It was wonderful to see all of the kiddos smiling faces after some time off. Just a few bits of information to share this week:)

• Monday 3/10: 3rd & 4th Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Wednesday 3/12: 2nd Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Friday 3/14: Fancy dress day

• Monday, March 17: 3rd & 4th Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Thursday, March 20: 1st Grade XC day at Trapps

• Friday, March 21: No School (parent-teacher conferences)

• Sign up: Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14
• When: Monday, March 17 - Friday, March 21
• Login: https://www.canyoncreeksoftware.com/scheduler/vt/wwsu/
• Password: The password for parents to access the Online scheduler is “BPS" (Not case sensitive).
• As a reminder, there is NO SCHOOL March 21st

Upcoming field trips this month for nordic skiing:

• Monday, March 10: 3rd & 4th grade
• Wednesday, March 12: 2nd grade (final date)
• Monday, March 17: 3rd & 4th grad (final date)
• Thursday, March 20:1st grade (final date) - this is a makeup date for the canceled trip on 2/6

Additional Reminders:

• On the days your child is skiing, please send them to school with snacks, appropriate layers to be outside, dry socks, and snowpants. Nordic ski gear will be provided for all students.

• If your child has their own nordic gear, they can bring it to school the day of and keep it in the airlock at the front or back entrance. Please make sure gear is labeled.
• If you have signed up to volunteer, you should have already received information.

Don't forget about the reading challenge!

When: February 5th-March 12, 2025

What: Readers will mark the provided calendar whenever they engage in a reading activity. Some of these activities will be listed on the back of the calendar. Every day your child engages in a reading activity, mark that day with a sticker, star, smiley face, etc. Try to accumulate as many reading activity days as possible, think about setting a goal with your child. At the end of the challenge, calendars will be collected and reading days will be tabulated. Keep your calendar in a place that will help you remember to read, for example on the refrigerator. If the BPS students and staff reach a total of at least 6,000 reading days at home, we will earn a schoolwide celebration!

Why: We want to provide an incentive and challenge to encourage an important literacy habit, reading at home.

Your child should already have a reading calendar (attached below). If they have misplaced the calendar they can go to the office and request a replacement. Every day counts!!!

Please return the calendars no later than 3/19/25 so we can determine if 6,000 reading days were completed in order to earn a schoolwide celebration.

3/5/2025

Dear Brookside Primary School Parents/Caregivers and Staff,

Recently, we tested our school’s air for radon gas. On 12/16/2024, we placed radon detectors

in our school. After a few days, we sent them to a lab to find out what the radon levels are in

our school.

All test results were below the action level for radon. This means that no further action is

needed right now.

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that has no color, smell or taste. It is naturally occurring in rocks, soil

and water. Everyone is exposed to some radon in indoor and outdoor air.

Does radon cause health problems?

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who don’t smoke. Radon decays into

radioactive particles that can damage your lungs. Breathing in radon increases your risk of

getting lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Your risk of getting lung cancer from radon

depends on the level of radon in the air you breathe, how long you are exposed to radon, and

whether you smoke.

How much radon causes health problems?

The action level for radon is 4.0 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). This means that if radon levels are

found at or above 4.0 (pCi/L), the Health Department and Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) recommend taking action to lower the levels. However, radon levels below 4.0 pCi/L still

pose some risk, and so the Health Department and EPA encourage taking action to lower radon

levels below 2.0 pCi/L.

The Health Department encourages schools to retest every 5 years and after every major

renovation project.

How can I test my home for radon?

If you are interested in testing your own home for radon you can request a free long-term test

kit from the Health Department by calling 1-800-439-8550 or emailing radon@vermont.gov.

For more information about radon, visit www.healthvermont.gov/radon.

If you have questions or concerns about the testing or radon levels in our school, please contact

Ray Daigle, Director of Facilities at rdaigle@huusd.org.

Sincerely,

Ray Daigle

Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

Calling all young athletes, grades K–8! Registration for the 2025 Highlander Lacrosse spring season is now open.

Chillax Sundays for K–2: A fun, beginner-friendly program every Sunday starting in May, with sessions in both the Valley and Waterbury. Sticks available!

Boys and Girls Teams including:

• 3/4 Girls, 3/4 Boys teams
• 5/6 Girls, 5/6 Boys teams
• 7/8 Girls, 7/8 Boys teams

Season Dates: Practices start in March/April and Jamboree-style games start the first weekend in May. Boys play jamborees on Saturdays, Girls jamborees are on Sundays. Practice times and locations vary by team.

Gear Provided: Equipment is available for K–4 players, and we offer gear borrowing for grades K–8 (while supplies last).

Learn more and register at: www.highlanderlacrosse.com

This free training is brought to you by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and Hannah's House...

Today’s youth live in a world that is fully intertwined with technology. Tweens and teens make decisions daily, often independently, regarding online relationships. This training provides adults with a deeper understanding of the multiple kinds of digital risks all youth encounter in the digital environment: online grooming, in-person grooming facilitated by digital communications, sexting, and online pornography. We also look at the legal consequences for minors engaging in consensual or non-consensual sexting. Participants will a) strategize ways to keep all youth safe in digital environments. b) learn effective strategies for dealing with youth exhibiting concerning digital behaviors. C) identify supports when youth encounter unwanted behaviors online and resources that can be accessed to remove unwanted images from the internet. This program is designed for teachers, coaches, afterschool professionals, parents and caregivers of adolescents and teens. Light refreshments will be served.

Reserve your spot by emailing Kirstie Grant at kgrant@pcavt.org.

This training counts for afterschool and advanced specialized care in BFIS.

Vermont professionals in particular professions can earn 2 CE credits by attending.

• Monday 3/10: 3rd & 4th Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Wednesday 3/12: 2nd Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Friday 3/14: Fancy dress day

• Monday, March 17: 3rd & 4th Grade XC ski day at Trapps

• Thursday, March 20: 1st Grade XC day at Trapps

• Friday, March 21: No School (parent-teacher conferences)

Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences

• Spring conferences are March 17th-March 21st
• Parents/Guardians can sign up March 10th-March 14th
• As a reminder, there is NO SCHOOL March 21st

Website: https://tbps.wwsu.org/

Instagram: BrooksidePrimarySchool

Facebook: HUUSD

Phone: 802-244-7195

Location: 47 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT