The Core
February 17, 2023, Volume 14, Issue 25
Notes from the Principal
Hello Parents and Guardians,
What a crazy day. It's unusual for us to have a late start but we made the best of it, I hope everything went well for you.
đź“Ś I'm leaving the ZEMS information in the newsletter for the next week or two. And please feel free to contact me with any questions, we need the space! And check out the Budget Highlights.
đź“Ś Check out the articles below on awesome things going on such as Red Clover or Mock Caldecott Bingo in the library! Also, look through the Calendar-at-a-Glance about the upcoming vacation, it's an unusual vacation for families who might not be familiar with the Vermont winter vacation schedule!
We have 4th & 5th Grade auditions for the Orchard Play on Monday and Tuesday. They'll be easy, no experience is required!
Have a terrific weekend; take some time to read with your child.
Mark T & Olivia K
We ❤️ our PTO, please support them!
Valentine's Day at Orchard School
From our Library
I Love to Read Week
What a fun week we had in the library! During their scheduled library time, every class either played Red Clover or Mock Caldecott BINGO to cap off library programs based on picture books. Students were certainly delighted when they called out a BINGO and were able to select from an assortment of donated books. You might ask your student(s) about the heart that they made for the hall in front of the library. Each heart had the name of a favorite book. To see a video of the hall, plus some other images from the special week, please take a look at Orchard School's Instagram.
Donna Sullivan-MacDonald
Red Clover & Caldecott Bingo!
School Nurse Notes
STREP THROAT
& Scarlet Fever
Most sore throats are caused by a virus, though some sore throats can be caused by a bacteria called group A strep, which can infect the throat and tonsils.
Spread: strep throat can easily spread by an individual breathing in respiratory droplets, touching the mouth/nose after touching an object with those droplets or drinking/eating from the same surface as someone who is infected with group A strep bacteria.
Symptoms: in addition to the common signs and symptoms listed on the diagram, other symptoms may include a headache, stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting — especially in children.
A sandpaper-feeling rash may develop; this is known as scarlet fever (also called scarlatina). The rash may appear early on or up to 7 days after the illness begins.
Diagnosis: a rapid test and/or throat culture can help determine if a person has strep. Please notify the school nurse if your child’s rapid test or throat culture is positive.
Treatment: antibiotics help treat strep throat; continue to take the medication for the prescribed amount of time; do not stop even after feeling better (which is usually one-two days after starting antibiotics).
Return to School: once your child has been on antibiotic treatment for at least twenty-four hours, does not have a fever and is able to tolerate the school day's activities, they may return to school.
Prevention: washing hands often, along with other respiratory hygiene measures, helps decrease the spread of strep.
Visit the following CDC links for more information on strep throat and scarlet fever.
Be kind, stay well~
Kara Cassani & Sarah Pineda
ZEMS
The ZEMS (Zero Energy Modulars - designed to reduce our carbon footprint) will serve as classrooms. The modular classrooms will hopefully house fifth graders next year. They are meant to last a long time and can be picked up and moved to another site/school if needed. This bulleted information is taken from the SBSD budget presentation:
Total Bond Request: $14,550,000
$6 Million for Classroom ZEMs (Zero Energy Modular Classrooms)*
*Now implemented, impact fees will cover an estimated 91% of the cost of ZEMs, excluding financing
From the PTO
Monthly Teacher Treats: Sign-ups needed for Teacher/Staff love! Interest has waned as the school year goes on, but those teachers need our love more than ever! Here is the link to sign up to bring in goodies for the next few months of drop-offs.
Start an after-school club! Orchard PTO is seeking parents and community members who have a talent or interest to share with Orchard students. Past clubs have been focused on Legos, foreign languages, art, music, and games. The sky's the limit! Funding is available. Email orchardschoolvt@gmail.com with your interest or for more info.
News from Orchard Dram
Orchard Drama is raising money for this year's school play: The Further Adventures of Peter, Wendy & Hook and we need your help.
How can I help?
Bake! Hey you, the one who loves to bake tasty treats in support of a great cause! We need your help to provide some homemade snacks for our upcoming bake sale on Saturday, February 18th. Additional details and sign-up info is available on Konstella or by reaching out to us directly at orcharddramavt@gmail.com but the quick version is this: You bake something tasty and drop it off to us on Friday, February 17th and we'll turn those treats into funding for this year's school play. It's just that simple. Did we mention that we need your help?
1st & 4th Grade Buddies Doing Research Work
Memory Book 22-23!
"Hello Orchard parents and caregivers!
I am currently putting together this year's school Memory Book and looking for someone to come alongside me to assist in the process. This is my daughter's last year at Orchard, so I will not be putting it together again next year. A new Memory Book team (parent volunteers) will need to be formed in order for your children to have a Memory Book made each school year. Having some tech skills is a definite plus as part of the process includes uploading portraits and designing the pages. I would love to get a couple of you trained now while I'm still in the creation process, and also looking for assistance in the creation of this year's book. Please reach out via phone at 802-393-5223 or via email at pay.johnson@aol.com if you are interested in learning this process to take it over for next year."
Girls on the Run!
Registration Opens Soon!
Girls On The Run is coming back to Orchard Elementary! Our program focuses on the whole girl by empowering girls’ minds, bodies and souls. It inspires participants to appreciate, love and respect what makes them unique, set actionable goals that they can complete by the end of the season, and develop new habits and activities that create a healthier lifestyle. Registration for Girls On The Run opens on Wednesday, February 22nd at gotrvt.org!
Our 10 week program is for students in grades 3-5. Our season begins the week of March 27. Our team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:45pm to 4:15pm at Orchard Elementary.
The registration fee is $115. GOTRVT provides financial assistance directly on the registration form for qualifying families as well as a payment plan. GOTRVT is committed to being accessible to any student who wants to participate, and is dedicated to ensuring that program cost is not a barrier. Please contact GOTRVT directly at 802-871-5664 regarding financial assistance options.
Questions? Contact Coach Patiance at pay.johnson@aol.com or 802-393-5223.
School's Out Summer Camp Registration starts on Monday, February 13 at 9 am. See our website for information
Common Roots Summer Camp
Common Roots - Summer Camps 2023
Centered on the Common Roots' mission of land stewardship, food education, and food access, our Common Roots Summer Camp program will be centered on cooking, gardening, drama, and community-building. In conjunction with our food and land-based values, we will be connecting our vital natural landscapes to the creation of puppets, stories, and performance. Stoking the creative fire in our youth is an essential aspect of development and greater transformation in our community. Inherent in puppet-making, theatrical games, and story development, there is an opportunity to expand our hearts & minds, imagination, and enhance a wide variety of skills.
Common Roots leases the beautiful natural environments of the Wheeler Homestead, the Hubbard Park Farm, and the Farm at South Village. Our camps will be facilitated by our talented land and food educators.
Our camps begin with 3 weeks for 7-12-year-olds, then 3 weeks for 12-14-year-olds.
Sessions:
7-12-year-olds
June 19th-23rd
June 26th-30th
July 2nd-7th (no camp on July 4th)
12-14-year-olds
July 17th-21st
July 24th-28th
July 31-August 4th
Please see our attached flyer for more details.
Joyfully,
Carol McQuillen
Co-Founder, Director
Common Roots
802-999-4270