Thursday, October 30, 2014

Friday Notes 10-31-14

We appreciate your patience as we look for the most streamline and efficient way to distribute Friday Notes to the Leland & Gray community.  If you are not receiving Friday Notes by email and would like to or if you would like to be removed from the Friday Notes email list, please email fridaynotes@lelandandgray.org  Thank you.


SCHOOL INFO:


Update to the School Schedule:

Mon. 11/10 • Early release – Teacher in-service
Tue. 11/11 • No school – Veteran’s Day & teacher in-service
Wed. 11/12 • No school – Teacher in-service
Tue. 11/25 • No school for grade 7 only
Wed. - Fri. 11/26 - 11/28 • No school – Thanksgiving break


Sophomores and Juniors:

“Try a Major Day” at Vermont Tech’s Williston Campus on Friday, November 14th.  This is not a typical “tour the campus day.”  It's a day when sophomores and juniors will participate and interact with a major program they’re interested in learning more about.   

A sampling of the major activities, agenda for the day and individual registration information may be found at: www.vtc.edu/tamd

Programs available at the Williston Campus Try a Major Day:  Aviation, Business, Computer and Information Systems, Dental, Electrical, Computer and Electromechanical Technology, Nursing & Respiratory Therapy


College Representative Visits:

The schedule for college rep visits so far this year is as follows:
Castleton State College- Nov. 7 @ 9:30am 
Bryant College- Nov. 7 @ 1:00pm


“Paying for College” Workshops:

Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) will offer free workshops at local high schools to help families plan how to pay for college and training after high school.

November 18th Leland and Gray UHS Library 6:30 p.m.

If you cannot attend this session, visit www.vsac.org/schedule for other local sessions.


7th Grader Parents & Guardians:

You can find a link to the 7th Grade Homework Chart on the Leland & Gray homepage.  It is the first option under the "Teacher Web Pages" menu:  https://sites.google.com/a/lelandandgray.org/7th-grade-class/

Please contact Johanna Liskowsky-Doak, Rence Ricohermoso, Amanda Dixon or Joe Towle with any questions!


From the School Nurse:

The 2013-2014 VT Elementary School Oral Health Survey Report was published in September and is now posted on the Health Department’s website at: http://healthvermont.gov/family/dental/documents/oral_health_survey_2013-2014.pdf

It reports that Vermont's oral health programs are working.  Compared to previous surveys, fewer children have tooth decay and fewer have untreated decay.  ​However, one-third of Vermont's children have experienced tooth decay, suggesting that Vermont needs more primary prevention programs.  

All children on Vermont Medicaid, (Dr. Dynasaur) have dental health coverage and can see a dentist regularly for preventive care.  

The report outlines some key strategies to improve the oral health of our children.  Please read the report and attend the January WCSU School Health Advisory Council meeting to discuss this crucial component of our school health.


Writing Contest:

Writing Contest open to all high school students between the ages of 14 and 18.  The contest is looking for original short works of fiction in the fantasy or science-fiction genres.

Find more information here:  http://www.arisia.org/StudentWritingContest


Winter Sports:

Hello Parents!
It’s that time of year again and we welcome you to join us for all of your JISP needs – rentals of skis, snowboards and boots.  We encourage you to come in before the Thanksgiving holiday so we can get your child(ren) outfitted for the season.  The season runs from 10/15/14- 4/30/15.

Our season lease price this year will be the same as last year:  $70 for skis, boots and poles; $99 for snowboards and boots.  OR you may purchase the equipment as follows:  $89 for skis, boots and poles; $120 for snowboards and boots.

In response to the growing inquiry about helmets, we have teamed with Giro and Smith to offer helmets to JISP participants at the reduced range of $50-$80.  The benefit of these helmets is the size adjustability that will provide several years of use for your child.
We thank you in advance for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Think snow!

Sincerely,
Tom, Suzy and the Norse House Team
Please remember - the earlier, the better!


AFTER SCHOOL INFO:



Late Bus:

The late bus is currently not running and will resume running on Monday, November 3rd.


After School Snack:

Remember a more substantial After School Snack is available after school Monday - Thursday.


After School Programs:

Remember that HEY! Help and Peer Tutoring are happening after school and it is important you arrive by 3pm.  The same applies for other HEY! After School Activities.  Please arrive on time and remember that you will not be allowed to enter the school on A Level after 3pm.  We look forward to seeing you at the After School Activities.


