June 8

June 8, 2012

Dear Parents,

Grades close today.  Next week will be a flurry of activity with graduation, class day, the great race, awards, etc.

·      Agriculture Secretary Ross will visit Monday to review our Farm To School program activities.  I want to recognize Kelly Meacham and Amy Richardson for their  hard work this year to integrate Farm To School activities into the classroom curriculum.

·      Students will have step up day scheduled during this last week so that they can meet the teacher they have been assigned to for next year.

·      On Wednesday, eighth grade students start the day with Principal’s breakfast and receiving yearbooks.  Yearbooks will be distributed to students who ordered them throughout the day. 

·      The eighth grade Class Day assembly takes place at 1:30.  Honor roll, athletic, and individual class awards will be given at this time.  Parents are welcome to attend.

·      The 6 and 7^th grade students will have their final awards assembly on Thursday morning at 8AM.  After this, students will participate in The Great Race.  This is a tradition involving academic, athletic, and some absolutely crazy competition!

·      Another tradition is ringing the bells and giving the busses a huge send off at noon.

·      Eighth grade students do not attend school Thursday morning.  Instead they are to come to school at 1:00 PM for Graduation.  We spend the hour before graduation starts taking a class photo, pinning flowers on to lapels and corsages onto dresses, and generally having a few minutes together before saying goodbye.

·      Graduation is at 2:00 PM.

The office will be open Friday, and all next week.  Teachers will be wrapping up their professional responsibilities by Tuesday.  Linda will post a schedule of her summer hours in the window of the Principal’s office.  When Mr. Wright comes on board, he will do the same. 

A summer food program has been established in Windsor that serves students in all of Windsor County.  Any child under the age of 18 can enjoy breakfast and lunch at no cost at the State Street School all summer.  

Don’t forget to check out the lost and found!

So it is time to say goodbye to the students and parents of this wonderful school.  Simply said, I have been blessed to work here, and I leave you in good hands.  As always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens, Princpal 

June 1

Dear Parents, 

As the year winds down, the energy level increases.  The spring sports season ends next week.  It is also the last week of homework club.  Grades close Friday. 

In preparation for next year, student council speeches will take place Wednesday morning at 8:00 AM.  After speeches, the student body elects the officers and representatives for next year’s council. 

Also scheduled for next week are the eighth grade class trip, a seventh grade outing, a fourth grade trip to the Calvin Coolidge Homestead,  and the eighth grade grad dance.

Katrina Hill, our school librarian, will take Maria Dolan, Lyndzie Nichols, Morgan White, and Bailey Wright to the  Dorothy Canfield Fisher awards ceremony to see which author won this year’s award.

We held our Memorial Day assembly this morning.  As always, the American Legion members were our honored guests.  Students in grades K – 2 sang On Memorial Day We Remember.  Grade 4 students recited a poem by Calvin Coolidge.  Students in grades 5 and 6 sang a choral rendition of the Preamble to the Constitution. The 6 – 8 chorus sang the Vermont State Song.  Mr Louis Maxfield and Mr. John Bartholomew gave speeches.  Asher Haney honored his father as a member of the American Legion.  And finally, three students sang solos. They were Samantha Gibbs who sang the National Anthem, Haley Symonds who sang Imagine, and Camilla Pentland, who sang Hallelujah.  All three girls did an incredible job.  I have to say that Camilla brought tears to our eyes. Can you imagine how proud I feel when our students honor our community veterans in this way?

Mr. Cox and I will have coffee ready for you on Monday morning.  I hope you can take a few minutes to enjoy a cup of morning brew with us. 

Have a great weekend.  I am off to Maine to celebrate the marriage of a certain member of our secretarial staff.  I hope we will all stay dry.  As always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens

May 25

May 25, 2012

Dear Parents,

For many, this weekend marks the official beginning of summer.  Time to plant the tomatoes and peppers.  Don’t forget to attend the Hartland Farm Fest on Sunday.  I am sure you will be able to buy heirloom tomatoes, local cheeses and baked goods, and meet the community’s farmers. Perhaps they will sell that spectacular mint ice cream again.  Our students have created presentations about their Farm to School activities from this year.  I hope you will be  able to attend.  Profits from this event support the Farm to School activities at the school. 

Both the State Street School in Windsor and the Albert Bridge School in Brownsville had break-ins this week.  Laptop computers and iPads were stolen.  We have taken extra precautions to reduce the chance that our equipment will be stolen. 

Teachers have been working on making class lists for next year.  We will send letters home at the end of next week with your child’s assignment.

One important issue that I wish to bring to your attention is the use of Facebook or Twitter to publicly air complaints about the school or about teachers.   You certainly have the right to say whatever you wish via these apps.  However, it is not always wise.  In a small town such as Hartland, many negative comments get passed around via the grapevine and find their way here.  So if you have a concern or complain, I ask that you think about whether making a statement on Faceboook will solve anything.  Some of the comments made this spring have been scathing.  Some meet the definition of cyber-bullying. Some could reasonably be considered illegal.  How can we teach our children the appropriate use of technology if we, the adults do not model it appropriately? 

