Weybridge Family News

Back to school information nights for students and families:

• Thursday, September 19, 5:30-6:30 - 4/5 classroom

• Thursday, September 26, 5:30-6:30 - 2/3 classroom

• Thursday, October 3, 5:30-6:30 - K/1 classroom

Tuesday, October 15, 6:00 - FOWE meeting with Wendy Baker, ACSD Superintendent

ACSD School Board Meetings - 208 Charles Ave., Middlebury

• Monday, September 23, 6:30-8:30

• Monday, October 14, 6:30-8:30

Below you will find the form to complete before Monday morning at 7:30am for ordering breakfast and lunch for your student/s. Click on the button and help your child make their food choices for the week. Thank you

Dear Families,

It was so good to see so many of you last evening for the FOWE potluck - good food and conversation. Thanks to Alison Nurok and Erin Davis for pulling it together and to many others who helped with set-up and clean-up. The 2/3 class will be analyzing the data they collected on their survey posters and we’ll get the results to you soon.

Spanish update: I am very happy to announce that Meeka Sands will be our new Spanish teacher. She will be at WES Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting 9/24.

School Safety: Wendy Baker, ACSD superintendent, sent out a letter (see attachment below) yesterday regarding school safety. I wanted to let you know that we carried out an evacuation drill last week and will be carrying out a clear-the-hallways drill, one that students are very familiar with. Our emphasis for K-5 students in any drill is on their listening carefully to adult direction, something that they are well practiced in already across different settings! Please check in with me if you have any questions.

Classroom information nights: I hope you will all be able to attend the grade level information nights planned for each classroom. These provide an opportunity for your child and their teacher to share their workspace, work in progress and materials with you.

Health news: This is a follow up to the letter about EEE in Vermont from the VDH. There has only been 1 case of human EEE in Vermont which indicates that prevention measures are working and that human EEE cases are very rare with only 8 cases in the US. As the cold weather increases, mosquito numbers are decreasing and in turn mosquitos testing positive with EEE has decreased as well.

Best way to communicate this information to your children is to not cause alarm, encourage them to protect themselves from mosquitoes and to remind them that EEE is a very rare condition.

Please Continue to Protect Yourself from Mosquito Bites:

• Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors at dawn and dusk.

• Use insect repellent labeled as effective against mosquitoes. Apply repellent when you are going to be outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.

• Mosquitoes breed in standing water that lasts more than four days. To reduce the number of mosquitoes around your house, get rid of standing water.

• Find more information about preventive measures at this link.

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns! - Nurse Dani

From the Kitchen: The year is off to a great start. One thing that I have noticed is that there are a number of students ordering meals, mostly breakfasts, and then not eating the meals that I have prepared for them. This is leading to an increase in food waste.

On another note, if you find yourself with an overabundance of a particular vegetable in your garden and are looking for an outlet other than the compost pile, I would be happy to find ways to incorporate some of these quality vegetables into school meals. - Barbara

Lunch volunteers: We need help! Next week Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are still open. Please consider volunteering to help prep and serve lunch. It is incredibly helpful to Barbara and is a fun way to see most of the students. If you can volunteer for a day next week or later in the month, please email Christina cjohnston@acsdvt.org.

Enjoy the weekend! Christina

In the 2-3 Classroom, we have been testing ideas for simple, inexpensive water bottle holders attached to student desks. (We often have quiet, focused work sessions interrupted with the Clunk-Clankety-Clank of metal water bottles falling onto the floor.)

After collecting ideas all summer and testing a few prototypes, we have a design that seems to work pretty well-- an old icing container attached to the desk with velcro. (Thank you, Erica Castle, for suggesting the velcro!)

Now we need more icing containers!

If you ice a cake , please save your icing containers for us!

The 2-3 class thanks you!

Mel

The link to the bus routes are below and on the ACSD website. Please be waiting at your stop 5 minutes before the approximate bus stop time. Younger students will need their parent at pick up and drop off.

Due to growing instances of phishing scams and concern for potential hacks of our computer networks, we will be removing all staff email addresses from our website directory. This change comes at the direction of our Technology Dept and we join many K-12 schools, colleges, and businesses in making this change. Staff phone numbers will still be available in our staff directory. You may also request a teacher’s email by calling our front office 802-545-3302 Thank you for your understanding as we balance family communication needs with tech privacy and safety.

