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Watch your mailbox!  As the Junior High prepares for their trip to Costa Rica, they are planning a virtual trip which takes them all through the U.S., Mexcio, and Central America.  As they learn about the different places they “visit”, they are creating postcards with pictures and information and mailing these postcards to younger students.  The youngers are asked to bring the postcards to school next Friday to be shared at All School Sing.  Thanks, JH – what a great way to involve the whole school!

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What a busy week!  We started out with our final Winter Sports afternoon on Monday.  Liz, Jen, and I took the skaters sledding at the Marlboro Park.  Thanks to Jade and Sequoyah’s mom, Sparrow, for joining us.  We all recommend the park as a great sledding hill.

Tuesday’s Student Led Conferences were a treat to drop in on. On this day, after many days of preparation, the teachers’ role was to get out of the way as the students took charge.  And they did – sharing work and enthralling parents.  We were all enthralled on Thursday by the 5^th-6^th class’s Mythic Shadow Puppet plays.  As with the Student Led Conferences, these plays were the capstone of a great deal of work – reading Greek myths, writing plays, making puppets and backgrounds, memorizing lines, and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing.  The result was excellent.

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We returned to school on Wednesday to find paths cleared – many thanks to Tim Burns! I’m delighted to report that, despite record depth of snow, we have not lost any kindergartners on the playground! Seriously, the students have worked hard just to get out onto the playground and many staff members are using snowshoes to get around. Now, the warmer temperatures are helping and the snow is beginning to settle as it melts.

We also returned to the very good news that our school budget passed at Town Meeting – thanks to the efforts of school board members, Lauren Poster, Gussie Bartlett, and Andy Reichsman. Please join me in expressing extra appreciation to Andy as he steps down after two terms of service. And I look forward to working with our new board member, Jen Carr, Keith and Ashley’s mom.

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Let me explain where we are and where we’re headed.  And let me assure you that our work on the school social climate continues.

Our work with Kim John Payne hit some bumps as we found that some of his approach was not such a good fit for our small school.  And so we have spent the past weeks reevaluating.  We will no longer be working directly with Kim Payne and we will continue our work on school social climate using many of his strategies and incorporating others as well. The SICG is no longer meeting and the work being done there is now taking place at our weekly Tuesday afternoon staff meetings.  This, however, does not include a parent voice and we want to make sure that your voices are heard.

As part of our work we are revisiting the Hopes and Concerns you shared at Parent Nights at the beginning of the school year.  We are also revisiting the notes from the P&F sponsored meeting last July where parents shared some of their concerns about social issues such as safety, teasing, and bullying.  We need to continue to hear from you.

I will use Friday Notes to let you know what we’re working on here at school.  Teachers will do the same in their letters home.  So, that’s communication from us.  Please take a minute to let us know your thoughts and your questions.  You can send them in with your child, call me, or e-mail at fmarbury@wcsu46.org.

What do you need to know about our work on social climate?  How is your child doing in this arena?  What concerns haven’t been addressed?  What else is on your mind?

Thanks!

Francie

Thanks for the very good attendance at our Winter Workshop Showcase.  It was awesome – from teapots to Capoeira to puppets.  Please join me in expressing our great appreciation to the Vermont Arts Council and the Marlboro School Board for making it possible for our students to work with and learn from these local artists.

Many of you are aware that Janie Bell has been out for the past two weeks.  After a variety of tests and consultations she had surgery today and is looking forward to recovering over the vacation.  We will be so glad to have her back at school.

The results of the standardized tests (NECAP) taken by your child in October have just been released.  If you would like to see your child’s scores, please let me know.  As a school, our scores have improved with 75% of students scoring at the proficient or above level in reading and 68% in math.

As we get close to the end of Winter Sports, I’d like to recognize the extraordinary commitment of our parent chaperones and express our great appreciation to you.  You make this wonderful program possible.  This year teachers have used Monday afternoons to meet and plan with each other.  We’ve also used them to further our work on social inclusion, which we’re broadening to call School Social Climate.  For example, last week several of us met to discuss the very successful and popular Junior High Friday recess games and to brainstorm ways to make this activity even better.  It was very productive.