There were many wonderful events at the school this week.  The K – 4 Parent Appreciation Night concert was wonderful.  As always, I thank Ms. Bernstein for her hard work.  Students in grade 6 held their egg drop competition.  I have never seen such creativity!  My favorite model for keeping the egg intact as it was dropped from the school roof was to encase it in the middle of a jar of peanut butter! It worked!   Students in grade 4 were making Green Man masks and decorating the face with clay leaves in art class.  We are 

Students in grade 8 went to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail.  I love this trip because it represents my last full day with the eighth grade students. I also encourage families to walk the trail this summer.  Boston is a beautiful city, and it was clear that very few of our students had ever visited before.

Give your kids a hug for me.  Enjoy the long weekend.  Let the summer begin!

Judy Callens, Principal

May 18, 2012

Dear Parents,

Once again, I am very appreciative of the many ways that parents honored their children’s teachers last week.  Thank you for your kindness. 

We welcomed our incoming Kindergarten students and their families on the afternoon of the 17^th.  Students rotated among stations, met their classmates and interacted with the K – 2 staff.  This looks like a wonderful group of children and families to welcome to our school community.

If you walk through the seating area by the main office, you may notice a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Ginny White’s brother, George Figuroy, sent them as a thank you to our student council.  The student council sent letters to those serving in the military in Afghanistan.  They were very appreciative. 

If you plan to move out of town, or relocate to another home in town, please give the office a call with that information.  We need this information to plan the bus routes and balance out the class assignments of our students.  Thank you.

Next week will be a busy one.  First, Mr. Wright, (who will be Principal starting July 1), is visiting on Tuesday and Thursday.  The purpose of his visit is to meet students and staff and to begin to get a feel for the school.  If you are in the building on either of those two days, stop by to say hello. 

The K – 4 spring concert and Parent Appreciation Night is Thursday at 6:30 PM.  As usual, this should be wonderful.

Mr. Wolfe returns on Monday.  He has organized his yearly trip to Boston with the eighth grade students to walk the Freedom Trail.  This will take place on Thursday.

Seventh grade students will work with members of our local American Legion on Thursday morning to decorate the graves in the cemetery behind the Brick Church.

As this year begins to wind down, students get spring fever and begin to get frisky, especially those in grades 7 and 8.  Please talk to you children about hanging in there a bit longer, and controlling their behaviors.  Especially important to me is that they treat the adults in school with respect.  Lately this has not always been the case. Thank you.

The spectacular weather is expected to continue through the weekend.  I am sure you will all be planting gardens and having barbecues.  Enjoy!  As always, give your child a hug for me.  

Sept 9 newsletter

September 9, 2011 Parent Newsletter

Dear Parents,

The second week of school has run smoothly.  Bus routes, schedules, and classroom coverage have begun to run smoothly.  Our Kindergarten students are now here full time.

• One of the difficulties in creating accurate bus routes is that some students do not ride the same bus home as they ride to school each day.  Depending upon sports, day care needs, and parent schedules, some students ride different busses at the end of each day.  Teachers make a concerted effort to ensure that students get on the correct bus every day.  Please make sure that teachers have a note of which bus is to be taken.  If your plans change, you must provide a note.  It is common for a child to state that they are supposed to wait for a parent to pick them up when no notice was given to the teacher. Our protocol is that all children will be sent home on their regular bus UNLESS we have received a note, or in an emergency, a phone call.
• Our secretaries work from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.  If you call the school after 3:30 PM, you will hear a recording.  If you stay on the phone, you will be instructed about how to access a teacher’s direct phone line or voice mail.  A list of staff extensions has been included in this newsletter for your convenience. 
• Walmart has selected our school to receive $1000 in gift cards so that teachers can purchase classroom materials.  Each year, Walmart employees select an area school to honor.  We are very pleased to accept this gift to the school. 
• Micah Heaney is a former HES student working on his Eagle Scout designation.  This summer he and a cadre of volunteers built an access to the 17 acres adjacent to the school.  Stone steps, railings and bridges were erected.  We encourage you to explore this land with your families.  His work was a gift to all of us.  Our students and teachers are already using the 17 acres as a natural classroom.
• All court documents concerning custodial rights need to be filed in our main office. 
• Please don’t forget the Welcome Back community picnic scheduled for Wednesday, September 21.  Tom Christensen, our new WSSU Superintendent plans to attend and say a few words.  This is a great opportunity to meet him.

From time to time I feel it is important to review school policies with parents.  This week I want to review school attendance policies. Absences from school are considered “excused” as follows: (HES Policy F14) “ Illness, observance of religious holidays, a death in the family, family emergencies, or situations beyond the student’s control as determined by the School Board, or other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent or guardian for the health or safety of the student and are confirmed in writing or verbally by the parent or guardian of the student.” All other absences are considered unexcused.  School attendance in Vermont is compulsory after age 6.  If a student accrues 5 unexcused absences, we are required to make personal contact with parents and document our concerns.  After 7 unexcused absences, we will meet to determine how the school can assist the parents in improving school attendance.  After 10 unexcused absences, the school must gather a team of social service agencies, the truant officer, and parents to create a Coordinated Services Plan.  If that is not successful, we must make a formal referral to the Department of Children and Families, who will refer the issue to the State’s Attorney

It is important that you call the school when your child is going to be absent and describe the reason for their absence. 

