CBMS Community Cougar Comments

Dear Crossett Brook Community Members:

We are amazed to report that we are now 2/3 of the way through the school year at this point. On Monday, our final trimester of the year will begin and new Applied Academics classes will begin. Additionally, we have two more scheduled Sugarbush days planned, March 28 and April 4.

We are in the final stages of determining how the budget cuts have affected CBMS. As contracts have not gone out yet and are not due back until later in April, we are unable to share any specifics about teacher assignments for next year, however, we are sharing a letter below with the impacts as they stand currently.

Sincerely,

Jen and Duane

Dear Crossett Brook Families,

We want to take a moment to share some updates about next year and acknowledge the challenges that come with changes to our school community. As part of the district-wide budget reductions this year, Crossett Brook Middle School will experience a few staffing adjustments. These changes include:

• A reduction of one literacy intervention position

• A reduction of one sustainability assistant position

• A reduction of two classroom teaching positions at the 5th/6th grade level

While change can be difficult, we remain committed to providing a strong and supportive learning experience for all students. Next year, our 5th and 6th-grade model will include one team for 5th grade and one team for 6th grade. Each team will consist of:

• One teacher specializing in math

• One teacher specializing in literacy

• One teacher covering science and social studies

At this time, we are still in the process of finalizing staffing assignments, and we appreciate your patience as we work through these details. Our priority remains ensuring that students continue to receive a high-quality education in a supportive and engaging environment.

We understand that changes like these can bring questions, and we welcome your thoughts. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any concerns or would like more information.

Thank you for being part of our CBMS community—we are grateful for your support and partnership.

Sincerely,

Duane Pierson and Jen Durren

CBMS Co-Principals

Greetings CBMS Community:

We are writing to notify you that CBMS will be participating in the VTCAP test this spring. This is a mandated statewide assessment that assesses student understanding in math, literacy and science (grades 5 and 8 only in science). It also helps the school and district gather information about how students are learning and levels of achievement in each area. Additionally, the data we receive helps us determine how students qualify for intervention and specialized plans. This assessment is important for data collection on a school-wide and district level. It does not affect a student’s grades, however, it does help if a student needs additional intervention or services to use the assessment as a data point.

The dates for the assessment will be:

April 7-April April 11: Titan, Dream and Quest will be assessed in literacy and math.

April 14-April 18: Prodigy, Wizards and Phoenix will be assessed in literacy and math.

April 28-May 2: Grade 5 and 8 science assessments and make up for math and literacy.

If students are not present for the assessment on the day of, they will be asked to participate in makeups either during the week of their team’s testing window or during the make up week. All students are expected to participate in the assessment if they are in school.

If you have any questions about the assessment itself, the administration or scheduling of the assessment or the purpose of the assessment, please reach out to Jen Durren at jdurren@huusd.org.

Sincerely,

Jen Durren

Duane Pierson

CBMS Co-Principals

Check the website for this month's menu.

Please stay tuned for communication from your student(s) team(s) about our upcoming Family Conferences on March 20 and 21. Teams should be communicating their schedule for Family conferences by Friday March 14. Please note that our Applied Academics teachers, school counselors, interventionists and special educators are also present in the building during this time. If you are interested in setting up a conference with these folks, please contact them. Our students are seen by many adults in this building and each adult sees your students in different environments and learning experiences. Family conferences can be a great opportunity to get to know your student as a student through the eyes of those who see them all day long, so please consider dropping in to see your student's AA teacher or other adults they connect with here at CBMS.

Please congratulate these three composers: Jasper LaRocca (6th Quest), Grayson Eley (8th Titan), and Emmy Dubois (7th Titan). After a few months' work, they submitted compositions, which were selected by a panel of composers to be performed. On the day of this trip, they'll spend the afternoon coaching a group of professional musicians through playing their pieces and attending workshops with other student composers. The day concludes with a 6:30 concert, which will be streamed (I'll send the link out!).

Sustainability will be hosting their annual seed fundraiser starting next week in partnership with High Mowing Organic Seeds. All seeds are certified organic and Non-GMO and every sale percentage goes to the program! Seeds are the same price as online so why not get them through us?!

It is OPTIONAL for students to participate in selling seeds, but if your student is interested please have them check in with Ms. Henry at school in the sustainability room to get a packet and a run down. You can also send an email to khenry@huusd.org if you have any questions!

