Dear Crossett Brook Community Members:

We have been hard at work updating the building to welcome everyone back at the end of the month. Thanks to our Custodial staff, the building is looking great and will be ready for the first day of school. Spaces are being revitalized and reinvigorated to welcome new students and in some cases new staff. We have built some great new spaces here to help students access learning to the best of their ability.

We are so excited to be welcoming some new staff to CBMS this fall as well. Angela Selvaggio will be joining Team Prodigy as their new science teacher. Angela comes to us from Harwood Union and has developed an amazing program. Samantha Mishkin will be joining our music education team teaching primarily instrumental music. She joins us from East Montpelier Elementary. Kathy Haskell will be joining Melanie Zima as our new 5/6 Special Educator. She will be focusing primarily on literacy development. Lastly, we have Cristie Arguin joining us as our new 7/8 Special Educator teaming with Kristine Caldwell to deliver literacy skills for our Prodigy and Titan students. Lastly, Kelsey Mousin is back from her maternity leave last year and looking forward to a great experience in Spanish.

We have some new, exciting offerings happening this year in Applied Academics for grades 5 and 6. All grades 5 and 6 students will spend some time working with Ms. Hill, our library media specialist and Ms. Schlageter, our Technology Integrationist learning about technology use, as well as diving into some amazing work with our school counselors around Social Emotional Skills.

Crossett Brook Middle School’s website is in the process of being updated and overhauled. You will soon see a website that looks a lot like the district website. It will have more clear links and buttons for important information. Please stay tuned as we roll it out soon.

🚸Impotant Notice: Please Mark your calendars: We are looking forward to having families join us on August 22 from 4:00-5:30 for a Back to School evening with opportunities to meet new teachers, sign up for instruments or chorus and get a general lay of the land.

There will be opportunities for conferences coming up later in the fall as well as an Open House in October.

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Jen and Duane

Background: Cell phones have the potential to be used in a variety of ways, some are beneficial and allow us access to our children, provide information and can be used to connect. However, during the school day cell phones have become a distraction to the learning environment, often contribute to students being out of the classroom and are used in many cases involving bullying and harassment situations (Harmful effects on social media use ) We care about your student’s engagement and participation in their academic day. In an effort to create a Curious, Connected and Caring Crossett Community we ask for your assistance as we shift our cell phone use practices across the district.

• Please note that cell phones/devices must remain in backpacks and be turned off during the school day. In an effort to support this routine, we strongly encourage parents/caregivers to make after school and pick-up plans with their students prior to the school day starting.

In the event that your student needs access to a phone they will be able to utilize the office phone. If you need to contact your student during the school day you are able to reach them via the CBMS office at (802)244-6100. Health concerns will be communicated via the school nurse and your student will be reachable via our school number (802)244 - 6100. In the unlikely event of an emergency you may receive a notice (text, email and/or phone message) to communicate important information.

Students are provided with all the materials they need to engage and participate including a school issued device. They will not need their own personal devices to support their academic work. Students who use technology to monitor health needs or specific learning accommodations will have access to the appropriate technology to assist with this.

The CBMS Student Support team will follow a tiered approach to support students in making this shift:

Student Drop-off and Pick-up

Our number one priority is to create a safe environment for our students and their families. This includes how we come to and leave our school’s property. Please take minute to review our routines regarding dropping off and picking up your student listed below:

Please note that Bus Routes for all HUUSD students can be found here: 24-25 Bus Routes (Will be ready mid - August)

Drop Off: We will continue to use the student drop-off location in the mornings before school. NOTE: school starts at 8:30 and doors are not open until 8:15 (there are no staff available to supervise prior to this time) . If students arrive between 8:15 and 8:28, they should go to the cafeteria. Supervision will not be available in other parts of the building as our teachers will be preparing for the start of the day. Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria. Students that arrive at 8:30 can grab breakfast and follow their schedule.

Pick Up: Our parent/caregiver pick-up location will be at the gym lobby entrance. Instead of directly going to the drop-off location, we are asking that vehicles use the fire access road around the back of the building and pick students up at the gym (see map below) . In the event that PE classes are outside, cones will be put out to block the road near the dumpsters until the PE classes pick them up at the end of the day. Any parents planning to pick up in the afternoon will be asked to wait in the line until that time. There will be new signs going up to show the changes. We ask for your patience as we roll this out. NOTE: You may notice that Harwood Union Parents may use the smaller pick up loop located near the buses so they can pick up their bused high school students.

Students that are picked up for appointments during the day or dropped off late can be dropped off or picked up in the morning drop-off lane outside of the main entrance.

Changes to after school plans

If it is after lunch and plans change, please contact the front office of the school (802-244-6100) if there are changes to the after school dismissal plan (pick up or bus changes) by 1:45 in the afternoon. It helps us make sure that messages are passed on effectively to those that need them. Otherwise, please make sure to fill out the e-dismissal note on the website.

Planned for an absence, late arrival or early dismissal

Reminder: Please check the school website for the absence form. Filling out this form helps us to stay on top of absences and changes to student’s days. We appreciate the top that you take to fill this out for any absence occasion.

CBMS students can now register for fall athletics and activities. Families can find the link at www.harwood.org, or by clicking this link: CBMS/HUMS registration for fall 2024 athletics and activities -

• Fall sports meeting for all families middle/high school - August 12 - 6:30 - 7:30 at Harwood Union - Auditorium.

See the posting below for musical news.

If your child will need prescription medication at school, the nurse will need a new provider order and written parental permission for your child's medication for the upcoming school year. You may have your child's provider fax the order to the school at 244-6899. Please let us know if you have any questions.