Have a great weekend.  After a week of rain and clouds, it feels terrific to know the sun will be shining again.  I hope that you have ample time to enjoy being out of doors.  As always, give your kids a hug for me. 

Judy Callens

  

September 23 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at last night’s welcome back picnic.  It was nice to see parents and students enjoying each other on such a balmy evening.  Thank you to all who contributed food.  Special thanks go to Ray Sapp and John Leonard for being our grill masters. 

• NECAP Assessments begin the first week of October.  Grades K – 2 are not tested.  Grade 3 – 4 will have testing on Oct 4,5,6 and 11, 12, 13.    Grades 5 and 6 will have testing on Oct 11, 12, 13, and 17, 19, and 20.  Grades 7 and 8 will test on Oct 11, 12, and 13.  Please help us by ensuring that your children attend school during the testing window.  If you would like to contribute breakfast or snack items during the testing, we would appreciate your efforts. 

• We will be hosting the WSSU Spelling Bee here at HES on Monday, October 3.  Teams from Windsor, West Windsor, and Weathersfield will join us in our school library from 9:00 – 11:00 AM for grades 5 and 6, and 12:00 – 2:00 PM for grades 7 and 8.

                        Members of the 5-6 team are:  Cami Rediker, Bronwyn Smith, Devon             Beland, MollyThompson, Halsey Jones and Sara Kleber.

                        Members of the 7-8 team are:  Hunter Brooks, Miranda Sweeney, Emily                         Fortier, and Jacob Farewell.

• We are still in great need of Volunteers.  We could use someone for two hours per week in the office to some data entry, work with Mr. Cox on the bus schedule, filing, etc.  I will need 1 or 2 people (more are welcome) to review a three year plan for school improvement in early November.  I do not anticipate this to be a  long term commitment. Also, Mr. Cox is trying to organize after school activities and needs parent volunteers to supervise and run them.  If you can spare some extra time, please contact us.
• We have not yet hired a Part Time Kitchen Worker.  This is a paid position for two hours per day.  Send a letter of interest to me if you would like to be considered for the position.
• If you are planning a family vacation during regularly scheduled school days, you must write a letter to me detailing the days your child will miss. 
• Mid Term grades close on September 30, so it is important that 7^th and 8^th grade students be up to date with their class work. I have enjoyed watching the soccer games and feel it would be unfortunate for students to lose team time due to ineligibility due to poor grades.  Parents should check out Power School to determine which assignments are missing. 
• I want to thank all of the ELF Volunteers for their work this week.  The theme of this month’s lesson was spiders. Volunteers brought in living spiders to share with students.  The stories of capturing “the Beast” and “Fang” were hysterical.  I think the excitement of the parent volunteers made this an especially interesting lesson for the students.
• Finally, I want to honor Arne Wolz’s accomplishments in the Region 8 National dressage competition where he took three first place ribbons, and a second place and a third place. Arne belongs o the Green Mountain Horse Association.

Enjoy the first fall weekend.   It is supposed to be beautiful. As always, give your child a hug from me.

Judy Callens

March 23

March 23, 2012

Dear Parents,

The excitement is building to see Charlotte’s Web this afternoon.  I hope that you all will be able to see it. There are three public shows; 7:00 PM tonight, and 2PM and 7PM on Saturday. 

I want to wish Jaden Sanborn, Daisy Hutt and Anyata Hamilton the best of luck as they compete in the state-wide Junior Iron Chef competition on Saturday.  They will be one of 84 teams competing at the Essex Expo center. 

This week’s spectacular weather has resulted in a few dress code concerns, especially among the girls.  Please have your children review the school dress code.  Short shorts, spaghetti straps, clothing that reveals the midriff, or low necklines are not appropriate for school.  How ironic to write this at a time of year when we are normally wearing snowsuits, boots, hats, etc. 

Speaking of winter clothing, I want to remind you to check out the lost and found racks in the slate lobby.  These will be cleaned out over April break, and all clothing will be donated to the Listen Center.

Grades for the third marking period closed today.  Although report cards will be sent home next week, parent teacher conferences will not take place until April 13.  Some teachers are contacting parents electronically to sign up for a conference. Other teachers will send home a sign-up sheet. 

If you have questions or concerns about the placement of your child, the spring parent teacher conference is the time to have this conversation with his/her teacher.  Working as teams, teachers make all placement decisions. Input from parents is considered, so please express your opinion during conference time.

Over the next two weeks, each school team (K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) will hold a retreat to plan for all spring events, and to begin planning for next year.  Class lists, transition meetings, planning for students with special needs, ordering of materials, and holding informational nights for parents are all being planned. 

Parents of students receiving Title 1 services are invited to a School Report Night on April 24.  You will receive additional information before April break.

We are currently trying to locate all Incoming Kindergarten Students for the 2012-13 school year.  If you know of any children who will turn 5 before September 1, please ask their parents to contact Heidi in the office.  We intend to hold our parent informational meeting for incoming Kindergarten students on Tuesday, May 1. 

