Happy (almost) Spring! The snow is rapidly melting with this beautiful sunny weather and the smell of spring is in the air. It is amazing to see the difference in snow amounts at different elevations as well as the difference between the sunny fields and the shady woods. I went skiing yesterday – which might be my last skiing day of the season. It was a bit more like sloshing! I hope that you are all enjoying different ways of being outside at this transitional time!

The Week at a Glance:

The Social Climate of the Classroom:
As we move into spring we are revisiting our community agreement and ways in which we can improve the social climate in our classroom. We were inspired to revisit this topic because we have seen an increase in disrespectful attitudes and behavior among some students and a concern from others that this attitude is part of our classroom. We started a discussion by making bubble maps of what respect looks like. Students each created a bubble map with pertinent examples and then shared them with their table groups. Each group then came up with two important things that our class needs to work on. Here is the list:
•    Not making unkind or disrespectful facial expressions
•    Keeping mean words or feelings to yourself
•    Respecting the opinions of others
•    Respecting other people’s personal habits
•    Keeping the noise level down at times when we need to focus
•    Not gossiping or talking behind people’s backs
•    Using kind and respectful body language  (not rolling your eyes or glaring at someone)
•    Being gentle with your body

In looking at what we need to work on as a whole group, we asked for ideas about how to address the issues. The class had many, many ideas for how to proactively avoid some of these behaviors and we also decided to revise the “1, 2, 3” system in the room. Focusing on respect and the community agreement, if someone is not able to follow the classroom expectations than they get a 1 for the first reminder, a 2 for the second reminder, and a 3 means that they do a Think Sheet with Francie in her office. A Think Sheet is designed to help the child think about their actions and find ways to make different decisions next time. If a child refuses to follow a direction during the day they get an automatic 3 and fill out a time sheet with Francie.

This group is incredibly insightful and thoughtful about all of these classroom challenges as well as achievements! We are very impressed with this group’s ability to reflect and problem solve. We have a new compliment box in our classroom. The class is thoughtfully complimenting each other about ways in which they appreciate each other. We want to focus on this culture of recognizing the best parts of each other!

Sugaring Season!
We are boiling our sap this week! So far we have collected 17 gallons of sap. Seven of those gallons went to Gail and Dan MacArthur’s sugarhouse and we have boiled 10 gallons in school this week. Lots of questions are emerging about the science of boiling as well as the history of tapping trees. The class is researching the ways in which the Abenaki tapped trees and boiled sap and learning new facts about present day sugaring. We have some scientific questions to solve! For example: Why does it work to take the ice off of the sap buckets in the morning? And, Is sugar water heavier than regular water?

Math Madness!
This week we are starting Math Madness on Fridays. During this time some students will research mathematical questions, others will go in depth with a complex problem, and others will find new ways in which math is related to the world. All of the projects will focus on problem solving and explaining one’s thinking. We will send the Math Madness expectations home once we introduce them to the class. Today we did an activity all together to start the Madness, making Jacob’s Ladder books that open in three different ways. With completed books we experimented with making symmetrical designs and tried to figure out how many pages are in this book. Ask your child for more information!

Have a SUPER weekend in the sun!

Erica and Emma

The Junior High continues to sponsor a special Friday recess game.  Every week Mr. H is helping four students plan fun activities.  This offers a special bright spot at this time of the year when the playground is still covered with snow.

Although Tuesday’s Parents and Friends meeting was lightly attended, we had a good conversation about our ongoing work on the school social climate.  It’s become clear to me that many of you did not see my note about the shift from Social Inclusion to School Social Climate in the February 19 Friday Notes, so I encourage you to go on the school website and read this.  In future Friday Notes I will continue to follow up on some of these ideas, such as improved communication between home and school.

One way we’re working on improving communication is to include reports from “specials” teachers with report cards.  Your children spend a good part of their school week in Spanish, Art, Music, Band, Library/Tech, Rhythms, and P.E.  I’ve asked each specials teacher to write a description of the trimester’s activities and, when they deem it appropriate, to include an evaluation of your child’s participation.  Please watch for these to come home in the next week and please let me know if you find them informative.  Once again, contact me by catching me on the playground, calling, e-mailing, fmarbury@wcsu46.org, or sending in a good old-fashioned handwritten note.

Finally, I encourage you to attend next Thursday’s Community Visit which needs the input of the entire community.  As you raise your children in Marlboro, what would you like to see changed/improved/maintained?  This meeting will give you a chance to express your ideas.  It will be followed-up  on by bringing in resource people who are experts in the areas we decide are most important.

For example, if we decide that a speed limit of 50mph with a passing lane that ends right in front of the school is a safety concern, maybe we can do something about it – with the help of the Vermont Department of Transportation and some other heavy hitters!  What are your ideas?

Francie

So Put on Your Dancing Shoes and Get Ready For a Swinging Good Time with Wendy and The Lost Boys

The wacky fun of bop ball has now transformed into Star Wars light saber bopping.  Plus the mats on top of scooters added the dimension of pirate ships passing each other.

Yep, spring has sprung in the AfterSchool.

I will be away for most of next week, starting on Tuesday.  And here’s a treat—Jodi Paloni will be helping me out by subbing on Tuesday and Thursday.  I’m sure some of the kids will be happy to see her.

