

CATAMOUNT UPDATE
Weekly Newsletter for St. Johnsbury School Families

FEBRUARY 7, 2025
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 21 - End of 2nd Trimester
February 24 - March 4 - February Break
March 10 - April 17 - VTCAP Assessment Window - see below for more information about grade level schedules for this testing
March 13 - Early Release
March 14 - No School - Teacher Inservice
March 17-21 - Trimester 2 Parent Conference Week
March 21 - No School - Parent Conferences
CatCH Update...Week 9
CatCH Update...Week 9
This week we're celebrating Creativity and Movement!
Our talented students are working hard to bring their arts and crafts projects to life, pouring their imagination and creativity into every brushstroke and cut!
But that's not all—our students are also moving and grooving to new dances, letting their bodies express what words can't say. They're embracing the joy of learning and dancing with energy and excitement.
EVERYBODY WINS MENTORING RAFFLE
Everybody Wins! Vermont is a statewide reading mentoring program. Here at the St. Johnsbury School, 28 children read with their mentors every week throughout the school year.
In honor of National Mentoring Month, Everybody Wins! is raffling off a gorgeous quilt made and donated by Claremont coordinator Toni Williams. The drawing is Friday February 14th.
Tickets are $5 each and 5 for $20, available online: https://bit.ly/QuiltRaffle25
See a photo of the quilt and more information at the same link.
Funds raised through the quilt raffle support children and mentors around the state.
Thank you, and good luck!
PRETTY KITTY SUPPLY DRIVE
The Sunshine Squad is at it again. St. Johnsbury School’s Sunshine Squad is hosting a Pretty Kitty Supply Drive. From Friday, February 14, 2025 until Friday, February 21, 2025 we will be collecting any and all supplies from the Kingdom Animal Shelter’s Wish List. Boxes with labels will be located on each floor so that Catamounts can place their donations inside. Thank you in advance for your generous donations and support for the Kingdom Animal Shelter.
Here is what they need:
Gift Certificates:
● Gift Certificates to Chewy
● Gift Certificates to Amazon
● Gift Certificates to Staples to be used for copy paper and printer ink
● Gift cards to Price Chopper, White Market, Walmart
Food:
● Canned Friskies Pate
● Cat Chow Complete Dry Cat Food
● Purina Pro Plan Kitten Chicken & Rice Formula Dry
● Purina Kitten wet Pro Plan, 3 ounce can, chicken and liver
● Fancy Feast classic pate wet food
● Wellness Complete Health Pate Chicken
● Wellness Complete Health Pate Turkey Formula
General Cat Care and Enrichment:
● Medium and large litter boxes
● KittyGoHere Senior Cat Litter Box
● Cat toys (none that could be eaten)
● Feather Wand Toys
● PURRfect Leather Bouncer Wand Cat Toy
● Unused cat towers, large and small
● Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel Pet Fountain
Supplements and Diffusers:
● Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora Powder Digestive Supplement
● Feliway MultiCat
Calming Plug-in Diffuser (and/or refills)
● Feliway Optimum Cat Calming Diffuser (and/or refills)
● VetriScience Vetri-Lysine Plus Chicken Liver Flavored Soft Chews Immune Supplement for Cats
● VetriScience GlycoFlex 2 Chicken Liver Flavored Soft Chews Joint Supplement for Cats
● Fortiflora SA Synbiotic Action Probiotic Supplement
Cleaning Supplies:
● Unscented Laundry Detergent
● Liquid hand soap (No citrus please, cats don't like it)
● Dawn Dish Soap (Original, Anti-Bacterial)
● Toilet bowl cleaner
● Paper towels
● Toilet paper
● Hefty or Glad (or similar) reinforced tie trash bags - 13 Gallon, 49 Inches ● 1/4 Cup measuring cups
Health Office Update
Celebrate Heart Health Day: February 14th
Did you know February is National Heart Health Month? Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. During this special month, help kids and adults understand the importance of a healthy heart and actions they can take to live a heart healthy life. St. Johnsbury School will celebrate on Friday, February 14th by wearing RED, enjoy a heart healthy meal served in our cafeteria, and engage in hearty-healthy activities.