On TUESDAY, the Hartland Board of School directors will meet at 5:00 PM.  Normally they meet on Mondays.  This is a reorganization meeting during which new members Alan Goldblatt and Noah Jacobson-Goodhue will be formally introduced.  Committee and Board assignments will be made. In addition, several policies will be introduced.  I hope to see you there.

I had the honor of giving six candidates for the Principal’s position a tour of the school this week.  This was an enjoyable experience. The interviewing committee consisted of parents, students, teachers, board members and central office administrators. I appreciate the huge commitment of time the team has given to this process. I also feel absolutely sure that this school will be left in good hands.  The candidates were impressive.

Have a wonderful weekend.  As I said earlier, I hope you will all see Charlotte’s Web.  As always, give your child a hug for me. 

Judy Callens, Principal

Newsletter May 4, 2012

Dear Parents,

Every year the CARE/CRISIS team conducts a drill.  Today we ran a lock down drill.  The team deliberately planned a drill during lunch time for grades 3-4 and 7-8.  We wanted to plan for moving a large group of students out of a public space and into secure areas.  Teachers prepared students and debriefed after the drill ended.  I want you all to know that this was a drill, not a real crisis. 

Each year, our teachers select two students to represent the school as Vermont Scholar Leaders. This year sixth grader, Kyle Prior, and eighth grader Tim Alibozek were chosen to attend a ceremony in June at Norwich University.  The Scholar  Leader program is sponsored by the New England League of Middle Schools and the Vermont Association for Middle Level Education. We congratulate them both!

Mrs. Ziegler has been accepted into the Vermont Mathematics Initiative, which is a three- year program leading to a Masters degree in mathematics education.  I am thrilled to have another teacher leader here at HES. 

The School Board approved the appointment of Scott Richardson to replace Tom Kennedy at its meeting on April 23.  We welcome his efforts to help the community. 

Teacher Appreciation week is May 7 – 11. As usual, the PTSF has planned a variety of ways to thank the teachers for their hard work.  I am so appreciative of the efforts of the PTSF.  If you have a moment next week, please stop by to express your thanks to your children’s teachers.  It means so much to be recognized for this demanding work.

On Friday night many of us will attend the movie, Bully, at the Nugget Theater in Hanover.  We are previewing the movie so that we can prepare the 7^th and 8^th grade students for their private show on Tuesday.  We feel strongly that viewing the movie, and having discussions and activities at the school will help reduce the troublesome behaviors between our students.

Tomorrow is Green Up Day.  Mrs. White, wearing her conservation committee hat, has worked  hard to make sure that materials are available for families to help clean up our roadsides. 

I want to see some sunshine.  That’s all that is left to say.   Have a great weekend.  As always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens

May 18, 2012

Dear Parents,

Once again, I am very appreciative of the many ways that parents honored their children’s teachers last week.  Thank you for your kindness. 

We welcomed our incoming Kindergarten students and their families on the afternoon of the 17^th.  Students rotated among stations, met their classmates and interacted with the K – 2 staff.  This looks like a wonderful group of children and families to welcome to our school community.

If you walk through the seating area by the main office, you may notice a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Ginny White’s brother, George Figuroy, sent them as a thank you to our student council.  The student council sent letters to those serving in the military in Afghanistan.  They were very appreciative. 

If you plan to move out of town, or relocate to another home in town, please give the office a call with that information.  We need this information to plan the bus routes and balance out the class assignments of our students.  Thank you.

Next week will be a busy one.  First, Mr. Wright, (who will be Principal starting July 1), is visiting on Tuesday and Thursday.  The purpose of his visit is to meet students and staff and to begin to get a feel for the school.  If you are in the building on either of those two days, stop by to say hello. 

The K – 4 spring concert and Parent Appreciation Night is Thursday at 6:30 PM.  As usual, this should be wonderful.

Mr. Wolfe returns on Monday.  He has organized his yearly trip to Boston with the eighth grade students to walk the Freedom Trail.  This will take place on Thursday.

Seventh grade students will work with members of our local American Legion on Thursday morning to decorate the graves in the cemetery behind the Brick Church.

As this year begins to wind down, students get spring fever and begin to get frisky, especially those in grades 7 and 8.  Please talk to you children about hanging in there a bit longer, and controlling their behaviors.  Especially important to me is that they treat the adults in school with respect.  Lately this has not always been the case. Thank you.

The spectacular weather is expected to continue through the weekend.  I am sure you will all be planting gardens and having barbecues.  Enjoy!  As always, give your child a hug for me.  

May 11

May 11, 2012

Dear Parents,

I just met Davy Crockett, Annie Oakley, the best sharpshooter for Lewis and Clark, two Queens of England, Tom Brady (I wish), and Anne Frank.  These were third grade students dressed up as characters of books they have read.  Precious.

We are planning our annual Memorial Day assembly with the American Legion.  Parents and community members are welcome to attend on May 31 at 9:0 AM.  Our seventh grade students will continue the tradition of decorating graves on Thursday, May 24.  After the assembly on the 31^st, they will participate in a flag burning ceremony. If you have old flags that need to be disposed of, send them to the office and we will dispose of them properly.  Also, if you have a family member, friend, or community member who is currently serving in the military, please email me their name, rank, and where they are stationed.  We always honor those on active duty at the assembly.

