Current Announcements

It’s sugaring season in Vermont, and the second grade students are getting outside to tap maple trees with Second Grade Teacher Mr. Ulrich and Head of School Mr. Newbold as part of a hands-on science learning.

3/10/22

Dear Families,

Tomorrow, Friday, March 11, will be a half-day dismissal for students, with pick-up at 11:30 a.m., and an in-service afternoon for teachers.

I understand the question of masking is on the minds of many families given the Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Health’s decision to lift the indoor masking mandate for schools starting Monday, March 14. We are in the final phase of determining what will be best for our school community. Please expect another communication from me tomorrow afternoon or over the weekend.

I also want to call attention to the war in Ukraine and the fact that many of our kids are hearing about it in the news. What they hear, and the images they may see, can be very concerning. For some kids this can also lead to anxiety. The following resource is a good article about talking to kids about Ukraine and anything that is hard and scary:

https://intrepidednews.com/talk-to-kids-about-ukraine.

Figuring out how to talk to our kids can be worrisome for parents and caregivers, but as Fred Rogers articulated in the article: “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” I wish you well in your conversations. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me or to your student’s teacher.

This week’s community announcements are below for your reference.

Warm regards,

Tim

School Events and Community Announcements:

Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) – Art From the Schools 2022
Opening Reception: March 19, 2-4 p.m. with ice cream party

Spring is coming early to SVAC’s Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum in an annual celebration of preK-12 student art. Art from the Schools allows students the meaningful learning experience of presenting in a real art gallery, and it brings guests the joy of seeing the vibrant creativity of young artists at work. The Wilson Museum will be filled with drawings, paintings, and sculptures created by students from more than 20 area schools, including works of art from Village School of North Bennington students in all different grades. This exhibit will be on display from March 19-May 1. SVAC is located on West Road in Manchester, VT. More information is available on the SVAC website: https://www.svac.org.

Village School Online Auction Fundraiser

The Friends of the Village School group is planning an Online Auction for May 2022 to help raise money for classroom enrichment activities, un-budgeted supplies, and, hopefully, field trips when Covid times are better! With the need to cancel both the Holiday Catalog and the Winter Carnival this year and last, we’ve lost two of our most crucial fundraisers, and we’re hoping this will help to make up for that loss. For more details about volunteering or donating goods or services, please click here.

Enrollment is Open for Lake Paran’s Spring Break Camp

Students can spend April vacation, from April 18-22nd (8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.), at Lake Paran’s Spring Break Outdoor Camp. Outdoor education is healing and fosters social emotional connections among children and their fellow campers. Camp activities will include participating in a BioBlitz, nature exploration, meet and greet lambs, planting seeds, discovering insects, and more! The camp will have 15 spots available for K-6th grade students. The cost is $225 for the 1st child, and $200 per additional child. To register or for more information, please visit this link: https://lakeparanvt.org/programs-and-camps. If you have questions or concerns, contact: lakeparanvista@gmail.com