Dear Families,
I hope you are off to the start of a good New Year! It’s likely you have already heard (no doubt with great enthusiasm) about one of our school’s exciting upcoming events: Troy Wunderle and the “Big Top Adventures” workshop will be taking place at the Village School next week, from January 9-13. All grade levels will have the opportunity and joyful experience of learning circus skills and showcasing their skills in an all-school performance on Friday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the school gym. Families and friends are invited to enjoy the show, and, if you have not experienced Big Top Adventures before, it’s a lot of fun for the performers and the audience. If your student will not be available to participate in the show, please notify your student’s teacher. Special thanks to our school’s gold-level Business Partners in Education for helping to make this event possible: The Bank of Bennington, D.B. McKenna & Co., and RCS Consulting.
We also have a performing arts opportunity specifically created for students in 4th-6th grade to participate in “Twelfth Night: Understanding Shakespeare Through Performance”: a six-week fun and serious after-school theatre project. Annika Owenmark, a Bennington College student and a substitute teacher at the Village School, created this workshop citing that “performance helps individuals gain confidence, find their voice, and play—as children and all people should.” The workshop will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. starting on January 9 and ending on February 16. For more information, click here.
Lastly, please note that if your student purchases milk only, the charge for milk is increasing from .50¢ to .60¢. starting on Monday, January 9. Breakfast and lunch will continue to be FREE for all students during the remainder of this academic year. You can always find the monthly menu posted online at this link: https://vsnbfood.abbeygroup.info/menus.aspx.
Have a good weekend!
Tim
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
•The North Bennington Fire Department invites students and families to a “meet and greet” at the firehouse on Monday, January 9, from 5-7 p.m. See the new fire truck and visit with volunteer firefighters!
•“Bridging the STEM Gap” is a presentation taking place at The Bennington Free Library on January 10 at 3 p.m. (in the Rotary Room). Kathryn Atkins, of the Wade Institute for Science Education, will introduce “phenomena-based learning,” a new method of using students’ questions, investigations, and collaborations to explain and predict real-world phenomena. And, by doing so, help to shift inequities and encourage participation of girls and women in STEM fields. For more information, visit
•The North Bennington Graded School District Prudential Committee is seeking a candidate for two vacant seats. Ray Mullineaux, the current Chairman, will stand for re-election for one of the seats. The NBGSD Prudential Committee is responsible for the annual budget and fiscal items, the annual meeting, facility issues pursuant to the lease agreement with the Village School, and residency issues. Residents of North Bennington or Shaftsbury District 1 can be considered for candidacy (as long as they are not SVSU, MAU, or SVUESD employees). Please help spread the word! For questions or to suggest a candidate, please reach out to Ray at rhmullino@gmail.com or to any of the other Committee members: Kim Krall, Kiernan McNamara, and Matthew Patterson.
