Catamount Connection

January 2: Students return to school from December Break

January 6: PTG Meeting at Sutton School (6:30pm)

January 9: Winter Activities (All Day)

January 16: Winter Activities (All Day)

January 17: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

January 20: No School- MLK Day

January 23: Winter Activities (All Day)

January 30: Winter Activities (All Day)

January 31: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

February 3: PTG Meeting at Sutton School (6:30pm)

February 6: Winter Activities (All Day)

February 7: Sutton PTG Father-Daughter at Sutton School (6:30pm-9:00pm)

February 13: Winter Activities (All Day)

February 14: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

February 24-March 4: No School-February Break

March 5: Students return to school from February Break

March 7: 2nd Trimester Ends

March 21: Early Release for Conferences (12:10pm)

March 21: Report Cards are emailed out

March 28: 6-8 Dance at Sutton School (6:30pm-9:00pm)

April 18: Early Release for Professional Development (12:10pm)

April 21-25: No School-April Break

Dear Caregivers,

As the school year progresses, we want to reiterate our expectations regarding technology use by our students. We understand that many of you may have recently gifted your children with new devices such as cell phones, smartwatches, handheld games, or tablets during the holiday season.

We want to emphasize the importance of establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries around technology use. Current research consistently highlights the potential negative impacts of excessive screen time on children's development, including:

• Distractions from learning: Constant access to devices can significantly disrupt classroom focus and hinder academic progress.
• Sleep disturbances: Blue light emitted from screens can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
• Social and emotional development: Over-reliance on technology can limit face-to-face interactions and hinder the development of essential social skills.
• Mental health concerns: Excessive screen time has been linked to increased anxiety, depression, and even cyberbullying.

To ensure a conducive learning environment for all students, we kindly request that:

• Cell phones and smartwatches are not permitted in the classroom. If a student absolutely must carry a phone (e.g., for emergency contact), it must be turned off and stored securely in their locker or cubby throughout the school day.
• Students should not have access to personal electronic devices during instructional time.

We understand that navigating technology use in today's world can be challenging. We believe that by working together as a team – school, parents, and caregivers – we can create a healthy and supportive environment where students can thrive. Sometimes, making difficult choices that may not be popular with our children is necessary for their long-term well-being.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

Warm regards,

Rachel Robillard

Principal

Get ready for an enchanting evening at our upcoming Father-Daughter Dance! Mark your calendars for Friday, February 7th, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, at the Sutton School (in the Multi-purpose room). DJ Medina will be spinning tunes to make the night even more memorable, and light refreshments will be available for purchase.

While this event is traditionally called a "Father-Daughter" dance, we warmly welcome all families, regardless of their structure. The cost is $15 per caregiver, which includes all their children. The tickets can be conveniently purchased by contacting the school directly or through the Sutton PTG Facebook Page and Venmo Account. Don't miss out on this magical opportunity to create lasting memories with your loved ones!

Winter is here, and Vermont’s cold weather is settling in! At Sutton School, we value time outdoors for both recess and learning, even during the colder months. To ensure all students stay safe and comfortable, it’s essential they come prepared for the weather.

Please make sure your child brings boots, warm layers, a winter coat, gloves, a hat, and any additional items like snow pants, neck warmers and/or scarves to help them stay cozy. For middle schoolers, we especially ask for your support in ensuring they bring their gear each day.

We’ve included our outdoor guidelines in this newsletter so you can see how we decide when it’s safe to head outside. Thank you for partnering with us to keep your child warm, safe, and ready to explore the outdoors as part of their learning experience!

We’re excited to kick off Winter Activities Days, where students will spend the entire day engaging in self-selected activities (these are the activities they signed up for in October)! All students will return to school at the end of the day unless a caregiver has signed them out and picked them up directly from their activity location.

To ensure everyone has a successful day, it’s essential students come prepared with:

• Clothing appropriate for their activity (layers for warmth, outdoor gear, etc.).

• A filled water bottle.

• Snacks and a school or home-packed lunch.

Here’s a breakdown of the activities:

Kindergarten

• Kindergarten students will stay at Sutton School and enjoy a mix of indoor and outdoor activities.

