marlboroschool.net

Primary News   March 29 – April 2

Last week…

We are having lots of fun learning more about weather. The “Wild Wizard” visited (Mad Scientist substitute) and entertained us with a fog experiment. It didn’t come out as expected and we talked about the challenges that scientists can have when experiments don’t turn out the way you want! We’re going to try again. Our evaporation experiment is done. Ask your child which saucer evaporated the quickest.

In math, the younger students have been playing subtraction games. They are using different strategies when playing such as: using counters, counting backwards, and figuring it out in their heads. They are going to teach it to the older students this week! The older students are learning strategies when adding several addends together. A lot of great math thinking going on!

When problems arise, the students are sometimes at their best when trying to figure out a solution on their own. Last week there were some unhappy kids coming in after a recess time. Some were feeling left out when playing a Frisbee game – they were included but didn’t get much of a chance to play. A group of six boys met before the next recess and came up with a solution on their own. There was a lot of negotiation going on. They headed out and had a much better time! This is just a small example of working out problems.

Spelling for olders

cloud   proud   shout    trout    house

loud   round   ground   sound     found

Ask your child these questions…

• Tell me about your wind poem.
• Did you do a picture with it?
• What experiment did the “wizard” try? Did it work?
• What’s the hardest thing about spelling?
• Who was the V.I.P.? What did you learn about her?
• What was her book about? The Quilt Maker’s Gift
• What are you doing at choice time?
• Are you a part of the “picture club”?

• • Early release day on Friday, April 2
  • We are hoping to go to Liz’s house this week to meet her baby lambs. Thursday morning is a possibility. We’ll keep you updated.
  • Poetry was canceled on Friday because Ann was sick. We’re not sure when the make up date will be.
  • Don’t forget about the Learning Fair the evening of April 13^th.

Have a great week!

Judy and Liz

March is Student Art Month in Brattleboro. Next time you’re in town check out the displays of student work in storefronts, Vermont Artisan Design (upstairs is the 3-d high school work), the River Garden (2-d high school work) and the Brooks Memorial Library. Marlboro artists, Meroushka, Siena, Grace, Rose, Mercer, Sheldon, and Aidan have some beautiful artwork hanging on a panel in the library.

Meanwhile, closer to home, Seventh and Eighth graders have been working hard on their community art projects. The two that have been completed and adding to the school color are the mosaic at the front door and the Kandinsky-inspired mural in the hallway to Janie and Christine’s office. Nice job Marlboro artists!

Attending:  Lauren Poster – chair, Andy Reichsman – vice chair, Gussie Bartlett – Sec’y, Francie Marbury – Principal, Steven John

The meeting was called to order at 6:10 pm.

We reviewed the minutes of 12/14/09.  Lauren moved that we approve them as submitted.  Gussie seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

We reviewed the minutes of 1/4/10.  Lauren moved that we approve them as submitted.  Gussie seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

We adopted Policy F23 Participation of Home Study Students in School Programs and Activities.   We also adopted Policy F24 Hazing.

Policy F5 Student Records will be posted tomorrow and we will adopt at the next regular board meeting.

Review of Policies E9 Comprehensive HIV Policy and F27 Pupil Privacy Rights: Student Surveys were postponed to next meeting.

Superintendent’s Report (see below).

Steven John left the meeting at 7: 12pm.

We set MES tuitions as follows:  Elementary:  $9,113.00    Junior High:   $10,321.00
Kindergarten:  $6,379.00

The board asked that there be a Junior High basketball fee for participants to cover uniforms and referee fees ($35 was suggested, which matches the Deerfield Youth Sports fee paid by players at the other grade levels).

We plan to invite Meetinghouse board members and Ellen Martyn to our next regular meeting to discuss pre-school options.

We spent several hours going through the budget line by line.  We decided to have a special budget meeting Wednesday January 13^th at 9:00am, in order to include Gail Chaine in the meeting.

Principal’s Report (see below).

We received a letter from the Marlboro Auditors requesting information for the town report in addition to what the board typically provides.  Lauren will contact Auditor Andrea McAuslan to invite the auditors to our next regular meeting to discuss the request.

The meeting adjourned at 10:25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Andy Reichsman

Pay Orders:                         #13            12/18/09            $  54,930.39

#14a               1/1/10            $110,363.26

Next meetings: special budget meeting January 13^th, 2010 at 9:00am, January 27^th at 5:00pm, February 8^th at 6:00pm

Our Guiding Principles:

Students’ will be at the center of our decision-making

We will keep to the agenda.

The chair will estimate the amount of time necessary for each item

and act as timekeeper during the meeting.

Every voice is heard as discussion goes back and forth.

Decisions will not be made hastily.

We will ask ourselves, “What other information do we need

in order to make a thoughtful decision?”

Decisions/discussion will be recapped before moving on to a new item.

Items requiring action will be identified and we will note who is responsible for each action item.

Follow through will occur before the next meeting.

We will use e-mail judiciously to communicate between meetings.

Implementation Guidelines:

Meetings will be held on the second Monday of each month with the fourth Monday

kept in reserve, if an additional meeting is needed.

The chair will send out the agenda the Thursday before the meeting.

The meetings will start at 6 pm and go no later than 9 pm

Marlboro School Board

Principal’s Report

Monday, January 11, 2010

Student Learning

Winter Workshops

Beginning mid-year assessments of reading in the Primary and 3/4

Use of EST process for Social Inclusion work

SU ARRA funds for assistive technology

Professional Development

School Reform Initiative conference, Jan14-16

Courage and Renewal for School Leaders, Feb 5-6

MES development of continuum re writing expectations

Planning PD for remainder of year

Policy or Regulation Implementation

F23 and F24

From December minutes – We agreed that all of us would read Policy E9 Comprehensive HIV Policy for next meeting.  Gussie will send it to us.  We will consider Policy F27 Pupil Privacy Rights: Student Surveys at the next meeting.  Gussie will talk to Steven John about paragraph (5) in Policy F27

Buildings and Grounds

Applying for round 2 of Energy Efficiency Grant

Kitchen upgrade

Finance/Accounting

Budget work

YTD         High School tuition is about where we budgeted

Overruns will be in SpEd with unanticipated one-on-one

and 3/4 co-teacher instead of .75 FTE assistant

Enrollment/Staffing

Student enrollment – 85

One student withdrawn to homeschooling

New student in 5/6

Contract to sign

Jen O’Donnell here as long term sub for one-on-one

Informational items

Superintendent’s Report for the Marlboro School Board

Monday, January 11, 2010 Happy New Year to All!

Note: I am obliged to attend the Townshend Board Meeting as soon after 7 P.M. as possible.

Student/Staff Learning

1. On January11^th, the WCSU Professional Development Team will attend the concluding day of a five-day training to lead and facilitate professional learning communities (PLCs) in each school. One goal for the WCSU is to have all teachers trained in this professional practice by June 2011.
2. Abby Dillon continues to host a continuing series of all day professional development sessions for special educators to improve the WCSU’s capacity to meet the needs of our students.
3. We can expect the results of our students’ performances on the NECAPs to be release next month.

Policy/Regulation

1. See the reprinted piece on Educational Transformation and recommendations before the legislature that I have added below.
2. Please take action on policies F23 and F24 as previously posted.
3. Reminder: The Board also confirmed the timeline for the superintendent’s evaluation. Each school board, administrator, and certified office staff member will complete the WCSU Superintendent Evaluation form.  All evaluations must be returned to Rich Werner by Feb.1, 2010.  The WCSU Board will review the results in executive session at their March meeting. The WCSU Board will appoint a committee to discuss the finding and results with the Superintendent at a later date.
4. The WCSU Governance Committee will present a recommendation to the full Board on January 27^th. This long anticipated work will challenge our thinking beyond town lines.

Finance/Accounting/Operations

Once you approve a proposed FY11 Budget, the next challenge will be gaining the vote the school district meeting in March.  Most people find it hard to believe that the severe cuts in proposed budgets for FY11 still result in tax rate increases.

