Wildcat Pride

Concord School has some goals for the 2024-2025 school year. We want to improve student outcomes, student engagement, student attendance, and family engagement. Please help us by providing feedback.

The Concord and Lunenburg 5th graders will travel to the Lyndon Outing Club on 2/20/25. They will take part in team building activities and complete a service cooking project. Their food will be donated to the St. Johnsbury Food Shelter. The school will provide bagged lunches to students. Students should dress for the weather.

The 8th grade graduation for Concord students has been set for June 10th at 6:00pm in the gym.

The class spent some time discussing their class trip. They are interested in an overnight trip and going to an amusement park. They have discussed camping versus renting a house. The class currently has about $5800.00 in their account.

The students have earned a Spirit Week for next week and are working to earn a winter carnival on the afternoon on 2/21/25.

Spirit Week looks as follows:

• Monday- Anything but a Backpack Day

• Tuesday- Dress Like a Celebrity Day

• Wednesday - Beach Day

• Thursday - Students Dress Like Teachers, Teachers Dress Like Students

• Friday - Pajama Day

As long as students fill the CAT Coin jar by Friday, we'll have winter carnival from 12:40-2:40. Families are welcome to join a rotation of indoor and outdoor activities.

We have scheduled 3/12/25 and 3/19/25 as make-up days for the two Winter Activity Wednesdays that we've missed due to cold temperatures. The arena is not available in March, so the skating group will spend one day at Siskin and the other at Northwoods. All other groups will report to their typical venues.

February 14, 2025

Dear Families,

At the beginning of the year, your child set both academic and habits of work goals with their teachers. Students will share their progress during student-led conferences throughout the week of March 17th. During these conferences, your child will lead the discussion while teachers will help direct the conversation if needed.

We have several goals for holding conferences using this format:

For family members – we hope that you will get to see rather than simply being told about your child’s progress toward goals for the school year.

For students – we hope students will take more responsibility for their learning.

For teachers – we want teachers to have more meaningful and impactful conferences with you.

For all – we want to maximize our time together and create ways to partner with one another to support student success.

Based on feedback, we have extended the length of the conferences. They will be 20 minutes long, and each student is expected to attend either in person or on Zoom. In order to make conferences longer, there may be 2 conferences occurring in a room at the same time. Teachers will be available to support the conferences, but may not be available for the entire time. These are student-led conferences, not parent-teacher conferences. If you would like to schedule a parent-teacher conference, you can do so by contacting your child’s teachers at any time.

If you cannot attend your child’s student-led conference please attempt to find a family member who can take your place. As a last resort though, I will find a staff member to attend your child’s conference during a school day if your family cannot. It is mandatory for students to have a conference as it teaches goal setting and communication skills covered by our Transferable Skills.

In order to select a time for your child’s conference, please fill out the attached page and return it to the school as soon as possible, but no later than 2/21/25. We’ll do our best to get you a time that works for you.

We are trying to get all families inside the school this year. Your presence in the building is important to our school community. We will offer childcare during conferences because we want you to be able to focus on what you are learning about your child’s performance at school. The child presenting should have your full attention. We will provide cookies and punch after each conference. If you cannot meet in-person, we can offer a conference on Zoom. Please indicate which type of conference you would like on the form below. No matter the format, your child should be present.

These conferences are extremely important and valuable to the students. Thank you in advance for partnering in your child’s learning.

Sincerely,

Angelique Brown

Principal of Concord School

1/26/25

Dear Concord 6th-8th grade Parents and Caregivers,

Our school is taking part in the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health and Agency of Education. The YRBS has been administered every other year in Vermont since 1993. Separate versions of the survey ask middle or high school students about health behaviors and assets or protective factors. Topics include personal safety and injury prevention, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, substance use, and protective factors. During the same survey window, our staff will also be administering a second brief survey in collaboration with Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH), Northeast Prevention Coalition (NPC). The NPC Youth Core Measures Survey focuses on questions related to alcohol and drug use beliefs and behaviors. The survey was developed by NVRH and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE). Results from these surveys will be used by the school and community organizations to evaluate existing programs, to plan new initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of youth, and to secure future funding that can support these efforts.

The surveys will take 25-30 minutes and students will be invited to complete the surveys online during a class period. We plan to administer these surveys to 8th graders on 2/7/25 at 10:40am. We'll administer them to 7th graders on 2/20/25 at 9:45 and to the 6th graders on 2/20/25 at 2:00pm.

Important Information About the Surveys:

• The surveys are anonymous.

• Survey procedures are designed to protect each child’s privacy.

• Students will not enter their names on the surveys.

• Students may skip any questions they do not wish to answer with no penalty.

• Students may stop taking the surveys at any point with no penalty.

• The names of participating students and their individual survey responses will not be disclosed to any school employee.

• The names of participating students will not be shared in reports of the results.

• Data collected and means by which the data is collected adheres to KESD district’s policies and procedures.

