Gator News

It's hard to believe that we are already well into December. This time of year things always seem to be moving quickly. I want to again commend the staff and students in response to the hateful symbol that was left in our bathrooms last week. We are continuing to work to educate our students and investigate to ensure that we are taking the necessary actions to create a supportive and inclusive school community. So many beautiful moments have been seen through this process that shows what a special place our school and community is for us to learn and grow. We take the original and any "copy cat" behavior very seriously. All the while we are also dedicated to supporting students to move towards acceptance of others and that includes finding ways to pull people into our community even after they have harmed us. Distance and isolation only further causes alienation and the perpetuation of hate.

This week starts our district Winter Assessment schedule. I'm excited to see the growth of our students in the first part of the year. Our teachers have been working so diligently with all of our students in their classrooms and we've been intentional about using our knowledge about students to intentionally group them into SST (student support time) groups to work on their just right places to grow whether in SEL, literacy, math, or other content areas. I'll be highlighting our overall growth in the upcoming Gator News as that data comes in.

Book Drive and Book Swap! ...and Book Towers

The MSMS_Sustain and Team Leadership have come together to cohost a Book Drive and Book Swap next week! See the flyer below. Looking for books to donate your kids have outgrown? Bring them to MSMS! Have a good Young Adult book? Bring it to the swap and find a new read for the winter break!

We will also be having a friendly competition to see how many books each grade level reads over break by stacking those books into a Book Tower to see if any grade level can get their book pile taller than Ms. Conrad (me!) That's over 6'3" of reading we are challenging each grade to do!

Get Ready to Enjoy some MUSIC!

This Friday from 5 - 6:30 is our Grades 5 & 6 dance in the cafeteria!

We have our upcoming Winter Concert next Thursday!! We are excited to see our amazing student performers under the direction of our amazing new music team.

Have a Gator Celebration? Email me! julieconrad@mpsvt.org

We LOVE to celebrate the great things our amazing GATORS do both in our school community and community at large! Do you have a shout out on how one of our students or staff have stepped up? Please email me and let me know so we can spread our Gator Pride!

Shout Out to:

• Congrats to Atticus Wykle, Joylon Wykle, Noah Schwartz, and Haydn Macy for placing in the top 5 at the Northern Vermont Scholastic Chess Tournament in Stowe!
• Congrats to our Robotics Club for their participation in the Regional Robot
• Congrats to Gideon Kass and James Carr for being selected to be legislative pages!
• Early Congratulations to Astrid Kim, Esme Beaudry, Lillian Fitch, Solomon Howie, Micah Jacobson, and Vivian Sheldon for their rolls in Masque Theatre's production of Urinetown (come see them perform this week)

Dear 8th Grade Parents and Caregivers,

Our main fundraiser for our 8th grade trip is happening this weekend and we need you and your students’ support! The Solidarity Craft is on Saturday, December 9th from 9am-3pm at the Bethany and Unitarian Churches on Main Street in Montpelier. Here is a link where you and your student can sign up for jobs on Friday afternoon and Saturday at the Solidarity Craft Fair, It would be a great help and will be a really fun event if we can get as many students and families to the event to make it a success! Please come and plan to get your lunch made by our Sustainability Students and to see and purchase Art and Innovation Lab student projects! And bid on the silent auction items!

One of our main sources of income from the fair is our silent auction. Due to the summer’s flood which left many of our local businesses with financial troubles, we don’t want to burden them with making a donation. So we are humbly asking parents to help us add items to the silent auction and to simultaneously help our Montpellier businesses. There are a couple of things you can do to help us prepare for the fair:

• Buying gift cards from local businesses. This helps in a couple of ways: it gives us items to sell in the silent auction and gives money to struggling businesses. Here's a list of reopened businesses that we hope for you to buy things from. These can be sent to Beth Merrill in the Spanish room from now to Dec. 8.

• Donate lightly used items we can use for bidding on at our silent auction. (These items can be sent to school and brought to Profe Beth’s classroom between now and Dec. 8)

• Bake and donate food for a bake sale the weekend of Dec. 9. This is helpful because the more food we can sell then the more money we get and the more likely that our field trip will happen. You can bring this food to the Bethany Church early on Dec. 9th.

