January 24, 2025
I hope that you all took a minute on Monday to
pause and speak with your children about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the importance of his work. While it can be a challenging conversation, children are ready and amaze me each day with their wonder and ability to see things with open eyes. I am hopeful that our future is bright and that Dr. King's work will continue to shine bright through the eyes of our children.
I am so proud to share that our very own Moretown Bobcat's Lego Robotics Team placed third in the state competition at Global Foundries last weekend, January 18th! The team of fifth and sixth graders, along with their team leaders Mish Boreanaz and
Jason Stevenson, worked during their recess/prep time to prepare for the competitions. This is the first year that Moretown has sent a team and they are already planning for their return next year. Congratulations to our young coders and their team leaders!
There have been some viruses popping up at Moretown School these past few weeks. Below
you'll see a note from Nurse Phil regarding COVID and ways to keep yourself, and others, safe. To protect yourself from COVID and other pesky viruses please continue to work with children on proper handwashing, covering a cough and keeping hands away from faces.
I encourage all of our Moretown families to stay informed with district-level information. At their meeting on Wednesday, the HUUSD School Board approved a budget to present to taxpayers for vote in March. This budget necessitated cuts to personnel in or
der to keep us under the spending threshold outlined by the state; one that if we were to go over would come with serious financial penalties. Additionally, the board heard a presentation from two architects from TruexCullins around longterm planning for our district. We are still in the infancy stages of planning what the HUUSD will look like down the road but it is important that you all stay involved and in the know. These meetings, and others, can all be found on the HUUSD youtube page and can be watched at any time.
As summer draws closer (hard to think of summer with these cold temperatures!) we have more and more camp opportunities sent our way. I will
continue to post anything sent to us in the "Community Offerings" section below. Beyond camps you can find registration links for youth recreation sports (such as Mad River Little League right now), community events and more.
I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend. I look
forward to welcoming our staff and students back to school on Monday.
Ms. Kate
From Nurse Phil:
Dear Families and Caregivers,
It is definitely winter time and we are seeing the typical colds and viruses running through the 
schools in the area. I've been following the CDC Covid tracker for a little bit now and have noticed that there is a small uptick in Covid cases throughout the country. In our region, which includes New England, they are seeing a higher positive activity rate than over the past few weeks. That being said, it is still fairly low.
A few people tested positive for COVID during the past week at Moretown School. Here is an explanation of the signs and symptoms, along with
the current guidance from the Vermont Department of Health on when to return to normal activities. The recommendations for the “stay home” period are to stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after their symptoms are better and they have not had a fever in that time with no fever reducing adjunct, such as acetaminophen. It is a recommendation to continue to practice good hygiene, physical distance as much as possible, and wear a mask. These are recommendations not mandatory steps. If you choose to test, you can access test kits at your local grocery stores or pharmacies. The Moretown Town Clerk's Office also has a small supply available to the public.
The CDC recommends that anyone age 6 mos or older get an updated COVID booster. Protection 
you receive from the vaccine decreases with time. This year's COVID-19 vaccine is updated to give you the best protection from currently circulating strains. One positive take away I can give you is that in the United States we have a 98% protective immunity against COVID-19 from use of vaccinations, prior infections or in some cases both. As a result of this, we are seeing fewer hospitalizations and death and symptoms are lessened as well.
The Vermont Department of Health requests that parents of students who test positive to report to this website: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6507748/Vermont-COVID-19-Self-Test-Result-Reporting-Form.
Please contact your school nurse if you have any questions or concerns.
PTO UPDATE
Friends of the Moretown Library Chili Cook-Off!
The Friends of the Moretown Library invite you to the third annual Friends of the Moretown Library Chili Cook-Off! It's a fun (and tasty!) community event, and all the proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library. With your ticket, not only are you supporting the Library but you also get to sample each featured chili. It's a lot of chili, so bring your appetites! Sides, desserts, and beverages sold separately.
It's an event that is sure to warm up a February evening. Tickets are $10 each.
Details: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, 4:00-6:00 pm
Location: The historic Moretown Town Hall & Library
Tickets: https://bit.ly/2025ChiliTickets
Vacation and summer camps at Camp Meade
New StoryWalk® at the Moretown Recreation Field
Posted for the Friends of the Moretown Library
Bear and Wolf - Written and Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
A young bear, out walking in the falling snow, encounters a young wolf with the same intention, both using their senses to savor the sights, sounds and smells of the winter landscape. Bear explains that she is “out for a walk to feel the cold on my face, and to enjoy the quiet of the woods when it snows.” Wolf is “out for a walk to feel the cold under my paws, and to listen to the crunching of the snow as I walk.”
The two develop a friendship as they meander through the woods and across a frozen pond, until it is time to go their separate ways, bear returning to his sleeping family, and wolf reconnecting with his pack to follow the caribou herds.
In the spring, the two reconnect, “walking through the gentle breeze, using their eyes, and ears, and noses to take in the awakening woods.”
The illustrations, using gouache, watercolor and crushed pencil color, are soft and beautiful, accentuating the contemplative pace of the story.
We hope you have a chance to enjoy this StoryWalk on a beautiful winter day, using
your senses to see, hear, smell, taste and touch the wonders of the winter landscape.
Stop by the library and share your experiences on other nature walks, and the ways in which they were both similar and different throughout the seasons.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier Vermont. Storywalk® is a registered
service mark owned by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Stark Mountain Foundation StorySki
2025 Girls On The Run Team is looking for coaches!!
Make a positive impact and empower young Vermont girls by volunteering as a Girls on the Run coach at Moretown Elementary this spring! With caring coaches who mentor and motivate, all girls can reach new heights. This season's curriculum inspires all participants to say “I can!” to every obstacle that comes their way. Team members build confidence to overcome difficult situations, inspire others to keep going when it’s hard, and embrace their confidence to make a difference in their community.
Not a runner? Haven’t coached before? No problem! Girls on the Run VT (GOTRVT) provides training, easy to follow lesson plans, supplies and support for a transformational season. Our season begins the week of March 17th, and ends with a celebratory 5K on Saturday May 31st. Our team will meet twice weekly for 90 minute sessions to connect, move, learn and have FUN!
Visit gotrvt.org/coach to learn more or sign up to volunteer. Questions? Contact Christine Tierson at [email protected] or 802-595-3329 or go directly to GOTRVT at [email protected] or 802-871-5664.
Mad River Path Camps
The Mad River Path Association is a local Vermont nonprofit aiming to increase access to the outdoors for all. We have several weeks of adventurous fun lined up this summer for kids and teens aged 9-15. Programs run for 5 or 6 days, with both day programs and overnight options. You can view the individual camp programs on our website as well as detailed information about our leadership, philosophy, and past camper experience.
We believe greatly in financial accessibility, and there are sliding scale and scholarship options so that no one is left out for lack of funds.
Mad River Path Summer Programs Website
Mad River Valley Little League
Register Today!
https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1932792
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Thomas Jacobs
Hello neighbors!
We have arranged for a Toddler/Pre-K Gym Time (ages 2-4) starting on 1/10 every other Friday from Jan-March from 5 pm-6:30 pm at the Moretown Elementary School. It'll be a chance for our little ones to run around and play during the cold winter months. The plan is to have mostly free time with the occasional organized game.
The dates will be 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, and 3/21.
Please follow the signs and enter through the Owl Door. All you will have to do is sign a quick waiver and you'll be good to go. Please reach out with any questions.
Hope to see you there!
Thomas
