Dear SCS Families and Caregivers,
Just like that, it’s November! With the clocks turning back on Saturday night/Sunday morning, sunset on Monday will be at the early hour of 4:37 p.m. On the flip side, tomorrow morning’s 7:32 a.m. sunrise is the latest of the year. If you’re a hiker, you may see some SCS staff members making their way up Camel’s hump to catch it. However you experience the shift in daylight hours, this time of year presents a variety of challenges for all of us. In conjunction with colder weather (should that ever materialize), more time indoors, being in-between seasons for many extracurriculars, and the onset of cold and flu season, there are lots of potential disruptions to the routines that have developed over the first two months of the year.
Our faculty & staff are well-versed in supporting kids through these changes, no matter what time of year it is. Morning meetings, consistent expectations, and a continued focus on social and emotional health help make sure we’re responsive to the needs of our students. At home, holding to a predictable rhythm and routine - particularly one that emphasizes a good night’s sleep - is key. Keeping screen time at a healthy level, encouraging outdoor activity whenever possible, and having open lines of communication with your child around how they are feeling are also helpful in supporting their well-being as the days shorten. Please do your best to prepare for the colder weather with appropriate outdoor attire for daily recess - we’ll continue to do our best to get kids outside as much as possible. As always, our teachers and counselors are here to support you, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Fortunately, SCS students are continuing to shine even as the days grow shorter. A few highlights from last week included:
Creative Potato Head construction during a lunch bunch (see photo below).
A facilitated conversation in a middle-level PE class where kids shared their questions and ideas around our Halloween policy. Thanks to Ms. Close for being a stellar circle-keeper and Mr. Membrino for providing space for student voices to be heard!
Students designing and leading the weekly Blue Team meeting. Highlights included shout-outs for other students and some great “would you rathers?” For example, would you rather hear a creepy noise coming from your attic and go up there but see nothing amiss, or get mysterious phone calls from an unlisted number with only creepy music on the other end?
An attempt to break a world record in Mr. K’s/Mrs. Stoddard’s prime group and Vasanthi’s basecamp.
Team Sangha’s (3rd graders) host a weekly full grade level team meeting to recognize individual students’ incredible social-emotional skills!
Team Wonder (4th graders) has fantastic learning leaders who are passionate about making SCS an awesome experience for all - and are brainstorming ways we can improve the learning journey by incorporating more student voice!
Our Kindergarten students got to experience their very first field trip this school year to Shelburne Farms, and they did a beautiful job being safe, respectful, and responsible - even off campus!
Team Harmony (1st grade) and Team Believe (2nd grade) have been filling their classroom cat coin jars and having classroom/grade level celebrations!
Our student artists have also been busy creating their own 3D model projects, and can’t wait to display their work throught SCS soon!
Finally, we’re refining our data gathering and analysis practices for both academic and behavioral supports. In doing so, we’ve noticed some unexpected race/ethnicity data in Powerschool. We’re working with families to make updates when we catch them. Please reach out to Katie Schut, our Registrar, at kschut@cvsdvt.org if you notice any discrepancies for your kids.
Thank you for helping to make this fall season so special for all at SCS!
Take Care,
Alison, Brett, & Emily
Six-Word Stories
Inspired by the famous six-word story "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," Blue Team students have been working on their own six word stories in humanities. Check out some examples below. (Fun fact: while popularly attributed to Ernest Hemingway, it is highly unlikely that he actually wrote the original baby shoes story. It was first published when Hemingway was 7 years old, and not attributed to him until three decades after he died.)
SCS Band & Chorus Poinsettia & Cyclamen Fundraiser:
WHEN: November 4 through November 22
Support our annual performance travel opportunities & get quality locally grown poinsettias and cyclamens! We'll have 200 5-8th grade musicians calling on trusted neighbors & friends, but feel freeto Purchase Online Here Too!
SCS Band & Chorus Volunteer Meeting & Fall Recital
WHEN: November 12, 6:30 & 7PM
Come gather with other parents/guardians in our Band Room to learn about how to get involved with this year's concert, events, and field trips! It's a fun and social way to volunteer! Following is our Fall Recital, featuring 7/8th grade soloists in an intimate setting in our Band Room. This is a very special showcase full of a variety of music from instrumentalists and singers.
