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