CBMS Community Cougar Comments

Dear Crossett Brook Community Members:

It's hard to believe that 2024 is coming to an end already. We wish everyone a happy vacation next week and a happy opportunity to celebrate the time away with those you care about.

When we return in January, we will be finalizing our plans around our Winter Sports Program at Sugarbush, which returns January 17. We will have a safety presentation on January 3rd for students here where Sugarbush personnel will be talking with students about safe snow sports on the mountain. We are also planning to have a parent volunteer information zoom prior to our first trip to the mountain as well, stay tuned for more information.

Sincerely,

Jen and Duane

Dear CBMS Families,

We need your help!

We want to thank each and every community member for the continued support shown to CBMS and our students, staff and extended community. We want to address some pertinent information on social media use and student conduct in an effort to continue working together to support the growth and well-being of our students.

CBMS is noticing an uptick in inappropriate online behavior.

At our school, the use of cell phones during school hours is prohibited. While this policy helps maintain a focused and productive learning environment, we are aware that cell phones and social media are an integral part of our students’ lives outside of school. Recently, we have seen an uptick in potentially harmful online behavior that is impacting some of our students. These incidents—whether occurring through social media platforms, texting, gaming chats, or other digital interactions—can create unsafe experiences for students and negatively affect their school life. Examples include online bullying, harassment, or harmful posts on platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, or gaming chats.

What CBMS is doing

When such behavior impacts a student’s sense of safety or ability to focus at school, it falls under the scope of our school policies and may require intervention. We take these matters seriously and work to address them with the goal of restoring a safe and supportive environment for all students.

How can you help!

We are looking to caregivers as critical partners in this effort. We encourage you to have ongoing conversations with your child about the responsible use of technology, the potential consequences of their digital actions, and the importance of treating others with respect both online and in person.

We have included some links with helpful information about students in an online world and how to help them navigate safely and appropriately.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

Duane Pierson

Jen Durren

CBMS Co-Principals

Resources

Engaging in open conversations with your children about social media is crucial for their safety and responsible online behavior. Here are some resources to assist parents:

1. Talking to Your Kids About Social Media:

• KidsHealth – Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media: Offers guidance on discussing social media use, potential risks, and responsible online behavior with children. (KidsHealth)

• Identifying Information: Keep a copy of your child password, usernames and other login information in the event that it is needed or could be helpful for your own monitoring.

• American Psychological Association – Keeping Teens Safe on Social Media: Provides strategies for parents to manage their teens’ social media use, including setting time limits and fostering open communication. (American Psychological Association)

2. Keeping Your Kids Safe Online:

• U.S. Department of Justice – Keeping Children Safe Online: Offers tips for parents and guardians to protect children from online predators, emphasizing the importance of developing an online safety plan. (U.S. Department of Justice)

• NSPCC – Keeping Children Safe Online: Provides advice on various online safety topics, including setting up parental controls and understanding social media risks. (NSPCC)

3. Understanding Inappropriate Social Media Posts:

• PBS – Tips for Parents and Kids on Social Media Use: Shares insights on recognizing and addressing inappropriate content, helping parents guide their children in making responsible online choices. (PBS)

• Cook Center – 10 Ways to Teach Children How to Use Social Media Responsibly: Offers practical advice on educating children about appropriate online behavior and the consequences of harmful posts. (Cook Center)

These resources provide valuable information to help you navigate discussions about social media use and online safety with your children.

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.

We have seen a lot of kiddos coming to school without winter weather attire. We go outside at least once a day with all students as long as the temperatures around 10 or above. 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

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.

• 12/23-1/1 December break, no school
• 1/3 Sugarbush safety presentation
• 1/13 Sugarbush Parent Volunteer meeting on Google Meet

Dan Hunter, Principal Durren and a very serious Principal Pierson came to Mr. Hague's 7th grade language arts class to help demonstrate the final project in the Drama Unit.

Congratulations to Team Prodigy scientists for being named as one of 4 VT finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. The Samsung Solve competition has challenged public school students to dream, design and build real world solutions to enact positive change. The next phase has already begun and the students and team will continue to compete to become a state winner. These students were named along with our sister middle school, Harwood, Burlington High School and Hazen Union High School.

We have been working on a unit about les fêtes de fin d’année in our French class! We talked about family traditions, chansons de Noël préférées, favorite and traditional or special holiday desserts, including the Yule log or as we say in Québec and France la bûche de Noël!

Quote from a student « We have had a lot of fun with Mme Sophie this year. We all like French and cannot wait until the new year.

See you in 2025 et Joyeuses Fêtes à tout le monde !!

As our final project for the novel, Restart, Dream and Wizards are collaborating on a game board project. For the past two weeks, students have been working feverishly to create fun and challenging boards for our Game Day on Thursday, Dec. 19th. Game Day involved both our teams coming together to play each other’s games and have some fun while reviewing our first class novel.

As our final project for the novel Restart, Wizards students have been channeling their creativity by designing game boards for the book. They’ve been thoroughly engaged in this project and have done an excellent job demonstrating their comprehension, creativity, and self-direction. On December 19th, we had a fantastic game day with Dream who also completed the same project. It was wonderful that our 5th graders all had a shared literacy experience that culminated in a morning of fun!

Teachers had a super secret spirit week this past week before break. It was a great bonding experience and an opportunity for teachers to have a little fun.

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.

• Dress in layers
  Dress children in multiple thin layers instead of one thick layer to keep them warm and dry. Make sure to cover their head, neck, and hands with a hat, gloves, and mittens.

• Protect against hypothermia
  Keep children inside if it's below freezing, and bring them inside periodically for breaks. Remove wet clothing and boots as soon as they come inside.

• Use proper gear
  For winter activities like skiing, snowboarding, and ice hockey, make sure children wear the right gear, like helmets, gloves, and goggles.

• Supervise children
  When children are playing outside, make sure they are supervised by an adult.

• Avoid deep water
  Don't let children skate on ponds, rivers, or lakes, where there's a risk of drowning.

• Be careful on sledding hills
  Sledding hills should be covered in snow, not ice, and have a slope of less than 30°. Avoid sledding in crowded areas, and make sure sleds are free of sharp edges and splinters.

• Protect against dehydration
  Even though it's cold outside, children are still at risk of dehydration, so make sure they stay hydrated.

Use a first-aid kit
If you're going on a winter road trip, make sure you have a first-aid kit, extra blankets, and gloves in the car.

Please see the flyers for community opportunities.

TRIP Dance Company, a competitive youth dance group based with Stowe Dance Academy, is thrilled to perform their 2024/2025 Annual Showcase for their family, friends, community, and beyond. Join us for this wonderful performance on January 5th at 4:00 PM & 6:30 PM – at Spruce Peak Arts.

TRIP Dance Company is a group of 36 hard-working, determined, and passionate dancers. They strive for greatness and truly love performing for their local community, competing around New England, and dancing amongst their peers!

This evening promises to entertain our community with styles ranging from Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Ballet – COME SEE THEM SHINE!

Ticket Link:

https://www.sprucepeakarts.org/events/trip-dance-companys-annual-showcase/

CBMS Calendar

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

Phone: 802-244-6100

Location: 5672 VT Rt. 100 Duxbury, VT 05676