The Crossett Brook Middle School Climbing Club 2024-2025

This will be the eleventh year that an introduction to technical indoor and outdoor rock climbing has been offered to middle school students at Crossett Brook. We rebuilt the gym climbing wall to modern standards in 2019 and did some remodeling this summer. There are now five different climbs ranging from easy to hard, all the equipment needed, and even fellow student climbers who have gone through the program and are helping as “assistant coaches.” They have become skilled climbers and excellent mentors. Dr. Richard Katzman, a local physician, coordinates the program with help from Kathryn Delay, a fellow climber and CBMS math instructor as well as parent/grandparent volunteers. We teach young people the basics of this now popular and multifaceted sport.

During the school year, we climb at the CBMS gym Wednesdays after school (3:30-5:30 PM) and on Saturday afternoons (1:00-3:00 PM). For those interested who have developed some basic skills, we take trips to the Metrorock climbing gym in Essex Junction and outdoors to local climbing areas in Bolton. There is no cost to participate in this program except for a $14/session fee at Metrorock; scholarship funds are available if needed. Email sign up for each session is sent a few days ahead so we can keep the groups small and be sure everyone who wants to climb has a fair chance to do so.

To begin, we need to know how many students may be interested when we get underway a few weeks after the start of the school year. Your response is not a commitment, and it is understood that students often have other activities going on, so that the climbing club can certainly be occasional or seasonal. Last year 35 students expressed interest. The two hour sessions at CBMS are ideally done in small groups of 2-3 climbers, so it takes several weeks to give everyone a chance to start climbing, get fit with the right harness and shoes, and see if they want to continue the activity when they have time.

Please reply to Dr. Katzman (rkatzman@uvm.edu or 802.793.3661) if you’d like your student(s) to be on the climbing club list. *** I need to know if your student is a returning climber or new to the CBMS Climbing Club, his or her name, current grade, parent(s) name(s), BEST PHONE NUMBER and BEST EMAIL to use!!!*** Include any other information you think helpful and any questions you have which I shall try to answer promptly. Parents are welcome to be involved in the program if they have time or interest. Over the years a few have become as excited about climbing as their kids!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

To ensure the privacy and security of our students and their families, you have the option to opt out of having your personal contact information (email) shared with the photography company who takes yearbook photos for our school.

If you do not wish for your personal contact information (Name, child’s name, your email) to be shared with these companies, please notify the school’s secretary or complete and return the opt-out form below by 9/6/24.

Opt-Out Form

I, the undersigned, hereby request that the personal contact information for my family not be shared with any photography companies taking pictures for CBMS.

Please complete the poll below if you are planning to opt out of information sharing with yearbook photography companies.

If Opting out, please send an email to jdurren@huusd.org to let us know. Include your name, your child(ren)'s name and their grade(s).

Please remember to complete returning student or new student registration on the district website.

Returning Student Registration. A new requirement is the residency requirement. We are asking families to upload proof of residency. The website lists acceptable residency documents.

Fall Sports Registration is currently open. There will be a Fall Sports Meeting at Harwood High School in the auditorium starting at 6:30. It's an opportunity to meet coaches, learn about sports expectations and communication for the upcoming season.

Registration can be done here through Arbiter.

The transition from elementary to middle school may be a bit turbulent for some students. Students will have more teachers to connect with, increased homework; and the need to be responsible for navigating from one class to the next by themselves, instead of following in line with their classmates. Not only that, middle school students are entering the years of their lives where they will experience the greatest personal changes. You want your son/daughter to have a smooth transition from elementary school to middle school.

1. Talk About It

Is your child excited by changing schools or intimidated by it? Does your child have specific questions about middle school? Take the time to talk through the transition ahead of time. Discuss everything that your child needs to expect, from navigating the hallways to keeping up with homework assignments. If your child has any worries, talk through them and discuss how they can navigate any obstacles they’re expecting.

2. Set Them Up for Success

When your child headed off for kindergarten, you packed a backpack full of all the supplies on the list to make sure they had everything they needed. As they head off to middle school, you’ll need to do the same thing again. Purchase or acquire the tools your child will need for academic success. You know your child’s weaknesses and the areas where they struggle. Get them what they need to make middle school easier! For example, a child who struggles to find new locations might benefit from a map of the school or the chance to walk through it before their first day of classes. If your child has trouble keeping up with homework, a great planner or planner app can make it easier. Preparing for middle school academically

3. Get Social

The transition to middle school often means new opportunities to make friends and get involved. Start discussing social activities with your child: clubs and sports that interest them, groups they’d like to be part of, or friends that they’d like to make sure they connect with in middle school. Social fears are a concern for many middle school students. By providing your student with opportunities to socialize, you’ll discover that they’re better prepared for everything they’ll face in middle school.

4. Change the Way You Communicate

In elementary school, parent involvement was understood. You got notes home from your child’s teacher on a regular basis and could expect an email or phone call any time things didn’t go well. As your child enters middle school, teacher communication will change–but that doesn’t mean you have to give up this insight into your child’s academic career. Instead, find new ways to connect with teachers. Connect through email or over the phone with your child’s teachers whenever you have concerns. They still want to work with you and form a team to make sure your child is successful.

Middle school may be a big transition for your child, but with preparation, support and open communication, you can provide your child with everything they need in order to make a successful transition. Don’t take a “wait and see” attitude to discover whether or not your child will thrive! Instead, take the steps necessary to help prepare them with everything they need. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns.

4 Ways to prepare your child for middle school

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

Phone: 802-244-6100

Location: 5672 VT Rt. 100 Duxbury, VT 05676