For the survey results to be accurate, it is important that all students be given an opportunity to participate, but the surveys are voluntary. No student is required to take the surveys and no action will be taken against the school, you, or your child if your child does not take the surveys. If you would like to see a copy of the surveys and/or have any questions or concerns about the surveys, please contact Andrea Fressie at afressie@kingdomeast.org or at 695-2550. A copy of the YRBS survey is available on the Department of Health YRBS webpage (www.healthvermont,gov/yrbs). You may also contact Susanne Lesnik-Emas at NVRH at 802-748-7356, or s.lesnik@nvrh.org.

Please visit the Vermont Department of Health website at http://healthvermont.gov/yrbs for more information about the Vermont YRBS including previous reports. Links to the CDC’s YRBS page, FAQs, and other background information are available by clicking “Learn more about the YRBS” on the website.

If you do not want your child to take part in the surveys, please inform Andrea Fressie, school counselor, or Angelique Brown, principal, at the Concord School by 2/6/25.

If you have questions about your child's rights as a research participant, you may call Elizabeth Waiters at PIRE’s Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at 301-755-2757 or email her at irb@pire.org.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Andrea Fressie &

Angelique Brown

Upcoming Meetings

Please consider joining our meetings. New membership is always welcome! All meeting dates are listed below. They are held at 6:00pm at the Concord School.

March 10th

April 7th

May 5th

June 2nd

Calendar Raffle

Drawings will happen prior to 2:45 each Monday-Friday in February on Concord School's Facebook page.

Date Night Raffle

Tickets will be sold from February 17th-March 21st. Students went home with 2 tickets each on Friday, February 14th. Tickets can also be purchased during Student-Led Conferences in the cafeteria. The drawing will occur at 3:00pm on 3/21/25.

​Here is the KESD Athletic Community Connection for this week, 2/14/25

Please see the link below for KESD spring sports registration. KESD offers baseball and softball for 7th and 8th grade students, as well as any 6th grader who is no longer eligible to play Little League. We also offer a track program that will take place at Lyndon Institute and Lyndon Town School, for students in grades 5-8.

Additional club sports opportunities such as lacrosse and golf will be available in collaboration with the Kingdom East Afterschool Program. More information about these opportunities will be coming out soon.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions,

Courtney

KESD SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION FORM

https://secure.smore.com/n/q2f8a-middle-school-news-6th-edition?ref=email

CPR

Lyndon Rescue will be at Concord School on 2/20/25 to teach a CPR course to all 6th graders. Then they will return on 3/13 to teach the same course to the 8th graders. It's important that students are at school on these days so that they do not miss this amazing opportunity.

Suicide Prevention Program in 5th-8th Grade

Dear 5th-8th Grade Concord Families,

As you may know, suicide is one of the top three causes of death for young people ages ten through twenty-four. Because we at Kingdom East School District take the safety and well-being of our students very seriously, we are planning on providing our 5th-8th grade students with some basic information about youth suicide and, more importantly, teaching them what to do if they are worried about themselves or a friend.

We set strict standards for the suicide-prevention programs that we have investigated:

• ·They needed to show their effectiveness through research.
• They needed to send accurate messages about suicide that are grade-level

appropriate.

• They needed to emphasize the importance of help-seeking behavior.

Lifelines Prevention, the program we have selected, exceeds these criteria. Because research has demonstrated that programs presented only once have little lasting impact, the Lifelines Prevention curriculum is designed to be delivered in four forty- to forty-five-minute modules that reinforce messages about help-seeking. The interactive curriculum teaches basic information about potential warning signs for suicide, but its emphasis is on what to do if a student is worried about either themselves or a friend.

And Lifelines Prevention doesn't stop in the classroom. It includes resources for our administrators to help us assess our ability to ensure student safety in a variety of situations. The program also includes training for our resource and support staff, the members of our crisis intervention team, and our faculty.

We understand that the lessons in this program may be triggering for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. If you think this may be case for your child, please reach out in advance.

Health Education Frequently Asked Questions:

Why do Vermont schools teach health education?

Vermont Statute 16 V.S.A. §131 mandates that Vermont public schools teach comprehensive health education. The Educational Quality Standards given to us by the State Board of Education state that, "Each school shall provide comprehensive elementary and secondary health and physical education learning experiences, including the effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs on the human system for all students in accordance with sections 16 V.S.A. §131 and §906(b)(3)."

What is included in comprehensive health education?

According to statute 16 V.S.A. §131, Vermont schools must teach the following as part of our comprehensive health education:

• body structures and functions (development, sexuality, and reproductions)
• environmental health
• safety (first aid and disaster and accident prevention, CPR, and defibrillator use)
• infections and communicable diseases (including those that are sexually transmitted) and the prevention of such
• family and mental health
• personal health habits
• consumer health
• human growth and development
• drug prevention
• nutrition
• how to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and violence

February 10, 2025

Notice to Voters:

Residents of the Kingdom East Unified Union School District (the “District”), comprising the voters of the Towns of Burke, Concord, Lyndon, Lunenburg, Newark, Sheffield, Sutton, and Wheelock, who are not already on the voter checklist, may register to vote up to and including the date of the vote, March 4, 2025.

