1.
Virtual
Library Presentation
·
Corinna Stanley showed us the virtual library and how
students are being taught about this at HCS.
·
Starting from the HCS Website, the link to the library is on
the menu on the left.
o Library
home page has the hours (especially helpful for summer hours) and the library
statistics are posted.
o HSC Library Resources is a gathering of
tabs; one for each grade level.
§
A slide show of new books is on the grade level
site
§
On-line card catalog for library on the site
§
Link to e-mail the librarian
o Parent Resources is a tab under
“Library Resources”
·
The
Reading is an Inve$tment
program started today for Kindergarten. The link on Library Resources has the list of books that are
suggested reading and more information about the program.
·
Destiny
is the on-line card catalog used in the library; a link to this is in the
o Web
Path Express (a function on Destiny) takes you to the Internet for juried
websites to help you find books on certain topics.
·
DataBases
are available on the Library Resources link. Schools pay for articles and literature, by using this link
you can gain access to these subscription sources for free.
o A
handout was shared explaining the databases and passwords to use these
sites. You can e-mail Corinna to
get her GoogleDoc of this handout.
·
Cool
Websites is a tab that has a links to vetted (and fun) websites.
·
HCS
Library Blog Corinna updates this
and shares pictures and news about what is happening in the library. Sign up
for her blog today!
·
Book
Award Websites: Including Red Clover Books, DCF Books, Caldecott Award
Books, Newbury Award Books, and Coretta Scott King Book award winning books.
·
Corinna is always willing to show the features
on the library website to people in person…just e-mail her to set this up.
·
Did you
know…
o Destiny
has a list of books available from other schools in the District. Inter-library
loans are easy and free to do.
o We
have access to a state-wide lending system and the VT state librarian list
serve…so if you can’t find the book you’re looking for…just ask!
o The
library is open until 4:00 M-Th, 3:30 on Fridays. Students can come in after
school and get work done, or read/wait between after-school activities and
parent pickup.
2.
Wellness
Initiative Team Presentation
·
Kelli Brown facilitated this presentation and
was joined by Diane Barber to represent this Committee.
·
Steering Committee meets approximately every 2
months; the wider sharing information meeting also meets every-other-month.
·
A handout was shared outlining the mission
statement, garden and cafeteria activities for this school year.
3.
Grant
Applicants
·
Kindergarten Teachers
o Asking
for money to buy 4 iPads for the grade level. They observed a teacher in
Williston using iPads to support learning in the classroom and came back with
lots of ideas for implementation at HCS.
o Each
teacher has an iPad; however, this is not conducive to daily student
use/training. Classrooms would share these iPads.
o Smart
Boards only allow one person to navigate the board at a time; iPads would allow
multiple children to be working on a task at one time.
·
Picnic Tables
o Joyce
Wright submitted a grant for picnic tables for the courtyard. However, this is
an initiative currently being pursued (using grant funds) by the Wellness
Initiative Team. (Application
dismissed).
·
Refrigerator:
o Maureen
Locker placed a request for another refrigerator for her classroom.
o Many
people shared ideas on how to get a refrigerator. Since this meeting, Frank
Twarog has connected with Gary Marcotte and has succeeded in getting a
refrigerator donated to our school. (Application dismissed.)
·
Paper Cutter:
o Joyce
Wright requested an additional heavy-duty paper cutter for the school. PiE found a parent who was willing to
donate for this purpose.
·
In light of these developments noted above, The Grants
Committee agreed to fund the Kindergarten iPad request for the full
amount. Jim Goldsmith (Treasurer)
will follow up with Matt Kihm and Jess Wilson to get them ordered.
Help Wanted:
·
Cafeteria needs help on Tuesdays in the morning
chopping vegetables.
·
Before you throw utensils or kitchen appliances
away…show them to Deb. (They might be helpful to have in the kitchen)
·
Parents to help facilitate an Ecology Club
(would have support from the Wellness Initiative Team)
·
Looking for parents to support middle school
students competing in the GeoBee. See Barb Spaulding for more information.