Kelly Meacham and Amy Richardson have been the school’s Farm to School Coordinators this year. On Monday students in grade 1 and 2 visited the Meacham farm.  They circulated among 8 different activity stations, including milking, making ice cream, planting, art activities, and m ore.  Yesterday students in grade 4 visited several farms in town.  The Farm to School initiative has brought a variety of learning activities to the school this year.  Fresh fruits and vegetables have been supplied to the kitchen.  Taste testis of new foods such as yams have been conducted.  Students in grade 7 and 8 boiled sap into syrup as part of their science curriculum.  This is an example of how FTS has enriched our programs.

On Tuesday we took students in grades 7 and 8 to see the movie Bully.  I am thankful for the support of our PTSF to make this financially possible.  This was a powerful movie, and learning opportunity. After returning to the school, students were divided into small groups to discuss the movie.  I am proud of the school team for their efforts.  The movie was quite emotional, yet due to the planning of the teachers, the discussions were conducted in such a way that students were able to process what they saw.  I learned so much from students.  First I learned that their perspective of bullying is very different than the adult’s perspective.  Second, I learned that many students feel that the things portrayed in the movie would not happen here because the adults wouldn’t let them happen.  Neither would the bus drivers.  My first conclusion is that all of the attention we  adults pay toward behavior is paying off.  Many students stated they feel safe here.  My second conclusion is that students can be as oblivious to what is going on around them as the adults are.   When I stated that there are parents and students who do not feel the school is safe, I was met with confused silence by the students.  So my third conclusion is that this work never ends. The focus upon respectful behavior must remain a priority in this school. 

One last thing,  I try to arrive at school between 7:00 and 7:15 AM. When I enter the lobby, there are often students who have been dropped off by their parents.  Please do not drop off students at school before 7:30 AM, when supervision is provided. 

Our last student led assembly is Monday at 12:30 PM.  Please feel free to join us.  And remember that Thursday is an early release day with students being dismissed at 12:00.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Get the peas and lettuce into the garden!  As always, give your child a hug for me. 

Judy Callens

April 12

April 12. 2012

Dear Parents,

Short weeks are insanely busy, but we wanted to get a brief letter out before break. 

• There is an opening on the school board from now until next March.  We need someone to fill the position.  Please consider volunteering for your school in this capacity by contacting Bettina Read.
• Kudos to Ms. Bernstein and students in grades 3 and 4 for the fabulous performance, The One Hundred Year Snooze.  It was charming, fun, and full of very talented students. 
• On Monday, Ms Colby and I accompanied six students in grades 7 and 8 to the Global Issues Conference in Montpelier.  This was the first Global Issues Network conference held in Vermont.  It is a world- wide organization created to compel students to take action within their communities to solve issues that are found through out the world.  World hunger, clean water, wetlands conservation, biodiversity, leadership, and conflict resolution are all examples of workshops that were available for students.
• There was a letter to Annie in the Valley News this week recognizing the24th  Annual Global Youth Leadership day.  It is April 20 – 22. (a day?)  The day is to honor the youth who strengthen their communities through the power of youth service.  I think Hartland is full of young people who do just this.  Think of the many ways in which young people participate in community events, help at church, volunteer, and strengthen this community.  We are indeed lucky. 
• Lost and found items will be sent to the Listen Center next week.  Last call to retrieve what may be yours. 

I hope your children have a wonderful vacation and return rested and ready for the spring.  As always, give them a hug for me. 

Judy Callens

April 6

April 6, 2012

Dear Parents,

First, the BIG news!  The School Board has hired a wonderful young man as your next Principal.  His name is Gary Wright.  Although I was not part of the interviewing team, I spent over an hour with each applicant talking about the school and giving a tour.  I was very impressed with Mr. Wright and feel confident that he has the energy and idealism to bring the Hartland School to the next level.  Between the energy of the new School Board members and the energy of Mr. Wright, I know the school will be in good hands.

Speaking of the School Board, there is a vacancy that needs to be filled.  I urge you to become involved in the governance of this school and the greater WSSU.  If you are interested, please send a letter of interest to Bettina Read, Board Chair, by April 17.

To say we have had a busy week is an understatement!  Thanks to the efforts of Deb Christie-Maples, National Public Health Week was a resounding success.  There were Farm to School Activities, presentations about the danger of ticks, information sessions on immunization, the State Canine unit, relationships, healthy snacks, and a hysterical presentation about healthy choices by Michael Zerphy.  Today students will participate in Jump Rope for Heart. 

Eighth grade students participated in Job Shadow day, along with over 700 students in the Upper Valley.  The reports were varied, from “It was awesome!!!” to “ Boy, I got a four hour lecture!”  As with any initiative, some students benefited more than others, but all got an idea of the kind of academic preparation needed for a career of interest to them. 

This morning students in grades 3 and 4 will present their science fair projects.  As a former science teacher, I just love this event. 

My favorite classroom observation of the week was watching the entire eighth grade class square dance with Ms. Murphy.  Don’t let them tell you they didn’t enjoy it! 