Next Week in the AfterSchool:

• Monday…………Drop-in Basket Ball or Music Room Fort building
• Tuesday…………Board games in the Music Room
• Wednesday…….Bop Ball in the gym
• Thursday……….Light Saber fun
• Friday……………Gym Games

See you at the contra dance,

Rose

Location: Marlboro Elementary

Dates: Fridays, April 9-May 21 (no class 4/23) – 6-week session

Time: 3:15-4:15 pm

Cost: $68 per student if registration is received by Mad Science before March 26;
$75 per student if registration arrives at Mad Science after March 26

Three Ways to Register: Online at www.madscience.org/vtnh, by calling (802) 254-3880 or by mailing your registration form with payment directly to Mad Science by March 26!

Registration Deadline: Friday, March 26. Call to register after the deadline.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A group of 6 parents and Francie met Tuesday at 7pm in the Library.  Parents present were:  Pam Burke, Cathy Cunliffe, Julianne Mills (treasurer), Tami Purcell, Vanessa Redfield (secretary) and Gretchen Webber.  Here’s a brief look at what was discussed:

1.  Francie gave an update on the social climate work, and parents had a chance to ask questions and make comments.  This included information on:

• using the words “Social Climate” instead of “social inclusion” for this work
• giving parents opportunities for involvement and communication with the school, Francie and teachers

• how the Educational Support Team (EST) is now being used to address emotional/social/ behavioral needs (not just academic needs) of students who may need more support in these areas
• the preview/review process (most active in the Primary and 3/4 classrooms)
• the occurrence of inappropriate language and bullying among students and how to address this as parents and as a school
• how goals and strategies are being set and determined by staff/faculty in lieu of using KJP’s approach
• Mr. H’s involvement in MES’s social climate in the different classrooms

2.  We discussed the idea of offering Summer Programs at MES.

MES will not be offering any programs directly.  But the school can be used by a parent or group of parents who is interested in organizing and running a camp of some sort, for example: soccer camp, nature camp, fairy camp, etc.

If you are interested in organizing, planning and/or  running such a camp this summer and using MES’s facilities, please contact Francie directly.

1. 3. The group approved a list of financial requests to support:

• the JH trip to Costa Rica
• the Primary room
• the Brattleboro Music Center concert series (2 concerts—one at the Latchis and one at MES)
• Bingo Night—Friday, March 26^th at 6:30pm in the Outback
• Screen Turn Off Week—March 29^th through April 2^nd (see the Commitment Pledge elsewhere in Friday Notes)
• the March Reading Challenge—March 8^th through April 2^nd

Requests to support David’s room, Erica’s room and Ellen’s room have been met through previous approvals and/or equipment donation.

4.  Teacher Appreciation Week will be May 17^th through May 21^st.

Stay tuned for more information on how you can be a part of honoring our teaching staff.

5.  An additional fundraiser will most likely be added for the spring of next year.

A more thorough discussion will take place in the fall when school resumes for the 2010-2011 school year.

-Vanessa Redfield, P&F secretary, reachable at vredfield@hughes.net or 348.9899

Monday night         Vocab
3/15                Monday Night Math

Tuesday night         chill out.  Reading Challenge is on.
3/16

Wednesday night    math practice
3/17            Astronomy reading – handout.  Active             reading and highlighting definitions and key ideas.
Thursday Night        Study for vocab quiz
3/18            Astronomy reading – handout.

Our weather theme focus this week has been clouds. Students looked at three different types – cumulus, cirrus, and stratus. We talked about how clouds can be one way to predict the weather. Ask your child if they can identify clouds that you see outside. Some will know, others maybe not!

Reading time is changing for the younger students! Francie, Christine, and I will have a small focused reading group on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. That means that everyone will be reading in an instructional group for a focused half hour. Some students will be out of the class – in Christine’s room and Francie’s office. We are also changing the groups so students can move along at a quicker pace if they’re ready.

Phoenix did a great job sharing his V.I.P. joke at All School Sing. We loved his pictures too!

Julianne has been reading Charlotte’s Web at our Friday lunchtime. Thanks, Julianne! Ask your child about the story!

We are looking for volunteers to be in the class at a few math instructional times. If you are able and willing to commit yourself to a half hour or hour of time each week, please let me know if one of the times works for you. Your job would be to help out the students in general, or to work one on one with a student. Here are the times: Monday 11-11:30, Wednesday: 10:45-11:45 or 11:15-11:45, Friday: 10:45-11:45 or 11:15-11:30.

Older spelling words:

think   blink     pink     rink     shrink

bank    tank     shrank    plank     thank

Ask the following questions for more news…

• Tell me about poetry.
• What weather does a cumulus cloud predict? Stratus? Cirrus? (olders)
• What begins with “sl”? (youngers)
• Do you ever take out Lightning?
• What did you see in David’s class? (Greek mythology puppet show)
• What have you been doing outside in the snow?
• What are you reading in reading group?
• What is symmetry? (olders) What did you do in math class?
• What is dot addition? (youngers)

I will be attending a conference on Tuesday and Wednesday. Julianne will be subbing with Liz.

Have a great week!  Judy and Liz

Notes Home

Mon. at 11:00 AM there is a poetry reading with the kindergarten.

Don’t forget about the parent meeting Thursday night, March 18.  Please bring your child’s passport so we can make a copy of it at this time.

Mark your calendar for the JH cabaret on Friday March 26^th, at 7:00 PM

Due for Mon. Mar. 15:

Costa Rica: Finish your postcards.  Be ready for quiz on states and countries that you traveled through or over and their capital cities.