• Students should come with outdoor gear for extended time outside: a warm jacket, snow pants, boots, hat, mittens/gloves, and a neck warmer or scarf.

• If a caregiver wishes for their kindergarten student to participate in an off-campus activity, they must have signed up for the activity ahead of time (in October) and the caregiver must serve as a one-on-one chaperone and participate in the activity with the student each day of winter activities. If a chaperone is not available, the kindergarten student will stay at the school for the day.

Grades 1-8: Skiing or Snowboarding at Burke Mountain

• Students heading to Burke Mountain must bring all necessary clothing, water, snacks, and gear (including helmets). Some families have elected to rent the required gear from the mountain or Slopestyle.
  
• If you have your own gear or you rented gear from Slopestyle you need to bring it to the school the morning of winter activities and rest it along the side of the building (in the back parking lot). Ski and snowboard gear will not be allowed on the school bus. At the end of the day you will need to pick up the gear from the school. It will be located in the same spot as the drop off.
  
• For students who have rented from Burke Mountain, when we arrive at the mountain students will gather their gear from the rental shop. It is their responsibility to return their gear at the end of the day. The mountain has informed us that students who do not return all of their gear will get one warning and will then lose the privilege of renting from the mountain.
• If you did not sign up for rentals in advance, there will be no opportunity to rent gear at the mountain. Families should ensure gear fits properly and works as expected before the first Winter Activities Day.
• If you plan to pick your child up at the mountain you will need to sign them out with the designated staff member in the base lodge at the mountain. Students will not be released until a caregiver signs them out. Any student not picked up at the mountain will be brought back to school for the end of the day dismissal.

Grades 1-4: Ice Skating & Gymnastics

• Students not skiing or snowboarding will spend the morning ice skating at Fenton Chester Arena in Lyndon and the afternoon at Kingdom Gymnastics in St. Johnsbury.

• All students and adults (including chaperones) are now required to wear helmets while skating. Students can bring a helmet from home (hockey, skiing, biking helmets are allowed) or borrow one at the rink.

• Skaters should dress in warm layers, with gloves/mittens and warm socks recommended.

• For gymnastics, students should wear clothing they can move in easily, with no jewelry or loose clothing, and long hair should be tied back.

Middle School (Non-Mountain Activities)

• Middle schoolers not going to Burke Mountain will participate in one of two options in the morning:

1. Gymnastics (attire guidelines are the same as K-4).

2. On-campus activities including sledding, snowshoeing, and art projects.

• After lunch, all middle schoolers will head to Fenton Chester Arena for ice skating. Please ensure they have appropriate layers for both the indoor and outdoor portions of the day.

We look forward to these fun-filled days and thank you for ensuring your child is well-prepared for their chosen activity. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Throughout the school year students will have early release days where school will be dismissed at 12:10pm. On some of these early release days the afterschool program will be available (for students who sign up) until 3pm.

If you have a child signed up for the afterschool program (Monday-Thursday)- you will still need to register them for the KEAP Early Release programming on Fridays. These are two separate registrations. Students who are in Middle School can either sign up for the school based KEAP option on the days below, or they can sign up for a KEAP field trip on those days (please note those who sign up for the field trip may not be brought back to Sutton at the end of the day).

We understand that keeping track of this can be a hassle for families, so we have listed the dates of all early releases and have indicated if the afterschool program is available. If the afterschool program is not available on an early release day, students need to be picked up at 12:10pm.

January 17: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

January 31: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

February 14: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

March 21: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

April 4: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

April 18: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

May 9: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

May 23: KEAP Available (12:10pm-3:00pm)

The Sutton Parent Teacher Group (PTG) is looking for new members to join them this school year! The PTG meets the first Monday of each month starting at 6:30pm in Becky Jenkins' 4/5 classroom. At times the PTG will also meet via Zoom instead of in person- on these occasions The PTG president will provide those joining with a zoom link. The PTG helps fundraise and organize important community events for the students and families in Sutton. If you would like to join the PTG reach out to Becky Jenkins, the PTG president, rjjenkins@kingdomeast.org.