The budget was reviewed.  The Wreath Sale was very successful.  Many thanks to Sara Coffey for leading this fundraiser.

Upcoming events:

March Reading Challenge with Screen Turn Off Week (March 12 – 16)

Pam Burke will coordinate the Reading Challenge

Dori and Tami will head up Family Bingo Night on March 16

May 14 – 18  Teacher Appreciation Week

Mexican theme contributions

Be thinking about what YOU can offer!

Spring Fundraiser – Julianne and Linda (art teacher)

Student drawn notecards to sell at Spring Concert and Art Show

Social Climate/Social Emotional Development – Jess Weitz, Kate Morgan and several other parents are interested in having an ongoing group to discuss parenting and children’s social emotional development and issues at home and school.  See the notice from Kate about a meeting at her house on Tuesday, February 7.

Class parents will be asked to welcome new families to the school.  An updated phone list will be sent home to all families.

Check out the Young Writer’s Project in Saturday’s Brattleboro Reformer for a piece by our own Mia in 6^th grade.

There will be an open meeting at Kate’s house, 400 Cowpath 40, Tuesday Feb. 7 @ 6 pm. to discuss openly and creatively social climate issues and concerns. We mean to generate energy for:  a Forum and exchange of ideas to help build supportive structures for our kids and their school.
Please send in to Kate’s email one or two sentences/thoughts, so we may create an agenda before hand. Bring snacks, and/or beverage.  There will be no children attending.
PLEASE RSVP for space reasons. Contact <katetarlowmorgan@gmail.com>  or 257 0855

Bring your family and friends to: Ski =  Skate  =  Sled  =  Snow-Shoe   =  Make Snow Sculptures. Children must  be  accompanied  by  adults. Please bring your own equipment and Snacks to share with your neighbors! Hot cider provided courtesy of the Marlboro Alliance Questions? contact: michelle holzapfel 254-2908

 This event coincides with the Wendell – Judd Cup ski race for novice and veteran cross-country skiers of all ages. Check in at the Campus Center 1:00 – 1:45 before heading out on the 5.5 mile course from the college to South Pond and back. Trails are suitable for all levels. Snowshoers are also encouraged to participate.

For more information, contact Randy Knaggs at 258-9253  rlknaggs@marlboro.edu

Mondays….

Masters of the Yearbook (deftly guided by Pam Burke, our librarian and total tech-geek).

Tuesdays….

Fire & Stone (wilderness skills taught by Patrick Johnson),

Boyz on Bikes (taught by Mike Purcell, Matt Chapman & Jeff Burt on the new bike  course that Mike built in his huge barn, that is now being taken over by bike enthusiasts, young and old and around the school that Mike built last year),

Badminton (taught by Yvonne Laseter. And P.S., we are going to have an adult league starting on March 16th right after Marlboro Ventures, so sharpen your skills and hop in with your smashes and drops!)

On Belay (learn the ups and downs of the rock climbing wall with John Bentley, specially tailored for kids in 1st through 3rd grades).

Mondays or Wednesdays…..

Farm Kitchen (with our own Erica Morse bringing home the important skills of gardening),

Sound Scholars (yes, there is a recording studio happening right in the Junior High led by Joel Eisenkramer).

Thursdays….

Dive Into Duct Tape (making fashion statements with duct tape led by Marian Lyngaard),

Ultimate Frisbee (with Erik Schickedanz, and we are hoping to get a league started with the other 21st Century Grant schools in our supervisory union for some competitive inter league games),.

The biggest news is…..

…. that Marlboro Ventures will be sponsoring DANCES ON SOME FRIDAY NIGHTS! as an extension of one of it’s programs taught by Joel Eisenkramer, our expert of sound mixing called DJ Dance Party’s! Now 6th, 7th & 8th graders can be  master mixers at our new Friday night teen club. Kids create the playlist, fading one song out and the next one in with two different computers and a mixing board. Everyone comes the week before the dance with your music ready and Joel will show you the tricks of the trade! Dances are open to grades 6-8th (guests in that age range welcome). $3.00 at the door, snacks provided and we will also be announced in Friday Notes!

What do you think? Wish you were a kid again?

Also, Stay tuned for the Girls On The Run sign up, coming soon. Our own “Sweetie”, Julia Hampton has volunteered to coach along with parent volunteer extraordinaire, Julianne Mills. Mondays and Thursdays starting March 3^rd and culminating on May 19^th for the GOTR 5K Walk/Run. Open to Girls in grades 3rd through 5th.

