Leland and Gray Friday Notes: January 2022

Friday, January 28, 2022

Friday Notes 1/28/22

SCHOOL INFO

January 28, 2022

Dear L&G Families:

We have four full weeks of school before February vacation and we have just started the new semester, marking the midway point of the school year. While the fall and early winter has been bumpy at times, we are very hopeful that COVID will settle down, and spring will lead to more opportunities for all of us.

New Face in Front Office:

Beginning this week, Mary Lindsley will begin phase one of her retirement plan - Ms. Jenna Jordan is taking over her responsibilities in the main office! Please be patient during the transition! Mary will resume her new role (through June) as our In-School Suspension coordinator!

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesdays - Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9, Feb 16 - Winter Activities Days!

Monday, Feb 21 - Tue, March 1 - February Vacation (Wed Feb 2nd is first day back!)

Vaccination Clinics:

Please see the Vermont Department of Health website for opportunities for your 5-11 year old children to access a vaccination. We strive to get to a place where once the state announces we can go mask-free (after achieving 80%) that we can celebrate that freedom knowing that our children are protected by several mitigation measures.

Bob Thibault

Principal

Virtual Student Art Show:

Here is the link: https://padlet.com/snyzio1/yzjyzkc81m8u4a4

Class of 2024 Fundraiser:

The Sophomore Class is having a Valentine's Week advent Calendar Raffle. The donated prizes are amazing! Tickets are $10 for one and $15 for three. To purchase tickets, ask any sophomore or email Elizabeth Brown (ebrown@windhamcentral.org) The first day of the drawing is Sunday, February 6. Be sure to get your tickets by then!

L&G Co-Curricular Calendar:

http://lelandandgray.org/index.php/co-curricular-calendar

School Calendar:

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Gerda's Equine Rescue Volunteering:

Gerda's Equine Rescue is looking for volunteers to help unload a trailer full of hay on Sunday, January 30th around 10am. Please see Terry in Room A-13 if you are interested in earning community service hours.

COMMUNITY:

West River Valley Thrives:

Thrives’ Tip of the Month!
January 2022

Welcome to Thrives Tip of the Month! We love connecting you with information on how to make healthy choices! This month’s tip is:
Don’t rely on New Year’s resolutions, rely on new routines!
Let’s be real—it is a hard time for resolutions and changing unwanted habits. The stressors of the pandemic leave us all reaching for coping mechanisms that aren’t always healthy. However, New Year’s resolutions do not have to be lofty. They can even aim at reducing a harmful habit as opposed to eliminating it entirely. Whether you are going for the gold or simply trying to keep habits in check, it takes more than a resolution to change ingrained behaviors!
A habit is something we do almost automatically—without thinking. Changing unwanted habits takes more than will power! Change depends on repeating new ROUTINES again and again. Doing this creates new patterns in the brain which means new habits! Read/watch the links below to learn more about your amazing brain’s ability to change unwanted habits!Thrives has many resources available for creating and sustaining healthier routines in your life. Contact us or visit our website to learn more information.

Article- How the Brain Forms Habits https://neurosciencenews.com/habits-brain-15805/
Article-Habits:How They Form, and How to Bream Them
https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them
Video-How Habits Change Your Brain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN1aRN5bQQ0

WBL Opportunities:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Summer Seasonal Positions with Ball Mountain/Townshend Lakes:

Ball Mountain and Townshend Lakes are hiring seasonal rangers/laborers for the 2022 recreation season! I have attached the application links below.

There is a higher education requirement for the ranger position but some students may qualify if they have specialized experience. This is outlined in the qualifications section. The laborer position doesn’t have many qualifications, just being able and willing to work outside. However, you have to be at least 18 years old to be employed. We have had several senior students work for us over the years and it has always been a great experience for everybody. If you could distribute this to anyone you think would qualify, that would be amazing! Let me know if anyone has any questions, the application can be a bit tricky.

Park Ranger position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/625590800

Laborer position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/625590800

Thank you!

Jessalyn Stockwell

Natural Resources Specialist (Park Ranger)

Ball Mountain & Townshend Lakes

88 Ball Mountain Ln.

Jamaica, VT 05343

Office: (978) 318-8022

Cell: (802) 735-3046

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Friday Notes 1/18/22

SCHOOL INFO

January 18, 2022

Dear L&G Families:

New Face in Front Office:

Beginning next week, Mary Lindsley will begin phase one of her retirement plan - Ms. Jenna Jordan will be taking over her responsibilities in the main office! Please be patient during the transition! Mary will resume her new role (through June) as our In-School Suspension coordinator!

No After School Programming this week (and no LATE BUS)

MS Semi Formal scheduled for Friday night has been postponed!

Friday Make Up Day:

This coming Friday (1/21) is our fall semester make-up day. Students who are complete with all of their assignments do not have to come to school! Many letters were sent home at the end of last week, inviting those who need to complete missing assignments, to join their teachers on Friday. Please connect with your child’s teachers to confirm, if your child tells you that they are complete! Unfortunately, buses will only be running at the normal times, so if your child completes their work before 2:40pm and you can provide them with transportation, they may leave early. Middle school families, teachers will be contacting you via email to let you know what time your student can be picked up. Lunch will be provided for those who are still here at that time.