Enrollment/Staffing

At this time many teachers and staff throughout the WCSU are anxious about their job security for the foreseeable future.  This can negatively affect our school’s morale and we must take care in our public and private conversations to be sensitive to our employees’ personal feelings of insecurity and potential loss.

Informational Items

1. I attended the SE VT Regional Superintendents’ Legislative Breakfast on Monday, January 11^th in Chester.
2. The WCSU Governance Committee Meeting will be January 14^th at 5 P.M. at Newfane.
3. Full WCSU Board Meeting on Wed., January 27 at 7 P.M. at Wardsboro to discuss the recommendation from the WCSU Governance Committee.

Education Transformation Policy Commission Issues Report

The Education Transformation Policy Commission submitted its final report to the State Board of

Education last month.  The Commission was comprised of school board members, superintendents,

principals, elected and appointed state-level education policymakers, teachers, higher education

administrators, parents and parent-advocates, one business representative, and a high school student.

The Commission’s charge was as follows:

Recommend a state policy framework that will build and enhance the capacity of schools and communities to reinvent Vermont public education so all students acquire the knowledge and skills needed for college, careers, and citizenship in the 21st century.

Notably, the Commission was not asked to frame its recommendations within any particular budgetary constraints, nor did it do so. The Commission made recommendations under the framework of “education transformation” as opposed to confining its work to school improvement. The Commission divided its recommendations into five “interdependent” sections, and what follows is a brief description of each. The Commission’s recommendations were presented to the State Board of Education at its December meeting. The full report, including expansive details and rationales for each recommendation, can be viewed here:

http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/dept/transformation/commission/transformation_policy_commission_report_1209.pdf

Education Quality Standards

• Supplement and replace the current School Quality Standards with “Education Quality Standards” that focus on learning outcomes and processes, to be developed by an EQS commission.

• Enhance accountability via long-range education quality assessments in each public school, and utilize data to continually develop more effective practice.

Learning Expectations for a New Generation

• Personal learning plans for each student.

• Three stages of learning progression (to replace PK-12 grades), and proficiency-based advancement and graduation requirements.

• Transition from grade-level groupings to multi-age small learning communities with differentiated learning opportunities.

State-level PK-16 Partnerships

PK-16 means prekindergarten through a four-year college.

• Establish ambitious state-level educational attainment targets and strategies to achieve these targets.

• Establish state-level standards for college readiness.

• Expand access and ensuring funding for dual enrollment and other college-level learning opportunities for high school students.

Educator Quality

• Expand clinically-based learning             ortunities for aspiring educators.

• Adopt a four-tier career ladder and proficiency-based licensing standards for  educators.

• Expand professional development and collaborative planning time for educators.

Formation of Regional Education Districts

• Education Redistricting Commission to facilitate consolidation of all public school districts (including all public schools and technical centers) into 12 – 24 education districts, each governed by a single board of directors.

• Multi-year transition process to fully implement consolidation by 2015.

• Each public school would have a “Community School Council,” with advisory functions.

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000173 EndHTML:0000018977 StartFragment:0000003884 EndFragment:0000018941 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/rachel/Desktop/Homework/Jan%205th

Rachel Boyden                                                                                     Tim Hayes

254-3872                                                                                                           254-844                                                    rachelboyen@gmail.com tjhayes@sover.net

Homework for Week of Jan. 4^th , 2010

Due for Tue. Jan.  5^th :

Math: Monday night math

Spanish:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Due for Wed. Jan. 6^th :

Social Studies: Read “The Rise and Spread of Islam…” Morgan, Luci, Heather, Taylor, & Shawna, answer questions 1-4 of the ten “Challenges”.  Rose, Ethan, Aliza, Max, & Erik, answer questions 4-7 of the ten “Challenges”.   Katie, Scott, Lucas, Ajenai, Marcus, & Mesa, answer questions 7-10 of the ten “Challenges”.

Independent Project: Written proposal for one topic

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Due for Thur: Jan 7^th :

Poetry: Final draft of your  poem if you haven’t gotten to that. This gets posted on the wiki ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Due for Fri. Jan. 8^th:

Social Studies: Finish Africa maps including descriptive paragraph

Literature: Read first assignment in new books . (Chapters 1 & 2 in Jip or to the break on page 33 in Montana 1948. Write a short reflection on setting focusing either on historical era or geography.  Katie & ???

