First grade teacher Leslie Koelker plans a “Fun Friday” activity with her students each week. Today students created polar bear paintings as part of a lesson on Arctic animals. Scroll down for more photos.
2/3/23
CLASS NOTES
Today’s chilly weather provided the perfect backdrop for first graders to create polar bear paintings for their “Fun Friday” activity. They have been on an Arctic adventure this week reading books such as Arctic Animals, Polar Regions of the Earth, and All About Penguins to learn more about the geography and animals of one of the world’s harshest environments. Mrs. Koelker says her students look forward to having a hands-on and “fun” project to end their week, and she finds that Fun Friday activities are a wonderful way to engage her students more creatively in concepts they are learning about throughout the week. Visit the Village School website at this link to see photos of the first graders with their paintings.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
• North Bennington Winter Festival – Saturday, February 4th
The North Bennington Winterfest is still taking place on Saturday, February 4th, but with a few changes. While the VSNB Carnival, Lake Paran Penguin Plunge, and Ice Hockey Tournament are not happening this weekend, there will still be plenty of indoor activities and delicious food on offer throughout the Village of North Bennington! Visit the North Bennington Winterfest Facebook page for a schedule of events and venues hosting activities as part of this “very wintery day celebration!”
• Superb Owl Party – Sunday, February 12 at 1 p.m. (Village School Gymnasium)
Don’t miss the opportunity to see live owls as they touch down at the Village School Gymnasium! Naturalists from the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum (SVNHM) will introduce these native birds of prey and talk about some of their amazing adaptations and more! Many thanks to The John G. McCullough Free Library for hosting this free event; and thank you to the Village School Business Partner in Education platinum-level sponsor Williams Financial for helping to make special events like these possible at the Village School!
• February and April Vacation Arts & Wellness Camps Are Taking Place at The Sage Street Mill
All Village School families receive 10% off the cost of these camps when using this coupon code: VSNB23FA. For more details and to register, go to this link: https://form.jotform.com/220255439096155
Campers will engage with nature outside and explore using natural materials to make site specific work and learn wellness practices through daily gratitude circles, fun individual art making, as well as team building activities inside beautiful Soulspace studios! The February break camp takes place from February 20-24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an option to register for early drop off at 8 a.m. The April break camp takes place from April 17-21st with the same times as listed above. Space is limited to 15 campers.
• The YMCA is offering a February Break Camp from February 20-24 (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Bennington Sports Center.
Join the Y for a fun filled and active week. Indoor and outdoor sports, games, crafts, activities, and swim at the Rec Pool. The cost is $130 for the full week. Sign up at www.bfymca.org/programs or contact 802-442-1053 or kbecker@bfymca.org.
• Lake Paran’s School Break Camps are perfect for 6-12 year olds to explore and have fun over the vacations!
Visit this website for more information and to register: https://lakeparanvt.org/programs-and-camps/
Winter Break Recreation Camp: February 20th-24th | 8:30am-3:30pm
Camp activities will include sledding, nature exploration, learning about hibernation, snowshoeing, making comfort-food soup in our kitchen, and more!
Spring Break Recreation Camp: April 17th-21st | 8:30am-3:30pm
Camp activities will include canoeing, meet and greet baby animals, planting seeds, discovering insects, and more!
• Myers Prouty Children’s Campuses, Inc. (MPCC) is offering February and Spring break camps for kids in First Grade through age 12.
Those interested should fill out an enrollment form at the following website: MPCCVT.ORG. For more information, contact Tel: 802-733-0212.
• Chess Program for kids 6-16 years old with Trevor Plizga, Chess Coach, at the Bennington Free Library: Saturdays, January 28, February 11, and February 25th.
How the Pieces Move (1-1:30 p.m.) // Check & Checkmate (1:30-2 p.m.) // Experienced Players (2-3 p.m.)
2022-2023 Business Partners in Education
Thank you to the following businesses for their support of the Village School!
PLATINUM LEVEL:
RCS Consulting: https://www.rcs.consulting/
Williams Financial LLC: https://williamsfinancial.net/
GOLD LEVEL:
Bank of Bennington: https://thebankofbennington.com/
D.B. McKenna & Co., Inc.: https://www.dbmckenna.com/
SILVER LEVEL:
Global-Z International: https://globalz.com/
BRONZE LEVEL:
Adam’s Lock & Security: https://www.adamslockvt.com/
Danielle D. Fogarty, PLC: https://www.ddfplc.com/
Madrus Masonry: madrusmasonry@outlook.com
Pangaea: https://vermontfinedining.com/
Power Guru: https://www.power-guru.com
Powers Market: https://powersmarket.com/
The Studio on Main: https://www.idenabeach.com/
West Oil Company: https://westoilcompany.com/
SPONSORS:
Bennington Express Car Wash and Repair: https://www.benningtonlubeandwash.com/
Bennington House of Tile and Carpet: https://bennington.abbeycarpet.com/
Bolio Propane Service, LLC: https://www.facebook.com/BolioPropaneServiceLLC/
The Bennington Bookshop: https://www.benningtonbookshop.com/
The Richards Group: https://therichardsgrp.com/