CBMS Community Newsletter

Dear Crossett Brook Community Members:

We had our kick off assembly on September 6th in the gym and were proud to see the hard work of our student assembly group in action. Along with Hillary Wheeler, our students planned and organized the first assembly of the year which included a shout out to our Three Cs, a fun activity to get our excitement going and a wonderful slide show of pictures that have been taken to start the year. We couldn't be more excited to see students leading these activities.

September is also the start of the year's safety drills expectations. As such, we are practicing our safety drills as part of our routine setting in the classrooms and around the building. This month we are required to do a fire drill, clear the halls (typically used in a medical emergency) and Secure the Building Drill. Please help us reinforce the importance of following adult directions and being quiet during safety drills with your students at home. The more focused we can be during those times, the better and safer our practice is.

Sincerely,

Jen and Duane

The Vermont legislature mandates that public schools conduct fire drills (school evacuations) and options-based drills (response to intruders) on a regular basis throughout the school year. Harwood Union Middle and High School will conduct 3 safety drills this month including an Egress (fire) drill, a secure the building (September 25) and a clear the halls drill (September 30). These drills will be run in an age-appropriate manner. It is important for students and staff to be familiar with the process, procedures and routines. With each drill, we learn ways to refine and improve our safety plans.

We will talk with your child about the various exercises, the reasons why we conduct them and the best ways to remain safe. Please help us in conveying to your child the importance of these drills so we are prepared in the event of a real emergency.

The safety and security of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. We will continue to partner with law enforcement and other emergency responders as we continually revisit our procedures and routines to refine our safety plans.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with your child about this issue. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact Duane Pierson, CBMS Co-Principal.

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Helpful guidelines for talking with children about school safety:

For some children, even participating in a drill may cause some emotional distress. This is especially true if it reminds them of a prior crisis event, or if they otherwise are feeling vulnerable or anxious.

As a caregiver, you are in the best position to help your child cope with trauma they experience during an emergency or safety drill or event at school. Any conversation with a child must be appropriate for their age and developmental stage.

Upper elementary and early middle school children may be more vocal in asking questions about whether they are truly safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Parents can share the information they have about the school's safety plan and any other relevant communication to ease their child's mind.

- It is important to have conversations with your child, explaining that safety drills occur and why it is important to take them seriously. Be careful not to interject any of your own anxieties or feelings into the conversations, your child will pick up on that and may mirror those feelings. Instead, create and maintain an atmosphere of openness and support, encouraging your child to share with you all aspects of their day, both positive and negative. You’re in this together! Let them know whatever they are feeling; fear, dread, confusion, indifference, is normal and be supportive.

- Make sure your child understands the importance of paying attention during the drill and carefully following the directions they are given. Please encourage them to use mindfulness to help them get through it. The same simple strategies they use to calm themselves down before a big test or important game can work here. Tell them to be aware of their body and surroundings, listen to what is around them, be present in the moment. One exercise they can do before, during, or after) is the S.T.O.P. meditation; Stop what they are doing, Take a breath, Observe their surroundings, body, mind, and feelings, and Proceed with a clear mind. They can do this quickly, in the moment, as a way to calm down and focus during the drill.

- Caregiving experts have long espoused the importance of having dinner together as a family when possible, being present in the moments you have with your child. Make sure you take some time every day to really talk with your child, ask them powerful questions about their day that encourage more than one-word answers. Ask them how they felt physically, emotionally, and mentally after the drill. Discover, notice, build, and reward their strengths of bravery, judgment, perseverance, social intelligence, perspective, and hope. These strengths, along with mindfulness activities, can help your children build resiliency.

We are here as a resource! Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Food and drink sales in the building need to go through an approval and fundraising process, which includes permission and prior authorization from the administration. If students are bringing in items to sell to each other without this permission (soda, candy, food, etc), we will unfortunately have to confiscate the items and have students return the money to those they sold to. This is necessary to keep all students safe and healthy as some illness and allergies may be unknown or can even develop over time.

If students have fundraisers for outside groups, please have them check in with us first to talk about appropriate places and times to sell those items.

In order to continue to promote a safe school environment, we are requesting that any clothing that depicts illegal items for minors be left at home. Additionally, we are requesting that clothing not be objectively offensive in nature. If students are wearing these clothing items, they may be asked by the administration to change or cover up the clothing item.

There is no longer a 4:45 late bus in the afternoons. The 5:45 late bus does run each day, however. If students have afterschool plans, that should be taken into consideration as much as possible. Here is the late bus information.

Check the website for this month's menu.

