Dear EMS Families,
Thank you for your messages of gratitude to the EMS faculty this week!
Spreading thanks, hope and inspiration is a bucket filler for everyone. Last week, our Exploratory Team had an interdisciplinary project called Rainbows over Burlington. I am hopeful that your family will find the project as powerful as I did when getting to view the finished products. Please find a video compilation here Rainbows_Over_Burlington_1080p.mp4 put together by Judy Klima and our other amazing exploratory team members.
Today the Agency of Education made some announcements and provided some direction regarding summer learning and end of year celebrations.
8th grade promotion will be acknowledged and celebrated in a creative and responsible manner that ensures our community's health and well being.
June 12th has been announced as the latest date that students in Vermont will be in school this year.
Summer school programming will be offered this year. Details will be forthcoming.
With hope,
Meg
Friendly Reminders
You should be receiving a weekly email from your child’s team with details of the week’s assignments and reminders of when google hangouts are scheduled.
Students are expected to engage in their learning for 2-3 hours a day. This includes 2 hours of core class time and 1 hour of exploratory time. Most students have 3 exploratory classes and should expect 1-1.5 hours of work for each exploratory class per week. Our expectation is that students spend 15 hours per week on their school work. If they choose to spend more than that they are welcome to, but 15 hours of work time per week is the expectation. Here's what this might look like: Monday through Friday - 2 hours per day on core classes/ 1 hour per day on an exploratory class. Total = 15 hours.
Curriculum during the Continuity of Learning will continue to be posted on the EMS website
In addition to emails from your child/ren’s team and the curriculum being posted on the EMS website, students can find their assignments in their Unified Classroom accounts.
If you need assistance setting up a family or guardian Powerschool account, please email jstein@bsdvt.org.
To access Google Meets, your child will be using an Access Code. Follow directions below to join a google Meet.
Go to: https://meet.google.com/
Click on: + Join a meeting
Enter code from teacher
Community Announcements
Free Supper and Frozen Meals: Last Friday, our Food Service team began distributing frozen “reheatable” entrees as a way to provide variety to families and to send food that can be served hot and last a little longer. The team is also working with the Agency of Education to research the possibility of offering free suppers in the next two or three weeks. If we get clearance, we will be able to provide suppers at places where we have done so in the past: Sustainability Academy, Edmunds, Champlain Elementary, and Boys and Girls Club. We will let you know when we know more. In the meantime, remember that if you have had your income affected by coronavirus, please fill out a 3 Squares Vermont application today for assistance in providing nutritious food for your family.
FREE Books, Toiletries, and Toys: Fletcher Free Library has begun providing FREE books to Burlington children at our food pickup sites during the week. And, starting last week, thanks to the generosity of Wow Toyz in Vergennes and Courtyard Marriott, FREE toys and toiletries will also be available at food pickup sites. Thank you, everyone, for stepping up during this time, especially our amazing partners at King Street Center who have coordinated and led many of these efforts with our team!
Special Education Letter: If you have a child receiving special services, please read this letter from Director Nugent explaining how progress on your child’s goals will be tracked during the Continuity of Learning phase.
Movement Mondays
with Ms. Brady and Ms. Sharon 2:00 p.m.
- Try some mini movement challenges involving things you have at your house!
What Do You Got? Wednesdays
with Ms. Angela and Ms. Christina 2:00 p.m.
- What Do You Got themes will be announced ahead of time so you can be set to go and ready to share.
Next week on May 13th, we will be sharing our special talents!
Request for Input Re: DCF Award Renaming
Dear Parents, Teachers and Guardians,
The State of Vermont Libraries, along with the AOE, are collaborating to change the name of the Vermont State Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award program due to controversy around Fisher's association with Vermont's eugenics program.
Jonathan Clarke, the State Librarian, is asking for student input for a new title for the award. Parent involvement is required on the form, but all student and parent names will remain private.
The Vermont State Library asks that the webform not be published on websites or in social media platforms so that only Vermont students in grades 4 - 8 participate. They recommend that the form is included in an email or a closed internal platform and suggest parental or teacher guidance. The deadline for all submissions is May 26th.
We encourage participation from EMS readers for the new state name of this award. Every summer and throughout the school year, Edmunds Middle School students are encouraged to read the outstanding book nominees from our middle level state reading program.
The participation criteria and expectations are included in the links below if you are interested in getting involved.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8KN7N5H (This is the survey)
Thank you very much,
Carole Renca, EMS Librarian