Throughout MES the Junior High is presenting I projects (independent studies) with topics from claymation to sewing to Tarot Cards, 5^th/6^th graders are continuing their study of light and optical illusions, 3^rd/4^th grade has been working hard on multiplication and beginning division, the Primary class is studying weather and using a tree map to organized information about the different weather categories, and the Kindergarten visited Rescue where they learned all about taking care of injured people.  All the students are pulling together work for Student Led Conferences – a great opportunity to sit side by side with your child as s/he shares her learning!

Have a wonderful vacation.  See you at Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 2.

Francie

The Marlboro School Association has just concluded this year’s appeal for contributions and has received over $14,000 – more than ever before! Thanks to all the community members who helped to make this so successful. And special thanks to MSA board members, Bruce Cole, Kate Purdie, Adrian Segar, Lauren Poster, Sara Coffey, and Jen Carr. A new projector, support for the Junior High trip to Costa Rica, and were purchased through the MSA this year.

Around the state and the country we are hearing about financial struggles. Those of us who have jobs know we are fortunate. This is a tough year for our school budget and, from what we’re hearing, it may be even tougher next year. Last night the school board approved a budget which will be voted on at Town Meeting. As I worked with them on next year’s budget, I gathered information from the staff and pored over the figures to see where cuts could be made which would have the least impact on students. The staff negotiated directly with the board, as they always do, about next year’s salaries. Everything was on the table. As a result, the overall budget will be down 2.7%.

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Thank you so much if you are one of the parents who takes the time to let us know when you think there’s something that’s going especially well at school.  Whether it’s about a special event, such as the concert on Wednesday or an offhand comment your child makes over dinner, it’s great for us to hear.  Just as we are working to create a positive and caring culture through appreciations of students at All School Sing, our morale improves with appreciations from you.  And, of course, we also want to hear your concerns.  Please e-mail (fmarbury@wcsu46.org) or call (254-2668) or stop by.

Speaking of the concert – Kudos to your children and to David Tasgal, violin teacher, and Michael McKinney, band teacher, for a great program.  The variety of large and small group pieces allowed students to be highlighted and to support each other.  And an appreciative audience always helps.  What a great turnout!  I hope you felt that this was a good payoff for all those hours of practicing.  I’m already looking forward to the Spring Concert in late May.

How does the school support your child in dealing with conflict?  Although it looks differently in each classroom, the principles are the same.  Each child has a voice, telling what happened without interruption from his/her perspective.  It’s important to feel heard and be listened to.  The next step is figuring out what needs to happen to repair the situation.  It might involve talking about feelings or stating personal needs.  The final step includes coming up with some solutions and agreeing on one to try.  This is the process used when conflicts arise on the playground and make it to me or to Mr. H.

In kindergarten Ellen knows that issues must be addressed as they arise (Stop the world!) and that, for younger children, the most important piece is for each child to have a voice – to tell her/his story. By the time they reach David’s class they are able, with his support, to work through a process similar to what Mr. H and I use.  How do you resolve conflict at home?

Congratulations to the following BUHS students from Marlboro who were on the Honor Roll:  Leah Blowers, Irina Sergis, Maddie Hawes, Colby Carpenter, Zoe Chaine, Ferne Johansson, and Lloyd Salasin-Deane.

The weather report for Monday calls for rain.  We may end up canceling Winter Sports and using our make up day on March 8.  Please send your child ready for Winter Sports as we won’t make the decision until Monday morning.

Francie

Students, remember to bring violins and band instruments on Wednesday – Concert Wednesday evening!

On Monday we’ll observe the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr and Tuesday is a professional development day for teachers.  We will visit The Clark Museum of Art to practice our Visual Thinking Skills and to explore some of the rich opportunities in our own backyard.  This also means we won’t see your children until Wednesday – the day of our Winter Strings and Band Concert.  Please encourage them to practice at home and bring their instruments to school on Wednesday!

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Welcome back to a busy winter at MES!

Winter Workshops!  Winter Sports!  The sledding hill is open, thanks to hay bales brought in by Senait and Zinabu’s dad, Brian.

In kindergarten Ellen is tracing the students’ bodies with the help of Junior High intern Erik.  Meanwhile the students are busy in the fantasy area which has been transformed into a hospital – a great place to learn about the human body.

Primary students are delving into geometry and finding that they can learn even more when olders teach youngers a special game with shapes.

You’ll know what the 3^rd-4^th grade class has been up to as soon as you walk in the front hall.  Beautiful Winter Twig Identification posters with real twigs cover the bulletin board.