Environmental Action:

LEAF, the Leland & Gray Environmental Action Force, is off to a great start this year with several upcoming events. An upcoming event is America Recycles Day, on November 15th.  In preparation for this, LEAF will be putting recycled materials to use in school assemblies and in holiday arts & crafts.  In particular, the middle school LEAF members are working on creating holiday crafts from recycled materials and hope to teach local elementary school students how some simple decorations can be made.  If you have any unwanted glass jars or old incandescent light bulbs, please contact Mary Davis or have your child drop them off in school.

Other goals include setting up a small greenhouse on school grounds and planting garlic over the winter.  If anyone is willing to donate garlic for planting, please contact either Stephanie Nyzio (snyzio@lelandandgray.org) or Mary Davis (mdavis@lelandandgray.org).



COMMUNITY INFO:


West Townshend Community Store:

On Halloween night the West Townshend Store and Cafe will be baking pizza starting at 5 pm. Build your own pizza and watch it bake in the outdoor oven, at $10.00 a pie. Beer, wine and other refreshments are also available. Music, starting at 7 pm, will be provided by the Gravediggers. They will be digging up lots of great BOOgrass for your listening pleasure. Best costume will receive a gift certificate for a free pizza. Start making your costume now!


West River Valley Thrives Partnership Meeting:

West River Valley Thrives (WRVthrives) invites all community members to attend our Partnership Meeting next week.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 4th at 4:00pm
WHERE: Holt Conference Room in Grace Cottage's Wellness Center
WHY:In this meeting we will...
* create connections with other individuals and organizations that care about the health of our community and our youth.
* review data related to health and substance use in the West River Valley
* determine priority data points to help focus our work.

We will use the results from this meeting to frame the conversation at our Community Forum on November 20th (mark your calendar!).

Your perspective and input can help shape WRVthrives priorities and activities.  Be a part of making this community thrive!


For more information contact Julia Hampton at 365-4700 or wrvtdirector@gmail.com

E-Cig VT Law Change:

Vermont leads the way in e-cigarette laws. As of July 1, 2014, children in Vermont have been protected from E-Cigarettes. People can no longer smoke e-cigarettes in workplaces, motor vehicles with children, public places, or childcare settings. Previously, e-cigarettes were not included in Act 135, the Vermont Smoke-Free Laws. This meant that e-cigarettes could be used wherever people wanted. 

With more research, it has been discovered that e-cigarettes are far from safe. While they have been advertised as only producing water vapor, new studies have shown that they also release toxic metals and nicotine. The liquid is concentrated nicotine and other chemicals in dropper form. There is no standard for using one drop, two, three or even four. This means that you cannot determine how much nicotine you are really getting. The CDC has reported a dramatic increase in the number of e-cigarette related calls to poison control centers. Half of the e-cigarette reported calls involve children under the age of 15. E-liquids are going to be regulated and labeled, as of January 1, 2015.

Pass this knowledge along to your community: the dangers of e-cigarettes, vapors, and e-liquids are increasing every day. A violation of Act 135 can result in a $100.00 fine. It is important to keep our youth safe by keeping them educated about the dangers of e-cigarettes. For more information, please visit the Vermont Department of Health. http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/tobacco/documents/Ecigarette_factsheet.pdf


ATHLETICS:


Fall Sports Banquets:

The Middle School Banquet will be on Wednesday, November 5th from 5:30-7pm in the Main Gym.  The High School Banquet will be on Thursday, November 6th from 5:30-7pm.  Please remember both of these events are Potluck Dinners so please bring a dish to contribute to the meal.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Basketball:

Girls Open Gym  will be running on 11/2, 11/9 and 11/12 starting at 2:45pm

Boys Open Gym will be running on 10/30, 11/4, 11/6, 11/11, 11/13  starting at 6pm

Tryouts will Begin for Boys and Girls HS Basketball on Monday November 17th with the following schedule:

Girls HS Tryouts (9-12 grade) from November 17th to November 19th  4:30-6:30pm Main Gym

Boys HS Tryouts (9-12 grade) from November 17th to November 19th 6:30-8:30pm Main Gym

Boys and Girls MS Basketball tryouts will begin on December 1st at 2:45-4:15pm in the Main Gym and Dutton

Remember, with every season, there will be a Parent/Player/Coach/Concussion Meeting within the first 2 weeks of the start of the season.
Confirmation of date soon to follow...