Next week will also be busy, and short.  On Monday, Ms Colby and I are taking a team of 7^th and 8^th grade students to the Global Issues Network conference in Montpelier.  The ¾ play will take place on Wednesday and Wednesday night.  The One Hundred Year Snooze should be priceless.

Don’t forget there is no school next Friday due to parent teacher conferences.  Enjoy this holiday weekend.  I hope you get to share it with family and friends.  As always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens

March 29

March 30, 2012

Dear Parents,

The awards assembly for students in grades 6, 7, and 8 who made the honor roll will take place on Monday, April 2 at 8:00 AM in the multi purpose room.  Mr. Cox and I have been hosting coffee gatherings with parents on the first Monday of each month.  Since the awards assembly and the first Monday of the month coincide, we will have coffee available for all parents.  In addition, we have asked the members of the School Board to attend. Bettina Read, Nancy Gabriel, Noah Jacobson-Goodhue, and Alan Goldblatt are the present members. 

Spring parent teacher conferences are now being scheduled.  Although the official conference day is April 13, many teachers spread the conferences over a two- week period.  If you have concerns about your child’s placement or future placement, this is the time to discuss them with the teacher.  Teachers work in teams to make all placement decisions, so we do not guarantee that anyone’s requests will be granted. However, we do guarantee that all requests will be seriously considered.  K – 6 placement decisions will be made by June 1 and shared with parents at that time. 

Parents often wish to visit classrooms in the spring.  We welcome this, but ask that you first contact the teacher to set up a visitation time.  This is a simple courtesy.  Teachers should not be taken by surprise by parents just stopping in.  Thank you.

Next week is a busy one.  Deb Christie-Maples has organized health week.  Students will be served healthy snacks, learn about ticks, anti-tobacco information, CPR, immunization, and the levels of sugar in drinks.  Jump Rope for heart will involve students in grades 3 – 6.  Special presentations will take place on safery, healthy foods and nutrition, and healthy choices.

In addition to all of this, students in grade 8 will participate in Job Shadow day.  This is a day organized by Mr. Morse and the Upper Valley Business and Education Partnership.  Hundreds of students in grade 8 throughout the Upper Valley will be matched with business and organizations to give students an idea of the kind of educational preparation is necessary for a career in an area of choice. 

Students in grades 3 and 4 will present science fair projects from 8:20 – 9:40 in their classrooms.  I hope as many parents as possible can attend.

Second interviews for the Principal’s position took place this week.  I hope we will be able to announce the name of the finalist next week.

 I can’t believe there are only ten weeks left of this school year.  It has flown by.  Enjoy your weekend, and as always, give your child a hug for me.  Judy Callens

March 23

March 23, 2012

Dear Parents,

The excitement is building to see Charlotte’s Web this afternoon.  I hope that you all will be able to see it. There are three public shows; 7:00 PM tonight, and 2PM and 7PM on Saturday. 

I want to wish Jaden Sanborn, Daisy Hutt and Anyata Hamilton the best of luck as they compete in the state-wide Junior Iron Chef competition on Saturday.  They will be one of 84 teams competing at the Essex Expo center. 

This week’s spectacular weather has resulted in a few dress code concerns, especially among the girls.  Please have your children review the school dress code.  Short shorts, spaghetti straps, clothing that reveals the midriff, or low necklines are not appropriate for school.  How ironic to write this at a time of year when we are normally wearing snowsuits, boots, hats, etc. 

Speaking of winter clothing, I want to remind you to check out the lost and found racks in the slate lobby.  These will be cleaned out over April break, and all clothing will be donated to the Listen Center.

Grades for the third marking period closed today.  Although report cards will be sent home next week, parent teacher conferences will not take place until April 13.  Some teachers are contacting parents electronically to sign up for a conference. Other teachers will send home a sign-up sheet. 

If you have questions or concerns about the placement of your child, the spring parent teacher conference is the time to have this conversation with his/her teacher.  Working as teams, teachers make all placement decisions. Input from parents is considered, so please express your opinion during conference time.

Over the next two weeks, each school team (K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) will hold a retreat to plan for all spring events, and to begin planning for next year.  Class lists, transition meetings, planning for students with special needs, ordering of materials, and holding informational nights for parents are all being planned. 

Parents of students receiving Title 1 services are invited to a School Report Night on April 24.  You will receive additional information before April break.

We are currently trying to locate all Incoming Kindergarten Students for the 2012-13 school year.  If you know of any children who will turn 5 before September 1, please ask their parents to contact Heidi in the office.  We intend to hold our parent informational meeting for incoming Kindergarten students on Tuesday, May 1. 

On TUESDAY, the Hartland Board of School directors will meet at 5:00 PM.  Normally they meet on Mondays.  This is a reorganization meeting during which new members Alan Goldblatt and Noah Jacobson-Goodhue will be formally introduced.  Committee and Board assignments will be made. In addition, several policies will be introduced.  I hope to see you there.

I had the honor of giving six candidates for the Principal’s position a tour of the school this week.  This was an enjoyable experience. The interviewing committee consisted of parents, students, teachers, board members and central office administrators. I appreciate the huge commitment of time the team has given to this process. I also feel absolutely sure that this school will be left in good hands.  The candidates were impressive.

