SCHOOL INFO:
March 26, 2021
Dear L&G Families:
The weather is getting warmer. The Governor is “opening the spigot.” Vaccinations are coming out for everyone (over 16!). The spring seems to be a time of hope this year, which is pretty different than a year ago. Many of you have heard that the CDC has changed its distancing guidance from 6’ to 3’ for K12 schools. You’ve also, no doubt, heard that our elementary schools are planning 5-day in-person learning beginning after April vacation. So, what is L&G doing???
Well, as of today, the Agency of Education (AOE) and the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) have yet to release new updated guidance, so we are still following the most recent updated version from the fall. We are, however, beginning to make plans for 3’ distancing. It is our hope that we will be able to offer 4-day in person learning for all of our students once the guidance changes. This will require some new rules and expectations but will give our hybrid students a great opportunity to be here much more! Unlike the elementary schools in our district, we will still plan to run our Remote Academy through the end of the school year, so that families in that program will be allowed to remain remote. Please stay tuned for a flurry of information, once we have the new guidance, and have the opportunity to review it and develop our plans for “reopening 3.0.”
Extended Vacations & Travel
Some families are alerting us that they intend to take extended vacations around the upcoming April break or that they will be travelling with their children out of state. Please be aware that while some travel restrictions have been lifted for vaccinated people, virtually none of our student body qualifies for this exemption and return from out of state travel will require quarantining before returning to school, resulting in additional lost days of instruction. This will be particularly noticeable if we are 4-days a week after April break. Please use thoughtful consideration when planning your family vacations.
Some families have made the choice to keep kids home out of “an abundance of caution” in certain situations, based on people awaiting test results, etc. To clarify from a record-keeping perspective, any student who is required to quarantine will receive an AE (excused absence) as their attendance code for the day. Students who are voluntarily quarantining will receive an A as an attendance code (this latter example applies to family travel described in the above paragraph). This will only impact those students whose total absences exceed what is allowed in our attendance policy - and will likely receive an absence letter at some point. Excused absences will not count towards that letter. In all cases, students should continue to do the assigned work. Teachers will be having special zoom meetings on Wednesdays for students in quarantine, and they will alert those students via email with the link.
Picture Days NEXT WEEK
The new, rescheduled dates for pictures are:
Cohort A & 6th graders Tuesday, March 30
Cohort B & Remote Academy Friday, April 2
Ordering forms were already sent home, and can be still used. Additionally you may order online at www.geskusprint.com and our unique code is JAR59H6E. We ask for all students to participate so that we’ll have pictures for the yearbook!
School Budget
We send out a collective thank you to all who voted for our school budget. We really appreciate the efforts that taxpayers have made to continually fund our programming for your kids especially during this incredibly challenging time!
End of Year Events
While the governor has already announced that we’ll have “normal” graduations, the AOE has yet to publicize any guidelines for end of year events, like proms and graduations. This is expected to happen in the next week or so, and, as with the distancing guidelines, we’ll study the release and plan accordingly. So, please stay tuned for information about these events. We really want to celebrate the class of 2021 who have had two of their most important years of schooling dramatically interrupted by the pandemic.
Reminders
Spring sports will start on April 5 (baseball pitchers and catchers 3/29)
Travel out of state requires quarantining for any unvaccinated (students) people. Please consult with our nurse, Jorda Daigneault if you have any questions about how this might impact your family. This is especially important as we get closer to April break.
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Bob Thibault
Principal
Cohort A & 6th graders Tuesday, March 30
Cohort B & Remote Academy Friday, April 2
Spring sports will start on April 5 (baseball pitchers and catchers 3/29)
Travel out of state requires quarantining for any unvaccinated (students) people. Please consult with our nurse, Jorda Daigneault if you have any questions about how this might impact your family. This is especially important as we get closer to April break.
Bob Thibault
Spring Sports Announcement:
Hello Rebel Nation-
Here are the start dates for Spring Sports:
March 29th-HS Baseball Pitchers and Catchers practices start
April 5th-All HS Spring Sports (Softball, Ultimate Disc, Track and Field) Practices start
April 17th-HS games/meets begin
April 26th-MS Spring Sports practices begin (Baseball, Softball, Track and Field)
Please remember to check the following Events and Activities calendar for practice times and game schedules.
Also please make sure your child is registered at the following site for their spring sport. You can not participate until this is complete.
Attendance Surveys:
HEY Help:
Community:
Dinner Together:
The Nature Museum: Summer Camp Assistant Positions:
Up to 40hrs/week during camp season, primarily from June 21th - August
13th. Preparation and training will take place during the week of June 21st. Total of up to 300 hours over the course of the summer. Hourly Rate: $12-15/hr. Rate of pay dependent upon experience. This is a seasonal position that is not eligible for benefits.
More details/job descriptions are available in the L&G main office.