Parents, caregivers, and others can utilize February’s Heart Month-focus as a way to teach their kids about heart-healthy practices. By learning these healthy habits early, children are more likely to continue practicing them throughout life and decrease their risk of heart disease later in life.
Here are some ways families can maintain and support their child’s heart health:
1. Sleep Soundly
A restful night's sleep is important because it offers children the energy to exercise every day, the clarity to make healthy eating choices, and the rest to concentrate in class. Most children require 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night.
Having a consistent bedtime and wake-up time each day and creating a peaceful, dark bedroom for your child will assist them to sleep and stay asleep till morning.
2. Exercise Everyday
The heart of your child is a muscle that requires exercise to stay strong. Children should exercise for at least an hour each day to build their bones and muscles, reduce stress, and maintain a healthy blood pressure. Parents and families can engage in a variety of activities with your children, such as playing tag, basketball, and soccer, or going on a hike.
3. Eat healthfully
Fruits and vegetables should be a part of every meal for kids. In fact, half of their food consumption at each meal should be fruits and vegetables.
Buying fresh produce instead of processed food is the greatest approach to start introducing more fruits and veggies into your child's diet. Keeping cut-up fruits and vegetables for you and your child is especially beneficial!
4. Drink Sensibly
Due to its lack of calories and artificial chemicals, water is a fantastic option for maintaining a healthy heart. Low-fat milk is another nutritious choice. Eliminating sugary beverages including soda, juice, energy drinks, and sports drinks is the aim.
Adapted from : https://www.starlight.org/stories/american-heart-month-ways-to-keep-your-heart-healthy
FY 2026 Budget and Voting Information
FY 2026 Budget Information
At the January 6th school board meeting, the St. Johnsbury School Board approved the proposed FY 2026 budget, which totals $30,217,239, reflecting a 3.19% increase from last year. The proposed budget also results in an anticipated property homestead tax rate decrease of $0.03, bringing the rate down to $1.76.
Detailed budget information can be found on our budget information page on our website. Answers to frequently asked questions are available on our FAQ page, and additional questions can be submitted via the Connect with Us page found on our website at stjsd.org.
Voter Registration & Voting by Absentee Information
On Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, polling hours are 8am-7pm. St. Johnsbury residents will vote at the Town Clerk's Office located at 51 Depot Square, St. Johnsbury, VT or by absentee ballot (see more information below).
Vermont offers online voter registration. You can register by mail to vote in Vermont by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to the Town Clerk's Office. You can also register to vote in person if you prefer even on election day.
Absentee ballots can be requested from the Town Clerk's Office. Absentee ballots can be used to vote up until 3:00pm on Monday, March 3rd. Ballots will be available by February 10th but may be requested anytime. Absentee ballots will need to be requested by phone, email or online through https://mvp.vermont.gov/. To request an absentee ballot, please contact our Town Clerk: Stacy Jewell via phone: 802-748-4331 ext. 1 or email: sjewell@stjvt.com.
FROM DISCOVER ST. JOHNSBURY
NEK Day at the Statehouse - Thursday, February 20:
This annual legislative advocacy event in Montpelier run by the NEK Collaborative is live and in-person. Top legislative priorities for this year include housing, rural healthcare access, and flood recovery and resilience. Planning to attend? RSVP here. Questions? Contact jennifer@nekcollaborative.org
Winter Business Mixer - Tuesday, February 25:
Our next Business Networking Mixer on Tuesday, February 25 from 5pm - 7pm at Boule Bakery (462 Railroad Street). This will be an opportunity to meet & greet with Town of St. Johnsbury municipal leaders & staff in an informal setting, and to hear about their work. ALL who work in St. Johnsbury are invited to attend, so please pass along this invitation to any colleagues who might be interested. Light bites and refreshments will be provided by Boule and The Tack Room Bar. Each attendee will receive one free drink ticket, and additional beverages will be available for purchase. RSVP: https://forms.gle/yeWE4Ydin3evLVSA9
NEW! FREE Workshop Series:
Discover St. Johnsbury’s Economic Development Committee is launching a new series of FREE introductory workshops on a variety of topics to share tangible advice in a bite-size format, and to connect you with resources that will be able to help you go deeper. You’ll leave each workshop with a take-home guide featuring actionable tips and resources on the topic.