Do you know that:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time (computer, T.V. or video games) for children <2 years old and no more than 2 hours per day of quality screen time for children older than 2?
• One out of every 5 American children is obese? We used to figure that since children are growing we didn’t have to worry if they were heavy but studies are showing that overweight children are now having some of the same health problems as overweight adults (diabetes, joint and bone problems, hypertension) and are likely to remain overweight throughout their lives (CDC, 2011).
• Studies have found that obesity is significantly related to the amount of time in front of screens children spend? The more a child watches T.V. or plays electronic games, the less physical activity they engage in. One study showed a 2-fold increase risk of obesity by hour per day spent playing electronic games (Stettler, Signer & Suter, 2004).

Use of screens is often what our kids want to do—it is often what we want to do too. T.V, Facebook and electronic games can be relaxing and enjoyable. I recommend that you try and limit or reduce your children’s screen time. Some families choose to not have a T.V. or to limit all access to screens during the school week. Take whatever small steps toward the goal that you can. It is possible to make changes that, over time, will become second nature to your children. Below I have made a few suggestions to get you started or to support the good work that you are already doing.

Health Tip: Reduce Screen Time

1. Allow use of screens only in communal areas (e.g. keep the T.V. in the living room, use computers only in communal areas, limit access to hand-held devices like iphones and gameboys).
2. Limit the amount of time your children are allowed screen time to <2 hours/day (possibly excluding homework time).
3. Read to your children and encourage them to read more.
4. Play games as a family.
5. Encourage outdoor play (yes, even during winter).
6. Set a good example—limit your own screen time!

Wishing you a healthy winter,

Nurse Robin

read on for pictures and more!

With a game of Camouflage and each of us pretending to be a forest predator, we moved silently through the woods, senses alert for deer. As the elevation increased, so did the size of the trees. They changed to red oak, hemlock, birch and American hop-hornbeam. At the top were deer beds, out of focus with a glaze of precipitation, followed by beds and tracks in sharp focus with sharp smells of urine and scat as if we spooked the deer just minutes before. We investigated, gathered information and made predictions about the deer: where, when, how many?

Along the plateau, we gathered fire wood in a mature hemlock, red oak forest, stunted by wind and browsed by deer and porcupines. At the misty overlook of the Auger Hole valley, we divided into teams to build a fire with tinder bundle and hand-drill (see pictures). We shared food and grilled hot dogs, roll-ups, chocolate snow and sausage. We shared our stories of the day and our gratitude. The weather was perfect. The rain held off until our descent and return.

Trail head and attaching snowshoes (donated by Yukon Charlie Outfitters)

Success, we made a friction fire!

Everyone had a turn to make a coal with the hand-drill.

Blowing the tinder bundle and coal into flame.

In circle: a discussion of how to travel quietly through the woods and what animal to become.

An automated telephone message will be sent out to all our school family’s main home phone number by 6:35 am. Also announcements are placed on the radio – WTSA, 96.7 FM and WKVT, 92.7 FM, and WYRY, 104.9 – normally before 7:00a.m. Please note that WTSA  96.7 has been doing a better job at reporting accurately than the others. This will also be posted on the school website, marlboroschool.net.

If it is determined that the roads may be safe later in the morning, a two hour delay will be called and a second automated phone message will go out as well as being posted on the radio and the website.

In the event of a two hour delay school will begin exactly two hours later at 9:45 am. Buses will run two hours later than usual. For example, if a student is normally picked up at 7:30 am the delayed time will be 9:30 am. Check the radio and/or the web at 8:45 am to see if the two hour delay has been upgraded to a full cancellation.

Name: __________________________

Telephone:_______________________

# of DVD’s ____ X $10.00 = $_______
Please include payment.
Checks payable to Marlboro School.

When the DVD’s are ready we will send them home with your student or call you to pick up at the school.

Stop in and purchase some Equal Exchange coffee from the Junior High class. We are selling organic love buzz (dark and smooth), organic decaf (smooth and balanced), and the organic breakfast blend (smooth and balanced). Ten dollars a bag for ground or whole bean. Pay in the office or the JH class. All proceeds go towards the JH class trip to Costa Rica.

The other is the Khan Academy. This is a free site and students can set up accounts using their Marlboro  Google Docs accounts. The math practice is super, but there are plenty of other subjects too.

Both the sites are definitely worth checking out if you have internet access and a computer at home. Please explore the sites with your children first so that you can make sure they are a good fit for your child, and agree ahead of time on the amount of screen time that’s appropriate. I am not teaching the students to use these sites at school, so they might need help at first.

Remember, families can also get the Type To Learn software from me if they would like to have their children use that at home too. Students in grade 3 and up use this at school.

Email me at pburke@marlboroschool.net if you have any questions!