New COVID Guidance:

As you probably know already, the state has changed its guidance for us late last week, and that new guidance will go into effect Wednesday, January 19th, per Superintendent Anton’s letter last week. (Here’s his letter and his attached chart, again!) In short, starting tomorrow, when there’s a student identified as COVID positive in your child’s classes, you will get an automated email with that information and steps on what to do, depending on vaccination status. Most likely, you’ll have the opportunity to get a take-home rapid test from our main office and follow the instructions on Mr. Anton’s chart. If your child is unvaccinated and you choose to not do the take home testing, your child will have to quarantine for 5 days. If at any time, your child (vaccinated or not!) has symptoms, then they must stay home. Positive cases should still be reported to our school nurse (Jorda) at jdaigneault@windhamcentral.org. If your child has to quarantine, please alert our new front office secretary/attendance clerk (Jenna) at jjordan@windhamcentral.org so that the attendance may be recorded as such. Please keep in mind that schools are no longer being asked to do formal contact tracing, but only report positive cases in your child’s classroom. This means that there may be other contact possibilities (lunch, FLEX, WIN, other afterschool programming) where we are not able to fully determine whether your child was a close contact. That being said, rapid test kids are available upon request.

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesdays - Jan 12, Jan 19, Jan 26 - Winter Activities Days!

Friday, Jan 21 - Summative Make Up Day

Monday, Jan 24 - Tuesday, Jan 25 - Teacher Inservice Days - No School

Wednesday, Jan 26 - First Day of Semester Two

Vaccination Clinics:

Bob Thibault

Principal

Winter Benchmark Assessments:

Last week our students in grades 6-8 have been working on completing the winter AIMSWeb benchmark assessment and grades 9-12 completed the Start 360 assessment. A big thank you and congratulations to our students for taking their time to do their best on these assessments! Individual student reports will go home in the mail with the first semester report cards.

Refuse to Use:

To register for either date click on the link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/cad4b774741f455fbbdd4782b7ebbd1b

Registration closes one hour before the event.

A zoom link will be emailed to everyone who registers!

Virtual Student Art Show:

Here is the link: https://padlet.com/snyzio1/yzjyzkc81m8u4a4

Class of 2024 Fundraiser:

After School Club Cancellation:

Good Afternoon L&G families',

Due to low staff, the after school clubs and late bus will be canceled until Thursday, January 27th. We know this may be disappointing for families and children who were looking forward to enjoying the variety of activities we had planned.

Take care and stay healthy!

Luis Vargas

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

After School Programs Coordinator

Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach

Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School

Phone: 802.365.7355 EXT. 143

Email: lvargas@windhamcentral.org

L&G Co-Curricular Calendar:

http://lelandandgray.org/index.php/co-curricular-calendar

School Calendar:

COMMUNITY:

WBL Opportunities:

CFES Brilliant Pathways:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Summer Seasonal Positions with Ball Mountain/Townshend Lakes:

Ball Mountain and Townshend Lakes are hiring seasonal rangers/laborers for the 2022 recreation season! I have attached the application links below.

Park Ranger position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/625590800

Laborer position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/625590800

Thank you!

Jessalyn Stockwell

Natural Resources Specialist (Park Ranger)

Ball Mountain & Townshend Lakes

88 Ball Mountain Ln.

Jamaica, VT 05343

Office: (978) 318-8022

Cell: (802) 735-3046

Friday, January 7, 2022

Friday Notes 1/7/22

SCHOOL INFO

January 7, 2022

Dear L&G Families:

New years bring new opportunities - and a bunch of resolutions! We hope that this year, and the rest of this school year is successful!

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesdays - Jan 12, Jan 19, Jan 26 - Winter Activities Days!

Monday, Jan 17th - MLK Jr Day - No School

Friday, Jan 21 - Summative Make Up Day

Monday, Jan 24 - Tuesday, Jan 25 - Teacher Inservice Days - No School

Wednesday, Jan 26 - First Day of Semester Two

Vaccination Clinics:

Additionally, please know that the Vermont Agency of Education has offered an incentive program to schools that meet the vaccination goals, with financial “gifts” to schools based on population. L&G stands to get several thousand dollars if our student vaccination rate can get above 85%!

Thanks for your continued support of our staff and our programming - we certainly love having your children here, and wish you all a great vacation!!

Bob Thibault

Principal

School Testing:

High School: Students have Star360 testing in Advisory on Monday and Tuesday morning. Please ensure your ChromeBooks are charged overnight and ready to use in the morning. Don't forget to get a good night's sleep and grab free breakfast at school in the morning before each test.

Middle School: Students have AIMSweb testing in House on Monday and Tuesday morning. Please ensure your ChromeBooks are charged overnight and ready to use in the morning. Don't forget to get a good night's sleep and grab free breakfast at school in the morning before each test.