§
PIE
Committee Updates:
·
K-2:
o Light
boxes were donated to the kindergarten from Fletcher Allen. The kids are loving
it!
o School
Spirit week was hosted by the middle school children, with the elementary
students benefitting from the activities. Lots of positive energy and laughter
was in the hallways.
o Parent
Conferences are this week. No school Nov
12 for teacher conferences.
·
Grades 3-5:
o 3rd
grade is working on fluency, poetry, 5-finger paragraph formats, base-ten being
introduced in math, studying weather, and studying Native Americans.
o 4th
grade is studying democracy, talking about the upcoming election, two-digit by
two-digit multiplication, and working with the visiting teacher (from
Thailand).
o 5th
grade have upcoming fieldtrips to the VT State House, Supreme Court, and Fort
Ticonderoga. A drum and fife brigade came to the 5th grade and
talked to the students and let them play drums.
·
Grades 6-8:
o Middle
school is enjoying the new trimester setup.
o 6th
graders are incorporating their iPads in a thoughtful way in the
classroom. Appreciation was shared
to the 6th grade teachers for their strong communication with
parents via e-mail.
o 7th
and 8th grades have great current information on their website to clarify
homework assignments and adjoining links to support enhanced learning
on-line.
§
The students are also assessing rich and “deep”
poems about it’s content, symbolism, and its meaning. Students are also getting
ready for the science fair; getting their projects set up.
§
A group of students are also hosting student
voting (to be held in the library tomorrow). They will tally the results and
share them by the day’s end.
·
Fundraising Committee:
o Bake
sale at town hall on Tuesday. Thanks for the great donations. We made about $200.
o Cardraising
– a new holiday card website where HCS can earn 30% on sales. Tell your friends and family! And, just by registering you can win
$2,000 for our school.
http://www.cardraising.com/SVT00122
http://www.cardraising.com/SVT00122
o Book
Fair Dec 3-6th. There
were be a Sign Up Genius being created for this event for volunteers.
o 17,000
Campbell Soup labels were sent out.
Box Top labels from the fall brought in over $500. Great job all!
o Look
for info. coming about a Lake Monsters “HCS Night” – we sell “will call”
tickets and pocket 50% on each ticket, plus we can have a 50/50 raffle and
other HCS-themed elements. Next
summer.
·
Treasurer’s Report
o Open
House raised over $1,000 for the Wellness Team.
o Meadow
Farms projected intake is $6,500.
o Donations
received are $680.
o Box
Top check will be $1,000.
o October
22nd, checks were given to put in teacher’s activity funds ($4200
split evenly between 23 teachers). This will occur again in Jan.
o We
are currently ahead of the projected budget; the more raised, the more that
goes back to the school!
·
Staff Appreciation:
o Starting
the “Star Catcher” program for parents to acknowledge things they notice that
go above and beyond from the staff.
o Working
on a way to collaborate volunteer-seeking efforts with Jessica Wilson.
Volunteer Needed
HCS is looking for a volunteer to work with students in grades 4-8 to prepare for the National Geographic Bee. It would be great to have meetings once or twice a week from the end of November through December to prepare for the bee which will take place early in January. Meeting should take place here at HCS to allow for students to ride the late bus.
More information about the bee can be found at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/
Barb Spaulding (middle school teacher) will provide support. bspaulding@cssu.org or 482-6246
PIE Meetings to be held on
the first Monday of the month at 6 pm (Next meeting December 3rd )
Wellness Initiative Team at HCS
The Wellness Initiative team has the following purpose: To foster a school and community climate that is centered on collaborative learning activities which nurture the wellness of the whole child- emotionally, intellectually and physically.
This group has a steering team. The steering team is Bob, Shelley, Deb B., Maureen, Diane B., Cindi S. and 2 parents (Kelli Brown and Andrea Francis).
Parents, staff, community members meet periodically to discuss wellness topics and ways to advance the goals. We get funding from PIE and grants.
What is happening this school year?
Garden
- More purposeful plantings for the cafeteria
- Developing partnership with Part II
- Fund all garden needs: soil, seeds, tools. Fieldtrips to farms like Reg Wagon and
Family Cow. 2nd grade tulip study program
- This school year
o Small temporary green house. Second grade will pioneer this.
o Worm Composter in Mrs. Stanton’s classroom
o Composter in Spring 2013
o Picnic tables in garden in Spring 2013(We plan to purchase lifetime round plastic
tables from costco)
o Blueberry garden
We won the Lowes and Home Depot garden grants last year!!!!!!