What does a lens do to light? 5^th/6^th graders Grace, Sequoia, Roshika, and Isobel generated this and other questions as they began their study of light and lasers.  After they’ve explored some light equipment, they’ll decide which of their questions will lead to the most interesting experiments and research.

In the Junior High students are beginning to learn about learning.  They will learn about the brain and different learning styles and reflect on what it means for them.  In social studies they’re working on maps of Africa.  Rose and Ethan completed a map showing religions in Africa and how they’ve changed since the 1500’s.  Fascinating!  Rose pointed out how large areas of solid color have been replaced by a fragmented mishmash.  It’s easy to see why there’s a lot of conflict in some of these places.

Several parents joined me for coffee and tea after Sing this morning.  It was great to hear what children are saying at home about what’s going on at school.  We also talked about the upcoming observance of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday and how important it is for children to explore all the ways that we are similar as well as learning about the Civil Rights movement and the life of Dr. King.  Please see the flyer attached to the print Friday Notes for information on a day of “Strengthening Peace in Our Community”.

I hope you all had wonderful holidays and are starting off the new year with as much enthusiasm and positive energy as your children bring to us.

Francie

What a wonderful turnout for a wonderful Holiday Concert!  And the students rose to the occasion, giving it their all.  As Ellen often says in kindergarten, “Practice makes progress.”  Please join me in thanking Charlene for all the patience and hard work that went into making the concert a success.

Many of you appreciated the concert’s early start (6:30) and enjoyed being home by 8:30.  The shorter time is due to moving the Band and Strings Concert to Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 in the Outback.  With this new time, David Tasgal and Michael McKinney are able to better showcase their students’ work with more pieces and smaller groupings.  They (and we) also benefit from a bit more preparation and practice time.  Please put this date on your calendar.

As we head into the vacation I encourage you to use some of the same strategies with your children at home that we’ve been using at school.  We’re finding it very useful to preview situations that we know will be challenging for the students.  Just as we talk with them before recess about what they plan to do and how they’ll handle situations that arise, you can prepare them for the exciting events of the holidays by anticipating with them.  Where are we going?  Who will be there?  What behavior is expected?  These conversations look different at different ages and we can all benefit.

And I will preview with all of you what our first day back to school on Monday, January 4^th will look like.  Winter Workshops and Winter Sports both start.  This year’s workshops include pottery, art lab, and capoeira (Brazilian martial art/movement) for the kindergarten through 3^rd graders and sculpture, drumming, and puppetry for the olders.  The workshops will run from 9 to 11 when they will eat lunch and prepare to head off to the mountain or the rink.  Please be sure that your child has all the gear s/he’ll need to stay warm and have fun.

Best Wishes for a warm and happy holiday!

Francie

The first snow of the season!  And what a difference it makes out on the playground.  Soccer and football are giving way to snowmen and the snowball field.  Forts are buried and the sledding run is open.  However, we need hay bales to place in front of trees.  Do you have any mulch hay or know where we can get some?  Please let me know.

Basketball season kicked off Tuesday when the Junior High coed team hosted Compass School.  This very exciting game ended in a tie and overtime gave the victory to Compass.  Fun was had by all!  Alumni Alex Hunter and Eli Pell did an excellent job coaching the kids!  The 5^th/6^th grade team plays its first game a week from Saturday on December 19.  At this point we do not have a coach for the 3^rd/4^th grade team.  I’ll be calling around so please think about whether this is something you can help with.

Welcome to a new Marlboro Family, Mary Greve and her son Juilan in the Primary Room.

In the classrooms, the kindergarten is learning math and science as they plant bulbs and observe them as they grow.  The Primary is rehearsing their play for out Holiday Concert.  The 3^rd-4^th grade has been using clay boats to learn scientific concepts about volume and surface tension and, more importantly, to learn the scientific process of making hypotheses and testing them.  Greek mythology and shadow puppet are exciting topics in the 5^th/6^th class.  As the Junior High prepares to go to Costa Rica in May they are incorporating fundraising into their curriculum.  Selling Equal Exchange coffee, cocoa, chocolate bars, and tea, overseeing Tuesday pizza, and making benches to be raffled are some of the activities that bring in funds and teach real world skills at the same time.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the Holiday Concert – next Wednesday at 6:30pm at Marlboro College’s Whittemore Theater. Please send in non-perishable goods for the food drive for the Deerfield Valley Food Shelf.

