Hi GIS Families!

Reminder- NO SCHOOL Friday, March 22, because of family conferences.

Happy Saturday, GIS Families!

I hope everyone is well. Over the past few weeks, Smore has blocked a few email addresses, and I can get it fixed if I know you're not getting them. The newsletters are also on our school web page under Mrs. H's Page.

A big thank you to all of our skiing chaperones. I wish the weather was a bit more cooperative, and I'm thankful our skiers and riders got four awesome days on the mountain.

This week is a four-day week for kids. There is skiing on Tuesday if you bring your kids yourself. Check your email to see a note from Lindsay Lundquist. We will also hold an options-based drill. Here is what the Agency of Education says about options-based drills.

"Act 29 of 2023 requires that these drills be age-appropriate and trauma-informed. In reviewing the different response methods and researching the data related to past active shooter incidents, we have learned that no one-size response plan fits each active shooter incident and that teachers, administrators, and students need to have an options-based response approach that is available to them, based on the specific set of circumstances they are dealing with at the time of the incident."

I will use a skunk as a "threat" in our options-based drill. For example, "There is a skunk in the front lobby."

These drills are essential to the safety of our school, and should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

It's spirit week! See what the days are below.

As always, my door and inbox are always open.

Mrs. H

This email is our general school email, and it's set up to go to multiple people in the office. If you have a student who needs to change their dismissal plans, is arriving late, or has another general question or comment- this is the best way to get a quick response.

Students in grades 3-9 take a statewide common assessment each spring. Until last year, that assessment has been the SBAC for English Language Arts and Math, and for students in grades 5, 8 and 11, the Vermont Science Assessment.

Beginning in 2023, that assessment changed to the Vermont Common Assessment Program (VTCAP), which some refer to as Cognia, and will continue to assess students in grades 3 through 9 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math and students in grades 5, 8, and 11 in Science.

The ELA and mathematics assessments measure the Common Core State Standards (CSSS) for English and mathematics, respectively. The science assessment measures the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Teachers will be sending out the days students are testing.

Week of March 18- Options based drill *more info to come for families

March 18- Spirit Day wear green.

March 19- Dress like a teacher

March 20- Anything but a backpack

March 21- School Spirit, wear black, red, and white

March 21- Book Club Meeting in the library 3:15-4:00

March 21- 4th grade NAEP makeup testing day.

March 22- NO SCHOOL- Parent/Family Conferences- Teachers often schedule conferences leading up to and after this date. Be on the lookout for an email with signups from your individual teachers.

Weeks of March 25 - April 12- Vermont State Testing for grades 3-6

April 8- No School- Solar Eclipse Day

April 18- 1/2 Early Release @ 11:30 for teacher PD

April 22-26- School Vacation

Many families often ask, what is the difference between a lockdown and options-based drills.

Lockdown drills involve sheltering in a secure location, locking the door, moving students out of sight, and requiring students to remain quiet within the room. In practice, lockdowns have a well-established history of keeping students and school staff members safe when presented with real threats of harm. These drills are intended to teach and practice basic skills regardless of the specific imminent threat, starting with following the instructions of the trusted adult in charge.

Options-based drills provide students and staff with a range of alternative and additional strategies to save lives (i.e., evacuation, barricading doors). These are not lockdown drills (rather, lockdown is one element of an options-based approach). The premise of options-based drills is to allow participants to make independent decisions depending on the situation such as the nature of the threat, time of day, and the location of students.

We are looking for new members to join our team! We have a small group of people who are part of our PTA. Anyone is welcome to join. You contribute as much time as you decide. We help hold fundraisers for our school, welcome in new students, purchase new equipment, help with funding fun school field trips and so much more! If you are worried you don't have the time to help you get to choose how much time you contribute. We meet 1 day each month virtually from the comfort of your own home. If you are looking to get more involved in our school this is a great opportunity to start!

Contact grandisleschoolpta@gmail.com to join!

All students going into 7th grade in CIUUSD have school choice for middle and high school. To start this process please make sure you fill out a residency form and pre-register with schools. Links are below:

• Information Packet
• Residency Form- Must be filled out.
• Colchester Middle/High School
• South Burlington- Tuttle
• Essex Middle School
• ADL (Essex)

The Student Council is doing a fundraiser for the remainder of March. We are collecting money for the Big Change Roundup for Kids to raise money for the UVM Children’s Hospital (More info can be found here.) We will have labeled containers in the main lobby for any spare change that families/students/staff wish to donate. We will collect the containers on the last school day of March and take the bins to a donation center to be counted and donated. The Student Council will announce the amount we raised the first week of April.

Because laughing is good for the soul.

Email: ahanlon@gisu.org
Website: https://www.grandisleschool.org/
Location: 224 U.S. Rte 2, Grand Isle, VT, USA
Phone: 802-372-6913
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grandisleschool.org

Attendance Form: https://forms.gle/ABSvVURCxvqbMfXw7