diced avocado would go great on this.

3. Lightly drizzle your dressing over top and enjoy!

Message from Carol McQuillen, Common Roots - Director:

I hope your child has enjoyed our monthly lessons and taste tests. We hope you will take a walk at our Common Roots Farm at South Village and see our organic fields producing nourishing foods (55 Allen Road East - off Spear Street). Farmstand Memberships are available at the Farmstand.

Perhaps come by the Wheeler House for our Friday Flatbreads from our amazing clay oven! Bring your picnic blankets and enjoy live music and have dinner - Every Friday 4:00 - 6:30 (1100 Dorset Street). www.commonroots.org

Till next month, Nourish to Flourish!

Lauren Jones, Common Roots - Farm to School Educator

Caregiving is hard enough without a global health pandemic! Now more than ever, it is CRITICAL that we encourage our caregivers to practice diligent self-care. Our health depends on it, and the health of our children depends on it. It is difficult for caregivers to put themselves first – and we know they are equally as deserving and in need of it. Please consider using these helpful resources.

The Importance of Care for Caregivers (National Association of School Psychologists)

Parenting During Coronavirus: You are Enough (PBS Kids)

Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

COVID Support VT (from 211)

Apps for Self-Care and Wellness

Visit the RMCS website at sbschools.net or just click on this link for tech support!

https://sites.google.com/sbschools.net/sbsdedtechforstudentsfamilies/home