No School on Monday, Jan. 18 and Current Announcements

1/15/2021

Dear Families,

School will be closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Day. In a normal year, we would have a Fantastic Friday today to talk about concepts like peace, justice, and tolerance—lessons that are as important today as they were during the Civil Rights Movement. Teachers have been delving into these topics with students throughout the week. If we had been gathered together in the gym, someone would no doubt have shared part of Dr. King’s iconic speech from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in which Dr. King famously said:

“…[E]ven though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

The Greater Bennington Peace and Justice Center is organizing a virtual event for those who wish to honor Dr. King and who are concerned about racial equity in our community. More details are below my email.

Additionally, I would like to call your attention to our updated school calendar for the remainder of the academic year. While it is subject to change, at this point these are the changes: previously scheduled half days are now full days, and we cancelled school on Wednesday, March 17 as a “mid-March reprieve.”

Next week’s meals menu and information on COVID-19 resources and testing are noted below.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Warm regards,

Tim Newbold

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 18, the Greater Bennington Peace and Justice Center is asking all those who are concerned about racial equity in our community to go out on your porch or in front of your home with a lit candle (or a flashlight if it’s too windy) and a bell (or bang a pot!) as a sign of your commitment to stand up and speak out for racial equality in our community. Video tape your “ringing” and post the videos/pictures to your preferred social media account with the hashtag #BennMLKRing so community members can share with others who care about equality in Bennington.

Meals Menu

As a reminder, breakfasts and lunches are FREE for all students through the end of the school year. Click here for the current meals menu.

Updates and Tips from the Vermont Department of Health

Rates of COVID-19 are at their highest yet for our region, and continued adherence to COVID-19 health and safety practices is as important as ever. Governor Phil Scott extended the state of emergency to February 15 and is continuing the protocol that you may not gather with anyone you don’t live with.

In addition, if you travel outside of Vermont, you must follow quarantine requirements; and, the Health Department strongly encourages getting tested as soon as possible and then again on day 7. The most up-to-date local COVID-19 testing information is available on the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center website, including FAQs for the FREE test at the Bennington Rescue Squad.

Click here to read more important information and prevention tips from the Department of Health.

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THANK YOU TO THE VILLAGE SCHOOL’S 2020-2021 BUSINESS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

All of these partners are helping to support many of our school programs. You can learn more about these partners at https://vsnb.org/bpie-sponsors

GOLD LEVEL:

Bank of Bennington: https://thebankofbennington.com/

SILVER LEVEL:

D.B. McKenna & Co., Inc.: https://www.dbmckenna.com/

RCS Consulting, Inc.: https://www.rcs.consulting/

Whitman’s / Poulin Grain: https://www.whitmansfeed.com/

BRONZE LEVEL:

Adam’s Lock & Security: https://www.adamslockvt.com/

Danielle D. Fogarty, PLC: https://www.ddfplc.com/

Global Z: https://globalz.com/

Idena Beach Photography: http://www.idenabeach.com

Maple Leaf Realty: https://www.mapleleafvermont.com/