Poetry: We are having a reading with the Kindergarten.  Do you know where your poems are?

Literature: Read 9^th assignment in your lit. books (chapters 19, & 20 in To Kill a Mockingbird, or through page 177 in Witness)

Due for Tue. Mar.  16^th :

Math: Monday night math ______________________________________________________________________

Due for Wed. Mar. 17^th :

Costa Rica: Read “The Rich Coast” There will be questions to answer in your field journal.

Writing: __________________________________________________________

Drama: Blocking ___________________________________________________________________________

Due for Thur: Mar 18^th :

_____________________________________________________________________

AM

Due for Fri. Mar. 19^th:

Costa Rica: We may have a vocab. quiz if we go over words together on Wednesday.

Literature: Read 10^th assignment in your lit. books (chapters 21, 22, & 23 in To Kill a Mockingbird, or to Act 5  in Witness). Write or draw a response of your choice.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At home, Alice is reading Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. It is “very exciting and mysterious”. She highly recommends it!

Thanks to Linda Whelihan, our wonderful art teacher, and Katie, our junior high intern, for being our chaperones. After a tour through the gallery seeing Eric Carle’s original Very Hunger Caterpillar illustrations, and practicing our VTS skills, we had a wonderful time in their state of the art studio space. Each person made some textural rubbings on different kinds of papers, cut them into shapes and made our own books. If you are looking for something fun to do with your family, the kindergarten recommends a trip to Amherst to the museum!
Thanks, Ellen

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!

New School Sign by Linda & The Junior High Students

Bop ball has become a real favorite in AfterSchool, I heard children out on the playground bargaining with their parents to stay in Afterschool to play. The kids have Bop Ball day memorized…Bop Ball Wednesday! Come and join the wacky fun.

Girls on the run starts next week so we will be trying out some new games in the music room, like life-size Shoots and Ladders. We have played this in the gym before, but this version will be a bit different with a few more twists and turns or back and forths as it were in order to win you can win!

Next Week in the AfterSchool:

• Monday…………Drop-in Basket Ball or Music Room Fort building
• Tuesday…………Life-size Shoots and Ladders
• Wednesday…….Bop Ball in the gym
• Thursday……….Yoga Dance or Water Color
• Friday……………Gym Games

See you at the contra dance, Rose

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.

Thursday is Charlene’s music day at MES and she has added the Country Dance Band to a very full schedule. Students give up recess to play fiddle, drums, or horns and join their voices in song.  You can look forward to hearing them at the Spring Concert in May.

Today the 5^th-6^th class will enjoy a presentation by the MythMasters and have an opportunity to see how a professional group takes on this topic.  The Junior High will attend, too, looking for ideas to put to use in their upcoming Cabaret.

Tonight we’ll wind up the basketball season with our Jamboree – games of parents vs students are the highlight of this event!  This is also an opportunity to once again thank the wonderful volunteer coaches without whom this program could not take place.  Great appreication to Jen O’Donnell, 3^rd/4^th coach,  Dave Rountree and Alan Datur, 5^th/6^th coaches, and Alex Hunter, Junior High coach.

And I hope to see many of you at the P&F meeting next Tuesday.  I will update parents on our school social climate work and hope to hear from parents, as well.  The full agenda for the meeting is included below.

Despite these busy days I hope you’re all participating in the March Reading Challenge – enjoying some good reads and modeling this important skill for your children.  I’m keeping up with the newspapers, reading online articles and newsletters, and relaxing in the evening with Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, The Lacuna.

Thank you, everyone, for making an effort to come a be present for your child as they shared their work and their learning with you on Tuesday! What a wonderful day! I loved the quiet buzz throughout the classroom as your children shared their work. They were all so proud to have you in the classroom! Thank you for being there!

The Week at a Glance:
Yet another short week! It will be nice to get back into the rhythm of a five-day week and all of the things we usually do on Tuesdays that we haven’t done for almost a month now! Welcome back Rhythms! We had our first class since December this week and it was great to get back into that!

Sugaring:
A week ago we tapped four trees down on the playground and have been collecting sap since then. On Monday the class started some research on the history of sugaring in Vermont. They used three different kinds of resources:
1) Previous knowledge
2) Books on the Abenaki of Vermont
3) Books on present day sugaring practices
We have the beginnings of a wealth of information to compare and contrast. It is fascinating to learn about the techniques that were used on this land long ago. We learned that the Abenaki boiled sap with hot rocks! It’s hard for any of us to believe that this would work! Perhaps it’s all about patience. It is great to begin the study of the Abenaki with a study that is seasonal and directly linked to our land.

Research projects:
As the tech projects get finished up, it is perfect timing to start a new project on the Abenaki using skills they started to learn in tech. These research projects on the Abenaki will be individual projects and each student will write up the project as well as prepare a visual way to share what they learned. More details about these projects will come home in the next couple of weeks.

Math:
Half the class is starting division this week! We have a short division unit to start getting the idea of taking a larger number and dividing it into equal parts rather than taking small groups and putting them together to create a whole. This concept is hard to grasp! Once the class is able to see the relationship between the multiplication that they already know the division will become easier!

Have a great weekend,

Erica and Emma

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

Reorganization of the board
Nominated and elected Chair – Lauren Poster
Nominated and elected Vice Chair – Gussie Bartlett
Nominated and elected Clerk – Jen Carr
Nominated and elected Treasurer for the school district – Linda Peters
Designated WCSU Representatives – Lauren Poster/main representative, Gussie Bartlett/first back-up, Jen Carr/second back-up
Designated WCSU Policy Committee Member – Gussie Bartlett
Designated a Paper of Record – Brattleboro Reformer
Designated Truant Officer – Marlboro Constable

Chose regular meeting date/time – 1st Monday of every month at 6pm.