Seed orders and money are due by Friday March 7th. This will allow seeds to be ordered and be distributed to purchasers the first week of April.

Below is the flyer of seeds available to order.

Heart & Sole is coming to Crossett Brook Middle School! Our program focuses on the whole girl by empowering girls’ minds, bodies and souls. It inspires participants to appreciate, love and respect what makes them unique, set actionable goals that they can complete by the end of the season, and develop new habits and activities that create a healthier lifestyle.

Registration for Heart & Sole is open and can be accessed at gotrvt.org! Our 10 week program is for students in grades 5-8. Our season begins the week of March 17th. Our team will meet on Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:00. Participants will meet in Ms. Anderman’s room but practices will be held outside.

The registration fee is $130 . GOTRVT provides financial assistance directly on the registration form for qualifying families as well as a payment plan. GOTRVT is committed to being accessible to any student who wants to participate, and is dedicated to ensuring that program cost is not a barrier. Please contact GOTRVT directly at 802-871-5664 regarding financial assistance options.

Questions? Contact Melinda Anderman at manderman@huusd.org

Looking forward to a great season ahead!

Melinda Anderman, CBMS teacher

Jessica Chenette

Heather Fossiano

Karin Reed Kawatsuji

Crossett Brook Middle School 8th Graders present the Vermont Cookie Love Fundraiser!

Order now through March 28th and support the CBMS 8th graders' effort to raise money to celebrate their last year in middle school. Cookie dough is delivered frozen. Orders can be made through 8th grade students or online on the CBMS PTO website (link below). Orders MUST be picked up from CBMS or sent home with the student on April 10th, afterschool/evening pick-up times will be available. VTCookieLove

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. Measles is almost entirely preventable with vaccines. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. There are currently two measles outbreaks in the United States. Measles is also common in some countries, so make sure you’re protected against measles, especially before traveling. If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status, you can contact your primary care provider or your school nurse.

Workshop Description

Supporting Kids in Getting (And staying!) Organized, Thinking Ahead, and Problem Solving

on Thursday, March 27 at the Harwood UnionMiddle/High School Library 7 - 8

As parents, one of the most valuable skills we can teach our children is how to stay organized, think ahead, and solve problems independently. In this workshop, you'll learn practical strategies to help your kids keep track of their belongings, plan for the future, and approach challenges with confidence

Danielle Kent Bio

Danielle graduated with her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology (M.S., CCC-SLP) in 2011 and has worked in a variety of settings over the last 13 years. Her current work is focused on teaching adults how to understand and prioritize the development of self-regulation as parents and/or professionals. She completed the VT- LEND fellowship in 2016. She is the owner/operator of Piece of Mind Therapy and Consulting, LLC and provides social communication consultation/evaluation services across the state of Vermont. She also co-owns VT AAC, LLC and with her colleague provides Augmentative and Alternative Communication Evaluations and Consultations for students with complex communication needs and professional development in the areas of AAC and Play/Literacy for school teams across the state.

Danielle also is the host of Coaching Youth For Life podcast and provides professional development offerings for school districts across the state of Vermont. She enjoys sharing her self-published book Max Learns to Pause with parents and professionals.

RSVP for CBMS PTO Workshop

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is proud to announce that Velocity is coming to Crossett Brook Middle School! This program welcomes any student who identifies as male.

The goals of the overall program are:

• To encourage a healthy, active lifestyle

• To create an opportunity to try new fitness activities in a non-competitive, supportive setting

• To build confidence and communication skills as students bond with mentors and other participants

Each week of the six-week program includes a different activity, giving students a wide range of new experiences and helping them to discover new abilities and passions. Velocity is designed to promote an active, healthy lifestyle. Past activities include some of the following: biking, archery, indoor rock climbing, cooking, frisbee golf, parkour, skateboarding, orienteering, and hiking, to list a few!

The current plan is for Velocity to be held at CBMS on Tuesdays beginning April 29th and ending on Tuesday June 3rd, starting directly after school and ending at 5:30 pm.

Weekly activities are paired with group discussions focusing on challenges that participants may face regarding issues such as building self-esteem and empathy, managing emotions, dealing with social media, and coping with stress. Group discussions provide a safe space to bond with positive role models and gain the skills to express thoughts and emotions in healthy and effective ways.

Attached is the required permission form to participate in the program. Please make a copy and have your student hand in to me or email a copy to me.