For Australian Ballot issues, registered voters may apply for an early voter ballot at the Town Clerk’s Office of their resident town during the office’s regularly scheduled hours. (See Warning Addendum)

Warning Notice:

The Legal Voters of the Kingdom East Unified Union School District (the “District”), comprising the voters of the Towns of Burke, Concord, Lyndon, Lunenburg, Newark, Sheffield, Sutton, and Wheelock are hereby notified and warned to meet at Hilton Hall, 64 Campus Lane, Lyndon Center on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 5:00 p.m to hold the Kingdom East Unified Union School District Informational Meeting on Articles One (1) through Article Seven (7). Voting for Articles One (1) through Article Six (6) will be by Australian Ballot on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the following voting locations and times.

VOTING LOCATIONS:

Burke: Burke Community Building, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Concord: Concord Town Hall, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Lunenburg: Lunenburg School, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Lyndon: Lyndonville Municipal Building, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Newark: Newark Street School, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sheffield: Sheffield Town Offices, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sutton: Sutton School, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wheelock: Wheelock Town Hall, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Information on how to access the meeting remotely: (For Viewing and Public Comment ONLY)

By Telephone:
Dial 1-929-205-6099‬‬. When prompted enter the meeting ID: 85147162679

By Computer:
Download meeting software here: zoom.us/download. Join the meeting by visiting http://www.zoom.us/join.
You may be prompted to enter the meeting ID: 85147162679

By Smartphone, Tablet, or Other Device:

Download and open the ZOOM Cloud Meetings app.
You may have to create a free account or sign into your existing account.
Select the option to join meeting and enter the meeting ID: 85147162679

2025 ANNUAL MEETING WARNING:

• Click here to view the full 2025 Kingdom East Annual Meeting Warning.

OTHER USEFUL LINKS:

• Click here to view the 2025 KESD Annual Report.
• Click here to view the KESD 2025-2026 Budget Information.

Please find health news provided by our school nurse, Barandee Peterson here. It's important that students begin dressing for the cold and snow. We have some winter apparel available in certain sizes. https://secure.smore.com/n/ycnwm

https://secure.smore.com/n/m19avh-keap-updates?ref=email

Food & Drinks

Students may bring juice, tea, water or milk to school to have during a snack and/or lunch. Students may only consume water outside of snack and lunch times, unless they have a documented medical need. Students are encouraged to bring healthy snacks to consume during their scheduled snack break.

USDA School Beverage Guidelines define beverages as: unflavored low fat milk or flavored or unflavored nonfat milk or milk substitute or 100% fruit or vegetable juice, plain or carbonated water. Beverages will be kept within these parameters at all times. Soda and energy drinks will not be allowed throughout the school day.

The Kingdom East School District provides several opportunities for students to access healthy and nutritional food before, during, and after school. We have received federal grant funding for pre K-8th grade students to receive fresh fruit and veggie snacks during the week. Our students up to age 18 who stay after school receive a free after school expanded snack as well. Breakfasts and lunches are free this year for all students. The Abbey Food Service Group currently provides delicious, nutritious, and high quality meals to students and staff.

Adult breakfast and lunch prices are listed below. Please still fill out the Free and Reduced lunch application as it is used to determine eligibility to participate in a variety of child nutrition programs. Menus are sent home and are available online www.abbeygroup.net at the beginning of each month to help you plan in advance. Menus are subject to change.

Adult Breakfast $3.00

Adult Lunch $5.25

You will find the February menus below.

-2/20 Concord & Lunenburg 5th Grade Trip to the Outing Club 9:00-2:00

-2/20 6th Grade CPR

-2/24-3/4 February Break - NO SCHOOL

-3/3 Budget Meeting @ 5:00pm on Zoom or at the Central Office

-3/4 Town Meeting Day (budget vote)

-3/7 End of Trimester 2

-3/12, and 3/19 Winter Activity Days (weather permitting)

-3/20 and 3/21 Student-Led Conferences (early release day on 3/21)

Communication is our goal! In this age of instant communication, sometimes the best way to reach out is still using a telephone. Please call 695-2550 if you want to reach us during school hours via phone. You can also email Principal, Angelique Brown at angeliquebrown@kingdomeast.org, Assistant Principal, Kandi Greaves at kgreaves@kingdomeast.org, or Administrative Assistant, Karen West at kwest@kingdomeast.org.

Concord School is committed to developing young people with active and creative minds, a sense of understanding and compassion for others, and the courage to act on their beliefs. In partnership with parents and the community, we will provide an environment which supports the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of students, while fostering an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of good citizenship.

Website: kingdomeast.org
Location: 173 School Street, Concord, VT, USA
Phone: 802-695-2550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=concord%20school