Francie said she will not be here on the 1st Monday in May as she will be on the Costa Rica trip with the Junior High class.

Please note that the meeting time in the Implementation section of the Guiding Principles needs to be changed to reflect the new time.  It is changed in the copy included below.

Jen will post new time to Select Board, Marlboro Mixer.

Superintendent’s report.

Steven John recommends that Francie’s contract be renewed.

Lauren will be in touch with Steven, contract needs to be offered by April 15.

Steven John left the meeting at 7pm.

Meeting was handed over meeting to Board Chair.

We reviewed the minutes of 2/8/10.  Lauren moved that we approve them as submitted.  Gussie seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

Jen will post these minutes as well as minutes from 2/2/10 that will be sent by Andy.

We adopted Policy E9 Comprehensive HIV Policy.
We also adopted policy F27 Pupil Privacy Rights: Student Surveys.

Andy Reichsman left the meeting at 7:30pm.

Principal’s report.

Upcoming Meetings:
March 31st 7pm at L&G. WCSU Reorganization Meeting
April 5th, 6 pm next MES Board Meeting

Jen will warn the School Board meeting for April 5th at 6pm. Gussie will forward last warning for Jen to modify. Lauren will send wording for the school lunch vote and will note other people to whom the warning should be sent.

Note pay orders 15, 16, 16a at bottom of minutes.

For now Jen will keep box of pay orders. Lauren will ask if we can keep space in Town Office. We will also ask Steven how long these documents need to be held.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.  Jen, Lauren, Gussie stayed on to do the pay order.

Respectfully submitted,

Jen Carr

Pay Orders:         #15        1/15/10        $49,694.06
#16        1/29/10        $47,000.57
#16a        1/29/10        $900.00

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 first 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.

Superintendent’s Report for the Marlboro School Board
Monday, March 8, 2010
Note: I am obliged to attend the Townshend Board Meeting as soon after 7 P.M. as possible. I hope I can persuade one of you to switch to the second Monday of each month. If so, I could give you my full attention without being compromised by conflicting time commitments to another school board.

Student/Staff Learning
 1.    On Monday, March 1st, all professional staff in the WCSU met at L&G for a day-long
professional development workshop to support professional learning communities in every school to improve teaching effectiveness. The day also included a wellness lunch with aerobic activities.
2.    I enjoyed visiting Marlboro for Friday sing, and especially helping to lead a round of “Three Blind Mice”. I also had fun surviving the Mexican Hat Dance. Immediately following I joined a small group of parents for coffee with Francie. I commend Francie for this weekly opportunity to informally chat with parents.
Policy/Regulation
1.    Marlboro now has a complete set of properly warned and adopted school district policies that meet the state’s requirements. Seven school boards have also completed this task with the remaining four hoping to do so by next month.
2.    On February 18, 2010, the newly appointed WCSU Governance Committee discussed what steps may be taken to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and centralization (not consolidation) of our 11 school districts and 13 boards. Thank you Gussie for representing Marlboro’s views at this meeting.
3.    I have sent the latest news on the legislature to all WCSU Board Members separately via email. A joint Senate and House Education Committees public hearing on at least two bills related to governance reform is scheduled for Wed., March 10 at 5 P.M. in Room 11 at the Statehouse in Montpelier. I plan to attend.
Finance/Accounting/Operations
1.    My compliments to the Board on your presentation of the budget and responses to public questioning at “Town Meeting”. I am pleased to report that all school budgets in the WCSU passed and that most were approved by unanimous voice votes. This is a credit to all the boards and a clear vote of confidence in your leadership as Marlboro’s School Board.
2.    Later this month, Matt will begin overseeing the implementation of the MAC grant to enter emergency and medical information for all students in our school information system (PowerSchool).
WCSU will …place students at the center of our decision-making. …build trust and respect by acting ethically, transparently, and with integrity. …operate as a community of learners, committed to developing the skills and capabilities of all. …collaborate, share and seek creative solutions.

Enrollment/Staffing
resources to ensure a strong education system for all students.
1.    David Patterson, Accounts Clerk, resigned his position effective last Friday. We will fill this position as soon as possible, but for the time being, Dana Ladd will cover David’s accounts. She is familiar with his work.
2.    An article in the weekend Reformer quoted Windham County and state-wide student enrollment figures that are even lower than those I’ve been quoting (91k vs. 93k). These numbers are not good news, but they do reflect the most recent enrollment reports from Vermont’s public schools last October.
Informational Items
1.    I plan to participate in the Education Committees’ Joint Public Hearing on Wed., March 10 in Montpelier.
2.    I will attend the SE VT Superintendents Association Meeting on Wed., March 17th. 3.    I will attend the VSA Orientation Meeting for new superintendents in Montpelier on
March 25th. 4.    The new WCSU Governance Committee will meet at L&G on Wed., March 16th and
25th at 7 P.M. 5.    The annual reorganizational WCSU Board Meeting at L&G on Wed., March 31 at 7
P.M.
sbj-3/7/10

Marlboro School Board
Principal’s Report
Monday, March 8, 2010
Student Learning
Student Led Conferences
Preschool
Mythic Shadow Puppet Plays, 6:30
School Social Climate

Policy or Regulation Implementation
Tuition policy

Buildings and Grounds
Waiting to hear about Energy Efficiency Grant
Kitchen upgrade (summer work)

Finance/Accounting
Requesting restraint for the rest of the year

Enrollment/Staffing
Student enrollment – 84
Two new 5th graders expected in the next week or so

Informational items
Learning Fair – Tuesday, April 13, 6:30-8:30

The meeting was called to order at 6:15 pm.