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Last evening, a group of seven parents met to continue to explore social concerns here in school and in our homes. The conversation was rich and thoughtful with time spent defining what warrants a “put down”, addressing body language, spoken language, and the tone of the words. We agreed that there are some “put downs” that are not acceptable under any circumstances (swearing, name calling), there are words and actions that are not acceptable when a tone crosses the line (“whatever….”), and that there are words and actions that are dubious and become unacceptable if they become a pattern (being ignored repeatedly). How would you define a “put down”?  We came up with these:

Read more »

K – Students have been working on body and spacial awareness, as well as basic locomotor movements, such as running, skipping, galloping, hopping, jumping, etc.  Students have also been working on basic ball skills, such as throwing, dribbling, kicking, etc.

Read more »

Last night, a group of parents and community members gathered together as a follow up to last week’s talk on “Creating Socially Healthy Communities” with Kim John Payne.
As we know, work is being done at school by the teachers and staff to give more focus to this topic.  Specifically, a preview and review process—focused around recess in most of the classrooms—and an effort to address every “put down” an adult overhears among students.

To support this work, the focus of last night’s gathering was to discuss how parents can move forward with meaningful social inclusion work, beginning with ourselves, in our own homes and circle of close friends.  

Read more »

Teasing crosses the line when…
Close friendships cross the line and become cliques when…

How would you and your family finish these sentences?  One family’s answers might look different from another family’s answers.  Last night’s talk by Kim John Payne raised a lot of questions, comments and conversation from the group who came out to hear him speak.

Parents and community members who would like to help support the social inclusion work being done at school by carrying this work forward at home with our families are invited to a follow-up meeting to share their ideas, insights and inspirations next Thursday, November 19th at 7pm.

At next Thursday’s meeting, the Parent Reps of the SICG will help shape the meeting, but the content of the meeting will come from those present.  We will focus on how families, in their own homes and in their daily interactions, can support the social inclusion work being done at school by our teachers and staff.  What piece of this social inclusion work resonates with you?  What would you like to bring awareness to in your home?  What next steps make sense to you?

Kim Paynes’ book, Simplicity Parenting, is available at the reduced price of $20 through Francie.  She also has some of his audio cd’s on various child-centered topics  available for purchase.  Copies of Simplicity Parenting and the audio cd’s are available in our MES Library for borrowing.

The Social Inclusion Coordinating Group of parents and staff have

been trying out the “No Put Down Diet” these past 3 weeks. All of us

agree that most of the put downs we heard were in our heads about ourselves! Kim John Payne will be speaking about the “No Put Down Diet” when he comes here on November 12th. Authentic and non-violent communication in our daily lives is a lofty goal and yet can truly help us” become the change we want to see.”

We’re gearing up for November 12th when Kim John Payne is coming to spend time us, culminating with his presentation to the community that evening at 7 pm. His new book “Simplicity Parenting” will be available for purchase at the reduced price of $20. Childcare will also be available! The Junior High’s “Rent-A-Kid” will provide childcare in your home. P&F and MES will support this financially by making a donation to the Junior High. Please

Call Francie before November 11th if you’d like childcare.

We are seeking a “Circle of Friends” to help with refreshments on November 12th. Interested? Please contact Susan Kunhardt at 464-3154 or rosewood@sover.net.

Thanks so much!

Materials from David Holzapfel’s presentation at the CES Fall Forum, in .pdf format:

• Ecological Studies Game Plan
• Applewoods rationale
• Natural History projects Self
• Belonging

A free event for MES parents on November 12th, 7pm, in the Outback with Kim John Payne “Creating Socially Healthy Communities”

Parents’ Link to the Social Inclusion Coordinating Group (SICG)
and Parents & Friends (P&F)

In an effort to broaden communication among MES families and to help support families who are new to MES, the idea of Buddy Families was discussed with much support and enthusiasm at the last two P&F meetings.

