Effective March 14, the Agency of Education will lift all COVID mitigation measures. As such, we have established a Moving Forward plan that includes adding classes to attend morning assembly and Mass in person, returning to lunch in our two multipurpose rooms, and K-8 students gathering in the main building's multipurpose room if they arrive between 7:30 am - 7:50 am.

We are pleased to be able to implement the Agency of Education's Test at Home program. Kits have arrived and will be available to students, should the need arise.

Students are still required to stay home when sick and we will continue to follow the state's protocols regarding symptomatic students. Kits are available for students needing to test. Please review the graphic below for details.

Follow this link to login to the BJAMS FACTS sign in page. You will see the FACTS Grant & Aid start application button. You will need your 1040 Federal tax return from 2020 or 2021 and 2020 W-2's. The deadline to apply is April 11.

Mrs. Marcoux in our business office will be glad to assist you with uploading your documents - just give her a call (888-4758, ext. 243) or email her.

Only completed and verified applications will be considered for tuition assistance. Keep in mind FACTS takes approximately 2 weeks to process applications.

From Father Schnobrich:

The “Unofficial Commander in Chief ” of the BJAMS Work Day, Ed Olsen, wishes to extend a huge thank you to all of the hard-working folks who sacrificed their Saturday morning and rolled up their sleeves to help out. Ed made every effort to include everyone here, however if you don’t see your name or it’s not quite right, please know your presence was appreciated and your hard work did not go unnoticed! In no particular order, here are a few highlights:

Randy and Jessica Mulligan were the carpenter and helper in the group! The missing material was cut, fit, and painted behind the wash machine, and hooks put up in Grade 3.

The Wein Family tackled the high work in the MPR, replacing tiles, washing all the screens, and windowsills, and washing all the walls in the front entrance. Flynt supplied and operated a scissors lift; those tasks would have been impossible otherwise!

The entrances were swept and shoveled of snow and salt crystals.

Katie and Patrick Knapp were there and plowed through the broken and stained ceiling tiles.

Noelle Collard was there with Sarah, and they carefully washed the showcase by the bathrooms, washed windows, dusted and washed, and put it all back together so nicely.

Gabrielle Hopkins was there to help place all the screen attachment clips with drilling out the holes first, and that was a big job!

Kevin and Colby Dorain, also replaced tiles and including missing ones in Mr. Close's room.

Kevin Earle was there, helping with the endless cleanup.

Thank you to each and every person, young and old, for each and every thing you did, big and small!

Collective efforts like these boost the vibrancy of our school and the strength of our BJAMS community.

THANK YOU!

Katie Marvin is excited to coach America’s first sport at BJAMS again this spring. The emphasis will be on safety, teamwork, and “honoring the game.”

This is what’s taking shape so far:

K-2 coed Saturdays 2:00-3:00 in May only. No official games. Very fun. Just need a little fiddlestick or similar small stick. No fee.

3/4 girls Tuesday and Saturday practices 3:15-4:30 start mid-April. Sunday jamboree game days (time TBD). These games are short games against other teams on a short field and only 7v7 on the field.

Girls will need a stick and protective eyewear. Powerplay is a great resource. Practices on Tuesday and Saturday will be free, however there might be a requirement to have a US lacrosse membership to join the jamborees. More to come!

3/4 boys If there is a parent interested in coaching, we could organize the jamboree slot, as we cannot offer a 3/4 boys team at this time.

5-8 girls and boys are encouraged to join Stowe youth lacrosse club (see Community News further down in this Friday Notes) or their home district middle school teams. We do not have enough athletes at these grade levels.

Calling all parents! If you can coach during the week, please contact Katie. Other parent volunteers may be recruited at practices depending on numbers!

If your child is interested in joining; you want to coach; you're looking for gear; you have general questions, please email please email Katie Marvin at katiemarvin@live.com.

Vermont’s (in)famous fifth season is upon us!

Some helpful tips for staying safe during the slippery, often mucky transition from winter to spring include:

• Avoid dirt roads when its wet out if you can, the freeze/thaw cycles can create ruts deep enough to swallow an axle on a lifted truck.
• With some exceptions, hiking trails are not yet ready for prime time, and are often still ensconced in rime. Walking on wet or even merely damp trails can cause erosion, widening a scripted trail, damaging surrounding plants, compacting the soil, suffocating dormant critters, insects, and plants. Look for dry, low elevation and/or improved trails that have decomposed granite or other high-quality drainage so you can enjoy your time outdoors and “leave no trace”.
• Wear sturdy hiking shoes/boots. Slip-on or other easy access footwear almost guarantees losing one in the tight “suck” of the mud, or even twisting an ankle or knee due to the lack of traction in slippery conditions.
• Carry extra socks and plan for fickle weather – one thing we know for certain is that Vermont weather can change on a dime. Wear plenty of loose layers to trap warmth and allow for air circulation.
• Remember that ticks are waking up from their dormant state and will be actively seeking hosts for their spring feeding. Use a repellent if you’re going out in the woods, or even on improved trails.
• Be mindful of creeks and low water crossings that can become fast-moving torrents in mere moments when we have quick thaws and rain.
• Puddles in the road may hide large potholes that can cause damage or loss of control of your vehicle.
• Stay hydrated regardless of what activities you undertake, indoors or out, high energy output or sedentary.

We are super excited and we hope you are too! Look at the new weekly happenings!

Monday - Art Day - paper mache donuts, sewing emoji pillows, cardboard castles

Tuesday - Sensory Play - play dough, slime, cloud dough

Wednesday - Adventure Day - explore the woods, spotting signs of spring, collect natural treasures, fort building

Thursday - Culinary Day with Harvest of the Month curriculum -

March/kale; April/carrots; May/cucumbers; June/berries

Friday- STEAM Day - building and engineering, Lego, trains, blocks, gears

Mar 18 - No school - staff development

Stowe Youth Lacrosse is open to ALL area youth and they are actively seeking players from other towns. It is okay if your child has never played before and it is never too late to start.

Please reach out to Mike at michael.rapoport1@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions.

The season starts the first week of April indoors and moves out to the fields in early May. Practices are twice a week, with games on weekends.

You can register at the link here:
https://www.leagueathletics.com/Registration/Default.asp?n=21453&org=stowelacrosse.com

Where: Morristown Centennial Library

What: Yoga for kids ages 5+. Everyone likes to start out their day with some deep stretches, some breathing. Come join in!