Mrs. Dias has landed in a pumpkin patch this week. I think she's picking out some nice pumpkins for our Academy Stars to use during Tour de Pumpkins.  What's Tour de Pumpkins you ask??? Well I'm glad you asked!  Click the orange button below to find out all about it!!!

All students, K-6, are invited to bring part of their costumes to school on Tuesday/ Friday, with the understanding that they need to be able to put it on independently, and that there should not be any weapons or masks that cover their whole face.  Students will still need to wear their protective masks while donning their costumes.  We will be doing a physically distanced, fun school activity, such as a parade or dance party, at 2:00 on both Tuesday and Friday.  Remote students are welcome to choose one of those days to join in the fun!  

As a reminder, please make sure you are not dropping off students prior to 8:00am.  It is very important that you wait until school staff are at their screening stations, so that we don’t have students unattended.  If students arrive after 8:25, they should come ring the doorbell and enter through the lobby, where we will screen them and make sure they get too class.  Thank you for your help with this!

As we continue to head toward the winter season, where traveling and hosting company is more frequent, please take the time to read both the “returning to school after illness” and the “Travelers to Vermont” documents.  They are very helpful!  If you are planning a trip, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development map is a wonderful resource, which is updated each Tuesday.  

Thank you for your support of, commitment to, and engagement in our wonderful school.  I look forward to seeing you all in-person and online!  

Be well,

Kelly

Lunch Buddies: Annabelle, a remote first grader, joined Mrs. Schultz's first grade class for lunch via Zoom on Monday. Who else want's to do that? 

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the School Savings Program that is held by River Valley Credit Union will temporarily be suspended. This was a difficult decision to make, however it was the best one to ensure the safety of the students, faculty, and our staff members. We welcome students to continue saving, and we will offer prizes at all of our locations, like the ones they would receive in school.

If a student participated in the program last year, but has not received their final prize, please contact Mitchell Hall at River Valley Credit Union by calling

(802)251-3683 or email mhall@rivercu.com for arrangements to get your child their prize.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.You can encourage your Academy student to prevent bullying both in school and online by talking about how to identify unkind behavior, and the adults in their life that they can go to for help. We can also counteract bullying by emphasizing the importance of kindness, friendship, community, and empathy. Focusing on these attributes goes a long way. As one of my favorite authors, and fellow Vermont resident, Julia Alvarez, has said "The point is not to pay back kindness, but to pass it on." Academy Stars do a great job of spreading kindness throughout our community!

To generate some conversation around these topics with your Academy Star, check out the Have You Filled a Bucket Today read-aloud and activities on the school counseling page. For older students, Enemy Pie is also a great book that emphasizes kindness and friendship. For more information about bullying prevention you can check out PACER’s website, www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org.