Buddy Families will be “veteran” MES families (families with children who already attend MES) who are willing to be a supportive, go-to contact for families who are new to MES.  Buddy families can help answer questions that families new to MES might have about our school (staff names, homework, All-School Sing and the like) and even non-school things (food shopping, doctors/dentists, things to do, etc.).

Being a Buddy Family will only take a little of your time.  You can be a Buddy Family if you’re willing to:
•    make an initial phone call to welcome a new family
•    answer any questions they might have about school and the community
•    be available for any future questions

Currently, we have new MES families with children in Kindergarten, Primary and 3rd/4th.

If you’d like to be a Buddy Family to support a new MES family, now or in the future, or if you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Redfield at vredfield@hughes.net or 348.9899.

As Parent Representatives of the SICG we meet weekly– as either a sub group or as part of the whole coordinating group with staff members. Among other qualities, parent reps are described as having: a background in care professions, a deep connection to the school’s values, a healthy personal connection to the school’s social life, and finally– the time and space to take on being a part of this group!

Who we are:

Susan Kundhardt is the parent of Rose in the Junior High and of Maggie who has since graduated MES.  Susan has been a nurse for over 30 years and has been our school nurse for six!

Vanessa Redfield is the parent of Mitchell (6th grade), Mason (3rd grade) and Ritter (kindergarten next year!)  Vanessa has a background in human resources that includes the areas of employee learning & development.   She is also the secretary of our Parent & Friends (P&F) group.

Kelly Salasin is the parent of recent MES graduate Lloyd and 4th grader, Aidan.  Kelly is a lifelong educator who has worked as a classroom teacher, tutor, and assistant at every level of education including daycare, preschool, elementary, middle, highschool & college.

As parent representatives on the SICG, we have three main roles:

-general parent communication (via the school newsletter),

-parent surveys (like the mini one conducted around hopes/concerns on classroom nights), and

-parent enrichment (eg. evening events.)

The latter role is our main focus this month as we prepare for the upcoming evening with Kim John Payne scheduled for Thursday, November 12.

If you would like to help shape this night of inspiration & education, please consider attending the upcoming P&F meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 pm in the Library.  A  “Circle of Friends” will be formed to support the parent outreach efforts that include this type of enrichment as well as outreach to  families that are new to MES.

Ask your child about Thursday’s game of Capture the Flag!  The Junior High is organizing a game once a week that is open to all students.  This morning at Sing the Junior High was applauded enthusiastically, with special appreciation for Ajenai, Luci, and Scott who led the game.  Students were asked for game ideas and came up with several that will be explored in the coming weeks.

The soccer games described last week are going well and will continue on other days of the week.

We’ve written a bit about the preview-review strategy in earlier Friday Notes.  Here’s a description of it in action.  Kim talks about times in the day when there are likely to be social difficulties – times when there is less structure and more social complexity – kids need to negotiate how to be with each other with less adult support.  This describes recess perfectly!  The staff had noticed that all is not well on the soccer field so at yesterday’s meeting we discussed this and came up with some ideas.  We want students to learn how to navigate this scene but, in order to learn this, we support them with a little more structure.   So, today there were two soccer games.  Christine supervised the youngers as they divided into three teams, warmed up with some red light/green light dribbling drills, and then rotated teams so that everyone got a lot of playing time.  Older students played a game they’ve developed and focused on skills and sportsmanship.  All of this happened successfully within the context of a preview with their teachers before going out to play and a review afterwards.

We’re curious what you’ve heard from your child/ren about recess and the preview/review process.  How do they think it’s going?  The SICG would love to hear the children’s responses.  Contact the SICG parent reps, Kelly Salasin at kel@sover.net or 254-7724, Vanessa Redfield at vredfield@hughes.net or 348-9899, Susan Kunhardt at rosewood@sover.net or 464-3154  or Francie, and let us know!