100% attendance on Monday!  It’s so good to have everyone healthy again.  We know you’re pleased about this, too.  We will continue to be vigilant about handwashing and other simple preventative measures.  Hopefully, the worst is past.

Thanks to Alan Dater, David Rountree, and Jen Carr for volunteering to help with the 5^th/6^th grade basketball team!

The food drive for the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry (sponsored by the Primary students), rehearsals for the Primary play and the Holiday Concert, poetry with Ann for kindergarten and Junior High, and High School Night for the Junior High students are some of what’s making the school hum in these weeks leading up to the holiday vacation.  In addition, Aliza a Junior High student, is in the kindergarten this week for her internship, the kindergarten is working with Ellen and Linda to prepare a puppet show, and students in all classes are singing songs and practicing dialogues in Spanish.

Report cards are going home this week.  We are trying to improve communication and develop more consistency in reporting what your children are up to when they are in “specials”.  For kindergarten through 5^th/6^th you will receive a brief description of skills and activities in art, music, PE, and Rhythms (not 5^th/6^th).  At the end of the second trimester, these teachers and Elissa McLean, the new Spanish teacher, will send out reports on each child’s progress and then another general description of activities will come home with end of the year report cards.

Note from Francie

Last night parents met as a follow-up to Kim Payne’s presentation last week.  Vanessa Redfield will include an update of this meeting in our Social Inclusion Highlight.  Meanwhile, here at school we continue to implement strategies towards building a socially healthy school.  Each week at Sing there is a time for Appreciations where we recognize students and classes for ways in which they help others and for their accomplishments.  I will try to share some of these with you in my weekly note.  Last week’s Appreciations included David recognizing his class for their hard work in preparation and excellent results in presenting their Cape Cod studies my thanking Josh for helping younger students in Rhythms.  Check with your child.  S/he may remember more!  And, better yet, join us for Sing on Friday, December 4 and meet with me afterwards for coffee and conversation.

Congratulations to Jackson in 5^th/6^th grade for his intellectual and academic achievements!  If you did not see the front page article in the Weekend Reformer, check it out at http://www.reformer.com/ci_13785868?IADID=Search-www.reformer.com-www.reformer.com. Jackson and his mom gave us a nice (and well-deserved!) nod to his teacher, David Holzapfel.

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“The Storm” – I can’t tell you how many times Ellen, Tim, David, and I heard that phrase when we were in New Orleans.  Time and history are either pre-Katrina or post-Katrina.  I visited a school to observe an environmental education activity where 8th graders were teaching 4th graders about the water cycle in the Lake Ponchartrain Basin – a wonderful multiage activity.  However it was unusual in that the 4th grade students were 11 and 12 years old and 8th graders were often 15 and 16 due to a combination of factors; they may have missed out on a year or more of schooling after the storm and, then, they weren’t promoted to the next grade level because they weren’t proficient on the Louisiana state assessment (their NECAP).  Despite all this the students and teachers exuded a sense of resiliency, optimism, and forward movement.

Kudos to David and Tim for their workshops at the conference!  I attended David’s along with teachers from L.A. and Brooklyn, NY.  It was fascinating to see the connections  made as they thought about how, in their highly urban areas, they could implement David’s ideas of creating “belonging” through community history and local ecology.

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Note from Francie

Last Wednesday was a quiet hum of activity as parents and students came for conferences.  I hope you found this a valuable time for communicating about your child.  Many thanks to Junior High students Ajenai, Shawna, Taylor, Aliza, and Heather for providing childcare and to you for supporting their fundraising for the Costa Rica trip!

Yesterday we welcomed Julie Diamond, author of Welcome to the Aquarium, an inspiring book about teaching kindergarten.  Julie visited in classrooms and met with teachers after school.  She shared some of her experiences and her approach to teaching writing.  Judy then showed us some books her kids are writing and Ellen shared her students’ journals. Julie complimented them on this work and what she’d seen in their classrooms.  She said it was evidence of our recognition of how essential it is to know children well and then personalize education according to individual needs and interests.  It’s always good to have a set of outside eyes validate what we’re doing!

In addition to visitors coming in, it’s also important for us to see what other educators are doing.  On Tuesday I visited the Westminster

Center School.  They’re working with Kim Payne, too, and had lots to share about how

they’re involving older students in the work.  I told them about the Junior High led playground games.  We were both impressed with the level of interest and support from our respective parent communities!  Several Westminster parents will be attending Kim Payne’s presentation on November 12.