Cafeteria
- Goal is to achieve status in the HUSSC in fall of 2013. Achieving this recognition
would recognize our cafeteria program as a leader in a nutritionally sound cafeteria
program and would recognize our school’s increased integration of garden, nutrition and
wellness programs in the classroom.
- Currently in the Vermont Nutrition Education Institute. This is a one year
program to advance our goals. We have a school cafeteria nutrition expert who is our
mentor for one year. We have a student who is pursuing a Master’s in Dietetics at UVM
who is assigned to HCS to advance our wellness goals as they relate to our HUSSC
application and achievement of 6 cents goal.
- We just start buying vegetables from a group of northern Vermont farmers who
supply vegetables to schools.
- Starting soon Maureen Locker (Nutrition Outreach Coordinator) will visit the PK-5
classrooms to sample foods. The goal is introduced students to foods that are being
served in the cafeteria. This group funds the food and supplies for this program.
- Buy cooking/serving utensils for the cafeteria. This group will provide funding
that assists our students in being served the appropriate amount of food. This group
will provide funding for tools that allow students to assist in food preparation.
- Survey parents and students each school year
- Volunteer Tuesdays. Volunteer in the cafeteria to help the staff with processing
fruits and vegetables.
- Student Choppers. We have a goal for students to help process vegetables in
the morning while waiting for school to start. We need parents to help us get this to
happen.
- Art. We hope to have more art in the cafeteria that is food/wellness related.
Physical Education
- Raise staff awareness of the impact of brain and physical exercise
- Apply for Fuel Up to Play 60 grant. These funds could support many objectives.
Snacks, exercise equipment, fun classes afterschool like dance, hip hop, climbing walls.
Community/Classroom
- Increased communication about wellness. Something in every Viking. We
bought “Nutrition Nuggets” for the Viking.
- Started the Post office pacers walking program for staff on Wednesdays
- Provided funding for the walking program that is being lead by Mrs Barber
- In 2013 we will sponsor
o Harvest Dinner at Open House
o Wellness Fair (might delay to 2014)
o Truckload of Apples for a snack for all - mid October
o Cooking for Life program
o King Arthur Bread program
o Training for our staff on brain exercises
o Garden science books for 2nd grade teachers
- By school year 2014-2015 we hope to have some routine wellness learnings
throughout PK-5.
HCS Quick list of needs
Garden
We need a tractor with a tiller asap for the blueberry beds.
Long term dream - we frame and mulch an area in the garden space for our picnic
tables
Cafeteria
More Forks - more utensils for the students
Food mill for processing apples and tomatoes
Panini maker
Air pop popcorn maker
(If you are trashing an appliance please just bring it to HCS)
Long term dream
● Electric salad bar – big $
● Round tables - big $
● PIE funds paying for premium for foods (meats, local vegetables, apples)
● Volunteers on Tuesday mornings.
● Students prepping vegetables before school starts. Occasionally assisting during
rec time and TA time.
● In school year 2013-2014 K-5 will have a parent job as a “Wellness Parent” .
This parent can assist with classroom samplings, garden activities.
School/Classrooms
Step stools for the water fountains. We need to work with Tim Peet.
Ecology Club – parents to lead it
Snowshoeing club – parent to lead it
Events/theme lunches – connecting the classroom to the cafeteria. How can you make
it happen? PIE classroom representatives/parents ask teachers if they would like a
themed lunch and work with the cafeteria and parent volunteers to make it happen.
How can you help?
Would like to advance nutrition education or physical education within our community? Would you like to help in the garden and/or in the cafeteria? Are you passionate about exercise? Are you crazy about recycling? Sounds like a fun group!
- We meet about every 2 months (we provide babysitting)
- We have an email distribution for group activity status, opportunities for volunteers
and education about nutrition and wellness. We have over 50 community members on
our email list. If you’d like to be added, please email Kelli Brown.