SCS Band & Chorus Fall Concert
WHEN: November 19, 7PM
Featuring 6th Grade Chorus, 7/8th Grade Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, & Wind Ensemble in our gymnasium. Although our 4/5 singers and beginning band students are not yet on the stage, we'd love them to see where all this work is headed soon!
School Photo Information
Make-up Day Photo Order Forms
Make-Up envelopes are due back Monday, November 4th.
Prints from the original picture days will be delivered by November 5th.
Sibling Portrait Days are Sunday, November 3rd 11:30 am – 12:30 pm in the SCS breezeway.
Another option is, Tuesday, November 12th 3:00 – 4:30 pm at Hinesburg Community School in front of the school, near the side parking lot.
The Shelburne Food Shelf invites to you participate in the Food is In When School is Out (FIIWSIO) program where you can shop for food for your students the THURSDAY before each school vacation. Please sign up through this link here.
SCS 4th Grade Student Leadership Annual Food Drive for the Shelburne Food Shelf
When: Mon. 10/21/24 - Mon. 11/18/24
Where: (send in items with your student) SCS Food Drive boxes located in Kindergarten classrooms, 1st-4th grade kivas, and by the front office.
Current Needs:
Peanut Butter (crunchy and plain); Canned chicken, salmon and tuna; Dish soap and laundry detergent; Diapers, Pull-Ups, wipes; Deodorant; Pasta Sauce; Spaghetti, elbow macaroni, rotini, etc.; Applesauce; Canned fruit (no sugar added); Canned Vegetables; Dried beans/peas/lentils; Hearty Soups (low-sodium); Canned beans; Broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable); Ketchup, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, salad dressing; Oral Hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrushes & floss); Meals in Cans – Beef Stew, Chili, Beef Ravioli, Hash, Spaghetti O's, Spaghetti & Meatballs; Rice/pasta helpers (rice/pasta sides, rice-a-roni, pilaf, etc.)
THANK YOU FOR DONATING AND SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY!!!
WINTER sports registration is now OPEN for the 2024 - 2025 school year.
Boys Basketball is available to any 7th or 8th grade boy.
Girls Basketball is available to any 6th, 7th or 8th grade girl.
If you have an interested student-athlete who would like to participate in our WINTER athletics program, you will need to complete our registration for SCS athletics.
In addition, you will need to submit a Wellness Exam - Sports Participation Form (one submission per year).
WINTER sports will begin on November 18, 2024. Student-athletes WILL NOT be allowed to participate until their registration and wellness forms have been completed and submitted.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Leigh Petrucelli, SCS Athletic Director.
Invitation to Celebrate The Brand-New Pedestrian Bridge in Shelburne
The Shelburne Bicycle and Pedestrian Paths Committee invites everyone to join together in honor of our brand-new pedestrian bridge that connects Falls Rd to Irish Hill Rd. On Saturday, November 16 we will celebrate the completion of the bridge and sidewalk to Thompson Road. We will gather at the community garden parking area on Laplatte Circle at 10:00 and walk or bike from there to the Falls Overlook. There will be music and activities at that location starting at 10:30. All are welcome to join us as we walk to the Overlook, or meet us there at 10:30. Rain or shine! Please note that there is no parking available at the bridge so you will need to arrive at the Overlook on foot or by bicycle.
Connecting Youth (CY) Mentoring is looking for a few more mentors!
Great volunteer positions here at SCS!
Connecting Youth (CY) Mentoring is looking for a few more mentors!
Our program matches volunteer mentors with amazing middle-school students who would benefit from an additional positive adult in their lives. Pairs meet at SCS in our dynamic mentoring space, during the school day, on a day & time that works around the mentor's and the mentee's schedules. Pairs meet for a 45" block once/week. Mentors are provided with training and continual support.
Come join our team, and enjoy the benefits of building a relationship with a great kid!
What our mentors say:
"It is so fun to be connected!"
"This is the best way to start my day! It's better than the gym!"
Please contact Alice Brown, SCS CY Mentor Coordinator, abrown@cvsdvt.org to learn more.