We have solidified the dates for this year's Winter Sports Program at Sugarbush. More information coming soon on times. Please check out the website for more information. There will be forms going out soon for program sign ups and rentals as well.

If interested in volunteering, please make sure you are a Level 3 volunteer and approved by the district. This requires both a background check and fingerprints. More information on how to do this can be obtained from Meg Libby at Central Office by emailing mlibby@huusd.org.

Please fill out the google form for your student(s). We need everyone to fill it out, so that we can prepare for the upcoming Sugarbush ski/ride/snowshoe program starting in January.

Process for getting fingerprinting completed

How to Volunteer at dances, fun nights, and our upcoming ski program

Team Prodigy: where learning happens (Photo: Students this past week have been exploring different fundamental skills scientists use.)

Dream Team Science and Social Studies classes are getting underway.

To begin our S. Studies unit on Indigenous people and colonization of North America, students are becoming historians by analyzing and describing real life artifacts.

In Science, students are investigating and learning about Earth’s systems: the biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. Each child has become an expert in a system and is sharing their knowledge with their classmates through words and pictures.

Titan had a field trip to Stowe Pinnacle last Friday, September 13th for a day of hiking, community building, and Titan Olympics! Congrats to Mr. Dumais’ Homeroom for winning our Scattergories challenge!

During Morning Meetings, Team Quest has been focused on positive self-talk. We learned about examples of how Olympians use positive self-talk when things aren’t going their way and did team challenges that forced us to persevere.

Radial Symmetry Name Designs by grades 7 & 8 in art class.

Jazz Band will be on Monday and Thursday mornings from 7:45-8:30. Please enter through the band room door on the Western side of the building.

If you haven't ordered yet, you still can! Below is the link to the site to order your student's school pictures from Ember Photography.

On August 30th, the AOE sent out information to superintendents and independent school heads about EEE. Below are highlighted points from that communication and information gathered from the Health Department website, Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

• What is EEE? EEE is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE can result in encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, and can be fatal in about one-third of people who develop severe EEE disease. Most people infected with EEE virus do not develop symptoms, but those who do may experience a flu-like illness with fever, chills, body aches, and joint pain. Anyone with symptoms should reach out to their health care provider. People over age 50 or younger than age 15 are at greatest risk for developing severe disease.
  
  

• What towns are at high, moderate, and low risk? As of September 10, high-risk towns currently include Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, Sudbury, Swanton and Whiting. Towns at moderate risk include Milton, Vergennes, Cornwall, Grand Isle and New Haven. Low-risk towns include Highgate, Benson, Brandon, Leicester and Fairfield. These risk levels may change as more groups of mosquitoes are tested. Updates may be found on the VDH EEE website.
  
  

• How can someone prevent mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illness? Limit outdoor activities during dawn and dusk. Use EPA-registered insect repellents labeled as effective against mosquitoes, and apply them before going outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity times. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors. Repair any holes in screens and eliminate standing water around your home. Mosquitoes are less active when temperatures are below 60 degrees.
  
  

• Is spraying going to happen? Officials continue to evaluate options for aerial or ground spraying of pesticides in areas where infected mosquitoes have been identified, should that be deemed the best course of action to protect public health. The public will be notified in advance if spraying occurs.
  
  

• Should outdoor evening events be cancelled? The Health Department recommends limiting time spent outdoors in the evening but does not require it. Event organizers should decide whether to adjust the timing of their events based on this guidance.
  
  

• Can insect repellent be brought to school? The Vermont Department of Health does not provide specific guidance on insect repellents in schools because they are not classified as medications and are not regulated by the FDA. Schools are encouraged to establish their own protocols for the use of insect repellents. These protocols could include whether repellents are allowed, if parental permission is required, and whether students are permitted to apply them themselves. It is important to consider the impact of aerosol sprays on others in the school community. As a best practice, parents may be advised to apply insect repellent to their children before they arrive at school and ensure that their children wear appropriate clothing, such as light-colored, long sleeves, and pants, to protect against insect bites.
  
  

• Additional resources:

• How to Choose an Insect Repellent for Your Child - HealthyChildren.org

• Mosquitoes and Schools | US EPA

• Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively | US EPA

• DEET General Fact Sheet (orst.edu)

• Avoid bug bites | Travelers' Health | CDC

• Insect Repellents (aap.org)

• Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods | US EPA

Here is the information about both clubs and how to sign up.

Bike club will be on Wednesday's 3:30-5pm (roughly 7 weeks)

Bike club links (all grades 5-8):

Bike Club Sign Ups

Flyer is on the Clubs Bulletin Board.