We had a discussion with the Meetinghouse staff about the future of pre-school in Marlboro.  It is a likelihood that Meetinghouse will not continue next year.  The numbers and research conducted by the Meetinghouse staff seem to suggest that at this time a Marlboro pre-school is not viable, even if housed at MES.

Cathy Pell and Julianne Mills left at 6:50pm.

We discussed the report from the WCSU Governance Committee, which brings up the idea of disbanding local School Boards, creating a unified School Board across the SU’s districts. A number of plusses and minuses were brought up by Steven and Lauren.

We reviewed the minutes of 1/11/09.  Lauren moved that we approve them as updated.  Gussie seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

We reviewed the minutes of 1/28/10.  Lauren moved that we approve them as updated.  Gussie seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

We reviewed the minutes of 2/2/10.  Gussie moved that we approve them as submitted.  Lauren seconded the motion.   The motion passed.

Gussie is going to send out letters to current tuition-paying students, informing them of the increase in tuition as voted on in the January meeting.

Lauren moved that we allow a preschooler to ride the bus with their Junior High sibling to attend Meetinghouse School, contingent on receiving a waver from the parents holding Marlboro harmless from any liability.

We adopted Policy F5 Student Records.

Lauren moved that we approve Policy E9 Comprehensive HIV Policy. Gussie seconded the motion.  The motion passed.  It will be posted and adopted at the next meeting.

Lauren moved that we approve Policy F27 Pupil Privacy Rights: Student Surveys. Gussie seconded the motion.  The motion passed.  It will be posted and adopted at the next meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:03 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Andy Reichsman

Pay Orders:                         #15            1/15/19            $  49,694.06

#16            1/29/10            $  47,000.57

Next meetings:

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, February 8, 2010

Student Learning

NECAP scores – see Principal’s Report to Town below

Winter Workshops and Workshop Showcase

Professional Development

School Reform Initiative conference, Jan14-16

Courage and Renewal for School Leaders, Feb 5-6

MES development of continuum re writing expectations

Margaret Maclean here March 15, April 16

Policy or Regulation Implementation

F27, E9  approve

F5 adopt

Preschooler on bus

Buildings and Grounds

Applying for round 2 of Energy Efficiency Grant

Kitchen upgrade (summer work)

Finance/Accounting

Enrollment/Staffing

Student enrollment – 86

New student in Primary (next year’s enrollment will be 24)

Informational items

Articles presented by Steven and Gussie

My report to town

MARLBORO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Marlboro School District enrollment as of January 15, 2010:

Kindergarten    9             1^st Grade    12      3^rd Grade    10        5^th Grade     5       7^th Grade    9

2^nd Grade   8                4^th Grade     12        6^th Grade     11     8^th Grade    6

High School students:

9^th Grade   9              10^th Grade   10        11^th Grade   10                   12^th Grade   11       Ungraded   3

Marlboro Realms of Learning

Communication

Problem Solving

Personal Development

Civic and Social Responsibility

Knowledge

The state of MES is good.  In the past year our student numbers have held steady when many schools are experiencing a decline in enrollment.  Despite challenging financial times, we have been able to offer a strong and varied program focused on developing the Realms of Learning listed above.

Because we have a talented and dedicated teaching staff, because we are small, because we have a well-informed and supportive school board, and because we have a community that takes pride in its school and volunteers many hours of help, we are able to meet the needs of students with flexibility and creativity.  Last spring, when it became evident that the 3^rd-4^th grade would be quite large, Emma Hallowell was hired as a co-teacher for one year.  This allows for more small group and individualized instruction as well as the opportunity to expose students to the passion and enthusiasm of this fine young teacher.

Elissa Maclean has joined us as the Spanish teacher and we have been able to expand Spanish instruction to the youngest students.  This makes a great deal of sense based on what we know about young children’s ability to learn languages.  Elissa brings both a great deal of teaching experience and a desire to continually improve her instruction.  She is using an approach know as TPRS, which involves students in generating stories with specific vocabulary and working with these stories in a variety of ways that require listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  Our current Junior High will be well prepared for their field research in Costa Rica this spring.

Last year the Hogback Conservation Committee reached out to MES to explore ways to use the Hogback property as an educational resource and to nurture our students’ sense of stewardship for the environment and especially for this special piece of land.  In June, the entire school spent a day exploring Hogback with the generous help of talented community members who led activities such as cellar hole exploration, trail building, kite flying, tracking, and poetry.  As the teachers have become more familiar with the area and the many resources available, they are incorporating Hogback studies in their curriculums.  Many thanks to Bob and Nancy Anderson and Carol Berner for making this happen.

Another focus this year is on creating a culture of kindness through the development of social and civic responsibility.  We have worked with Kim John Payne, a consultant whose “social inclusion” approach has helped us to implement new strategies for positive behavior as well as reviewing and refining what we have found to be successful.  Parents are an integral part of this work as they have expressed concerns about teasing and put-downs and are reinforcing the work being done at school in their homes.

We also know that when children have useful, authentic work and when they have the opportunity to help others in a way that makes a difference for their community, they have a sense of purpose for their schoolwork and they feel better about themselves and treat each other better, too.  Here are some highlights from the classes.

Last Town Meeting the Junior High brought a proposal for writing a grant for photovoltaic panels.  They received the grant and Gary MacArthur installed the panels over the summer.  These same students took their concern for green power to Washington, D.C. in May, speaking with Representative Peter Welch and staging a small demonstration on the Mall.  This year they are working with students from Marlboro College to learn about the ecosystems at Hogback.  They are also visiting area nursing homes where they interview residents, including Marlboro homeowner Fran Nevins, and recognize the rich stories each of these elders has.

The 5^th/6^th grade continues their community history project having now interviewed over forty citizens of Marlboro about work in our town.  These interviews will be archived at the Marlboro Historical Society.  Cape Cod was the destination for this year’s field research and parents, school board members, and teachers were impressed with the high quality of the students’ reports afterwards.  At this writing they are studying light, a unit which engages them in the scientific process as they make hypotheses and design experiments to test them, and creating shadow puppet plays of myths, which our new art teacher, Linda Whelihan, is helping with.

The 3^rd/4^th grade is studying the waste system and surveyed the school to find out where our recycling program was not up to snuff.  They then wrote a proposal to rectify the situation and presented it to me.  They are also visiting Hogback regularly.  Each student has adopted a tree and is learning about it from all angles – painting and writing a poem, as well as learning botanical characteristics.

The Primary class organized a food drive to resupply the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry shelves.  They are also studying about birds and flight and have visited Hogback to take a birding walk with Marlboro resident, Bob Engel.  This time of year is especially exciting for the youngest Primary students as their reading is improving by leaps and bounds.  If you stop by school, we’ll find a student to read a book to you!

The kindergarten provides many opportunities for all of us to help them become happy and contributing members of the school community.  Older students come down as interns and helpers.  Now these youngest students are in the midst of studying the human body.  By creating bodies with all the important systems, playing in the fantasy area set up as a hospital, and reading and discussing books, they are developing quite an in-depth knowledge of the body.  Just ask the Junior High students what they remember from this study!

As we move into the second half of the year, we are pleased to be making progress on our Action Plans goals of 1) improving math learning (see Test Scores) and 2) supporting our learning as educators and 3) improving instruction in writing by participating in a Critical Friends Group where we learn from sharing our collective expertise.

We invite you to stop by and see us in action.  Friday morning All School Sing is a great time to visit.

MARLBORO SCHOOL TEST SCORES

Below are the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 results from the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program), a standardized assessment which measures student learning in reading, writing, and math.  Students in 3^rd-8^th grade take these tests every October.  In October, 2009 fifty-four students participated in the assessment.  Writing scores were not available as of this writing.  The improvement in math scores is notable.

Our second graders take the Developmental Reading Assessment in May.  The number of students taking the test is too small to allow for confidential reporting of school achievement.  Individual student scores are available to parents in the office.

We are required by law to report these scores as a measure of how well our students are doing.  We invite you to attend other demonstrations of student learning that are held throughout the year.

NECAP Reading

NECAP Math

NECAP Writing

Superintendent’s Report for the Marlboro School Board

Monday, February 8, 2010

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

Student/Staff Learning

1. On January 28th, the WCSU Admin. Team met at Dover’s school all day.  We appreciate the welcoming staff and excellent facilities.  I hope Francie will share copies of the article by Dr. Yong Zhao that was the focus of our professional learning community (PLC) practice.
2. Commissioner Vilaseca released student performance results on New England Comprehensive Assessment Program (NECAP) exams taken last fall.  I heard his interview on VPR that day which may be available to download.  You may review these statistical summaries by school on the VT DOE website.
3. Francie may provide the Board with some preliminary findings for Marlboro’s students.  My compliments to you and your principal, staff and parents for supporting your students’ learning and achievement.

Policy/Regulation

1. Please take action on policies F27: Pupil Privacy Rights – Student Surveys, and G13 as you deem appropriate.  These are the only two mandatory policies that remain to be adopted for Marlboro.  (Gussie may have the latest information to correct me on this.)
2. I assume you completed this task, but a reminder just in case: 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.
3. On January 2^7th, The WCSU Governance Committee recommended a “voluntary” K-12 unified union school district to the WCSU Board.  Please review the committee’s report as previously emailed to all board members.  My compliments to Allison Trowbridge, a member of the Windham School Board, on her summary of the Committee’s work.  Thank your Gussie for your dedicated work on this committee. The Board’s discussion was lively and engaging with Lauren and Gussie ably representing your district’s views.  The Reformer published an article 1/29/10 on the meeting and draft minutes will soon be available.  Rich Werner will appoint a new ad hoc committee including representation of all the WCSU school districts to further consider the issues raised by this proposal.
4. Pertaining to the issue of WCSU governance, the following bill is being considered: S.252 An act relating to creating regional school districts and no more than 16 supervisory unions

Introduced by Senator Hartwell

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to replace existing supervisory unions with no more than 16 supervisory unions to be established by the commissioner of education and to require the merger of existing school districts into larger regional districts. It would require the commissioner to develop a governance structure for the supervisory unions and regional school districts.

5.   As all WCSU schools now have school-wide Title I programs, each principal must report to parents the percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers (HQT).  I am pleased to report that with the exception of L&G (90+%) all WCSU schools meet 100% HQT status.  L&G’s lower rating is entirely due to offering Chinese classes.  While I have some concerns regarding HQT requirements, my administration will continue to make every effort to see that all our teachers meet the HQT standards.

Finance/Accounting/Operations

Let Frank and me know if you need any additional information as you prepare for your Marlboro School District Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.

Enrollment/Staffing

1. I am pleased to note that Marlboro students are now listed by name and grade level in PowerSchool.  Thank you Gail.  This will improve my state reporting capability and accuracy.
2. Every school in the WCSU is reducing staff to some degree for FY11.

Informational Items

1. The new governance WCSU ad hoc Committee tentatively meets at the WCSU Office on Wed., Feb. 10 at 7 P.M.
2. The first and historic Brookline-Newfane Joint School District Annual Meeting will vote on the FY11 Budget at the Newbrook Firehouse on Tues., Feb. 16 at 7 P.M.
3. I will attend the Moderators’ Town Meeting Warm-up in Montpelier on Wed., February 17^th.
4. WCSU In-service Day for all teachers at Leland and Gray on March 1^st.
5. WCSU Board Meeting on Wed., March 31 at 7 P.M.

The meeting was called to order at 6:05 pm.

We reviewed and finalized our submissions to the Town Report.

Francie Marbury left at 6:45pm.

Pre-Town meeting is February 23^rd at 7:00pm at the Town Office.

The meeting adjourned at 7:25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Andy Reichsman

Next meetings:    February 8^th at 6:00pm, March 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

Monday night         Vocab
3/8                Monday Night Math

Tuesday night         No classes Tuesday.  Reading of your choosing.
3/9

Wednesday night    math practice
3/10

Thursday Night        Study for vocab quiz
3/11
3 Mythic Shadow Puppet Plays,
parent / community presentations.
In our classroom, 6:30.

I am looking forward to our Student-led conferences on Tuesday. If you cannot make it on that day, please contact me so we can arrange a different time. The students have been gathering their work, choosing books to read, and reflecting on their learning. This is a challenging thing to do! The process is the very beginnings of becoming aware of how they learn, realizing what they are good at, and understanding what they need to work on. I have been impressed with how thoughtful many of the students have been when filling in their reflection sheets. Not only will they be looking at their learning, they will also reflect on their relationships with friends, work habits, and how they do in specials. Ask lots of questions!

Our second group of students has begun poetry classes with Ann. Many thanks to Paula Lavender who continues to help out.

Jeremiah was our most recent V.I.P. What beautiful pictures he shared with the class! We learned lots about him (he loves wolves) and he was very confident sharing his joke at All School Sing. Phoenix is our next V.I.P.!

Progress reports will be going home next week (Tuesday). It will be in your child’s home-school folder.

We are looking forward to a normal full week schedule starting next week. Rhythms class will resume on Mondays and we will have more time to focus on our theme – weather and water.   Weekly spelling words for olders will also resume.

Have a wonderful week. Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

Judy and Liz

Welcome back! What a snowy week! Hopefully you all successfully dug yourselves out of the snow and have entered the world again. The playground is a brand new jungle gym with huge snow banks to slide on and to dig in. One of my favorite sculptures on the playground right now is the picnic table fort! Seeing the picnic table buried gives great perspective on the amount of snow!

Student-Led Conferences: Next Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The conference schedule for next week is filling up! If you have not already signed up, please call Gail at the office to see what spaces are still available.

This (short) Week at a Glance:
We are spending a great deal of time this week preparing for student-led conferences. Each student is completing self-evaluations in core academic areas as well as in the social and emotional arena. We are working hard to prepare work for Tuesday’s conferences. We are looking forward to having you all here!

One aspect of curriculum that we reviewed today is twig identification. In starting our Abenaki of Vermont unit, we are brushing up on our knowledge of trees in order to identify Sugar Maples for tapping. We are tapping trees and will boil the sap in many different ways in the weeks to come.

This is a perfect connection to this Hogback Event!
Saturday March 6, 2010,  9:30  AM  -  TWIG WALK.  Barbara Cole will lead a walk on Hogback exploring trees in winter.  How do we identify a tree without its leaves?  Are all twigs alike? What might be living in the bark, or on the twigs?  What else can we discover on our not too strenuous walk? Snowshoes are recommended and a hand lens might come in handy. Park at the yellow Alpenglo building along the south side of Rte 9.

                                            
The March Reading Challenge begins this Monday! You’ll find the calendar to fill out attached to Friday notes. There are calendars for adults too, not just the children, so make it a family affair.  The Reading Challenge gives us all some inspiration to set aside extra time for reading during March and make an extra effort to keep the screen time to a minimum. Read together quietly or aloud; read to your dog, read to your baby sister;  read books, magazines, newspapers, comics, what ever you enjoy. Just read.

In addition to the schoolwide challenge, in our classroom there is an added challenge. Attached you will find the Reading Superstar. See how many different kinds of books you can read this month!

Have a great weekend,

Erica and Emma

Here is a link to the prize list, there are some great prizes for adults as well!

Here’s the official word from Windham County Reads:
Beginning on Monday, March 8, and concluding on Friday, April 2, this year’s Reading Challenge is comprised of 20 school days. Weekend reading is optional, but strongly encouraged, and students who read on weekend days will be eligible for a special prize.

Students in grades K-12 and adults set a daily reading goal for the four-week Reading Challenge period. All participants who meet their goals are eligible for the April prize drawings.

Completed student and adult contracts must be returned to school on Monday, April 5, for entry in the prize drawings.
March 8-April 2, Reading Challenge, a family affair!

Notes Home

Don’t forget to check your Friday notes for the basketball Jamboree form.

MARCH READING CHALLENGE? JH STUDENTS CAN DO THIS TOO

Below is a letter about our upcoming Costa Rica curriculum and trip.

March 5, 2010

Dear JH Parents,

Our May trip to Costa Rica draws nearer.  We will have a meeting to go over details and answer questions on 18 March.  In the meantime, here is the latest.

Itinerary

After investigating alternatives, we have settled on a trip very similar to previous trips:

• May 4 Þ Fly Boston (6 a.m.) to San Jose, CR then bus/van to Monteverde. The flight from Logan is so early, we are investigating the costs and reasonableness of various options: Thomas Transportation vs. Tim’s School Bus; hotel in Boston vs. middle of night departure.
• Stay in Monteverde, at the La Colina Lodge which is very convenient to the Friend’s School, the town, and the Cloud Forest Preserve.
• Move a few miles down the mountain to San Luis and stay again at the Ecolodge which arranges for homestays, farm and beneficio visits, school visits, ecological studies, and hiking to the waterfall.
• From here we will travel to Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast, staying two nights at the beach where we can swim and snorkel the coral reef, while experiencing the effects of development for tourism.
• May 11 Þ Return flights, into Logan at 12:20 a.m.   Home late! We will use a phone tree to alert you of our MES arrival time.

Funds

Fundraising has gone well so far with the Marlboro Fair, Cider Sale, Valentine’s Day Dance, as well as on-going coffee sales, Rent-a-Kid, and the rustic bench raffle. This has left us on solid financial footing, but efforts will continue.

Regarding family contributions, we are requesting that the first half be submitted by March 18, and the balance by April 16.

Chaperones

Along with the sixteen students, there will be seven chaperones— Tim, Rachel, Elissa, Christine, Francie, Philip Johansson, and Carol Schroeder. We will review with them expectations and any specific assignments. Each chaperone will be assigned 2-3 students to watch out for throughout the trip, especially at critical transitions. We’ll discuss this further, at the March meeting.

Passports

We understand that everyone has a passport at this time. Please bring a copy to the March meeting, or make one here that night.

Medical

There are no specific immunizations required to travel in CR. We will discuss this further at the meeting.

Curriculum

Social Studies & Science

Central Question:

• How are we connected to people in Central America through the global economy, and how do our lifestyle choices affect our Costa Rican neighbors?

Topics:

• The economics and ecology of the Coffee trade—the second largest international commodity—with a specific look at Fair Trade practices

1. Does the cup of coffee on your table affect the songbirds outside your window?

• Energy use, global climate change, and the ecology of cloud forests

1. Is this causing the cloud forest to lift?
2. How does this affect the biodiversity of tropical rain forests?

• Tourism

1. Is it good for Costa Rica?

The Work:

• There will be teacher-led classes, field trips, readings and debates on each main topic.
• Students will use snail mail, email, & in-person interviews to communicate with Costa Rican students and learn their opinions on the above topics.
• Upon our return there will be a night of public presentations when students will share what they’ve learned using a variety of formats: skits, debates, & multi-media presentations.
• Each student will also choose a related topic about which they may do some independent research. They will report their findings in a news letter when we get back home.

Geography

• We will start with a short unit on geography of the Western hemisphere in which groups will “travel” to CR by car, train, boat or plane, creating a route, learning about different places along the way, & sending back postcards from notable sights.

Writing

• As a way to sell raffle tickets or solicit direct contributions, students will write a persuasive essay in the form of a letter to family and friends, describing and justifying such international travel as part of middle and high school curriculum. In addition, they will write a “perfect paragraph” about themselves to share with students at the Monteverde Friends School.

Spanish

• This essential work continues, including the construction of a phrase book.

See you all on March 18 at 7 p.m.!

Tim & Rachel

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.

On Monday, the skiers and boarders will enjoy a make-up day of winter sports. Unfortunately the ice rink is closed and so the skaters will go to the Marlboro Park for sledding and snowshoeing fun. Please be sure that all students have appropriate winter gear.

Tuesday is Student Led Conferences – my favorite day of the year! All of the students have been choosing work and reflecting on their learning as they prepare to show you what they’ve been up to. Older students are using the Marlboro Realms of Learning to organize their presentations. My Primary reading group is identifying the strategies they’ve learned in order to read Raptors, a non-fiction book, and they’re choosing passages from the book to show how they use these strategies.

When you come for your child’s conference, please be sure to admire the beautiful mosaic welcoming you to the Marlboro School. Thank you to Junior High students and Linda, the art teacher!

Teachers are also working on report cards and specials teachers will be including comments as well. This is new and somewhat challenging as each teacher comes up with an appropriate way to report student learning and tries to match it with the classroom format for reporting. Please let us know what you think.

The agenda for the P&F meeting on March 16 will include an update on our School Social Climate work. Please come if you would like an in-person update or contact me via phone, e-mail, or note.

Francie

• It is relaxing
• You can go into your own world
• You can go into a book and forget about the world
• It is educating
• You can learn a lot of things!
• It is like exploring a new world
• It is like a friend telling you information
• It is entertaining
• It is like watching a movie in your head but you can choose what it looks like
• It can help you when you feel sad
• You can choose your own pace