Have a wonderful weekend.  As I said earlier, I hope you will all see Charlotte’s Web.  As always, give your child a hug for me. 

Judy Callens, Principal

March 16

March 16

Dear Parents,

It is production time for the school play.  This time of the year is always intense for students, teachers, and especially the adults coordinating the actors, props, sets, and costumes.  Charlotte’s Web will be performed next week!  Information for performance times is found later in this newsletter.

As you know, students did not attend school for half of Monday and all day Tuesday due to inservice.  On Monday teachers at HES worked on analyzing the NECAP results, working in cross grade level groups to redefine expectations for students entering and leaving each grade, and preparing for the WSSU inservice day on Tuesday.  Tuesday was spent in Windsor with Jeri Thompson, a curriculum consultant.  She presented the new Common Core Standards to the entire WSSU teaching staff.  This is just the beginning of the work needed to educate the teachers, revise the curriculum and implement the practices necessary to meet the new requirements. The Common Core needs to be fully implemented in the 2014-15 school year.  It is expected that our NECAP assessments will be replaced that year with a new assessment called Smarter Balanced assessment, which will be taken online. 

Today I am off to meet with high school guidance counselors.  One of the goals set for me by the school board is to gather as much information as possible about how well our high school students are doing.  We have given surveys to students and parents in grade nine to determine how well they feel they were prepared.  We have gathered as much data from PSAT, SAT, and NECAP results.  We look at honor roll lists and plans of our students after college.  Finally, we have joint meetings with our core middle level teachers and the high school teachers from Windsor and Hartford.  I hope to present all of this information to the Board in June with recommendations for future improvements.

Candidates for the Principal’s position will have interviews next week.  The School Board reopened the search after meeting with 5 candidates last month.  Hopefully they will find the right match for the school and community.  My role in this process is to give each candidate a tour of the school.  I really enjoy doing so as it gives me a chance to promote the many aspects of the school that we are all proud of. 

Have a great weekend.  Wear green!  For that matter, wear shorts!  It is supposed to be beautiful.  As always, give your child a hug for me.  

Judy Callens, Principal

March 9

March 9, 2012

Dear Parents,

Winter? Spring?  Mother Nature is having a tough time making up her mind.  One thing for sure, we all feel better when the sun shines.

We have had a wonderful week.  Thank you for your support of the budget.  As you know, it passed by a large majority.   Voters also approved moving $379,000 of carry over funds (which included AARA money) into the capital reserve fund. This demonstrates prudent fiscal management on the part of the School Board.  The Hartland school now has a healthy reserve fund that can be used for capital improvements of the building or school campus without impacting taxes significantly in the future.

The School Board will welcome two new members this month; Alan Goldblatt and Noah Jacobson-Goodhue.  I appreciate their willingness to volunteer in the service of our children.

I have a couple of house keeping items to share with you:

·      Spring has arrived and students are more likely to want to spend time together after school at each other’s homes or at the library.  Please make sure that plans are made ahead of time.  Students should not be calling during the day to request changes in after school plans. Send in a note with your child to be approved first thing in the morning.  The office cannot handle the social lives of our students and should not be expected to manage phone calls, messages, notes, and arrangements for after school plans.

·      Please remind your children of the Acceptable Use Policy for electronic devices.  Cell phones should be kept in lockers or advisories during the day.  Use of one during the day is a violation of the AUP and may result in the confiscation of the phone. 

·      Please check out the lost and found racks in the lobby.  It is packed full of student clothing.  We will be clearing it out over April vacation, so if you are missing a sweatshirt, jacket, boots, hats, etc., please take a moment to look there.

I want to take a moment to congratulate Hannah Cox for her awesome accomplishment this past weekend.  Hannah is a member of the Upper Valley Aquatics Club.  Her team competed in the New England Swimming age 13 – 19 competition last weekend.  The Valley News described Hannah as a “one person wrecking crew”!  Hannah placed third in the 500 yard and 100 yard free style, fifth in the 200 and 50 free style, eighth in the 400 medley, and ninth in the 200 butterfly.  Out of all of the swimmers, she placed seventh and has qualified for the Sectionals in Buffalo, NY in late March.  Amazing.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend.  I am thinking of raking the front yard! I love Daylight Savings and look forward to changing the clocks, and enough light after school to be able to take a daily walk.  As always, enjoy your kiddos, and give them a hug for me. 

Judy Callens

March 2

March 2, 2012

Dear Parents,

There is not much to report this week, given how short it has been.  It seems that students enjoyed yesterday’s snow day.  It is difficult to predict exactly how severe a storm will prove to be.  I was grateful that the high winds that were predicted did not materialize.  This was the prettiest snow storm this year.

I want to encourage all of you to attend the Annual School District Meeting on Monday at 7:30 PM in Damon Hall.  It is at this meeting that questions about the budget can be answered by members of the Board of School Directors. 

Voting to approve the school and town budgets will take place at Damon Hall on Tuesday.  Voting begins at 7:00 AM.  In addition to the budgets, new members of the school board will be elected. I urge you all to participate.

