CBMS Community Cougar Comments

Dear Crossett Brook Community Members:

Trimester 2 is under way! It's amazing to see students engaging in their new Applied Academics offerings. We love to see new routines being built and students finding new successes and challenges to engage with.

Live grades are available at all times in Jump Rope. Please check updated and finalized trimester 1 grades for Applied Academics. If you cannot access Jump Rope, please let Duane or Jen know.

As winter weather is peaking its head, we want to put out a reminder about recess and winter clothing. Students in grades 5 and 6 have daily team recess and lunch recess. Students in grades 7 and 8 often take short walks in addition to their lunch recess time. As long as the temperature and/or wind chill is above 0 degrees F, students are expected to go out. If students need appropriate clothing for the weather, we do have some items in the nurse's office, however our supplies of boots are limited.

Items that students should have for outdoor weather:

Gloves or mittens

Hats/hoods/ear muffs or headband that covers ears

Winter jacket

socks and shoes, preferably boots.

snow pants, if students are playing in the snow

Sugarbush Winter Sports Updates

Please make sure to send back the Winter Sports Payment form and rental forms (if your student needs rentals). We would love to have everything in before Thanksgiving break, so that we can make sure that things are up to date before the Holidays.

Lost and Found Update: We will be sending the lost and found materials off into the wild blue yonder (donation site) on December 20th. Please have your student(s) check the table in the lobby if they happen to be missing items.

Sincerely,

Jen and Duane

Please joins us tonight or tomorrow afternoon for a matinee presentation of Disney's the Little Mermaid Jr. Our CBMS students and their HUMS counterparts have been hard at work practicing their lines, their songs and their dance moves to put on display for their adoring audience. No advance ticket sales required.

Show take place Friday December 6 at 7PM and Saturday December 7 at 3PM.

Now that fall conferences have all but wrapped up, you may be considering what your student’s transition to high school might look like. Here is a quick overview of this process and some information about Harwood.

After the first of the year, Harwood school counselors and Crossett Brook school counselors will work on a timeline for helping your student learn more about high school, and ultimately select their courses for their 9th-grade year. In March, we will visit all 8th-grade classrooms to talk specifically about 9th-grade options, offerings, and expectations. Additionally, we will touch on the four-year planning process as a whole. There will also be an opportunity for parents to engage with the high school faculty during an evening presentation about their child's transition and academic options. This will also happen just before or after the February vacation.

During the first classroom visit, your student will receive a program of studies for the 2025-2026 School year, which you may review together. Using a planning worksheet, your child will be able to map out their academic choices for the upcoming school year. CBMS school counselors will then revisit 8th-grade homerooms to help kids register for their classes using the PowerSchool system.

If you are interested in learning more about Harwood’s current academic offerings you may check out their online program of studies. You can also learn more about academic pathways offered at Harwood here. Within the program of studies, you can check out the “road maps” for different academic areas, which will give you and your student some possible ideas of what their next four years could look like. It is important, however, for your learners to take the lead in thinking about what is important to them. 8th graders are encouraged to chat with their current school counselor, Mrs. Hempey, or Ms. Scharff if they have questions about this transition or high school.

Check the website for this month's menu.

Please consider sending your student(s) with winter coats, hats, gloves/mittens and boots once the snow begins to pile up. As a reminder, the building does not open until 8:15 as we do not have the ability to supervise students until that time.

Shoes need to be worn on school grounds, which includes indoor and outdoor spaces. Additionally, to participate in PE, students need to wear sneakers. We have a supply of sneakers for loan in the gym as well as the nurse's bathroom if students are in need.

We are in the home stretch with collecting all our Winter Sports forms. If you haven't sent in blue forms and payment forms, please do so. Every penny helps us keep this program running and allows students to learn new skills and take healthy risks on the mountain. Additionally, if you have not filled out the Sugarbush waiver form that was sent out on November 4, please do so. Sugarbush is trying to digitally streamline the process of collecting emergency contacts and liability waivers. Last year, they spent countless hours entering the data into their system, and this will save them time and manpower. Anyone who is participating in the program must fill out the form.

Crossett Brook Middle School Ski & Ride Program, please click. Please make sure to complete the form on this site for Sugarbush purposes. This is in addition to the form you completed for CBMS earlier in the fall. Next year, we hope to streamline this and make sure it all goes out together.

Consider helping Sugarbush donate to mental health. Check out the Descent to Rise Above challenge linked below to help skiers and riders get in a BILLION vertical feet this season and Sugarbush will donate $50,000 to NFI VT, a non-profit focusing on mental health programming and education for Vermont's families.

How to participate? Just download the Sugarbush app. When you ski or board, go to Trail Map and Tracking and start tracking those stats. The mountain opens this week!

What's in it for you? Top three vertical earners qualify to get great prizes.

Yoshwin Antony was awarded a distinguished Congressional App Award on December 2 at the BETA technologies conference. We are proud of his accomplishment as his Web based app supported our Waterbury Community in providing food items to those in need. Way to be Connected and Caring Yoshwin.