Bee club will be on Thursday's 3:30-5 pm (roughly 6 weeks)

Bee club Links (this is for 7/8th only):

Bee Club Sign ups

Bee Club Waiver (MUST BE PRINTED AND SIGNED)

Flyer is on the Clubs Bulletin Board.

Both are dependent on weather.

We are looking for donations of the following items in case community members have some collecting dust.

• chess boards
• graph paper
• ispy or Where's Waldo books
• learning ukulele book/guide
• puzzle books

There will be a skate night for grades 5/6 and 7/8 separately on September 21.

Where: Waterbury Skating Rink

When: Saturday 9/21

Time: 6:30-7:30 for 5th and 6th graders/ 8-9 for 7th and 8th graders.

Cost: Suggested Donation is $10.

If interested in volunteering or donating for the event, please sign up below.

Click here for Parent/Guardian Volunteer and Food/Drink Donations!

If you would like to sign your student up to skate, please sign up here.

Click here to sign up your student!

Wednesday September 25th is the Annual Waterbury Walk and Bike to School Event. Bring your walking shoes or your bike to Rusty Memorial Park in downtown Waterbury for light snacks and get ready to travel to school. CBMS students will be gathering at 7:30. Walkers will leave around 7:40 and bikers will leave at 7:50 to get to school on time.

Check out the annual ski and skate sale flyer.

Registration for Harwood Youth Basketball is now open and will be closed on October 6th. An earlier registration period will help us organize teams, ensure uniforms arrive in time for the start of the season, and recruit the appropriate number of coaches. All1st-6th graders interested in having fun, getting exercise through the winter months, and learning the game of basketball are encouraged to register at: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/446609

The full list of age groups and options is below, along with pricing which helps cover insurance, equipment, referees, and uniforms the players will get to keep. We have scholarships available for anyone who needs one.

· 1/2 Boys in MRV (primarily mid-week) - $75 / player

· 1/2 Girls in MRV (primarily mid-week) - $75 / player

· 1/2 Boys in Waterbury (1 practice mid-week and 3v3 on Saturdays) - $75 / player

· 1/2 Girls in Waterbury (1 practice mid-week and 3v3 on Saturdays) - $75 / player

· MRV 3/4 Boys (2 practices in MRV, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· MRV 3/4 Girls (2 practices in MRV, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· MRV 5/6 Boys (2 practices, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· MRV 5/6 Girls (2 practices, 1 games per week) - $125 / player

· Waterbury 3/4 Boys (2 practices, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· Waterbury 3/4 Girls (2 practices, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· Waterbury 5/6 Boys (2 practices at CBMS, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

· Waterbury 5/6 Girls (2 practices at CBMS, 1 game per week) - $125 / player

Practices will begin in early November. Games schedules will be created in early November and games will begin in late November / early December. The season runs until the week before February break.

Harwood Youth Basketball is looking forward to another great winter of basketball, and we hope to have another great turnout! Please also consider volunteering to coach. Patience, enthusiasm, and availability are just as important as experience, and many hands make for lighter work and more fun!

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Brian Godfrey: brian.godfrey@mmuusd.org

Danielle Kent: danielle@daniellekent.com

HYBA Co-Presidents

More info visit https://www.oneartsstudio.org/ or email fionas@oneartsvt.org

Upcoming Camps for 1rst-7th Grade include:

Indigenous People’s Day Camp

October 14th

In this camp we will spend time with tree and plant identification. Time will be taken to learn plant anatomy and move forward creating artwork inspired by surrounding flora. Choices will range from sewing plant designs, collaging plant shapes, sunshine permitting cyanotype plant prints, and creating plant flashcards with scientific names.

Printmaking Camp

November 11th

In this camp we will explore the art of gelli printing guiding students as they experiment with the mirror image effect in printmaking. Throughout the class we will build up the printmaking process incorporating sketches, chine-collé, texture and multiple layer printing.

Gratitude Camp

Nov 25th-Nov 27th

Leaving space for students to create with a multitude of art supplies. In this camp we will encourage imagination to take root and grow with abundance. Camp will kick off with students sketching things for which they are grateful and will move forward with the young artists creating three-dimensionals objects from clay, cardboard and paper. If students enroll for all three days, time will permit for the favorite activity of miniature house building! Students create a miniature house using cardboard boxes and custom decorating.

https://www.oneartsstudio.org/

https://www.patreon.com/fionasullivan

CBMS Calendar

Website:https://cbms.wwsu.org/

Phone: 802-244-6100

Location: 5672 VT Rt. 100 Duxbury, VT 05676