16 September 2009

Dear Parents,

On Tuesday we depart for our annual camping trip that includes a visit to an art museum and a mountain climb. This trip has become an important part of the Marlboro School culture, giving the students a chance to be away for three days and see a new part of the region, while experiencing different arts and attempting new physical challenges. It will no doubt be a memorable experience! As you can see from the enclosed itinerary, students come to school as usual on Tuesday, and we will depart as soon as we can. Our first destination is the Saint-Gaudens Historical Site in Cornish, NH, the adopted home and grounds of one of America’s most influential sculptors. There we will receive a short tour, practice our Visual Thinking Skills, and do some sketching. From there we will travel across NH to Tamworth and the Brass Heart Inn where we will be staying in an enormous barn with running water and finished floors. We will be camping, but camping in style. We are enclosing the phone number of the Inn, but please only call in an emergency since the phone is not in the barn but across the field at the Inn itself. You can also call Rachel’s cell phone 802-380-2107. We will make dinner outside the barn and then get a good night’s sleep. On Tuesday we will proceed to Mt. Chocorua and the trailhead of the Brook Trail on the SW corner of the mountain. The hike up is just under four miles and takes about three hours; we will descend on the Liberty Trail which is less steep. We anticipate the round trip to take 5-6 hours. The mountain is rather spectacular because of its rocky summit and expansive views—it promises to be well-worth the rigorous hike. That night we will celebrate with organic pizza and lemonade at Flatbreads restaurant in North Conway, where they have offered us a very reasonable, special deal. On Wednesday we will break camp and head over to the Glade at the foot of the mountain on the shores of Lake Chocorua where we will do some group initiatives and trust exercises. From there we will head for Marlboro and be back in time for the busses. We have enclosed a packing list and please note Tuesday’s lunch, the sleeping gear, and most importantly the footwear. If new shoes are in order, we recommend the “trail running” shoes which are sneaker-like but have good support and tread—great winter shoes. The chaperones for the trip will be Rachel, & Tim, with Philip Johansson and Cathy Cunliffe joining us for the hike. If you have any questions or special concerns, please call either of us this weekend. We will shop for food but we welcome any brownies or cookies for extra nourishment on the trail. Tim & Rachel

Greetings from down under in the art room!

With the arrival of the kindergartners this week, I’ve met all my new students and I’m so excited to be creating and making art with everyone. I’m hoping that our time together will reflect what the kids are doing in their regular classroom-maybe with a little more glitter and glue. We started out in kindergarten reading Elmer, the patchwork elephant and decorated our own “elmer” hats. First and Second graders have created some beautiful birds for the hallway combining shapes and patterns. The third and fourth graders are busy making garden signs for all the vegetables they’ve been nurturing in the back field and fifth and sixth graders are crafting journals for their upcoming trip to Cape Cod.  As leaders of the school, the seventh and eighth graders will be looking for ways to bring their artistic talents to brightening up their school with some community projects.

The kids have all made me feel very welcome with early morning playground hugs and recess time visits to the art room and I already can see how their enthusiasm will make for a wonderful year! From time to time I’ll send out requests for items for kids to bring in for a particular project.

I’m collecting paper towel/ toilet paper tubes and bigger plastic bottle tops (1/2 gallon size juice tops).  You may leave donations in the hallway off the main hall (next to the Lost & Found Crate).

Thanks so much for making me feel so welcome.  Linda

Soccer Practice W/ Forrest Holzapfel For K – 6 Th Grades

Starting on September 15th from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Forrest Holzapfel will hold a fun soccer practice on the MES field.  This activity will run for 6 consecutive Tuesdays.  We will focus on the basics of kicking, trapping, dribbling, passing, and of course shooting on goal!  Kids should have a snack, water, and shinguards if possible.  Cleats are good if you have them, but not necessary.  Also, if anyone has soccer balls at home for us to use, please bring them with your name on them in permanent marker.  We will end each session with a scrimmage and good sportsmanship will be strongly encouraged.  Any questions email Forrest at forrest810(at)gmail.com

Another Opportunity To Play Soccer Games W/ Valley Youth League

Calling all 3/4′s and 5/6′s!  Interested in playing soccer in the Valley Youth League this fall?   I could like to be one of the coaches for 3-4 but need other parent volunteers.  We would have one practice per week, and Saturday morning games in Wilmington.  First game is the 12th (which is fair day and could cause some creative scheduling).   If so please contact Celena at 251-0214 or catch me at school.