• 12/6 MS Little Mermaid Jr performance at the Harwood Auditorium at 7 PM
• 12/7 MS Little Mermaid Jr. performance at the Harwood Auditorium at 3 PM
• 12/7 River of Lights Parade in Waterbury at 5:30
• 12/12 HUUSD Budget Information Meeting, CBMS Cafeteria at 6 PM
• 12/20 Early Release at 12:30 PM
• 12/23-1/1 December break, no school

Dream Team recently began work on a team t-shirt design. This year’s theme is dream catchers. Students will submit their completed designs to be voted upon. The design with the most votes will be printed on t-shirts and sweatshirts that can be purchased after the new year. The artistic creativity is strong on the Dream Team. It will be a tough choice!

Prodigy students have been tasked with a design/build challenge: Design and Build a device to transport a turkey down a zipline. The goal is to get the turkey from start to finish as quickly as possible.

8th Grade Spanish students are starting their first book entirely in Spanish! They are reading Piratas del Caribe y el mapa secreto (Pirates of the Caribbean and the Secret Map). As the action unfolds, students will act out the scenes and give voices to the lively characters.

Hola and Bonjour!

The World Language Department at Crossett Brook Middle School is excited to announce the Spring 2025 8th Grade WORLD LANGUAGE Trip to Quebec City.

There will be a virtual informational meeting for parents/guardians on Monday December 9th from 6:30pm-7:00pm. If your child is interested in this trip, YOU MUST either attend this meeting OR contact Sophie Hade (shade@huusd.org) to receive the informational slides.

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 278 244 246 919

Passcode: GJ9J529S

Please reach out with any questions to either Kelsey Mousin (kmousin@huusd.org) and Sophie Hade (shade@huusd.org), the World Language Department at CBMS.

Winter is a great time to get cozy and enjoy the company of family and friends. But it’s also a time when colds and the flu can spread easily. So make sure your family continues to stay healthy this winter with these tips:

• Wash your hands often and well. Scrub both hands with soap and water! This is the best way to prevent the spread of germs.

• Avoid touching your face. Germs can enter your body through your nose, mouth, and eyes.

• Stay warm and dry. Wear warm clothes, and make sure to always wear clean, dry socks. Remove any wet clothes after being outside.

• Drink lots of water and fluids each day. Water, healthy juices, and soup are all good choices.

• Go to bed early. A good night’s sleep will help your body fight off infection and colds.

• Eat healthy, vitamin-rich foods! Vitamin C and D and Zinc are especially important during the winter.

• Prevent nosebleeds. Nosebleeds are common in the winter months. Try using a humidifier to increase moisture in the dry home. Limit exposure to smoke from fireplaces, tobacco, natural gas etc.

• Stay active, get outside and have fun! Exercise helps your immune system stay healthy and strong.

• Drink lots of water and fluids each day. Water, healthy juices, and soup are all good choices.

• Go to bed early. A good night’s sleep will help your body fight off infection and colds.

• Eat healthy, vitamin-rich foods! Vitamin C and D and Zinc are especially important during the winter.

• Prevent nosebleeds. Nosebleeds are common in the winter months. Try using a humidifier to increase moisture in the dry home. Limit exposure to smoke from fireplaces, tobacco, natural gas etc.

• Stay active, get outside and have fun! Exercise helps your immune system stay healthy and strong.

Preteen and teen vaccines like Tdap, HPV, and meningococcal protect your child from serious diseases and even some cancers later in life.

Now is the perfect time to get caught up on recommended vaccines! Unsure which shots are needed at each age? Ask your family doctor or visit HealthVermont.gov/TeenVax.

Each year the sophomore class hosts a Christmas Tree and wreath Sale at American Flatbread. Proceeds from this fundraiser support class activities for the remainder of high school. A new addition this year will be supporting the sale of Star Kits from the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce. Star Kit sales will benefit the memorial funds in honor of the five young people who lost their lives in a tragic accident in 2016. If you would like to learn more about the kits, this video will provide a helpful background.

When: December 5th, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

December 7th and 8th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

If trees and wreaths are still available:

December 12th, 4:30 - 7:00 PM

December 13th and 14th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Where: American Flatbread (Route 100, Waitsfield, VT)

Cost: Trees range from $ 30 - $100 based on size

3’ Star Kit, $40 and 6’ Star Kit, $50

Harwood is incredibly grateful for the generosity of George Schenk for supporting this sale every year. This sale began with his great idea and has become an annual tradition.

This holiday season, get ready to sing your favorite Holiday tunes at the Valley Players' Karaoke Parties on December 12 at the Valley Players Theater, 4254 Main Street (Rt. 100) in Waitsfield. DJ Chris Lowenstein will be on hand with his professional karaoke rig and mikes and MC Susan Loynd will keep the action moving. Whether you're a karaoke pro or just want to sing along, we can't wait to celebrate with you!

From 3:30-5 pm, kids take over the stage to sing solos, duos or group numbers. Parents are encouraged to stay and enjoy the afternoon with their children. From 7-10 pm, adults take the spotlight. Teens 13-18 yrs old can attend the afternoon event or the evening event.

The number of songs each singer can sing will depend on the number of participants; singers will perform in 'rounds' to ensure that everyone has a chance to sing at least once, and more if time permits. Don't want to sing? No problem, come to enjoy the music!

A $10 suggested donation for the evening event can be made at the door. You do not need to attend the entire time and no reservations are needed. BYOB and snacks from 7-10 pm. Questions? Email valleyplayers@madriver.com.

Please see the flyers for community opportunities.

CBMS Calendar

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

Phone: 802-244-6100

Location: 5672 VT Rt. 100 Duxbury, VT 05676