Thank you from The MSMS 8th Grade Solidarity Craft Fair Team

Every year, the MRPS PIE community raises money to directly support families in the Montpelier Roxbury School District. This is a meaningful way for neighbors to support neighbors and to share the love during the cold days ahead.

Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 by December 8th! If you can help, please donate here. And consider sharing this page - on social media, email, or any way you can! You might share with friends and family who live out of state, as our community has been supporting one another throughout the flood recovery, and while the need is greater, the resources may be depleting.

• We are planning an overnight trip to Boston in the first week of June to give students an experience that expands cultural, geographical, and social horizons. The trip will cost approximately $380 per student.
• The first payment, a non-refundable $100 deposit, is due to MSMS by 12/20/23. Please send $100 in cash or a check made out to MSMS to Jenny Bartlett-Hardy, our main office secretary (at MSMS, 170 Main Street, Montpelier VT 05602). She will issue paper receipts for funds she receives.
• We recognize that there are varying levels of ability to pay. With this in mind, if you are able and willing to make a donation to our 8th grade trip equity fund, please make a note when you send in the funds. Students will contribute to this fund through craft fair sales and other fundraising activities as well.
• Our next parent/caregiver information night will be on Wednesday, December 13th, at 7 pm in the MSMS Library; we will discuss insurance information, fundraising opportunities, and the Jumpstreet parent portal.

December 7-9: Urinetown at MHS Theater

December 9: Solidarity Craft Fair - Support our MSMS Vendors!

December 13th: 8th Grade Trip Caregiver Meeting at 7 pm in the MSMS Library

December 14: Winter Concert at Montpelier High School

December 20: 8th Grade Trip Deposit Due (support is available)

December 22: Student Half Day - Students will be release at NOON!

Gator gear we have a school store open and ready to go!

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/vermont/montpelier/main-street-middle-school

Part of the proceeds kick back to the school so not only will you be able to show off your Gator pride but you'll be helping out the teams as well!

Instagram: MainStreetMiddleSchoolVT

Facebook: Main Street Middle School

MRPS BLOG: Visit https://www.smore.com/7agn0 and subscribe!

Main Street Middle School Webpage

MRPS Webpage

MSMS Athletics Webpage

2023-2024 MRPS School Calendar

MRPS Power School Portal

MSMS Bus Routes

MSMS Food Services

MRPS Student Support Services: Special Education Handbook for Caregivers

Caregiver Reporting: If you believe you have witnessed or experienced discrimination, bias-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or bullying at MRPS, please report it to a school administrator as possible. If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person, please complete this reporting form. If you have any questions please contact MRPS Director of Social Emotional Learning & Wellness, Jessica Murray, at jessicamurray@mpsvt.org or (802) 505 0435.

COME see Urinetown The Musical

December 7th-9th at 7pm and December 9th at 2pm

Montpelier High School Stage

This hilarious show is going to make your day! Come check it out!

You can buy tickets with cash at the door or if you are an MHS student/staff, you can buy them during your lunches NEXT week in the lobby.

An adult can purchase them with a credit card ahead of time online HERE.

Thank you and we can't wait to see you there!

Is this show for kids?:

"There's no adult language or sexual innuendo, though there is some brief, cartoon violence when evil is inevitably punished. Urinetown's comedy extends far beyond toilet humor, as well; the lyrics and jokes are clever enough to appeal to adults, and clean enough for children younger than high school age." -bmgator.org

Volunteer to be a Heart & Sole coach with Girls on the Run VT for Main Street Middle School this spring! Not a runner? No problem! Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support from GOTRVT staff for a transformational season.

Heart & Sole is a middle-school age after school program that utilizes a research-based curriculum to empower, increase self-worth and spark joy in its participants, while creatively integrating physical movement. The program takes place over 10 weeks, with teams meeting twice a week for 90 minutes each session. Participants connect, move, learn and have FUN each session. The Spring 2024 season begins the week of March 18th and concludes with a celebratory 5K on June 1 in Essex.

Visit gotrvt.org/coach to learn more, or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Contact GOTRVT at anne@girlsontherunvermont.org or 802-871-5664.

Discover Engineering: A FREE full day event with workshops at UVM to promote the field of engineering and help youth understand different pathways they can take to pursue a future as an engineer. More information coming soon. Save the Date! Saturday, February 17, 2024.