Craftsbury Schools Newsletter

Dear Craftsbury Schools Community,

I hope this message finds you well and refreshed after a wonderful spring break. As we embrace the new season, I am proud to see our students fully engaged in various activities and programs here at Craftsbury Schools.

Our High School softball, baseball, and track teams have kicked off their seasons with enthusiasm and dedication. It's a joy to witness our student-athletes in action, showcasing their talents on and off the field.

In addition to our high school sports programs, our little league and middle school baseball teams are also up and running, providing younger students with valuable opportunities to learn and grow through the sport. We also have our Girls on The Run in action. We are very fortunate to have such a variety of athletic programs available for our students.

April has been filled with exciting events and educational experiences for our students. Our PTO organized a fantastic community event at Sterling College in preparation for the upcoming Solar Eclipse. We were honored to have Mike Metcalf as a guest speaker. This event provided donations to our school's PTO, which were greatly appreciated.

Furthermore, our middle school and high school students are currently engaged in learning about the Holocaust through their courses and presentations organized through the Vermont Holocaust Memorial. Through these educational activities, students can delve into this important historical topic, complete meaningful projects, and visit a synagogue in Burlington to further their understanding.

I am continually impressed by the dedication and passion of our students, teachers, and staff here at Craftsbury Schools. Together, we are creating a vibrant learning community where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing all that our students will achieve in the coming weeks as we head towards the end of the year.

Matt Foster

Principal

• May 3 ~ Green Up Day
• May 17 ~ Early Release
• May 27 ~ No School (Memorial Day)

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The OSSU Equity Team is looking forward to hosting an Anti-Racist Storytime for OSSU Parents and Guardians at Hardwick Elementary School on Thursday, May 2, at 6 p.m. We will share stories and activities from the classroom.

Pizza will be provided; no childcare. Please, join us!

RSVP to hmaynard@ossu.org

View the Anti-Racist Storytime scope and sequence on the OSSU website at https://www.ossu.org/.../curricular-proficiency....

On May 8th, The Craftsbury Chamber Players and a local children's author will visit our students.

Family Movie Night

Friday, May 10th

Join us for an author talk with M.T. Anderson in May! His newest book, Elf Dog and Owl Head, was selected as a Newbery Honor Book this year.

OSSU Art in Bloom: Mark your calendars for the OSSU Art in Bloom celebration on Tuesday, May 14, 2024! This year's celebration will invite students in grades 4-6 to spend the day at Highland Center for the Arts (HCA) in Greensboro exploring the visual arts, engaging in workshops, and participating in music rehearsals.

We invite parents, caregivers and the public to a performance at 1 p.m. featuring 4th-6th graders singing eclipse-themed songs, followed by selections from Hazen Union Drama Club's "The Wizard of Oz". Third grade students from all OSSU schools will also join us at the HCA to watch this afternoon performance.

The celebration will be followed by Hazen Union's Senior Solos and Small Ensembles concert, also at HCA, the same evening at 7 p.m. Student artwork from grades 4-12 will be on display for all to enjoy throughout the day and evening. All members of our local and school communities (Craftsbury Schools, Hardwick Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Woodbury Elementary, Wolcott Elementary, and Hazen Union School) are invited to celebrate the arts with us this spring!

Have you been thinking about volunteering or substituting in Craftsbury Schools? Now’s your chance! Join us for a Volunteer & Substitute Fair on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon in the Craftsbury Academy Gymnasium. At this event, you will:

• Get to know our school’s mission, values, and the impact volunteers can have.
• Learn about the various roles available including classroom support, tutoring, substituting, special events, and more.
• Learn more about prerequisites and the training we provide.
• Get your questions answered by and connect with our school staff and volunteers.
• You have the option to start your background check forms and fingerprinting at the same time. *Note: there is an applicant fee for background check/fingerprinting that is due at the time of services. Here’s what to bring to the event:

Bring for OSSU:

• One photo ID (non-expired and government-issued) **and **
• Payment (for volunteers) of $11.25 or payment (for substitutes) of $13.25 in the form of a check (made out to OSSU) or exact cash

Bring also for the Sheriff's Department:

• Two forms of ID: #1-driver’s license or passport and #2- school ID or social security **and **
• Payment of $35 in the form of check (made out to Orleans County Sheriff’s Department) or exact cash

Please submit this form to let us know if you will attend and might want to request fingerprinting services.

Whether you're a parent, community member, or professional looking to give back, your involvement will make a difference. Your time and expertise can inspire a love for learning, instill confidence, and help our students achieve their full potentia

Ms. Jen Linck is a graduate of Craftsbury Academy. (Tule was her art teacher!) After getting a degree in archaeology, she took a job in museum education, which eventually led her to teaching and, ultimately, to the role of a librarian.

Ms. Jen's favorite aspect of being the librarian here is our school's Book Culture. For example, the nurse, art teacher, physical education teacher, math teacher, and French teacher all request books to read aloud. Staff members engage in lively discussions about their current reads with colleagues and students, modeling the essence of lifelong readership and library use.

From all of our Craftsbury staff, we are honored to have Ms. Jen as our librarian!

Congratulations to our seniors who gave their Senior Capstone presentations on April 17th.

We are so proud of all of your hard work, research, and professionalism for this semester-long cumulative project!

Way to go, Class of 2024!

The Craftsbury PTO, Craftsbury Public Library, 3rd Grade Teacher Julie Higgins, and her husband Michael O'Connor hosted over 400 people at the Solar Eclipse Common Viewing Party. With telescopes, science experiments from the ECHO Museum in Burlington, and a PTO baked sale, it was a magical day for our community to experience the totality of the eclipse together.

Thank you, Emily Sorensen and Tucker Holcomb, for some of these photos!

Students in Anne Hanson’s Craftsbury kindergarten class explored the world of Alexander Calder last week with art teacher Alayne Tetor, learning about the artist’s invention of the mobile and his innovative methods of introducing movement into sculptures. After reading a book about how Calder created small sculptures of circus performers and animals made of wire, beads, buttons, and other found objects, students engaged in their own pipe cleaner and bead creations. Their works of art slowly came to life with colorful twists, arches, and spirals. Each student then shared with the group one technique that they uniquely discovered during the creative process. We love the way each of these mesmerizing little masterpieces turned out!

Vermont History Day is an exciting education program that encourages students to develop research and critical thinking skills through project-based learning and the study of history. Students share their projects at the annual state contest. Vermont History Day is affiliated with National History Day.

The theme for 2024 is "Turning Points in History." The Vermont state contest was held Saturday, April 6 at the UVM Davis Center in Burlington.

Participants were:

Maddie Amell (5th)

Adrienne Robillard (5th)

Linden Fox (5th)

Sylvan VanGulden (5th)

James Reynolds (7th)

Ada Allen (8th)

Matt Califano (HS)

Photo provided by Polly Allen

First graders have been working on place value! They are constructing meaning for 100, modeling the number in a variety of ways. Manipulatives, number bonds, snap cubes, and base-10 blocks have been helping in developing their ideas. As they build on knowledge of 100, tens and ones come into play. First graders can even compare two two-digit numbers using greater than and less than! They've been playing games to build and compare numbers. They love having fun in math.

Sign Up: www.TeachAmericaToSwim.com/GreensboroVT

CCV will teach a fully online section of Introduction to College and Careers this summer, taught by Coordinator of Student Advising Conner Gilbert.
This free course runs from July 2 to August 19. The course code is DEV-0270-VO01.