Please understand that you are responsible for transportation home after the program ends at 5:30 pm. The pickup location is the gym lobby entrance.

Mentor/Coordinator’s information: Drew Lucier CBMS PE/Health Teacher

Contact information: dlucier@huusd.org

Please drop permission forms off at: CMBS Front Office or directly to Drew Lucier

We welcome you and your student to our program. For more information, please contact Drew Lucier or reach out directly to the Velocity Program Coordinator Rick Beal at bealr@bcbsvt.org or (802) 683-9053.

We look forward to a fun and active spring!

The 2025 LEAP Energy Fair has been canceled this year due to the flooding issue at CBMS, where it has been held for many years. They look forward to holding it at CBMS in 2026!

In an effort to create healthy habits and increase community connection, starting in mid-April 2025, both biking and walking routes to Brookside Primary School & Crossett Brook Middle School will be supported by local volunteers, extending from Waterbury Village, Duxbury, and Waterbury Center. This will run as a pilot for Spring 2025 and will take place 2 x weekly, days TBD. Please complete THIS FORM if you are interested in joining as a Bike or Walk to School Leader.

Please see the flyers for community opportunities.

VTeen Science Pathways Cafés, Jan 11, Feb 15, March 22, April 12 & May 10

Join us for monthly hands-on science workshops by UVM faculty, graduate students and other STEM professionals and coordinated by the 4-H VTeen Science Ambassadors. These are excellent opportunities to learn about a breadth of careers and current research in a variety of STEM fields. Workshops are for teens age 13+. Cafés take place on UVM campus on Saturdays from 5:00-7:00 pm and pizza and soft drinks will be served. Upcoming topics include:

Jan 11 Disease Detectives: Genetically Engineering Bacteria in the Microbiome for Therapy

Feb 15 Finding Patient Zero: Tracking Disease Outbreaks

March 22 Medical Laboratory Science

April 12 Brain Parasites, Behavior, and Public Health

May 10 Stop the Bleed: Emergency Medicine

Please register for these free events here: https://go.uvm.edu/afe. Space is limited for some cafés. You will receive an email before the event with campus location, parking and other information (please provide your email address). To request disability-related accommodation, please contact Margaret at mcoan@uvm.edu, or (802) 656-7634, 3 weeks prior to the session you want to attend so that we may assist you.

Aiken Discover Engineering Day, February 22, 9:30-2:30, 2025

Discover Engineering is a day of hands-on learning and exploration for youth in 5th-12th grades to learn about engineering, build skills, and network with college students, professors, and professionals in the field. Organized by UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) and UVM Extension 4-H, the day includes an Engineering Scavenger Hunt (interactive exhibits showcasing various types of engineering and career pathways), and an afternoon of learning through hands-on workshops. Lunch provided. Sponsored by the Lola and George Aiken Fund. Register for this free event taking place on UVM campus here: https://go.uvm.edu/2025

To request language interpretation/translation assistance and/or a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please call or email Margaret Coan at 802-656-7634 or margaret.coan@uvm.edu before Friday, January 31, 2025 so we may assist you. Registration open until filled or Monday, Feb 17 at 5:00 pm.

Spring is almost here and we are gearing up for a great baseball and softball season! All remaining Clyde Whittemore Little League registrations will close on April 1st so get your registrations in soon at www.clydewhittemorelittleleague.com! Space is still available in the following programs (registration is closed for any programs not listed):

T-ball (ages 4-5)

Farm League Baseball (ages 6-8)

Coach Pitch Softball (ages 6-8, girls only)

Minor League Baseball (ages 8-10)

Major League Baseball (ages 10-12)

Scholarships are available for those with financial need to ensure all kids are able to play regardless of ability to pay.

Please reach out to CWLL at cwllinfo@gmail.com with any questions or concerns regarding any of the programs listed.

Hi Folks

Yes we are knee deep in snow but not too early to think about the 2025 HU Sports and Activities Calcutta.

It will be held 5/10 at the American Legion in Waterbury.

More details to follow.

If you want to reserve a number now(they will go quick) please email, text or just tell me.

Tickets are $100.00 with a chance at $1500.00 plus a meal and a great time at the event.

All proceeds go to our sports and activities programs.

Thanks

Brian McCarthy aka Bmac

CBMS Calendar

Website:https://cbms.wwsu.org/

Phone: 802-244-6100

Location: 5672 VT Rt. 100 Duxbury, VT 05676