Catamount Connection

February 6: Winter Activities (All Day)

February 7: 8th Grade Carnation Sale Fundraiser

February 7: Sutton PTG Father-Daughter at Sutton School (6:30pm-9:00pm)

February 10: 8th Grade Returnables Collection Fundraiser

February 10: KESD Budget Information Meeting at Concord School (6:00pm)

February 12: KESD Budget Information Meeting at Lyndon Town School (6:00pm)

February 13: Winter Activities (All Day)

February 14: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

February 20: Kids Heart Challenge Assembly & Workshop at Sutton School

February 21: Winter Carnival at Sutton School

February 24-March 4: No School-February Break

March 4: Town Meeting Day- School Budget Vote

March 5: Students return to school from February Break

March 7: 2nd Trimester Ends

March 21: Early Release for Conferences (12:10pm)

March 21: Report Cards are emailed out

March 28: 6-8 Dance at Sutton School (6:30pm-9:00pm)

April 4: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

April 18: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

April 21-25: No School-April Break

May 9: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

May 23: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

May 26: Memorial Day- No School

June 6: Sutton School 8th grade graduation (6:00pm)

Dear Caregivers,

As we move into February, I want to take a moment to share some of the positive feedback we received from students, caregivers, and staff about how the school year is going so far. In our first trimester survey, one theme stood out loud and clear-our school is a place where people feel supported, trusted, and safe.

Students, caregivers, and staff all reported high levels of trust and support in their relationships with teachers and administrators. Students across all grade levels shared that they see both their peers and staff following our school-wide expectations, and they feel that adults handle situations fairly when expectations are not met. Most importantly, students overwhelmingly expressed that they feel safe at school, which is foundational to their ability to learn and grow.

While we celebrate these successes, we also recognize areas where we need to improve. As a staff, we are committed to focusing on the following in the months ahead:

Bus Expectations: We will be working closely with students and the bus company to ensure that our school-wide expectations are followed on the bus so that all students feel safe during their rides to and from school.

Communication with Caregivers: Teachers will be working to improve communication by sharing more about what students are learning and doing in school. We also want to be more intentional in reaching out with positive updates about students’ accomplishments and growth.

We deeply appreciate your partnership and feedback as we continue working together to create the best possible experience for our students. Thank you for your ongoing support!

Warm regards,

Rachel Robillard

Principal

Get ready for an enchanting evening at our upcoming Father-Daughter Dance! Mark your calendars for Friday, February 7th, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, at the Sutton School (in the Multi-purpose room). DJ Medina will be spinning tunes to make the night even more memorable, and light refreshments will be available for purchase.

While this event is traditionally called a "Father-Daughter" dance, we warmly welcome all families, regardless of their structure. The cost is $15 per caregiver, which includes all their children. The tickets can be conveniently purchased by contacting the school directly or through the Sutton PTG Venmo Account. Don't miss out on this magical opportunity to create lasting memories with your loved ones!

Kingdom East School District will be holding two informational budget meetings to review the proposed FY26 budget. Both meetings will cover the same material, and the locations have been chosen to provide easier access for community members and staff to attend.

During these meetings, there will be an opportunity for public comments and questions.

The meeting details are as follows:

• Thursday, February 6th, 2025 - Location & Time: Lyndon Town School Library at 6:00 PM - Click here to view the 2/6/25 Meeting Agenda

• Monday, February 10th, 2025 - Location & Time: Concord School at 6:00 PM - Click here to view the 2/10/25 Meeting Agenda

For added convenience, both meetings can also be attended online via ZOOM. The ZOOM login information is included in the meeting agendas.

We encourage you to attend and participate as we work together to shape the future of our district.

To learn more about the upcoming KESD FY26 budget vote, please visit the FY26 Budget page on our website.

If your phone number, address, or email has changed, please notify the school as soon as possible. Having up-to-date contact information ensures we can reach you in case of emergencies and keep you informed about important school updates. To update your information you can either log into PowerSchool or contact the school office (phone: 802.467.3492 or email: mpike@kingdomeast.org).

The 8th grade is organizing a calendar raffle fundraiser to support their end-of-year trip to Maine! Kelly Mulligan (kmulligan@kingdomeast.org), the 8th-grade advisor, is seeking donations of items or services to include in the raffle. If you have something to contribute or know someone who might be willing to donate, please reach out to her. Every donation helps make this trip possible for our students-thank you for your support!

Winter is here, and Vermont’s cold weather is settling in! At Sutton School, we value time outdoors for both recess and learning, even during the colder months. To ensure all students stay safe and comfortable, it’s essential they come prepared for the weather.

Please make sure your child brings boots, warm layers, a winter coat, gloves, a hat, and any additional items like snow pants, neck warmers and/or scarves to help them stay cozy. For middle schoolers, we especially ask for your support in ensuring they bring their gear each day.

We’ve included our outdoor guidelines in this newsletter so you can see how we decide when it’s safe to head outside. Thank you for partnering with us to keep your child warm, safe, and ready to explore the outdoors as part of their learning experience!

Throughout the school year students will have early release days where school will be dismissed at 12:10pm. On some of these early release days the afterschool program will be available (for students who sign up) until 3pm.

If you have a child signed up for the afterschool program (Monday-Thursday)- you will still need to register them for the KEAP Early Release programming on Fridays. These are two separate registrations. Students who are in Middle School can either sign up for the school based KEAP option on the days below, or they can sign up for a KEAP field trip on those days (please note those who sign up for the field trip may not be brought back to Sutton at the end of the day).

We understand that keeping track of this can be a hassle for families, so we have listed the dates of all early releases and have indicated if the afterschool program is available. If the afterschool program is not available on an early release day, students need to be picked up at 12:10pm.

February 14: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

March 21: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

April 4: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

April 18: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

May 9: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

May 23: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

The Sutton Parent Teacher Group (PTG) is looking for new members to join them this school year! The PTG meets the first Monday of each month starting at 6:30pm in Becky Jenkins' 4/5 classroom. At times the PTG will also meet via Zoom instead of in person- on these occasions The PTG president will provide those joining with a zoom link. The PTG helps fundraise and organize important community events for the students and families in Sutton. If you would like to join the PTG reach out to Becky Jenkins, the PTG president, rjjenkins@kingdomeast.org.

Please note the following flyers are community events and information. They do not represent the opinions of the school or the school district.