The first workshop on Wednesday, February 26 is “How Do I Let People Know About My Business?” led by Gillian Sewake, Discover St. Johnsbury, and Maggie Gray, Haven & The Buttery, who will talk through some marketing basics. On Tuesday, March 25 is "How Do I Deal With These Cash Flow Issues" with Rick Daniels of the VT Small Business Development Center to walk you through some financing options and introduce some cash flow management tools. Additional workshops will be scheduled in the fall and winter 2025. Learn more and RSVP: www.discoverstjohnsbury.com/business-workshop-series
2025 Signature Events Calendar:
Each year, we create a document that helps us understand the schedule of major events and holidays affecting St. Johnsbury. We've decided to share the 2025 calendar of events with you, to help with your understanding of who's planning what when. Please note that this is NOT a public-facing document, and should not be posted anywhere online. If the group listed as the organizer has not announced the event on their website or social media, please wait before you share information about it yourself. Let us know if we have missed any big happenings.
This document is SEPARATE from our online events calendar on our website. Please send me any events you'd like listed publicly on that calendar, which is updated at least twice a month.
Kingdom Maple Festival - April 19:
Kingdom Maple Fest coming soon. The festival will feature a street fair from 10am - 3pm on Railroad Street on Saturday, April 19, and there are lots of ways to be involved anywhere and everywhere around town.
- If you want to participate in the street fair as a vendor or host an activity, please apply here: https://forms.gle/weQubafWMV9DTBgT9
- If you are located downtown and want to host an activity on the sidewalk in front of your shop, email me so that I can include the info in our event program.
- If you're located anywhere in St. J and want to host a maple-related activity, email me so that I can include it in our event program.
- FOOD BUSINESSES: We're running another Maple Menu Takeover! Let me know how you'll feature VT maple products on your menus the week of Maple Fest, and I'll include you in a blog post (check out a previous year's post for ideas).
Funding & Support Services:
There are several grants, loans, business support, and coaching programs available. Eligibility criteria apply in most cases. Check out a few links below, and please reach out to me if you're curious about what else is out there to support your enterprise:
- NEW! USDA Rural Business Development Grants - Due Feb 28: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/rural-business-development-grants-8#overview
NEW TRAINING! St. J Academy Adult Education is bringing back two popular Leadership courses: Starting Your Leadership Journey and Advancing Your Leadership Journey. Register online or email Sandra Mings Lamar with questions: sandra.mingslamar@stjacademy.org
NCIC’s Small Business Professional Services Cost Share Program can cover 70% of the cost of professional services. Chris Grant is the contact through the NH Community Loan Fund (cgrant@communityloanfund.org
- State & Federal Tax Credits for Facade & Code Improvements or Historic Preservation: accd.vermont.gov/historic-preservation/funding/tax-credits
- NVDA Revolving Loan Programs: www.nvda.net/financing.php
- VtSBDC Free Business Advising: www.vtsbdc.org/existing-business/
- NEKCA Micro-Business Development Program: www.nekcavt.org/programs-and-services/grow-your-own-business
- VT Dept. of Health has lots of free resources to support workplace wellness. Learn more: https://www.healthvermont.gov/wellness/worksite-wellness
- VT DOL can feature one of your job openings on our “TOP 5” list in our TOP JOBS Newsletter distributed weekly to thousands of Vermonters: https://labor.vermont.gov/HiringInVermont
Sponsorships Help the Magic Happen:
Discover St. Johnsbury's annual sponsorship appeal will be in the mail soon. Sponsorships represent an important part of Discover St. Johnsbury's operating budget, particularly to make our events and programming possible. You can learn more about our 2025 sponsorship levels, benefits, and pay online here: www.discoverstjohnsbury.com/sponsorship
Please keep in touch about any thoughts, questions, or concerns related to your business or St. Johnsbury.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK!
About Us
Email:lcochrane@stjsd.org (Lydia Cochrane, PK-3); jross@stjsd.org (Jeremy Ross 4-8)
Website: stjsd.org
Location: 257 Western Avenue, Saint Johnsbury, VT, USA
Phone: (802)748-8912
Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnsburySchool