Thank you, voters of HUUSD! Our school budget passed with a healthy margin on Town Meeting Day Tuesday. We are appreciative of your support of our schools. There is a ton of information in this week's blast, so please read carefully!
BPS Spring Conferences March 20-24, 2023
Family conferences focus on goal-setting. School staff will work with students and their families to establish focus goals for school, based upon strengths, challenges and interests students have demonstrated. Academic, as well as social-emotional, proficiencies play an important role when establishing focus goals. Teachers may share information regarding student strengths and challenges outside of these established communication cycles and families are encouraged to reach out to teachers if they have questions regarding their child’s progress.
Family Conference Scheduling:
● The sign up window is open from 8:00 am March 13th until 4:00 pm March 17th .
● Individual classroom teachers set up their own schedule on those days which will be evident when you log in to sign up for a conference.
● These Family Conferences are an opportunity to set goals for your child. Your child needs to be in attendance to participate in the goal setting exercise.
Step-By-Step Parent/Guardian Instructions:
1. Visit the school’s homepage http://tbps.wwsu.org and select “How Do I” and then select "Schedule a Conference.”
2. From the Online Scheduler Home Page
a. Choose your student’s school from the drop down list and click “GO”
b. Enter the school password bps.
c. Enter your student’s “Student ID”. If you do not know their Student ID, use the LOOKUP STUDENT ID button to access the system.
d. Verify the student’s birth date
e. A list of your student’s teachers will be displayed. Check the box next to the name of each teacher(s) you would like to meet with.
f. If you have more than one student in the school you can see all of your students’ teachers’ schedules at one time by answering YES to this question “Do you want to schedule conferences for another student?” then repeat the steps above for your other students. If you only have one student, answer NO to that question.
g. You will then see the available time slots for each teacher you selected.
h. Select the times that work best for your schedule.
i. Enter your email address (recommended) if you would like an email reminder sent to you. (Your email address is kept private.)
j. Once you have finished you can confirm your appointment details and print your conference schedule.
k. Write down the Confirmation Number (you will need this number should you need to cancel your appointment)
3. Need help? Contact the school’s Online Scheduler™ specialist: Sarah Schoolcraft at
sschoolcraft@huusd.org
Book Fair
Conferences are coming up so it must be time for another Book Fair!
Please support the Library Monday - Thursday March 20-23rd from 3-6 pm. There is an online link on the library page which will go live on Wednesday the 15th. (Anything ordered online will get delivered to school).
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Book Fair!
Mrs. Daigle
Music Notes
Spring Concert
Mark your calendars! The BPS Spring Concert is scheduled for Thursday, April 13th at 6pm in the gym. This concert will feature all 4th grade classes as well as 3rd Grade Chorus and 4th Grade Chorus. We hope you can join us!
BPS Chorus - 4th Grade (Choral Night)
HUUSD Choral Night is this Thursday 3/16 at Harwood. An email was sent out today with important details to all participating families.
Please reach out to Lizzy Palumbo at epalumbo@huusd.org with any questions.
Kid's Heart Challenge
All donations for the American Heart Association's Kid Heart Challenge are due to Mrs. Baitz. Thanks for supporting this worthy cause.
Mrs. Baitz
Caregiver Survey Spring 2023
Our school counselor, Kately Mosher is collaborating with local non-profit mental health agency Hannah's House to provide additional caregiver/parent support this spring. The responses from this survey will inform resources shared and future caregiver event(s). We understand how busy everyone is and we want to tailor support to fit our families needs. We look forward to hearing from you, thank you! Caregiver Survey Link: https://forms.gle/QYURuwbfJuFu92Cf7
SEL Updates
Hello again from the HUUSD Social Emotional Learning Task Force.
This February our district has been focusing on the theme of Goal Directed Behavior. Last month we learned a bit about Relationship Skills, this month we are learning about the action of setting and achieving goals.
Fall seven times. Stand up eight. - Chinese Proverb
Being able to set and achieve goals is a valuable life skill. Everything that goes into setting and achieving goals (having a clear, specific vision of what we want to learn or accomplish; having a plan that we can actually carry out, if we stay motivated, tracking and measuring our progress along the way; and creating a timeline for reaching our goal so that we are reminded to stay on track) help to prepare us for work life, for higher education, and for contributing to our families and communities in ways that are meaningful for us.
When we think about setting goals, we often think of the beginning of something - a New Years Resolution, the beginning of a new job or project, even the beginning of a new week. Our students often set goals at the beginning of the school year. Perhaps it’s something they want to accomplish, do or improve in second grade. As caregivers, we also set goals for our students, “This year I would like my child to…”.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." –Les Brown
Helping students reflect on their motivations is very important because not all young people can distinguish among a hope, a dream, and a goal. The differences can be defined as follows:
A hope is something within a person’s grasp to achieve or experience—something they can reach with effort and support.
A dream is a big, audacious outcome that might take years to achieve, like becoming a professional athlete.
A goal is a hope with a plan that is directed toward the overarching dream of the student.
In the working paper “Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation” (2018), the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child states, “Kids are motivated to work toward achievable goals.” This is why it’s important for teachers and caregivers to help students take the big, audacious dream and identify smaller steps that a child of that age can realistically reach for.
A Few Tips for Helping Students Set Goals (from “The Importance of Setting Purposeful Goals With Students” by Christine Lewis, Sept. 2022)
Guiding the process without inserting our own adult expectations allows students to envision authentic pathways toward their own desires and plants the seeds of belief in their ability to reach their dreams, which is so important for resilience.
Taking time to allow these personal motivations to take shape in the minds and hearts of our students ensures that they begin to take ownership of them.
Scaffolding students to creatively record their hopes, dreams, and goals in writing (or pictures for our younger students) increases their usefulness as anchors for effort, decision-making, focus, and self-control across the school year.
More excellent tips can be found in “Setting Goals, Hopes, and Dreams: Connecting Students to the Community.”
This time of the school year is a great time to pause, take stock of where your student is in meeting those goals, make revisions or even set new goals.
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. - Confucius
Conversation Starters for home:
Reflecting on the day - 3 Bright Spots, 1 Dark Spot, and 1 Glimmer of Hope
What’re you working on/building/creating now?
Anything exciting/interesting/challenging you’re working on?
Activities:
Making Mistakes (elementary)
Thanks for reading this lengthy edition of the Blast!
In partnership,
Sarah & Chris
COMMUNITY POSTINGS
Please note that the opportunities/events listed below are not specifically endorsed or screened by school staff. As always, families should use their own standards and review processes to determine appropriate activities.
Parent/Caregiver Gender Education Night with Mara Iverson
Ideas about gender - what it means to be a boy or a girl or another gender - are all around us. Those ideas have a big impact on kids and the people raising them! Join us for this parent night where we learn together how to teach kiddos that their gender doesn’t limit them, how to talk about different kinds of families, how to know if your child may be transgender, and get curious about what all this means for raising healthy, happy young people!
Brookside Primary School library
Wednesday, March 15th
6:30-8:00pm
Co-Sponsored by the BPS and CBMS PTO's
Cash Calendar Winners!
Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for the PTO Calendar Raffle. The prize drawings have started. And we will be posting the winners weekly. Here are the winners so far!! Thanks again to all the business that donated prizes, thanks to all the community members that bought tickets, and thanks to all the students that worked hard to sell tickets!
Winner of Doc Ponds $50 Gift Card is Theresa King
Winner of Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant $25 Gift Card is Kathleen Lengel
Winner of Cabot Cheese Gift Box is Naomi Alfini
Winner of Stowe Street Cafe $25 Gift Card is Hattie Rivers
Winner of Underdog Coffee VT 4 bags of whole bean coffee is Frannie Donovan
Winner of Waterbury Auto Service Gift Card is Kristy Platt
Winner of Sugarbush 4 Lift Tickets is Don Pelt
Winner of Jazzercise Waterbury Free Month is David Rye
Winner of The Alchemist $100 Gift Card & Hat is James King
Winner of Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant $25 Gift Card is Stacey Ambler
Winner of Sushi Yoshi $100 Gift Card is Christine Wulff
Winner of Stowebury Construction $100 CASH is Stacey Ambler
Winner of Hen of the Wood $50 Gift Card is Jerry Haskins
Winner of Prohibition Pig $50Gift Card is Phyllis Simon
Winner of Aaron Flint Builders $50 cash is Nathan Bedfor (who generously donated it back to the PTO, thank you Nathan!)
Winner of Cold Hollow Cider Mill $50 Gift Card is Meg Miley
Winner of Brave Coffee $50 Gift Card is Marcy Pelkey
Winner of Swimming Hole 2 Child Passes is Susan Senning
Winner of Waterbury Sports $100 Gift Card is Brett Timrud
Learn How to Save Energy and Money at 2023 LEAP Energy Fair
Is it time to weatherize your drafty house? Are you interested in energy efficient heat pumps, electric vehicles, or solar power for your home or business? Find the information you need at the 2023 LEAP Energy Fair, Saturday, April 15 from 9 AM to 3 PM at Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury.
The LEAP Energy Fair is the largest in Vermont, and it’s completely free. Tour 75 exhibits and talk to experts about heat pumps, weatherization, solar power, energy audits, electric vehicles, efficient wood heat, and much, more. Attend breakout sessions on topics of special interest.
This family-friendly event includes a free show by Marko the Magician, free ice cream, free electronics recycling, children’s activities, and local food and refreshments while you learn how to shrink energy bills and save money.
This free community event is hosted by the volunteers of Waterbury LEAP. For more information contact Alayna at 603-748-9564, alaynahoward@gmail.com or visit www.waterburyleap.org
Clyde Whittlemore Little League
Clyde Whittemore little league registration is open for Tee Ball and Farm League. Please register or find out more information at www.clydewhittemorelittleleague.com. One of CWLL's goals is to make this program accessible to ALL kids regardless of financial situation. Please reach out to cwllinfo@gmail.com with questions or if you have a child who would like to play and is in need of a scholarship.Clyde Whittemore Little League
2023 Harwood K-2 Youth Lacrosse (Free Program)
This youth lacrosse program is open to all students in grades K-2. The program will run on SUNDAYS at Crossett Brook Middle School in May and the beginning of June. The program is FREE to all participants, but we are asking participants to bring their own lacrosse stick (Waterbury Sports is a good place to start your search for a kids lacrosse stick). We do have loaner sticks available if you are unable to provide your own. Please reach out to Curtis Taylor, curtis3@gmail.com, with any questions you may have. Sign up and more details here: https://forms.gle/bcQPTJJFFX4cafKN7
Safe Sitter Courses
Classes for kids entering grades 4-8 to prepare them to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting.
To learn more or register online:
The Children’s Room Hours & Days:
Tuesday through Friday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
See the TCR website for directions to the room, school closure days and further information.
Featured Programming:
VT & NH Days at Vermont Institute of Natural Science: $10 admission for VT residents on Saturday, March 11th and Sunday March 12th. Take in a live animal program, visit special exhibits and enjoy the day. Visit website for more information.
Winter Wellness Series from Good Beginnings: This is a series of workshops for caretakers and new parents offered from Good Beginnings of Central Vermont. Taught by local wellness professionals, these workshops are designed to nourish, heal and uplift. See this flyer for the offerings and here for registration form. Space is limited!
Gym time for Toddlers! Check out this great article from Seven Days about 5 awesome indoor romps spots to take kids during the cold and muddy days of winter and spring.
TCR Special Programs:
Soccer for Little Feet: The Children’s Room is pleased to offer a FREE soccer play program for 3-5 year olds with the financial support from Waterbury Winterfest. Coaches facilitate small groups of children and their accompanying adults through fun activities geared towards helping develop skills of kicking, passing, sharing the ball and enjoying playing ball games with others.
Ages: 3 to 5 year olds (only preK 5 year olds)
Dates: March 25th and April 1st
Choose a Session Time:
Session #1- 9:00 - 9:45 am: 3 and 4 year olds
Session #2- 10:00 - 10:45 am: 4 and 5 year olds
To register: http://www.childrensroomonline.org/programs.html
Special Audubon Field Trip: Sugaring! Thursday, April 6th, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Join The Children's Room for a special Audubon field trip, generously sponsored by Waterbury local business Hen of the Wood. Journey from Sap to Syrup: Follow a droplet of maple sap as it turns to sweet syrup. Find out what it takes to become a real Vermont sugar-maker as you tap a tree, collect sap, and help boil. Families can take a free school bus ride to Audubon, leaving from Brookside Primary School. Registration opens March 23rd.
Dabble Days Spring Art Fling: Brookside Primary School gym, Saturday, April 15th, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm. Bring a friend along for ripping, tearing, taping, pasting, painting, and molding. Dabble Days is a craft-themed event geared toward ages 2-6. Suggested donation of $5 per child.
