Teaching Tolerance and COVID-19 Updates

Pictured above is a self-portrait from one of the Village School’s kindergarten students. Check out a series of other kindergartners’ self-portraits on the Vermont Arts Exchange website.

1/8/2021

Dear Families,

Thank you to everyone—all of our students, faculty and staff, and families—for a successful first week in this new year! I don’t want to overlook this bright spot amid the darker events that unfolded in Washington, D.C. In spite of the stress and anxiety this civil unrest caused, I am proud of how our faculty and staff handled this moment of crisis safely and respectfully. Many teachers, where age appropriate, talked with their students about what they were seeing and hearing in the news, and they used this as a teachable moment for lessons on our country’s civic culture and democracy in action.

One resource that I think was particularly helpful and shared with teachers is Teaching Tolerance. One of their recommended tools is the idea of “Listen, Protect, and Model.”

Listen: Ask good questions and listen to kids, try to understand their concerns.
Protect: Work to make students feel safe and protected by establishing norms and guidelines for conversation, and by requiring facts and legitimate sources of information.
Model: Demonstrate a calm demeanor and reasoned approach to conversation and disagreements. Encourage civil discourse and a sense of calm.

The following are two additional helpful resources:

“Helping Kids During Crisis” (from the American School Counselor Association)
“Scared Kids, How to Deal with Fear” (from The Child Mind Institute)

We are not always going to agree with our fellow human beings, but it is important that we provide a space that is safe so that we can learn from one another and move toward true peace and understanding.

Thank you for everything you do in support of our students and our school! Please take note of a few important updates and reminders below.

Have a good weekend,

Tim Newbold

Welcoming Our New Teacher!

Tony Kasulinous is the Village School’s new Humanities teacher for fifth and sixth grades. He has been teaching for more than 25 years in middle school classrooms. In addition, in the course of his career in independent schools, he has served administratively as an Assistant Head of School, a Dean of Students, and an Athletic Director. Click here to read more about Mr. Kasulinous.

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:

The spread of COVID-19 is still of high concern in Vermont. The state has returned to 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. 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/