Hello Parents & Guardians,

It's great to see everyone back at Orchard School. We are a bit larger of a group (approximately 450 including our preschool program). We are feeling a little tight but everyone is pitching in to help and everyone is flexible. It has been a busy, exhausting and very positive week!

After ten years, the Core is getting an upgrade. We are experimenting with a new template from a tech company called Smore. This is particularly exciting because it will be a more efficient and higher level of communication. Please know it will take a few weeks for us to get a solid grip on it.

Our co-web managers are making our website a priority. Everything is updated with the exception of staff directory/photos, you can get lots of information just by clicking on Orchard School.

We have new teachers just starting at Orchard. They are:

• Brittany Brown - 1st Grade Teacher
  
• Dr. Catherine Findlay - Kindergarten Special Education Teacher
  
• Mikayla Hines - 3rd Grade Special Education Teacher
  
• Susan Adamson - Art Teacher, part time
  
• Darcy Mazlish - Nurse, part time
  
• Jaclyn Parrott- ELL Teacher
• & Melinda Tate has returned to be a long-term sub for our 5th Grade Special Education Teacher, Justin Kaulius, who is on paternity leave!
  

So much more to share, stay tuned. Have an awesome three day weekend; take some time to read with your child.

Mark Trifilio

Principal

PTO Annual Meeting September 16 at 6:30 pm: Please join us for our Annual Meeting on September 17th at 6:30pm in the cafeteria to learn more. All are welcome! There are many fun activities planned and we will be recruiting volunteers. Mr. Trifilio will also conduct his annual volunteer training. All parents wishing to volunteer in the school must undergo training – check this off your list early this year by attending the PTO meeting!

Childcare for Curriculum Night: Plan to join your child’s classroom teachers on Curriculum Night Thursday, September 5th. Childcare offered and supported by the PTO. Find the link to sign up for childcare on Konstella and on the Orchard School webpage. Times for these sessions are as follows: Kindergarten and First Grade: 6-6:30pm; Second and Third Grades: 6:30-7pm; Fourth and Fifth Grades: 7-7:30pm.

Save the Date for this year’s Fun Run, October 11: The Fun Run is the only fundraiser of the year and funds earned go to support the many fun PTO-sponsored events that occur. If you work for a company interested in sponsoring this event, please reach out to Angi Murray at orchardfunrun@gmail.com and find more information about the Fun Run in your child's backpack.

Box Tops: Save your box tops to help earn money for Orchard! The money earned from Box Tops goes to support many PTO-sponsored events.

Amazon Smile: All your purchases through Amazon can help support your child’s school! The Orchard PTO receives a portion of purchases made through Amazon when using the Amazon Smile site. Information about how to set up Amazon Smile was included in the email to families today (August 30).

Have you joined Konstella yet? The Orchard School PTO uses a parent portal and mobile app called Konstella. All PTO communications, including a calendar of events and the PTO student directory will be accessible via Konstella. Konstella also allows you to sync the PTO calendar with your personal calendars. Please find the secure sign up here: https://www.konstella.com, and see the guide going home in your child's backpack.

Do you have PTO questions? Please find us online:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/orchardschoolpto
  
• Website: www.orchardschoolpto.org
  
• Email: orchardschoolvt@gmail.com
  
• Konstella: https://www.konstella.com
  

Congratulations to Orchard School's Raechel Barone for receiving this year's Elementary Teacher of the Year. Raechel received this award based on voting from her peers based upon her teaching, her emphasis to teaching the "whole" child and her school leadership work.

You hopefully notice our added security systems over the summer. This is reminder that:

1. All adults who are in our hallways need to be wearing a pass. Remember that the school day starts at 8:05 so all parents should be on their way.
   
2. Please, please, please do not park in the handicap parking spaces unless you have a handicap placard. This also includes avoiding pulling in to drop your child off.
   

Thank you.