Brookside Blast

4/11/25

Principals' Message

Brookside students in grades 3 & 4 completed their first week of VTCAP testing - completing the math section. Both grades will complete ELA next week (English Language Arts) and should be commended on their perseverance, stamina and approach to the unique nature of standardized, computer-based testing.

Students in K-4 engaged in the powerful presentation of Sweethearts and Heroes on Tuesday of this week. The presentation emphasized belonging, resilience, and empowerment for all students! The high-energy assembly and classroom sessions gave students the tools to cultivate kindness, connection, and action. Through engaging storytelling, interactive activities, and powerful role-playing, the presenters showed students how to recognize bullying, build empathy, and help those in need. It definitely made an impact on our learners of all ages and was such a gift to have Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh here at BPS.

As you likely have heard from Mr. Neville earlier today, we had an unexpected visit from the Waterbury Fire Department this morning. A heat sensor in the kitchen was triggered and the fire alarm went off. All students and staff exited the building safely and were accounted for very quickly. There was not an actual fire and no one was injured. Students returned to class within 20 minutes of the alarm going off. Everyone returned to class and had a successful rest of the day. We have shared this information with both students and staff. As you can imagine, some students have some creative ideas of what actually transpired. We wanted you to have the real story before your student or students come home.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sarah & Chris

Important Dates

4/15 - 4/16: VTCAP ELA Testing for 3rd and 4th grade
4/17: Greenberg, Geibel, Menz & Kennedy field trip to Echo
4/17: Friendship Puppet Show
4/18: BPS Spirit Day
4/21 - 4/25: Spring Break (no school)

The final day of school will most likely be on Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Sweethearts & Heroes

From The Counseling Center

Hello BPS Families:

We hope you are having a great start to spring. This season is a wonderful time to reset intentions as a family unit. With longer days and increased sunlight bringing a much needed boost of optimism and energy creating a perfect time to think about setting intentions that are rooted in connection and growth. Intentions come from a place of self compassion and alignment, they are more fluid, adaptable, and encourage growth without pressure. We encourage you to take this time as a family and have conversations around what are your needs or desires as a family? How can we grow together? Perhaps it involves getting outside more, accessing our creativity, or having family meals together. Whatever it is that you choose or where you are at in this journey, intention setting is a lifelong skill and habit we all can continue to grow and foster.

VTCAP testing began this week. Below are strategies to support students at home. Be sure to check out the BPS Comfortship website for more resources and information for caregivers on many related topics.

We also want to share an update: Kately will be out on parental leave beginning May 10th through the end of the school year. She will be returning to support students and the BPS community mid September. While she will miss BPS dearly, she is looking forward to spending time with her growing family.

Do not hesitate to reach out anytime, we look forward to a great end of the school year!

Warmly,

Kately and Ashley

kmosher@huusd.org

abergeron@huusd.org

Thanks to Laura Hardie for the inspiration!

Thanks for Laura Hardie for the inspiration!

Vermont Family Network’s Puppets in Education

Read more about the Vermont Family Network’s Puppets in Education, happening at Brookside on Thursday, April 17!

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Brookside Family Letter.pdf

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Family Literacy Resources

Wow! We almost made it to our Goal of 6000 nights of reading! The total nights read was 4,358! We only needed 642 more! We are going to challenge you again during the month of April. Keep up the great reading at home!

The form is below, and was passed out to students on Monday.

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Reading at Home Challenge At BPS

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Community Announcements

Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.

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Traveling Artists

July 7-11

Take your art into the woods, waters, and mountains of Vermont! We will use trees as models for drawings, practice painting scenic landscapes, and explore the natural world through art. Learn how to do gesture drawings, what it means to paint "en plein air," and how to use observations to make better art. We'll spend part of our day learning and practicing art techniques at locations within central Vermont, and then relax by playing camp games and exploring the forest.

Registration information can be found here!

Summer Camps

Summer Camps at NBNC offer a safe place where children can interact directly with nature through observation, questioning, and hands-on exploration. From flipping rocks along wooded streams to chasing butterflies through the fields, this is what a child's summer should be.

northbranchnaturecenter.org

Waterbury Volunteer Community Fair

Revitalizing Waterbury, in partnership with the Town of Waterbury, is launching an initiative to build awareness of local volunteer-based organizations and help them recruit and retain further volunteer support. First, RW will post a "Volunteer Opportunities" page on our website. Completing this form will add your organization to the site with brief volunteer job descriptions and contact information for interested parties to follow up. Thanks to John Bauer and Denis Palic for your work on this. This form can also be used to register your organization for a table at the Waterbury Community Volunteer Fair at Brookside Primary School on Saturday, May 17th. Set up begins at 12 noon and the Fair runs from 1 to 3 pm. In addition to setting up a tabletop display and talking to potential volunteers about ways to engage with your organization, participants can attend panel discussions on Recruiting & Managing Volunteers and/or Non-Profit Fundraising. There is no cost to register, and arrangements are being made for childcare in the Children's Room space for those who need it. A full schedule and listing of confirmed organizations will be posted by April 18.

Organizations or individuals looking to sign up can complete and submit this form:

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