Students are celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday today.  The day started with grade 8 students reading to Kindergarten children.  Guest readers are scheduled among the classes all day. 

We will be making coffee for parents on Monday morning in the lobby.  Please stop by for a cup, take a few minutes with Mr. Cox and myself, and share your thoughts with us. 

The meteorologist on channel 3 has stated that yesterday was the first day of spring.  He looks at March – May as spring, June- Aug as summer, Sept – Nov as autumn, and Dec – Feb as winter.  Although this is not accurate, it feels nice to have someone talking about spring! 

Have a good weekend.  It doesn’t look like our snow will be lasting much longer.  Stay dry and as always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens

Feb 17

February 17, 2012

Dear Parents, 

The week prior to a vacation is normally the time that teachers wrap up major units of study.  This week was no exception.  For the past two days I have been invited to classrooms to observe students presenting their work.  I am impressed!

Students in Mrs. Skehan’s grade 4 class studied animals in Vermont.  Each student presented their factual information about habitat, predators, food chains, and life cycles in the form of a game, or visual presentation. One student, Zofia Zerphy, created her own DVD presentation, complete with music and an interview with her father.  Impressive.

Students in Mrs. McClure’s class learned how to make electrical switches.  Students in Mrs. Cramer’s third grade class made and tested rubber band rollers as part of an inquiry based science unit.  Students were presenting their edible cell projects in Mrs. Ziegler’s fifth grade classrooms. 

In addition to all of this, students in grades K – 2 celebrated the 100^th day of school this week.  Mrs. White’s class created a dragon with a 100- foot long tail.  Mrs Bodner’s class created chains made of 100 links. A tremendous amount of math is integrated into the daily number count; counting by 1’s, 10’s ,2’s and 5’s, and learning odd and even numbers. 

Students in grade 4 were given a presentation by the Change The World Kids. This is a program out of Woodstock High School that involves students in local community service as well as global issues.  Locally students assisted in hurricane clean up, stocking food shelves, etc.  Globally, students have been involved in creating a preserve in Costa Rica and providing water to villages in Africa.  Although this program is based in Woodstock, two of our students are already involved; Georgia Sparks and Casey Starr. 

Grade 1 students ended their week with a field trip to VINS. As a partner school, we have been offered free field trips to the nature center during the slower winter months. 

Earlier this week we had some vandalism occur during a basketball game.  The students at fault were HES students whose parents were present during the vandalism, but in the gym watching the game.  I am reminding all parents that their children are to be under their direct supervision at all times during after school events.   Allowing students to play in the lobby, or roam the halls is not acceptable.  The video of the lobby during this particular event revealed students jumping on furniture, roughhousing, and throwing balls around the lobby. 

Enjoy the long holiday weekend and winter break.  Since there is no sledding, snow-shoeing, and little skiing, perhaps kids can get out of doors for hiking and riding bikes.  Rest up. See you in a week.  And as always, give your child a hug for me.

Judy Callens

Feb 10

February 10, 2012

Dear Parents,

Given the warm temperatures and sunshine, it feels more like we are week away from April vacation rather than February vacation.  I have to say I enjoy the longer hour+ of daylight and the savings in heating my house. 

Our school web page has an updated version of the budget.  I urge all of you to plan to attend the Annual School District meeting on Monday, March 5 at 7:30 PM.  I also urge everyone to vote on Town Meeting day.

Now it is time to nag.  Parents, please, please get your students to school on time.  We have students arriving to school at all hours of the morning on a regular basis.  Classes start at 8:00, so students who arrive late miss valuable class time, which teachers should not have to repeat.  We would really like to see a reduction in tardiness.  Thank you.

This week, the Hartland School participated in the Young Vermont Writer’s Initiative.  Every person in the school dropped what they were doing to write for a period of time on Tuesday.  The point was to encourage students to respond to a number of prompts, and to see adults enjoy writing.  Thanks to Sarah Stewart Taylor for bring this event to our school.

We received the results of our NECAP state assessments this week.  I am putting together a report for our school board, which will be posted soon on our website.   I am pleased with our results!  Individual student reports will be sent home before vacation.

Please check out the lost and found.  We have quite a collection of coats and boots.

I want to thank Karen Rodis, our K – 5 Spanish teacher for participating in a Journey North program.  Mrs. Rodis’s students are communicating with schools in Mexico, while tracking the migration route of Monarch butterflies from Vermont to their winter sites in Mexico.  In the spring, they will track them back to Vermont.  Students in grades 1 and 2 have sent paper butterflies to two schools in Mexico. If you click on this link to Mrs. Rodis’s school web page, you will be able to see photos of students in Mexico displaying the art work of our students.  http://hartlandspanish.blogspot.com/2012/02/symbolic-monarch-migration-update.html

The Footnotes, a special chorus from Hanover High school gave an fabulous performance this week.  They sang songs from Wicked, and Grease.  It was especially thrilling to welcome Genevera Wetmore, Kendra Comstock, and Olivia Zerphy back to Hartland.  These former students sang solos for our students.  I was very pleased that we were asked to host this performance.  I am sure it inspired many students.

Have a great weekend.  As always, give your child a hug for me. 

Judy Callens, Principal