Next week (Wednesday-Sunday) David, Tim, Ellen, and I are attending the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum in New Orleans.  David will present a workshop on Belonging:  Connecting Kids to People and Places in the Real World and Tim will share some of the Junior High experience in a workshop titled All Those in Favor: Real Democracy in the Classroom.  We so appreciate the school board’s support in making these important professional development opportunities possible.

And now for some fun!  Rose and the After School parents are putting on the annual Halloween Dance with great music and some soaring surprises.  Hope to see you there!

Francie

Please join me in extending deepest sympathy to Ellen on the passing of her mother.  You are supporting her in many ways.  Last Friday her class, led by parent Saint Rosner, planted an apple tree in honor of Ellen’s birthday. Kelly Salasin stood in for Ellen as she took time off the beginning of this week.  Please see Ellen’s note below.

Conferences are a bit earlier this year with the idea of establishing strong communication right from the start.  School is underway, routines are established, and teachers have gotten to know students.  Teachers have initial information to share as to how students are doing.  Students can share their work in progress.  And you can let us know how it’s going for your child.  If you haven’t already, please call to schedule a conference for next Wednesday, October 21.

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Fall in Vermont!  We’ve seen at least three seasons this week – and I’m hearing that snow is in the forecast for next week.  The Primary and Kindergarten started off the week with apple picking at Scott Farm and a hike up Black Mountain.  Kindergartners expanded their friendships and increased their sense of connection with older students.  At Fall Fiesta that continued as the students divided into multi-age, K-7^th grade teams that circulated from one game to another where 8^th graders taught and led each game.  We started off with charades on the theme of transportation.  Each team worked collaboratively to portray a mode of travel – from horseback riding to spaceships!  Thank you to Chris, our P.E. teacher, and the Junior High for organizing and leading this fun event.

Part way through the week I became aware of students from the 3^rd-4^th grade moving throughout the school with clipboards – taking notes and interviewing students and staff about our management of trash, recyclables, and compost.  I look forward to hearing what they’ve discovered and what ideas they have for improving our system in ways which are friendly to our planet.

On Sunday morning the 5^th-6^th grade leaves for a week on Cape Cod.  Their week has been filled with preparations, as they research their individual topics, and complete the NECAP’s, our annual standardized assessment.

The Junior High is in full swing with academic classes, working on the NECAP

assessments, and preparing for the Cider and Pie Sale this weekend.  Please stop by the field on the big bend of Route 9 by the turnoff to South Road.  The Junior High and the Meetinghouse School will be pressing cider for sale along with pies and cheddar cheese.  Their share of the proceeds will go towards their trip to Costa Rica.

The Marlboro School Association held their annual meeting on Thursday and committed this year’s contribution of more than $6000 towards our work on Social Inclusion, the Junior High trip to Costa Rica, and projectors and presenters for classrooms.  Many thanks to this group’s dedication to enriching the education of Marlboro students.  Board members include Adrian Segar, Bruce Cole, Kate Purdie, Lauren Poster, Jen Carr, Sara Coffey, and me.

Schedules for Parent Conferences on October 21 are now in the office (except for 5^th-6^th).  Please call Gail for a time to check in with your child’s teacher.

Did you hear about Johnny Appleseed’s visit on Monday?  Steven John, our superintendent, visited several classrooms barefoot and with a pot for a hat, asking students if they’d like to have apple trees in their yards.  He was well received and I commend him for having fun and staying in touch with students in a job dominated by board meetings and phone calls.

Congratulations to Walker and Belle on the birth of baby sister, Rose!  We will add her to our list of kindergartners for 2015.

David’s class entertained and educated us this morning with a great skit about coughing and sneezing.  Costumes, music, and a well presented script made their message come alive – and stopped the germs dead in their tracks!

In other classes, the kindergarten continues to learn all about insects, the Primary is studying birds and flight, and the 3^rd-4^th grade spent a great day at Hogback combining poetry writing with Ann and painting watercolors of their special trees, (you can see lovely photographs of the day on the school web-site)  and the Junior High is learning to “read the forested landscape” through observation and study in the outdoors.

Please take a moment to respond to the Community Survey on preschool that is attached to this note.  As we see the number of young children in Marlboro decrease, we worry about the future of our school and community.  Please share your thoughts on this important topic.