In addition to our phone/email communication, ACSD has a text messaging system. Families must opt-in to receive texts. ACSD will only use text messaging for short, time-sensitive messages (like early dismissal and snow days). Your school may also text you for important school updates. We will test this service on Thursday Sept 19th after the school day. To receive texts, you must opt-in:

• Text “yes” to 67587. You will get a reply confirming your registration. If you ever want to stop receiving texts, just text STOP.

• Make sure we have your wireless number in our student database. This is the number you share on school forms. (If you currently receive school/ACSD calls on your cell phone, we probably have your number.) Please contact your front office if we do not have this number.

Dear Parent/Guardians,

There have been some cases of lice at school and this is a letter to everyone for some reminders on lice.

Pediculosis (head lice) is a common problem in school-aged children. Statistics show head lice are found in 3-5% of the elementary population at any given time. The main mode of transmission of head lice is contact with a person who is already infested (i.e., head-to-head contact). Contact is common during play (sports activities, playgrounds, at camp, and slumber parties). Weekly checks at home are a great way to detect head lice early and to keep them from spreading. If you suspect or find head lice on your child, please contact your school nurse for assistance and advice. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Head Lice Facts

• Anyone can get head lice no matter how clean they are.

• Head lice do not carry disease. Secondary skin infections can occur from excessive scratching.

• They cannot jump or fly and are spread by head to head contact.

• Lice live for 1-2 days on pillows, furniture, stuffed animals, or clothes.

• Head lice do not infest pets and pets do not spread head lice.

• Ways To Prevent the Spread of Lice

• Do not share combs, brushes, towels, hats, barrettes, sports uniforms, or pillows.

• Avoid head to head contact with anyone suspected of having head lice.

• Keep long hair up or pulled back.

• What To Look For

• Excessive scratching of the head, especially at the back of the head just above the neck.

• Nits on the hair. These are usually pearly-grey in color and are attached to the hair shaft near the scalp. Nits are distinguished from dandruff because they stick to the hair shaft instead of flaking off when brushed.

• Adult lice are about the size of a sesame seed. Lice are active at night so your child may have trouble sleeping.

• What To Do If You Find Nits or Live Lice

• Check all family members in the household.

• Treat your child with a recommended lice shampoo following the package directions. Apply a second treatment when directed.

• Use a nit comb after the treatment to remove lice and nits from the hair shaft.

• Continue to check the scalp and hair everyday and remove the nits for the next 2 weeks.

• Machine wash and dry clothing worn in the previous 2 days and all bed linens. Use hot water at 130 degrees for 20 minutes and use high heat setting on the dryer. Dry clean items, as needed.

• Place all non-washable items such as stuffed toys and pillows in a sealed plastic bag for at least 2 days.

• Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130 degrees) for 5-10 minutes. Do not share combs, brushes, and hair accessories with the person who has head lice.

• Vacuum furniture, rugs and floors. Discard vacuum bags.

• Do not use fumigant sprays or fogs. They are not necessary and can be toxic.

• Please notify your school nurse so the spread of lice can be tracked in school.

References:

• https://www.uvmhealth.org/medcenter/wellness-resources/health-library/abr8604

• https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html

Last year, ACSD schools participated in the 802 Smiles Dental Hygiene Program and this was very successful. I'm excited to share that we are once again partnering with dental hygienist, Michael Messina, to offer free dental screenings and preventative care to all ACSD students. The enrollment deadline is October 1st

Do you volunteer in our schools? Join Superintendent Wendy Baker for a discussion about how to streamline, strengthen, and improve our volunteer program at ACSD schools. We will schedule a time to meet this fall to gather your feedback. Interested?

WHO WE ARE:

The Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is an organization led by parents (defined broadly) that focuses on improving the education and experiences of students with special needs and disabilities in the Addison Central School District (ACSD). (Learn more at: www.AddisonCentralSEPAC.org)

WHAT WE DO:

• Support families through information, events, and community.

• Collect community input and help district leaders understand the concerns of families and students.

• Collaborate with ACSD to improve district policies and practices.

STAY IN THE KNOW!

Don’t miss out on SEPAC resources and events! Sign up for updates at the link below.